Making the Next Time Feel Like the First Time

There’s just nothing like the first time. That thrill, that excitement, that joy at discovering something new.

You may have felt it during your first cruise; I know I did. But I also know there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy your second cruise as much as your first. Or your 5th as much as your 15th.

The secret? Doing something really different the next time around. Here are just a few ideas for rekindling that first-time feeling:

Try another line. While one line can feel much like another (after all, there’s a view of the sea and they feed you), there really are differences. You can ride a carousel on Royal Caribbean. Watch a movie under the stars and a blanket on Princess. Cook along with the chefs on Holland America.

Recapturing childhood joy on the Oasis

Jump ship. Going from small to big or the other way around can change things up if you’re married to one line. While Royal’s Navigator of the Seas at 139,500 tons is no row boat, Oasis of the Seas at 225,200 is a whole other class by itself.

Room for a change. Always get an inside room? Spring for a balcony. Pick off-season (e.g., not January-March) and a less popular itinerary (e.g., Western Caribbean), and you can get one at a great price. We’ve picked some trips on Princess just so we could afford a mini-suite.

Venture out. After many Caribbean cruises, we got out of our comfort zone (and our shorts) and took one to Alaska for an experience unlike any other. Or, look for Caribbean itineraries that go off the beaten path. We took one of Celebrity Constellation’s rare trips to St. Barts and got a sneak peek of the famous French chic, amazingly hilly, yacht-choked island. See the posting “Off Course and Worth It.”

 

Tough to find parking for your car--or your yacht--in St. Barts

Don’t or do an excursion. Always sign up for one? Wander around town next time. Always roam the port? Parasail, tour the island or cook up a Caribbean lunch for a change.

Dine differently. After years of set seating, we finally tried my-time style. And never turned back. On an upcoming cruise, we’re doing a five-night specialty package for the first time. Stay tuned for how that goes.

Drink it up. Whether you’re a big drinker or not, will get your money’s worth or not, you should try a drink package at least once. It was a throw-in on our recent Princess trip, and it was a blast trying some new drink each day, getting cappuccinos when we felt like it and ending the night with liqueur—and all without a thought about cost. Or who was going to get us home.

Experience this. You might try some shipboard activity you’ve never done—from climbing the walls on Royal, doing the pricey but unique Captain’s Dinner or grabbing the mike at karaoke. It will probably be the one thing you remember most about your cruise.

Take a camera. I don’t mean a smartphone; I mean a real camera. One that lets you get in close from really far away. Shoot the jugglers in low light. Take in the lights around the pool at night. With a camera, you can be creative. And there’s so much to capture inside and outside the ship. It’s particularly great for those lazy days at sea. See “Unleashing Your Inner Artsy-Fartsy” for ideas and photos.

 

We needed a Panasonic GX7 to get this shot on the Caribbean Princess

An excuse for a cruise. Whether it’s over a national holiday or your personal celebration, it’s a great excuse to splurge while onboard. Buy a box of divine chocolates. Make a reservation at a specialty restaurant. Do a couples massage. Throw a party. Don a tiara. Make it special and make it memorable.

 

Norman Love chocolates and more on the Regal Princess for your personal celebration

Bring along friends or family. Perhaps nothing changes the cruise experience more than changing who you’re with. Maybe you’ll finally get that “I’ll-never-be-caught-dead-on-a-ship” person you know to actually take the plunge. And here’s a new experience to look forward to: telling him (or her) “I told you so.”

Getting to 100 and How Cruising Keeps Surprising

Welcome to a milestone. This is post number 100, born from 20 cruises, 14 ships over 10 years on 4 different lines. Number of Caribbean islands? Too many to count

Musing About Cruising started the day the old Pacific Princess—otherwise known as the “Love

Boat”—in August 2013, made its final voyage—to that dry dock in the sky.

While my old Saturday night companion didn’t do much to get me cruising, once I started many decades later, I looked back at the show through different eyes.

And what’s kept me embarkation-bound over the last decade is cruising’s ability to keep surprising:

In the beginning

The magnificent midnight buffet. Alas, it’s been gone quite a while now, but what a show! Celebrity’s Constellation filled the main dining room with rows and rows of eye candy. Ice sculptures and vegetable carvings everywhere! Breads made into villages! Candy made into chess sets! Elaborate cakes and pastries by the many dozens! It was so spectacular that they let us in early just to take photos.

Feast for the eyes at midnight--gone but not forgotten

Black tie waiters and stellar stewards. On our first cruise, the room steward ran down the hallway just to open the stateroom door for us. The formally dressed waiters did napkin tricks and told us stories of their native lands.

Then later on

Chicago, Cats, the ice and aqua shows. When our infatuation with Celebrity wore off and we itched

to try other lines, we gave our nightlife to Royal Caribbean. Broadway shows, ice dancing and high diving—all for no cost and with the best seats in the house.

Ice and delight on the Navigator of the Seas

Off course, but oh, so worth it. We dabbled in some new ports not found on many itineraries and discovered some real gems. The “B” in the ABCs—the pristine Bonaire with its blue glass-like waters; the sleepy and lovely St. Croix; the chic hilly yacht and beautiful-people mecca of St. Barts—all held new wonder.

 

Laid back and lovely is the Virgin Island of St. Croix

A Northerly course. While we cringed at the idea of a cruise where we couldn’t wear shorts, the otherworldly landscape and quaint frontier towns of Alaska more than made up for it. The eerie silence, ice chunk-filled waters and frozen walls of Glacier Bay; the heavy fog looming over the mountain tops; the crisp and piercing clean air that penetrated our down coats—these memories will remain with us always.

The icy waters of Glacier Bay from the balcony of the Golden Princess 

And then there’s now

Making Diamond Club. Getting to Royal Caribbean’s Diamond Club was quite a thrill. The best loyalty club of the mass market lines gives us unlimited free drinks during their extended happy hour. White wine under the white lights in Allure’s nearly deserted Central Park at night has become a cruise highlight.

 

Central Park under the lights

Surging wave of technology—From the robotic bars of Anthem and Harmony of the Seas, to the touch screen room finders on Royal Caribbean ships, to Princess’ shipboard smart phone app that makes walkie-talkies obsolete, the ships are, thankfully, at last, wholeheartedly embracing the digital age. Even the customs folks are getting into the act with the newly launched passport app.

Just a bit more

Then there’s finding a new port that was better than you expected, like the gorgeous calm beaches and spectacular foliage of Carnival’s own Mahogany Bay in Roatan…or doing something new at ports you’ve been to, like picking up paintings for a song in Royal Caribbean’s Labadee…or watching ports grow and change, like the ever-lively Philipsburg, St. Maarten, with its new modern waterfront area with a nostalgic Dutch-style automat.

Mahogany Bay--Carnival's paradise for day

What’s coming next

In the past 10 years, I’ve not run out of things to share, guide and amuse on the world of Caribbean cruising…and the topics just seem to keep floating to the surface.

So, if you promise to keep on reading, you can be sure I’ll keep on writing.

When Cruising is Unforgettable

A big reason I think most of us travel is for that element of surprise. Let’s face it; our lives can become pretty routine. Leaving home brings out the explorer in us and brings the promise of the unforgettable.
 
As we’ve cruised over the years, we’ve had a number of moments that will stay with us always.
 
Many have been in the ports we’ve visited, and some have been onboard. Here are just a few:
 


Curaçao in color

Sunset over Curaçao. With no trees or power lines in the way, you can get some amazing sunsets over the sea. Rushing back to the ship in Curaçao after putzing around in town, we were treated to an amazing blaze of color that changed by the minute. Cameras came out and we captured memories that bring us back to that day again and again.
 
The schooner, the sunset and the Pitons. During a slow turn around St. Lucia’s Pitons on Holland America’s Noordam, a schooner in full sail passed between us and the iconic peaks, just as the sky was putting on its own show. The confluence of the elements made for some spectacular shots.


Some twists and turns, and then a peek into paradise, on the lovely isle of St. John

St. John the Divine. Tired of shopping in St. Thomas, we ventured out on an excursion to its sibling  isle of St. John. The bus took us up and down the steep slopes, and round and round tight turns. But nothing could have prepared us for the overlooks—pure paradise. It’s no wonder the island’s remote and untouched beaches show up again and again in cruising brochures and websites (and Musing’s blog wallpaper).
 
Alone on the bay. We couldn’t tear ourselves away from Mahogany Bay—even when nearly everyone else was back on the ship. The prize was the chance to float in the calm clear water—completely alone with a relaxation seldom known.
 
Sugar cane and an ocean view. The quality of excursions varies wildly, but the best we took was a bus tour around Barbados. The driver was knowledgeable and chatty, happily doling out Barbados 101 as we passed banana trees, poinsettias in the wild and windmills. A lookout stop over the wild Atlantic side brought incredible ocean views for great photo-taking and a vendor who shared his sugar cane with me for my first taste of raw sweetness.
 
Juiced up and iced up in Glacier Bay. The cold gray mist that chilled our bones was quickly forgotten as the Golden Princess slid gingerly through the narrow mountain-framed channel and icy silent waters of Glacier Bay, eventually revealing a massive baby-blue glacier, its frozen spires piercing the cloudy skies. While not a postcard-perfect Alaska day, most definitely one we’ll not forget.
 
Midnight at the buffet. Our first cruise on Celebrity’s Constellation started it all for us, now 10 years in the past. The eye-popping midnight buffets may be long gone, but cruising’s still making us marvelous memories…



The Constellation's Grand Buffet is a thing of the past, but the memory lives on

…like a stunning sunset at a Ft. Lauderdale sailaway….water show high dives on Allure of the Seas…the Constellation room steward rushing to open our cabin door for us…Michael Love truffle pops at the Welcome toast on the Caribbean Princess…Christmas music with a reggae beat on the ferry into Philipsburg…

What are some of yours?





Blue Ice vs. Blue Water—is an Alaskan Cruise for You?

Say after a slew of cruises to the Caribbean, you’ve done and seen it all. When you pull into port, you hardly ever leave the ship any more. Little by little, the prospect of Alaska is creeping up on you. But you can’t quite get yourself to book one.

We know. We were there.

Then we took the plunge. It was a singular experience. Do it. You won’t regret it.

There were a number of surprises, however, that you might want to know about, so if you do take the plunge, you’ll know what to expect:

Same but different. Is there anything the same about a Caribbean cruise and an Alaskan one? Well, for starters, of course, they’re both cruises. And often the same ships, since the cruise lines scramble their vessels. While both vacations revolve around the water, though, one of them you won’t be swimming in.

The show is outdoors. Alaska is all about the scenery, and what scenery it is! Glaciers in blue hue, floating ice, wildlife, snow-topped mountains, misty fjords, along with a spooky, unworldly silence. You’ll fill your suitcases with binoculars and cameras, instead of sunscreen and sun hats. In fact, with all there is to see outdoors, you’ll find yourself using a lot less of the ship.

Blue spires of ice in Glacier Bay



The remote and ghostly Inside Passage


The short story. Unless you go in the summer and luck out with a warm spell, you can forget about shorts and flip-flops. We went over Memorial Day and the temps in the towns peaked in the 60s. Glacier Bay was a toasty 48. And what they tell you about the weather? Be wary and be ready for anything. Particularly rain.

Dressing down. The dress overall on an Alaskan cruise is more informal. After seeing jeans in the Main Dining Room at dinner, I did it too.

Learning instead of lounging. Caribbean cruises are big on party vibe, calypso around the pool and soaking in the sun. Alaskan cruises are about learning—the environment, wildlife and culture—so expect talks and presentations. Our Princess trip featured a fabulous naturalist, who narrated our journey through Glacier Bay, and a female winner of the famously grueling Iditarod dog-sled race.

Wild thing. While the iguanas on the rocks in St. Thomas’ Crown Bay or Aruba’s Wilhelmina Park will entertain you in the Caribbean, in Alaska, your eyes will be glued to the sea and sky, scanning for breaching whales and eagles in flight. Be forewarned—you might see them—and then you might not. We saw several whales, but from very far away and then only a glimpse of tail.

The cruise ships come to town; downtown Skagway in May



Frontier facades dwarfed by Juneau's backdrop

Part frontier, part Russia, always gorgeous. You’ll want to get off the ship in these stops—Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. These frontier-style towns with their Russian influence, surrounded by snowy mountains, are a scene right out of Disney. Each has its own interesting history and personality. Take Ketchikan—the city that always rains. There are totem poles everywhere, salmon is sold in nearly every shop—from smoked and sliced, to frozen and jerked—and souvenirs are cheap and fun.

Fishing for salmon in Ketchikan

Crafts not by way of China. Unlike the Caribbean, Alaska is where you’ll find real crafts, but the cost can be dear. Stores are filled with all types of Eskimo and local art, from small scrimshaw items to take-home totems that can cost up to the thousands. But if you just want some trinkets to remind you of your trip, you can load up on them for almost nothing in Ketchikan’s Tongass Trading Co. Think dolls in Eskimo clothing, moose magnets and totem ornaments for your Christmas tree.

Moose and more...

...and take-home totems from the Ketchikan shops

If after all this, you’re still missing the Caribbean, believe it or not, you don’t have to look far for a Diamonds International. Try Juneau. Or Skagway. Or Ketchikan.

Still on the fence? Here’s a thought: if you’ve been shunning the blue water during hurricane season, hurricane season is actually the in-season for seeing the blue ice. Go. Enjoy. 

For more postings on Alaska, see Cruising Alaska 101 and Quaint and Quirky: Alaska’s Cruise Ports.

Musing’s Top Tip: For obvious reasons, the cruising season is short in Alaska—late spring to early fall. What part of this timeframe you choose has its upsides and downsides, so do plenty of research to make sure you get the trip you’ve always wanted.



Is a Balcony Worth the Extra Cost?

If you’re planning your first cruise, no doubt you’ve pondered this question. The truth is, once you get your first balcony, you’ll never turn back.

Your budget may be tight and a balcony may not be an option. But if it is, consider springing for one.

Here’s why:

No better way to nap. The slap of the water against the ship is a built-in noise machine. Add a glass of wine and you’ve got napping nirvana.

Voilà, a two-room stateroom. Spouse still sleeping? Slip out onto the balcony. He can keep sleeping. And you’ve got your personal space.


Ft. Lauderdale sail-away from the balcony of Celebrity's Constellation

Breakfast and the balcony are made for each other. Slide open the doors, step outside in your robe and breakfast by the sea. A great way to begin the day!

The quiet! Many people get balconies, but hardly anyone uses them. Oh, you’ll see lots of folks on the verandahs on sail-away day. But after that, they’re too busy in the casino, shops and around the pool to hang out on their balconies.

The smoke’s all gone. With most of the cruise lines banning smoking on the balcony, you can now breathe deeply with no ciggie smoke blowing by.

You’ll see things others won’t. The balcony allows you to be at the right place at the right time, camera in hand, fired up and ready to go. We’ve captured some amazing shots, like stupendous sunsets. A rainbow over the Dominica mountains. A schooner checking out St. Lucia’s Petons just as the sky explodes with color. And we didn’t need to jockey for position on a crowded deck to capture it all. 

St. Lucia and the schooner from the balcony of HAL's Noordam

Soak up the sun away from view. While your balcony may not always be on the sunny side of the ship, when it is, you get to bathe in the warmth without being shoulder-to-shoulder with your fellow cruisers.

Get out of the cold. We debated whether to get a balcony on our Alaskan cruise, but were glad we did. In late May, Glacier Bay was a toasty 49 degrees. We took in the glaciers from our verandah, and then bopped back into the room to feel our fingers again.



On the balcony of the Caribbean Princess.

Stargazer’s delight. The night sky, unbroken by trees or power lines, presents a planetarium-worth view of what’s above you. 

Cruise Foodie Favorites

Let’s face it—one of the top pleasures of cruising is eating. While the food may not be the best, the ships certainly make up for it in quantity.
 
And as an unabashed foodie, I love the growing emphasis of cuisine on cruises. Here, for your culinary consideration, are some food experiences you can have onboard beyond the usual MDR/buffet/specialty restaurant dining:

Food as entertainment—While most of the mass market ships have these now, Holland America really takes the cake when it comes to cooking demos. Through their partnership with Food and Wine magazine, HAL’s got a great Culinary Arts program, which boasts an-easy-to-view kitchen setup for demos. And for an extra charge, you can sign up for a small-group cooking class, complete with a chance to get your hands and apron dirty.

 
There are also celebrity chefs and “Iron Chef” knockoffs. We went to one years ago, where senior crew members competed and their food was judged by a panel of cruisers. It was terrific fun and memorable.


Indonesian pastries on HAL's Noordam

Tea ceremony—HAL also hosts a “tea ceremony” on its ships. In reality, it’s not so much of a ceremony as a chance to savor high quality tea and coffee, and sample Indonesian pastries--all at no extra charge. 

Galley tours—When we started cruising, these were only available through word of mouth. Now, everyone’s doing them. I never tire of the opportunity to sneak a peek behind the curtain. (So, those French fries are frozen after all…) Some of the tours are slick, complete with pitches to buy their cookbook, food carving demos, chef meets-and-greets, and often offer some sampling along the way. 

Salmon spread in Alaska's Inside Passage

The big spread—Then there are the special events that feature the special foods. Alas, the days of midnight buffets are long gone (anyone remember Celebrity’s spectacular presentation?), but there are a few events still around. Some Celebrity ships put on a not-very-publicized but elaborate brunch, Princess does a very nice seafood buffet in Alaska where salmon is king, and Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas features sidewalk sampling on its Promenade.
 
While the food is the thing at these events, they also usually have photo-worthy ice sculptures, food carvings and such.
 
Room service—While we rarely use this service, it’s great that it exists. Knowing what room service costs at hotels, there’s just something neat about having food delivered to your doorstep—without the exorbitant fee that usually comes with it. One word of caution, however: some cruise lines are adding a fee for late-night room service. For example, Allure of the Seas charges $3.95 for orders between midnight and 5 a.m.

Dine with a chef—We haven’t done it, but the newest thing is the “Chef’s Table” experience. Royal Caribbean has it on a number of ships and so too does Princess and Carnival. For an additional fee, you can enjoy a freshly made dinner, usually with a lot of courses, which showcases the chef’s skills, in an intimate, small group setting. Sample cost: $85/person on Allure of the Seas for a meal paired with wine.

Know of any other foodie fests on the seas? Let us know!

 

Quaint and Quirky: Alaska’s Cruise Ports

The natural beauty, of course, is the real star of Alaska. Snowy mountains everywhere you look. Glaciers that are really that blue. Waterways littered with ice in late May. Soaring eagles, breaching whales. Desolate, pristine, untouched loveliness.

But the ports are a hoot, too.

They’re quaint and quirky, as only they can be in a state that refers to the rest of us as the “Lower 48.”

And you’re never far from that overwhelming beauty—as you will see from the towns’ settings. We enjoyed them immensely and know you will too. Here, as briefly as possible, are my highlights of the ports of Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan—all easily walkable from the piers:

Juneau—If you’ve been to San Francisco, you’ll understand when I say a few minutes walking

Juneau, Alaska's capital

through the streets of the Juneau will reacquaint you with your calf muscles. On one of those hills is the unassuming St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church that, with its small onion dome, looks strangely out of place. You can find other reminders of Alaska’s Russian past in the shops, with their array of nesting dolls. For those of us not planning a trip to Russia anytime soon, they make fun and different souvenirs.

 
The state capital is small and we saw it all before lunch. We then grabbed an inexpensive bus (the vendors lined up along the pier) to

The icy waters of Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier, only 12 miles away. You get great views of the glacier in the park, which provides several vantage points.

Skagway—This is a literally a town made for tourists. There are only 950 or so full-time residents, one school, one AM and one FM radio station, and a post office that closes for lunch. But when the cruise ships are in town, the population swells to more than triple its usual size.

Skagway: Ft. Lauderdale of the North?

With its frontier-style buildings, some dating back to the Gold Rush days, Skagway was the most charming of the three ports. At the turn-of-the-century Red Onion saloon, it’s not hard to picture down-on-their-luck miners dulling the pain with camaraderie, drink and women more than happy to take their last dime.
 
Here’s a funky piece of Skagway trivia from the Golden Princess’ Princess Patter: because Skagway is in one of the driest (as in less rain) parts of Alaska, it attracts college students on spring break and has become known as the “Ft. Lauderdale of the North.” Not sure about that comparison, when late springtime temps in Skagway barely make it out of the 50s!

Ketchikan—Just shopping alone can keep you busy the whole time you’re here. Whether you’re after pricey Eskimo art or cheap trip mementos, you’ll have plenty of choice. And if you like salmon, you’ll be in seventh heaven in Ketchikan, the self-described “Salmon Capital of the World.”

Scenes, spots and shops of colorful Ketchikan

Beginning in June, fish traveling up the Salmon Ladder for spawning becomes a tourist attraction. We were there too early for this show, but got our fill of the fish, tasting our way through the shops selling it canned, smoked, spiced or petrified.
 
One of the many areas where you’ll find the salmon shops is Creek Street, the town’s old red light district. Today it’s a cluster of cutesy shops built on wood pilings over a clear, rustic rushing brook.
 
Then there are the totem poles—on the streets, in the parks, in front of shops and inside them.

You can bring one home to sit on your desk or to fill an entire corner of your living room. They’re colorful, intriguing and expensive.

Alas, you’re likely to see all this fun stuff from beneath the rim of an umbrella. Ketchikan gets an average of 153 inches of rain a year. Which explains, said the Golden Princess’ Juneau-born cruise director, why “in Alaska, we don’t tan, we rust.”

Cruising Alaska 101

This week, I’m going to switch gears and talk about Alaska. With most of the country in a deep freeze, probably the idea of Alaska as a destination is not top of mind right now. But if you’ve been thinking about it at all for coming warmer months, better act now. The season is short and cruises fill up fast.

Cruising in Alaska is not a topic where I have a lot of experience; admittedly, I’ve only done it once. But, I thought it would be worth devoting a posting or two to sharing what we learned to help if you’re planning one.

Which Cruise Line?

The biggest decision we were faced with once we committed to abandoning our therapeutic Caribbean trip for the more exciting Alaska one was: which cruise line?

We decided to go with Princess, which was reputed to be the reigning cruise line in Alaska. One key reason is that the cruise line has been doing it for a long time. And while we didn’t take advantage, Princess has a number of wilderness lodges and cruise-tours that allow you to see more of the state. Holland America is the other cruise line that is particularly strong in Alaska, with many of its own cruise-tour offerings.

Tracy Arm or Glacier Bay?

Glacier Bay at Memorial Day

The next major decision was, Tracy Arm or Glacier Bay? We spent weeks researching these two itinerary choices and in the end, it was a cruiser’s comment in Cruise Critic that nailed it for me. He had said something to the effect of “I’ve been to Glacier Bay and now I can die happy.”



Glacier Bay's blue-ice glacier

Now while that’s rather dramatic, I believe we made the right choice. It provided unparalleled scenery that’s given me a new perspective on our 49^th state. Another reason to consider Princess: it’s one of the few cruise lines with coveted permission to travel through the spectacular park.
 

When to Go?
The books and travel agents told us:

Spring—if you want less rain and clearer view of the mountains
Summer—if you want more wildlife
Fall—if you want fewer crowds

My advice is to forget it all—go when you want. I say that because we chose spring and had rain or overcast skies for six out of seven days.

How to Get it All in One Suitcase?
We live in Florida, so when we Caribbean cruise, we just drive to Ft. Lauderdale. That means we can pack just about anything. It was a whole different ball game going to Alaska. The more we read about what to bring, the more we wondered, how the dickens do we get all that in one, 50-pound suitcase? Here are a few tips to tackle that what-do-I-pack dilemma:

·       Jeans at dinner. Really. Surprisingly, the Alaska cruise was more casual than the ones in the Caribbean and I was astounded to find folks showing up in the main dining room on casual nights in jeans (at least on Princess). After a few days, I joined them. If the cruise line didn’t like it, it didn’t let on

 

·       It’s what’s outside the ship that counts. Here’s another big difference between Alaska and Caribbean cruises: you’re in Alaska to see the scenery and wildlife. Invest in cameras, binoculars and comfortable clothing

·       Think simple, basic and warm. You can skip the bathing suit, cover-up and flip-flops. The suntan lotion and sun hats. All you need are jeans, shirts and a coat. A few nice outfits for formal nights and if you want to get out of those jeans once in a while. And that’s pretty much it

The Alaska cruise got us out of our comfort zone and I'll be forever pleased we did it. If you’re on the fence, I urge you to give it a try because it will be a unique, truly memorable experience. The scenery is otherworldly, the ports are Hollywood-cute and the shopping is a blast (salmon jerky, anyone?). But, just so you don’t get shocked—there’s a Del Sol and Diamond International in Juneau!