June 18, 2009
Some reading material for you: Celebration Cruise Line, Mexico, Arenal Volcano eruptions, destination wedding planning
My Spanish is weak but I'm pretty sure this article says that Arenal Volcanic activity caused the evacuation of some tourists from the National Park. Must have been a nice view for the people in their hotel rooms looking at the volcano...
This article talks about how Mexico is still cheap. A good time to go if you want to avoid crowds and aren't scared of swine flu.
Here's an article on destination wedding planning. I've mentioned destination weddings fairly recently.
Here's a pretty rare occurrence, but a helpful one. The author discusses his experience on Celebration Cruise Line, a discount cruise line with one 1,500 passenger ship. Apparently it's not that great. It's pretty rare that you read a negative review but they certainly are helpful.
May 15, 2009
Any tips for avoiding getting seasick?
Last time I went on a cruise to the Caribbean it was 1991. I was barely a teenager so my memory may be a bit fuzzy but what I remember is that for a day or so off the coast of the Carolinas everyone on the boat except me, my father, and my grandfather got seasick.
There were little bags for vomit everywhere and you barely saw anyone except crew. Someone told us that the water often got rough around there and that the seasickness thing was not uncommon.
I don't want that to happen to anyone in my family on my upcoming summer cruise so I was wondering if anyone had any tips for avoiding seasickness.
1. Dramamine
Take 2 30 minutes before you leave.
2. Ginger
Buy some ginger tea... Myth Busters did a show on this and said ginger is the best, you can buy them in pill form as well.
3. Relief Band
I'm told it works well. It's a little pricey though, around $130.
4. Look at the horizon
If you feel a little sick while out there, stare at the horizon. Staying above deck alone is pretty good, but staying above deck and looking at the horizon is best.
That's because seasickness is caused by a confusion of sorts in the brain. The Chochlea in the ear is filled with salt water basically and when the boat rocks it moves and tells your brain that you are moving. howver, your eyes and your body tell your brains that you are not moving. The brain doesn't like mixed signals and so that is why you get nausea.
When you look over the horizon your eyes tell your brain that you are moving and it kind of synchronizes with the ear.
Also, don't go below decks if you can help it. I heard from one guy who was fine till he went in the confined space of the head while the boat was rolling. It ruined his trip.
5. Meclizine
An anti-nausea/anti-motion sickness medicine which I'm told works well.
6. Bonnie
I know a scuba diver and he swears by Bonine. He says it is much better the Dramamine. Bonine doe snot make you tired. All the diver use Bonine. The trick with all the pills is
to take it with food and about 1 hour before boarding the boat.
April 20, 2009
UK Firm plans to Recreate Titanic Maiden Voyage
The 100th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the famous and ill-fated Titanic is still a couple of years off, but apparently there is already interest in celebrating the anniversary. This UK newspaper reports that a commemorative cruise in 2012 will replicate the maiden voyage of the Titanic as accurately as possible - authentic food, music and other entertainment. If you are interested, you can already book your trip at the company's website After watching the film version of Titanic, I would think twice about booking one of the cheaper cabins down in the bowels of the ship. Just in case.
If you are a Titanic fan, there are plenty of other reminders of the ship, both in the UK and North America. In Liverpool, you can still see the building that was the headquarters of the White Star Line; and the city's Maritime Museum has exhibits on the ship.
In Halifax, Nova Scotia, over 100 Titanic victims are buried in the city's Fairview Lawn Cemetery and the city's Maritime Museum of the Atlantic has a small but interesting exhibition, which includes one of the ship's surviving deckchairs. And New York, which of course was meant to be the final destination of the Titanic, has many Titanic memorials and reminders, including the Titanic Lighthouse near South Street Seaport, and a Wireless Operators' Memorial near Battery Park. This site has plenty of information on virtually every Titanic related site in New York.
This blog has talked before about airlines charging passengers extra according to their weight. United is the latest US airline to come up with an official policy to charge overweight passengers who can't fit into a single seat. And the UK carrier, Ryanair polled their passengers on the subject and apparently almost half of them (the slimmer ones, I assume) though that a "Fat tax" was a good idea.
Just a quick follow-up from my last blog entry. I did at last get to visit the famous Unclaimed Baggage Store in Scottsboro, Alabama. It's slightly disappointing in that it is just like a huge thrift store, although it is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area and hard to believe that all those items were left on planes or in peoples' lost luggage. The most exciting part of the visit was having to go to the store's basement because of a tornado warning - we later learned that the tornado passed within a half mile or so of us. My 12 year old son had wanted to be a tornado chaser when he grows up - now he's not so sure.
Guest entry by Mancunian
March 17, 2009
Know of any repo cruises in July, August, January, or February
I don't have a lot for you today. I taught from 9-3 (I do half my classes on Tuesday) and then had to hang around the school for a staff dinner so I put in an extra long day. But what I do have is fairly interesting: an article on repo cruises.
The author is taking NCL from Miami to England. The article says they are cheap but that you have to have vacation time for them. I'm cheap and I have vacation time in summer and winter...
I wonder if there are any cruise ships repositioning in July, August, January, or February (the months I can go on vacation). The ones next month won't help me but maybe someone reading this can benefit:
Next month, Royal Caribbean has an eight-night cruise from Colón, Panama, to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with stops in Costa Rica, Colombia and Aruba. Cabins start at $50 a night per person. In September, Holland America will offer a sailing from Vancouver, Canada, to the Gulf of California. The 13-night trip concludes in San Diego, with cabins from about $85 a night per person. As Badgley notes, it's hard to find a hotel room for that price, let alone one with the meals included.
February 2, 2009
A couple of cruise articles: how to find a good deal
I'm supposed to work all day so I won't have much time for blogging. I do have a couple of cruise articles for you though. The first one offers some tips on how to find the best deals. My next cruise will be an NCL cruise departing from Boston but in the end I didn't have as many choices as I'd have liked. It had to be NCL because of my credit card (I'll be getting a lot of money off by turning in credit card points). Next time that shouldn't be an issue because I'm getting rid of the card.
But I did have some options. Leaving from Boston was cheaper than leaving from New York. Leaving from Baltimore was even cheaper, but my sister lives in Boston so a free bed the night before and free parking makes up for the difference.
This second article I link to only because the title is interesting. Are cruises a worthy investment? In general I think vacations are good investments because relaxing is good for your health.
But no time for me to relax. I'm going to go write some more test questions...
October 22, 2008
When considering a cruise
This article talks about things to consider when choosing a cruise.
Style of ship and cruise line
Where to go
When to go
What kind of room to get
Get a good deal
I would think most of these are pretty obvious. Hard to take a cruise without picking a destination and I'm sure most of us want to pay as little as possible.
When to go is worth considering - different seasons have different price tags and even different destination options. I'd love to cruise around South America but they only do that certain times of year.
The mass market cruise lines are obviously different from the small luxury lines. There are some comments on the different mass market ones here.
When they talk about what kind of room to get, they mention that Alaska is a good time to spring for a balcony. I did, but I'm not sure it was worth an extra $1,000 each or whatever.
October 9, 2008
Park West Gallery art auction on cruises revisited
Not long after my Alaskan cruise, I wrote about Park West Gallery. You see these guys on many cruise ships auctioning paintings. They also run art history seminars and stuff like that.
Anyway, there had been some negative articles about them but I wrote that I was happy with my experience and that the people who had been "ripped off" were responsible for their purchases. If you decide to spend $25,000 on a painting without shopping around because the salesman tells you it's a bargain, who do you blame when you later find the painting could be bought for less?
I did talk to one Art Gallery owner who warned me to stay away from Park West. I had already spent my $2,000 so I worriedly asked him why. He said that he had never heard of anyone getting a good deal from them with the possible exception of "lower end stuff." Now this same guy was telling me that the small Romero Britto "Blue Dog" or "Tiny Temptations" sculptures (numbered out of 1,000) were inferior investments to the bigger ones numbered out of 100. The smaller ones were in the $700 range while the bigger ones were in the $8-10,000 range.
I think it's safe to say that I'm buying lower end stuff...
So anyway, a few weeks ago 2 of the 3 pieces I bought arrived. When we went to get them framed we realized they were damaged. There were a few little white spots that wouldn't come off. I called Park West and they said they'd replace them as soon as I sent the damaged ones back. They would pay for shipping.
So the replacements came and were in fine condition. Then the 3rd piece came. So I now have a Mouly "Le Peintre et le Modele" on my bedroom wall where there used to be a cheap $20 poster of some flowers in a $30 frame. The room looks 100 times better.
The other two I need to go get framed (the Mouly came framed) but I'm sure they will make our home look fabulous.
Did I get a good deal? Who knows? I'm no art expert. I did take their advice though - the Park West guys said to buy art you like. Otherwise you'll be looking at it thinking about how much money you spent instead of how much you like the art. I love the art I bought so I'm happy with my purchase.
I also have trouble imagining that I was totally ripped off. Granted I'm buying lower end stuff but a print numbered out of 300, signed by the artist, and costing a few hundred bucks seems reasonable to me.
Somehow I got lost - the point I was going to arrive at here was that the Park West customer service was as good as I could have expected. I had to call a few times to find out what was going on because they didn't call or email me to follow up (which they said they would) but in the end they were completely honest with me; they replaced the pieces I was unhappy with at no extra charge.
I did a news search for Park West Gallery and found a press release from a website trying to sell a video of a German art detective determining that two Dali prints sold by Park West (for thousands of dollars) are fakes. Doesn't seem like a real reliable source to me.
I found a blogger claiming there's no art worthy of a Christie's auction but I saw Rembrandt and Picasso prints on my cruise. Unlike some people crying online though, I didn't spend $30,000 on a Picasso I don't like, and know so little about I can't even tell if it's genuine or not.
I also learned that Park West now has a 40 day refund policy. There used to be no refunds at all. There's also some kind of exchange system in place.
September 16, 2008
Travel with autistic children: cruises and more
This article talks about a Royal Caribbean cruise designed for families where one or more of the kids has autism.
They also mention camping in Colorado and a resort in Vermont. But just because a tour operator tries to provide travel experiences for people who suffer from autism does not mean that the vacation will be easy:
The very idea of travel — the chance to see new places, try new foods, experience new cultures — is directly at odds with the needs of many people with autism, who require well-established, strictly observed routines to feel secure.I hope this helps some of you. I have a friend who has 2 kids with autism. I'm not sure exactly how it works, but if you watch this video, someone somewhere donates money to research on autism or something.
August 2, 2008
Genealogy cruises
I'll be keeping it short again as jet lag is going to force me to sleep in a few minutes. But I do have another interesting niche cruise to share: genealogy cruises.
This was the first time I’ve participated in Legacy’s annual cruise. In previous years, Legacy has sponsored genealogy cruises to Hawaii, Alaska and other interesting ports of call. There are indeed other genealogy cruises, such as those offered by Roots Magic, The Genealogy Guys, and Wholly Genes (The Master Genealogist). These are not to be confused with genealogy research trips and retreats where on-site research is the key.Here someone who I guess is a genealogy expert talks about how instead of going to the pool or playing shuffleboard you can discuss genealogy.
I'm interested in visiting towns where my great grandparents must have lived in Ireland, Germany and Italy but I don't think I'm ready for a genealogy cruise. Sure it would be better than a cruise designed to get people talking about politics, but I'd prefer a cruise designed to get you closer to football players or something.
July 22, 2008
NCL cruise to Alaska comprehensive review: Norwegian Pearl July 6-13
I recommend a cruise to Alaska for people who want to get an introduction to Alaska. It's probably best for people who are willing to experience whatever they get because what you're able to do on a cruise has a lot to do with luck. It's probably easier to have fun if you don't spend your entire vacation budget on the cruise tickets. I also recommend this vacation to people who are willing to wait fi they want to do something the same time everyone else wants (the buffet area, the gym, and the theater can get very crowded).
Now my style is to tell you all the things I think might stop you from having a great vacation. They may seem like small, nitpicky things to you. If these things wouldn't bother you than this might be the vacation for you. If as you read this you're thinking ' that would drive me nuts' maybe you need to consider a different vacation.
Luck with the weather is a big factor. For example I spoke to one couple after returning from my cruise who had shore excursions at 2 of their 4 ports of call cancelled because of weather ( on a totally different cruise a couple years ago). When I had dinner with the captain of the Norwegian Pearl, he told me that once he had to cancel the Glacier Bay portion of the cruise (probably the best part for many). Now these may be highly unusual cases, but if something like that happening is going to make you miserable, consider another type of vacation.
This means that if you take a cruise you need to be willing to have fun on the ship and not get too upset if things change. To have fun on the ship it helps if you're willing to spend money. My wife and I spent $1300 on shore excursions and random stuff on the ship. We don't drink but there is a mandatory gratuity of $10/person/day, $15 cover charge (each) for some restaurants, $25 cover for the Teppenyaki restaurant, photos that cost anywhere from $15 to $30, $10 for a game of bowling, etc.
That doesn't include duty free shops and art auctions which could help you spend a lot more money.
So when you budget your vacation, cruise tickets are not your only expense. My wife and I probably spent the same amount on other stuff (art, jewelry, restaurant covers, binoculars, bowling, photos, shore excursions, etc.) as we did on the cruise tickets. If you add in flying from New York to Seattle and the hotel in Seattle that adds another $1500.
I stress the budget stuff because I definitely saw people not having fun because they wouldn't spend money. The place where you buy photos seemed especially angry. You don't get free photos on an NCL cruise and if that's going to make you angry, don't go. My wife and I ended up buying some photos because they were good, better than the ones we took ourselves or better than ones other passengers took with our camera. We would have liked to buy more photos, like one of us with the captain, but that photo only came in the 8x10 size and cost $25. We asked them to make us a smaller one but they said no. We didn't want some huge picture with the captain because it wasn't going on our wall - it was just going in a photo album. Plus $25 is a lot for a picture.
When you buy a picture, you can spend another $20 to get the digital image (jpeg file on cd). So things like the ship's photography costs money. If you want that stuff but don't want to pay for it you're going to get angry on the cruise. I saw it happen to several people. It happened to me a few times because internet access is expensive and slow.
Now the ship itself is great. I thought the food was excellent although the Filet Mignon at Teppenyaki was not very good (I hear they have better quality meat at Cagney's steakhouse - they should bring that better meat over to Teppenyaki). That was really the only meal that wasn't very good or great. There was one breakfast where we tried to eat at the same time eeveryone else did (9:00 AM) and it took us a very long time to find a seat - so long my eggs had become disgustingly cold and I threw them out and went to get more (and I hate wasting food). I think I talk about most of that stuff and more here.
There was one lady who claimed to have found a maggot in her salad, but I don't trust crazy people and have my doubts. She was too nutso for me to get her side of the story, but she said this was the worst cruise she has been on and had 'myriad complaints'. I dunno. Everyone I actually talked to really enjoyed the food.
If I had to find something to complain about, it would be that the breakfast was pretty much the same every morning. Now it was huge. Eggs, omlettes made to order, yogurt, muffins, pastry, pancakees, cereal, sausage, bacon, potatoes (several types), French toast (not so good actually), etc. After 7 days of that I was getting tired of western breakfasts and wanted an Asian style breakfast - a little more international variety would have helped.
Anyway, the food was great. Entertainment was good. We saw these guys:
There were only 4 when we say them - they were good entertainers and very nice when we spoke to the in person. We also saw:
Other shows were not as good. Something about Sea Legs Cabaret, some acrobatics stuff that was decent but not world class, and a staff talent show that was pretty painful. They're free so we left when we didn't like the show. It was sometimes tough getting a seat in the theater but we always managed to get one.
Some people said they chose NCL because it was more family oriented. The nightlife that we checked out was pretty lame so I guess that's true. One night there was a 'sexy shadow dance' show in Bliss Ultra Lounge. We stayed about 5 minutes and there were about 3 couples and 3 staff members in the entire place. Totally dead. My wife went to a male strip show but she said it was boring. I can't confirm or deny that...
What about Freestyle Cruising?
Now the way NCL tries to differentiate itself is through 'freestyle cruising'. My hands are tired from typing so I'll write more on that later but for purposes of this review let me recommend freestyle cruising. Unless you want to be forced to eat at a certain time at a certain table with a few strangers, why not go freestyle cruising? I mean you could eat at the same time every night - you just don't have to. What I'm not clear on is how much more freedom you have on NCL than on say Royal Caribbean. Maybe someone can help make that comparison for us.
July 20, 2008
Park West Gallery art auctions on cruise ships
When I talked to the 2 Park West people on the Norwegian Pearl, they told me that Park West Gallery is the biggest art dealer in the world and they got that huge by bringing art to the people. Park West Gallery does art auctions on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Carnival, Disney, Holland America, Regent and Oceania.
This article talks about some problems people have had with Park West. The complaints seem to focus on some Dali prints and pricing.
First, some experts claim that Park West is selling forged Dali prints. When I was looking at the work on the NCL Pearl, the Park West guy told me that the biggest issue with Dali was authenticity because some paper that Dali had signed but not yet used was stolen or something.
I'll save that discussion for people who know art. I can't determine if a work is authentic or not but I did trust that Park West was selling me authentic works. Hopefully my trust was not misplaced but then again I'm not an art newb spending $78,000 without getting the piece independently authenticated. And if Park West really is selling forged works, I guess the courts will make them pay.
The other complaint was about the price. Here's one example:
It was only after Maldonado landed back in California that he did some research on his purchases. Including the buyer's premium, he had paid $24,265 for a 1964 "Clown" print by Picasso. He found that Sotheby's had sold the exact same print (also numbered 132 of 200) in London for about $6,150 in 2004.I don't have much to say about the price except that it is the buyer's responsibility to shop around if they want to get the best possible deal. It took me about 2 minutes to find the print in question selling for $17,500. Now I know not to spend $26,000 on it.
I would say the more confusing part is the "also numbered 132/200" - there shouldn't be 2 prints with the same number so assuming there is no forgery, we're talking about the same exact print. The guys on our Park West ship actually talked about how Park West had started "protecting the market" by buying Picasso prints when Sotheby's auctions didn't reach what Park West thought the piece was worth.
Now what they described sounded more like cornering the market than protecting it but whatever. It seems that Park West bought the piece for $6,000 and sold it for $26,000. Now if Park West had an opening bid of $26,000 shame on them (since the piece seems to be available for $17,500 although it may not have been back when all this happened). But if this buyer got into a bidding war or whatever and overpaid because he didn't know what he was doing it's another story.
I think I'm a decent example. Before bidding in the auction I went online (surely you remember me complaining about the internet access) and looked up Marcel Mouly. I got an average price range for his prints $600 - $5,000. I'm no art expert and I can't tell which pieces are worth more so I figured I'd try to stick on the low end presuming I found one I liked.
Well I am about to go eat dinner so I'll talk more about my experience with Park West later. I will ask Park West and NCL for comments. I may also wait for the pieces I bought to arrive as they are being shipped to Seoul (6-8 weeks I'm told).
And of course I'd like to hear your experiences with Park West and with buying art on cruise ships in general.
July 12, 2008
Cruise ship captain on removing passengers from a ship
Here we are on day 6 of the cruise. While my coming review will contain all the negative things I can think of I have already put a deposit down on my next NCL cruise so obviously I am having fun. I should add that this cruise going real well is not the only reason I decided to do another as I have at least $500 off on my next one thanks to my NCL credit card.
Anyway, people often get fooled by my reviews when I say I'm having fun and then list a bunch of negatives. I get comments like "Too bad you're not enjoying your vacation" when I'm actually having a great time. I guess it's just my style to warn people of all the things that they might not like (well as many as I can remember or think of). Too many reviews are just "Oh we enjoyed it and you will too" - I prefer to give as many details as possible because that's what I like to see when I read reviews.
Anyway, I owe you some from earlier days but left off at day 5, on my way to have dinner with the captain. I was very surprised to see that the dinner party was my wife and I, another couple (who celebrate their 30th anniversary on the exact same day we celebrate our 7th), the captain, and the chief engineer.
That dinner was easily one of the highlights of the trip and afterwards I told my wife it's a good thing I have this blog - this travel blog is what got me VIP treatment. Thanks for reading!
I learned a lot of things but let's do one for now. Remember a while back when I criticized a cruise line because their captain kicked a couple off the cruise? Well that's the only time I ever saw anything like that in the news so I asked our captain if he had ever removed a passenger from a cruise.
He answered that he had - it's rare but it does happen. Naturally they try to avoid this whenever possible but cruise captains can and will kick you off their ship if you deserve it. They'll try to have security or a senior officer besides the captain talk to you first. The captain said he did have one story he could share in part (no details) about a time when he had to remove someone from a ship.
I don't know what the incident was but afterwards the captain talked to the passenger and she apologized. She said she'd behave better. He asked her if she had planned to behave this way when she boarded. She said, "of course not." Then the captain asked, "What if the same situation occurs tomorrow? How can I know that you won't behave the same way again?"
He asked her to leave the ship. I can tell that this decision still bothers him today even though he knows it was the right one. Apparently he talked to someone from the woman's hotel and she had continued her pattern of misbehavior.
I have to add here that the captain is very charismatic. After talking to him I have no doubt that he is honest, compassionate, and that he is smart enough to figure out what's best for the ship. If someone gets kicked off a cruise ship I guess they deserve it. And if you ever get a warning while on a cruise, don't rebel.
May 14, 2008
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.
April 30, 2008
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!
March 26, 2008
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...
February 19, 2008
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.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.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.
The article also mentions a few other cruises ships. Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Imagination, and Carnival Fantasy have been or soon will be upgraded.
November 25, 2007
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.
October 24, 2007
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
August 31, 2007
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.
July 5, 2007
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.
June 12, 2007
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.Azamara does remind me of Oceania... Here's another article on the "deluxe cruise" niche which falls somewhere between premium and luxury: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."
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)....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.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.
May 30, 2007
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, BrazilI think this shows that the itineraries are a little different with this comapny although they do have regular Caribbean tours.
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
May 19, 2007
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.
May 13, 2007
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.
May 12, 2007
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!
December 17, 2006
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.
December 11, 2006
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."
December 4, 2006
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.
November 30, 2006
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.
November 27, 2006
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.