On Cruising: To Sail or Not to Sail

  

I am a landlubber at heart, having grown up with car trips, camping and hiking in the mountains, and exploring the roads and back roads of America.  When I retired and began my travel life in earnest, I favored land-based tours with activities I enjoyed doing.  I went hiking in Croatia and later in the Italian Alps, photographed animals in Botswana and landscapes in Arizona, rode a camel and stayed in a camel-hair tent among the sands of Morocco’s Sahara Desert, and took a cooking course in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy.

No thanks, I said to cruising offers; too confining, too sedentary, and too many people.  Besides, on several previous ferry crossings, I had been quite ill with sea seasickness.  Then one day, I received a phone call from a friend who travels as an expert lecturer with land-based tours and on cruise ships.  “I’m lecturing on the Viking Sea and have no one going with me.  You’re welcome to come along and share my stateroom, but you will have to pay your own airfare.”  I’ll think about it, I said, but thought to myself, no way am I interested in being cooped up on a cruise ship.

My husband Scott encouraged me to say yes.  “How could you pass up such an opportunity?” he asked.  “A free cruise?  Why are you even considering saying no?” 

So, I called my friend and said, “What a generous offer.  Of course, I’d love to go.”  

Thus began my first year of cruising.  Within twelve months I cruised the Norwegian coast to the Arctic Circle (Viking), took a small-ship expedition to Antarctica (Quark), sailed from San Diego to Miami through the Panama Canal (Oceania), viewed the glacial mountains of Alaska while cruising the Inside Passage (Cunnard), and meandered down and back up the Douro River in Portugal (CroisiEurope).  Compared to those I’ve met on these trips, I am still a neophyte cruiser.

When I ask people why they cruise, the most common answer is, “I only have to unpack once.”  A quick second reason people give is the opportunity for pampering.  Staterooms are comfortable, if sometimes small, and they are cleaned once or twice daily.  Meals are included in the cost of the cruise and offer a variety of options for any palate.  Room service is usually available all day for those who prefer to stay in rather than venture out.  Ships are essentially traveling hotels or resorts with swimming pools, exercise rooms, spas, bars, casinos, libraries, and shops.  Some include wine and beer with meals, others charge extra for alcoholic or specialty drinks.  Some invite guests to participate in exercise classes at no charge.  Most offer lectures on topics of interest.  Usually there is Las Vegas-style entertainment in the evenings.  There may be movies on a big screen, a naturalist on deck to point out birds or whales, or a commentator to explain what is happening as the ship passes through the Panama Canal lock system.

A third reason is cost.  The daily cost of a cruise can be much lower than that of a land-based tour.  Some of the land tours I have taken have averaged up to $700 per day for hotels, meals, transportation, and guide services.  In contrast my per day ship costs have been as low as $250 per day.  They can be even lower for those who find last-minute deals and for those who cruise on larger ships.

And finally, there are the opportunities to visit new locales.  There is really no other way to visit Antarctica than by ship.  As I write, I am on my most ambitious cruise to date: thirty-two days across the Pacific Ocean from San Diego to Hong Kong on the luxurious Crystal Symphony.  I chose this cruise partially because I got a great price for a single-occupancy stateroom but more importantly because the itinerary includes several islands best visited by sea.  Of course, there are many ways to get to the Hawaiian Islands, but how else could I add the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Guam, Saipan, and the Philippines to my list of nations visited?

Cruising is not only about the ocean ports, however.  There are typically ample opportunities to go ashore.  While some people who cruise are happy to stay on the ship and take advantage of all that is offered there, for those who want to get off, there are optional excursions in most ports.  These range from bus tours around a port town or opportunities to view specific sites to physically-active options such as hiking, snorkeling, horseback riding, or zip lining.  Some ships include excursions in the cruise cost, but most charge extra for these. 

In Norway, one shore excursion took twenty-five of us by bus through stunning mountains and fjords to hike to a 100-meter waterfall.  In Costa Rica, the bus took us to a rain forest nature preserve where we learned about flora and fauna while walking across a series of swinging bridges.  In Alaska, I took a shore excursion on a narrow-gauge train around tight mountain curves and across canyons on old trestle bridges while taking in the majestic beauty of snow-covered peaks and green valleys.

As for my worries about sea sickness:  there are medications available to manage it, but I have really only needed them as my small 150-passenger expedition ship traversed the rough Drake Passage between Argentina and Antarctica.  I started with a behind-the-ear scopolamine patch but added a meclizine HCl tablet, as suggested by the ship’s medical officer (and available over the counter as Dramamine non-drowsy formula).  This combination effectively stopped the queasy feelings that made me want to stay in bed all day.  Occasionally, there have been rough seas on larger ships.  When the captain announces that these are ahead, I take a meclizine HCl tablet and that has been sufficient to quell the queasy stomach.

So, after deciding to cruise, how does one decide which ship and itinerary to select?  The options are almost limitless and the choices overwhelming.  Cruisers compare notes about previous trips taken, places they have seen, and ships they have been on.  While each of my cruises has been on a different line, I’m amazed at the number of people who are committed to a single one.  I suppose this makes sense since cruise lines, like airlines, offer perks to those who travel with them repeatedly.

The most obvious question is where do you want to go?  While this seems like the best starting point, I’ve found that (other than Antarctica) a specific destination has been less important to me than the possibilities of going somewhere unexpected or interesting.  Cruising reduces the impacts of jet lag, especially if the cruise begins or ends near home.  Even if the ship is crossing several time zones, it typically takes two or three days to cross each one, so the impact of time travel is minimized.

How much can you afford or how much are you willing to spend?  What kind of a deal can you get?  Some cruise lines offer the best prices when their itineraries for the next year are first announced.  If there is somewhere you specifically want to go, watch for these launch deals.  The other time prices are best is closer to sailing date when ships need to fill empty staterooms.  If your schedule is more flexible, there may well be a great last-minute deal that entices you.  Two websites provide frequent information on these deals:  VacationsToGo and CruiseCritic.

A cost factor to consider is what is included or not included in the cruise price.  Cunnard prices are less than some of the other ships I’ve sailed on but passengers are charged for soft or alcoholic drink, bottled water, and specialty coffees, and for dining in specialty restaurants.  Oceania doesn’t charge for soft drinks or bottled water but does charge for alcoholic drinks.  Viking ocean cruises are more inclusive as house wine and beer are available at no extra cost with lunch and dinner and an excursion in every port is included; in my experience the included excursion was most often a bus tour of the town or countryside.  Most cruise lines add on gratuities for the crew which can add several hundred dollars per person to the cruise price.  Crystal advertises itself as all-inclusive, which means that all alcoholic and specialty drinks are included as are gratuities and dining in specialty restaurants.  You do have to pay for your elective shore excursions on all the lines I’ve sailed; river cruises do typically include more free options but their number and variety is limited.

Are you traveling with or without children?  Do you like big crowds or do you prefer a quieter, more intimate environment?  There are ships that cater to all types of travelers.  Some of the larger ships (3,000 or more passengers) especially appeal to families because there are many activities that children enjoy.  I have avoided these ships so have no advice to offer about them.  Instead, I prefer the cruise ships that are smaller (1,000 or fewer passengers) and that cater to adults.  I do not go to sea for water parks or go-cart tracks.  I go for the peace of a quiet morning in the forward observation deck, a cocktail poolside in the late afternoon, a leisurely dinner in an elegant restaurant, and after-dinner dancing in the ballroom.  Speaking of dancing, in my limited experience, Cunnard offers the best dance floors and the most opportunities for ballroom dancing.  I am not a dancer but do enjoy watching the graceful movements of those who are.

I have discovered that I can be as busy as I want on a ship—playing cards, working a jigsaw puzzle, attending a lecture, working out in the exercise room, finding someone to talk to in a lounge or at a meal, listening to a string quartet or a lounge piano player—or I can find a quiet corner to read or watch the world to by or retreat to my stateroom for an afternoon nap.  I may yet turn into one of those people who cruise just for the pleasure of cruising.