What’s not included in an All Inclusive Cruise

by Neil Woodburn on

Yesterday we posted about the world’s most expensive cruises and today, we talk about how they sneakily become even more so.

As most of you know, cruise ships tend to be all inclusive. In my book, that means everything is free, and that is a very, very good thing.

Unfortunately, this is not exactly true according to The Cost of Cruising by Jane Archer. Archer fills us is in on those items and services which are not included in an all inclusive.

As I’ve routinely expressed, I’ve never been on a cruise so I was a bit surprised at the additional bills which add up very quickly. For those of you who are cruise veterans, the following list of charges will come as no surprise. But for those considering a cruise for the first time and are trying to manage a budget, spare a moment to look over what’s not included–according to Archer, it can bump up your bill on a seven day cruise upwards of $120 minimum.

Drinks
Ice cream
Spa services
All gratuities (this can really add up)
Specialty restaurants

Want more information on cruises?

A Peek into the Future of Dubai

by Justin Glow on

Today, the city of Dubai announced it has purchased the Queen Elizabeth 2, “one of the world’s most majestic cruise liners,” to convert into a luxury hotel. The QE2 will be completely renovated and parked at the world’s largest man-made island, Palm Jumeirah. The restoration process will stay true to the original design of the ship, and a museum will be built inside to educate visitors on the liner’s legacy.

What’s else in store for the booming city of Dubai? Here’s a quick rundown of current, future, and conceptual projects in the United Arab Emirates’s oasis in the desert.

We talked about it earlier today, but the outrageousness of the resort complex dubbed The Cloud makes it worthy of another mention. Nadim Karam, a Lebanese architect, presented this resort-in-the-sky concept at the International Design Forum in Dubai last month. The actual resort will resemble a cloud floating 300 meters in the air, with slanting support beams that look like sheets of rain. Take that, Sandals! [Stage: Concept]

Who needs Disneyworld when you’ve got Dubailand? Announced in 2003, this super-sized mega theme park (the builders prefer to think of it as a true city) will consist of six poorly named “worlds”: Attractions & Experience World, Retail and Entertainment World, Themed Leisure and Vacation World, Eco-Tourism World, Sports and Outdoor World, and Downtown, each containing a total of 26 “sub-worlds.” Downtown will feature the world’s largest shopping mall, called Mall of Dubai. Coffee lovers unite: the Mall of Dubai will eventually feature the world’s largest Starbucks. [Stage: Under Construction]

Bigger is better, and Dubai has its sites set on the sky with the Burj Dubai. When construction finishes in 2009, the Burj Dubai will most likely be the tallest “land-based structure” (which includes buildings and towers) in the world. Why most likely? “The projected final height of the Burj Dubai is officially being kept a secret due to competition,” according to its Wikipedia entry. Makes sense — why announce an official height when you can just continue building if someone else announces a larger project? Clever. [Status: Under Construction]

Italian-Israeli architect, David Fisher, unveiled in April a 68-story “spinning tower” he hopes to see join the the Dubai skyline in the future. Unlike existing structures that have a single revolving floor (San Antonio’s Tower of the Americas comes to mind, among many others), “[e]ach floor would rotate independently, creating a constantly changing architectural form,” says the Wall Street Journal. This is by far the coolest concept building I’ve found, Dubai or not. It reminds me a bit of Jenga, only…you know…much cooler. [Status: Concept]

Floating Condos For The Super-Rich: Four Seasons’ Ocean Residences

by Willy Volk on

Though I wouldn’t normally use the words cruising and traveling together, the new Four Seasons Ocean Residences is, indeed, a cruise ship for travelers — very rich travelers. Featuring 112 floating condos — ranging from one-bedroom cabins costing $3.7 million to penthouses costing nearly $40 — the Four Seasons will cruise the globe for several years.

The ship’s itinerary features stops in Antarctica; at the 2012 Olympics; in the Amazon; the Rio Carnival; and the Monaco Grand Prix. Boasting a helipad, its own marina, and a launch for jet skis or sailboats, the Four Seasons is obviously traveling at its most elegant…

…and at it’s most boring. Despite its fancy-shmancy itinerary — I’d prefer traveling via mini-bus with a cracked windshield. What fun is it to spend most of your time hobnobbing with the super-wealthy, tottering around on putting greens, when you could be exploring the places you’re visiting? Personally: it sounds boring.

Cruise Safety

by Iva Skoch on

By now, everyone’s heard about the sinking of the cruise ship in the Aegean several weeks ago. But the post-disaster coverage did have some useful info.

USA Today reviewed some of the rules involving passenger safety, particularly safety drills with life jacket instruction within 24 hours of sailing, as well as requirements for how many life vests must be carried (15 percent more than the number of passengers).

It also provided some useful websites, including the detailed and informative CruiseJunkie.com, run by Canadian professor Ross Klein, which tracks illness outbreaks, marine accident reports, as well as even labor and environmental issues in the cruise universe. You can check out the record of a cruise company before you go. They also mention the flashy CruiseCritic.com, a broad-based cruise-travel site that provides general info and allows you to purchase packages.

Couple Falls off Cruise Ship, Strips Naked as “Survival Tactic”

by Willy Volk on

Recently, we mentioned that it was, relatively speaking, rather difficult to fall overboard while on a cruise ship. Hmm… try telling that to the young couple who recently plunged 50 feet off the side of a Grand Princess cruiseliner.

The unmarried couple — both in their 20s — fell over the 4-foot-high railing into the Gulf of Mexico. Surviving four hours in “shark-infested waters,” the couple was discovered by rescuers searching the waves with high-intensity beams. The man, who was naked when he was rescued, claims he removed his clothes in the water as a survival tactic. Apparently, the woman didn’t bother to lie, as it was obvious why they were naked.

In the understatement of the year, the news report claims, “It is not clear how the couple fell off the Grand Princess cruise-liner, but it is understood to have been an accident.”