What is it About Cruising that Makes Us Love it So?

And miss it so!

“Cruise Fans Yearn to Ship Out,” declared a recent Wall Street Journal headline. “Landlubbers who wrote this industry off for dead just don’t get it…it seems hard-core cruise goers can’t wait to climb back aboard,” the article went on to say.

And then the WSJ handed us a responsibility as big as the ships we sail in:  it’s the “hard-core cruise goers” who are going keep the industry afloat.

Now, back to my question: why do we love cruising so?

Could it be because of the view? The ocean’s gradations of blue, the Technicolor sunsets or vast unbroken horizon?

Saying "Bon Voyage" to Ft. Lauderdale under an ever-changing sky

Maybe it’s the dancing in the piazza or bodega, or outdoors under the stars.

 

"YMCA" on the Royal Princess

Or, melting into a massage, sharing secrets at The Marriage Game or gambling the night away.

 

Healing on Harmony of the Seas

It could be the island hopping, each day bringing a different vibe—from the peaceful Mahogany Bay to the frenetic streets of Aruba to the fanciful Curaçao skyline.

Colorful Curacao

Perhaps it’s nabbing front-row seats at “Mamma Mia,” then hitting a comedy club, followed by jazz—without paying a cent or stepping outside.

Then, it could be all about the food. Whether it comes to our door or we actually have to walk to it, the food is there whenever we want it. From burgers to bruschetta, fries to fajitas and cupcakes to mousse cakes.

Sweet sampling from Harmony of the Seas

For many, it’s the sunning, drinking, grooving to music and people-watching at the pool from sun up to sun down, topping it off with a hot tub dip.

 

Fun in the sun on Allure of the Seas

Or, is it the chance to do flip-flops 24/7? And unpack just once.

No wonder we can’t wait to climb that gangway. And we’re willing to do it even if it means wearing face masks, keeping our distance, taking our temperature and getting served in the buffet.

If we’re being charged with keeping the industry going, we’ll do it with the passion only a veteran cruiser can understand. So, dear reader, the time has come for us to do the only decent thing—book our next cruise!

Surviving the Wait with a Cruise on the Way

Cruise on the way? You hardly need help getting excited, but here, anyway, are a few ideas for surviving the wait:

It’s a while away

Weight not guilt. Losing a few pounds now will go a long way toward guilt-free eating on your upcoming seven-day orgy.

 

These are calling your name.

Calling all rolls. Join an online roll call to virtually meet your fellow cruisers. You can join one on cruisecritic.com: Boards.

Meet and Mingle. Meet your roll call buddies in the flesh by signing up through cruisecritic.com for a Meet and Mingle event onboard. They can take the form of a party or “Cabin Crawl” (checking out the different staterooms) and can sometimes include drawings for logo prizes.

That’s app. Download Cruiseline.com’s free ShipMate mobile app for a trip countdown, cruise ship and port reviews, photos, roll calls and more.

Do your homework. Be sure to find out if you need to sign up for shows in advance (for example, on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships. Also, watch for sales on dining and beverage packages, and read the forums for ideas on excursions.

You need a reservation to see Ocean Aria on Allure of the Seas.

Throw yourself a party. Give yourself a bon voyage with a Caribbean-themed party to the tune of Harry Belafonte’s “Day O,” Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” or Arrow’s “Hot, Hot, Hot.” Do up a batch of rum punch and practice your moves.

It’s getting closer

Almost like being there. Get a sneak peek in real time of the ports right from your device of choice with webcams. Here are a few sites:

• larrysvacationwebcams.com – ships, ports, resorts and destinations
• cruise-addicts.com – ship and port cams
• cruiseoutlook.com – ship cams

Ft. Lauderdale in your future? Find your pier at Porteverglades.net, the official website of Port Everglades. It includes a port map and two weeks before you sail, you can find out from which pier by viewing the Ship Schedule on the homepage.

It’s 2 a.m. Do you know where your ship is? Check out where your ship is at any given moment, how fast it’s moving and toward where. This can be particularly helpful if you know there’s a delay. The best site is www.marinetraffic.com.

Weather or not. For last minute packing, check out the weather reports for your ports of call at cruiseoutlook.com. Then ignore it, because we know you can trust the weather reports anyway!

Lugging Your Luggage and Other Things You Should Know About Getting Your Stuff Onboard and Off

One of the great things about cruising is that once you unpack, you don’t need to look at your luggage again for the rest of the trip. 

But that doesn’t make getting it on and off any less painful.

There are a few things we’ve discovered along the way, though, that have eased the burden a bit:

Plasticize your cruise tags. Printing the paper cruise luggage tags and stapling them to the handles is a hassle. And it’s way too easy for them to come off. Some folks laminate them. But investing just a few dollars in Amazon will get you plastic cruise tag holders with a secure wire clasp. Beats paper and staples anytime.

Shower your suitcase with color. Regular readers of this blog may remember our recent horror story of how our suitcase was taken by mistake in the cruise terminal and almost ended up 700 miles away from home. Tie a yellow ribbon—or a fuchsia one, for that matter—and whatever else will identify your case as your own. Be sure to add your name and contact info. A lock on it won’t hurt either.

Ensure your bags are ship shape. You don’t want to get to sea and discover you can only get at your clothing with a knife. Or that you need duct tape to keep it all in your suitcase when you leave. We’ve come uncomfortably close to getting in a jam—literally.

Watch your pockets. Be careful what you store in the outside pockets of your suitcase. There was a sad story in a Cruise Critic forum of a couple who put their passports in their suitcase outside pocket. With the chaos at drop-off, their suitcases were swiftly hauled away—before the couple could take out their passports. So their luggage went on the cruise without them.

Tip the bag handler. I don’t know about other ports, but in Port Everglades, if you want to ever see your bags again, be ready to tip the guy who takes them. Seriously.

What to carry on in your carryon. Aside from the usual stuff—medicines, valuables, etc.—bring anything breakable with you. If you ever saw how the bag handlers handled the bags, you’d cringe. If you ever saw the bags piled high on the carts and knew yours was on the bottom, you’d cringe. If you ever saw the way the crew dragged them through the ship hallways, you’d cringe. You get the picture.

Go door to door. If your stuff doesn’t show up by evening, wander the halls. More than once, we’ve found ours in front of someone else’s door.

Give ‘em up or keep ‘em with you? For the first time in 20+ cruises, we decided to do a walk off with our bags when we left. It was an experiment. The upside? We didn’t have to rush to meet that 11 p.m. deadline the night before to get our bags outside the door, sit around the next day for our number to be called and then hope our luggage was still there in the terminal. We could stroll out of the ship—albeit laden with luggage—whenever we felt like it.

There was a downside, though. The walk from room to pavement is a long and crowded one.

Alas, I’m sorry to say, on Disembarkation Day, there’s no easy way!

Peak Experiences from Sea Level

Every vacation has its peak experiences—those I-will-always-remember moments. But it seems like cruising has more than most.

In a nostalgic mood, I thought about some of my own from the past year:

Exuberance and song. “Mamma Mia” on Allure of the Seas was nothing short of spectacular. How many shows have you seen where the audience jumps out of their seats in joyous appreciation? The wonderful ABBA music, the fabulous Broadway-quality voices and being on vacation converge for a knock-your-socks-off experience. I haven’t been able to get the songs out of my head ever since.

Savory and sweet on Central Park. On both Allure and Harmony of the Seas, the 150 Central Park specialty restaurants both delivered melt-on-the-tongue short ribs, smooth and silky squash soup with pumpkin seeds and an amazing sweet and salty chocolate tart. It once again confirmed that the specialty restaurants are worth the extra cost.

Nature reigned. The December super moon framed by the clouds over the lights of Harmony's Central Park, and the streaks of gold, rust and plum over the high rises of Ft. Lauderdale were vivid reminders that there’s no better way to see the drama of the skies than from the balcony of a cruise ship.

Techie treats. I was skeptical at first, but after watching the robo bartenders on Harmony, I had to admit, well, they’re kinda cute. Especially when they wiggle their upside-down containers to try and get the last drops of adult beverage into your cup. I can’t wait to see what Royal Caribbean comes up with next. Robo room stewards? Bionic baristas? Whizzy wait staff?  

Lapping it up in Labadee. Once again, it was a toss-up on what was the peak-er experience—bargaining for and buying the beach scene paintings that now grace my home office walls or floating on my back in Haiti’s crystal clear calm waters.

Then there was the day the sea was so still…the burst of cool from the gin and tonic in 

Central Park…discovering we could bring our free Diamond Club wine into the restaurant to drink with dinner…napping on the balcony on Harmony in the reclining chair…

These were my peak cruising moments last year. What were yours?

Photos by RJGreenburg

What's a-Musing About Cruising?

 …When the captain of one of the world’s largest ships imitates the acrobat coming on stage next.

…When the captain of another huge ship drives its little tender into a port to passengers’ applause.

…When water sloshing around a pool one windy day causes someone to say, “I didn’t know this ship had a wave pool.”

…When an elderly woman grips the arm of her son, saying, “I must be getting old; I’m feeling so unsteady.” “Ma,” says her son. “The seas are six feet—everyone’s feeling unsteady.”

…When you can’t understand why your sea card isn’t opening your door—until you discover you’ve got the wrong stateroom.

...When, during the “Newlywed” takeoff, a husband says the most unusual place he and wife “did it” was in a casket at a funeral home.

…When my cruise companion, who shrinks in horror from the spotlight, thinks he’s far enough from the stage to avoid the comedian’s eye…and then finds out he isn’t!

…When there’s a bear in my coffee and a monkey in my room

... Drinks are a-blinking in colored lights

...Balloons drop for people to pop

...Kids in bow tie and teens in tie-dye

...A guy in a kilt, women dressed to the hilt

...The crowd going wild for “YMCA,” the Love Boat “crew” dancing disco today, Ft. Lauderdale beachgoers waving us away…

In fact, there’s a lot that’s a-Musing About Cruising. Don’t you think?

Happy holidays, happy cruising and see you in 2017!

How Blue is the Ocean, How Gorgeous is the Sky

I fell madly, wildly in love in Willemstad, Curaçao.

With the absolutely stunning, positively magical, spectacularly flamboyant scene in the sky. And I’ve been hooked on sunsets ever since.

There's positively no better place to see a sunset than on your stateroom balcony or a deck of a cruise ship. No powerlines, lampposts or trees to block the view. Just wide open sea and sky. It’s a vast canvas for nature’s most perfect paintbrush.

The launch of my love affair with sunsets

If you’re like me, when you see a magnificent sunset, you remember it always. You not only remember the way the sky looked, but where you were and what you were doing. And photos of those moments bring it all back in living color.

There are so many ways you can take sunset photos—whether your electronic device of choice is a smartphone, tablet or camera. Consider this:

Pink one minute, blue the next. In a very short period, the colors and configurations can change radically—and dramatically. Take lots of shots—don’t be stingy—you’ll be surprised at the variation.

When the clouds roll in. Sunsets get even more interesting when the clouds get in your way. And as the photo sites say, don’t forget to turn around—it may be even more eye-popping behind you.

Spotlight through the clouds

Sunshine on the water. Another neat shot is focusing on the ocean as a blazing setting sun reflects on the water, changing it to a most unreal kind of color.

Ft. Lauderdale in a blaze of color

Picture this. Shooting a sunset with buildings in the distance can add an interesting element to your photo. So, too, can capturing a bird in flight against a color-streaked sky.

A third of something else. The pros talk about the “rule of thirds,” where the most interesting subject is not in the center of the shot, but rather to one side, above or below. So, your best shot might be with the setting sun off to the left or right of your frame.

Little bit of this, a lot of that. One decision you’ll need to make is how much ocean and how much sky you put in your picture. Try more of one and less of the other, than reverse it, to see what you like best.

Best in silhouette. Getting your cruise companion in silhouette or from behind as he/she gazes into the distance can make a different shot.

The sunset, sea and me

Being at the ready. A camera-worthy sunset can come up when you least expect it. Have your camera ready to go. You’ll need to be able to grab it when you need it, because sunsets are quickie events.

Getting in front of them

Being there when it happens is the biggest challenge. It’s not like there’s an announcement on the PA, “There’s a great sunset, guys. Stop what you’re doing and take a look.” I’m sure we’ve missed countless beauties ‘cause we’ve eaten early.

But here’s something I wish I had known earlier: this great website lets you look up—even long before your trip has even started—the time of sunrise and sunset at the ports you’re visiting when you’re going to be there.

In the field “Sun,” Sunrise and Sunset Times,” enter the city and island. Then on the next screen, pick the menu “Sunrise and Sunset,” scroll all the way to the bottom and it will allow you to pick a month.

You’ve got the photos. Now what?

So, what do you do with those photos? You can frame them for your wall, add them to your digital frame or turn one into a mousepad. See the posting “What to Do with Those Cruise Trip Photos” for some ideas.

Musing’s Top Tip: Didn’t get enough of the sky at sundown? There’s a great (free!) smart phone app you can use to identify the stars in that dark wide open night sky. It’s called SkyView® and you can get it from Google Play.

Having Fun From Day 1

The day’s finally come. Your cruise is about to start. How do you make sure you have fun from Day 1?

Be an early bird and add hours to your trip. Think about it: a seven day cruise is really six days.

Especially if you get on board on the late side on Embarkation Day. Most ships let you start boarding at 11:30 a.m. You usually can’t get into your room until 1-ish, but you can beeline to the buffet for an early lunch, carry-on in tow, then drop by your stateroom for a quick change and be at the pool by 2.

The way in. As you climb up the gangway and your home for the coming seven days looms closer, if you’re on Celebrity, you’ll get greeted with champagne. On Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, you’ll walk right into the busy Promenade. However you come in…

…Be ready for hectic. E-Day is a swirl of madness. Thousands are boarding at once with their carry-ons, sun hats and smart phones, elevators fill to the brim and no one has a clue where they’re going. You’re searching for your stateroom among hundreds that all look the same, squeezing past crew members in narrow hallways, who are lugging luggage, linen carts and vacuums.

Doing lunch. There aren’t a whole lot of choices on E-Day for lunch. Most head for the buffet, which is why you should expect it to be like Disney during school vacation. Best advice is to find a table first—it’ll take some patience and perseverance—claim it with a sweater, newsletter or other stuff—and then go get your chow.

Go on a treasure hunt…for your room steward. Your steward should introduce himself soon after you settle into your room. If he doesn’t, check the desk or coffee table for his name and give him a call. Don’t be shy about giving him your wish list. Consider:

·         Water and/or ice every day 

·         Thin blanket (really, duvets for the Caribbean?)

·         Wine glasses

·         Empty out frig (to make way for your wine)

·         Mattress pads (Princess ships!)

Get the lay of the land…uh, ship. Wander the decks, study the directories on lobby walls, get your bearing and learn your way around. Some ships have guided tours to speed this process; check your newsletter to see if yours has one. Oasis class ships have fabulous touch-screen finders in the lobbies; with a few flicks of your fingers, you can find out quickly how to get from here to there.

But don’t get too comfy too fast. You haven’t gone through the muster drill yet. It’s usually right before takeoff. You can’t get out of it, so don’t even try. You’ll want to know what to do in an emergency anyway. And they’re typically short and painless. Besides, when else will you get a chance to see quite how many others will be sharing your space in the days to come?

The time to change is now. If you need to change your main dining room seating, this is the time to do it. Ask guest relations when and where the maître d’ is camping out and get in line.

The beginning of the end of the first day as Ft. Lauderdale magnificently floats away

Get organized. With the muster drill out of the way and your dinner seating settled, it’s time to unpack, stow your luggage and go play. Check out the party at sail-away or go out on the balcony to party your way! 

Musing’s Top Tip: Heading for the Bahamas? Check out this great site for what you can expect on the heat, humidity, water temp, number of sun hours and more!



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. 

How to Be a Tightwad and Still Have Fun

We’re not the cruise lines’ best customers. Well, yes, we’ve done a lot of cruising—14 so far, with number 15 coming up fast. But we spend little beyond the cost of the cruise.

Yet our tightwad-ness does not detract from the experience one little bit. In fact, that we are frugal on trips allows us to take more of them.

If you’re on a tight budget or just want to be able to afford more trips, here are a few tips on saving money when you cruise:

Start at the very beginning. Get the lowest price on the cruise that you can. There’s plenty of info out there on how to snag the best price. For example, book early—at least a year out—for the best price and choice of room. Or, get a last-minute deal. If you’re going with a cruise line you’ve sailed with before, you might be able to get a loyalty club discount.

Saving the night before. When we first started cruising, we spent the night before in the traffic-clogged, high-octane, always-expensive, stress-producing Ft. Lauderdale. We wised up and now stay outside of town, for a cheaper, more relaxing experience. This only works, of course, if you’re driving to the port.

The lowdown on stateroom savings. The cost of a stateroom varies all over the place. Not just inside room (the bottom price) vs. suite (the top price), but categories of staterooms, based on where they are on the ship and where they are on each deck. Getting a room on “guarantee” (the ship picks where you’re going to end up) can snag savings.

A trip within a trip can pay off—or not. While cruise line-sponsored excursions at the ports can be memorable, other times they’re not worth the cost. You can try reading the forums (such as on cruisecritic.com), but with the cruise lines offering so many, it’s hard to get any feedback on the specific excursion you’re interested in. Look carefully at the excursion itinerary and the timing to help make a decision.

No-cost beaching. Some ports have nearby beaches or pools you can use for free, so you can skip the beach excursions. Some examples: St. Maarten’s Philipsburg (tender to the public beach right in

The public beach in St. Maarten's Philipsburg

town), Aruba’s Oranjestad (public beach is about a 10-minute walk from the pier), Grand Turk (beach--as well as a big pool--are right at the pier) and Costa Maya (huge public pool right at the pier).

Walk, don’t cab. Balance off all that sitting and eating onboard with a walk into town. Not only do you get to see more of the town that way, but you’ll burn off some calories, which makes room for some more!

Booze for free. Most of the cruise lines now allow you to bring a few bottles of wine on board. And if you cruise a few times on one line, you’ll automatically be included in their loyalty club, which entitles you to special events, which often include free drinks.

Ask the veterans for their tips. Anyone who has cruised a few times has money-saving tips of their own. Like when you’re in St. Maarten, invest in the unlimited tender fee instead of the one-trip fee, so you can go back and forth to the ship as many times as you want. Or take advantage of the free wi-fi at the library in Dominica’s Roseau, which is just a short walk from the pier. Get your bottles of rum at the Kmart near the Havensight port in St. Thomas.

If you don’t think the excursions, specialty restaurants, bar bill and casino visits add up, consider this: on his first cruise, what a friend of mine spent on all of these nearly equaled the cost of the cruise itself!

Have some of your own tips for saving money on cruises? Please let us all know!