Not all that long ago, crime in Mexico had cruise ships on the run, skipping ports of call they had visited for decades. For tourism in Mexico, that hurt and hurt bad. Set up to handle thousands of cruise ship passengers with ease, shops were boarded up, excursion buses mothballed and the reality set in; something had to be done. Now, through a concentrated effort by the Mexican government and a grassroots effort by those who live in those affected destinations, Mexico is back. In addition to being a viable, safe place for cruise travelers to visit, they can do so and enjoy bargain pricing.
The Food
Mexico’s Pacific coast is home to multiple cruise travel destinations, all of which feature unique fresh seafood options not found elsewhere. In Mazatlan, don’t miss lunch at Al Aqua, on the beach, where you can watch them catch your shrimp, bring it ashore and cook it before your eyes.
The Culture
From Chichen Itza, the UNESCO World Heritage worthy of an all day tour to see to beautiful hand crafted blankets and other textiles country-wide, Mexico has a lot to offer. Notably one of the richest archeological finds in the world, the Mexican artisans of today offer transportable works sure to be a treasure of tomorrow.
Recreation
As your ship pulls in to any Mexican port of call, you will see magnificent resort hotels with beachfront access. Most of them allow day visitors for a reasonable fee where cruise travelers find an inclusive experience, often more generous than what they left behind on the ship.
Short Sailings From Long Beach
All along, during the height of the crime scare, Carnival Cruise Lines continued to operate short sailings from Long Beach, California to the Baja area of Mexico. Sailings to the Mexican Riviera to the East stop at ports that line the Gulf Of Mexico from Galveston, Texas; becoming one of North America’s most popular embarkation ports.
Carnival Imagination does a 4-night sailing that stops off the coast at Catalina Island then spends a long day in Ensenada before a day at sea on the way back. A 3-day version does the same itinerary minus the stop at Catalina Island.
Carnival Triumphsails 4 nights from Galveston with a day at sea bookending a call in Cozumel, Mexico
Longer Sailings Include Mazatlan While Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta get a lot of attention from guide books, Mazatlan, Mexico was hit hard by the crime problems of several years ago. The really unfortunate part of that tourism depression is that reported crime was happening far away from Mazatlan, causing the friendly people there undo harm.
Today, more ships are stopping in Mazatlan, Mexico with even greater numbers scheduled for 2015. Currently scheduled as far into the future as 2016:
Carnival Miracle will resume year-round weeklong itineraries with stops at Cabo San Lucas,Puerto Vallarta and a full day at Mazatlan.
Princess Cruises will celebrate its 50th Anniversary where it began, including an overnight stop in Puerto Vallarta and calls in Mazatlan and Manzanillo, La Paz and Loreto.
Princess Cruises commitment to Mexico goes beyond that 50th anniversary sailing too. Ruby Princess and Grand Princess with both sail itineraries that include Mazatlan in 2015
Holland America Line will send Veendam and Westerdam south to Mazatlan this year for an assortment of select sailings, ranging from 7- to 24-nights/
Norwegian Cruise Line‘s Norwegian Star will do a series of Mexico-focused sailings this year and next with stops in Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.
Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Jewel will sail to Mazatlan in 2015 and have already committed to sailing there in 2016 as well.
That’s good news to the friendly people who live and work in Mazatlan, truly a dream destination worthy of cruise ship calls at the new, modern Port of Mazatlan.
Better news: Compared to sailings from the East Coast, Mexico-focused itineraries cost less, even for longer sailings. Princess Cruises Crown Princess does a 7 day that hits Mazatlan along with Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas with prices starting at $549 per person + tax.
Today we begin a new feature, profiling a number of popular cruise ships. Cruise Addicts members know that matching the right ship with the right traveler is important to get the most out of a cruise vacation. In addition to the facts and features, we’ll tap member reviews and comments for first-hand accounts of the actual experience of sailing. In the end, we’ll help you make the right choice, one that will bring lifetime quality cruise memories.
Insiders of any mode of travel have tips and suggestions to offer based on their intense knowledge that most people don’t share. Climb to the top of Kilimanjaro and simply going through the process of preparation teaches those adventure travelers a lot. Stay in hotels, navigate airports and eat on the road as part of a job and business travelers learn quickly how to make doing so easy. Those who sail on cruise ships frequently also have tips to offer; some learned the hard way, which we can benefit from.
Travel Insurance- At Least Medical Only Is A Must
I’ll just get this out of the way right up front since no one really wants to talk about this topic. Cruise travelers commonly think or say ‘If I skip buying travel insurance on enough cruises I can save enough to pay for one’, and they are absolutely correct. Odds are in the travel insurance company’s favor that we will never use the cancellation element of their product. But the medical coverage, the other important part of what is included in travel insurance, we might very well use. Regardless of age, physical condition of financial status, accidents happen and are often not covered by health care coverage outside of the continental United States.
The medical coverage aspect of travel insurance, though, is cheap and an easy add on that we can get from a number of third-party sources. TravelGuard Insurance, for example, offers a Medical program for as little as $10 per person, per trip. That’s cheap coverage for something that can cost tens of $thousands.
Emergency evacuation coverage can pay to transport you to the hospital of your choice or home, plus cover any qualified accompanying medical expenses you may incur. I learned this one the hard way after a trip to a ship’s medical center resulted in a $1500 bill. Few cruise lines sell travel protection this way so finding a source will take a little work but the benefits are worth the time spent investigating.
Go To School
In numbers that really amaze me, first-timers as well as seasoned cruisers often fail to do some basic homework that would make for a far better travel experience. Simply going through the process of online registration with the cruise line, immediately after booking, can open up a whole new world of information handy to have in advance of boarding.
Check in with most major cruise lines after booking and the benefit train leaves the station. Once registered, booked guests of most major cruise lines can browse and book shore excursions, spa treatments and other activities that may sell out or not be available later. This is a great idea not only for planning purposes, insuring that your bucket list dream of swimming with dolphins, riding a horse on a beach of flightseeing over a mountain in Alaska happen but is a huge factor in defining your travel budget; what is spent while actually traveling.
Studying, if not memorizing, the ship’s deck plans too is probably one of the single most important activities we can do before boarding. Once on the ship, odds are it will still take some time to feel comfortable navigating the ship. Still, those who have studied the deck plans know where features of the ship are in relation to other features. A good idea is to locate your stateroom and know, for example, that you need to take a right turn out of the cabin to reach the pool or a left turn to reach the showroom or other major venues on board.
There are all sorts of list of tips around, some with many bullet point must-do items that we might or might not remember once on the ship. Seriously considering these two tips can add real value to your cruise experience for very little, if any, cost. In fact, either of the above might actually end up saving you $thousands.
During the summer travel season, many cruise fans head north to Alaska where natural beauty and wilderness wonder await. Those who have been there tag the land of the midnight sun as a dream destination. Alaska is often the next logical choice for cruise travelers who have sailed in the Caribbean and are looking for something different. Still, there is a huge difference between the two cruise experiences; a difference that demands a few new packing list items.
The Right Jacket
On our first trip to Alaska, we brought winter clothes we never used. Thinking Alaska = cold was a mistake. After all, major cruise lines don’t sail during the coldest months of the year, when the deep freeze sets in. Instead, our most frequently used item of apparel was a light waterproof jacket with a hood.
The Right Shoes
It rains a lot in Alaska during the summer, almost daily. But like a quick shower in the Caribbean, this is not a land of cloudy gloom and skies will clear. Still, good walking shoes should be right up at the top of any packing list. A good way to plan what type of shoes you will need is to book shore excursions in advance. If hiking or flight seeing with a glacier landing are planned, a more aggressive tread design is desirable.
The Right Power
In Alaska, tours and plans off ship often take up most of a day, making backup power for electronic devices a must. If planning on sharing the experience with friends and family as you go, bring along backup power like the Duracel Go Power DayTrip charger ($59.99) or the Power Bank 6000 solar charger ($42.00) a great choice at a place long days equal abundant sunshine.
The Right Eyes
Now is the time to invest in a good pair of field glasses. Excursions will take you close to the action but not too close, leaving a safe buffer of distance between you and wildlife. While field glasses are a good choice, they can be expensive (up to $thousands) and a spotting scope (less than $200) can work well in the Alaska environment. Your point and shoot camera with a zoom lens will probably capture great images but does no good for live action events you will probably want to see from the best possible viewpoint. This is one of those items I only think of when I am in the situation where it would be helpful and don’t have it.
The best bit of advice I received before going to Alaska the first time was “Bring your camera! Every where you look, in every direction, there will be something you will want to take a picture of,” advice that turned out to be right on the mark.
Alaska is a dream destination that many travelers will never repeat. Armed with all of the above, they will get the most out of the experience and come back with lifetime-quality memories like no other.
Review of the Royal Princess and cruise 30 March 2014. Let me begin with this: This is by far, the most beautifully decorated ship I have ever had the pleasure of cruising on.
The care that was taken in each detail is incredible. The mood lighting in the corridors on the promenade deck sets the tone for various venues. The Piazza is designed with great sightlines, open expanses, and very, very good acoustics.
Deck five includes the Lotus spa, forward, just beyond the Passenger services and shore excursion desks. They are both forward of the Piazza. Sabatini’s is adjacent to shore excursion desk, somewhat out of the way. The International Café, Vines, Gelato, Celebrations and internet café are all in the Piazza. The area is well laid out with plenty of seating for events held there.
Deck six Piazza includes the photo and video gallery, Belini’s (a small intimate bar) and Alfredo’s. I appreciated Alfredo’s much more than other alternative dining venues for multiple reasons. It had the best wait staff (BY FAR!), very good menu choices, and to top it off, no additional charge!
For Deck seven, we will begin at the front of the ship and work our way back. The princess theater. In a word, beautiful! Not a bad seat to be had in the entire venue. Mood lighting, acoustics, and design are all top notch. Some found the lack of tray tables in the arm rests to be a problem. Wasn’t for us as it is not an area we usually drink in. Just after the elevators is Calypso Cove and Art Gallery. The gallery is set up in somewhat of an odd fashion. Most folks will walk by without much attention to the art and may never know what the area is intended for. Following that are Essence, Meridian Bay and Facets stores. There are outside seating areas on each side of the ship, but there is no walking area that goes all the way around the ship as in other Promenade decks. Across from the stores is Crooners. Adjacent to the mid-ship elevators are the Captain’s Circle and Future Cruise Desks. Here is where the layout starts getting odd to me. Just beyond the elevators the traffic flow is limited to the starboard side and it gets rather congested with foot traffic. The hallway is beautifully decorated with dark toned woods, mood lighting, and multiple pictures (murals?) of old fashioned modes of transportation. A newly designed venue is the Princess Live Café. Fresh brewed coffee, drinks, and snacks (cookies, brownies, etc) are available. On the bar is a projection of the activity in another new venue, Princess Live. This is where they film the Wakee Show and hold some of the entertainment activities. It is setup like a mini TV studio with cameras and seating. We then come to the Wheelhouse Bar / Crown Grill. More open than on previous ships and as always, well decorated. The library is in this area and seems to be placed here as an afterthought to take up some spare space. There is a small open area by the rear elevators and finally, the Vista Lounge. This venue appears to be bigger than on previous ships and the seating is just a bit closer together making getting through the area slightly more difficult for large folks or those with minor mobility issues than on other ships.
Jumping past all the floors with the cabins, we go all the way up to deck 16, yes 16, the Lido Deck. Again, from forward to aft. First portion is cabins as on other Lido decks. Just beyond the forward elevators is the standard Trident Grill, Mermaid’s Tail bar, and Prego Pizzeria. The main pool area is a new layout and seating is WONDERFUL! We enjoyed the sofa seating and tables design. The water fountain deck is center to the area. On either side is the Sea Walk and Sea View bar. This new design feature very interesting and it can be fun people watching here to see if they step on the glass or walk around without looking down at the water. If you have the slightest vertigo or fear of heights, you may want to avoid these. I enjoyed them. In the area of Calypso Cabana (seating area just outside Horizon Court) is comfortable and the wait staff ensure there is a cart with water, ice and cups available. Just beyond the mid ship elevators is the Horizon Court. This redesigned area set up in sections with various food styles throughout. When dining here, be sure to get all the way through each section / style to get your meal of choice. At the aft is another newly designed seating area called The Terrace. There is more sofa seating near the Outrigger bar.
My deck by deck review will stop at Deck 17. This deck begins forward with the Sanctuary. Well laid out, quiet, intimate location to get away from the hustle and bustle of crowds, kids and noise. We walked though on embarkation day, but did not partake of the location during the cruise. Just behind the Sanctuary is the adults only pool area called the Retreat. It includes a pool, two hot tubs, and plenty of loungers. Along with these are cabanas that are available for rental. The down side of these is that the curtains around them down close. They are there for looks, not functionality. If you are in the sun in the cabana, you can’t close them to get the shade. Continuing aft from here is the standard open deck above the Lido with additional loungers and such.
Our cabin was on deck 8. It was a Deluxe Balcony Cabin that included a small love seat sofa bed. The cabin was well appointed and laid out comfortably. The bathroom is slightly redesigned, for the better in my opinion. The shower is ever so slightly larger and now includes a ledge to prop your foot on for leg shaving (ladies) or for ease of washing legs / feet (gentlemen). It also has a handheld wand with adjustable height. Makes for easy rinsing from top to bottom. The toilet tissue was moved to under the sink counter. This eliminated the metal cover, but it is in a slightly awkward location for some people, slightly behind and to the left of someone using the facility. The sink is deeper, larger, and more square than oval. Lighting and shelving are in line with previous designs. The television is a thin screen mounted on the wall at the foot of the bed. It is easily visible from the love seat as well as the bed. The desk lacks drawer space and this can be a problem for some people. The single drawer above the refrigerator has the hair dryer inside and wired to the outlet through the drawer. This takes up the very limited drawer space and makes using the hairdryer less than optimum. It does however move the dryer from the wall mounted locations on other ships. The refrigerator has an adjustable shelf and I found it to be well designed and able to hold more bottles and cans than on other ships. Finally, the balcony. While it is definitely smaller, it was large enough for us to enjoy our morning coffee and breakfast. Also large enough for the two chairs and small round table. The view is listed as ‘obstructed’. The only thing it obstructed was the view down. The lifeboat roof was just below the railing, so we could see plenty off to the side of the ship, just couldn’t look down. It was a real non-issue for us.
Now for the nitty gritty. There are a LOT of positive things about this ship. It is almost a destination in and of itself. Like I said at the beginning, it is the most beautifully decorated ship I have ever been on. The ‘in room entertainment’ system is the best we have experienced. If you are watching a movie and need to leave before it is over, no worries! When you return to your room, you can begin where you left off. There are quite a number of movies and other shows available at any time. Additionally, activities that are filmed in Princess Live can be watched in your stateroom. We were able to see the Yes / No game, and the Newlywed / not so newlywed game on TV at our leisure rather than worrying about getting to the venue on time. Allowed us to enjoy other activities and still see the games. I LOVED this feature!
Here are the things I thought were ‘less than optimal’: The lack of stairs at the mid ship elevators is a real detraction. To go one level up or down from here requires one use elevators or walk to one of the stairwells forward or aft. And that is a LOT of walking for one level. The elevators! UGH! They are excruciatingly slow and their call button operation is odd to say the least. On most ships, you push one button and all the elevators in that bank are called. Here, it is only the two on that side. If you want a chance at any of the four, you must push both buttons. This causes elevators on both sides to stop at every floor even when no one is there, further slowing down the process. The panoramic elevators at mid ship have the same problem. Each of them operates on their own call button. So at mid ship, you have to press all four buttons to call all elevators, but then, it slows the process on all other floors. Occasionally, an elevator will not stop at the floor you are on. Don’t know why, but this happened on more than one occasion to me while waiting for them. The light would indicate it is stopping, but then go off as though it wasn’t supposed to stop. Sometimes it was quicker and easier to get on an elevator going the opposite way you want, just to eventually get headed in the right direction,
The muster drill exercise was a bit of a hassle. They open the center stairwell for the trip down to the Promenade deck, but close them before its over so you cannot return to your floor with the stairwell. This led to massive unnecessary congestion of everyone trying to get to the OMG slow elevators, or move to another stairwell. The resulting frustration leads some to allow the situation to ruin the start of a wonderful cruise. Additionally, since Calypso Cove is closed until after they leave port, the mass of humanity is further restricted to one side of the ship causing even more congestion and frustration. You can imagine the mass of people from Princess Theater and other muster stations all funneling into the forward elevator / stairwell area trying to return to their cabins prior to sailaway.
Now, all that said, this issue will not prevent me from cruising on this ship again. While a minor distraction, it is not enough to compel me to avoid the ship, it is a bit of a frustration. Bottom line, this is a beautiful ship that has a significant number of things going for it and make it a wonderful ship to cruise on. I still prefer the newer Grand class ships (Ruby, Emerald, Crown etc), but would not avoid this ship if the itinerary was what I was looking for. We are already scheduled to cruise on her again in October and really look forward to it.
If you have any questions, please feel free to message me. Now for the nitty gritty. There are a LOT of positive things about this ship. It is almost a destination in and of itself. Like I said at the beginning, it is the most beautifully decorated ship I have ever been on. The ‘in room entertainment’ system is the best we have experienced. If you are watching a movie and need to leave before it is over, no worries! When you return to your room, you can begin where you left off. There are quite a number of movies and other shows available at any time. Additionally, activities that are filmed in Princess Live can be watched in your stateroom. We were able to see the Yes / No game, and the Newlywed / not so newlywed game on TV at our leisure rather than worrying about getting to the venue on time. Allowed us to enjoy other activities and still see the games. I LOVED this feature!
Here are the things I thought were ‘less than optimal’: The lack of stairs at the mid ship elevators is a real detraction. To go one level up or down from here requires one use elevators or walk to one of the stairwells forward or aft. And that is a LOT of walking for one level. The elevators! UGH! They are excruciatingly slow and their call button operation is odd to say the least. On most ships, you push one button and all the elevators in that bank are called. Here, it is only the two on that side. If you want a chance at any of the four, you must push both buttons. This causes elevators on both sides to stop at every floor even when no one is there, further slowing down the process. The panoramic elevators at mid ship have the same problem. Each of them operates on their own call button. So at mid ship, you have to press all four buttons to call all elevators, but then, it slows the process on all other floors. Occasionally, an elevator will not stop at the floor you are on. Don’t know why, but this happened on more than one occasion to me while waiting for them. The light would indicate it is stopping, but then go off as though it wasn’t supposed to stop. Sometimes it was quicker and easier to get on an elevator going the opposite way you want, just to eventually get headed in the right direction,
The muster drill exercise was a bit of a hassle. They open the center stairwell for the trip down to the Promenade deck, but close them before its over so you cannot return to your floor with the stairwell. This led to massive unnecessary congestion of everyone trying to get to the OMG slow elevators, or move to another stairwell. The resulting frustration leads some to allow the situation to ruin the start of a wonderful cruise. Additionally, since Calypso Cove is closed until after they leave port, the mass of humanity is further restricted to one side of the ship causing even more congestion and frustration. You can imagine the mass of people from Princess Theater and other muster stations all funneling into the forward elevator / stairwell area trying to return to their cabins prior to sailaway.
Now, all that said, this issue will not prevent me from cruising on this ship again. While a minor distraction, it is not enough to compel me to avoid the ship, it is a bit of a frustration. Bottom line, this is a beautiful ship that has a significant number of things going for it and make it a wonderful ship to cruise on. I still prefer the newer Grand class ships (Ruby, Emerald, Crown etc), but would not avoid this ship if the itinerary was what I was looking for. We are already scheduled to cruise on her again in October and really look forward to it.
If you have any questions, please feel free to message me.
As Internet connectivity at sea gets faster and more reliable, cruise lines are updating and redesigning smartphone apps. One of the most significant changes comes from the magical world of Disney who has figured out how to make using the internet at sea both affordable and efficient.
Disney Cruise Line Navigator App
Available for free in the Apple App Store for iOS devices and Google Play for Android device guests of Disney Cruise Line are asked to download and install their Navigator App before arriving at the embarkation port. Once onboard, they connect to the ship’s WiFi network for complimentary for app use that brings an electronic version of a shipboard newsletter with digitized features.
Included are deck plans of the ship and information about deck parties, dining, entertainment, character experiences and more.
Based On Usage, Not Time
Significant to the Disney app, it runs on the Disney Cruise Line internet system. While using the app is free, the Disney system charges other internet use based on actual usage, not time. Priced at $.25 per megabyte, it’s easy to calculate how much uploading those photos is actually going to cost. With a time-based system that is running slow, the price to show friends on land how much fun you are having can be steep. Based on data usage, that number is easy to calculate.
Disney has a variety of price plans too which might be easy to confuse with ‘pay by the minute’ plans but seen to offer a much better value.
Pay as you go – $0.25 per megabyte
Small package – 200 megabytes for $19 ($0.19 per megabyte)
Medium package – 300 megabytes for $39 ($0.13 per megabyte)
Large package – 1,000 megabytes for $80 ($0.09 per megabyte)
Concierge guests in Cat S, T and V will get 100 free megabytes of internet.
Concierge guests in Cat R will get free internet for the length of the cruise.
Putting Value To The Test
To get an idea of the value Disney is offering, we compared to AT&T International Data Roaming charges and found the Disney plan to be a superior value. For example, that 300 megabyte plan for $39 from Disney would be $60 from AT&T. Heavy users will like the comparison on Disney’s large package with 1,000 megabytes for $80 to AT&T’s large package of 800 megabytes for $120.
Addressing Our Biggest Concern
We like that the Disney Cruise Line plan addresses our biggest concern about Internet at sea: It’s not what we pay for it, it’s what we get out of it that counts. Anyone who has tried to upload a photo with the time clock ticking the entire time, using up precious minutes of Internet time will appreciate the Disney plan that charges by use, regardless of how long it takes.
Spread The Magic
Other cruise lines have specific apps for their ships as well.
Norwegian iConcierge informs you about everything happening on board, lets you make reservations for Shore Excursions, keeps you in contact with friends, and more, on board Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway & Norwegian Pearl.
Cruise Norwegian lets passengers plan their Norwegian cruise vacation from the palm of their hand. Users can find out everything they want to know about any of Norwegian’s destinations, ships or special offers.
Norwegian Puzzlesis a fun way to dream about cruising by solving Norwegian puzzles that feature all their ships and the destinations they sail to.
Norwegian Flash Dealsapp links users to exclusive, limited-time deals on select sailings. Not found elsewhere, these deals are only available through this app.
What? My Cruise Line Has No App!
Actually, most cruise lines don’t but allow complementary access to their online website via the ship’s internet system. On Carnival Cruise Lines, for example, guests can visit Carnival.com for no charge
We like the direction cruise lines are headed, toward increasingly more efficient onboard internet systems that work, can be accessed easily and provide land-like connectivity. The next big story on the horizon in this arena: High speed Internet at sea, coming soon to a cruise ship near you.
For those who love to travel, cruise vacations make it easy. No surprise there. Unpacking once and visiting multiple destinations appeals to those who have done land vacations. The outstanding inclusive value cruising represents, when compared to other travel options, is undeniable. Reason enough to consider cruising your go to travel choice? Probably, but there are other reasons as well, some we don’t think about too much.
Something For Everyone, If You Know Where To Look
To say “there is something for everyone” on a cruise vacation has been a standard talking point of travel agents for a long time. But the ‘one size fits all nature’ of cruise vacations is changing as cruise lines look to zero in on their target passenger base. No longer satisfied with a laundry list of activities, features and onboard programming they could not possibly complete on a 7-day cruise, savvy cruise travelers are looking for something more. They don’t want to feel overwhelmed and are choosing a cruise line offering an experience that matches their desires.
Evolving Cruise Lines Put Best Foot Forward And Hope You Like The Style
Need proof that cruise lines are different? Visit your choice of three major cruise line web sites. Upon arrival, note the different feel, navigation options and what each line is featuring. Now, spend a few minutes on each web site. Give yourself ten clicks of time. Click on anything you want to; whatever looks good to you but stop on the tenth click. Now go back and review where you ended on each site. Odds are, one of those will appeal to you more than the others. This is a great example of how cruise lines are moving from ‘something for everyone’ to ‘something specifically for you’, or at least making us think that. Keep those windows open, we’ll revisit them shortly, for another reason.
Family Style No Longer Means Supersized
Some cruise lines cater to families and families are getting smarter all the time. In the past, dropping the kids at the cruise line’s children’s program was just what we did, not to be thought of all that much. Now, cruise lines have incorporated branded elements of well-known iconic characters ranging from SpongeBob Squarepants and the stable of Dreamworks characters to edutaining Dr Seuss. Arguably, none of them will stand up to Disney’s Fab Five (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto), featured on Disney Cruise Line, but unique programming on all are making an active (as opposed to passive) cruise experience for children.
Information Sources Getting Better All The Time
Thank the rise and popularity of mommy bloggers for putting an extreme focus on what cruise lines are offering families. While most mommy bloggers seem to focus on all travel options available to families, some have a good reputation in the cruise travel community as being well-versed in which lines to what better than others. Stefanie Fauquet of Mommy Musings comes to mind; a mommy blogger with an young(adorable) daughter in tow who sails frequently. Shannon Hurst Lane from the Vacation Gals is another, currently enjoying the late teen years of her children. Both have been there and done that.
Adults Only Please, With Few Exceptions
Other cruise lines could care less about children and offer an experience totally without them in mind. Luxury cruise lines sail longer itineraries that cost more and knock the lions share of young families out of the running. They like it that way too, offering an upscale experience that is often focused on the destinations, not ship features.
The rapidly expanding world of river cruising is a good example with ships that have zero children’s facilities, programming or even a place for them to sleep.
On a 15-day Viking River Cruise last Summer, I was surprised to see a few kids along for the ride. The longships of Viking River Cruises are set for two people only per cabin, few onboard attractions might scare the bejesus out of most families but the well-mannered, brainiac children on board Viking Odin were into the experience. For the right kids, sailing through history might be one of the best gifts a parent can give them.
Group Travel Options
Once a great way to travel with friends and family, group cruises took a nose dive just before the economic recession. Prior to that difficult time, cruise lines were moving away from promoting group travel as much, choosing to prefer that we book via individual reservations which brought a better yield (profit). But after the economic recession and then some negative publicity that still haunts the industry, group cruising is back in full force, offering better value than ever.
Go back to those three websites I asked you to explore earlier, pick one and click on what looks to be a great deal. Whatever that is, if booked via a group cruise and done right, it will be a better value.
Odds are high that just being part of the group will bring a lower price. Add some onboard amenities like $onboard credit, a group cocktail party or in-cabin amenities not offered as an individual booking brings additional value. Be the leader of a group with as few as eight cabins and further financial benefits are gained too.
The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same
Indeed, today’s cruise vacation is a whole lot different than it was ten years ago or will be ten years from now. Change, it seems, is inevitable. Unique to cruise vacations though: cruise lines are listening to us and offering what we want. Better yet, forward-thinking cruise lines are offering what we need as well.
Anyone addicted to cruise travel knows that where there is a will, there is a way to make it happen, often. Somehow we overcome financial burdens, finding the money to fund cruise travel. Scheduling conflicts disappear as land events lose out to at-sea wonderment. Want to take someone along with us? There is usually no shortage of takers willing to come along for the ride. Experienced and addicted cruise travelers know this all too well. But what about those to whom the addiction has not yet taken hold of? What advice do we have for them to enable more cruise travel? We begin with a few tips, learned the hard way.
Skip Dining Out, Make Food
We all know that meals made at home almost always cost less than dining out. Still, we also think we don’t have time to cook and that may very well be the case. It’s all a matter of priorities and if cruise travel is yours, dining at home makes a lot of sense.
In addition to knowing what we are actually consuming, we really do know how much we’re saving based on our habits. Try this for a month: Instead of going out to lunch on Saturday, make your own and put what might have been spent at a restaurant away. A clear glass jar works really nicely for this. That way we can see what we are saving.
Take Another Look At Fixed Expenses, Pocketing The Difference
Remember, you’re an addict and you must have your cruise fix. Without it you will die, maybe not physically but the pleasure you get from sailing is so great that you will do anything to make it happen.
Simply switching credit cards to one that includes a cash back option can add $hundreds to your travel fund. We must have coffee, but do we really need it to be from Starbucks when we can make it for a fraction of the cost? Again, priorities are key and saying out loud “Do I want to go to Starbucks or on a cruise?” works wonders.
Hang Out With Others, Similarly Addicted Cruise line websites that have a social element, the message boards of Cruise Addicts, Facebook cruise-oriented pages, Pinterest travel boards and more make talking with like-minded cruise addicts easy. Still, just watching won’t be nearly as effective as engaging others in a conversation about your addiction.
Much of the allure of cruise travel is the experience shared with others on the ships we sail. Beginning that shared experience before sailing and continuing it after focuses our mental efforts on what’s important: feeding our addiction.
Find A Good Travel Agent And Hang On Tight
Sure, we can book just about anything online these days. The big question is: Should we? One of the best parts of using a travel agent is having a professional, someone actually in the business to keep us in check. Scour the Internet for pricing and availability but don’t make a move until you talk to that travel professional in your back pocket. They might see something you don’t that can benefit you, saving $hundreds if not $thousands on just one sailing.
Actually, that’s probably one of the best reasons for cruise addicts to use a travel agent; so they get more for their money, more often.
All of the above has worked for my family of four over the years, resulting in more sailing and little disruption to normal life. But what about you? What have you done to enable more cruise travel? Share your secrets here and let us all sail more too.
One way or another, you got a great deal on a summer cruise. You might have used a travel agent or booked your sailing directly from the cruise line. The deposit was paid. Final payment has been made. Now it’s time to think about actually going. While a cruise vacation is an outstanding travel value and you do indeed have the lion’s share of the total cost out of the way, that’s not the end of spending. Uncontrolled, onboard spending can and commonly does equal or exceed the price of the cruise itself. Scary thought? It does not have to be. Post-cruise financial depression can be totally avoided with some forethought and good planning.
Prepay When Possible
Pre-paying gratuities we would normally have automatically added to our onboard spending account can cut a big chunk out of onboard spending. At an average of $12 per person, per day suggested by cruise lines, that’s $336 for a family of four.
Most cruise lines allow pre-paying a number of other onboard expenses too. Shore Excursions, Spa Treatments, Drink Packages and more paid in advance, can help control onboard spending.
Be Prepared Budget gurus commonly recommend that we don’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. The same applies to walking on to a cruise ship. The very first day, cruise travelers’ face a barrage of buying opportunities that might be hard to resist. Know that crewmembers will be on hand to hard sell you packages and programs.
Many cruise travelers commonly rush to the spa or gift shop on the first day. They think there is no way they will get that massage scheduled at a convenient time if they don’t do it right away. They hurry to buy souvenirs from the ship’s gift shop for fear they will run out. Wrong on both counts.
Think Of It Like Holiday Spending
Anyone who gets into the swing of holiday shopping knows very well that financing that spirit on high-interest credit cards has it’s down side. The person in the family that pays the bills gets a post-Christmas depression headache that starts just about the same time that the last present is opened on Christmas Morning. Simply putting your brain in that same place can help reduce onboard spending.
Focus On Two Finish Lines
Back this up a bit and start thinking about onboard spending the same day we put down a deposit. As a travel agent I learned early on that my budget conscious clients were quite focused on when final payment was due. They got that and considered that date carefully, buying only if they thought they could make that payment on time.
What most missed was accounting for onboard spending, something that did not have a set-in-stone date but is a real expense of cruise travel. Many had great success estimating and having funds available to cover onboard expenses in advance, setting the day of embarkation as the “due date”.
Everyone Gets A Discretionary Spending Fund
A good way to avoid post-cruise financial depression happen by giving each person in the family a dollar amount that they can spend on whatever they want to. This is a good way to address unknown buying opportunities that might come up as clever cruise lines dream up more ways for us to spend.
Done right, this can also be a great way to encourage, support and promote the attainment of goals at home by all family members. Great grades, chores done, appropriate behavior= a certain $ amount in the discretionary spending fund for the kids. Eating right, sticking to an exercise schedule, etc = more $ for the adults in their own discretionary fund.
Best benefit for the person who controls the money: No nagging to buy something along the way. They have their discretionary fund. If they blew it on candy and now want a t-shirt, that’s their problem, not yours.
Regardless of how we go about it, considering upcoming expenses that will indeed happen onboard, amounts in excess of what we spend for the cruise fare, can help eliminate post-cruise financial depression. Believe me when I tell you, taking steps to keep that amount in check, before embarkation, will make for a far better travel experience.
Carnival Sunshine began a year-round schedule of 5, 7 and 8-night sailings from Port Canaveral not long ago. On board for a two-night Bahamas preview cruise, our one port of call was Freeport. A first for me, what the day would bring was unknown but the hope was for a relaxing day at the beach. Taking a Carnival Beach Break shore excursion we got that and a whole lot more.
Disembarking Carnival Sunshine, tour operators were on hand to greet guests and send them in the right direction; in our case an air conditioned tour bus. During the 30-minute ride, our driver did a running commentary all about what we were seeing along the way. At the site, we found many activities to choose from including volleyball, badminton, paddle ball, basketball courts and nice facilities for children making the Beach Break a great choice for families.
Walking up to the beach my first thought was this was a piece of paradise with picture perfect white sand beaches and turquoise water. It has comfortable blue loungers with padded head rests and very friendly staff. As I explored the beach I noticed that on the far end of the beach, you could even rent Jet Ski’s nearby. Going into the water the centerpiece is one of the largest water trampolines in Freeport “Fat Boy”. You can climb up it and jump up and down or sun bathe on it. If the water is high enough, you can jump off it.
Before long our group started getting hungry and we tried the famous Conch Salad. Everyone shared Conch Salad, Conch Fritters and Chicken Wings. The Conch Salad was the best I ever had. It was so fresh and flavorful with a hint of heat. Be sure to order yours early because they are known to run out.
In my quest for a relaxing beach day, I was successful. Maybe I’m just getting older, but having waves at my feet and a cool drink in my hand can sometimes be all the entertainment I need. This is a beautiful destination with more than enough food choices and amenities, I highly recommend it.
Choose Your Level of Amenities
What makes this shore excursion extra special is you have three different choices of what Beach Getaway experience you want to enjoy.
1. All Inclusive – Take in the views from the beach bar where you can eat your fill of a delicious buffet including assorted salads, Bahamian style peas and rice, steamed vegetables, chicken and beef, skewers, BBQ ribs, and a variety of homemade desserts and Open Bar which includes domestic beverages and cocktails with domestic white rum, vodka, gin, tequila, juices and sodas. – Cost – $69.99 Adult. $59.99 Kids. – Click Here to Reserve
2. Open Bar – Open Bar includes domestic beverages and cocktails with domestic white rum, vodka, gin, tequila, juices and sodas. Cost – $49.99 Adult. $39.99 Kids. – Click Here to Reserve
3. Beach Getaway – Food and Beverages can be purchased from the bar menu. Cost – Adults and Kids are both $34.99. Click Here to Reserve
This excursion has offers you 3.5 hours at the beach with 30 minutes of travel time to and from the location. The excursion is a total of 4.5 hours. Lockers are available, but be sure to pack your Carnival Beach Towel, sun screen. Cash is recommended.
Photo’s From Excursion:
Not all that long ago, crime in Mexico had cruise ships on the run, skipping ports of call they had visited for decades. For tourism in Mexico, that hurt and hurt bad. Set up to handle thousands of cruise ship passengers with ease, shops were boarded up, excursion buses mothballed and the reality set in; something had to be done. Now, through a concentrated effort by the Mexican government and a grassroots effort by those who live in those affected destinations, Mexico is back. In addition to being a viable, safe place for cruise travelers to visit, they can do so and enjoy bargain pricing.