Cruising on a Sunny Afternoon (Part 1)

My good friend Bob and his wife Pat love cruises. So much so he’s probably spent more time on the high seas than Admiral Lord Nelson. Consequently he kindly agreed to be my guest blogger and provide us with an insight into the art of cruising.

Taking a cruise can be the most relaxing and rewarding type of vacation (that’s holiday to Brits!) one can experience. We do not propose to be cruise experts, travel consultants, travel agents, or travel writers. We have taken 16 cruises in the past 8 years and would like to share our experiences, some insights, and hints that may help you to plan your next for first cruise.

Planning your Cruise

The first step should be decide where you would like to go and for how long. The internet is a treasure trove of information. Just type in “cruises.”  We have taken 7 day Caribbean cruises, 15 day Transatlantic cruises, 14 day Mediterranean cruises, and an Alaskan West Coast cruise. All were wonderful and deeply enjoyable. We have used travel agents, cruise line agents, and cruise consolidators. However my personal favorite travel specialist is my wife.

Each has benefits and pitfalls. A professional travel agent can be invaluable. Be sure to select one that is licensed or bonded and well versed in cruising. There is no fee for using a travel agent. Beware they may steer you towards cruise lines that pay them a larger commission or shower the agent with personal cruise benefits. Using an agent would be very helpful for a first time cruiser.

Cruise lines have their own in house sales people (800 plus.) You will speak to a real live person which is a treat especially if you have ever been re-routed by your on line helpline to Bombay (Mumbai.) They are knowledgeable and helpful. They will advise you on specials and any free upgrades that you are entitled to; such as gratuities included, shipboard credit, or cabin upgrades.

We have found that cruise consolidators or cruise line specialists are great resources. We have used “crucon.com” and “cruise west.com.” They are specialists in all types of cruises, represent all cruise lines, and generally offer the best benefits. We have found that their prices are lower than cruise line sites or agents, as they offer additional benefits beyond the cruise lines. We have received extra shipboard cash credits, free drink packages, free gratuities, free dinners in the ship specialty restaurants and cabin upgrades.

You pay no additional fee for their service, but you must do most of your research yourself. They are not there to educate you or hold your hand. They book your cruise period. We have always been happy with their service. Last but not least, and my favorite source, is my own personal cruise specialist, my wife!

Now that we have some experience in cruising, she will spend hundreds of hours combing through all of the sites to create our ideal cruise. She has been fantastic and discovered some incredible deals. For example our recent Transatlantic 14 day cruise included all gratuities, beer and wine package, $300 shipboard credit, free bottle of champagne in the room upon arrival, veranda cabin, and concierge level for $899 each. That’s approximately $65 per day! A word of caution; I would not recommend this for first time cruisers,

 

Where to Cruise and for How Long

We have taken 5 “one week Caribbean cruises” with multiple island stops. They are fun and pure escapism but for our tastes too short. We have taken a 15 day Vancouver to Alaska to San Diego cruise. We went late in the season (mid-September) and the weather was brutal. We were the last cruise of the season. The weather was cold, and some ports of call were partially closed and boarded up.

We have taken 4 Mediterranean cruises both eastern and western. They have all been enjoyable and culturally enriching. The ships usually leave from a major city like Barcelona or Rome. They cruise at night and in the morning you have arrived in a new city. We love to explore and leave the ship either on our own if we have been there before or take the cruise ship tour.

I would recommend the ship’s tours if it is your first time in that city. The tours can be expensive, but they are well organized and very informative. These tours gave us a flavor for many cities and we returned to them later to explore on our own. The only negative is flying to Europe each way, and the air fare can be very expensive. Furthermore, the flights can last between 9-12 hours one way.

To be continued…….

3 Responses to “Cruising on a Sunny Afternoon (Part 1)”

  1. Gold Price says:

    Nearly all the major cruise lines (Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International) sail to and in the Caribbean (all except Costa Cruises and MSC Cruises are year-round). A few cruise lines, however, have recently stopped their fly-cruises, such as Fred Olsen, citing the rising cost of air travel.

  2. Nothing says relaxation quite like a cruise. From a romantic Mediterranean cruise for two, to a family excursion to Alaska, cruises are one of the best ways to see the most beautiful destinations in the world. No matter your destination, let Yahoo! Travel help you find the cheapest cruise deals. There’s no better time than now to get on board!

  3. Silver Price says:

    With the CruiseCare® Cancellation Penalty Waiver (provided by Celebrity Cruises), if you need to cancel or your cruise is interrupted, Celebrity Cruises will waive the non-refundable cancellation provision of your cruise ticket contract and pay in cash the value of the unused portion of your prepaid cruise vacation in the event you or your travel companion need to cancel your cruise vacation (for specified reasons). Also, if you or your travel companion need to cancel for “any other reason,” you may be eligible for Cruise Credits (up to 75% of the non-refundable, prepaid cruise vacation cost).

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