It was a cinch: I pointed out that nearly all cruise lines offer golf packages in any port where golf is an option, including the Caribbean, Hawaii and Europe. Aboard the larger ships, such Royal Caribbean’s Voyager- and Freedom-class vessels, he can not only play basketball on deck but also watch games in a sports bar with live ESPN. I pointed out that if the ship’s normal culinary fare doesn’t meet his aristocratic standards, he could dine each evening in an alternative restaurant with a higher quality of food and wine. And, there are luxury ships with outstanding cuisine and golf packages.

My friend proves that no matter what your interests or tastes, there’s a perfect ship out there somewhere just for you. If the thought of traveling with thousands of people is a turn-off, you can even opt for a smaller ship such as Cruise West’s and Oceania Cruises vessels.

Cruises are vastly different from other segment of the travel industry such as airlines and hotels. Finding the perfect ship is a lifestyle decision because, in the end, the ship IS the destination. Your fellow passengers, the dining program (which vary from one cruise line to another), the presence or absence of fitness facilities and nightlife will have an enormous affect on the enjoyment of your cruise.

Here are lifestyle factors to consider when narrowing down the selection process:

*** Do You Want To Dress Up? The diversity of ships means that you can choose to dress up a few nights per week or take only casual cruise attire. For example, Norwegian Cruise Line’s “Freestyle Cruising” means that you may dress up as much or little as you please. Neither NCL nor Oceania Cruises has suggested formal attire; most passengers opt for “country club casual” on special evenings.

*** Dining Programs. While the majority of mid-priced cruise ships still have conventional assigned, two-seating dining, Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises both offer single, open seating restaurants for those who prefer to dine when and with whom they please. Another option is picking a ship that offers a choice between the conventional two-seating dining program and total flexibility. For example, both Princess Cruises offers the most options because one restaurant has assigned two seating dining or you can opt to dine in another restaurant where single, open seating is the rule. Add to that a Lido restaurant open 24 hours per day, which pleases those who like maximum freedom in dining whenever they like. However, even Royal Caribbean and Carnival offer cruisers the option of dining when they wish or booking an assigned table. For traditional assigned, two seating dining I recommend Celebrity Cruises and Crystal Cruises.

** Your priorities. For this cruiser, the quality of cuisine is very important so that I head for cruise lines which offer the best fare such as Celebrity Carnival and the luxury lines. But whenever I want an upclose look at mother nature, I’ll head for a small ship. For example, in Alaska I’ll opt for a Cruise West voyage vs. conventional cruise ships. If your passion is cooking, Holland America may be a good bet since all ships in the fleet regularly scheduled cooking classes and lectures. Golfers may be happies on NCL, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Crystal and Silversea, which offers extensive golf programs wherever they sail.

*** Active or Laid Back? Those seeking Las Vegas-style nightlife – lavish floorshows, myriad bars, hopping casinos – will love Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line. Aboard Queen Mary 2 you’ll find a long roster of superb guest lectures and classes and Holland America gives you to improve your culinary skills in workshops with the ship’s chefs. If you want to experience nature up close and make new friends Star Clippers, Cruise West and Windstar offer superb small ship experiences.

*** Families with children should check out the kids’ facilities when weighing the pros and cons of various vessels, but don’t forget to consider your own passions when picking a ship. You’ll find the largest number of families aboard the ships of Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Lines. These ships offer the most comprehensive children’s program and non-stop activities for the whole family.

*** Singles. Two cruise lines, Crystal Cruises and Cunard Line not only offer attractive singles rates but you’ll also find the greatest number of solo cruisers and more planned activities to enable you to connect with each other. As a single cruiser I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the authentic tall ships of Star Clippers where I’ve met new friends and enjoyed the camaraderie of being under sail; this cruise line also offers attractive single rates.

What is your favorite cruise line….any why?

Bookmark to:

MyBestFareFinder bring deals right to your inbox and eliminates the need to hop around the Internet searching for the best cruise prices.  After registering at the web site you simply fill out a form with your preferences (itinerary, ship, stateroom, departure date, etc.). After it is submitted, travel agents will bid for your business by offering the lowest price.  

What is especially appealing is there is no fee and or requirement to buy anything.   Your personal information, such as email, never appears until you decide to book with a specific travel agent.   And, MyBestFareFinder screens all travel agents who sign up to participate in the reverse auction to insusre they are legit. 

You’ll start receiving no-obligation offers in a few hours to a few days.   After a half dozen so quotes arrive by email from travel agents eager to get your business, it’s pretty safe to assume you’re getting a terrific deal.

As an added perk, you’ll find a travel agent who is more likely to be experienced in selling cruises. 

Happy bargain hunting!

Bookmark to:

My Time Dining provides guests with the flexibility to enjoy dinner in the main dining room whenever they wish during dining hours. Guests choosing My Time Dining will not have a pre-assigned table, but will be seated in the ship’s main dining room.  In addition, passengers opting for the new program can make reservations or walk-in whenever they please and either be seated with the party they arrive with or dine with other passengers.  

Passengers opting for My Time Dining must prepay gratuities and enroll onboard or in advance through www.RoyalCaribbean.com or the cruise line’s reservations department.  Passengers already booked can ask their travel agents to enroll them in the new program.

Bookmark to:

Since most cruisers are curious about what it would be like to run off to sea and work aboard a behemoth, you’ll love his funny, poignant and at times acerbic report.  click here

Bookmark to:

*  “My Family Time Dining” is aims to help kids complete dinner within 45 minutes, freeing parents to have to enjoy coffee and desert at their leisure.  Kids counselors will be at the entrance to the main dining room in order to escort children to the Adventure Ocean children’s area for play. 

* ”Lunch and Play” option.  Lunch, movies, cartoons and play time is available for kids aged 3-11 who don’t want to make a break from friends.  For a service charge of $7.95 per child, children’s counselors will feed and entertain kids between noon and 2:00 p.m.

* “Royal Babies & Royal Tots Program”  Parents traveling with infants and toddlers can order organic baby food and diapers to be delivered to the stateroom rather than lugging supplies from home.  “Stroll & Roll” is a dedicated jogging track where parents with infants in strollers can exercise together and evening baby sitting services are available at a surcharge of $10 per hour.

* The new “Adventure Family Library” will offer classics and popular family titles and each night, bedtime stories will be accompanied by cookies and milk for kids in the library.

Royal Caribbean is the only cruise line with dedicated teen spaces:  the Living Room and teen disco are off limits to adults. 

Bookmark to:

Carnival Cruise Lines is launching the new “Cash Back” program available on many departures this summer. 

The only hitch is you don’t actually get cash back. 

The partial refund is applied to your shipboard credit, which means you can only spend it on items related to your cruise such as tips, shore excursions, spa treatments, purchases in the ship’s shops and drinks.  It is actually onboard credit, which is very common in the cruise industry.   In general onboard purchases have declined as passengers cut spending during the recession.  This is a good incentive to encourage you to spend more. 

To get Carnival’s “cash back” program, cruisers must apply for it when they book their cruise between now and May 10, 2009.  Passengers will receive a $100 per stateroom shipboard credit on three- and four-day cruises; $150 per stateroom credit on five day voyages and $240 per cabin credit for voyages ranging from six to eight days.

What effect has the economy had on your onboard spending? 

Bookmark to:

While the purchase of discretionary items in all price categories has decreased, one segment of the travel industry that remains strong is cruising.   Because cruisers pay 80% of their vacation before departure cruising is already a big bang for the buck.  

Volume vs Profit

However, just because people are buying cruises in large numbers doesn’t mean cruise line profits are increasing.  From budget to luxury, cruise ships to river boats, cruise fares have been slashed by as much as 70%.   People are watching prices and ready to pounce when the price is right on their favorite ship or itinerary.

Post 9/11 the cruise industry — like other segments of the travel industry — was forced to steeply discount sailings in order to attract passengers.  At the time, the ex-president of Carnival Cruise Lines, Bob Dickinson, noted that ”fear has a price.”  In other words, if the price is low enough, people will overcome their fears of terrorism — or a failing economy — and book a seagoing vacation.

Additional Booking Stimulus

One trend that emerged from 9/11 was “Homeland Cruising”.  There has been an enormous increase in positioning ships year-round from U.S. ports, a feature that helps generate cruise bookings today.   Gone are the days when most people had to fly to Florida and other warm weather ports to board a ship:  today ships sail year-round from New York, Baltimore, Charleston and more West Coast ports. 

In addition, cruise line marketing executives are meeting cruisers’ fears head on with innovative promotions.  For example, Norwegian Cruise Line recently launched an insurance program that guarantees a full refund if the person booking the cruise looses his or her job.   To generate sales of Europe bookings, cruises are frequently bundled with airfare and transfers to make the price more enticing.

Hey, I don’t know about you, but when I see a balcony stateroom on the newest ship afloat priced at $800 per person, per week, I grab it.  It is getting so that taking a cruise is cheaper than staying home (New York)!  How about you? 

Bookmark to:

While the behemoths make the news — “bigger is better!” — small cruise ships carrying 200 and fewer passengers deserve special praise. They are perfect for those seeking an up-close look at nature, the most exotic itineraries, unspoiled ports where the big ships can’t visit and greater camaraderie with other passengers and crew. Aboard these ships you frequently find guest lecturers and very knowledgeable staff offering indepth information about the unique flora, fauna and marine life outside the ship. As an executive at Cruise West, a company synonymous with small ship cruising in Alaska, said: “Our ice sculptures are outside”!

If Alaska beckons and your heart is set on an upclose experience with mother nature, your odds increase dramatically when cruising aboard a small vessel.

The Small Ship Experience:

The major on-board activity aboard a small ship is conversation. The only time I really get to know fellow passengers is aboard small ships because, with single open seating dining and typically one lounge, there are none of the diversions one finds aboard a conventional cruise ship. Packing is easy since standard attire is LL Bean or Lands End.

But the main reason for taking a small ship is discovering the few remaining places on earth untouched by tourism; many of them are only accessible by small ship. For example, interested in visiting Greenland? Hurtigruten (formerly Norwegian Coastal Voyage) visits the island plus both the North and South Poles. Cruise West will take you to the Bearing Straight as well as small villages dotting Alaska’s coastlines. Whale watching in the Sea of Cortez aboard a Lindblad ship is an upclose experience, especially when viewed from a Zodiac.

Top Small Ship Cruise Lines

American Cruise Lines. Cruising regions include historic New England, the Hudson River, Antebellum South, Chesapeake Bay, great rivers of Florida and the coast of Maine. The America-flagged fleet includes four vessels, the American Star, Eagle, Glory and Spirit, all carrying fewer than 200 passengers. Aboard each cruise are “enlighteners” — naturalists, historians and other experts — who also lead shore excursions. Most cabins have private balconies with television, several lounges and an all-American crew.

American Safari Cruises. If you’ve always dreamed of owning a private yacht, this cruise line may be for you. The 12-passenger Safari Spirit and Safari Escape cruise in Alaska from May to September then reposition to Mexico’s Sea of Cortes. Or, opt for the 22-passenger Safari Quest or 36-passenger Safari Explorer which also sail in Alaskan waters and make fall wine cruises. These are luxury yachts with naturalists onboard, kayaks and water sports equipment.

Celebrity Xpedition. The mainstream cruise company Celebrity Cruises operates one tiny vessel, the 90-passenger Celebrity Xpedition, on year-round Galapagos itineraries. Devoted to exploring the Galapagos’ unique flora and fauna, passengers hop on and off the vessel into zodiacs for excursions ashore lead by naturalists.

Cruise West. Founder Chuck West began offering Alaska cruises in 1946 and the company has grown steadily ever since. While best known for its Alaska itineraries, today Cruise West also offers small ship cruises in the California wine country, Japan, Mexico’s Sea of Cortes, the South Pacific, China and Viet Nam. The company’s Galapagos ship, the Isabella II, is the most luxurious vessel in the region. The all-American crew is energetic and knowledgeable, the cruising style casual and personal. The largest vessel in the fleet of nine ships carries only 138 passengers. The cruise line has top notch expedition leaders who lecture aboard ship and lead shore excursions.

Lindblad Expeditions. Lars-Eric Lindblad set out with his first expedition in the late 1950’s and his son Sven-Olaf Lindblad runs the operations today. Lindblad and the National Geographic Society partnered to create some of the best, most exotic cruises on earth lead by top professionals. Cruising regions cover the entire globe, from Alaska to Antarctica, Europe, the Nile River, Central America and South America. Ships include the 148-passenger National Geographic Explorer and Endeavour, Sea Bird and Sea Lion, Polaris, National Geographic Islander, Sea Voyager, the elegant tall ships Sea Cloud II and Panorama, the River Cloud, Triton (a Nile river boat) and Lord of the Glens for visiting Scotland’s locks.

Hurtigruten. Formerly Norwegian Coastal Voyages, this cruise line has grown from Norwegian coastal ferries to hearty expedition cruises in Spitsbergen, Greenland and Antarctica plus a world cruise with stops in exotic ports of call, including Antarctica. There are nine ships in Hurtigruten’s fleet, all modern and comfortable, with lounges, cafes and a restaurant. Theme cruises include a killer whale safari, opera, folklore and culinary cruises, and stays at the Alta Igloo Hotel made completely of ice.

Quark Expeditions. The ultimate in adventure cruising, Quark’s ex-Soviet ice breakers plow deep into the Arctic Circle and Antarctica for those who want to venture where no one else can go. The company also offers soft adventure cruising aboard the Clipper Adventurer, a small ship with more creature comforts.

While I love small ships they’re not for everyone. Can you imagine yourself aboard one of these hearty expedition vessels?

Bookmark to:

In addition to the new job loss protection feature, NCL’s overall travel protection plan, administered by BerkelyCare and underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Penn., includes a variety of benefits and services so guests can plan and enjoy their vacations with peace of mind.  Benefits of the program include:  trip cancellation/trip interruption protection; medical protection including emergency evacuation coverage; baggage protection for lost or delayed luggage; and worldwide emergency assistance, such as emergency cash transfers, medical consultation and assistance with lost travel documents.
           

Effective February 26, 2009, cruisers who purchase NCL’s BookSafe Travel Protection Plan for any NCL cruise departing on or after May 1, 2009, are eligible for reimbursement of any cancellation fees if an insured guest loses their job as long as the person has been an active employee at the same company for at least one year.

NCL’s enhanced travel protection plan is available starting at $29 per person, depending on the cruise fare paid. More information about how the plan works can be found at www.ncl.com or by contacting a travel professional who specializes in NCL’s Freestyle Cruising. 
 

Bookmark to:

Mariner of the Seas’ amenities such as a rock-climbing wall, an ice-skating rink, full size basketball and sports court, adults-only solarium, an inline skating track and enormous fitness center promise to keep passengers occupied by day.  The interior Royal Promenade, a boulevard of shops, restaurants, bars and lounges stretching nearly the length of the ship, is fabulous for people watching and nightly carnival-like parades of performers, clowns and floats.

Sixteen bars and lounges plus myriad venues for a full range of entertainment and nightlife promise to keep adults entertained at night through the wee hours.  For younger passengers, Royal Caribbean’s “Adventure Ocean” youth program offers scheduled activities throughout the day; teens have their own dedicated onboard areas including a teen disco and a private lounge.

Mariner of the Seas sails round-trip from Los Angeles on seven-day itineraries with port calls in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.  For reservations and additional information contact your travel agent.

Bookmark to: