Travel plan idea blog

Parents get a break on Disney cruise

Since I wrote about Disney a day or so ago, I will follow up this Disney post with something a little different. But first I give this article on how a Disney cruise is one of the best vacations for parents with children because Disney keeps the kids busy and lets parents escape for a bit.

Choosing shore excursions for cruise to Alaska

If I ever finish grading midterm test and essays, I have to start thinking about whether I want to sign up for any shore excursions while I'm on my cruise.

Part of me wants to not spend any more money and just stay on the ship since I'm paying for the food and entertainment on board already.

The other part of me says not to be so cheap that you have regrets about an expensive vacation. Hopefully I can find a nice balance so both parts end up happy. And of course I need to make sure my wife ends up happy as well...

So my travel agent gave me some advice to get me started:

Juneau - this is THE place for a helicopter tour of the glacier (Mendenhall). And I recommend the helicopter versus the floatplane, due to the fact you have a MUCH better view (180 degrees) from the helicopter, enabling you to see so much more. You can even add the dogsledding option if you're up for it -- definitely a once-in-a-lifetime treat!

This is also the place to take the Mt Roberts Tram to the top of the hill to the Native American center there to learn about the tribes and artwork in this area. Great hiking trails available here, too. If flights aren't your style, at least consider the motorcoach tour that takes you to Mendenhall, so you get a chance to actually walk this wondrous glacier.

If you like whales and marine life, you could opt for a whale watching tour as well, but I think the main draw here is Mendenhall, and it really shouldn't be missed if at all possible.

Skagway - home of gold panning and the White Pass Railroad - a cool little trip that takes you over the same route the original rushers had to take, and it gives you a whole new perspective on need and greed!

THIS is the place for soft adventure; anything from kayaking, canoeing, hiking, and horseback riding to rock climbing!

This is also a place with a lot of wildlife viewing options, be it grizzlies, moose, or eagles. And the town itself is an absolute hoot! And they like it that way.

Glacier Bay - do NOT forget to pack scarves, hats and gloves for the times you want to stay on deck for photos. You will know exactly how your ice trays feel in no time flat here - so be prepared! I also recommend you pick up a couple rain jackets with hoods (throw away kind) you can pack and take at every stop. Alaska is a RAIN FOREST - and yes, you can expect it to rain on a daily basis (usually just sprinkles, and really clears the air when it does). I know it doesn't last long, but if you are warm and dry, you won't mind a temporary inconvenience. And layer your clothes, as the temperature can change drastically. light jacket over sweatshirt over hefty tshirt gives you options. :)

Ketchikan - least expensive souvenirs - shop here for take-aways! Saxman Village or Totem Bight park are great cultural attractions, if you are interested in that sort of thing. (Keep in mind that Native artwork and totem poles in particular are NOT cheap!). Misty Fjords, bears, watersports and fishing are key ingredients to a fun day here!

Victoria - Buchart Gardens are not to be missed - absolutely spectacular! Tea is always an acceptable option here as well. Whale watching here is pretty cool - home of the Orca (killer whales)!

Don't forget to find a great spot to view the ocean on your Inside Passage day --- you should be able to enjoy a plethora of dolphins, sperm and humpback whales that like to follow the ships. They will gladly show off, too. Don't worry - the naturalist will point them out and explain what you are seeing.

So that's good information but I still have something like 45 possible excursions to sort through for one stop. Then with the other stops... I'd better finish correcting my papers soon!

So this is why you need a travel agent

I just received my Compass Rewards NCL coupons and now I need to book a cruise with them. I can choose between Norwegian Cruise Line, NCL America, Orient Lines (which seems to be defunct), or Star cruises.

The coupons actually say you need to use a travel agent and they have a special form on the back which the travel agent has to fill out. But even if it wasn't required, I would still need a travel agent.

I am not sure how the coupons work - I was told I'd get a 2 category, 2 person upgrade by Bank of America, but I actually got 4 coupons - each a 1 person, 1 category upgrade coupon and each says it is good for either inside to inside stateroom or outside to outside stateroom. From reading the coupons it actually sounds impossible to get a 2 category upgrade but perhaps the travel agent will know something I don't.

I was looking at the NCL July 6-12 cruise out of New York. From the NCL site it looked like categories went: inside, outside, balcony, suite. So I was thinking buy an outside room and get a suite with the coupons but now I know that was overly optimistic. Maybe I should have talked to a travel agent before actually getting the coupons so I could have gotten the most out of them...

I contacted Linda Bator who often leaves comments on this blog. I will let you know how things turn out...

Nickelodeon Family Cruise on Freedom of the Seas

We wrote about Freedom of the Seas a while back and now there is a special cruise on this same ship. The Nickelodeon Family Cruise has famous guests like Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants.

This article calls it the largest cruise ship, although I thought Liberty of the Seas was bigger. After I read the article I thought the author simply named the wrong ship - surely she is describing Liberty of the Seas:

Look for your young daredevils at the FlowRider surfing simulator or scaling the line's largest rock-climbing wall with 10 routes. Younger kids should be splashing in the H2O Zone water park with interactive fountains, ground geysers and a cascading waterfall.

Other kid-pleasing amenities aboard include an ice-skating rink, nine-hole mini-golf course, full-size basketball court, Johnny Rockets for burgers and Ben & Jerry's for cold treats.

I was wrong. A little research revealed that all 3 Freedom class ships from Royal Caribbean have these attractions. And Freedom is the biggest - Liberty is the newest.

The article also mentions a few other cruises ships. Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Imagination, and Carnival Fantasy have been or soon will be upgraded.

Cruise ship close to sinking near Antarctica

Everyone was safely evacuated, but The Explorer is listing 40 degrees and may sink. They say that because of all the ice, cruising in the area is always a risk.

We try to take eco-friendly tours, but I imagine you'd have to buy a lot of carbon credits or plant quite a few trees to make up for the environmental damage done by a huge ship sinking:

G.A.P Adventures is a tour company that provides eco-friendly excursions with an environmental focus. The Explorer was in the midst of a 19-day circuit of Antarctica and the Falkland Islands that allowed passengers to observe penguins, whales, and other forms of local wildlife.

I hear that the Canadian company has (or possibly had depending on what this event does) a good reputation.

Expensive cruises and mineral water

Cruise ships are not only getting bigger, they seem to be getting more expensive as well. The cruise line Seabourn plans to introduce a new ship, the Odyssey sometime in 2009, described as the world’s most luxurious cruise liner, and built at a cost of around $250 million..

Cabins on the ship will begin at around $1200 per night and will cost as much as $7000 per night. That’s per night – not for the entire cruise! The more expensive cabins will feature such touches as luxurious marble bathrooms, flat screen televisions and a fully stocked mini-bar. The bathrooms will also contain separate showers and tubs – a rare thing when space is at such a premium.

The Odyssey plans to make its maiden voyage in June 2009, with a Mediterranean cruise originating in Venice. The inaugural season will feature several different cruises around the Mediterranean, with plans for a world cruise in 2010. The Odyssey is one of several huge or luxurious cruise ships – which have made their debut in the last few years.

Expensive as it is, the $7000 a night cabin on the Odyssey still seems like quite a bargain when compared to some of the world’s most expensive hotel rooms and suites.

And if you think the cost of looking at the water from a cabin on Seabourn’s Odyssey is expensive, you could try paying $42 to drink a bottle of the stuff. USA Today recently reported that a bottle of mineral water at London’s Claridge’s Hotel can cost just that. Although the water has come all the way from a spring at the bottom of an extinct volcano in New Zealand and is described as having a “pleasant smooth sensation”. The hotel offers over 30 different mineral waters from around the world on its new “water menu” although if you just ask for a drink of good old English tap water, it won’t cost you a thing.

Just think – if you take an Odyssey cruise and stay in one of the expensive suites, you may have all the mineral water you can drink included in the price of the cabin!

Guest entry by Mancunian

New “Superferry” makes its debut in Hawaii

A new way of traveling by sea between the Hawaiian Islands became possible on August 26th, offering an alternative to air travel and the long delays that US air travelers have seen this summer. The company, Hawaii Superferry introduced its service with bargain $5 one way fares – not surprisingly, over 2,000 passengers took advantage of the service on the first day of operations.

However, the maiden voyage didn’t go too well – the ferry was delayed for over two hours, due to hundreds of protesters (many on surfboards!) who claimed that the service posed an environmental threat and was operating in spite of a Supreme Court injunction. Hawaii Superferry claims that their ship is actually environmentally friendly, with no exposed propellers that could potentially harm marine life and no shipboard waste being dumped overboard.

The company also hopes to convince passengers that getting there is half the fun - the ferry boasts an observation lounge, restaurant and bar. There’s also a Premium Lounge which, for an extra charge offers more luxurious accommodation. The ferry also offers the latest in safety and technology, such as watertight compartments and state of the art satellite navigation.

At the moment, there is just one ship, the Alakai – a 250 feet long catamaran style ferry which can accommodate an impressive 866 passengers – which travels between Lihue, Honolulu and Maui. The company plans to introduce another vessel in 2009.

It takes just a few hours to travel by sea between the Hawaiian Islands, but if you really want to spend as much time as you can on a ship, you can actually live on a cruise ship. I had heard of this concept before, but didn’t realize what a big business it has become. The concept is apparently popular with older, retired (and presumably wealthy!) people who choose to buy a cabin on a cruise ship rather than spend that same money on nursing home or assisted living fees.

One site I found had so much detail and made it sound so appealing, that if I had the money, I would buy a cabin tomorrow. It isn’t cheap to live on a cruise ship, as you’ve probably guessed – a cabin measuring about 325 square feet costs around $200,000 to purchase, and a 3,000 square feet living space costs over $5 million.

At those prices, the rooms in some of the world’s most expensive hotels seem like quite a bargain! Not to mention places like Hanlei Bay Resort or Kuhio Shores condos.

Guest entry by Mancunian.

Carnival to begin South American cruise itineraries in 2009

This article on Carnival cruises, is fairly interesting. I know that NCL already has a few itineraries in South America. It looks like Carnival will join them in January 2009.

I don't know if Carnival will be in South America year-round but their itineraries sound excellent from what I read in the article linked to above. NCL seems to cruise South America November through March. They have a Chilean Fjords cruise (once a month from November to March) and an Exotic Americas cruise (November = US to Santiago, April = Santiago to Boston or LA).

Carnival has gotten a lot of complaints. In this old blog entry there are 25 or 30 comments. Some are positive but some are quite negative. I was pretty harsh when Carnival decided to kick a few complainers off the boat. Talk about a bad vacation getting worse...

And Carnival is guilty of misleading advertising but so are several other cruise lines.

Some of these problems are because Carnival is a mass market cruise line. When you pay as little as possible sometimes you don't get your dream vacation. However, despite the mixed reviews, I'm going to choose NCL over Carnival.

Of course I did make up my mind years ago when I got my NCL rewards credit card, but I think if I had to decide all over again today I'd still choose NCL over Carnival. If I were given more choices, I'd have a lot to think about. For example we reviewed Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas on this blog and concluded that it would be an excellent choice.

Different cruises: mass market, preminum, deluxe, luxury

This article talks about Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas which we reviewed about a month ago. Liberty of the Seas recently received some bad press. Another article tells us that Royal Caribbean's larger ships are appealing to younger passengers than other cruise lines' ships, possibly because they have more room for sports.

The first article I linked to also talks about a ship I hadn't heard of before, the Azamara Journey although we did touch upon this briefly before (when I wrote about the success of Oceania Cruises I mentioned that Royal Carribean was entering the niche:

The itineraries of the Azamara Journey include more than 200 ports in more than 70 countries. Many of these destinations are not accessible to the larger liners.

Dan Hanrahan, president of Azamara and Celebrity Cruises, said Azamara -- targeting a new "deluxe" category between "premium" and "luxury" -- is for the traveler who is looking for something "a little more special."

Passengers visiting off-the-beaten-path ports will enjoy enhanced immersion in the local culture and history, after being prepared by the onboard "excursion expert."

Azamara does remind me of Oceania... Here's another article on the "deluxe cruise" niche which falls somewhere between premium and luxury:

For years the cruise industry has split itself into three broad categories: mass-market (think Carnival, Royal Caribbean), premium (lines such as Celebrity, Princess) and luxury (Silversea, Crystal)....

There's also a big price gap between premium and luxury cruises. On Wednesday, Expedia was listing 12-day Mediterranean sailings in August on the mass-market Carnival Freedom starting at $1,499 a person. On a premium ship such as the Emerald Princess, prices in August start at $1,799. But the least expensive cabin available on a 12-day sailing on the Crystal Serenity, a luxury ship, is $5,545 per person — three times as much....

"They're for people who love the sea and love the ports but don't give a hoot about the glitzy nightlife (of big ships) or the personal pampering on the luxury side of the business," Driscoll says.

My next cruise will be NCL, thanks to my NCL credit card, but after that I'd like to try Oceania or Azamara. I wonder if choosing a particular room is an issue on the smaller ships.

Ever heard of Oceania Cruises

This is an interesting article on the business aspect of Oceania Cruises. They've been successful in finding a niche in the cruise industry providing luxury cruises from 10-35 days at a good value. They're doing so well that Royal Caribbean is entering the niche with their new brand called Azamara Cruises.

The ships we're tlaking about here are much smaller than Liberty of the Seas. Oceania has cruises in all major continents, but I chose one itinerary to give you an example:

1 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 10:00PM
2 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 10:00PM
3 Buzios, Brazil 8:00AM 6:00PM
3 Buzios, Brazil 8:00AM 6:00PM
4 Ilha Grande, Brazil 8:00AM 6:00PM
4 Ilha Grande, Brazil 8:00AM 6:00PM
5 Santos, Brazil 8:00AM
5 Santos, Brazil 8:00AM
6 Santos, Brazil 6:00PM
6 Santos, Brazil 6:00PM
7 Itajaí (Iguaçu Falls), Brazil 9:00AM
7 Itajaí (Iguaçu Falls), Brazil 9:00AM
8 Itajaí (Iguaçu Falls), Brazil 5:00AM
8 Itajaí (Iguaçu Falls), Brazil 5:00AM
8 Porto Belo, Brazil 8:00AM 4:00PM
8 Porto Belo, Brazil 8:00AM 4:00PM
9 At Sea, International Waters
9 At Sea, International Waters
10 Punta del Este, Uruguay 9:00AM 11:00PM
10 Punta del Este, Uruguay 9:00AM 11:00PM
11 Montevideo, Uruguay 8:00AM 6:00PM
11 Montevideo, Uruguay 8:00AM 6:00PM
12 Buenos Aires, Argentina 8:00AM
12 Buenos Aires, Argentina 8:00AM
13 Buenos Aires, Argentina

I think this shows that the itineraries are a little different with this comapny although they do have regular Caribbean tours.

GenXers cruise vacation preferences

This cruise article is a few days old but I think it's interesting. It talks about how the younger generation - GenXers - is looking for different types of cruises than their parents.

Some popular cruises involve:

Antarctica, wedding cruises, the eastern Mediterranean, the western Mediterranean, the Baltic, Croatia's Dalmatian Coast, Alaska, shorter Panama Canal cruises, and New England and eastern Canada.

By the way, parents of GenXers will still get the cruises they want since the average age of an American taking a cruise vacation is 50.

Liberty of the Seas cruise experience & review day 2

On Day 2 (have you read about day 1 yet?), Royal Caribbean had a meeting to provide more information about Liberty of the Seas and to get feedback as well. One of the programs being introduced by Royal Caribbean is their ‘Vitality’ program, which makes it easier for passengers to integrate their personal wellness regimes into the cruise experience. For example, the menus have low fat selections marked with the ‘Vitality’ symbol (including vegetarian but not vegan selections), as well as the more traditional cruise fare.

This talk about ‘Vitality’ was inspiring, so we took off for the fitness center. There you can watch TV while you work out, or just look out at the ocean. Naturally, all the equipment was brand new and there was plenty of it. Liberty of the Seas even has a boxing ring in the Fitness Center!

Of course, the virtuous feeling you get in the Fitness Center can be offset if you stop at the Sprinkles soft ice cream machines near the H2O Zone water spray ground. The H2O Zone is very colorful, with fountains, spray characters, waterfalls, and a designated family swimming pool.

For this preinaugural cruise, Liberty of the Seas had opened several types of staterooms for us to see, and Royal Caribbean personnel were on hand to answer questions. The rooms were all beautiful. There was a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom (like ours); an aft Family Suite with a master bedroom, a 2nd bedroom with pull down bunk beds, and a living room with sofa bed; a Family Stateroom with a bunk bed alcove and porthole style windows; a Junior Suite with a big balcony; a Grand Suite with a bigger balcony and a good size bar; an Interior Stateroom which is wheelchair accessible; an interior Promenade Stateroom and an interior Promenade Family Stateroom both with the views of the Royal Promenade; an Oceanview Stateroom, the elegant Owners Suite, and the very elegant Royal Suite and Presidential Family Suite with their own hot tubs on their balconies!

Since Liberty of the Seas is the biggest ship on the sea, walking around to all the open staterooms made us hungry. Lunch was being served so that was our next stop. There were several choices for lunch including the vegetarian & Vitality choices. There was one choice we didn’t recognize - Nasing Goreng - slightly spicy fried rice with a soft egg and skewered chicken. It was good! Our waiter told us it was an Indonesian dish.

We like T-shirts and always check out the gift shops, so that was our first after-lunch activity. No matter how old our children get, we still like to get them souvenirs and we found just what we wanted on the Royal Promenade.

Then on to RoyalCaribbean Online, the Internet Café. The computers were all in use and we hadn’t brought our laptops so we decided to try later.

We did look at some of the art that is all around the ship. For Liberty of the Seas, Royal Caribbean introduced the ‘Illusion or Reality’ art platform where what you see is not always what you think. Throughout the ship, there are pictures, sculptures, sculptural pieces which are transformed by a series of virtual animations, light as art, and even a classic Morgan sports car.

There was still plenty we had not seen yet. The Flow Rider water feature was a bit beyond our abilities, but it was fun watching some of the younger generation surfing right on board.

We were also in spectator mode for the Rock Climbing Wall which really looked high from up close. Liberty of the Seas also has a miniature golf course which was more our speed!

We wanted to stop at Johnny Rockets for a soda, but it was too windy for the tables outside and there was a wait to get inside, so that was a pass. There was loads of room at the Windjammer Café’s Afternoon Tea.

Dinner on Day 2 was formal and a lot of people were stopping by the Photo Gallery for portraits. By now, we knew the food would be excellent and it was. The specialty of the evening was Beef Fillet. The service continued to impress.

After dinner, the internet café had emptied out so we caught up on email before going to the evening’s main entertainment – Micky Dolenz.

Micky Dolenz was formerly with the Monkees and he put on a tremendous show. The Monkees had so many hits that we all know the music, and he also did some non-Monkees songs. The people with Micky Dolenz, including his sister Coco, were also very good, as were the Royal Caribbean Orchestra members who accompanied them.

Now we were getting tired, so we went back to our lovely stateroom and discovered two nice things. There were chocolates on our pillows and we could watch the Royal Promenade’s Dancing in the Streets live on TV.

The next morning disembarking was easy. We had only carry-on luggage and there was no customs procedure. Everyone was allowed to leave as soon as they were ready; no waiting for your floor to be called. It may be different when the ship leaves America for longer cruises.

We’d seen and done so much in our short two days and nights on Liberty of the Seas, and yet there was so much more to do. We needed more time to get to the On Air Club karaoke bar and the unusually decorated Catacombs bar (and many of the other bars). We needed more time to get to the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers show ‘EverAfter’. We needed more time for the seminars and classes that sounded like fun. We needed more time for the whirlpools and swimming pools. We needed more time for a whole list of other activities. A week might not be long enough to try all that Liberty of the Seas has to offer.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would highly recommend Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas to anyone considering a cruise vacation.

Day 1: Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas experience and review

Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas is new and big! It’s the largest cruise ship at sea. This preinaugural trip for travel agents, writers & multiple support service people left from Bayonne NJ at 5:00 PM May 7th 2007. We sailed from May 7th to May 9th. The ship was very impressive as we approached, although we were wishing we’d used a car service instead of driving ourselves.

The boarding process started at noon, and it took a little time to go through the security procedures, which included getting a room key card which can bring up your picture on security computers. This was all fine as we are in favor of tight security.

Once on board, we found we had a beautiful room, a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom, on deck 9. There was a sliding glass door to a balcony with 2 chairs and a small table, and privacy glass on each side. Since Liberty of the Seas is a new ship, everything sparkled! The blackout curtains & bedspread were in a very pretty fabric. The bed was king sized and there was a plush sofa, plus a closet and a dresser with a neat design for opening without knobs. The room had a small safe and a very pretty bathroom with a shower. The swivel TV had regular programming as well as channels devoted to the ship for safety and other information. We liked everything about the room!

We’d seen some info on line and were looking forward to seeing the whirlpools that overhung the sides of the ship, the FlowRider surfing simulator, the huge Rock Climbing Wall, and other attractions - but first – lunch.

The buffet was open and so were the pools and whirlpools. As soon as we ate a very nice lunch, complete with strawberry daiquiris, we headed for the whirlpools. We wanted one of the cantilevered whirlpools that overhang each side of the ship. Since we were still in port, we made sure we went into the one on the water side. There were 10 people in it and still room for more. It was very relaxing.

Next, everyone congregated on the top decks to celebrate departure. The captain took us close to the Statue of Liberty as we left, and that was an exciting sight. Then under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and off to sea. The Captain said that the top of the ship cleared the bridge by approximately 8 feet.

There were some private cocktail parties for different groups, and we were invited to the one for Royal Champions - aka internet partners. Live music, an ice sculpture, canapés, drinks, a goody bag, and chats with Royal Caribbean International personnel made for a pleasant time.

We were in the early seating for dinner. The dining room is enormous, but the design still made it seem cozy. It’s a magnificent 3 decks high with a grand staircase, live music, a huge chandelier, delicious food and impeccable service.

By the time we finished a sumptuous dessert – raspberry panna cotta (Italian pudding) - the casino was open. We had a few tries at the slot machines before moving on to the Ice Show.

Yes, Liberty of the Seas has an ice skating rink! This show was called “Encore! an Ice Spectacular” and it was very enjoyable. The skaters went all out to entertain. This is not the place to see Olympic type jumps, but just to enjoy the talent, choreography and costumes of the international ice cast and special guest stars.

There were many activities to choose from, and after the Ice Show we opted to hear the Swingin’ High Quartet at The Sphinx Lounge. We also made it to the 1970’s Street Party in the Royal Promenade. The Royal Promenade has shops, Seattle Coffee, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Sorrento’s Pizza and more. It runs through the center of the ship with plenty of horizontal room for dancing in the street and plenty of vertical space above for banners and platforms. It was like walking down a busy city street lined with shops. There are many interior staterooms that have bay window views down onto the Promenade.

Next we went to the well appointed arcade. Unfortunately the Ferrari F355 ride simulator was not working, but the Taxi Driver game was loads of fun. The arcade was one of many activities geared to young passengers. While there were not many kids on this preinaugural trip, we could see there were plenty of play areas and computer stations designed for younger guests.

Our last stop for Day 1 was the piano bar at Olive or Twist. A very pleasant way to wind down.

Stay tuned for day 2 experiences and more pictures!

Niche Cruise.com

A few smaller cruise operators have gotten together on nichecruise.com. However we don't seem to be talking about the types of niche cruises I've blogged about here (the political cruise, the MacMania cruise, etc.). Instead we're talking about smaller ships and more unique destinations:

Although the journeys provided by our niche cruise members may be different, they do have several common traits. First and foremost is that they provide more intimate experiences than the larger cruise lines. Smaller ships can also cruise to remote destinations that the larger cruise lines cannot venture to. For example, cruise lines like Seattle-based Cruise West can take passengers to some of the most secluded and pristine locales in the Sea of Cortez and Alaska's Inside Passage - cruising through hidden inlets rich with wildlife and natural beauty.

Cruises for wine lovers

This article for wine lovers seems to be aimed at wealthy travelers who can't take a vacation from expensive wine and has some interesting cruises mentioned:

...food-and-wine expert Fred Plotkin, author of the upcoming Wine 101 and frequent Smithsonian cruise lecturer, is also a draw. “I love experiencing these wines with Walla-Walla onions, Washington apples and local cheeses,” says Plotkin. “I want guests to return home with some dirt under their fingernails; we’ll stop off and buy a bottle of wine along the side of the road. We have the freedom to be spontaneous.” Look for Plotkin on another Smithsonian Journey, June 2007’s “Opera Tour of La Scala,” which, in addition to world-class opera, includes coffee tastings in Verona, chocolate tastings in Turin, and many pours from the Piedmont region.

How safe is going on a cruise?

10 million people or so go on cruises each year. Most of them have great vacations. However, there are some high-profile cases where people vanish:

The 24 missing passengers reported by cruise lines from 2002 to 2005 are a minuscule percentage of the roughly 10 million tourists who cruise every year. The cruise lines cite the statistic to show how infrequent such disappearances are. Many cases are declared likely suicides or "man overboard" cases with no evidence of foul play.

Kendall Carver, whose daughter is one of the high-profile missing persons cases, has started a group called International Cruise Victims and says: "If people really understood the risk, the cruise lines can no longer say we're the safest vacation that there is."

Niche cruise for people who want to talk politics on vacation

I've talked about niche cruises before, including the geeky sounding Macmania cruise. But does it get more geeky than the National Review's 2006 Post Election cruise? Here's the article if you're interested.

In case you hadn't already guessed, you won't be reading about a normal vacation:

The centerpiece of the cruises are panel discussions at which the speakers offer their learning and insights on various topics. This past cruise included panel discussions on the 2006 election results, the meaning of conservativism, the war on terror, the 2008 presidential race, the media and popular culture, and others.

I found the conservatism panel to be the most interesting, as Robert Bork, Ken Starr, Dinesh D'Souza, and Ward Connerly, among the other panelists, gave different but equally impressive (and ultimately compatible) answers to the question presented.

New cruise ships

Seabourn Cruise Line, known for luxury cruises, is adding 2 new ships. NCL is adding new ships. Holland America and Princess are also getting new ships. Here's an article with some details on each ship.

A dating service's take on niche cruises

Speaking of niche cruises, here's one that must be a bit more exciting than the Macmania cruise. It's a cruise for rich Chinese men and the women who want to date them:

"This really is the most natural way to meet someone because everyone is here for the same reason. Out in the world, you can't just walk up to someone and ask if they're single," said the man, a manager in his late 30s who declined to give his name.

Holland America's cruise price mistake and alienated passengers

Holland America accidentally sold cabins that normally cost $1,399 on the Noordam from for $849. However anyone who thought they were getting a bargain cruise was wrong. Holland America is demanding more money or allowing the people who bought the cheap cruises to cancel.

One woman paid $1,656.52 for a March cruise on the Noordam. Holland America says she has to pay $1,100 more. The customer had paid in full and received a confirmation.

"This is not a situation we took lightly," says Holland America spokeswoman Rose Abello. "After fully reviewing all the facts, however, our conclusion was that we were not able to offer the mistaken rate." Instead, Holland America is offering a $100 shipboard credit.

I don't know how much Holland America would have lost if they had honored the prices they advertised, but I do think it's bad business to send someone a confirmation and then tell them they are only confirmed if they pay an extra $1,000 or so. Do you think this will hurt Holland America's brand?

Here's a glowing review of a Disney Cruise

Here's a very positive article on Disney cruise lines. The author likes the destination, the service, and the ship itself (clean and entertaining). Personally, I had never considered a Disney cruise until I read about the adult beach on Castaway Cay and the adult pool on the ship. I don't have kids and if I spend too much time near them I go crazy...

Here's a glowing review of a Disney Cruise

Here's a very positive article on Disney cruise lines. The author likes the destination, the service, and the ship itself (clean and entertaining). Personally, I had never considered a Disney cruise until I read about the adult beach on Castaway Cay and the adult pool on the ship. I don't have kids and if I spend too much time near them I go crazy...

What is a MacMania cruise like?

Well after talking about specialty cruises, people asked about ones for singles and ones for pets. I haven't found any for pets. There are plenty of singles cruises, but I'm married so haven't felt like researching them yet. I've been too embarrassed to go looking for the swinger cruises someone asked about but I'll work up some courage one day soon. But here's an interesting one: a cruise for people who use Mac computers. I don't, but people keep recommending them to me.

Anyway, the cruise sounds good. I'm not sure how much time I would really spend in the classroom, but here's a cool excerpt:

As part of the hike, we climbed a lookout tower with amazing views of the Rio Dulce, Lake Izabal, and the Guatemalan countryside; we could even see the neighboring country of Belize in the distance. Just below the lookout was a small rubber/latex plantation where we learned about latex being farmed.

Cruise options & deals

I have an article on how cruise lines are offering more and more options. This article talks about cruises from 2 to 126 days long. They also talk about Norwegian Cruise Lines Freestyle Cruising, Royal Caribbean's restaurant options, and Easycruise's a la carte menu.

Then there are some Celebrity Cruise deals:

MEXICAN RIVIERA - 11 NT CRUISE - OCEANVIEW $799 - Sail from San Diego and visit Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Ixtapa & Manzanillo - January 2007 aboard Mercury

SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN - 10 NT CRUISE - OCEANVIEW $749 - Sail from San Juan and visit Tortola, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Curacao & Aruba - January & March, 2007 aboard Galaxy

WESTERN CARIBBEAN - 10 NT CRUISE - OCEANVIEW $799 - Sail from Tampa and visit Grand Cayman, Costa Rica, Colon, Roatan & Cozumel - January & February, 2007 aboard Zenith

EUROPE - 14 NIGHT CRUISE & STAY - BALCONY $1,349 - Visit Cork & Dublin, Ireland; Cornwall, England & Paris, France during your 12 night cruise, then stay 2 nights in London

Cruise news & reviews, especially around the Caribbean

We've got cruise ships returning to New Orleans, but it sounds like the Sea of Cortez is an even better place for a cruise. The lucky authors saw hundreds of dolphins, sting rays, and a blue whale in one evening.

Regarding New Orleans, the first ship back will be the Norwegian Sun, an 853-foot Norwegian Cruise Lines vessel that can handle 2,000 passengers. Carnival Cruise Lines' Fantasy, which sails on October 26, followed by Royal Caribbean International's Grandeur of the Seas are next. They all tour the Caribbean. Speaking of the Caribbean, here's an interesting interview - the author's answers are interesting but a little salesperson-like. Naturally there's a link for you to buy the book if you want...

Here's an article about good and bad ports of call for your cruise, including Saint Marteen:

St. Maartens: A standard stop on eastern Caribbean cruises, the island is often overcrowded and repeat visitors struggle to find new things to do. The best advice: look for a boat trip leaving St. Maartens for an island like Anguilla or St. Barth’s.

The people who took this cruise were happy with the ports of call. They sounded pretty good to me too, especially the "Old Banana Train Adventure....experience the sights and eco-tourism of Costa Rica. We visited a working banana plantation before boarding the train. The train trip was relaxing as we enjoyed the lush, tropical sights of the coastline of Costa Rica." By the way, am I the only one who's never heard of MSC Cruises?

Nude, Christian, gay, and other specialty cruises

What can I say? We all have our unique interests and it seems that for most of them there's a cruise:

There are many more special-interest cruises, among them sailings geared to lovers of all things Irish, baseball fans, history buffs, antiques hunters, and those who devour dance, design and literature. But here's one that's out of this world, sort of. Cruise Trek is putting together its 15th annual "Star Trek" cruise, visiting Australia and New Zealand aboard Holland America's Staatendam, Nov. 4-18, 2007.

If you know of any other niche cruises, please leave us a comment!

Freedom of the Seas cruise expereince: educational?

Jaime Caswell, a high school senior, does an excellent job telling us about her vacation experience on Freedom of the Seas. She calls traveling with family an educational experience but that scares me a little. While you might learn a little something on your cruise, it's not in the same league (at least in terms of education experiences go) as vacations where you actually encounter other cultures. So while cruising with your family is great, is it really educational?

Other cruise related articles:

We had some good comments on this post about cruising with NCL. This is just one of many posts I wrote on Freedom of the Seas. This blog entry links to a bunch of cruise articles. This Carnival cruise problems post set off a record number of commenters.

"Our dress code: wear something" and "Dinner will be served promptly at whatever o'clock."

"Our dress code: wear something" and "Dinner will be served promptly at whatever o'clock" are lines that will be appearing in Norwegian Cruise Lines print ads as the company tries to strengthen its brand by highlighting its "freestyle cruise" concept.

NCL policies include no fixed dining times at up to 10 different restaurants, no formal dress codes, relaxed disembarkation, and various types of entertainment. To turn these policies into a stronger brand NCL will try 30-second TV commercials (among other ads).

One shows vacationers sunbathing, playing shuffleboard and dining in unison. These vacationers have to check their watches because they need to follow the cruise ship's schedule. Then we see NCL's Freestyle Cruising, passengers relaxing and enjoying themselves because there is no schedule. The TV ads conclude with "Where you're free to whatever" and a graphic of a white fish swimming amid a school of blue fish.

My parents have cruised with NCL and they liked it just fine. They took good care of my vegan sister (not all cruise lines / ships do so if you are vegan check with the chef in advance). They took good care of my grandfather who was around 90 at the time and in a wheelchair. When I take my wife on our first cruise, I expect we'll also go with NCL.

Antarctica: Princess Cruises "Golden Princess"

As cruises to and around Antarctica get bigger and more popular, concerns rise over passenger safety (not too many rescue workers in Antarctica should the ship hit an iceberg or something) and environmental impact (cruise ships bring new animals with them and these animals could alter the ecology of Antarctica).

Some information on the new ship heading for the arctic:

The Golden Princess, due to make a three-week voyage through the islands, straits and channels of the Antarctic Peninsula, is 10 times bigger than cruise ships plying Antarctica's waters, and can carry 3,800 passengers and crew.

Antarctica: Princess Cruises "Golden Princess"

As cruises to and around Antarctica get bigger and more popular, concerns rise over passenger safety (not too many rescue workers in Antarctica should the ship hit an iceberg or something) and environmental impact (cruise ships bring new animals with them and these animals could alter the ecology of Antarctica).

Some information on the new ship heading for the arctic:

The Golden Princess, due to make a three-week voyage through the islands, straits and channels of the Antarctic Peninsula, is 10 times bigger than cruise ships plying Antarctica's waters, and can carry 3,800 passengers and crew.

Cruise news: medical evacuation, New orleans, passports, South America

One cruise passenger needed a medical evacuation recently. I wonder if the Coast Guard covers the cost or if this guy will be in the poor house (unless he had the right insurance). How many cruisers have travel insurance that covers them for medical evacuation though?

If you are going on a cruise remember not only your travel insurance, but also your passport:

��Consumers should proceed as if the new passport regulations are going into effect as scheduled,� said a Carnival Cruise Line spokesman. ��While there is discussion of additional delay, as of this time, the first implementation phase for land and sea travel is still set for Dec. 31.�

Translation: Get your passport now. If you don�t have a passport or you need to replace an expired one, the U.S. State Department Web site (travel.state.gov) provides information. Or call the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778.

New Orleans says it will be all the way back int erms of tourism when two carnival cruise ships begin using the port regularly. If you're leaving from Naples, Florida instead, you should read this article on cruises and their ports of call in South America.

Cruising around Australia and New Zealand

Here's a great overview of cruises available around Australia and New Zealand. The cruise lines covered are Princess Cruises, Celebrity, Holland America, Cunard, Regent and Silversea. The article makes me want to reserve a cabin now:

Upcoming cruises to Australia, New Zealand and the Polynesian islands will feature a combination of cosmopolitan cities, jungles and snow-capped mountains to fjords, white-sand beaches and coral reefs.

It's almost hard to believe that such diversity can be found in a single vacation but travelers booked on any one of six major cruise lines heading to the South Pacific over the next few years are in for a real treat.

Cruise industry sees slower growth

Safety concerns seem to be slowing growth for the cruise industry: "Overall, the industry's sales have slowed and discounts are up this year, particularly for Caribbean vacations, which make up half of all cruises." This article reminds us that 2006 has been especially bad for Princess Cruises. Recently Princess has battled a fire (in which someone died) and tipping ships.

One thing I find hard to understand about the tipping ships is that "Princess said the sudden tilt of the Crown Princess was not due to a flaw in the ship." Well was it a flaw in the ocean? A really strong wind? Human error? Maybe I missed where Princess said what really did cause the tip, but until I hear a reasonable explanation, I'll be wondering how they know it's not a flaw in the ship.

The good news if you're not deterred is that cruise lines are offering discounts in order to fill their ships.

Problems on Princess Cruises

After it's fourth voyage, Princess Cruises' (operated by Miami-based Carnival Corp.) Crown Princess seems to be responsible for dozens of injuries. Apparently a steering problem caused the ship to list badly to one side, which sent people and objects all over.

Norovirus on Pacific Northwest cruises & Asian cruise itineraries

At sea and on land, norovirus is becoming a larger problem in America. However cruisers in the Pacific Northwest seem to see the worst of it:

Public health officials say they are seeing more outbreaks of diarrhea and vomiting on ships calling on Seattle, Alaska and British Columbia than anywhere else in the country....the likelihood of contracting a diarrheal illness on an average seven-day cruise is still less than 1 percent, which may not seem like a big deal, unless you're the one who's sick.

Viruses tend to spread when many people gather close together but bringing sanitizers and washing hands often can reduce your chances of becoming ill on a cruise.

On the other side of the world, we have a good overview of cruises in Asia. Many of these cruises involve Japan, China, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. A few include Hong Kong, Myanmar, and UAE.

Reminders for people going on a cruise

Free Market News reminds us that since the cruise industry is largely unregulated in terms of environmental pollution, customers have to decide for themselves which ships to vacation on. Too bad, there's no mention of how to find the greener cruise ships.

Anchorage Daily news reminds us why we should consider travel health insurance that covers medical evacuation although I'm not sure that the lady who was taken for a ride in a Canadian Army helicopter will have to pay the Canadian government back (don't they like to do things for free in Canada?). However, if she wants to go from Alaska to a hospital in her home state, I bet she will have to pay (the Canadian government won't fly an American from Alaska to home in the continental US - that I'm sure about).

Antarctica vacation cruise

I'm not sure that these packing tips from Kansas.com would be ideal for an Antarctic cruise but at least it's somewhere to start.

The article on Antarctic cruises is interesting. It's British, so prices are in Pounds Sterling and include airfare from England to South America but the information on Italian cruise line Costa Cruises 22-day cruise (a one time thing next year) is interesting for anyone who has considered a vacation in or a round Antarctica.

Articles on new RCI and NCL ships

The Boston Herald has articles on Pride of America (cruising around Hawaii) and Freedom of the Seas (the biggest cruise ship). Both articles amount to positive reviews with the first one a better read because the author talks more about vacation experiences.

Also we've got an article on Carnival's new destination, Grand Turk. I don't know how long it will remain so, but:

For now the clear turquoise waters and reef remain pristine.

It�s a 15-minute boat shuttle to Gibbs Cay, the largest of three small isles off the southeast tip of Grand Turk, where you can snorkel with stingrays. Put �snorkel� in quotes, though, since before you�re knee-deep in the water, a ray is likely to slide up to your legs like a cat, looking for fish food. You can touch if you want to.

And Royal Caribbean is in trouble, being sued by the State of New Jersey. It seems that due to a possible hurricane threat they decided to go to Canada instead of the Caribbean. Sounds reasonable, right?

I think the issue is that customers deserve a partial refund since a cruise to Canada is cheaper than one to the Caribbean. Passengers did get 42.50 because of cheaper port fees, but I think that Royal Caribbean needs to do more than that. They did offer discounts on a future cruise, but really they should have offered some cash back on the cruise to make up for the changed itinerary.

How important is safety when choosing a cruise?

I wonder if calls for increased security and safety on cruise ships presents companies with an opportunity. If you were planning a cruise, and you knew one company had surveillance cameras and relatively more security staff, would that influence your decision? I would seriously consider the cruise line with the most security.

It might help attract workers as well, since now even crew are ending up missing.

Cruise vacations & port fee refunds

I was just reading this interesting article about cruise lines and port fees. In turns out that cruise lines will put these fees in the fine print somewhere so to calculate the true cost of your cruise you'll need to check on the port fees.

The focus of the article was on what happens when a cruise ship misses a port of call. Passengers are not entitled to a refund although some cruise lines might offer onboard credit.

The thrust of the article was that cruise lines need to be a bit more ethical when it comes to port fees. They should be included in the price of the cruise instead of listed in the fine print as "governmental taxes and fees". Also, when a ship misses a port they don't pay port fees so neither should we customers.