Cruise Excursions - Cruise Line or Private?

ONE OF my frequent comments here, and a primary tenet of our cruising experience, is how important itinerary is to our cruising choices. We make our choice of cruise lines and ships, as much based on itinerary as other factors (although we do draw a line at certain cruise ship lines). Our one and only (so far) cruise on the Oceania cruise line was, for example, based almost completely on itinerary.

IF ITINERARY is important, (to me, that means where the ship cruises and where it stops), it follows that excursions are also going to be important. Discussion of whether to book excursions through the cruise line or independently seems to be a recurring topic on the media I frequent. It often starts with the question by a new poster: "should I book my XYZ excursion through the cruise line or use a third-party purveyor. How would I answer that question? Those who have followed the blog for a while, probably know which way I "lean." However, to the direct question posed by this post, I will give you the most definitive answer I can: "It Depends."😖

We make our choice of cruise lines and ships, as much based on itinerary as other factors

IF YOU spend any time reading on places like Cruisecritic.com or any of the FB (or other, I suppose) social media pages, read blogs, or watch YouTube videos (my newest favorite source of cruise info), you will observe that there seem to be 4 distinct viewpoints. I adhere to the third one, and think I am probably in the majority. There are a rather vocal group of cruiser/commentors that preach, in some cases pedantically, to never book a cruise with an independent. The most common premise for this assertion is the certainty that the ship will always wait for you and will never leave without you. That is (mostly) true. Other reasons asserted are convenience (you will usually qeue onboard and go as a group to your vehicle of conveyance, your payment will be refunded if the tour/excursion is cancelled, you can use onboard credits, etc).

There are some common sense things to consider when booking a third-party tour

A SECOND school of thought espouses always booking an independent cruise. I suspect the group with this "always" thinking is the minority group of the three. Cheaper pricing, smaller groups and generally "better" tours are the most commonly given reason. I think this group always tries to book independent tours if possible. Closely related to this group is a third, "we always explore on our own" group who rarely, if ever pre-book an excursion. My understanding from reading comments is that this group mostly just  explores the destination on their own, or finds an excursion from the many that are usually being offered right on shore.

THERE IS no "right or wrong" view here. The only "wrong" thing I see is that some parties who espouse these views are often rigid in those views, and in many cases are (at least partly) misinformed. More on that below.

THE FINAL of my 4 groups is the one I belong to. It is probably the largest group and probably the most diverse in terms of differing views within the group. As a general rule, we look at the whole excursion thing pragmatically. To our way of thinking, the primary question is who will provide us with what we are looking for, and that means we have to be open to any of the above options as they fit the circumstances. As  members of that school of thought, we have taken part in cruise-sponsored excursions, third-party excursions, and at times have just walked off the ship and either explored on our own, or negotiated with one of the local purveyors for a tour. While in my mind the last one is perhaps the most risky, we have had good success by keeping our expectations reasonable.

you are actually paying for the third-party, but instead of choosing your own, you are taking what the cruise line chooses

AS I have said here before, we lean toward third-party tours. In our experience they are almost always a better experience. This is because they are generally available in smaller groups (though we have been on a couple of large - bus based private tours), the tour guides are usually very knowledgeable of the geographic area and its history, and their licensing often gets us "skip the line" privileges and in to places we might not otherwise get to. Our experience has also been that the cost of the third party tours are not significantly higher than the cruise-based tours (and sometimes are even less) and you get so much more "bang for the buck" in these small group situations. We are not "married" to them, however. There are times, however, when we choose the cruise-based tours. Sometimes we are "comped" a ship excursion, and unless we have already booked a better option, we often will take advantage of them. There are times when there do not appear to be any better alternatives than the ship tour and we will take them. When we were in Japan, for example, we had a difficult time finding private tours in many places (particularly outside the major cities). We are seeing the same thing with our fall, Norwegian Fjords cruise. Many very small stops and apparently no thriving third-party tour operations there.

SOMETIMES WHEN we are in a familiar destination and/or one that does not necessarily lend itself to a formal tour, we will just go ashore and either explore on our own, or find an on shore touring experience. We have been to Naples many times. We think we have probably seen all the major attractions (Pompei, Amalfi Coast, etc.) On a recent trip to Naples we decided to take a ferry to the Isle of Capri and explore a bit on our own. We got off the ship, found the nearby ferry terminal, and spent a nice day on Capri. In South Africa, we stopped in Namibia. It did not appear that there was a lot to do there, and the ship-based excursions were sold out, so we walked on shore and found a local 2-hour drive-around tour. It worked out just fine. In 2023, we were cruising with some friends in the Southern Caribbean, with multiple stops. Having been in the Caribbean countless times now, we rarely book excursions there. It is probably the one exception to the "choose by itinerary" rule. In the Caribbean, we are much more driven by the ship and line and the onboard experience. On this cruise, we "negotiated" with the hawkers on shore several times, basically for just a "circle the island" tour. They all worked out pretty well. Enough so that we did it again in Tortola, B.V.I., the following year. We are booked again on a Southern Caribbean cruise with some friends in late March and suspect that will be our M.O. this time, too. For this school, I think flexibility and willingness to look for the right "fit" is the primary driver.

make it crystal clear when you want to be back in port

LET's DISPELL some of the narrative while we are talking about excursions. While it is mostly true that a ship won't leave passengers behind who are late back to the ship on a ship-sponsored excursion. There was a widely publicized exception on a Norwegian Cruise Line just this year, of a family who was on a cruise-sponsored excursion in Ketchikan, Alaska. There was a problem with transportation back to the shipl. All kind of understandable. But the ship did leave without these 9 passengers. The ship must have known the passengers were on a ship-sponsorer excursion. What followed for the family was nothing less of a nightmare, and the ship line could not have handled things any more incompetently. Is this a very unusual ocurrence? You bet. Lets not say it never happens though.

PERHAPS MORE, it is a rare ocurrence for legitimate third-party operators not to get passengers back to the ship on time (it does happen - we know from personal experience). Think about it. If they are legitimate businesses, and they want to stay in business and protect their own reputation, they are going to do everything in their power to get their customer back to the ship! On the extremely off chance that they don't, most of the legitimate operators have some kind of guarantee and will defray expenses and work to get you back to the ship's next stop.

we lean toward third-party tours

IT IS really kind of a "sky is falling" argument for a lot of us. There are some common sense things to consider when booking a third-party tour. Book the tours through a legitimate source (we use Viator and/or TripAdvisor to find reliable, mainline tour operators). We also try to check them out by seeking other opions on FB pages and CruiseCritic, if we have not already had experience with them. Above all else, communication is critical. Our one close call involved - more than any other factor - a lack of communication between all parties. We joined another couple on an excursion during our South Africa cruise. We did not set up the excursion, and I was kind of "lax" about any communication with the drivers, thinking the other guy had it covered. I learned a valuable lesson that day. Never take for granted that the other guy(s) have it covered. Talk to the people yourselves and make it crystal clear when you want to be back in port! In this case, we contacted the ship and let them know exactly where we were and when we expected to arrive back at the ship. Fortunately, that was 30 minutes before the scheduled departure (but 30 minutes late for the all-aboard time). They didn't have the opportunity to leave without us, but they probably would have. Indeed we were scheduled to join the same couple on a second excursion the next day and I make clear to the other guy (he was in complete agreement) that I was going to have a conversation with our driver about the time we wanted to be back at the ship. We always try to beat the all aboard time by at least 30 minutes - more depending on how far away we might be from the ship. Other than that experience, we have been on many, many third-party operated excursions and they always are very cognizant of all aboard times, and go out of their way to make sure we are back with some cushion.

all of the risk of failure to get back on time is on you

IN BARCELONA one year they had a huge demonstration going on and our tour-operator actually cut our tour short to get us back to the ship (they refunded us a pro-rata portion of our fees, of course). We don't worry about it. We do try to plan realistically. In addition to choosing legitimate operators, it is worth thinking about where you are. In South Africa, we were in the proverbial "middle of nowhere" and in that case the risks are probably higher. This year in April, a group of passengers on another NCL cruise (tough year, Norwegian, but your own conduct probably brings you some deserved angst about cruising with you these days) were late back to the port. Reading between the lines from the information I could find, it appears that the third-party operator was at fault and significantly misjudged conditions for getting the passengers back to the ship. There are places in the world where I would be a little more careful about third-party operators. In some cases, they are very different cultures and may not feel the need to take responsibility. We have used them without any incident in most parts of Europe, and in Turkey and Japan, though.

ANOTHER THING to think about if you are going to use third-party tour operators is to know that all of the risk of failure to get back on time is on you. If you find that too stressful, or if you do not have the financial wherewithall (I don't mean this as an elitist statement - just as a blunt reality) to "cover" when it does happen, then you probably shouldn't take the risk, however slim I believe it is. Generally, we are philosophical about it and we (fortunately for us) have the ability to cover in the event it does happen.

DESPITE ALL of these "risks," on balance, we prefer a well-operated third party excursion. The "convenience" thing usually isn't an issue. Although we have on occasion had to take a taxi, uber or public transportation to meet our tour/guide, more often our guide has met us right in the port, and brought us back at the end. Obviously the time and logisitics involved when you do have a site away from the port is part of your planning and responsibility. Give yourself plenty of time on both sides of the scheduled tour. All too often when we have joined one of the cruiselline sponsored excursions, we find they just don't do it very well. And though this may come as a surprise to some, in most cases, they are actually being conducted by some kind of third-party operator anyway, who is contracted by the cruise. Now you are actually paying for the third-party, but instead of choosing your own, you are taking what the cruise line chooses. I am confident that their criteria for choosing the third-party is not the same as mine. 😏

IN THE end, it is going to depend on your own tolerance for risk and budget. My advice is to consider the (again, I believe very small) risks above, and using common sense, do not hesitate to book onshore excursions with legitimate third-party operators. In most instances, I think you will be glad you did so.

Cruise Ship Dress Codes: Much Ado about Nothing?

BEING AN avid and frequent cruiser, I read blogs, follow social media groups, and watch YouTube videos about cruising topics. A lot. One of the topics that consistently and repeatedly  comes up for discussion is cruise ship dress codes.

 "When in Rome . . . "

HONESTLY, I cannot think of a more "nothing" issue. Yet we waste gigabytes of digital "ink" and an equal amount of angst and energy over this. You might (legitimately) wonder: if it is such a nothing topic, why am I writing about it? Not sure I have a good answer. It came to mind and I thought I would "weigh in." That's what bloggers do? Call me hypocritical (though I think I am just being "critical).😅

WHATEVER THE justification, before delving too deeply into this, I want to put it in the perspective I try to keep whenever I travel. Growing up, the ancient saying credited to St. Ambrose: "When in Rome . . . " (you know the rest) was oft heard in my home. The gist of this comment was that when you are a guest of someone else, you honor their rules and customs. This is true even when you are a paying guest, in my view. The difference is that your visit is contractual, and there are obligations both parties must honor. One of your rights is to decline the service. If you choose to partake, however, you follow the rules. It really doesn't matter to the rest of us that you may disagree with them; even feel they are stupid, and in fairness, they generally have reasons behind them.

I cannot think of a more "nothing" issue

WHY THEN, is it such a controversial and apparently for some folks - vital -  issue? I don't really know. Some of it is no doubt driven by our modern "entitlement culture." What I do know is that if you join any one of the cruise groups on Facebook, you will daily see someone new coming on and posting a question about the dress code; many of them openly questioning it. What I find incredible is not that they are asking questions. It is the questions they are asking. In many cases it seems like a passive-aggressive venting, rather than an honest question seeking an answer. What astonishes me is that most of these people have already booked a cruise, or have certainly (hopefully) done a fair amount of research. It seems like the most common controversy arises over jeans, hats and flipflops. Really? Those are the hills you want to die on? I cringe when I read stuff like: "Can my husband wear jeans in the MDR? He never wears anything else." Hmmn. A turn on a common saying comes to mind: "Get a pair" 😁 (of khakis or something). Or, "I see the rule about no flipflops for men in the MDR, but my husbands are "designer" flipflops, so surely they are allowed?"" Seriously, read the cruise line's rules. If the rules say no jeans in the MDR, you either wear something else, or don't go there (and this from a guy who eschews shoes, and socks in every possible instance, and lives in flipflops at home). Pretty simple. Another one that really tickled me recently: "We are from Wyoming. My husband always wears a cowboy hat when he goes out. Will he be allowed to wear his cowboy hat in the MDR?" Seriously? Do the rules say no hats? Is a cowboy hat a hat? But then, they are from Wyoming. 😃 Can't you enjoy a meal without a hat and/jeans? If so, maybe a cruise just isn't for you.

Why . .  is it such a controversial and apparently for some folk, vital issue?

EVERY CRUISE line has a published dress code. It is easy to find. Why not read the rules published by the cruise line? I realize they are sometimes ambigous. That's when you ask questions of experienced cruisers on online. Years ago, I was an adjunct college professor. I used to tell my students there were no stupid questions. That was before I started spending time on social media. 

What I find incredible is not that they are asking questions. It is the questions they are asking

I APPRECIATE that most of the mainstream cruise lines have evolved as our social cultures have. I spent 40 years in the professional world and 30 of them meant I wore a suit or at least a coat and tie every day. The last 10 saw a move toward what has been dubbed "business casual." I was able to skip the tie and often were a polo, dressy crew, or button-down collared shirt and a sport coat. I personally have never considered "jeans" of any kind to be "business casual" or in any way "dressy," but that is my own view. Even today, I have to wonder what the big deal is about two items of clothing that seem to touch off hot buttons: jeans and hats. I used to enjoy the formal nights and wore a tux for them. I never enjoyed schlepping all that formal stuff around though. Today, I don't even pack a jacket.

It really doesn't matter to the rest of us that you may disagree with them; even feel they are stupid

WHAT I do still do is uncomplainingly follow the dress code the cruise line has set out. I try to use common sense. I take one or two dressier shirts and at least one pair of nicer slacks (I don't travel with jeans - I don't find them comfortable, they are heavy to pack, and hard, in my view, to keep unwrinkled). It seems like common sense and good manners.

If you can't enjoy a meal without your hat and/or jeans then maybe a cruise isn't for you

THE MAIN thing here, is that we go on cruises to relax, have fun, and in many cases become enriched over world culture and history. So lets focus on that. Relax, enjoy the cruise, and don't get all knotted up about a dress code. Seems like you can spend an hour or so each day without having dinner without your favorite hat, jeans or flipflops. If not, they do have room service.

On a gentler note: this is the penultimate (god, I love using that word 😂) post for 2024, and more importantly, just days before Christmas. I hope for everyone who may be reading this that you have a joyful season and a very   Merry Christmas!

A Packing Checklist for Men ( a totally "copycat"post idea)

I RECENTLY read in one of the blogs I follow, a suggested "packing list" for men for warm weather cruising. I started following the Life Well Cruised Blog after discovering her on YouTube. I have learned a lot of good information, tips and suggestions from both her blogs and videos and would generally enthusiastically recommend both the blogs and the YouTube channel. Like anything your read online, it is not necessarily gospel and I think it is smart to read things with an open mind and sometimes even skeptically. It is also true that we all come to information sources (whether we are the seeker or the provider) with at least some subject bias, more often than not bounded by our own experiences. Having said that, I want to (gently) challenge some of the points in that blog - and make some suggestions to pare down that list. This post will make more sense if you follow the link about and look at that list (toward the end of her blog).

My shortened list almost guarantees you can get through a cruise with a carryon sized bag and a small personal bag

THE DESCRIPTION in the narrative for "non-formal" nights is perfectly fine for formal nights too. The post implies that you need to have something more for the formal or gala nights - like a jacket and maybe dressier shoes, shirt and slacks. I haven't taken a sport coat or suit on a cruise for years now (and I used to be a full tux guy). I have "chino" or similar pants that I take on cruises mainly for the MDR and nicer specialty dining venues. They are equally sufficient for normal nights and formal nights. I generally take at least one long-sleeved button down shirt which I do wear on formal nights, but I have to say that I see many men in the restaurants with nice golf/polo shirts on formal nights too. I also see guys with sport jackets over T-shirts that I would personally consider inappropriate even on a normal night. But they are wearing a jacket?😒 Based on my experience and observation, it is fine to wear slacks and a shirt without a jacket and I would estimate that 50-60 percent of other cruising men who frequent the MDR agree with me. I see lots of men without jackets. On the other non-formal nights I generally wear a nice golf shirt or a "camp" style shirt that is understated and would pass the "country club" casual test in my mind.

SHOES? I am a 6 foot guy who wears 11-12 shoes. For men, shoes are the single most challenging item to pack as they take up tons of room (and add lots of weight) in bags. These days on a Caribbean Cruise I take a pair of casual shoes that will work for dressier ocassions, and flipflops (I am not a runner/walker on cruises, so no sneakers for me). I am wearing one pair and that makes the flips the only footwear that is in packed luggage.

nobody . . . is going to notice if you wear the same thing more than one time

 MY OWN approach to "formal" dress has nothing to do with disliking dressy clothes or being disrespectful of the rules of the cruise ship. That is why I do try to make my "business casual" attire as nice as possible. My reason has everything to do with packing and carrying. There are two issues I think we face (men and women) when packing "formal" clothing: keeping them wrinkle free, and packing light. When it comes to men, the average male is big enough that packing suits and shirts and trying to keep them wrinkle free; and then adding 2-3 pairs of shoes demands a fairly large bag in my experience. Before the dress codes were relaxed, I carryed the largest rolling garment bag I could buy, along with the largest carryon I could get onto an international flight. If you are flying, that is a hassle. They are ungainly and heavy. When you arrange for shore transportation, they take up scads of space in the Uber, taxi or other vehicle.

IN THE Caribbean, the balance of your time doesn't require heavy dress needs. It is warm weather, so you will generally be able to get along with shorts and T-shirts. The post concludes with a "packing list" specifically for warm-weather (essentially the Caribbean) cruises. I think (and I do) pare the suggested list down considerably. As noted above, I generally bring one pair of shoes that can be dressed up or down. I wear them. I only pack one other pair of footwear - my flipflops. I have several, but still, I am only going to need one of them for the cruise. The list says 3-4 pairs of shorts. I generally bring not more than 3 and could honestly get by just fine with 2. I don't swim or hot tub on cruise ships (another post for another day), and rarely go to the beach. But 3 pairs? C'mon. We are men. With modern cloth one should be sufficient (two if you are the cautious type). Most men I know don't wear pajamas to sleep in (usually gym shorts and maybe a t-shirt). Leave them home. Live dangerously.😄

For men, shoes are the single most challenging item to pack

AGAIN, I don't wear jeans very often, but when I do, I consider them cold weather wear. You are going to be in the Caribbean. Do you really need 2 pairs of jeans? They are heavy and bulky to pack. And in my experience, they don't travel well. On the off chance I will need casual long pants, I take a pair of "Columbia (or similar) ultralight, wrinkle resistant pants. They never come out of the packing cube. A suit? Nah. Not only have we gone casual, but you will be in the Caribbean. See above. Nope on the tie (unless that is important to you personally - likewise the suit and special dress shoes - but they are bulk that you may want, but don't need).

ONE ITEM I personally would add to the list is a couple long-sleeve T's. I usually pack the same material as my regular T's (some kind of synthetic/athletic blend), generally Columbia, Huk, Patagonia, or similar. They are essentially weightless, can be worn out on deck or on shore, and provide good sun protection.

EVERY SINGLE time I travel anywhere for an extended period, I come back and lament how much stuff I packed that I really didn't need (and in many cases use). Each time I get a little smarter and a little lighter. A couple things I have learned. First, and perhaps most important, nobody (well, maybe your spouse) is going to notice if you wear the same thing more than one time (multiple times even). That is why I don't think you need 4 pairs of shorts. I usually have a khaki and a navy blue pair. I do take a few t-shirts as they pack light and are the things for me that seem to get soiled most. The second thing is that we have a wonderful advantage these days with modern, ultra-lightweight, wrinkle free (or at least resistant), stain and sweat resistant clothing. All of my travel T-shirts are the "dry-fit" type (I personally prefer the Under Armor brand), and my shorts are generally the blended fabric that Columbia, and similar companies sell. They can all be handwashed if necessary and will hand-dry very quickly. A plus is that wrinkles really aren't an issue.

Because we don't fly, we are free to bring whatever we want

MY SHORTENED list almost guarantees you can get through a cruise with a carryon sized bag and a small personal bag.

DISCLAIMER: IT is easy for me to preach all this above. I do it when we travel to Europe, but there I generally need more, and greater variety of clothes. For that trip I use a larger (but still not huge) roller bag that is put in checked luggage. I can still get by with that and a hand-carry bag. The Caribbean Cruises have become more of an indulgence for us. We live in Clearwater, Florida. We really don't need that "winter break." Indeed we often find that our friends and family find winter a good excuse to come and visit us in our warm weather climate. Yet we still take Caribbean Cruises. Lots of reasons for that. Except for one time many years ago, we have never just gone on our own on a Caribbean Cruise. We are usually joining others and usually they are seeking a break from their frigid winters. We get it. We once did that too. Because it is an indulgence, and because we almost always cruise from a Florida cruise port, we don't fly. Because we don't fly, we are free to bring whatever we want (within reason, of course) and I do bring a larger bag - and more clothes. Because I can. 😉

How About A Holiday Cruise?

Celebrity Apex New Year's Cruise - 2024
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

IT IS that time again. Actually, the commercial interests push it forward more and more every year. I saw Christmas displays in some stores and places before Halloween. Geez. Lets get through Thanksgiving first; can we? We are now into December, and radio stations, malls and stores are playing non-stop Christmas music. Sales are everywhere and displays are holiday-oriented. I even have my outdoor lights hung (usually that is my Thanksgiving weekend project). I though it might be an appropriate time to discuss a holiday cruise.

Celebrity Apex - Sail-a-way from Ft. Lauderdale - New Year's Cruise 2024
Copyright Andy Richards 2023 - All Rights Reserved

WHAT DO you think about a holiday cruise? To me that means during the Christmas/New Year season. For us, beginning with Thanksgiving, that time of the year is the time we get with - often far flung - family. Not just immediate family, those who we may not see much of any other time of the year.

What do you think about a "Holiday" Cruise?

IT HAS also been our perception that holidays are among the most expensive times to cruise. Our 2024 New Year Cruise in the Caribbean certainly bore that out. Along with higher cruise fare prices, other modes of transportation - in particular, airfare - also will be more expensive that time of year (especially if you don't plan well ahead). For all those reasons, we had never really considered it. We have some friends (Paul and Linda, for those who have followed here for a while) who may be some of the busiest people we know, with a large, close family, a successful consulting business, and just a lot of social obligations, we try to do some kind of trip together as often as possible. We have been on three cruises with them and we had all agreed it was time for another one. After comparing schedules, it turned out that one of the best times for them to get away was actually the week after Christmas. We are retired and generally more flexible on our scheduling, and we ultimately agreed on that week, boarding the Celebrity Apex in Fort Lauderdale a couple days before year end, 2023.

Celebrity Apex New Year's Cruise - 2024
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

THAT ACTUALLY turned out to be a good time to travel for us. Since it was a week-long cruise, on an "older" demographic leaning cruise line, it had the typical passenger mix for us and felt neither crowded, nor overwhelming with young families. It was also a welcome diversion from the cold weather in Michigan where they live. Formerly Michigan residents, we now live in Florida, so it is no longer about the weather for us in the Caribbean. But we still love the sun, the cruise atmosphere, visiting some of the islands, and above all, the company.

San Juan - Celebrity Apex 2024 New Year Cruise

Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

I DON'T think either of us would have seriously considered it over Christmas, as that is one of the times that is important for family. If you were able to take the whole family along, that might be different, but there are still logistics that make being away on a cruise ship for one of our most traditional and family-oriented holidays potentially problematic. That's us.

we ultimately agreed on that week, boarding the Celebrity Apex in Fort Lauderdale a couple days before year end, 2023

IF YOU are a couple with no children, or children who have other Christmas plans, or a small family who can all travel together, a Christmas Cruise might be in the cards. If you would rather be out traveling and partying than being home for more "traditional" holidays, based upon our experience, a holiday cruise is definitely a fun time.

Celebrity Apex New Year's Cruise 2024
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

FOR SURE the ship goes all out with its decorations and activities on a holiday cruise. I suspect there are menu choices in the dining rooms that are perhaps elevated. In our case, the food was good, but I don't remember anything over the top. One thing we knew. We would be spending New Year's Eve, and ringing in the new year on one of the centers of activity on board. There were a few, including a special area set up on deck for dancing, a light show and a "ball" drop. WE ended up in the Martini Bar, a long - central feature on Celebrity ships. On the Edge Class ships (Apex is one) they really re-imagined the Martini Bar, making it perhaps the central entertainment area on board. It was decorated lavishly and even had its own mini-ball drop. One of the fun parts of the night was an extended family seated right next to us. They were about our age, and were a couplew sisters and brothers and spoused. Before the night was over, we were holding hands in a large circle and singing Auld Lang Syne, (along with some Detroit style music, like "We Are Family"). Turns out they have been doing this particular cruise for several years and it has become a tradition for them. Who knows, maybe we will see them again one year?

New Friends - Celebrity Apex - New Year - 2024
Copyright Andy Richards 2024 - All Rights Reserved

OUR CRUISE was 7 days and we only made 3 stops: San Juan, Tortola BVI, and St. Kitt's. San Juan. San Juan was a bit odd, as we didn't actually arrive in port until very late afternoon. Really not enough time to do anything much more than walk around a bit. The Old San Juan plaza was nicely decorated for Christmas. We did a little mini-pub crawl and then got back on the ship to watch the BCS college football National Championship game (Michigan was in that game so we had some interest). in Tortola, we hired an open air truck to give us a tour of the island. One of our stops was Pusser's Bar, which is reputed to be the first one (there are a few of them), specializing in Pusser's Rum (a particular favorite of mine). I bought a shirt. We had "painkillers." You can probably imagine. A couple each. The final day, the ladies did some gift shopping and I finished a mission I had started a year ago that didn't work out then but did this trip. Long story. Short version: I bought a watch. Then Paul and I sat at the bar in the middle of commercial shore area, had some beers, and people - watched. Overall, it was a laid-back few days, with the at sea days spent out on deck relaxing. I might have had a cigar (or 3). 😂

Would we do it again? Yeah. Probably. Maybe. Sure 😀

WOULD WE do it again? Sure. If the timing was right. I think we are more likely to head into the Caribbean later in the year (more like February). But it was fun. Whether it sounds like enough fun to do it more than once may well depend on your view toward holiday vacations and cruising in general. Would we recommend it at least once in a lifetime? Yeah. Probably. Maybe. Sure. 😀 Would love to hear your opinions and holiday cruising experiences. Please jump in and let me know in the comment section below.

Rules of the Road - V: Who Has the Right of Way

2 Cruise Ships and a Car Ferry converging on the narrow passageway into Stockholm, Sweden
Copyright Andy Richards 2022 - All Rights Reserved 

LAST TIME we talked about rules and right of way, we distinguished between sail and engine power. What about between boats in the same power configuration?

BEFORE WE delve further into more situations, there are a couple terms that will help in our understanding of these Rules of the Road:

• Give-Way Vessel - If you are the Give-Way vessel, you must act as if the "stand-on" vessel has the right to keep going the way it is going. It is your responsibility to signal your intentions to the stand-on vessel, and it is your responsibility to maneuver your boat around the other in a safe manner. Also known as a "Burdened" vessel, as it has the burden of giving way.
  
  
• Stand-On Vessel - If you are the Stand-On vessel, it is your responsibility to acknowledge the intended actions of the give-way vessel. You must also maintain your current course and speed until the give-way vessel passes, or you enter a dangerous situation.

MOST OF us have observed situations where there are multiple cruise ships and/or other commercia or military ships of varying size and type moving within the same harbor or mooring spot. This is where the above terms come into play. Assuming none of the vessels are solely under sail power, these vessels must observe the rules vis-a-vis each other:

• when two power-driven vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on her starboard side (the give-way vessel) must keep out of the way

• Each vessel in a meeting situation must alter course to starboard so that each will pass on the port side of the other. At night, you will recognize a head-on meeting situation if you see both red and green side lights at the same time.

• At times there may be some doubt whether the situation is a crossing or a head-on meeting. In case of doubt, you should assume that it is a meeting situation, in which neither vessel has a clear-cut "right-of-way," and each must act to avoid the other

• Any vessel overtaking any other vessel must keep out the way of the vessel being overtaken. The former is the give-way vessel and the latter is the stand-on vessel. This rule applies even if the overtaking vessel is propelled by wind, paddle or oars.

THESE RULES are underpinned by common sense. Much like the rules that charges the person in control of the vessel with acting in a manner that insures the safety of both vessels, the common sense rule when navigating a narrow channel holds that the operator must avoid larger vessels that can only travel in the channel. Even if your vessel is operating under the rules otherwise, you must give way to a boat that could potentially run aground or get into a collision if they left the channel. That would seem to cover most situation where a collision might be an issue with a cruise ship. My comment in the last Rules post was that I cannot imagine any smaller boat wanting to "play chicken" with a ship, no matter what the rules. I'll stick by that one. 😅

Should Cruise Ships be more "Green"?

THE CRUISE industry faces challenges due to its environmental impact, and in particular, its contribution to air pollution. With its high carbon emissions footprint, sulfur oxide releases, methane gas, and other pollutants that harm air quality and contribute to acid rain, the industry appears to be the world's highest contributor to air pollution.

A COUPLE different internet sites assert that a single cruise ship creates more carbon, and other emissions than 12,000 cars. While interesting, such assertions may be engaging in "apples to oranges" comparisons. They do not, for example, say during what period this emission occurs (per cruise, or per year?). There is little doubt, however, that the industry is currently targeted by environmental sources as the single-most "polluting" recreational offering. We know, also, that they have created both environmental and structural damage in places like the main canal in Venice. Enough so that they have been banned from docking there in recent years. We also know that Norway (and peraps other Scandinavian and Baltic destinations) have severely curtailed cruise ship activities. We are currently booked on a Celebrity Cruise to the Norwegian Fjords, for August, 2025. We are told that 2025 will be the last year these large ships will be allowed in the fjords. Thereafter, only electric powered (and essentially small) boats will be allowed to carry excursion passengers in the fjords. Norway, of course, considers itself one of the world's "greenest" countries.

Could it be Satan!!!? (Sorry, Dana Carvey fan here) 😀

I HAVE vowed not to get mired in politics on either of my blogs, but I have always been personally in favor of a balanced approach to these things. We all generally "lean" one way or another. But facts do matter, as does thorough research. I am absolutely in favor of research and progress toward renewable, clean energy sources. Even to the point of some reasonable compromise and sacrifice (what I have heard referred to as "social cost or capital"). At the same time, though, before we pat ourselves too hard on the back for being "green" I think we need to do so with wide open eyes that have good peripheral vision. The vast majority of "green" articles and arguments I see fail to take contributing factors into consideration. It is one thing to compare the pollution caused at a single point, between traditional gas powered and alternative energy-powered (EV, Hybrid, and natural gass). The frequently "rose-tinted" conclusions reached from this narrow analysis often neglect the big picture. I haven't ever seen anyone do a full, in-depth and completely unbiased full comparison of this. Hmmn. Wonder why not? Could it be Satan!!!? (Sorry, Dana Carvey fan here). Or maybe its just about the money. But those clean, efficient EV's have some of their own baggage, including the very toxic minerals used to manufacture the batteries, the labor problems (often child labor) associated with them, the certain world-wide shortage of the necessary raw materials as competing demands ramp up, and the very real problem of their useful life and subsequent disposal. We also have to come face to face with the reality that there has to be some source to create and deliver the energy required to charge these batteries. I am not saying we shouldn't continue to use and develop these things. I know traditional energy sources have a lot of their own baggage, and I believe it is a worthwhile endeavor to do all in our power to reasonably and sensibly move toward clean, renewable sources. The key, for me, is reasonably and sensibly. O.k., I'll get down off my soapbox now and return to cruising.

The International Council on Clean Transportation, has criticised LNG usage as a "misleading solution" and an example of attempting to appear environmentally friendly without truly addressing climate issues

I BELIEVE that in at least some measure, the cruise industry shares my view that we should be moving toward a "better" energy source. As I have noted before, however, they are a business, and businesses - for better or worse - are generally motivated by profit. The cost of clean energy transition will always be the major factor in the equation. Some of the newer ships (ironically enough, megaships) have been moving toward some kind of alternative. The newest and greatest RCL ship(s) are now powered by liquid natural gas (known as LNG in the energy and power industry). Indeed several cruise lines have newer ship in service or on the way that will be powered LNG. 

ROYAL CARIBBEAN says its newest "Icon of The Seas" (powered by LNG) is 24% more efficient when it comes to carbon emissions than required by global shipping regulator the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Not everyone is buying, though. Bryan Comer, director of the marine program at The International Council on Clean Transportation, has criticised LNG usage as a "misleading solution" and an example of attempting to appear environmentally friendly without truly addressing climate issues: "We would estimate that using LNG as a marine fuel emits over 120% more life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than marine gas oil," he said in a recent interview. He also stresses that reducing carbon emissions is not the be all and end all of air polution, noting that In terms of warming effects, methane is 80 times worse over 20 years than carbon dioxide, making cutting methane emissions key to holding down global temperature warming. Presumably, he is not seeing the industry seriously addressing this issue.

I am absolutely in favor of research and progress toward renewable, clean energy sources

IN ADDITION to the fuel and power plant impact, cruise ships also generate huge quantities of solid waste from food, to packaging, and use large quantities of water. The industry has been more on top of this type of pollution, perhaps partly because it is more visible. Nearly every line has some level of recyling. Many ships now have onboard solid waste incinerators, and water re-conditioning equipment. Many have also begun to look at the sourcing of their food, specifyng the reduction or outright rejection of single-use containers. These approaches aren't new in some cases and have been in practice for years. It is also common for us to see the voluntary program regarding laundering of towels. We have always felt that we could easily get along with the same towels by hanging them to dry after each use, and it is nice to see that in the past few years, hotels and cruise ships alike have embraced that approach.

The key, for me, is reasonably and sensibly

I DOUBT that the world will stop cruising any time in the foreseeable future, but I do believe it is worth raising everyone's level of observation and attention to these things and to try do do our part as passengers to help.

Would love to hear your thoughts

Rules of The Road - IV - Who has the Right of Way - Power vs. Sail?

UP UNTIL this point, I have mainly focused on the buoy and marker systems used for navigating a waterway. Rules of the Road, however, also regulate the conduct of the many different vessels on the waterway. Vessels as small a canoes and kayaks and as large as 1500 feet long (5 American Football Fields) weighing over 250,000 tons. 

FOR THE blog's perspective, the currently largest cruise ship is the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas, nearly 1200 feet long (4 football fields) and nearly 250,000 gross tons. There are a number of other ships that are nearly as big. There are many other vessels in between, including wind-powered vessels, military ships (including aircraft carriers - themselves as much as 1,000 plus feet long and 250 feet wide), commercial cargo ships, commercial passenger vessels, and hundreds of thousands of pleasure craft.

UNLIKE ROADS, which can contain and direct traffic geographically effectively, the world's waterway are not so easy. They are vast. Over 70 percent of the earth's surface is water. As we have noted above, the vessels that sail these waters can vary from a very tiny single person kayak, to the 1500 foot long cruise ship described. Obviously, there are many factors that effect maneuverability, including size, propulsion type and power.

THERE ARE some general rules. First, in general, a boat that is powered by a sail "always" has the right of way over a power boat. It gets less clear, however, once we define "under sail." This rule only applies to a vessel that is solely under sail. If a sailing vessel is actively using an engine, it is no longer a sailboat "under sail" (even if has sails up). That's a fun one. How does the cruise ship captain know whether the boat is running its engines? Then there is another exception to the rule that says when operating within a narrow channel (probably defines most of the ports), the vessel that needs to be in the channel because of its draft (how far does it extend down in the water) has the right of way. I have often thought, standing on the upper deck of my cruise ship and watching sailboats around us, about that right of way rule. So far, I have not been of aware of it having been tested. Most of the time, all the smaller boats maintain a respectful distance from the cruise ships that are under way.

AN OVERRIDING rule, though (as is the case for most rules in our society) holds that even if you believe you are following the rules, if you see an issue and there is something you can safely do to avoid a problem, you must do that. I would call that the rule of common sense, which will undoubtedly be best exercised with a thorough background knowledge of the rules of the road. Do those small sail-only powered vessels really want to "play chicken" with that 250 ton cruise ship that is under way? We all know who will win in that collision, no matter who is technically at fault. In the cruising world, though, the ship captains and navigators still must know these rules and are technically bound to follow them. It is interesting to think about the knowledge and judgment required of cruise ship bridge officers, as we watch the ship come into and depart from busy ports around the world.

The Future of Cruise Ships - Should they be Building More Megaships?

THE CURRENT trend in the cruise ship industry is bigger and more grandiose ships. For sure, there are  cruise lines that focus on a smaller, either more luxury or expedition type experience. And for sure, that is also a growing sector, albeit a much smaller one. The subject of this post will confine itself mainly to what I call "mainline" cruising, with ships that carry from just under 1,000 passengers to nearly 6,000. For the most part, I will refer to passenger capacity, rather than gross tonnage, though the latter is certainly a factor in today's industry. These ships generally offer a combination of a good shore itinerary and various onboard entertainment, including amusement parklike attractions and multiple dining venues.

The current trend in the cruise ship industry is bigger and more grandiose ships

THE MEGASHIP trend really began in the late 2,000s, with Royal Caribbean leading the way with its Oasis Class ships. Offering something more than the traditional pools, sundecks and dining venues, these ships offered things like rock climbing walls, waterslides, surf - simulator pools, go-kart tracks and bumper car paviliions, among other things. They also ramped up the dining/entertainment venues, introducing a mall-like atmosphere on the ships. Passenger capacities on these ships were double those of their predecessors approachin 6,000 passengers. They were also physically much larger, often at an average of around 250,000 gross tons. Since then, there have been a growing number of competitors. By 2025, RC will have 9 ships in their two mega classes: Oasis and Icon. Today's biggest cruise ship, the Icon of the Seas was launched at the start of this year, and her sister ship the Star of the Seas, expected to surpass her in size, has a planned launch of August, 2025. Both have passenger capacities of 5,600. Not to be outdone, Europe-based Costa, MSC, and P&O all sport ships today that number among the 10 largest cruise ships in the world. All of these Mega-ships are some of the largest ships in the world by gross tonnage, bigger than many large cargo ships. 

“We make a lot more money on them. Ticket revenue and on-board revenue is dramatically higher on larger ships than on smaller, older ships.”

DURING THE 20-year period between 1990 and 2009, the largest cruise ships grew a third longer and almost 2 times in beam. The largest have grown considerably since, particularly in passenger capacity. These "megaships" went from offering a single  veranda deck, to offering nearly all decks with verandas.

PERHAPS THE single most relevant factor to the question my title asks, is: is there continued strong demand for these megaships? The data is not crystal clear. A poll done on another blog back about 5 years suggested that about 75% of responders favored  smaller ships, as opposed to the 25% who said: "bring it on!" As of October 2024, 32 passenger ships were on order or under construction with a publicly announced size of over 140,000 GT. According to Wikipedia, RCL has three Icon-class cruise ships on order and two options, with expected delivery in 2025, 2026 and 2027, as well as one Oasis-class ship on order for 2028. While exact sizes are not publicly known, RC has previously stated that each new ship will be a little larger than the last. Celebrity Cruises, which is owned by RCI's parent company Royal Caribbean Group, will introduce a 140,600 gross ton Edge-class ship in 2025. This all suggests to me that whether or not they "should" do so, mainline ship lines will continue to introduce megaships.

ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT factor which drives the introduction of megaships is an age old motivator: profit. My research suggests that these huge ships yield more profits for their owners than small ships do. To an extent, that stands to reason, as they are able to pack more paying passengers on these ships, creating economies of scale. A former large cruise line CEO is quoted as noting: “We make a lot more money on them. Ticket revenue and on-board revenue is dramatically higher on larger ships than on smaller, older ships.” So there's that. And that will likely be a substantial driver.

FROM MY personal perspective, a few of the "pros and cons" are: 

Large Ships Pros:

• Large variety of entertainment options
• Large variety of dining options
• Kid/family friendly
• Party Atmosphere

Large Ships Cons:

• Higher Fuel costs = (sometimes higher pricing (although other "amenties" offered by some of the smaller ships offset that)
• Generally lower food quality
• Can be crowded at times
• Size can negatively effect itinerary/destinations
• Party Atmosphere

AS MIGHT be expected from a topic like this, many of the so-called "pros and cons" are subjective. I tried to illustrate that with my inclusion of "party atmosphere" in both categories. For many passengers the party atmosphere is actually a draw to to cruising. This is particularly true among a younger demographic, and warm weather cruises that focus on (but not necessarily limited to) the caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Baha Peninsula. According to NCL’s former CEO, Colin Veitch, “The thing that’s attractive about bigger ships is you have more choice and variety on board,” he said. “We make a lot more money on them. Ticket revenue and on-board revenue is dramatically higher on larger ships than on smaller, older ships.”

To be sure there are ships with less than 4,000 capacity being built, but they are fewer and further between

FOR OTHERS, though, it will be considered a reason to avoid particular ships. We began cruising in our 50's and our view of cruising is more traditional and would be comfortably within the non-party atmosphere demographic (And of course, it is certainly possible to have a party atmosphere on smaller ships). There are cruisers who want to be pampered and have specialty meals, butlers, and exclusive environments. They are generally well served by either the "exclusive" areas being offered by some of the mainline ships, or by the higher-end, much smaller ships that offer a premium experience (at, of course, a premium price).

WE TEND to fall in between. In our late 60's, our week-long party experiences are well behind us. I do recall the New Year's celebration on the Celebrity Apex in the Caribbean back in December/January of this year. It was a lot of fun. It also confirmed to me that one night was all I really wanted of that. Our idea of an enjoyable cruise is good food, good cocktail venues, nice weather (when possible), good shows and comedians, but above all others, a good itinerary (though it has developed over time that the Caribbean itineray matters much less to us than the weather and ship's amenities). An onboard amusement park atmosphere, with things like climbing walls, bumper cars, rollercosters, surf simulators and such are pretty much a non-starter for us. We prefer a more "chill" and relaxing atmosphere. We have never cruised with young children, and that might make a difference. I can see us, for example, taking our now 5-year-old grandson on a Disney Cruise. But that wouldn't really be for us. it would be for him.

Our idea of an enjoyable cruise is good food, good cocktail venues, nice weather (when possible), good shows and comedians, but above all others, a good itinerary

AS I have noted here in the past, our "sweet spot" ship size has been the medium-sized 2,000 - 3,000 passenger ship. Interestingly, RCL seems to be embracing both the megaship concept and continuing (albeit with their wholly-owned subsidiary: Celebrity) the medium ships, with their Edge class, which is kind of our "Goldilocks" ship.

WHETHER THEY should be continuing to produce megaships, or not, it is clear that they plan to do so. As of this writing there are close to a dozen ships pushing the 6,000 passenger envelope through 2028. There are nearly as many in the 4,000 passenger range. To be sure there are ships with less than 4,000 capacity being built, but they are fewer and further between. I would be interested to hear your thoughts. Big, medium, or small ship? 

A New Idea

AS READERS here know, I spend a lot of time on line on various sites that cover the cruise and travel agency. Not as a professional. As a consumer. Reading responses to a YouTube channel on cruising recently, I came across a comment that planted a seed for this blog. A "new" (to me, anyway) approach to cruising.

Most stops are for less than 12 hours

AS SEASONED cruisers know, the typical cruise is anywhere from 4 to about 14 days (with an average of about 7-12). There are longer ones, of course. But this is the norm. The usual itinerary, depending on distance between ports, has the ship cruising at night and stopping in ports by day. A typical 7-day cruise would have between 3 and 5 stops. Most stops are for less than 12 hours. Sometimes there is an overnight, but even those can abbreviate one of the 2 days you would expect an overnight to consume.

What if there were cruises designed with a smaller number of stops and more overnights or even multiple nights?

WHAT IF the cruise lines changed that up. One of my "negatives" about cruising as a form of seeing the world travel is the shortness of time spent in ports. There is not only not enough time, but we miss some of the best times for things to happen (sunrise, sunset and night time). What if there were cruises designed with a smaller number of stops and more overnights or even multiple nights?

THIS IS just a "raw" idea in my mind at this state. There are certainly going to be complications. For example, I do not know how the approach would change the cost structure. Port fees would most likely substantially increase. Ship revenues might be effected by lower on-ship consumption (shops and casinos closed more -but maybe some concessions could be made there, at least where shore stops don't have the shops and/or casinos). There might be lowered fuel costs, but I am not sure on this one, particularly when ships run engines while docked?

Managing passenger logistics would be a significant consideration

I SUSPECT some of the cruise logistics would be complicated by an approach like this - especially considering that cruise types (traditional and this approach) would be mixed. This could well effect and be effected by port availability. This approach could also change onboard staff management and logistics. Employee contracts would no doubt be different, or at least contain additional provisions.

ANOTHER POSSIBLE logistics problem would be managing passenger accounting. The ships all do - in my view - an amazing job of accounting for passengers who leave the ship and return. By the time I started cruising in the 2000's, we were already pretty much digitized. Our ship cards contained at least a magnetic strip that could be swiped and would show the ship management that you had gone ashore - and that you returned. Even on my first cruise, the efficiency of this process impressed me. I wonder how they did it back in the earlier days. Maybe some reader here is old enough to remember - and would share that with us in the comments?

WITH THIS approach, however, another -different - problem comes to mind. On our Celebrity "England and Ireland" cruise in 2019, we had a unique (for us) experience - very much like what I am proposing here. We ported in Le Havre, France. From there, it was only about a 90 - minute train ride to Paris. Our overnight was the longest I can remember, arriving in the early morning hours and then not departing until around midnight on the second day. Never having been to Paris, we took advantage of this (to us) extra-long stop and booked an overnight in a Paris motel. This gave us about a day and a half in Paris, including the evening. It was well worth it in my view (I was able to see - and photograph - the sunset over Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower - and photograph the tower at night). We had time to see a few of the main sights in the city (not nearly enough). We ate in a couple of the local restaurants. It was memorable and I remember thinking about this on many of our other unique stops.

It had never even occurred to us that the ship might depart early, leaving us "stranded" in Paris!

THERE IS, however, a logistics issue. It was really underscored when in 2022, we cruise on Celebrity's Apex in the Baltic. We had a planned overnight stop in Stockholm, Sweden. The port was not really within walking distance of the city, though it was only a short shuttle or taxi ride. It would have been another ideal spot to book an overnight hotel and take in parts of the city during the nighttime and early morning hours. We did not plan to do that this time, but I am sure some people did. At some point (I don't remember exactly when, but we were on board at the time), the ship captain came on the PA system and announce that because of predicted high winds, the overnight stay was being cancelled (maybe during dinner), and the ship would be departing around midnight (the passage in and out of Stockholm Port is narrow and winding and a few miles (it took a couple hours each way).

IT GAVE us a jolt when it occurred to us: what about people who were still ashore? What about people who had booked overnight stays in Stockholm hotels? How would they know? What are the mechanics of getting them back aboard? We immediately remembered our Paris adventure. It had never even occurred to us that the ship might depart early, leaving us "stranded" in Paris! We had not informed the ship that we would be overnighting in Paris. Nor had we given them our hotel name, reservation, etc. It is unclear to me what the resposibilities are in that case. I confess I haven't read a contract from end-to-end since our first couple cruises. Even then when I did that, I think I was in the huge minority of passengers. I am an attorney. I will be the first to tell you that these contracts are long, wordy, confusing and tedious. I think - like many large commercial ventures - they count on people not reading the so-called "fine print." In the future though, if I plan an overnight stay on shore, I will at least peruse the contract for that information. An even better approach, however, is to just voluntarily inform the ship of your overnight plans, including the name, telephone, address, and perhaps reservation number of your hotel. Just common sense (even though we didn't exercise it in 2022). 😓

Would there be enough demand for this kind of cruise?

THE THING is, this could become a major logistics headache for cruise ships. Would overnight stays onshore become a popular thing? I am not sure. I think it would partially depend on the port and how close amenities were. If it were easy to walk, shuttle or taxi/Uber, we probably wouldn't want to deal with the extra cost and hassle (some form of luggage would be an issue for most travelers planning to overnight) of booking a hotel when we have a great room right there back at the ship. 

WOULD THERE be enough demand for this kind of a cruise? I honestly don't know. I do know that I would personally embrace it. There are - in my (perhaps myopic) view, some real cruise passenger pluses. Perhaps the biggest positive for all passengers who like to travel and get off the ship at stops (I suspect this is the majority) is the additional time to explore the port city and surrounds. It would likely create many more options and opportunities for excursions. It would allow passengers to take advantage of local cuisine and restaurants (though the cruise lines might see this a negative, considering the food planning logistics require, but lost revenue on upcharge items and alcohol). And of course many passengers are more about the cruising "experience" than the ports. There is certainly an argument that both of these could be accomplished though.

WHAT DO you think? Is this a viable approach to cruising? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Which Cruise Ship / Cruise Line is for You?

Carnival Cruise Ships - Nassau, Bahamas - Copyright Andy Richards 2022

RECENTLY, I was reading online trying to keep up with new (to me anyway) developments on cruising. One concept I read struck me. There are 100's of cruise ships to choose from, and every one of them (even the "sister" ships within a class) have something (or things) different to discover, explore, and in most cases, enjoy. We consider ourselves "seasoned" cruisers, with more than 20 cruises under our belt. As I peruse different cruising sites, it is clear to me that we are still in the "sophomore" stage of our cruising. I have no idea how many total cruises we will have finally taken over our time on earth, but I know we will keep on doing it as long as we are able.

For us, it is more about the itinerary than the ship

THE NAME of this blog suggests to the reader that I have a "favorite." At the moment, all other things being equal, I would choose one of the newer class Celebrity Ship to cruise on. But that is certainly not a hard and fast position. And in keeping with my opening remarks, we will - I am certain - when circumstances present, cruise on other lines. For us, it is more about the itinerary than the ship. Having said that, there are some lines that, based on my research and anecdotal evidence, we will not even look at. We have no interest, for example in cruising on either Carnival or Costa (ironically, Carnival Corp. owns Princess, which we have no problem cruising on). Not trying to be elitist by any means. We know that there are cruisers and potential cruisers who would not be able to go on any cruise at all, if these so-called "budget" lines didn't exist. They are just not for us. Because of that, any useful information you may get here will not include them.

Top Deck; Celebrity Edge - Copyright Andy Richards 2019

THERE ARE cruise lines and then there are cruise lines. We generally cruise on a medium-capacity, relatively sedate, cruise ship that offers a relaxed, adult experience with a premium on visiting interesting ports of call around the world. Our usual experience is what we think is probably pretty common among the majority of cruise passengers in our demographic (60's, comfortable, but not "wealthy," reasonably good health, and retired). We personally don't book suites, or luxury "class" packages on the ships (though we know some who do). We do book more or less standard balcony rooms. We do generally buy the premium drink package, as we are cocktail drinkers, and we also like the higher end specialty coffee bars, and abundantly available water. We really haven't done any in-depth analysis on weather that is the most cost-effective approach (and we get that the packages are not for everyone). We just like not having to think about it. This is an area where the cruise line makes a difference. We understand that some lines (like Princess and Holland America) impose a limit on the number of drinks per day that are covered in the package. Celebrity doesn't (at least at this point). While that might make a difference, we are doubtful that we would reach that maximum (we surely haven't on our several Princess experiences).

SOME CRUISE lines focus on a younger audience: young adults, college students on "spring break," and even young children ("Disney"). Some are known for their party atmosphere, as well as entertainment activities like waterslides, rock walls, and go-kart tracks. There are more exclusive small-ship experiences that offer a "premium luxury experience" often with all-included meals and refreshments. I won't comment on them, as we have not done a cruise on any of them. It isn't likely (though anything is possible) that we will. If that is your thing, you will have to research elsewhere. 😊 There are also the very exclusive exploration cruises in exotic places like the Galapagos. We haven't done one and do not see it in our foreseeable future cruising. Our focus has been on the English-speaking cruise lines (for the entirely selfish reason that we speak - exclusively - English. We wish we spoke at least on other language). But be aware that some of the lines in Europe are not exclusively English language oriented (Mein Schiff comes to mind, for example).

It is difficult to really get a good "feel" for what a cruise is like before you do one. It is easy to have a preconceived perception

AS FAR as my research has uncovered, there is no "industry standard" classification of cruise lines. I do know that there are lines that offer a "premium" experience, and lines that offer "budget" cruises. And then there are a number of (probably most) others who are in between. Because there is no real "standard," cruise lines and passengers are free to refer to ships and lines in whatever way they wish. One person's luxury may be another's "pedestrian" (or worse). What a cruise line may call "luxury," or "premium" may not be what you consider luxury or premium to be. My best, most recent, example is our January 2023 cruise in South Africa aboard Norwegian Cruise Line - owned "Oceania." Oceania touts itself as a "premium luxury" cruise line. As I wrote in a recent blog, "Something New For Us," our own measure of Oceania is that it fell well below our thinking of what "luxury premium" standards should be - being on par with, or even slightly behind our own measuring stick: Celebrity. We also found it to be on par with or below the standards of Princess. Neither Celebrity nor Princess would be considered "luxury premium" lines by most people's standards.

Martini's Lounge - Oceania Nautica - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

CHOOSING A cruise line and ship will be driven by a number of factors. You need to think about what you are seeking. Is it a fun, entertainment-filled vacation in the sun? Will you have younger folks with you who will seek a different kind of entertainment than older adults may seek? Or do you want a quiet, more sophisticated, but relaxing atmosphere, or are you more interested in a constant "party" vibe? Is an exciting on shore itinerary important to you, or are you just seeking the onboard cruise experience? What is your budget? How much time do you have? All of these things will factor into your experience. There are many cruisers participating on various on-line spaces like Cruise Critic.com and the various Facebook Pages for cruises and cruise ships, that find the luxury "extras" important and worth paying a premium for. My wife and I like to think of ourselves as rather ordinary, and our tastes run to the "everyman" experience. We personally have no need for, or interest in being "pampered" with things like our own exclusive restaurants, lounges, pool areas or "butlers." Nor do we ever seek an exclusive area on the ship. We wouldn't enjoy those things. We like our mainline cabin (we generally do a balcony, not for status, but for the view and feeling of space). We like eating in the main dining areas (MDR) of the ship (where we are sometimes seated with strangers who we strike up a conversation with - and occasionally become friends with). We might splurge once or twice a cruise and eat in one of the upgrade restaurants. But for the most part we are happy with what the standard cruise packages offer. That's us. You may be different. Most ships within our criteria have atmosphere and itinerary offerings that allow for varied approaches. Maybe you prefer to dine alone or with just the members of your group. That is no problem for modern cruise ship dining rooms.

Royal Princess - Copyright Andy Richards 2013

FOR OUR first ever cruise, back in 2010, we did Alaska's inside passage. Having never cruised, we knew nothing about cruise ship. I was given the "privilege" of choosing the ship for the 4 of us who would be cruising. I spent months before we booked, looking at different cruise lines and ships. Even with all the information available online, it is difficult to really get a good "feel" for what a cruise is like before you do one. It is easy to have a preconceived perception, and often, the huge variation between higher end and "bargain" lines and cruises can taint that thinking. I had a perception, for example, of a more "Carnival"-like atmosphere, with mainly mediocre buffet food. I was incorrect, of course. For our own personal "demographic," we were looking for something a little quieter, a bit classier than the "party atmosphere, and with decent amenities. I boiled it down to two cruise lines: Princess and Holland America (HAL). I liked what I saw in HAL. But ultimately a couple factors leaned us toward Princess. Again, much of the "research" results are anecdotal and opinion-based (like here :-) ), but it felt to me like Princess had a slightly more casual vibe, (and conversely, HAL, a more formal vibe). And perhaps more importantly, Princess has done a very good job of kind of "locking up" Alaska, with their dominant presence there. They have a huge terminal in Whittier, which is, I believe, exclusively used by Carnival Cruise Lines and its subsidiaries (Carnival owns both Princess and HAL, for those who didn't know). They also have their large and modern hotel at the entrance of Denali National Park, and extensive land-based touring in Alaska. Their "Cruise-tour" packages are probably their most popular Alaska experiences. I would probably lean toward Princess today, if we were going to cruise again in Alaska (though other cruise lines certainly provide a similar experience). I have often thought that, had we chosen HAL, our entire cruise experience over the next 15 years might have been very different. We had friends who did a very similar cruise on HAL and had good things to say. 

YOU JUST might choose different ships/lines for different itineraries. That was certainly a consideration for Alaska, and from what I have read, it would probably still be a consideration if we were to cruise again in Alaska. In a like vein, one of our justifications for booking the South Africa cruise on Oceania is that it does not appear that the larger ships we normally sail on go there. If you read my blog about the South Africa cruise, you know I would not recommend doing it and I would not do it again under any normal circumstances. A big part of a cruise is finding an itinerary that lends itself to coastal stops. For the most part, the "action" in South Africa is inland and the way to do it - in my view - is on "safari." Land-based. But we didn't know, and you can see how that tempers ship and cruise line choices. I think cruising in the Indonesian Islands (something we may someday pursue) would have some of the same "smaller ship" considerations.

Diamond Princess - Skagway, Alaska - Copyright Andy Richards 2010

IN OUR 15 years of cruising, we have cruised on 5 different cruise lines. 60 percent of the time we have cruised on a Celebrity ship. 25% have been on Princess ships. The other 15% has been divided between Royal Caribbean, Holland America, and  Oceania (owned by NCL). Full disclosure: my wife did "girlfriend" trips on both of the RC cruises, so I have never personally been on a Royal Caribbean ship. But having cruised together many times, we were able to compare notes, and I got good "intel" from her. As I mentioned at the outset, our sampling may be small. There are undoubtedly cruisers who have cruise more different lines than we have. But in our "wheelhouse," we think our sampling is good enough to give us some perspective on the cruise industry.

Holland America 

I HAVE mentioned here before that we think that a 2,000 - 2,500 passenger ship is our own personal "sweet spot." We know people who feel that is much too large, and prefer the smaller, more intimate ships. We also know a few that like the rollicking, party atmosphere some of the Carnival ships, and of the megaships like Royal's Icon of The Seas, which holds nearly 3 times that number of passengers. On the
"small ship" experience, in December 2023, we spent a little over a week on the Oceania Nautica, which has a guest capacity of only about 1/3 of our "sweet spot" size (670 max.). As you might expect, everything (and I mean everything) was proportionately smaller. You can see my more specific review of our time on the Nautica here. There were definitely pros and cons to this cruise ship. Our particular cruise had only about 400 people. I wonder if it might have felt more crowded at capacity. It was fun, though, to experience a new and different ship and experience. And every line does certain things differently. For some of the people we have met aboard ships over the years, the Nautica's diminutive size and "laid back," traditional atmosphere would be just right. We have met some very "seasoned" cruisers who in some cases have done 3 or more times the number of cruises we have. They are often older and tend to cruise more for the ship atmosphere. They often even rarely leave the ship. I think a ship like Nautica is probably ideal for cruisers like that - but probably only if they do a "premium" type package. We had a "standard" balcony package. That does not give access to the fitness center, steam room, etc. (though I think they could be accessed by paying an additional charge). The rooms (especially the bathroom) were very small. They were nice, but nothing more opulent than what we are accustomed to on Celebrity or Princess Ships. The food was very good. The decor was elegant, and the ship clean and tidy. The bar, wait, and entertainment staff were as good as any we have ever experienced, with one very notable exception (the cruise director was arrogant, and in our view completely derelict in his responsibility in at least one major occasion, but that could occur on any ship anywhere, so it really isn't commentary on Oceania as a cruise line). Their boarding process was the second worse we have experienced in our 20-plus cruises, and by and large, the administrative staff were mediocre at best - unhelpful at worst. Given those factors, and the fact that the cost to us was more than double our usual cost, we find it difficult to "grant" Oceania the "premium/luxury" status. Interestingly, Oceania is owned by the same parent company as NCL, which we think would probably offer a similar experience to Princess, HAL, and Celebrity. We know some folks who have cruised on NCL and they have liked it, by and large.

We think of Celebrity, Princess, HAL (and probably NCL) as similar in class and experience

YOU CERTAINLY should identify a category of cruise that you want. Are you wanting a "party" cruise atmosphere with (most likely) a warm weather destination? Do you want lots of young people, bars, "clubs," and the like? Do you want more of a family atmosphere? Or, like us, would you prefer a more mature (35 - 75) demographic, with a slower pace, more "elegant" style and setting and more "sedate" amenities? This is important, because it is the onboard portion of the trip, which will be the majority of your time. All cruise ships will have a theater and shows. But they often differ greatly in their food offerings, the cabin amenities, the pool areas, etc. They can range from raucous (think Carnival), to understated and elegant (think upscale or premium lines like Oceania, or even more upscale Viking, Azamara, Silversea, etc.). Another major factor, of course, is your budget. Cruises like the latter mentioned tend to be much more expensive than cruises on Carnival, Costa, and other "budget" lines. The more "mainstream" cruises like Princess, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and MSC are more costly than the budget lines, but generally significantly less than the "premium" lines. There is much variability within these categories, and ironically, some of the so-called premium lines really don't offer as much "bang for your buck" as the mid-lines do. Something to factor in when considering this aspect of your choices.

Ruby Princess - Caribbean - Copyright Andy Richards 2012

WE THINK of Celebrity, Princess, HAL (and probably NCL) as similar in class and experience. Most of their ships these days come within our plus or minus 2.000 passenger personal criteria. They mostly offer pretty nice amenities in their more or less standard cruise levels (balcony stateroom, MDR setup, and maybe a drink package). The rooms are generous sized (including the bathrooms), clean and modern (there is the occasional long-in-the-tooth ship, but most lines systematically upgrade every few years). The food is good to sometimes excellent. Staff is friendly and helpful, with an eye (outwardly at least) to making sure you have a good experience as passengers. The entertainment is generally very good. In our experience, Princess seems to have a slight edge in this area - at least when it comes to their theatre-type productions. Both Princess and HAL ships seem to put more of a premium on smaller, more intimate music venues. Princess has it's "Crooner's" lounge, and a couple others (depending on the ship), and HAL features a couple specialty music venues featuring rock and roll and jazz and blues. In our experience, all the in-house musicians, as well as most that are contracted for a particular cruise are excellent and very professional.

 "amenities" can be very important

ONCE YOU have gotten a handle on the type of cruise you want to do, the single most important factor for us has always been the itinerary. Cruises can primarily be divided into two categories. The first (and perhaps best known and most popular over the years) is the "vacation" cruise, usually in a warm weather destination. For citizens of the American Continent (U.S. and Canada primarily), this is probably most often the Caribbean. For Europeans, in addition to the Caribbean, places like the south of Portugal, parts of Greece and other places in the Mediterranean are also popular. These cruises are generally of shorter duration (a week or less) and often happen in the Caribbean during the cold winter months for North Americans. The second category is the adventure or travel cruise. We are most familiar with cruises in Europe including numerous trips to the Mediterranean, as well as trips into the North Sea, Irish Sea, English Channel, and the Baltic Ocean Other adventure trips include various destinations around North America, like the Atlantic Coast, mainly from New York North to places like Bar Harbor, Maine, and on up into the Canadian Provinces (all the way into the St. Lawrence and down to Montreal and Quebec City). The west coast also has some popular cruises from San Diego to Vancouver. And of course, the Alaskan "Inside" passage is extremely popular in season. Finally (and we haven't really done any of this) there cruises in the Pacific to and around Hawaii, the Polynesian Islands, and Japan (where we are scheduled to cruise for 12 days in April 2024).

Celebrity Apex - Iceland - 2023

THESE DAYS, probably because we live in Florida, we do the latter "adventure" type cruises more often. We do still do Caribbean cruises. But they are less frequent, and generally are more about the atmosphere of the sunny, warm weather cruise ship than the destination. On December 30, 2023, for a 7-day cruise. We had been to all but one of our 3 stops multiple times. We got off the ship, mostly to do some walking around and bar - hopping more than any industrious itinerary. We did hire a spur-of-the-moment driver to give us a tour of our stop in Tortola, BVI (the one we had not yet been to). We were with some old, close friends who we have cruised together with several times - but not recently, so all 4 of us are looking forward to getting away, warm, sunny weather and some time on the ship more than anything.

Celebrity Apex - Sunset on the Caribbean - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

WHEN IT comes to the "adventure" cruises, the itinerary becomes all-important. If Princess (or perhaps HAL in the future, after we experience it) offers what we think is a better itinerary, we will not hesitate to book on those cruise lines.

Cigar Smoking Area - Celebrity Edge Class Ships - Copyright Andy Richards 2019

FOR SOME, "amenities" can be very important. You may want to think about things that we might take for granted in our everyday lives. If you, or a member of your traveling party has a handicap, accessibility may be an important consideration. Virtually all of the newer ships are pretty well set up for this. Some of the older, and smaller ship may not be as good (though all have to meet minimum standards). For example, from my personal observation, the larger Princess and Celebrity ships have a hoist-chair in at least one of their pools. All ships have elevators. Most cruise lines pay at least lip-service to special dietary needs. Some are better than others, but I have frequently read some commentary online that suggests that some do it better than others. It is worth doing some research if you have special dietary needs - or have significant food allergies. One area that is "near and dear to me" is the way the cruise line (and sometimes individual ships) handle smoking policies. I know of only one (European) cruise line that still allows smoking on individual balconies. The rest allow it in specifically designated areas only. I certainly appreciate that non-smokers are in the majority (in the U.S. at least) and that many find the odors created noxious. I am not (nor have I ever been) a cigarette smoker. But I do enjoy a nice, hand-rolled cigar. I am completely behind the cruise policies to restrict smoking to specific areas (though I think the occasionally "militant" stance some non-smokers take are sometimes over-the-top).  Some do this better than others. In my personal experience, the most accommodating line has been Celebrity - particularly on their larger, newer (Edge Class) ships. There is also a distinction between cigarette and cigar smoking (although ironically, I have heard it said many times by non-smokers that they prefer the smell of cigar and pipe smoke to cigarette smoke). The Nautica, for example had two smoking areas, but only one of them allowed cigar smoking. Some have felt less "welcoming" than others. Again, Celebrity is among the most cigar-friendly cruise lines in my experience. Do you want to gamble? Every ship I have been on has had a casino. On the very small ships, it might be more apt to refer to it as a "card room." On the larger ships, they resemble an on-land casino (albeit smaller by a magnitude). It may be worth looking at the size and quality of the onboard casino.

I HOPE this has given some insight on choosing your cruise line/ship. Bon Voyage!