Cruise Industry News and Recent Updates Changes and Innovations

Cruise News and Updates

 

What’s New, and undergoing change

within the Cruise Line Industry!

 

Part  1 of a 3 part series 

Part of what I have to do as a professional cruise planner, is to keep abreast of changes and advancements that are a regular occurrence within the Cruise line Industry. I am posting this article in an attempt to merely give you a broad brush-stroke of just some of those new innovations and new service offerings that have come about to the various cruise lines mentioned. As there are numerous cruise lines, and vessels; I have broken down the information into a three part series. As a regular feature of our blog, I intend to update these posts a couple of times each cruise year. If you enjoy cruising, I’m sure you will appreciate being able to stay “in-the-know” about your favorite cruise line. This issue covers cruise lines A – D.  Part 2, covers cruise lines H thru P, (click here to view) and our final Part 3, will cover the final letters (view article here) of the North American Market Cruise Lines, and the European and Asian River Cruise Markets.

 

Azamara Cruises – Which is the Luxury offering arm of the Royal Caribbean Family of Cruise Ship Lines (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Azamara) recently announced its partnership with Perry Golf, to offer “all-inclusive” Golfing Cruise Packages featuring some of the top courses in the world! So for all of the would be golfer enthusiasts out there now you can have the opportunity to get your  game on, without having to leave the spouse behind. What a novel idea; One spouse gets in a few rounds (at some truly once in a lifetime courses) over the length of the cruise, while the other gets to cruise, shop, and visit different parts of the world along with you . Should prove highly successful I would think! Great Idea Azamara!

 

Carnival Cruise Lines – Most notably recognizable as the Fun Ships at Sea, and widely appreciated for its Family-Oriented seagoing environment of entertainment for all ages, is going green. That’s right, the Big Red Whale’s Tail is changing colors, (not really, just a figure of speech), as they have recently announced that they are offering more than three dozen shore excursions to rainforests and tropical jungles. These eco friendly excursions are being offered in places like Costa Rica, Dominica, and Alaska to name just a few). Cuddos to Carnival for such forward thinking!

 

 

Celebrity Cruises – Which offers a premium service cruise product and service, and a cruise line which is known for it distinctly unique offerings of wines, dining, and entertainment has recently added to its fleet of vessels the newest in the line of their 2886 passenger solstice class ships, the Celebrity “Silhouette”. Its inaugural sailing is set to take place on July 23, 2011 which will feature a 7 night sailing to Rome. Naturally this ship shall include all of the amenities that so many Celebrity enthusiasts (and repeat customers) have come to adore about the Celebrity Solstice-Class of ships. Bon Voyage “Silhouette”

 

Crystal Cruises – known as being one of the finest luxury service cruise lines, has just announced that its ship Crystal “Serenity” will undergo a major renovation costing more than 25 million dollars and is set to take place when she dry-docks next month (May 2011). The upgrades are to include New Deluxe Stateroom and Suite decors, New On-Board Shopping areas, a new “Chic” Pool area complete with all new relaxation lounge chairs, as well as new fixtures, and appointments throughout the ship. When completed it is highly anticipated that she will rival her sister ship the Crystal “Symphony”, that underwent a similar facelift this past year. I am confident that after her makeover the difference will be Crystal Clear! 

 

Cunard– With her three most famously known luxury ships named the Queen Mary 2, The Queen Elizabeth 2, and the Queen Victoria which are the youngest luxury fleet to date. Recently the QE2 (while sailing on its 130 day world voyage) encountered some rough times as she was sailing to her next port of Nagasaki Japan, at the very time of the most severe earth quake and tsunami to ever strike Japan was taking place. What makes this so noteworthy is that this was not the first earthquake encounter on this most recent voyage, as she encountered a similar situation while visiting the port of Sydney Australia, right at the same time of the devastating earthquake activity struck Christchurch New Zealand. The passengers aboard this world cruise have certainly endured some unique firsts, and seconds you might say! Wow, now there’s is certainly a cruise to remember!

 

Disney Cruise Ships – The Cruise Line that is most widely associated with their ability of putting kids (of all ages) first and foremost in mind, have recently (February 2011) put their newest ship the Disney “Dream” into service. With many new innovations this ship is truly a Dream-Come-True for the folks at Disney, featuring interactive screens in the dining rooms areas, along with virtual portholes in the staterooms, that are even linked to the ships outdoor video-cams, so that folks can have a sense of what is happening, even in the interior staterooms. One mustn’t forget the revolutionary new water tube feature slide called aqua-duck which actually extends out over the edge of the ship for a portion of the watery ride! Be sure to check out our post (click here) which covered the introduction and a comprehensive review of this brand new ship.

For more information on Cruise Industry breaking news and recent innovations, you can contact Mike via email mberryhill@cruiseholidays.com   . You can tweet (or follow) Mike at http://www.twitter.com/cruisewithmike  . To “Join” our Travel Club go to  http://meetup.com/Sun-Cities-Travelers-Group/  Mikes web site can be found at  www.mberryhill.cruiseholidays.com .  Follow Mike’s blog (or subscribe to it) at http://www.cruisewithmike.com  (or merely click on the subscribe button above to have daily delivery to your email). View all of Mikes uploaded Flickr Photo Galleries at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cruisewithmike/ . Mike also edits his own twice daily e-newspaper called “The Compass Headings” you can see (or subscribe to) it free! at http://paper.li/CruisewithMike

Please feel free to leave a comment below on this articles’ contents. We are always looking for ideas or suggestions to expand and improve on our content! If you found the information helpful why not include (a tweet to followers) or (share a like) with your facebook friends, that they might benefit from the information as well. Thanks For Visiting, and please come back often to this daily Blog. – Mike

 

We’re Still Cruising For The Cure

We Are Pleased To Announce

That We’re Remaining “Passionately Pink” and we are extending our pledge initiative to Include the Month on May. Which means were still in the battle against this horrible desease. Please Join Us in our “Cruise For the Cure” efforts!! – Thank You

CRUISE WITH MIKE

Top Ten Things you may hate about Cruising

And How to Overcome them!!

To Begin, please allow me to set the record straight. I love cruises. I love everything about cruises. My favorite cruise is my next one! I really love sailing on the ocean. I absolutely love things like the breeze from standing on the upper deck, or on my own balcony, or the warmth of the sun when cruising in Alaska or the Antarctica, or the Baltic’s. I enjoy things like fresh sea air, and being transported from port to port without having to pack or unpack but just once, let alone lugging bags around from place to place. I truly like that someone comes in and makes my bed every day.  

So while it is safe to say that I am an avid and passionate cruise fanatic, I have to remember that a cruise isn’t the best kind of vacation for everyone. Statistic: Only 95% of first time cruise goers say they would choose to do it again. Example, for those who are on a honeymoon or romantic getaway, it may not afford the happy couple with all the privacy that they would like. (But where on earth would that really be any different)? Cruises can be huge budget busters for those who don’t properly save (because they don’t know up front), that cruises can bring lots of hidden fees may bust your budget. This is one reason why for first time cruisers it’s so important to use the services of a professional cruise planner. Find out here what’s maybe not to love about cruises.

 

1. Staterooms for some can seem small.

Standard staterooms on cruise ships are smaller than the smallest hotel room (with the exception of those pod hotels in Japan, and some European Hostel private rooms). You are likely to bump into each other in your own stateroom several times during the cruise, but since you’re in love you probably won’t mind. I have seen inside, no-window cabins that look like units in minimum security prisons with cheerful bedspreads. Cruise lines have been making strides over the last few years on making their rooms seem more user-friendly and spacious, but the fact remains that the average stateroom size for the less expensive categories of stateroom is normally 125 to 150 square feet of space.

Recommendation: Pay close attention to a cabin’s square footage before booking, get the biggest you can afford, and pack light.

 

2. Cruises while a good travel value, aren’t really all-inclusive.

Thirsty for a beer or soda? It costs extra. Feel like a spa treatment? That’s extra. Want to eat in the fancier onboard restaurant? Cough it up. Like a bottle of wine with dinner? Extra. Think that tips are included in the cruise price? Think again. Want to take in that really interesting port excursion you were reading about . Grab your wallet and hold on! While every cruise line is different, the majority charge extra for all these things, which definitely can add up to sometimes as much or more than the cruise fare cost, so beware! But here’s the good news. You Completely Control your spending.

Recommendations: Alcohol and sodas (while refreshing and fun) have lots of calories, or cause you to retain fluids (like you need that on a cruise), not to mention their cost. Prepare yourself in advance to drink lemonade, tea, juices, and water (non bottled) as they are all completely free from the dispensers, or set out for you in glasses. If you are the type of person who enjoys a glass of wine with dinner, then definitely take advantage of the on-board wine packages which can add up to huge savings over purchasing by the bottle, and especially by the glass. If you must have the soda (like for the kids) check out the soda cards which offer great savings over individual purchases, and in some cases are unlimited use. Be sure to consult with your cruise planner if any cruise lines or sailings offer any shipboard account credits to induce you to book.

 

3. The food seemed just so institutional like.

Large cruise ships hold up to 3,000 passengers or more. Feeding those 3 times a day, plus snacks and midnight buffets, is no easy task. That being said, on many ships there is one main restaurant and a self-serve cafeteria. You’d be surprised how many people never even set foot into the formal dining room, just because they wanted to wear cut-offs (or swimwear), and flip-flops during their entire cruise. Then if all you ate was the casual dining room food which (while plentiful), does not compare to the best restaurants on land. Then you deserve every taste you got! Most ships even have additional restaurants that charge a small extra fee. The fee has nothing to do with paying for the food, it is to handle the tip for the wait staff and the food preparation staff, that otherwise does not share in the shipboard gratuity program. The food in these venues is consistently superior to what passengers in “free” restaurants eat.

Recommendation: Get over yourself: Spring for a meal in a better onboard restaurant, or at least dress in normal casual attire and take advantage of the marvelous food (which you already paid for), in the wonderful formal dining room.

 

4. My fellow cruise passengers will be like “old”.

Every cruise line attracts a different demographic, but the average age of cruisers is in the 45-60 range. That means you may spend a week with many folks who are your parents’ age or older and you may not have much in common with them. However some cruise lines have far lower average age demographics, but remember those younger demographic ages are probably parents with children too, so you have to take the bad with the good. Still, on any given cruise, there will be people of every age group represented.

Recommendation: Everyone gets old. Consider your cruise a preview to the future!

 

5. Your dining time and table are pre-assigned.

If the idea of sitting at a table with six strangers at the same time every night and making conversation doesn’t appeal, then consider choosing anytime dining, or possibly a cruise line such as  NCL or Princess where you have more dining flexibility. Otherwise your new best friends will save a place for you at the same table every night.

Recommendation: If you prefer to dine by yourselves, tell your cruise planner/travel agent to get you assigned to a table for two. There are a few in every dining room, but they fill up way before the ship has sailed. So trying to get one of those on board is like “fat chance”.

6. The entertainment is awful.

While my first instinct is to inquire; who died and made you Lisa Hartman. But I won’t say that. Maybe you saw one on-Broadway performance, (or maybe) you are a frequent show-goer-toer, just try not to hold every show you see especially onboard) to that standard. How much did it set you back to go to see that performance? Huh? OK I made my point.  Most nightly cruise ship entertainment is somewhat stuck in the 1950s, where youthful, aspiring , energetic, and maybe not-yet-ready-for-primetime performers sing and dance their hearts out in themed variety revues designed to appeal to everyone. Well I know they don’t appeal to everyone. Outside the ship’s main theater there are often jazz, piano, or comedy performances. These tend to be better although they still aim to appeal to the widest audience and not offend. But beware that often times the comedy shows (especially at the late performances) are normally quite adult oriented. So don’t get offended.

Recommendations: Maybe you might wish to skip the big productions. Avoid harpist and sing-along’s at all costs. And make your own entertainment, in which case you should make your way directly to the lounge (of your choice) or the casino immediately after dinner.

7. Staff photographers are everywhere.

It’s nice to have a professional portrait taken when you’re dressed in your best. On a cruise that will be one of many, many opportunities to have your picture taken. Expect flashbulbs (nobody uses flashbulbs anymore) when you board the cruise, when you get disembark in each port, when you eat, when you participate in various activities. These shipboard paparazzi represent one more way for cruise lines to attempt to squeeze extra cash out of you.

Recommendations: Don’t stop for photos; walk right past the photographers. Pleasantly but firmly say no thank you! Or, if at meals, you should merely be able to flag them off as “not interested”. Finally, if you really wish for affordable memories, why not take your own pictures!

8. The infamous mandatory safety drill.

While we’ve all seen Titanic and know what a tragedy at sea looks like (at least in the movies). Every cruise today starts with a safety drill that requires all passengers muster at their designated point (generally near your lifeboat) and to stand around on deck, crammed in wearing bulky life jackets and listening to unintelligible commands over the loudspeaker. It’s a required safety measure, under maritime laws, but it’s still annoying.

Recommendation: Grin and bear it. Actually many of the cruise lines today are taking more relaxed approaches to the safety drills and focusing more of an “educational and instructional” format and less hands-on approach, where you no longer have to dawn the horrid orange life vest itself!

 

9. The staff can be at times over-zealous and intrusive.

Every cruise ship aims to get high grades for service, and much is invested in training (both time and money) for the crew. Sometimes foreign staffers tend to go — excuse the pun – “overboard” in their efforts to please. In a restaurant on one ship, we were asked the same question five times by mechanistic people-pleasers: “Did you enjoy your soup?”

Recommendations: Staffs are generally institutionalized (trained together) in their training sessions, where they are encouraged to ”buddy-up” to help each other, and many times they will mirror each other in their practicing. Many members of the crew are involved in learning this new language that we like to call English, so they will have a tendency to seem to be repetitive in their speaking. Oftentimes it’s the not knowing that makes us seem to be so offended, so now we can be a bit more understanding. Or IF NOT, try a cruise line that trains it’s staff in Europe (where some feel they never ask you if you liked anything about your meal), and come away from their cruise also offended. Here’s a simple suggestion;Enjoy your soup. (Just smile and nod if asked while eating) cause once you get home, no one there will care whether you like it or not. Who knows, you might actually miss it!

 

10. Excursions can be quite expensive, and sometimes rather lame.

Another revenue-grabber for cruise lines, are excursions which range from the sublime (helicoptering to the top of a glacier) to the ridiculous (touring a completely uninteresting port for hours in a school bus). A convenience for passengers who aren’t familiar with a destination, excursions are useful in that they provide ready transportation to a land adventure. Part of the purpose of an excursion is to immerse yourself in the customs and traditions’ of a land and its people. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to do exactly that. Some of my most informative stops at ports of call have been “On-my-own” type explorations.

Recommendation: Get off the ship and explore on your own. Hire a taxi. Or find a cheaper tour; they’re usually available close to the dock. You may wish to consult with your cruise professional about this subject matter.

Summary: While I truly hope that the vast majority of my readers do not hate cruising, maybe there is one or two things that just don’t set good with you. Please tell me, what things about cruising do you NOT like, and maybe we can do a followup article. And if there isn’t anything you dislike while on a cruise…………well let me hear from you too!

For more information on ways to overcome cruise dislikes, you can contact Mike via email mberryhill@cruiseholidays.com   . You can tweet (or follow) Mike at http://www.twitter.com/cruisewithmike  . To “Join” our Travel Club go to  http://meetup.com/Sun-Cities-Travelers-Group/  Mikes web site can be found at  www.mberryhill.cruiseholidays.com .  Follow Mike’s blog (or subscribe to it) at http://www.cruisewithmike.com  (or merely click on the subscribe button above to have daily delivery to your email). View all of Mikes uploaded Flickr Photo Galleries at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cruisewithmike/ . Mike also edits his own twice daily e-newspaper called “The Compass Headings” you can see (or subscribe to) it free! at http://paper.li/CruisewithMike

Please feel free to leave a comment below on this articles’ contents. We are always looking for ideas or suggestions to expand and improve on our content! If you found the information helpful why not include (a tweet to followers) or (share a like) with your facebook friends, that they might benefit from the information as well. Thanks For Visiting, and please come back often to this daily Blog. – Mike

 

Suggestions on Money Saving Travel and Cruise Ideas

Thursday’s are all about saving money!!!

Money Saving Tips

As Thursdays around here are all about saving money and Travel/Cruising why not read over this little tip sheet! Many travelers dream of a luxurious holiday but believe they simply can’t afford it. In fact, there are many easy ways to maximize the buying power of your vacation budget, enabling you to afford more luxury than you might think. Here are some insider tips to get you started. Also you may wish to check out my Free E-Book with the help from our Friends at CruiseSource on great tips for Saving Money While Crusing which you can access by clicking here

1. Flexibility is Paramount

Be flexible with your travel plans. At destinations, consider traveling off-season when your vacation budget will go further. If you enjoy skiing, consider booking a holiday trip to Canada in March. There will still be snow on the slopes but far fewer tourists. Resorts will be offering special incentives to attract your business during the off-season. Likewise, look at tropical getaways and cruise holidays during the summer months. The prices drop substantially, allowing you to upgrade your accommodations or enjoy more entertainment for the same amount of money.

When traveling by air, if you can be flexible about which days you travel, you can also save a bundle on your airfare. Check out the Flex Search Features on most any of the major airlines websites, or someone like FareBuzz. Enter in a date span of one month to see which days are cheapest to fly. You might have to leave on a Monday instead of the weekend, but you’ll still be able to request time off from work in advance, and you could save hundreds of dollars doing so!

2. Travel Auctions

Travel Auction sites are a great way to extend your travel budget. Many offer travel packages around the world at the most luxurious resorts, but at a fraction of the price. Not only will you save up to 65% off the regular price of a holiday at these top-notch resorts, they will also throw in special perks, such as spa packages and meals.

Websites such as eBay also offer many different holiday steals, from airfare to accommodations around the world. You can also bid to win entire packages that include airfare at a substantial discount off the published and even seasonal discounted prices. With auctions you’ll need to be very careful about reading all the small print. Make sure the dates you want to travel are available before you bid.

3. Travel in a Group

A fun way to save money is to travel with several of your friends as a group. Did you know that on some cruise lines it only requires as few as five staterooms to qualify for discounted fares? Hotels will offer a discount off multiple rooms, or you could consider sharing a house or villa. While the price of a holiday villa may seem outrageous, when you’re travelling with several of your friends the price per person is usually less than if you stayed in a hotel. Contact us at Sail Away Cruise Holidays, as we ALWAYS check first to see if there is a potential group cruise that one of our over 250 franchisees have put together, that we can include you with, so that we can maximize the travel value power of your dollar!

4. Condo Rentals rather than Hotels

Many travelers are surprised to find out they could have rented a condo for less than the price of a hotel. Find out what condos are available to rent in the destination you’re dreaming of. We maintain listings of condos for rent worldwide. You’ll need to check with us to make sure the dates you want to travel are available. When you rent a condo, you’ll also save money on food costs, because each unit contains a kitchen. You’ll be able to prepare your own meals at home, saving a bundle on what you would have spent in expensive restaurants.

5. Sign up for Mailing Lists

If you’ve got your heart set on a certain hotel, sign up for their newsletter and wait for a sale. You should also sign up with your favorite airline. Many travel websites will notify you of deeply discounted travel specials, and you’ll be the first to know about a sale in your desired location, but you’ll need to act fast because these specials usually sell out very quickly. Speaking of Money Saving Contacts; Have you signed up for our Travel Club to get information on our amazing destinations, rates, and above all be able to have our Thurzday Sail-Urz’s Bulletins which only contains discounted travel of 65% off, or more each week sent right to your email box. Just click here and then merely select the “Join Us” Box. (Be sure we have your email address for the weekly bulletin).

6. The Very Best Way to Save

When making your travel and cruise vacation plans IT PAYS to book early. Most every cruise line and destination resort or property will offer you a sizable discount “with many even offering a best price guarantee when working with us” when you book your reservation early. This means that if they ever drop the price lower than what you have paid, they will give you the same price. Depending on exactly what type of vacation, Early Booking could mean as little as 90 to 120 days for a resort property , or to get the absolute very best price on your cruise vacation up to a year out, as I said it just all depends.

For more information on Money Saving Travel and Cruise discounts and specials, you can contact Mike via email mberryhill@cruiseholidays.com   . You can tweet (or follow) Mike at http://www.twitter.com/cruisewithmike  . Dont be left out, be sure to To “Join” our Travel Club go to  http://meetup.com/Sun-Cities-Travelers-Group/  Mikes web site can be found at  www.mberryhill.cruiseholidays.com .  Follow Mike’s blog (or subscribe to it) at http://www.cruisewithmike.com  (or merely click on the subscribe button above to have daily delivery to your email). View all of Mikes uploaded Flickr Photo Galleries at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cruisewithmike/ . Mike also edits his own twice daily e-newspaper called “The Compass Headings” you can see (or subscribe to) it free! at http://paper.li/CruisewithMike

Please feel free to leave a comment below on this articles’ contents. We are always looking for ideas or suggestions to expand and improve on our content! If you found the information helpful why not include (a tweet to followers) or (share a like) with your facebook friends, that they might benefit from the information as well. Thanks For Visiting, and please come back often to this daily Blog. – Mike

Important Facts regarding Gratuities “Tips” on Cruise Ships

TIPPING ON CRUISE SHIPS

Some Tips regarding Tips!

Tipping on a cruise ship has to be one of the most discussed topics about cruising. When do you tip? How much do you tip? Whom do you tip? These questions baffle most travelers, but cruisers are particularly challenged since tips are handled differently than in hotels or restaurants. Let’s take a look at tipping in general as well as tipping on cruise ships.

Background and History of Tipping
There are no laws about tipping; it is always discretionary and subject only to local customs. Tipping practices vary world-wide, and can range from zero to 20 percent (or more) of the original bill. Did you know that a nation’s values can weigh heavily and predict both the tip sizes and the number of tipped occupations. Values such as; a high moral importance on (1)acceptance of power, class, or status, (2)uncertainty avoidance, and (3)focus on the individual rather than the group often lead to increased tipping. Leaving a tip is one way to increase the certainty of getting good service and to recognize personal attention. Through research, it is not surprising to learn that in the United States, we tend to tip more occupations and tip higher amounts since we place a high value on status and believe that a tip will help ensure better service. If the quality of service is directly linked to the size of the tip, people who are attracted to tipped occupations will likely have the ability and desire to deliver good service.

Other countries around the world tend to separate tipping from a flat fee service charge. When dining overseas, a charge for service is often automatically added to the bill, and people either tip nothing additional at all, or just leave a small amount of change. As people travel more and the world becomes smaller, tipping practices will change. When in Asia for instance, taxi drivers and porters are not regular recipients of tips, especially from the locals. I once had a bellman in Japan who had lugged many heavy bags up to our room. He was quite pleasant and very helpful, but when I offered him a tip, he refused. It was quite a shock–my first experience with someone who did not expect a payment for (what I perceived was) not only extra, but good service. Many places throughout Europe, restaurants do not allow the tip to be placed on your credit card. I have been told it was due to rampant misuse of tourist credit cards in changing the amount of tip from dollars to Euros with foreigners mainly unaware of what was happening. Hence they now require tips to be paid in customer cash.

A tip is no more than a gift of money. Some people think that the English term “tip” is an acronym for “to insure prompt (or proper) service”. However, the English word “tip” was used long before acronyms became common in the 1920s. The word “tip” is a 17th century verb meaning “to give”. Interestingly enough, its origin comes from the language of thieves. By the 18th century, “tip” meant to give a gratuity to a servant or employee. Although the origin of the term “tip” can be debated, most researchers believe that the practice started in restaurants and bars. People felt guilty eating and drinking in front of their server and did not want him to be hungry or thirsty. So, a small amount of money was left for him to have a drink or a bite to eat at the customer’s expense.

Let’s take a look at tipping on cruise ships.

Tipping on Cruise Ships
Tipping practices vary greatly amongst the cruise lines today, ranging from a required added service charge to no tipping at all. It is very important that you know the policy of the cruise line before you cruise so you can budget accordingly. When planning your cruise, be sure to check with your cruise planner, or the cruise line about the tipping policy. Often the recommended tips, which run from about $10 to $15 per passenger per day, are published in the cruise brochure or on the cruise line Web page. The cruise director will also remind passengers (sometimes over and over) about gratuities.

Most of the time, tips on cruise ships are really service charges, which is one of the reasons why cruise lines seem to be moving towards adding a flat fee to your onboard account rather than make the tip amount entirely optional. New cruisers should know that most cruise lines do not pay their service staff a living wage, and tips or service charges make up much of their compensation. In order to keep the advertised price down, passengers are expected to subsidize the service staff through these added service charges or tips.

All tips used to be given to the stewards and dining room staff on the last night of the cruise. Envelopes were passed out to the passengers and you presented the cash tip envelope directly to the steward in the cabin and handed it to the wait staff at dinner. While some cruise ships may still follow this policy, others (mostly) add a flat fee per day to your onboard account which may or may not be adjusted upwards or downwards, depending on the cruise line. If the fee is required and cannot be adjusted downward, it is a true service charge, and is no different from a port charge. Most cruise lines add the recommended service charge to your account, and you can adjust it if you think necessary. Personally, one of the things I love about cruising is the excellent service and wonderful attitude of the crew. I’ve never understood people who did not think the crew deserved at least the recommended service/tipping charge. But then, that is just me!

If you would like, you are welcome to use Mike’s (my own version) handy Rule-Of-Thumb Guide to Ship Board tipping. 45% (or $4.50 per day per person) should be dedicated to your Stateroom Steward or Attendant. The Other folks who go out of their way and help you on a daily basis are the Dining Room Staff. They should receive 55% (or $5.50 per day per person broken down as follows) 30% (or $3 per day) for your Head Waiter, 15% (or $1.50 per day) for your Assistant Waiter, and don’t forget about your Maitre’d, at 10% (or $1.00 per day). Hopefully this will help you, if the links below become too difficult for you to follow, this information may prove helpful for you!

Over the past few years, cruise lines have moved away from traditional tipping for two reasons. First, as cruising has become more international, cruise lines recognized that many of their passengers were from western Europe and Asia, and were not accustomed to tipping. The cruise lines found it was easier to just add a service charge to the bill than to try to  educate their passengers. Second, many large cruise ships have added multiple alternative dining rooms and have moved away from fixed seating times and tables. Passengers have different wait staff each evening, which makes tipping more problematic. Adding a service charge to be split amongst all the wait staff is easier for all, although the top cabin stewards and dining staff probably make less than they used to since the service charge is split into more pieces. Not trying to brag (by any means), but I always consider tipping whether on my bill or otherwise, a personal preference, and reward exceptional service when I feel it appropriate. While many cruisers wish that all cruise lines would adopt the “no tipping expected” polices of upscale lines such as Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, and Silversea; it appears that the service charge concept may be here to stay!

Below are links or information on the tipping policies at some of the major cruise lines. While current as of this article, please be aware that the cruise lines continually make updates and changes to their site contents, and layouts.

Tipping Policies on Some of the Major Cruise Lines

• Carnival Cruise Lines Tipping Policy
• Celebrity Cruises Tipping Policy
• Crystal Cruises Tipping Policy
• Cunard Line – adds $11 to $13 per day service charge per passenger, depending on the class
• Hapag-Lloyd Cruises – Tipping is not obligatory on board. Acknowledgment of particularly good service is at the discretion of each guest.
• Holland America Line Tipping Policy (click on: Before You Go, then Shipboard Life, then Money Matters, then Is there a Hotel Service charge) sorry it’s really buried!!
• Norwegian Cruise Line Service Charge and Gratuity Policy
• Oceania Cruises Tipping Policy
• Princess Cruises Tipping Guidelines
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises – onboard gratuities are neither required nor expected
• Royal Caribbean International Tipping Policy
• Seabourn Cruises – onboard gratuities are neither required nor expected
• Silversea Cruises – onboard gratuities are neither required nor expected

Hopefully my tips on “tips” has been, or will be helpful to you!!

For more information on Cruise ship tipping and gratuities, you can contact Mike via email mberryhill@cruiseholidays.com   . You can tweet (or follow) Mike at http://www.twitter.com/cruisewithmike  . To “Join” our Travel Club go to  http://meetup.com/Sun-Cities-Travelers-Group/  Mikes web site can be found at  www.mberryhill.cruiseholidays.com .  Follow Mike’s blog (or subscribe to it) at http://www.cruisewithmike.com  (or merely click on the subscribe button above to have daily delivery to your email). View all of Mikes uploaded Flickr Photo Galleries at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cruisewithmike/ . Mike also edits his own twice daily e-newspaper called “The Compass Headings” you can see (or subscribe to) it free! at http://paper.li/CruisewithMike

Please feel free to leave a comment below on this articles’ contents. We are always looking for ideas or suggestions to expand and improve on our content! If you found the information helpful why not include (a tweet to followers) or (share a like) with your facebook friends, that they might benefit from the information as well. Thanks For Visiting, and please come back often to this daily Blog. – Mike

Top Five Most Popular Blog Posts for the past 30 days

Here is a listing of our

  “Readers Choice Awards”

 Here is Our TOP FIVE “People’s Choice Awards” of our most viewed and liked articles for the previous 30 day period. I wish to thank “you, the readers,” for an astounding  853 total views over the past 30 days. I definitely appreciate your loyalty, and your visits.
I also very much appreciate that many of you, have been taking time to leave comments. This enables me to continue to bring you what you wish to read. Again this past month has been just nothing short of absolutely fantastic! Thank You!- CruisewithMike

Our top vote getter with the most views in the previous 30 days, first appeared on December 19, 2010. Our most read article covered the topic of what to expect when arriving at your cruise ship, and getting ready to board. (see the article here). There was also lots of information on getting ready prior to actually departing, along with information on the use of a checklist so not to miss or forget anything. 

The Second Place vote grabber which similar to our first place view getter, first appeared on December 17, 2010 and talks about the ease and simplicity of Cruise Vacations from the Southern California Ports of Los Angeles and San Diego (see Blog post). Featured in this article was information on pending ship changes and relocations, along with some great ideas on ways to optimize the buying power of your cruise dollar. Suggestions included variations on how to be able to arrive at your travel destinations, and cruise port in a more relaxed and ready to experience the fullest vacation possible.

Our Next Favorite turned out to reveal “that words in a title can be other than what you first think” which was a comprehensive review of cruises that make their destinations in close proximity to Volcanos. Appearing on March 4th, mere days prior to the Big Island’s “Kilauea” returning to active status, I just couldn’t resist rewording to a “catchy title”. (View the Article here). Packed with lots of photos, videos, and links that it was the next best thing to actually being there for the eruption. Not to mention all of the descriptions and absolutely yummy information that covered just about anything you could want to know about volcanos situated in various spots of our world!

Next in total views, was a timely “event” article which appeared on March 11th, and was centered around the early morning events (at least here local time for me) regarding the terrible earth quake, and resulting tsunami activity which sparked watches all over the pacific rim area. I continued updating the post throughout the day, so there was much added information, as more became known. (Click here to see the article). This post is a jam-packed article full of photos, vids, and helpful informational links of the devastating events which took place as it was happening.

Our final “Top Vote Getter” (in fifth place) appeared on February 27th, just making it-into our previous 30 day results, and dealt with the topic of River Cruising. Just about anything you might want to know about River Cruises in here! River Cruising is actually the fastest growing segment of the cruise industry. There are so many differences to River Cruising as compared to Ocean going cruises. (Check out this video clip!!) Many folks liken River Cruising to Travel Touring, just being able to do it on a River Boat, without all of the packing and unpacking and coaching or training to all of the various cities and towns, as they are seemingly coming to you rather than you having to journey to them. (View Entire Article Here). Also many folks are surprised to find that it resembles more closely to a form of “all-inclusive cruising”, with so much more included in the cruise fare portion of your costs. But, check out the article for yourself, and become expert in River Cruising!

For more information on Our Daily Blog Posts, contact Mike via email mberryhill@cruiseholidays.com  . You can tweet (or follow) Mike at http://www.twitter.com/cruisewithmike  . To “Join” our Travel Club go to  http://meetup.com/Sun-Cities-Travelers-Group/  Mikes web site can be found at  www.mberryhill.cruiseholidays.com .  Follow Mike’s blog (or subscribe to it) at http://www.cruisewithmike.com  (or merely click on the subscribe button above to have daily delivery to your email). View all of Mikes uploaded Flickr Photo Galleries at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cruisewithmike/ . Mike also edits his own twice daily e-newspaper called “The Compass Headings” you can see (or subscribe to) it free! at http://paper.li/CruisewithMike

Please feel free to leave a comment below on this articles’ contents. We are always looking for Guest Contributors and Writers, as well as ideas or suggestions to expand and improve on our content! If you found the information helpful why not include (a tweet to followers) or (share a like) with your facebook friends, that they might benefit from the information as well. Thanks For Visiting, and please come back often to this daily Blog. – Mike

Top Ten Things to consider When Planning A Cruise Vacation

TOP TEN THINGS TO CONSIDER

When Planning a Cruise

 

When planning a cruise, there are some all important issues that you should be asking yourself. Actually the planning of any travel adventure is half of the fun itself. So you should make the most in your planning process, which will allow your decision-making to be that much easier, and certainly lend to a far better outcome in the end as well. Here is my list of the top ten things to consider when planning a cruise.

1.    Who will be going? Planning your first cruise adventure can certainly be a challenging ordeal, especially for those who haven’t cruised or traveled much. They can be fun, but they can also result in devastating consequences. Family, Friends, or Co-workers, and even ill-informed travel agents may be well-meaning, but they can easily pass along rumors and tales they have only heard from others (or who read something, somewhere) and you can be the real loser in the end. First time cruisers should always work with a travel agent, (or even better, seek out a professional cruise consultant), and one who is not only experienced at booking cruise vacations, but one who is well versed in traveling the various cruise lines and ships as well. All age groups are welcome aboard cruise ships, (provided they are more than 6 months old), and you should know that the cruise lines have worked very hard over the past few years in “upping their game” especially in the area of “children” and “challenged passengers”. Knowing the specifics as to who is going (even for myself) is the key component in order to match the customer(s) to not only the best cruise line, but in many cases the right cruise ship itself! If you don’t have children cruising, and/or you wish to not be around ships with lots of children, be sure to let your cruise professional know this, as it will make a huge difference in he selection criteria process.

2. How much are you prepared to spend? While it is generally a good “rule of thumb” to be prepared to budget approximately $100 per person per day (not including air fare, and any extras like alcohol and shore excursions, etc.). Bear in mind while you may see cruise fares offered at less than $100 per person, per day, those figures do not include Taxes, Port Fees, or Gratuities. So the $100 figure is a good starting place, as a minimum. As for maximum that of course can be easily increased with say premium or luxury cruise lines, or extravagant or elaborate shore excursions just to name a couple of pricier examples. You should ALWAYS bear in mind, that the cruise lines are charging for more extra’s these days, that folks don’t always account for before embarking on their cruise adventure, only to wind up at the end of their cruise with an on-board cruise account figure that looks as much, if not more than the cruise fare itself. So you need to be keenly aware of this. On board cruise accounts are for those cheesy photos you posed for (posing is free, while the prints aren’t cheap). Those delectable looking drinks of the day (complete with souvenir glass) are not only $6 to $8 bucks a pop, and speaking of pop; sodas can and often do cost as much as an alcoholic drink on cruise ships. And they both come with a general hefty 15% gratuity already charged on the bill slip you sign for. Bottled water is not free either. Those (depending on size) can run anywhere from $3 to $6 per bottle plus tip (unless you buy it in the general store area). Gratuities: Everybody wants to participate in rendering the appropriate tips for the ship’s personnel that take good care of them while on board the ship. Consequently while a figure of $10-$12 per day might not sound so bad before you take out for your cruise, when you multiply that figure by number of persons in the room, by number of days in your cruise; you can be looking at over $165 just in gratuities in an instant. While there are lots of suggestions that I can give you for keeping those on-board expense accounts down, which I happily give out to all of my customers, here are just a few of the basic suggestions on how to start off saving more money on our cruise fare daily budget.

• having more than two persons in a stateroom (spred the cruise fares over more people makes it cheaper for each person)
• booking  your cruise early (6 months+) for early booking discounts and cheaper fares
• consider a longer cruise (8 to 10 days, rather than 7)
• consider taking a repositioning cruise (generally great deals)

 

3.  How long is your vacation time?  Cruises can encompass practically any time frame you have to work with from a “weekend” cruise to nowhere which allows passengers the ability to cruise for generally a long weekend and don’t do much more than pull out of port and cruise around without stopping at any ports and allows you to get the feel and experience of what a cruise is like. These are generally excellent first time jaunts, to see if you like cruising, before plopping down a huge sum of money, only to find that you didn’t enjoy this type of travel. You can also choose a cruise for less than 7 days (3, 4, or  5 day cruises) which are pretty much limited to the Bahamas, Mexico, and certain parts of the Caribbean. There are repositioning cruises which moves a ship from say New England or Canada to a seasonal home port in Florida, or Los Angeles, or San Diego to summer port in say Seattle, or Vancouver. Repositioning cruises are generally offered at tremendous savings, basically due to their starting in one port and ending in another much further away. For sailings of 7 to 9 days allows you to have more in the way of destination choices. Should you be able to squeeze out from 10 days up to two weeks, then your options are pretty much increased to the max, as the world is comprised of more than 75% water, you now are pretty much open to all seven continents of cruise travel possibilities. 

4.    When do you want to travel?  Cruising is not much different from all other forms of destination and air travel from the standpoint of their being subject to peak pricing periods. Generally speaking , if the kids are out of school it is going to be more expensive; cruises, air fares, hotels, just about everything. The laws of economics being driven by supply and demand, are very much the driving forces behind cruise fares. While there are some generalities which often prevail, there can and do occur circumstances that can make inventories vast, and those that make inventories quite scarce. Time that you book (or reserve) your cruise can also effect the cruise price as well. Generally speaking cruise prices will become higher (costlier) the more the ship fills. So now that you have just a few cruise pricing basics, lets talk about cruising seasons and their effect on prices. Some destinations have generally short seasons such as Alaska (April to September) just the opposite in the southern hemisphere where the Exotics like Polynesia, Australia, New Zealand, and much of Southern Asia, has their cooler weather opposite to what we have here in the States. So October to March is their warmer, rainy, humid seasons, so prices will be better then. Likewise Antarctica and southern South America’s good weather make for a shorter sailing season with November through February being generally when you will find cruises to these destinations. The major difference to bear in mind is that for the tropical destinations (which we call the exotics), their dry season is similar to the States with summer time being the hottest,  and their rainier times are during the Winter Months, so if you are seeking the cheaper cruises that period would be November through March. Holidays can be tricky; as some are more expensive, say Holy Land Cruises at Easter time (everybody wants to go there then). While the absolute cheapest time to take a cruise in the North American Market is the week before Thanksgiving, as they have the hardest time filling cruise ships for that week. Also It’s real important to be aware as to what is going on with weather patterns before booking your cruise since you would NOT want to plan for a girlfriend getaway bikini party cruise to a destination when it is snowing there!!

5.     Where would you like to cruise to?  Selecting a destination is generally the most difficult decision for potential cruise passengers. In addition to all of the major continents being accessible, even those typically thought of as land locked offer wonderful river cruises (see my article on river cruises) to locations in central Europe, Russia, Cambodia, and Vietnam, as well as the Interior United States. If you are not familiar with River Cruising I offer several articles that describe how they differ from Ocean Cruising.  Every cruise destination has its own special characteristics and diverse culture to explore! Here are just a few to consider when planning a cruise vacation.

• Alaska Cruises (and cruise tours)
• Antarctica (and South American)
• Asia Cruises
• Australia and New Zealand Cruises
• Bahamas and Bermuda Cruises
• Canada and New England (great fall foliage destinations)
• Caribbean Cruises (Eastern, Southern, and Western sailings)
• European North (Scandinavian & Baltic) Cruises
• European West (UK , Ireland, Scotland) Cruises
• European River Cruises (Inland Holland, Germany, France, Hungary,etc)
• Mediterranean (Eastern) Italy, Turkey, Aegean, Greek Isles, Black Sea
• Mediterranean (Western) Spain, Monaco, Portugal, France, Italy
• Mexican Riviera Cruises
• Panama Canal Cruises
• Repositioning and Trans Atlantic Crossing Cruises
• World Cruises

 6.      What are the activities that you like (or would like) to do? One of the very best things about traveling on a cruise, besides the fact that you generally get to see and experience so many varied locations and cultures while only have to pack and unpack just once, is the variety of activities that are available. Sometimes the very ship itself can even be the destination, and you could care less exactly where the ship is going. Some of the Mega ships nowadays offer everything from putt-putt, to zip lines; to rock climbing walls………you get the idea. They offer just about anything you could want to do on the ship itself. But in general on a cruise you can do anything from catching some rays on the deck, to exciting excursions involving hiking, scuba and snorkeling, and just about any other type of water sport you can imagine. Horseback riding, Cycling, RV and Jeep Treks, and just a host of other sporting activities including golfing at some of the finest courses in the world on your ports of call. European destinations offer some of the best museums, architectural and cultural areas in the world. Many locations offer great excursions via motor boat, airplane, and helicopter. Your cruise expert, and the cruise lines can be helpful to let you know the many varied and fun-filled excursions you can choose from. Just remember that if it sounds like a great adventure, probably everybody else is thinking the same thing, so as many excursions are limited in the number of people on each ship that can be accommodated, this is another reason it’s good to book early, so you can get the best availability when you have paid your fare in full, as you have already looked at the available excursions and can get in there while there is still space available. Note: it is NEVER a good idea to wait until you get to the ship to buy your shore excursion as mostly ALL the popular stuff will be already sold out! (See a video on a popular excursion “zip line” on Catalina Island)

 7.    What type of stateroom would you like?  While generally the type of stateroom one selects is largely a function of the Cost Question, I always caution my prospective customers, do not select on the basis of just price alone. Let me explain. First of all you want to have the best experience possible right? Of course, so if you were to choose say not the cheapest category (inside staterooms with no window to view anything), say you opted for an Ocean view stateroom that will afford you a porthole (smaller round or square window) up to and including a larger picture window type view. If you are doing an Alaska inland passage cruise where your ship will be staying relatively close to the shoreline, entering fjords, and pulling up to the glaciers, you would really enjoy more a balcony stateroom, where you can really experience the adventure, and you have your very own binoculars, and warmth of your entire wardrobe at hand if it gets too cold, to just sit and view the wildlife and nature go by. Or for another example imagine you are taking a Panama Canal cruise; you definitely want the experience of the locks, and lakes to be able to enjoy from your very own private balcony. Here’s the real clincher, in many cases especially with early booking incentives, you can often get that type of stateroom for maybe only 10 to 15% more in price. So if you were paying say $100 per day to be stuck inside a room, wouldn’t it make more sense to pay $115 per day, and get to experience it from your very own private veranda? You bet it would. In my book on most cruises, A Balcony stateroom is the smart buy!  Most all of my customers who cruise on a balcony, never want to cruise any other way. Another issue that often comes up is which side of the ship do you choose if an ocean view or balcony stateroom is your choice. Here is definitely where the expertise of a cruise professional can help you make the most of your cruising experience. Someone who not only has been there before, but knows the cruise line and ship particularities, so that you can know in advance what particular things you really wish to see. Did you realize that sometimes ships turn around and/or are backed into their berthing spots in port?

 8.     What time would you like to eat dinner at?  While dinner times vary with cruise line and ship, they mostly have some things in common. A first seating around 6’ish and a second seating around 8:30, or so. Many, if not most of the cruise lines now offer what is called an “anytime or my time dining, or an open seating” option, where you can come to dine anytime between 6 and 9pm. The only difference being that your seating will not be at the same table or with the same wait staff each and every night. It will vary. For me personally one of the things that really make a cruise experience for me is the interaction with the ships staff, and I personally find that the best personalities aboard ship are usually found with the fixed seating staff, but then that is just my opinion. There are some advantages of anytime dining, such as giving yourself extra time to get ready for dining if you’ve come back at say 5:30 from a long day’s excursion or sightseeing, or maybe too much shopping (if you happen to be with my wife), then you are not rushed to have to go to eat or having to miss your dining room meal time. The negative for such anytime dining, is the cruise lines normally require that you prepay for your gratuities (up front) if you select anytime dining.  As mentioned you might like to opt for late seating, and there is no need to worry about missing a particular show or performance, as normally the cruise lines offer an early performance for those folks that have a late dining seating. Many customers that I have absolutely love the idea of going to see a show first, and then going straight to dinner. They say it reminds them of their dating years gone by. But whichever you choose there are accommodations for all. One other thing to note that on a ship when you have selected a particular first or second seating, the cruise line will ask you for a table size preference generally as small as two, up to as many as 12. Often times the number of smaller tables is limited, so you will want to let your cruise professional know if you desire a table for two; so that they can get that request into the cruise line as early as possible.

 9.    Do you enjoy dressing up for dinner?  Many of the cruise lines allow for at least one or two nights on a sailing which are designated as formal nights. Now with the recent trends of most of the cruise lines opting for a more “resort casual”, or “country club casual” dress code. We continue to see formal wear less and less these days. However, certain more premium lines such as Holland America, and Celebrity, still practice the formal night’s tradition. Now with the added luggage space needed to pack your formal wear let me tell you just a couple of things which I call “food for thought”. Extra Bag fees for the both of you for your formal wear, tux and two gowns can be as much as $70, each way on the plane for say an additional $150.00. Many if not all cruise ships offer tux and evening gown rentals that would be commensurate to such cost. However most of my women customers would NOT be caught dead in a rented gown. So here is another idea. Remember that generally on a seven-day sailing there will only be one formal night. Therefore, you should be able to get a gown and a tux or suit into a single garment bag just fine. This will limit the amount of extra bag fees necessary to have your formal wear with you. If you don’t particularly care for really formal dress up, in formal attire even on the premium lines, it is not absolutely required. Men normally need only a sport coat (or in some cases merely a collared shirt) and a nice medium length dress for the ladies. Or not, as is the case with NCL Cruise Lines (pictured left), However while more casual, No halter tops, shorts, flip flops, nor jeans (for adults anyway) are generally allowed in the formal dining rooms onboard ship. But again, that shall depend a great deal on the actual cruise line you will be travelling on. Be sure to consult with your cruise expert on this subject in more detail. If you are planning your cruise on your own, be sure to read the brochures and web site carefully to determine the dress code for your cruise ship’s dining room.

 10.   How will you be traveling to get to your cruise ship?  You will most likely being either flying, or driving to your cruise port terminal. Normally folks will only drive if the port is situated within a day’s drive to the cruise ship departure city. However, there are some situations where you can find hotels in or around the port city that offer “snooze & cruise”, or “park & cruise” special packages that offer one night’s hotel stay, parking at the hotel, and transportation to and from the hotel to the port terminal for one great package price. Many times (especially in San Diego, or Los Angeles) if find these deals not to be too much more than what I would pay for the parking fee alone at the terminal parking garage. Some of the hotels even through in a continental breakfast for cruise morning in the deal. So that is something you might wish to check on, or ask your cruise professional about. (You may wish to click here to see my alternative travel suggestions). I definitely try to encourage my customers not to attempt to fly into the port city on the day of their cruise. Over the years I have had way too many disappointed cruise passengers on account of the airlines as they always seem to have weather, or mechanical, or crew related issues that keep them from making their scheduled times, which if you are depending on the airlines to be on time to make your cruise ship, is not a good thing to be doing. This is especially true, in the case of international departure ports. Now while on the topic of airlines, most cruise lines offer packaged cruise-air pricing, which is often times much easier to purchase, you will just need to be the judge as to whether the price from the cruise lines is better than booking the flights on your own. If you intend to use frequent flyer miles, then this will be something that you definitely will need to do on your own with your air carrier (and not through the cruise lines) and you should be mindful of my warnings already addressed regarding the airlines schedules and delays. Some benefits of using the cruise lines “cruise-air” is that typically their price includes transfers to/from the airport and cruise ship, which the price of that alone can add up to a pretty good savings (so be sure to consider that when pricing). Another little known benefit to using their air, is that SOMETIMES the cruise ship will wait for late arriving flights, especially when they’re a number of “their cruise passengers” on those flights, especially since under the conract’s “terms of the carriage”, if you purchase their air, and the scheduled plane is late and the ship leaves without you, they (the cruise lines) have to accommodate and fly you (at their expense) to the first port of call to catch back up with the ship. AHhhh! Some more food for thought.

 

Summary:  So, there are lots of things you need to consider when planning your cruise vacation. It is advisable that you always use a professional cruise planner to help you. You get the best in knowledge, and experience, that costs you nothing to have the best. Cruise Planners and Agents have the very same prices that on-line services do, and probably (if the truth be stated) even better. All online services will be charging you a $25 to $35 service fee that they don’t even have to disclose to you (until just before they charge your credit card) for each person that they book, for every reservation (i.e. cruise, hotel, etc.) so that it can actually get pretty pricy, and you don’t even realize that normally till “after” your credit card has been charged, as the fine print is way too small to be able to see.-Bon Voyage!

For more information on Considerations when Planning A Cruise, contact Mike via email mberryhill@cruiseholidays.com  . You can tweet (or follow) Mike at http://www.twitter.com/cruisewithmike  . To “Join” our Travel Club go to  http://meetup.com/Sun-Cities-Travelers-Group/  Mikes web site can be found at  www.mberryhill.cruiseholidays.com .  Follow Mike’s blog (or subscribe to it) at http://www.cruisewithmike.com  (or merely click on the subscribe button above to have daily delivery to your email). View all of Mikes uploaded Flickr Photo Galleries at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cruisewithmike/ . Mike also edits his own twice daily e-newspaper called “The Compass Headings” you can see (or subscribe to) it free! at http://paper.li/CruisewithMike

Please feel free to leave a comment below on this articles’ contents. We are always looking for ideas or suggestions to expand and improve on our content! If you found the information helpful why not include (a tweet to followers) or (share a like) with your facebook friends, that they might benefit from the information as well. Thanks For Visiting, and please come back often to this daily Blog. – Mike

MSC offers fantastic prices on Europe as well

Here’s another special offer we just received from MSC Cruises, and wanted to get it out to you ASAP! Thanks – Cruise with Mike

We’ve Got the Mediterranean on Sale

 Every THURSDAY we will announce special cruise and travel discount offers which we receive from the Cruise Lines & Destination Properties, by way of this SALE-LURZ BULLETIN. We shall endeavor to make this a regular event from now on!! We will only include those offers which represent genuine values and discounts for our readers, and club members. Thank You!!

For more information on Cruising, and Special Mediterranean Pricing, contact Mike via email mberryhill@cruiseholidays.com  . You can tweet (or follow) Mike at http://www.twitter.com/cruisewithmike  . To “Join” our Travel Club go to  http://meetup.com/Sun-Cities-Travelers-Group/  Mikes web site can be found at  www.mberryhill.cruiseholidays.com .  Follow Mike’s blog (or subscribe to it) at http://www.cruisewithmike.com  (or merely click on the subscribe button above to have daily delivery to your email). View all of Mikes uploaded Flickr Photo Galleries at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cruisewithmike/ . Mike also edits his own twice daily e-newspaper called “The Compass Headings” you can see (or subscribe to) it free! at http://paper.li/CruisewithMike

Please feel free to leave a comment below on this articles’ contents. We are always looking for ideas or suggestions to expand and improve on our content! If you found the information helpful why not include (a tweet to followers) or (share a like) with your facebook friends, that they might benefit from the information as well. Thanks For Visiting, and please come back often to this daily Blog. – Mike

So This is what a Cruise is Like, Dysart Spring Break Cruise

Dysart Mexican Riviera “Spring Break” Cruise in Review

How it all came together!!

 

 

 

Sunday, March 13^th  Aboard The Queen Mary

Hey cruise fans; I had the distinct pleasure of staying, touring, sleeping, and writing to you from the fabulous Queen Mary Hotel, in Long Beach California, while escorting a group of school district employees on a Carnival “Spring Break” Cruise vacation.

Even though I anticipated that this might be a really cool thing to do (pre night hotel) at this particular property (actually it’s like already  starting our cruise). Most everyone on the QM waived Bon Voyage to another cruise ship as she departed from the adjacent pier, which by the way is the mere distance we will need to travel in the morning to catch our own cruise ship. The Cruise ship terminal building is just about as close as our cars in the parking lot are. How cool is that?

As for hotel staff, I must say that absolutely everyone we had contact with from “Michael” and the Front Desk crew, to “Brian”, our bartender (a most important person) in the Oyster Bar, and the absolute superb service afforded us by “Angel” who waited our table in the enchantingly splendid (both food and views) Chelsea Chowder House and Bar. Has made for a truly extraordinary stay and visit! Yet we are only just getting started.

There is so much to see and do here at this marvelous floating hotel, so whether you are staying a night or two as a pre or post cruise visit, or merely coming to stay with this marvelous lady for the experience, the journey is certainly well worth what you will find when you get here.

While here, I took a delightful self paced tour of the ship, which has been so painstakingly and meticulously preserved and restored to her glory days of the thirty’s, forty’s, and fifty’s. Not being born myself, until the mid 1950’s I would have never had an opportunity to view such a vintage vessel, if not for the efforts put forth by the City of Long Beach. Did you know that the Queen Mary had been pressed into military service during World War II, (as so many ships were) carrying over 800,000 troops, for an almost equal distance of miles, which affectionately won this graceful lady the nickname “The Grey Ghost”. Her maiden passenger voyage was in 1936, with her final retirement from passenger service occurring in 1967.

I must say in all sincerity, for me being such an avid cruiser, seeing and walking the hallways, promenades, and actually dining and sleeping on this wonderful ship, (just as she was in her glory days) has felt like a true step back in time. To be able to experience certainly what was considered one of the Grandest Ocean Liners ever built, has just been an indescribable experience.

While staying at this delightful destination and maritime marvel, I experienced the food at several places. First, no self-respecting tour taker could even embark on such an undertaking without a stop in the Ice Cream Parlor for an indulgent authentic shake. (You know to get you through the tour). I had dinner in the Chelsea Chowder House, which was totally delicious. I had the crab cakes while enjoying an absolutely stupendous view of the Long Beach Marina area, as the sun began to fade into the ocean. After dinner I made my way (trying to walk it off) to the Red Bus Station Stop, for a free shuttle ride into downtown Long Beach. It also should be noted that this shuttle stops at the local links for the transit system as well. And the best part it was completely free. How Cool!  

The next morning I made my way to the Promenade Deck (Starboard Side) and saw the delightful Starboard Bakery Shop that had all sorts of baked fare, coffee and juices, with a quaint seating area which overlooked the Marina. I decided to actually go to the Promenade Café where I met Mary the Hostess, and enjoyed a wonderful powdered confectionery (French toast) delight. It was most filling, and quite tasty.

After breakfast, I had a little time to walk around and met some more employees. Like Timothy at the Main Desk, who filled me in on some of the missing facts I had not thus far ascertained. Another, who I had the pleasure to meet and chat with, was Bill who was just a wealth of information and details on this fabulous vessel. I can’t say enough just how nice everyone is here. There is just so many wonderful things to see and do, aboard this “golden era of sailing” and true time machine called the Queen Mary Hotel. A Definite Must See and Do, for anyone cruising out of Long Beach, or even to come and experience her just for the experience alone is well worth the trip for sure!! See all my pics of the Queen Mary (view them here). 

Monday – March 14^th Cruise Day One

After enjoying a hearty breakfast, walkabout, and checking out of the Queen Mary Hotel. We all (as a group) make our way over to the departure terminal and dropped off our checked bags with the porters (all but our hand carried items) which will stay with us until we get access to our staterooms. Then we proceed back over to the Queen Mary (aft wharf area) and go inside to perform early check-in. Once completed with that process we all return over to the terminal pier to begin our ship’s boarding process.

Our Boarding went smoothly, and everyone was excited to get-underway on our “Spring Break Mexican Riviera Cruise”. All of these school district employees have been bottled up, without a break since Christmas time, so they are ready for a week-long “recess” period for sure. Lunch in the Casual Dining area was delightful and certainly filled the bill (and our bellies), while we awaited access to our various staterooms.

We have just finished up with the Mandatory Life Boat Drill – which for many of my group was a definite eye-opening experience for them. But I must admit that in many ways I am having just as much fun observing them, as they are experiencing life aboard ship!

Once underway (my personal favorite part of any cruise) we will be making our way slowly towards Santa Catalina Island which will be our destination by tomorrow morning. AHhhhhh! The very best part of any cruise, is getting underway. We cast off right on time, and made our way to the open waters of the Pacific. Sunset was absolutely gorgeous. We witnessed Purples and Oranges the likes of which were never seen before picture opportunities, that had most everyone on board snapping plenty of pictures. 

Well it was off to Dinner. What a treat. Our Group was Seated, and everything was already in place for us, our group wine packages, and I forgot to mention the lovely Champagne and Chocolate covered Strawberries and petit fours, that greeted us in our rooms (which were to die for).Turns out our Wait Staff is an absolute joy. Our Head Waiter “German”, from Peru (pictured Left) is a wonderfully mannered and truly delightful gentleman who saw to our every need. Great Service! His able-bodied assistant “Newman”, (pictured center) was also very attentive, and quite the talented entertainer as we got to witness first hand when the dinner dance (that’s right) the dinner dance began. (check out the video).

I must say that not only were our first time cruisers in our group taken aback at the evening’s entertainment, but the impressiveness of both the food and the service was totally top-notch!! I can’t imagine how it could have possibly been any better. Great Job! to our Head Maitre ‘D, “Stan the Man” from Mississippi (pictured above right), for putting together such a finale to our first days’ events.

Now with contented stomachs and attitudes we creep off to the lounges, casino, and for some, the peaceful tranquil solitude of our staterooms (for a much-needed blog or two).  We get back to our staterooms, open the doors and OMG!……Whalrus!………….Seals!………….and Stingrays!……Oh My! Our Stateroom Steward “Arnold” (see pictured left) displayed his awesome talents. It has taken me this long just to get over our being greeted by so many sea creatures and animals in our staterooms each night! Here’s the best part. When on a Carnival Cruise, they will even sell you the “How-To” book on making towel animals to take home with you in order to be able to start your very own towel creature aquarium, or maybe just to impress your family members and guests who stay with you back home. Pretty Neat Huh!

I can’t begin to describe just how impressive the crew of the Carnival Paradise has been so far. We are all truly looking forward to our coming days of cruising. It’s been a real treat for me to be able to see the expressions on so many of the faces within our group, as most of them have never sailed on a cruise ship before. I must say what a joy it is to be able to witness my folks not only having fun, but a whole new world of experiences never before seen by many of them. What a Great Day it has been!

March 15^th –Day Two – Catalina Island

Well here we are on Day Two and we have pulled into Santa Catalina. Everyone is off the big ship onto the “Tenders” (smaller vessels) and partaking in all of the various sites to see, and fun-filled activities to experience. Let’s see our Dysart Group could partake in many things like Shopping, Sightseeing (in groups) and some on their own, Para Sailing, Zip Line(check out the video), Diving, Horseback Riding, Kayaking, Fishing, Glass Bottom Boat, Golfing, Whale Watching, Segways, Snorkeling, Wildlife Tours, just to name a few…. Please feel free to Check out all of our Santa Catalina pictures at http://www.flickr.com/cruisewithmike/sets/72157626198353741/ .

Dinner time was something we had already been looking forward to since yesterday with much anticipation as it will be our only Formal Night during our Five Day Cruise Itinerary. We had Lobster and Prime Rib (Yummmmmmmmmm),  with a host of scrumptious deserts to choose from. I myself had the Chocolate Melting Cake. The Ship’s Captain, and his senior officers mustered in an area adjoining the dining rooms just for us before dinner , BUT the highlight of the evening (besides the delectable food) was being entertained by our very own head waiter “German” (which is his name, and not where he’s from). We were all treated to some very special Peruvian serenading, and our better parts enjoyed an extra special treat when he danced with the ladies.  It was certainly one of the most memorable formal nights I can recall. As you can see, the pictures tell the whole story. 

Well were now making our way for our next port of call which will be Ensenada, MexicOl’e!

 

March 16^th – Day Three Ensenada Mexico

You may not know this……..but Ensenada remained in Spanish control until 1822 (a full year after Mexico had won her independence). In 1887 (some 65 years later), the Mexican peninsula was divided into two separate federal districts. The first capital of the newly formed “Northern” Baja District was Ensenada, and remained as such until 1931, and subsequently later the district became a sovereign state of Mexico in 1952.

So here we are in sunny Mexico. There is so much to do, that not everyone in our group has been able to make up their minds yet, as to what they will take in. (I guess it’s a good thing we are a late departure today huh?)

There are as I said, a plethora of things to do, see, and experience here. For the adventurous at heart there is the Jeep Tour, or the Horseback ride Tour which meander through much of the Mexican backcountry.

For those who wish to opt for a less rigorous experience, you might wish to visit La Bufodora (a natural Blow Hole) that shoots water spray 60 to 100 feet into the air. There is also a Scenic Coastal Tour, a Winery Tour, and there is a tour which offers a Taste of Ensenada, (which involves a good deal of eating, and sampling the many varied tastes of the region) No that’s more like it! Or you can take a shuttled ride downtown to the suggested (cruise ship certified) shopping sites to take in some serious “shop till you drop” bargains. Oh yeah, I almost forgot….for our golfers, they too get to have it their way on a host of well manicured Mexican courses. So don’t worry about them, as they have truly found their nirvana! (see more Ensenada pics here).

With a much longer port stay today, there is ample time to be able to “do your thing” and still be able to soak up the Mexican lifestyles, as well as drink in the social scene offered in this wonderful port city, as we do not depart until 10 o’clock tonight. So with today calling for so much to see and do, along with a lot more time in which to “get ur done”, I shall “SEA” you tomorrow, once we are again underway and riding the waves.

March 17^th – Our Final Sea Day

For the Kids Camp C (ages 2-11) in addition to their normal daily activities will feature a bear cuddly event where participants will actually make their very own bear creation to take home with them. While Circle C (ages 12-14), will feature their very own farewell party. Like Club 0 2 (ages 15-17) will also have their very own farewell extravaganza as well.

For the older kids (ages 18 and above) there are planned a host of things to busy ourselves. Certainly the daily Bingo session with guaranteed prize pots increased.  There will be a Think, Draw, Guess competition (where your teammate has to quickly guess the person place thing or phrase the other is drawing) and the first one wins a prize. Naturally what self- respecting cruise would be without the obligatory “Hairiest Legs Contest” where the women get to be the judges for the winners here! There will also be Ice Carving, and Towel Folding demonstrations, as well as the infamous champagne live art auction. Then for later it’s get your groove thing on with Piano, Jazz, Calypso, Sing Along, and Dance Parties which will go into the wee hours of tomorrow morning. Some of us got to enjoy a “Behind The Scenes” Tour of the inner workings of the ship, complete with a tour of the bridge conducted by the Captain himself. I sure hope everyone got a good night’s sleep last night to be able to just make it through all the way!

All of the on-board shopping venues are featuring extra special discounts and sales today, even if it’s getting your cappuccino on (for less) today, so for the bargain hunters, you will want to be sure that you check it all out today in the shopping arcade, as well as the various specialty shops throughout the ship.

Well here we find ourselves at our final dinner on-board this Carnival Fun Ship, and we are beginning to feel the effects of sadness, at the impending thoughts of our five days coming to an end, and having to return to home and our own lives of making our own beds, and meals once again.

Certainly the Ship’s staffs are well aware of our woes, as they have planned the ultimate desert of the high seas. “Baked Alaska”. Most every cruise line serves up this delicious dessert on the final night’s menu, complete with the appropriate amounts of fanfare and fudge toppings! Be sure to check out not only our photos, but (see the video of the Baked Alaska Pomp and Circumstance), which we enjoyed on board this cruise adventure.

As dinner winds down, we bid farewell to our wonderful dining room staff and make sure to appropriately thank them for their hospitality and wonderful service they have rendered during our voyage.

This brings us to a close of what has been a wonderful and memorable “Spring Break” Cruise aboard the Carnival Paradise!! Thank you for coming along with us, on this fun-filled journey.- CruisewithMike

For more information on Crusing, Group Cruises and/or  “Spring Break” Vacations, contact Mike via email mberryhill@cruiseholidays.com  . You can tweet (or follow) Mike at http://www.twitter.com/cruisewithmike  . To “Join” our Travel Club go to  http://meetup.com/Sun-Cities-Travelers-Group/  Mikes web site can be found at  www.mberryhill.cruiseholidays.com .  Follow Mike’s blog (or subscribe to it) at http://www.cruisewithmike.com  (or merely click on the subscribe button above to have daily delivery to your email). View all of Mikes uploaded Flickr Photo Galleries at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cruisewithmike/ . Mike also edits his own twice daily e-newspaper called “The Compass Headings” you can see (or subscribe to) it free! at http://paper.li/CruisewithMike

Please feel free to leave a comment below on this articles’ contents. We are always looking for ideas or suggestions to expand and improve on our content! If you found the information helpful why not include (a tweet to followers) or (share a like) with your facebook friends, that they might benefit from the information as well. Thanks For Visiting, and please come back often to this daily Blog. – Mike