Just Cruises Plus

Do you chose your cruise based on the ports or do you choose based on the ship?

Cruise lines recognize that these are two distinct groups.  Alaska, Europe, South America, Asia and Hawaii are destinations and the ships that take you there are  the supporting actors.  The ship is not the focus of these travelers.   These cruises are selected because the passengers wish to experience the ports of call.

On the other hand, there are folks who choose their ship because of the features and amenities of the particular ship.  This is true of many Caribbean cruisers where the various islands have much in common (great beaches and lots of sun).  Since entertainment is a significant amenity of Caribbean cruises, cruise lines are partnering with entertainment companies to enhance the entertainment experience.

Disney has always been in the forefront of this cruise/entertainment marriage since the ship and the entertainment are all Disney.  In order to compete, Royal Caribbean has aligned with Dreamworks, a Disney rival, and you will see Dreamworks characters (Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, etc) on their ships.  Royal Caribbean also acquired the rights to Broadway shows like Hairspray, Chicago and Saturday Night Fever.

Norwegian Cruise Line is associated with “Second City”.  It also added the hit show “Blue Man Group”.  The theater on the Norwegian Epic was built with this show in mind.

Cunard’s three ships offer original plays based on West End (London) plays while Carnival Cruise Line has hired George Lopez to lead the comedy direction on their ships.

Finally, the Great American Steamboat Company has lined up the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Harry James Orchestra, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Platters and The New Orleans Jazz All-Stars (sorry – no heavy metal or Hip-Hop).

Picture yourself…..sitting in a rubber raft, in 15 degree weather with a 20 knot wind hitting you in the face.  Your only comfort is that there are 9 other lunatics doing the same thing.  You’re about to set foot on Antarctica.   To get to this point, you’ve flown on 3 planes and survived the monster waves of Drake’s passage.

Adventure cruising, sometimes called “expedition” cruising, is our subject this week.  No couch potatoes wanted for these dynamic exploration voyages.  Itinerary is the name of the game here.  Adventure destinations include the Arctic, Antarctica, and the Galapagos Islands.  Maybe you are a little more extreme in adventure seeking.  How about a dive trip to the Solomon Islands where hundreds of World War 2 ships, planes and tanks rest on the ocean floor.  Not a diver?  Then you might consider a snorkeling trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

There are some things you need to know before embarking on an adventure cruise.  First, you will give up the big cruise ship features like casinos and Las Vegas reviews.  You may give up comfortable staterooms and, depending on where you travel, physical comfort may be sacrificed.

The Galapogos Islands

We’ll begin with the mildest of the adventure cruises were comfort is not a casualty.  Xpedition cruises, a division of Celebrity Cruises, has weekly cruises to the Galapagos Islands.  Their one ship, Celebrity Expedition carries 92 passengers.  We say “mild” because the ship, though small, is traditional in that it has comfortable, well appointed staterooms and a pleasant lounge where naturalists give lectures and excellent food is served.  The weather in the Galapagos is not likely to be extreme.  You go here, as Darwin did, strictly for the wildlife.  No other place on earth has the variety of wildlife (in the ocean, on land and in the sky) that comes close to the Galapagos.

If you want to go a bit more spartan, try a visit to these spectacular islands aboard the National Geographic ships.  The Natural Geographic Islander (48 passengers) or the National Geographic Endeavor (96 passengers) are oriented toward teaching you about this dramatic continent.  We like their policy that permits visits to the bridge at most any time.

If you are more adventurous, there are smaller ships that visit these spectacular islands. If you want an experience with the local sailors and staff, consider the M/V Santa Rosa.  You will sacrifice a bit of comfort but you will have an Ecuadorian crew.

Despite being near the equator, the water is chilly.  In fact, in June and July the Jersey shore’s ocean is 10 degrees warmer.  Unfortunately, when the water is warmest (February-March), the wettest weather occurs.  Probably the best compromise is January or June.

Antarctica

Do you want a more adventurous experience?  How about a visit to Antarctica.  When to go?  It has to be in our winter (their “summer”).  It is simply not possible for anyone to reach Antarctica in winter.

Your first decision is whether you want to see Antarctica or feel it.  If you want to have an Antarctic land experience you must eschew the big cruise ships (I don’t know why you would put yourself through the discomfort to get to this cold, windy place and not step on land).

For a land experience, you will choose one of the small expedition ships.  Some are quite luxurious while others are workhorses.  We mentioned the National Geographic Endeavor earlier.  This vessel goes to Antarctica with landings.  Are you a little quirky?  Then try a Quark Expedition ship.  Some of these are real Russian icebreakers that were used for military purposes during the cold war.

Penguins and seals will be very common as will be same magnificent birds like the albatross.  Besides the unique wildlife, the scenery is breathtaking and the icebergs are unbelievable.

Don’t forget, just getting to Antarctica is an adventure. When you see those penguins dancing on the snow, you know it was all worth the effort.

The Arctic

The Earth’s other extreme, of course, is the Arctic which shares 24 hour summer daylight with Antarctica but little else.  While Antarctica is a land continent, the Arctic is mostly water (ice) although there is land above the Arctic Circle in Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia and the United States (part of Alaska).  The Arctic’s summer is the same as our summer and, surprisingly, temperatures can be quite moderate in the Arctic reaching over 70 degrees. 

The wildlife is very different in the Arctic.  There are quite a number of land mammals — including humans — living above the Arctic Circle.  One of the big thrills of an Arctic cruise is spotting a polar bear.  If you want to have a good chance of seeing one of these magnificent animals, cruise from Norway and head north aboard an icebreaking cruise ship.  As you go further and further north, you’ll quickly learn why an icebreaking ship is important.

Can you visit Santa’s workshop?  Of course!  Cruises depart from Helsinki Finland at least once a year and visit the geographic North Pole.  If you are a true adventurer (only the purest of heart will attempt this), you can even swim at the North Pole.

The duration of Arctic cruises are 8 to 66 days.  For the best scenery and wildlife viewing, we recommend a cruise that includes the Svalbard Islands in Norway.  By the way, the 66-day cruise is on the Russian Icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov.  This is the last year that it will be taking passengers.  The full cruise starts at only $65,990 per person (I think that I need Santa for this one).  For most adventure cruises, rates are about $500 per day, so a 10 day cruise would be about $5000 per person.

To Be Continued…..

Last week, we began a discussion of small ship cruises.  This week, we’ll talk about two small ship cruise lines in North America.   Before booking a small ship, you need to decide if it is your cup of tea since the small ship (under 250 passengers) experience is quite different from a big ship cruise.

Would you miss the professional shows with acrobats and chorus lines?  How about the shopping in the major ports?  Like to gamble?  Forget the small ships (although some have a minimal “casino”).    How about a bargain price?  Nope. 

Would you prefer an educational lecture to a Broadway show?  How about a visit to an art studio in a small town?  Would you like to try the local foods?  Would you like to mingle with the crew (other than the bartenders)?  If you answer ”yes” to these last few questions, you are probably a small ship cruiser.

There are hundreds of small ship cruises.  Some cater to specific interests such as scuba diving.  Others serve specific geographical areas and still others feature sailing ships with billowing white sails and silent power.

Two “North American” Lines

This week we’ll mention two specific lines which carry less than 100 passengers.  One of the best known lines is American Cruise Lines.  We see these ships regularly on the Chesapeake Bay, Hudson and East Rivers.  There are six ships in the fleet and a seventh, a Mississippi sternwheeler, is currently under construction.  Four of the ships serve the East Coast, from Maine to Florida.  Another ship, the Queen of the West, serves the Columbia and Snake Rivers while the Alaska serves her namesake.

Cruises are 6 days to two weeks with rates starting at about $500 per person per day.  The ships visit small towns and cities and always dock near the center of town.  A typical stop might be St. Michaels, Maryland where exclusive tours of the Maritime Museum are given to American Cruise Line Passengers.

A competitor for American is Blount Cruises, formerly American Canadian Cruises.  “Curious, casual and adventurous” is how they describe their typical passenger.  This is a BYOB cruise line — completely the opposite of other cruise lines where you cannot BYOB.   

Blount has three ships, with a capacity of 96 each.  The ships are unique in that their pilot houses retract so that they can get under low bridges.  They also have doors (like landing ships) in the front of the ship so that you can get off the ship directly onto beaches.

Their three ships move with the weather.  In summer, they cruise on the rivers and lakes of the Northeast and Midwest.  In spring and fall, they sail in the Southeast.  Winter finds them in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.  On a Caribbean cruise, you might visit Nevis, Eustatius and St. Barths, ports rarely visited by the larger cruisers.

Rates for Blount cruises are about $300 per person per day, about double the rate for mainstream cruise ships.

Don’t be embarrassed if you’re not a small ship cruiser.  Most people are not.  Because you’ll pay a premium for the small ship experience, you want to be sure that this kind of cruise matches your expectations.

To be continued….

For the last few weeks, we talked about sailboat chartering where you have 2 to 10 adventurers on board a 35 to 50 foot sailboat.  Now, we’ll move up a step to the small ship category.  These small ships carry 50 to 250 passengers.  It’s interesting that the smaller the ship, the more you get to know your fellow passengers.  On the little sailboat, you will get to know — perhaps more than you want to — your fellow boaters.

On the small ships, you will have enough fellow passengers that you can be selective about who you want to befriend.   However, you will see your fellow passengers more often and will get to know many more of their names than you would on a large ship.

What do you get and what do you give up on a small ship?

A small ship can go where larger ships cannot go.  If you’ve cruised many times on the big ships and you believe you have seen every port, check out the smaller ships;  you will find many ports that you haven’t seen and these will be far less “touristy”.

Small ships are more casual.  Leave the jackets, ties and gowns at home.  Smart casual is as formal as it gets.

Small ships are more adventurous.  For example, at some ports you might land like the marines (with cameras instead of guns).  This also means that they could be less accessible for physically challenged people.  Big ships have tenders – small ships have Zodiacs.

Want a twist of lemon in your morning coffee?  No problem on a small ship..  With fewer people to know, the crew will know your name and your preferences.

Small ships are more expensive.  Big ships can take advantage of economies of scale so you have lower prices.

What do you give up on a small ship?  If you like to gamble, check before going on a small ship.  Some have no casinos and some have casinos about the size of an average restroom with very limited games.

You will not have the over-the-top shows on a small ship.  Perhaps you will have only a singer and accompanist.  Sometimes, you will have lecturers giving you information about the ports and their culture. 

Bingo?  Unlikely on a small ship.  Bridge anyone?  You are almost certain to find fellow bridge players on the small ships.

Small ships generally have smaller staterooms.  In some cases, you pay twice as much for a room that is half as big as a cruise ship room.  Amazingly, the small ships sell out and you must book more than 6 months before the sailing date.  We’ve had some wonderful cruises on Windstar ships.  These ships hold 144 people, are 3 decks high and have no elevators.  They are powered by sail and motor.  We spent many evening hours with the crew on the bridge, learning about the stars, navigation and the latest gossip.  Having an affair?  The crew will know and they will gossip.  Better to stick to the big ships for this.

On our last “big ship” cruise, two of our ports were St Martin and St. Thomas.  Contrast this with our last Windstar cruise where we stopped in St Barts and Isle des Saintes.  St Martin has a French flair.  St Barthelemy is the real thing.

Before considering a Windstar cruise, read next week’s article where we will discuss some specific small ship cruise lines.

To be continued…

Continued from last week….

You get up early the next morning, drop your mooring and motor over to “The Indians”, a series of rock outcroppings that, from a distance, resemble Native American headdress.  You pick up a day mooring, don your snorkel and fins and jump in for one of the Caribbean’s best natural water shows, starring many species of fish.  After a great snorkel, you hoist the sail and point your little boat towards Great Harbor on Jost van Dyke.  Foxy’s Tamerind beach bar is on Jost van Dyke and its performing proprietor, Foxy, was the subject of our photo contest last week.  Foxy is the host to, what might be, the greatest New Year’s sailboat party in the world.   Jost van Dyke has other great watering holes.  The “painkiller” was invented at the Soggy Dollar bar at White Bay (named because sailors swam from their boats to the bar…hence wet money).

You move from Great Harbor to Little Harbor so you can have dinner at Harris’ Place.  Here you will get a great meal and find a wonderful free (secret) snorkeling spot.  Just ask Cynthia Harris, the delightful owner, cook and snorkel consultant.

From Jost van Dyke, you could sail to St John with its beautiful beaches.  July 4^th is their big holiday and we have helped them to celebrate our nation’s birth on more than one occasion.  A big negative to sailing to St. John is that you must go through U.S. customs when you get to St. John and you must go through British Virgin Islands’ customs when you return to the BVIs. On this sailing trip, you decide to skip the US Virgin Islands and sail to Cooper Island, one of the less inhabited British Virgin Islands.  It has a nice bay with a number of moorings and some great snorkeling.  You share a terrific meal on board but there are also some very nice restaurants ashore.

The next adventure is snorkeling over the Rhone.  The Rhone is a British steamship that sank near Salt Island in the late 19th century.  Her remains are clearly visible to snorkelers and divers alike.  After picking up the mooring at Salt Island, you jump  in your dinghy for a very sort run to the Rhone where there are moorings for dinghies.  You might even get to see “Barry”, a huge Barracuda who seems to be the official “greeter” for the Rhone.  Don’t worry, we have come into contact with many Barracuda and none have shown the least interest in us.  They certainly have fearful faces but they are far more dangerous to eat than to swim with.

The second most populated Island is Virgin Gorda, home to some of the world’s most unique bolder formations (the Baths).  You’ve heard that this should not be missed during your visit to the British Virgin Islands and you worked this into your itinerary.  Here you walk among huge boulders that form cathedral-like spaces. You also snorkel among the boulders.  NOTE:  There are some cruise ships that visit Tortola in the BVIs so you do not have to be on a sailboat to experience The Baths.  The cruise ships will offer excursions.  (By the way, if you’re feeling flush, there is Necker Island which is very close to Virgin Gorda.  The rates start at $20,000 per night.)~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A sailing vacation is not for everyone.  Black and blue marks are as common on board the boat as spectacular fish are under the boat.  You might get drenched by a passing squall and this could be your only fresh water shower for that day.  On the other hand,  enjoying a fine meal and a glass of fine wine, while rocking gently at anchor, awaiting the inevitable glorious sunset, can only be experienced on a small boat in an isolated bay.  Moreover, you will get to places that are inaccessible to most tourists.

Small boats (2 to 10 people) can be chartered all over the world.  We have chartered boats in the Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe and the Grenadines.  They were all amazing but the Virgin Islands are the best for first time sailors since the distances between places of interest are quite short.

Most of our clients cruise on big, luxury ships with their outstanding cuisine, great entertainment and exquisite service — all within steps of a comfortable stateroom.  Plus, they get a new port almost every day.   We love and take these wonderful cruises.  We also love small ships that carry less than 150 passengers.  In this article, we are going to talk about the ultimate small ship– the sailboat which carries 4 to 10 sailors.

Have you ever strolled on a beach and gazed out to sea and spotted a tiny sailboat silently sliding across the waves with her big white sails full.  Now imagine yourself magically being transported from the beach onto the little sailboat.  What is your first impression?  Silence.  You hear only the ocean as you move quietly with only wind powering you to your next destination.  You feel the coolness of the breeze and a freedom, borne from the knowledge that you are now dependent only on nature.

Did you know that you can do this at about the same price as a cruise?  How?

The best way to enjoy the freedom and adventure of a private sailboat is to charter a boat with an experienced captain (and cook).  It is quite affordable when you get a group of like-minded friends to travel with you.  The ideal group is 4 to 8 people.  There are a number of very good companies that we use and recommend.

You can charter a sailboat almost anywhere in the world but we suggest the Caribbean for first time sailors.  The British Virgin Islands are a particular delight for sailors because the sailing distances between islands is short and the beach bars are many.

A vacation aboard a sailboat is vastly different from a traditional luxury cruise.  You trade many of the comforts and amenities of the cruise ship for freedom and adventure.

First, a description of a typical sailboat (which can be a twin hulled catamaran or a single hulled boat).  The boat will be about 40 feet long and will have private (but tiny) cabins.  It will also have a  “galley” (kitchen) and more than 1 “head” (bathroom) with shower and a “salon” (living/dining room).  All of this will be “below” (downstairs).

On deck will be the area for the sails and an area for the people.  The “cockpit” is where you spend most of your time when the boat is sailing or when it is anchored.  On catamarans, there is a large trampoline in the front of the boat.  You can lay face down on the trampoline and watch the water rush by only a few feet from your face.  On one of my sails, there was a school of porpoises having a blast within a few feet of the boat (and us).

The “helm” or driver’s seat will be in the cockpit.  Everyone who wants to “drive” the boat will have many opportunities to guide your boat to the next adventure.

You will also have the chance to learn a whole new language while sailing.  You were already introduced to galley and head.  Did you know that there are no ropes on a sailboat? Those long thick strings that look amazingly like ropes are called “sheets” and “painters” depending on their purpose.  Stairs are “ladders” and walls are “bulkheads”.

The real fun begins when you cast off, raise the sails and head to your first port.  Let’s suppose you choose the British Virgin Islands for your sail.  Your captain will meet you at a marina on the island of Tortola.  He will ask you some questions so he knows what your group likes to do.  Do you like to party or do you want peace and quiet?  Actually you can mix and match these attributes.  You’ve just cast off; the captain has raised the sails and served you and your friends your favorite beverages.   Your boat slices through the waves at a blistering 8 miles per hour.  The boat is amazingly stable.  It does not roll at all.  You are headed to Norman Island, supposedly the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.  After a 2 hour sail, you arrive, the sails are lowered and you pick up a mooring but it is still early.  What do you do?  The captain suggests some snorkeling at the “caves”.  Sounds like fun, so let’s do it.  You and you friends jump (almost literally) into the dinghy (a little rubber boat with an outboard motor) for the five-minute ride to the caves.

You put on your snorkeling gear and slide into the warm, clear Caribbean water.  As soon as you face the ocean floor, you spot 2 beautiful parrotfish and a school of sergeant majors.  Soon, after an easy swim, you arrive at the “caves”.  These are literally caves that you swim into.  Pirate loot was supposed to have been hidden here but never found.  Hope you have better luck than me.  I didn’t find it.  It gets darker and darker the further you swim.  Definitely spooky.  On your swim back to the dinghy, two majestic queen angelfish glide silently past, totally ignoring you but you can’t ignore them.  Darn, you wish you brought the underwater camera.

Back on the sailboat, it’s time for dinner, which is prepared by your personal cook.  If you’re like me, after dinner is the time to watch a fantastic sunset, then do a little reading.  However, if the day is just starting for you, there is the infamous William Thorton anchored about a half mile from you.  Here you can dance, drink and engage in any other debauchery.  Just remember, you have to find you way back to you boat, in the dark.

To be continued….

You’re sitting at dinner on your dream cruise.  There are 4 other couples sitting with you.  The price of the cruise comes up (it always does).  You find out that every couple at your table paid a different price.  Why?  The answer is determined by when folks booked their cruise in the  “supply and demand” cycle.

When the cruise lines release their schedules and pricing, they offer early booking rates, which is really the price that they expect most people to pay.  As the ship fills, prices rise.  However, on some sailings, bookings are slow and sparse.  In these cases, the cruise lines offer special promotions — examples are senior promotions and promotions for residents of certain states.  If the ship still doesn’t fill up, last minute deals (some spectacular) are offered to get the ship full.

On many of these cruises, we are paying less than it costs the cruise line to feed and transport us.  They are willing to do this in the hopes that we spend money on the ship.  They also want to keep the service staff busy and receiving gratuities.

Supply and Demand

Let’s think about supply and demand and when each is high and low.

The most demand occurs for East Coast and Caribbean cruises during the summer.  There are 2 reasons.  First, many ships have moved to Europe and Alaska for the summer season.  Therefore the supply of ships for the East Coast and Caribbean is low.  Couple this with the fact that school is out and this is when families take their vacation.  Thus, demand is up.  The result is high prices and low availability.  For example, for cruises from Baltimore or New York you must book early if you want to get a room that accommodates 3 or 4 people.

During the fall, when school is back in session and until the holidays, there is low demand (hurricane season) and all the ships have returned from Europe and Alaska (high supply).  During this period, the cruise lines will practically pay you to cruise and it pays to wait until last minute deals are announced.    An easy way to do this is to check our website each week.  We put the last minute deals there.  These good deals usually extend into January (excluding holiday sailings).

Book early if:

• You are picky about your room location
• You must have a particular time for dining
• You are traveling during summer months or holidays
• You want to cruise on an upscale or small ship cruise line
• You want a land and sea package in Alaska during the peak summer months
• You want a balcony on the land side of an Alaska cruise

Book later if:

• You are traveling in the fall or January
• You are not concerned about room location and dining times.
• Specific dates are not important

Consider….

One of the problems with waiting too long to book a cruise is that airfares are high.  The airlines price airfare the same way the cruise lines do.   Waiting usually results in a high airfare.

Keep in mind that the cruise lines will honor many promotions even if you book early.  For example if you are a senior and have booked a cruise at the early booking rate and a senior promotion is offered, you will be eligible for the lower rate and we will get it for you.