5 frank cruise tips the cruise line won’t tell you

by Chris Owen on

Here are some important cruise vacation tips you might not find on any other list. The cruise lines won’t tell you these. A good travel agent might but it would not be negligent of them to keep these tips to themselves. Only the most trusted of friends will let you in on these tips, if they know about them.

  1. Bring your own toilet paper– might as well just get this out of the way right up front. The cruise lines do a great job of feeding you, pampering you, and taking you to multiple destinations while you only have to unpack once. Providing plush, soft toilet paper is not one of their selling points.
  2. Be careful flossing- or just skip it unless you’re on a really long cruise. Either that or bring along some Superglue if you have anything other than original teeth in your head. Crowns, bridgework, fillings, all love to jump out of your mouth at sea. Yes, the ship’s medical center can help but that brings us to number 3
  3. It is going to cost more than you thought– this is nothing to be scared of but to say a cruise is totally “all-inclusive” is stretching it a bit. OK, a lot. While we have done cruises and not spent any money on-board (OK, one cruise and it was tough) We have also spent more than the total price of the cruise,on board, for extras not included in the price. Passing up on-board spending can mean losing out on some rich experiences through shore excursions, spa treatments and other things that cost extra. And buy travel insurance; it should cover that trip to the medical center.
  4. Travel Insurance has you covered- eventually– Travel Insurance at sea is not like medical insurance at home where you make a co-pay at the doctors office and you’re done. The cruise line medical center is a fully-equipped hospital and they want their money at the time service is rendered. Later, you’ll file a claim with the travel insurance company and get reimbursed for covered charges. Bonus tip: get documentation on everything you spend money on that might be turned in later to the travel insurance company for reimbursement. You’ll jump through fewer hoops to get reimbursed down the road.
  5. Be good, they can kick you off– Cruise lines, more specifically, the Captain (aka “master of the vessel”) has the right to put you off the ship at the next port without a refund or way back home if you misbehave. That could mean being rowdy in a bar, arguing with a casino dealer or smuggling drugs back on the ship from some lovely island in the Caribbean.

Flickrphoto by derekGavey

Cruise line give-away promotes creativity, green awareness…in kids

by Chris Owen on

While cruise lines offering the really cool prize of a free cruise to non-profits for raffles, give-aways and contests is nothing new, one caught our attention as something special.

In their “Treasures of the Texas Coast” Children’s Art Contest, kids are encouraged to learn more about the Texas coast and express what they have learned through their art in the 15Th annual Adopt-A-Beach competition.

“Trashing Texas Beaches isn’t cool” is the official Adopt-A-Beach slogan that must be incorporated into artwork, entries can not be computer-generated but with few exceptions, children are free to creatively use just about any medium.

The grand prize winner and their teacher receive two round-trip coach-class tickets from Continental Airlines to any Continental destination in the 48 contiguous United States, one 7-night Caribbean cruise from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines departing out of Galveston, Miami, or Ft. Lauderdale and a class party.

We hope the New Year brings more stories of cruise lines involved with environmental awareness with programs and contests just like this one.

For information and contest guidelines, call 877-892-6278 or visit www.texasadoptabeach.org.

Flickr photo by Corey Leopold

The other cool ships of 2010

by Chris Owen on

Undeniably, the big cruise ship story of 2010 was Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, sister to last year’s Oasis. Coming in a close second and third were two other ships by two other lines that deserve a nod before we get too far into 2011.

The other whopper from 2010 was Norwegian Epic. Small by comparison at 150,000 tons and 4,200 guests but no small story at all. Pre-sailing Norwegian Cruise Line boasted then delivered top-shelf entertainment options that clearly set the bar high for others to grab.

The Cirque Dreams and Dinner show was simply the best entertainment option I have see at sea and worth enduring the somewhat minor to “what were they thinking?” design flaws of the new ship. Throw in a dazzling Blue Man Group performance and fair pricing and this one should do well. Norwegian announced more new ships coming up but nothing specific and no duplicate of Epic is on the horizon. Probably one of those “Oh lookey, we’re doing good so we ordered more ships” things the cruise lines do sometimes to make Wall Street happy.

Next up in order of coolness, was Celebrity Eclipse, the third of Celebrity Cruises Solstice-class ships and clearly the future of the line. This is totally a mature adults ship and I don’t mean old people. Geared towards a relaxing, adult experience, this one defines the serene pleasure-cruise experience that others are working into existing ships and featuring on new builds. If that sounds like boring-ship city it’s not.

Celebrity has fully embraced the latest technology on several fronts that put these ships light-years ahead of others in shipbuilding savvy. Building the ships from the bottom up, as opposed to considering passenger areas first, made for a more energy efficient design. From a Teflon coated hull that reduces drag and increases fuel efficiency to happy-environment solar panels to supplement the ships power, this one stretches known technology to make a real dent in the nasty footprint cruise ships have become known for.

But its not like the passengers were secondary by any means.

New dining options, a Celebrity Life onboard program that promotes well-being and health along with superior dining options make this one a stand-out leader for the line. The only problem I see with these marvels is why would anyone even want to sail on their older, boring ships at all? Look for those to be shipped off to needy ports doing shorter sailings on their way out the door in 2011 and 2012.

Photo courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line

New Jamaica cruise port to open, finally, sort of

by Chris Owen on

The first cruise ship will call at the new port of Falmouth, Jamaica next week, months behind schedule and not fully operational.

The port construction is a joint effort between between mega-ship maker Royal Caribbean International and the government of Jamaica. Originally scheduled to open last May, ongoing construction delays pushed opening the port back, rerouting giant sisters Oasis and Allure of the Seas to Costa Maya, Mexico instead. In fact, neither Oasis or Allure of the Seas will be stopping by until a currently slated March grand opening of the port as construction.

That’s not surprising as the port’s history and existing infrastructure date back to the late 18Th and early 19Th century when it was a central hub of the slave trade.

First to call at Falmouth will be Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, a smaller ship with fewer guests on board starting January 7, 2011.

Once complete, the port’s master plan calls for 120,000 square feet of retail shopping and two berths capable of servicing the line’s Oasis-class ships. Located on the islands North side between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, most tours and excursions currently offered at either port will be available from Falmouth.

When asked if popular tours from Ocho Rios would be possible from Falmouth tour operator Lincoln Stewart told me in November “Oh yeah mon, no problem but don’t hold your breath, no don’t hold your breath.”

We won’t.

Booking a cruise? Test your cruise travel agent first

by Chris Owen on

Some travel agents are not going to like this idea at all. Those would be the ones that are just in it for the commission. Others, the ones you want, the good ones, won’t have a problem with this and will pass the test with flying colors.

“Finding a good travel agent who will work with you to select the best cruise possible is sometimes as difficult as finding a good doctor, dentist or other service professional.” says cruise travel expert Linda Garrison from About.com.

A big advantage you have with travel agents is that you can test them. Other than seeing diplomas hanging on the wall or Googling a prospective doctor or dentist online, you really can’t test them much before using them.

The test: Fake-book a sample cruise. Pick an easy one using the following variables:

  • 4 to 6 nights
  • Carnival cruise
  • 2 guests, both under 55, residents of New York, not in the military
  • You want to sail sometime during the month of August 2011
  • Least expensive mid-ship Balcony cabin.

Try that online at the Carnival website then at Expedia.com and send it via email to your cruise travel agent or potential agent if you don’t have one. You’ll have to go all the way through the process online, stopping short of providing a credit card, to get the final price. Your good travel agent will take some time to get back to you but it should be reasonable.

Take notes

  • How long did it take to complete the process with the cruise line, Expedia.com and your travel agent?
  • Which source offered you the most options?
  • Which source had the best price?
  • Which source offered a human being that could look beyond the numbers and facts like humans do, offering me the best alternatives?

OK, so the last one was a slightly loaded question but the point is well taken: A good travel agent will be the one that takes a personal interest in you, your plans and can look beyond just the numbers, fees and facts with a focus on not just price but the experience itself.

Save time, skip the test, contact a Travel Agent.

Flickr photo by nicasaurusrex