Some passengers return from cruises a bit disappointed with the experience. It may have been the activities on board, the amount of walking in a shore excursion, the weight gain from the lavish meals or just encountering a different mode of travel. Here are our nine tips for making the most of your cruise experience:
1 - - Find the ship that suits your personality and lifestyle. If you're outgoing and love lots of activity, then Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and other large-ship lines may have the ship for you. Larger ships have more people, more activities (nightclubs, casino, performances, movies, shops and organized fun) than smaller ships. As a rough rule of thumb, the smaller the ship, the quieter it is.
If you expect a cruise filled with more nature-oriented activities, consider sailing with Special Expeditions, Temptress Cruises, Marine Expeditions and other small ship, eco-oriented companies. If you want to a cruise with on-board lecturers on art and history, Seabourn Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises and Swan Hellenic may be the boats for you. Do some research before you book a cruise.
2 - - A good travel agent is a blessing, but don't rely solely on them for advice. Ask friends about their cruise experiences. If the agent you are seeing doesn't meet your needs, see someone else. The National Association of Cruise-Only Agencies (305-446-7732) can give you the name of an cruise-specialist agency near you. Better yet, check the Yellow Pages.
3 - - Read the cruise brochure. When you get your cruise tickets, you will also get a small brochure answering cruise questions, such as what to pack and what the dress code is. Follow those guidelines, but keep in mind that space is limited in your cabin, so don't empty your closet.
4 - - Book your shore excursions in advance. Some cruise lines send you excursion brochures after you book, allowing you to choose what shore excursions you want to take. And after you get on board, attend the shore excursion lectures and ask questions if the presentation doesn't sound like it's what you want to see. In most cases, passengers will have time to change their pre-booked shore tours.
5 - - Take lots of one- and five-dollar bills for tips. We usually take about $100 to $150 in small bills. They come in handy for tips to guides, the longshoremen who handle your bags at portside and cab drivers. Some cruise experts also advise tipping crew at the beginning of a cruise. We haven't tried that because we prefer seeing what the service is before we tip.
6 - - All of our dining room companions on ships have been interesting folks. However, we know that sooner or later we'll be assigned to a table where the other parties are our total opposites. When this happens to you, go immediately to the maitre d' and ask him to switch you to another table. If the ship is full, this may require some flexibility on your part (such as switching to a different meal setting).
7 - - Sample all the experiences a cruise has to offer. A cruise ship is not a floating buffet table that periodically stops in port to discharge passengers and take on new provisions. A cruise can be a spa vacation, a sports workout, a place to learn a new dance step, compete in a bridge tournament, learn about art and history, enjoy music and stage shows, bet a few bucks on roulette, read that book you never had the time for, and work on your tan. It is also a place to relax - - between those periodic shore trips, of course.
8 - - Don't overeat or overdrink. It is technically possible to eat 10 or more meals a day on board, if you make all the possible opportunities. This isn't healthy or wise, and nothing ruins a good cruise more than seeing the bulge after your return.
9 - - There is one other bulge - - the one on your credit card balance - - that can be an ugly thing to see after your return. Before you leave, try to figure how much you will spend on drinks, wines, spa, salon, souvenirs and other purchases and then set your budget.
Follow these tips and your cruise may be a smoother sailing.
It's a dilemma we always have when we are on a cruise: should we take one of the ship's guided tours or should we go off on our own? The answer is, it depends.
The shore excursions provided on the ships often add a lot to the cruise experience, and in many cases, particularly for the inexperienced traveler, they are well worth the price. Here are some broad guidelines that may make your cruise experience more enjoyable:
* Do some homework. The one question we hear over and over on ships is, "What's there to see in [name of next port]?" Buy a good guidebook (Fodor's offers a good general series of guides; the Insight guides are strong on historic, culture and art.) Most libraries have travel guides, but the selection is limited and often not current.
When you choose a cruise, ask your travel agent (or the cruise line directly if the agent doesn't have that information) for a brochure of shore tours. After you get it, read the guidebook and compare the sights in the ports of call with the attractions the tours will visit. Are they what you are really interested in? If there is something else - - a museum, a historic palace or church - - that strikes your fancy but isn't on the tour, is it possible to make your own way to that place? And before making that decision, make certain your desired attraction will be open during the day of your visit.
* Ask whether the tours include admission prices to the attractions on the tour. (It should.) If it is a daylong tour, does it include lunch? If not, what luncheon arrangements are available? Will the bus or minivan carry water or drinks?
* Some cruise lines - - Princess and Crystal, for example - - use icons to describe the physical challenge posed by a walking tour. It sounds like a small matter, but in the 95-degree heat of the a July in Rhodes, a 1,000-step climb to the top of a cliff to see an old Greek temple may be too strenuous.
* Other factors - - political instability, language problems - - may make the ship's tours the best option. Unless you're a very experienced traveler, going on your on in some parts of Asia, Eastern Europe and the countries in the former Soviet Union may not be wise.
* If you have mobility problems, quiz the cruise tour director about what problems the tours may pose.
* Dress appropriately. Shore tours are not the same as a visit to the mall (although sometimes in St. Thomas we have wondered whether the only difference was the lack of air conditioning). Always take a hat, sunglasses, sun block, water bottles, extra film and any medication you may need. And you won't need your entire wallet: some cash, travelers' checks and perhaps a credit card will do.
* Consider arranging your own tour. Your travel agent can do this; and some ships have concierge desks that will arrange for a car and driver for you. One caveat: know when passengers must be back on board. The ship will not wait for passengers who take privately-arranged tours and come back late.
* And finally, ask if the ship runs a shuttle from the dock to the center of town. We often skip the tours and take this option, knowing that we can see what we want and return whenever we feel like.
Seasickness is a common affliction that can turn a cruise into a nightmare. The name is actually a misnomer. Seasickness is just another form of motion sickness, much like that of "car sickness" or "air sickness". The "sickness" occurs when the body's receptors - - the eyes and the balance centers of the inner ear - - are receiving conflicting information. In short, when you are on a cruise ship you lose a stable point of reference because the inner ear is receiving information that tells your brain that you are moving in a lot of different directions - - forward as the ship sails the sea, rolling side to side and perhaps a yawing motion as the ship twists on its axis. While this is going on, the eyes are telling you that you are standing still. This contradictory information can produce seasickness, resulting in dizziness, nausea, clammy skin and headaches.
"Seasickness is not uncommon," says Dr. Michael Morris, associate professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington. "It is the inability of a person to cope with changes in the environment. It's not too different from motion sickness. Balance is a very central factor, and the motion [on a ship] overwhelms the system."
"The single most helpful therapeutic action is to look at the horizon," said the doctor. By looking at the fixed horizon, the body can begin to "fix" its center of balance, and thus counteract the motion sickness.
Several medications are available to treat sea sickness. Over-the-counter antihistamines, said Dr. Morris, reduce the reaction of the inner ear to movement, and Dramamine, another over-the-counter medication, suppresses central nervous system activity and reduces the feelings of nausea.
Another treatment we have used with success is an accupressure bracelet worn on the wrist. A "button" on the inner side of the bracelet presses against the nerves on the wrist and somehow counteracts the feeling of nausea. "The wrist is a center of nerve transduction," Dr. Morris explained, "though I can't explain why [the accupressure bracelet] works."
The cloth-and-elastic bracelet is sold in travel, drug and marine and boating stores, is very effective. Better yet, the bracelet has no side-effects, can be used over and over and can be shared.
There are other non-medical ways to combat sea sickness, Dr. Morris added. "Avoid heavy foods, fatty foods and alcohol, which exacerbates the feelings of balance," he explained. "Try to keep your stomach empty. Have smaller and more frequent meals."
One popular remedy, "The Patch," has returend to the market after a three-year hiatus. Pulled off the market because it was releasing uneven amounts of the drug scopolamine, the new -- and fixed -- patch is like a circular bandage that is worn on your skin, usually behind your ear. The patch dispenses the drug scopolamine into your system. It's easy to wear, and it works for three days at a time. The patch is available only by prescription.
Best yet, of course, is to consult your physician before you get on the ship and ask for advice on what treatment is best for you. If you are on a ship, visit the ship's medical office, where treatment will be provided, sometimes free, sometimes for a fee, depending on what action is taken.
One out of every four cruise passengers is single, a figure that makes one wonder why many cruise lines make it so expensive for single travellers. The singles supplement - - the fare charged a single traveler occupying a cabin designed for two - - is often as much as double the per-person rate for two persons in a cabin. But there are ways to reduce the cost of sailing solo, though it takes some work.
"It's really difficult," says Ron Bitting, vice president of Leaders in Travel and the Cruise Center in Great Neck, N.Y.
Bitting suggested several ways for singles to reduce the cost of cruising:
* Cruise Lines Without Single Supplements: This is a short list: World Explorer Cruises. Some lines charge less than 25 percent extra for singles to have their own cabin. These lines include: Costa, Cunard, Holland America, KD River Cruises, Orient Lines, Radisson Seven Seas Seabourn and Silversea. But note that these surcharges can vary according by ship, cabin class, itinerary, time sailing and itinerary.
* Guaranteed Single Rate: "Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has a program where singles pay a price that is close to the per-person double occupancy rate. But you can't choose a cabin. Just before sailing you are assigned one, but you get it at a rate a bit above [the per person, double occupancy rate]".
* Ships With Singles Cabins: There aren't many singles cabins anymore, Bitting said, noting that the Queen Elizabeth II has far more singles cabins than any other ship. Other cruise lines with limited numbers of singles cabins are: Alaska Sightseeing, American Canadian Caribbean, American Hawaii, Carnival, Celebrity, Clipper, Commodore, Costa, Delta Queen, Holland America, Norwegian Princess, Orient, Royal Olympic, Seawind, Special Expeditions, Temptress Voyages and World Explorer.
* Guaranteed Share Programs: Bitting approached this option cautiously, noting that he has heard "horror stories". What some cruise lines offer is to get you a cabin mate, of the same sex, of course. Some lines even promise to get someone in your age group and a smoker or non-smoker, whichever the case. However, Bitting stresses, not all go this far. Be certain what the line's guaranteed share program offers before accepting this option, he says. "We have used those. It's a hit or miss."
A better choice if you want to share a cabin may be by trying singles-only travel agencies that make a more concerted effort to match cabinmates. These include Singleworld (800/223-6490), which tries to match travellers by age, hosts singles parties on board and sends a agency representative on the cruise to make sure all goes smoothly. Another firm, Golden Age Travellers (800-258-8880) does the same for cruisers over 50. Travellers pay a small annual fee and get a cabin-mate matching service and discounts up to 50 percent on hundreds of cruises a year.
For more information, contact a travel agent, and ask a lot of questions.
Looking for a discount on your next cruise? Check into some of the packages offered by travel clubs, which often have cruises discounted as much as 40 percent off the brochure rates.
The clubs offer their packages through periodic mailings and newsletters. A membership fee is usually required to receive the newsletters. But before booking any cruise, through the clubs or even through a travel agent, take these steps:
1 - Get brochures from the cruise lines and familiarize yourself with the brochure rate, the cabin layouts and classifications. Many of the best deals the clubs offer are for smaller or inside cabins which may not meet your desires.
2 - Ask whether the package includes air fare to and from the cruise ports of embarkation and debarkation. This isn't always the case, and any savings you may get on the cruise may be offset by the price you pay for airfare, particularly on the last-minute cruises.
3 - Ask whether there any other fees, taxes or port charges to pay.
And, most important of all, then get all of these details in writing.
Here is a sampling of some of the larger travel clubs:
* Moment's Notice, a New York company with 50,000 members nationally, has been booking discount travel packages around the world for 18 years, offers trips with discounts of 10 to 50 percent off the original price. Arthur Berman, director of Moment's Notice, says members get a package detailing discounts on cruises, package vacations and airline travel. New members also receive a free six-months membership in the Transmedia Card program which includes a directory of 3,000 restaurants offering discounts to Transmedia members. For current packages, call the hotline, 1-212-873-09081. The annual membership fee is $25; call 1-718-234-6295 for more information.
* Encore, a travel club based in Lanham, Md., charges $49.95 to be part of a million-member club that offers savings from 25 to 60 percent on cruises. The cruise packages are detailed in their quarterly newsletter, "Preferred Traveller." "The cruise lines work with us closely because we have a very high volume of cruise bookings," said Judy Nielson, director of travel at Encore. For more information, call 1-800-444-9800 or 301-459-8020.
* Vacations To Go offers discounts as well as last-minute specials on cruises. "We focus on last-minute bookings," said Karen Northridge, the manager of public relations at the Houston-based firm. "We're able to offer large discounts on cruises because we specialize in cruises...There are more discounts, especially now with the larger and newer ships. Club members learn about the cruise offerings through a periodic mailings (there were 18 in 1996) that describe last-minute packages,² she explained. Discounts on trips on all the major cruise lines range from 30 to 70 per cent off the brochure rate, and sometimes include air from gateway cities. The membership fee is $5.95. Call 1-800-338-4962.
* TravLtips Cruise & Freighter Association has 27,000 members in North America who are interested in freighter travel and unusual cruises. The Flushing, N.Y.-based club publishes TravLtips Magazine, a bimonthly publication with articles on freighter travel and an updated listing of passenger-carrying freighter services. Membership rates are $20 a year; call 1-800-872-8584.
A cruise may be the great vacation for travelers who are disabled, use a wheelchair or have mobility impairments. Where else can such travelers find lodging, dining, daytime activities, nightly entertainment and an ever-changing landscape within the confines of one area?
At the same time, cruise travel isn't easy for travelers with physical disabilities. Shipboard obstacles include small cabins and even more cramped bathrooms that make movement difficult - - if not impossible - - in wheelchairs, small elevators, high coamings (sills) on bathroom doors and on heavy, exterior doors, steep stairways between outdoor decks and the constant motion of the ship.
Despite those obstacles, which can hinder even unimpaired travelers, travelers with mobility impairment or other disabilities can still enjoy a cruise. Here are some tips for disabled travelers:
1 - As a general rule, consider a cruise on the larger, newer ships. These ships are more likely to have handicapped- and wheelchair-accessible cabins. Do your own research. Look first in the back of cruise brochures, where you will find some fine print usually labeled "Terms and Conditions". There you will also find a section on passengers with disabilities or physical impairments and whether the cruise line will (and in some case, won't) accommodate your needs.
2 - Finding a travel agent who has expertise in cruise accessibility for disabled travelers is difficult. If your travel agent cannot answer your questions, call the cruise line directly and ask for their medical office. Spell out your needs in detail and ask which ship and cabin can best accommodate you.
Better yet, go to the experts and book your trip through Flying Wheels Travel, 800-535-6790, or Accessible Journeys, 800-846-4537, two tour companies that specialize in travel for persons in wheelchairs or with mobility impairment
Edna Cook, director of Flying Wheels, says that her company organizes cruises and custom land tours for person with disabilities. Cooks said she favors Princess Cruises, because in her opinion that line offers the best selection of cabins and itineraries for disabled clients. Holland America, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Royal, Norwegian, Cunard, Seven Seas, Seabourn and Crystal also have ships with a limited number of accessible cabins, she said.
Howard McCoy, who runs Accessible Journeys, arranges two cruises a year for mobility-impaired travelers. He recommends the facilities and cabins on Celebrity, Princess, the Radisson Diamond, Crystal, Holland America and Royal Caribbean ships.
McCoy advises that passengers should bring their own wheelchair because the ship will not allow them to take the ship's wheelchair off the ship. If the traveler's regular chair isn't a lightweight, collapsible model, they should rent one to take with them. McCoy, who is mobility impaired himself, also cautions disabled passengers that they may face difficulties on land tours during European cruises because of the lack of accessible facilities and transportation.
Hearing-impaired travelers may wish to contact Deaf Star Travel, a New York tour company that focuses exclusively on deaf travelers. Aaron Rudner, who founded Deaf Star Travel in 1989, says his firm often charters an entire ship or half-ship for its deaf passengers. "We organize our own entertainment with deaf actors in American Sign Language," he said. "We provide activities in sign language and we add interpreters for the activities the ship provides."