My name is Nancy and I’m a luggage monster.
Since travel’s always been part of our lives, you’d think I’d have the packing part under control. As a newlywed, my excuse for overpacking was…inexperience. I knew I’d get better.
Then along came those three little ones. Imagine, three more reasons for luggage overload!
Next it was the dog. How she loved to travel! She became my latest excuse for the excess number of bags.
Now, all these years later, we’re two again. There is no dog. We’re still heavy in the suitcase inventory department, and most of them seem to want to come with us.
We’ve located the culprit.
Me.
I’ve done some research, and no, there isn’t an LA that I can join — as in Luggage Anonymous. That means it’s time to re-think this whole baggage dilemma, particularly with the latest airline rules and regs. And Bob the Baggage Handler is getting tired of carrying and wheeling multiple suitcases. Like everything else, you can only do this for so many years.
Getting everything ON the cruise ship is not usually a big problem. It’s getting the bags TO the ship, because that usually means flying.
So here are the self-imposed (sort of) rules for our next trip.
1. Be tough. Less really is best, so take only what you really need.
2. Pack black! Shouldn’t be a problem for me, since most of my clothes, shoes and bags are black. It’s easy to co-ordinate black (skirt, pants, jacket) and add a little color to make it look different. If black’s not your thing, any neutral color will do.
3. Choose lightweight fabrics, especially wrinkle-resistant ones that dry quickly.
4. Plan on doing a little laundry. Even on ships without laundry facilities, it’s easy to wash out a few things in the sink. Better yet, splurge on laundry service.
5. Roll clothes, rather than fold them. They take up less space, and they’ll look better when unpacked.
6. Wear your heaviest clothes on the plane, in layers that you can remove as necessary.
7. Travel small, as in toothpaste, shampoo, brushes and assorted other toiletries.
8. Match the size of your carry-ons with your carrier. You’d think the airlines would standardize this, but they haven’t.
9. Pack heavier items in the bottom of your suitcase. The lighter items won’t wrinkle nearly as much if they’re on top.
10. Get a new Baggage Handler….did I say that out loud? What I meant to say was remember, you CAN buy almost anything you forget on the ship.
I’m not sure how this will work, but I’m sure the Baggage Handler will let you know. Yes, the old Baggage Handler.
Could there have been a better script written for the arrival of Cunard’s new ship, the simply-named Queen Elizabeth? The Queen herself will preside over the naming ceremony next month in Southampton, England’s cruising hub.
People more knowledgeable than we are believed all along that this was an inevitable match for the “naming ceremony” so there is no surprise in the news announced yesterday by Cunard. But that’s only part of the story.
The much-loved Queen, now 84, was on the docks when Cunard’s original ship of the same name was christened in Scotland. She was 12. She was with her mother, also named Queen Elizabeth. Neither was the reason for the ship’s name, which was in memory of the first Queen Elizabeth, who died in 1603.
There’s more.
Queen Elizabeth II (the monarch) christened Queen Elizabeth II (the ship) in 1967. She was then 51. It’s possible her mother, addressed as Queen Elizabeth while never a reigning monarch, was present that day, too.
So there have been three Cunard ships named Queen Elizabeth, and come October 11 this Queen will have been present for the naming ceremonies of all three, over a span of 72 years.
If nothing else, it is a remarkable story for the ages.
Tags: cruise ships, Cunard, Queen Elizabeth
Hurricanes, Part 2…
For cruise ships, the H word means possibly changing itineraries and posting weather updates on websites. In reality, the only people cruise lines have to worry about keeping informed are the ones on their ships, and chances are slim they would be getting updates on the Internet.
Having said that, it’s disconcerting for the friends and relatives of people on cruise ships in the Caribbean when something like Earl picks up steam. The cruise-ship advisories are essentially to let them know that everything is under control and to let upcoming passengers know if departure times have changed because of weather.
Dangerous?
Not likely. Our colleague Phil Reimer of Ports and Bows has been on two cruise ships that changed course to avoid storms. On one, the ship stayed longer at sea and the missed port was added at the end of the cruise. On the other, the ship stayed 12 hours longer in port before venturing into the Caribbean.
“Most times,” he says, “the worst that can happen is some rough seas from skirting a storm.”
Hurricanes travel up to 18 knots per hour, unless they’re far from the equator. That’s just over 20 miles an hour. Even the biggest cruise ships are faster — Norwegian’s Epic and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas both cruise at 22 knots (or 25 miles) per hour. A quick check of major cruise lines didn’t find one ship that moved slower than a hurricane’s normal top speed.
And a quick check of a marine website that tracks ship movements yesterday didn’t find one cruise ship in any waters Hurricane Earl is projected to visit. In other words, by the time there is even a threat of a storm, the ships appear to be long gone.
There’s probably a better chance you’ll be struck by lightning than be caught in a hurricane on a cruise ship.
Tags: cruise ships, cruises, hurricanes, Phil Reimer, Ports and Bows, weather
This is the week everyone knew was coming, but didn’t know when. Even with a calendar, I couldn’t have accurately predicted this week would arrive on August 29, as it did, because “this week” is the one that announces the arrival of the first serious hurricane.
Along came Earl (below), and the hurricane season in the Caribbean is underway in a big way, which in the cruise line business means posting weather advisories for all concerned.
So far, it’s been a good season for hurricanes. Right. What’s a “good” season for hurricanes, since there is never anything “good” about them? They’re running behind schedule, and that’s good news…I guess. Only once since 2000 have the experts been too low in their estimates for a hurricane season.
When this one began on June 1, analysts were predicting 2010 could rival 2005, the year of Katrina. Last week, the fifth anniversary of Katrina passed, and there had only been two storms classed as hurricanes (Alex and Danielle) and both were pretty much spent by the time they made landfall.
You may also have noticed that, since Katrina starts with K, it was the 11th storm of 2005 and Earl is the 5th of 2010. So much for this being a worse hurricane year than the devastation of 2005…so far. While the season is three months old, it does still have two months to go.
My able associate (her name is Nancy) was doing some hurricane research on her computer this week when she tried to put it all in some kind of perspective. She even found something that is good about hurricanes.
“I remember,” she said, “when a hurricane was a drink you’d get at Jimmy Buffet’s restaurants.”
Tags: cruises, hurricanes, itinerary changes, weather
Our lives have become so dependent on the cel phone that being on a cruise ship means either suffering cel-phone withdrawal or having deep pockets. Talking on your cel from the ship can be extremely expensive. International roaming, it’s called.
Here’s a couple of options we discovered, although these are by no means the only way to avoid huge phone bills when cruising:
1. Wait until you’re in a port to make calls and find one of the ways to make international calls from a location near the ship. They’re in almost every port we’ve visited and the rates are usually cheap. We didn’t keep track of the cost but it was pennies a minute.
2. Buy a trac pre-paid phone. Two members of our family bought one in Panama — again very inexpensive — and loaded it with some minutes, at a cost of $10. They used it for many phone calls, gave it to us, and we made calls while traversing the Panama Canal. When last seen, the family’s “Panama Phone” still had time left on it.
Another possibility, one we haven’t experienced, is having an Internet phone that enables you to talk (by using Skype, for example) while paying for onboard connectivity — all the ships have plans, as you know.
All of it makes sense…to save dollars.
Tags: Cel phones, Communication, cruise ships, cruises
THE RIGHT PRICE…………….$699
November 2, 2010: Fort Lauderdale (return) to Eastern Caribbean, 10 days
Bonus: $150 shipboard credit
Ship: Holland America Maasdam
Contact: cruise.com
* * *
Have you ever wondered how much cruisers pay for the “theme” in theme cruise?
The researchers at Cruise Critic came up with an interesting item this week about the two “Nickelodeon All-Access” theme cruises that Norwegian is promoting for next year. Identical cruises on the same ship are much cheaper.
How much?
Just by visiting this page on NCL’s website, Cruise Critic discovered that the theme cruise on the Norwegian Jewel that costs $899 from New York on February 20, 2011, is advertised for $549 on any other date from February through May.
Similarly, when we checked this page on NCL’s site for the same theme cruise on the Epic, next July 24 from Barcelona, the starting price was $1,349 (inside, per-person). The identical cruise on the Epic any other week but July 24 next summer was $749.
So, what price theme?
* * *
One of our favorite authors is the renowned storyteller John Grisham. Like most people, we enjoyed his legal thrillers most but, when he deviated from his formula and wrote Skipping Christmas (which later became a movie), we liked that, too. So when we heard about the opportunity for cruisers to “skip Christmas” by going on a ship, it became a natural way for us to introduce the subject.
All the cruise lines have holiday itineraries at that time of year, and Royal Caribbean’s looks a little different than anything we’ve seen. Not only does it have holiday cruises — it’s politically incorrect to call them Christmas cruises even though that’s what they are — departing from eight U.S. ports (check here to find a list), but all its ships will be, err…decked out…with decorations.
A Catholic priest will say mass at midnight, a rabbi will do what rabbis do for Hanukkah, holiday movies will be shown in the theaters, crew members will sing carols, and passengers can decorate cookies, watch holiday skate shows or send kids for special programs.
So really, it’s not “skipping Christmas”…it’s just celebrating it in an unusual way.
* * *
It seems cruise passengers like being organized. In response to consumers inquiries (or demands), Celebrity now makes it possible to book just about everything before boarding its ships. The latest additions to the list are spa, salon and personal fitness appointments.
The process is gradually being rolled out over the Celebrity fleet. Last week, it was available on the Solstice. This week, the Eclipse (right). Next week, appointments can be booked on Equinox sailings. And next year, naturally, the new Silhouette. In fact, it will happen on six of the nine Celebrity ships by mid-November.
Cruisers can already book online not just shore excursions but also drink packages, specialty dining reservations and Select Dining reservations.
What’s left?
* * *
Our colleague Phil Reimer had a particularly interesting Ports & Bows blog yesterday (they’re ALL interesting), assembling some facts that support the belief that cruise ships are shifting more and more to the European. One is that cruise lines increased the number of “beds” they put in Europe by 8% over the last two years while the number of ships embarking from U.S. ports fell to 66% from a high of 77% six years ago.
Phil’s theory is cruisers who have been to Mexico, the Caribbean and Hawaii want a change of scenery and, down the road, Asia will become a favored destination.
What say you?
* * *
That’s it, we’re done.
Tags: Celebrity cruises, Christmas cruises, cruise ships, cruises, Holland America, norwegian, Phil Reimer, Ports and Bows, Royal Caribbean
We’re always looking for reason — some might say excuse — to go to New York. Isn’t everyone? One slipped into our email box this week from Cunard. It’s the Royal Reunion.
This isn’t Cunard’s first such assembly of its ships, but it’s the first one to include the Queen Elizabeth, the new ship (below) that gets doused in champagne in October on the other side of the Atlantic. 
So on the 13th of January there will be three Queens in New York, and if you want to go somewhere else with that thought, be our guest. Four Queens, actually, if you include the borough. The three on the water are called Elizabeth, Mary 2 and Victoria.
Cunard did this three years ago, the first time in the company’s now-170-year history that its three regal ships met in the same port (Queen Elizabeth 2 later retired to Dubai). It gave New Yorkers a chance to see sailing royalty from four prime locations: Battery Park, Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park, The Esplanade and Hudson River Park — free. And those who could withstand the elements of a January evening were able to enjoy a fireworks display when the ships left for their various destinations…as much as you can enjoy fireworks in the middle of January.
There will be fireworks at the Statue of Liberty, just like the last time, so if you’re planning to be in the area the place to check is The Royal Rendezvous website.
Exactly when the ships will be coming and going is unknown. The Queen Elizabeth will be on the first leg of its 103-day inaugural World Voyage (day 9). The Queen Victoria (right), leaving Southampton the same day as the QE and presumably sailing alongside its sibling (nerves and all), will also be heading south, through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles. The ships are scheduled to sail the Canal a day apart.
As for the Queen Mary 2 (below), the ship with the largest capacity, it will be returning from an 11-day round-tripper to the Caribbean.
Add it up and, on that Thursday, sailing in New York Harbor will be 8,712 Cunard passengers, and thousands more on the shore who wish they were.
Tags: cruise ships, Cunard, New York, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria
I remember our first “small ship” cruise. It was on the Midi Canal in France. It really was called “cruising” although anyone who has seen the Midi Canal knows not one cruise ship of any largesse that would fit. Toy cruise ships, perhaps.
This was one of those special birthdays in our house, and I was surprising her with “cruising” the canal, which she’d once expressed an interest in after listening to acquaintances re-live their experience. Aha, thought I, what a great “birthday surprise.”
The “cruise ship” was a 27-foot boat that claimed to sleep four, but only if all four were under-sized. It putt-putted along the canal at five miles an hour. Maybe. The pilot was me. The crew was her. A non-swimmer, she was jumping on and off the “cruise ship” as we negotiated 64 locks, in seven days, over 100 miles of murky water. Happy birthday.
This came to mind as I was reading about AMA Waterways, a river cruise line of a dozen vessels — as opposed to our canal cruise fleet of one — with more coming next year. This year, it launched the 162-passenger AmaBella (below), with state rooms twice the size of our cozy 27-footer. In 2011, AmaBella’s sister — AmaVerde — slips into the water.
This will give AMA 13 ships in eight years, which is quicker than most people can produce children, so it clearly has a foothold in cruising the rivers of Europe, Russia and the Far East. These all feature deluxe staterooms, fine dining, exotic ports, complimentary WiFi and fares beyond the travel budget for most of us.
Perhaps for another “special birthday.”
Tags: AMA, Amabella, Amaverde, cruises, River cruises
Everybody loves a bargain, right? Cruisers just might be at the top of that list, but remember, it’s a jungle out there when it comes to finding them.
There are as many cruise “bargains” as there are websites advertising them, so it makes sense to do some comparison shopping before booking your cruise. There is one caveat. You have to like shopping, like me.
Here are my “ten tips” for doing your research:
1. If you’re over 55, check the rates for seniors. There may be some conditions, but usually the price applies if at least one passenger in the stateroom is 55+ (I knew there was a benefit to being married to an older man!)
2. Watch for free upgrades. That means a better stateroom may be available at no charge, moving you from one inside category to another inside category or to a better oceanview category. Note: You won’t likely be moved from an inside cabin to an oceanview.
3. Returning passengers can often work better deals. Most cruise lines have a loyalty program, so be sure to let them know you’ve been on their ships before and, — who knows? — there may be savings available.
4. Re-positioning cruises are usually a bargain. When ships “re-position”, or move from one geographical area to another for changing seasons — like from the Caribbean to Europe, or North America to South America (and back again) — prices usually come down. Our experience is that these deals are great!
5. Lower deposits required, or immediate payment at time of booking, can save money. You may as well collect the interest instead of the cruise line. One example is Crystal Cruise Lines, which offers a discount for paying six months in advance.
6. Watch for back-to-back cruises. There may be a discount if you book two 7-day cruises that sail on consecutive weeks on the same ship.
7. If you are flying to your embarkation port, ask about reduced or free airfare possibilities. One advantage to having the cruise line make flight arrangements is that they are “responsible” for getting you there in time for the cruise. That generally means any issues with flights and cruises not connecting because of something unforeseen, they’ll fix it.
8. Fares for second, third or fourth passengers in a stateroom are sometimes deeply discounted. That’s an especially good deal if you’re planning on taking kids with you. The bad news is you do have to take the kids with you.
9. Guaranteed cabins could be a great deal. If you let the cruise line decide on the specific cabin you are assigned, it may turn out that you’re in a better location on the ship. They guarantee you won’t be assigned a cabin in a lesser category than you’re charged.
10. Always ask if value-added perks are available. This could mean shore excursions, spa visits or 2-for-1 dinners in specialty restaurants. Sometimes a coupon book for onboard “deals” is a plus.
That’s it, I’m done.
Tags: cruise deals, cruises, Finding Bargains, Internet Shopping
Where else but in the cruise world would a 44-year-old and a 31-year-old propose that you and your family go and get slimed, just for the fun of it?
It’s happened.
The 44-year-old is Norwegian Cruise Lines. The 31-year-old is Nickelodeon, and shame on you (us) if we didn’t know Nickelodeon has been around for more than three decades! What they have made available are two “Nickelodeon All Access Cruises” next year, one for people in the New World (New York) and the other for people in the Old World (Barcelona).
The title of the promotion means the whole ship (Jewel in New York, Epic in Barcelona) will be Nickelodeon-ized. Live-action characters like (but not necessarily) iCarly, True Jackson VP and the voice of SpongeBob Squarepants, will be there. So will cartoon characters Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob and Aang the Last Airbender, whoever he is.
There will be special viewings and premieres of the TV shows, breakfasts with the characters, messy game shows like Slime Time Live! around the pool. You know…the family that gets slimed together sticks together.
If you’re in our demographic, only the most demonstrative exhibitionists among us will be turned on by this, but most of us have grandchildren to convince us to be like them. There’s plenty of time for them to do that — the Jewel departs New York on February 20, the Epic leaves Barcelona on July 24 — but the early birds get the bonus: up to $250 onboard credit and only half the deposit if booked before September 14 (depending on stateroom).
We’re kind of hoping our grandchildren don’t hear about this. It’s the whole slime thing — we’re the grandparents who like egg whites and oysters fully cooked, and silly string hanging from somebody else’s eyebrows!
Tags: cruise deals, Cruise ship entertainment, cruises, Epic, Nickelodeon, norwegian, Norwegian Jewel