Don’t Miss the Boat!

Time waits for no man—and neither does the cruise ship. 

If you don't show reverence to Time, here's where the ship could leave you behind:

Flying the same day you cruise. Inevitably, there’s someone in a cruisecritic.com board asking if it’s safe to fly the same day you cruise. (Someone recently wanted to fly in—I kid you not—two hours before the ship was to set sail.)

And just as inevitably, there’s someone else complaining that they missed their cruise because their flight was cancelled or delayed.

Picking an excursion not cruise-line sponsored. Now, I know some of you will disagree, because non-sponsored excursions can be cheaper. But if the bus breaks down, or the driver runs out of gas or gets caught in traffic…if the ship didn’t sponsor it, it’s not going to wait for you.

Going by local time. If you’re cruising into a different time zone but the ship doesn’t change with it, going by store clocks in port can trip you up. Some smart phones automatically update to the local time, so using that as your guide is also not a good thing. 

So, what happens if you do, indeed, miss the boat? Maybe you can jump onboard at the next port—if there is a next port.

But whether you’re trying to catch up with the ship or just get back to home base, it’ll be on your dime. And it’s likely to be a big dime—and all because you lost track of Time.

How to Do But Not Overdo

You’ve got a cruise coming. Do you have visions of daiquiris dancing in your head? Dreams of basking in the Caribbean sun? Fantasies of unlimited burgers and fries?

Your seven-day piece of heaven, though, could turn into a seven-day piece of you-know-where if you let your excitement get the best of you. Here are some tips to help you stay healthy before and during your trip—so you have nothing but great stories to tell when you get home:

Before the trip

Sleep well, stay well, play well. Do whatever you need to do to get enough sleep. People who get less than seven hours of sleep a night are three times more likely to get a cold than those who get eight hours or more.¹

Stuff your suitcase. Even if you don’t think you’ll need it, bring stuff. Motion sickness remedies. Band-aids, aspirin, cold medicine. Nose spray and ear spray. Anti-acid pills. Yeah, the ship may have some or all of these, but you won’t get a choice and it’ll cost you a pretty penny.

Typical choices at inflated prices

Keep your distance. If someone close to you gets sick, follow him/her around with a sanitizer. (Do you think a face mask is going too far?) Use soap and water on any common things he or she may touch—phones, remote controls and door handles.

Ensure you’re insured. Trip insurance is your assurance you can get something back if you do have to cancel because you’re sick.

Once onboard

Sanitize the stateroom. As soon as you settle in, soap down the door handles, TV remote, telephone and light switches.

Pace thyself. Resist temptation—don’t try to eat it all, drink it all, on the first day. Or the second. Because a stomach problem or hangover will put a serious pall on your cruise.

The sun will come out tomorrow. Spend too much time by the pool the first day and on the second day, you’ll surely pay. Take the tanning slowly.

Wash your hands. Or use handi-wipes. A lot. After using the remote control. The elevator button. Soup ladle. Salt shaker. When you grab the banister. Shake hands with a guest. Or the crew.

In the port

Know your right from your left. At many of the ports, they drive on the left. Make sure you know which way to look when you cross the street.

Keep the buggers away. Where there’s foliage, there’s sure to be mosquitos. Dousing yourself with Deet may not be neat, but it will help prevent you from becoming a meal for the native pests.

Careful consumption. If you do eat or drink in port, do so in places that draw crowds. You don’t want to end your port stay with a visit to the ship’s doctor.

If you get sick. Take it easy for a few days. Yeah, it can be a bummer. But it will rescue your trip and you’re sure to appreciate it—once you start feeling better.

¹blogs.scientificamerican.com

Photos by rj greenburg

Squeezing an SUV into a VW Beetle or How to Get What You Pack into Your Stateroom

How small is a cruise ship stateroom?

Well, the average U.S. hotel room is 300 square feet.¹

College dorm room? Around 180.²

And the ship stateroom? Sadly, about 175.¹

Smaller than a dorm room.

When you consider how much you’re going to pack into that room—play clothes, formal clothes, travel clothes, electronics, and so on—you can’t help but wonder, how is that going to work?

Luckily, the cruise lines have managed to work a fair amount of storage space into that bite-sized room that’s going to be your floating home for a week. Some ships have more than others, but here are some tips for finding a spot for all that you’ve got:

Off the door and into the closet. Carnival recently made waves with some restrictions on over-the-door shoe organizers. You can get around this by bringing the kind that fit inside the closet (it has hooks on the top that hang from the bar). Yeah, it eats into your space for hanging clothes, but you’d be surprised how much extra storage this adds. Three of these (one for clothing and two for shoes/knickknacks) fit very comfortably in Princess’ large closets and even (though snugly) in the smaller Royal Caribbean ones.

This organizer is perfect for shirts and
underwear and folds into a compact package
for your suitcase. Get it at
Target or Walmart.

Look under the bed. There’s a lot of space down there. When closet and drawer space is tight, consider keeping half of your clothes in your suitcases stored under the bed. About midway through the trip, I do a swap—take the clean clothes out of the suitcase and onto the shelves, and store the dirty ones back under the bed.

Climbing the walls. You don’t need to take up space on your night table—your walls function as a note-holding device. Just throw a few magnets in your suitcase before leaving home.

Bare the frig. On embarkation day, ask your room steward to take all those high-priced drinks and snacks that you won’t touch out of the frig, and use it for the wine or water you bring, or snacks from the buffet. Some cruise lines are now just providing an empty frig.

Safe and sound. Don’t forget about the safe—in addition to wallets, keys and jewelry, it’s also a great place to store smartphones, smaller tablets and anything else you’re not likely to use as you cruise.

Pack your smarts. If you’re flying to the cruise, you’ve got built-in over-packing protection—it’s called baggage cost. But if you’re driving to the port, there’s nothing stopping you from stuffing your bags—except self-control. What’s worked for me—uh, sort of—is to pack, and then repack, saying over and over in my head, “am I really going to wear this?” I pull out a few things…and then still take too much.

¹nbcnews.com

²WSJ, 8/12

What is Amber Cove Great For?

Carnival’s newest cruise-line-made resort in the Dominican Republic is all about the pool. It’s huge, curvy and appealing, with loungers built right into the water, a swim-up bar, waiters roaming with trays of coconut-shelled drinks and non-stop piped-in music.

There are two long and winding tubular water slides—one open and the other closed—and a slew of water sports to choose from, as well as a water park kiddie area. You can rent a cabana that sits over the ocean. Or, zip-line across the resort.

What it’s good for

In grand Carnival style, the place is nicely foliaged, with lots of tropical flowers and palms—we even saw a bunch of bananas hanging from one. And all this is quite scenic against the island’s lush green mountains, making for some good picture-taking.

You can get up close to flowers like plumeria and Golden Trumpet for macro shots, or do a panorama of the surrounding ocean from the Sky Bar atop the resort’s highest point. Steps or a gravel ramp will take you there.

What it’s okay for

The shopping, at this writing, has a feel of not-quite-there yet. The gateway to the resort brings you into the usual perfumes-and-liquor shop, but it does have some local rums, coffee, candy and other food stuffs.

It opens to a huge plaza that’s screaming for vendor stalls—but there aren’t any. There are a few colorful masks for decoration, a faux rock waterfall and museum-ish panel display of “Republica Dominicana” highlights, like the details on the resort’s namesake gemstone. The plaza is rimmed with about a dozen or so stores—jewelry and souvenir shops, and a small artisan market.

What it’s not good for

The beach. Because there is none.

Alas, this alone makes it pale in comparison to Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s own resort on the other side of the island, where the beach is positively luscious in its beauty and cove-conducing calm waters.

While you can get to a beach from Amber Cove through an excursion, there’s nothing like being able to saunter off your ship and find paradise at your feet.

Bottom line

With its pretty setting and modern facility, Amber Cove has a lot of potential and over time, will most likely grow. In the meanwhile, if you’re into the pool experience, you’ll find a lot to like there.

If you’re not a pool person, pack along your camera. Shooting the flora and oversized A-m-b-e-r C-o-v-e letters against the sea is more than worth getting off the ship for.

Luscious, Loquacious Labadee: the Jewel in Royal Caribbean’s Crown

When your ship nears Labadee, you’re immediately struck by its sheer loveliness. Lush, dark green mountains pull you in, the water blues and as you sidle up to the dock, you get the feeling paradise is just a few sand grains away.

 And you’re right. Royal Caribbean’s secluded and sprawling piece of Haiti, which it has leased until 2050 as its private itinerary port stop, is resplendent with calm coves perfect for swimming, water sports, food, drink, entertainment, and a large and exotic artisan market. You’re sure to find something to, well, float your boat:
 
Can’t sit still? You’ve got a lot of choices here—zip-lining nearly 50 mph over the surf, jet skiing, parasailing, snorkeling and kayaking. There are tucked-away spots for swimming in the gentle, clear water. And for the little ones, a water park with a 300-ft. slide.

 

Sun worship’s more your thing? The resort has lounge chairs ‘a plenty—crammed arm-to-arm facing the sea—as well as dotted throughout the resort in two-sies and three-sies under the sun or in the shade of the palms just tailor-made for napping.

 

Want to feel the rhythm?  Singers and bands—many in native dress—can be found in a number of spots to keep your toes tapping through your flip-flops.
 
Drink and be merry. Like all the cruise lines’ private islands, bars abound. And your sea card will be happy to pay the way.
 
Itching to spend? The artisan market is where a bit of the real Haiti shows up. A vast array of crafts, local and otherwise, can be bought at super reasonable prices. Some samples: doll in native dress: $11; painted magnet: $1; necklace beaded with coffee beans: $2. Note that you’ll need cash here; your ship card won’t get you anywhere.
 

Bargaining is not only welcome, but expected and encouraged. And what better way to keep your cruise going after it’s gone than to buy a bright and colorful, Caribbean-style original painting for your wall at home? A painting that started out at $40, after some haggling, was had for $16.
 
But be forewarned: shopping here is not for the faint-hearted. The shopkeepers are very aggressive and to be successful, you’ll need a coat of armor. Repeat after me: “No thank you. No thank you. No thank you.”
 
What else do you need to know?

Cabana for the day—You can rent cabanas at Nellie’s Beach for $395 or one over the water for $495, both work for up to six guests.

Stroll on, stroll off—Ships dock (vs. tender), so you can get on and off as many times as you want.

Bathrooms abound—Never fear, there’s always a restroom near.

Walk or ride—A free tram runs continuously with stations throughout the port.

It’ll make you feel all right—Skip the beer and get it here—the one and only Labadoozie. 

What to Know Before You Go

You’ve done your shopping, planning and packing. But before you sit back and tick off the days, here are some things to know before you go:
 
First things first. Did you do your online check-in? How far in advance you need to do it varies by cruise line. We do it about six weeks before the trip. While you’re printing up your boarding pass, don’t forget to also do the luggage tags. You’ll need a color printer for these. And to staple them to your bags.


Signing a waiver is a must for climbing the walls
on Royal Caribbean ships

And did you…Sign up for shows (Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships), book the specialty restaurants you wanted to, sign the waivers that you need? (For Royal Caribbean, to use the zip line, FlowRider®, rock climbing and skating; you can sign them online up to three days before you leave.)

Carryon but don’t carry on. Most of the time, your luggage doesn’t show up at your stateroom right away. In fact, sometimes, it doesn’t even show up in time for dinner. So, you might want to slip something nicer than your shorts into your carryon. 


You'll need reservations for the Allure's
150 Central Park

When to bring your own. Even though the ships provide these, you might want to consider bringing your own blow dryer and shampoo. The ship blow dryers are usually substandard and the mass market cruise ships today are all going to shampoo dispensers in the shower.

Speaking of bringing your own, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Princess all let you bring a limited number of bottles of wine onboard. You can only drink them in your stateroom without incurring extra cost, but there’s nothing like sipping white wine on the balcony. You can get some nice wine bottle carriers with shoulder straps, which make toting them onto the ship a snap.  
 
All that baggage. When you get to the port, you’ll be surrendering all your suitcases except your carryon. Expect chaos. There are cabs, buses and cars converging in the same small place, trying to avoid creaming cruisers and each other. You’ll be directed to the drop-off, where baggage guys will take your suitcases off your hands and onto the ship.
 
Some of the cruise lines are offering fly/luggage programs, where they handle your luggage from flight to float, so you don’t even need to deal with it at all. There is a fee for this service.
 
Important: tip them. The baggage guys expect tips. The online forums are filled with horror stories of when people didn’t give them money or even when the amount fell short. Bottom line: if you want to see your stuff again, tip them and tip them enough.
 
Your passport to pleasure. Keep your passport handy when you get to the terminal. You’ll need to show it several times as you make your way to check-in. You will also need to present your boarding pass (what you print up during the online process) when you check in at the terminal.
 
In sickness and in health. A routine part of the check-in process these days is that you sign a form acknowledging that you don’t have any signs of sickness. What they’re really looking for is to keep norovirus from coming onboard with you.
 
Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. Speaking of norovirus, the best way to stay healthy during your trip is not to dodge the lady with the spray, and to also bring your own stuff. The bad germs can be spread via railings and banisters, elevator buttons, ladles in the buffet, salt and pepper shakers, the TV remote control, telephone, door knobs and I’m sure there are some I haven’t thought of. We bring our own wet wipes and sanitizer sprays and use them continuously throughout each day.

Two smiles and says cheese. You’ll have two photos at check in—one you must say yes to, and the other is up to you. The first is for your sea card, which is your ID card and credit card rolled into one. You can’t get on or off the ship without it.

The other photo is for the benefit of the ship’s photographer, who will nab you as you head toward the gangway. You can oblige him. Or duck him. The choice is yours.

 
Read the fine print. Every day, your room steward will leave you with a newsletter, which is full of info on the activities of the day. Read it closely. There are details on when to be back onboard after port, whether you need to reset your watch and how to dress for dinner. As well as the shows, the sales and the all-important drink of the day. And sometimes, even the best events onboard are buried in the fine print.
 
Well, now you know it all. What’s left? Check out the weather at your ports of call, use your free Ship Mate app to track your ship and…have a great trip!

Musing’s Top Tip: Check out the great article from Travel & Leisure on the best time to apply for a passport and what you can expect on wait times. For more on passports, see the posting “The One Thing You Absolutely Must Know Before You Cruise.”

 

 

Off Course and Worth It

They’re not on many cruise itineraries. But if you find St. Croix, Bonaire or St. Barts on one—grab it. It’ll be worth it. Here, in brief, is why:
 
St. Croix
Unlike St. Thomas, its overbearing sibling, St. Croix is reassuringly laidback. The cruise terminal is at Frederiksted, known as “Freedom City,” founded in 1751 and the island’s second-largest town (the capital is Christiansted, a short drive from the port).
 
Frederiksted’s lovely Strand Street promenade is perfect for enjoying the crystal-clear waters and rocky shore without getting your feet wet. Birds and crabs do their thing among the craggy shoreline, and unbroken conch shells lay untouched amid other natural debris washed up by the sea. Alas, it’s a crime—literally—to take any of these as souvenirs.

There’s a veterans park along the waterfront, honoring the various branches and those who have served, as well as a number of 18^th century homes.
 
Just outside the pier is a plaza, where you’ll find vendors selling mostly craft jewelry and art objects. The plaza is remarkable for its large clock and statue of slave rebellion leader Buddhoe blowing a conch shell in a dramatic gesture of freedom).
 
There’s also a small beach just a short walk from the pier, but the water is rocky underfoot and more suited for sunbathing than swimming.

Bonaire
Bonny Bonaire is one of the ABC islands where the water is so clear and fish so plentiful that you can enjoy aquarium-worthy gazing right from the pier. As we stood looking down, vivid blue and green fish meandered by. The promenade along the shore offers spectacular views of the water’s palate of blue hues. Pass homes and hotels fronted with palms and cactus, and adornments to remind you of the island’s Dutch past.
 
If you head toward the vendors, you’ll think the ship took a wrong turn and landed in Scarsdale. Vendors’ wares are more made-at-home than made in China. Think painted soaps and needlework vs. t-shirts and ashtrays. The main shopping street has some tourist shops and a chance to buy the local craft—painted gourds, which make great Christmas ornaments.
 
And like St. Croix, you’ll enjoy the rare experience of being the only ship in port.  

St. Barts
With no pier large enough to support a cruise ship, tendering is the only way to get to St. Barthélemy, a territory of France (officially an “overseas collectivity”). But when your tender sidles up to the pier in Gustavia, you’ll find yourself in the French Riviera cum Caribbean.
 
French is the language, Euro’s the currency, locals chat over wine and burgers at outdoor cafes, and there’s even a patisserie hidden away on a back street.
 

But this place is all about the water. The harbor is compact and crammed with sailboats. But what you notice first is the volume of colossal yachts, each bigger the next. It’s no wonder that the gourmet shop in town’s business card reads “Yacht Provisioning.”
 
St. Barts—or St. Barths—its nickname is spelled both ways—is clearly an affluent place. Its people are thin, tanned and well groomed. They pull into town on their dinghies from their yacht moorings or navigate the island’s steep and narrow streets on mopeds or golf cart/car hybrids. The streets are so tight that most cars park half on/half off the sidewalk. 

With the bustling traffic, narrow streets, cruise passengers and locals clogging the sidewalks, getting around is a bit of a challenge, but the ambience is unlike anywhere else in the Caribbean. And after dipping into some boutiques you need a pick-me-up, you can choose from many restaurants and cafes, as well as an ice cream shop.
 
For a foodie like me, the supermarket on the centrally located Quai de la République was a wonderland. Rabbit and choucroute in a can, cleaned-out baguette bins and hundreds of wines lovingly displayed in their own metal encasements reminded me we weren’t in the U.S. anymore.
 
But be forewarned: the shops in St. Barts are chic and dear. A simple refrigerator magnet to remind you of your visit will cost about $11.
 
Shell Beach is walkable, which means in this one stop, you can shop, swim, eat and drink—my definition of a really great port stop.                                                         
 
Musing’s Top Tip: Celebrity offers itineraries that include all three of these islands and Azamara sails to St. Barts. Holland America offers cruises that include Bonaire and St. Croix.

Knowing Your ABCs

"Arizona by the Sea," otherwise known as Bonaire

Cactus in the Caribbean? I couldn’t believe it either. But, sure enough, the arid climate creates desert-like conditions right alongside the dazzling blue waters of the ABCs, short for Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. It’s enough to have earned Bonaire the nickname “Arizona by the Sea.”

If you haven’t yet made it to the Leeward ABCs in the Southern Caribbean, off the Venezuelan coast, get onboard quick. They’re a confluence of Dutch, Caribbean and Spanish vibes, desert and ocean landscapes, and each is colorful and interesting in its own way. And best of all for those of us who like to cruise on the cheap—there’s a ton to do just a stone’s throw from the pier.

Here, in brief, are some of the walkable highlights of the ABCs:

Aruba: Shopping, Iguanas and Anne Frank

What you notice most about Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba and port city, is color. Buildings in pink and yellow, trimmed in white. Green parakeets perched on palm trees. Hues of blue sea. Princess calls it “Holland meets Disney’s Fantasia.”
 
But no backwater is this; Aruba is vibrant and bustling. And a lot of fun to explore. Pose for the tablet camera while you drape yourself over the giant “I love [heart] Aruba.” And if you haven’t already lost enough money on the ship, there are some casinos that, to quote a cruise director, “would welcome your donation.”

Some of the colors of Aruba

Greenery. If you walk straight up L.G. Smith Boulevard, the city’s main drag, you’ll come to Wilhelmina Park. Queen Wilhelmina herself reigns from the center of this city oasis, and don’t miss the sweet tribute to Anne Frank. Sometimes, there will be picnickers and teens with guitars, but you can always count on dozens of wild iguanas because the park staff keeps them coming by doling out handfuls of greens.

Shopping.  Aruba gets an “A” for shopping. The prices are among the best in the Caribbean for knickknacks. And while most of it comes to the Caribbean by way of China, you can also get the delicate mopa mopa crafts that are made locally from tree resin, Dutch edam and any manner of faux Delft souvenirs. There are several shopping centers and vendors along L.G. Smith, as well as vendors clustered near the port.

Bonaire: No Snorkeling Needed

This lovely island is not often visited by the mass market ships and it’s really a shame. It’s by far my favorite. The ship docks in the capital city of Kralendijk (pronounced Crah-len-deyk) and the port area is positively pristine.

The pristine waters of Bonaire

Ocean walk. Just off the pier is the Promenade, a walkway along the stunning sea. No snorkeling needed here; the show can be seen right from where you stroll, while you stay nice and dry. The water is so unbelievably clear that we watched, mouths hanging open, as schools of green-and-blue fish swam past us. It was as if we were at the zoo and the fish had been put there for our amusement. Shells, crabs and coral litter the beach below the walkway, across from homes adorned with cactus and hibiscus.

Shopping. You will think the ship took a wrong turn and landed in Scarsdale. Vendors’ wares are more made-at-home than made-in-China. Think painted soaps and needlework vs. t-shirts and ashtrays. The main shopping street has some interesting tourist shops and a chance to buy the local craft—painted gourds, which make great Christmas ornaments.

Bon Bini* to Curaçao

Bridging to the Punda in Curacao

Your ship will dock in the capital city of Willemstad. Take the Waterfront Promenade past modern shops and into a small mall bordered by the 19^th century Rif Fort. There are a few boutiques and cafes, but the real excitement is just a short walk through the courtyard—the Punda District, or old part of Curaçao. Its colorful fairy-tale buildings line up to greet you as you cross the channel via the Queen Emma Pontoon, a floating bridge that opens and closes to boats and pedestrians.

Strolling. The Punda has some European-style cafes along the water and many shops both for tourists and locals. There’s also the Mikve Israel Emanual Synagogue, circa 1732 and the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere.

Shopping. Unique to Willemstad, in the old town, is the floating market, where vendors from Venezuela sell their papayas and pineapples from their small wooden boats. If you’re not inspired to try some, at least pull out your cell phone for some great photo-taking. And before you leave Curaçao, consider taking home some of the local spirit; you can’t miss it in the liquor store—it’s just about the only thing that’s blue.

Click here for more photos of the ABCs by the pier.

* Means “welcome” in the local Papiamento dialect.