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Cruisers: Top Five Things To Do in St. Maarten (aka St. Martin)

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Your ship docks in St. Maarten and you have just 8 hours (or less)!  What do you do?

There’s so much to do while in St. Maarten and your time is limited, so a little planning will go a long way towards making the most of your visit.  And since you can count on us to help, we’ve narrowed down your choices and have chosen our top five must-do picks for your stop in St. Maarten.

Known for being one of the most sought after vacation spots in the world, St. Maarten, with its white sandy beaches and crystal clear water, is nothing short of spectacular.

1. Race to the finish line onboard an American Cup Yacht the America’s Cup Regatta.  Depart from Bobby’s Marina in Great Bay for three-hour sail on either the Dennis Conner’s Stars and Stripes boat, the Canada II or the True North boat, but please keep in mind this excursion is only for those 12 years of age or older.

2. For those cruising with children, the Butterfly Farm on the French side of the island (St. Martin) is sure to be a hit.  There you’ll be taken on a guided tour outlining a butterfly’s life cycle.  And for your convenience, there’s a cafe where you can break for lunch or grab a colorful souvenir at the gift shop.

3. If you’re looking to find some treasures to take home, head on over to the Harbor Point Village.  There are plenty of shops and vendors to keep you entertained all afternoon, but the best deals can be found on Black Street.

4. Dawn Beach, located 5 miles north on the eastern coast, will please almost any beach bum. Snorkeling, restaurants, bars and shops all make this beach a sandy favorite.  Best of all, all the beaches on the one mile stretch remain public despite the many newly built resorts on this beach.

5. Dine with sharks, turtles, tarpon and lobster at Captain Oliver’s in Oyster Pond.  They have a wide selection of shellfish and specialties.  May we suggest the Stuffed Antillean Crab, it gets rave reviews daily.

Bonus: Aviation takes flight at Maho Beach.  Located 8 miles west of the port along the southwestern coast of the Dutch side of the island, is a popular destination conveniently located near the airport. Beach goers can sit and relax as planes take off and land directly over head.  No, you can’t touch the plane as it flies by, it only seems that way.

 

To see more on these top 5 picks along with other things to eat, drink and do in St. Maarten/St. Martin check out our Port Guide to St. Maarten Page.  Been to St. Maarten/St. Martin? What’s on your must do list?

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Posted in cruise travel | 2 Comments »

Seattle, WA: New Port Guide

Monday, December 19th, 2011

Seattle, like many of the great cities around the world has its share of nicknames: “The Emerald City”, “The Espresso Capital of the World”, “Birthplace of Grundge”. But for us cruise lovers it is more importantly known as the “Gateway to Alaska”, as many Alaskan cruises depart from Seattle. As a departure city, Seattle caters well to its cruise guests with two cruise terminals in close proximity to one another: Smith Cove and the Bell Street Pier.

Seattle’s culture, restaurants and numerous cafe’s are but a few of the things that make a visit to Seattle so enjoyable. The ease of getting place from to place also adds to the pleasure of being is this big, little city. And with weather which is better than you might expect, given Seattle’s notoriously rainy climate, you will really have a chance to soak in all the city has to offer. Also, a vibrant sports town, Seattle’s fan base is so rabid that during a playoff game last year, the roar of the crowd during a game clinching touchdown run, actually measured on the Richter Scale. So whether you are taking in a game, having dinner in the Space Needle, watching the fish fly through the air at the Pike Place Market or simply sitting down to a nice espresso, Seattle is a jewel of a city.

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Posted in cruise travel, cruises, meetoncruise | No Comments »

Food Fight! Free vs. Upcharge — Is Dining on Cruise Ships getting More Expensive?

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

Food Fight on Cruise Ship DiningOn occasion, there is chatter on the cruise boards that indicates that a number of people seem to believe that they are being forced to pay for food on newer ships that have added a large number of “alternative” restaurants.

I believe that while it is true that the number of dining options has increased dramatically, this does not mean that the cruise lines have taken away the free dining choices. They have simply added more choices.

Let’s rewind several years to the late 90’s. Most cruise ships offered first and second seating dinner in one or two main restaurants. There was room service and a buffet (remember the midnight buffet?) and that was pretty much it.

Main Dining Room on Carnival Miracle (Photo Credit: Carnival.com)

Main Dining Room on Carnival Miracle (Photo Credit: Carnival.com)

Then cruise lines began to introduce alternative restaurants that delivered a higher level of cuisine in more intimate setting and assessed what become known as a “cover charge”. This trend continued to grow until Norwegian Cruise Lines introduced its first Freestyle ship in 2001. Freestyle was the first dining concept to offer a variety of restaurants in multiple locations. The concept of flexible dining times and multiple venues created a bit of a logistics challenge for NCL but over time they were able to work through the issues and guests seemed to embrace this new feature.

Le Bistro French Restaurant On Norwegian Pearl

Le Bistro French Restaurant On Norwegian Pearl (Photo Credit: NCL.com)

This caused most of the contemporary cruise lines to re-think the traditional dining times and limited number of restaurants. Some like Carnival only offer a few alternative restaurants but added flexible dining times to their programs. On the other hand, the mega ships from Royal Caribbean – Oasis and Allure of the Seas have an astonishing 20 potential dining options (including room service) and 12 require a service charge.

While it might appear that charging for dining is on an upward trend, the reality is that there is little probability that cruising will swing to 100% paid restaurants.

Without the complimentary dining rooms it would be hard to accommodate several thousands of guests in alternative dining venues. The real question is whether the quality of cuisine in the free dining rooms has suffered at the expense of the paid restaurants. My very subjective opinion is that cruise lines investment in complimentary food served onboard has not been cut drastically but neither has it been increased.

Also, the fact that the dining rooms are 2 or 3 times larger than 10 years ago and this in and of itself creates additional challenges. Cruise lines, save for a very few 6 star operators, never promoted their dining as “gourmet”. You just can’t serve a gourmet meal to 2,000 people who arrive within 15 minutes of each other. Cruise line executives tell us that passenger ratings on their main dining rooms has not changed significantly since the introduction of more paid options.

I think that all cruisers should consider alternative dining just that – an alternative. Some people reserve the experience for a special occasion, others go a few times during the week, and some try to experience each alternative venue. But if you choose to simply dine in the main dining rooms each day and avoid specialty restaurant surcharges, this is perfectly fine with the line. The menus are designed for the length of the cruise and you should be able to find something to your liking on each menu.

One trend that has been noticeable is the opening of the buffet restaurants for casual dinner. It’s still as self-serve environment but there are variety of hot entrees, salads and desserts that make a nice alternative to main restaurant offerings.

What do you think about dining on cruises and how often do you visit the specialty restaurants? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy Dining,

Cruise Professor

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Posted in Cruise 101, cruise industry, cruise travel, cruises | 3 Comments »

Video: Big, Bigger, Biggest – How the Largest Cruise Ships in the World Were Built

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

How did cruise ships get so big?  What were some of the early designs and why is bigger better?  Or is bigger, better? This fantastic video by National Geographic profiles Royal Caribbean‘s Independence of the Seas and how it came to be the largest ship in the world.

Well, it WAS the largest ship in the world in 2008 (before Allure and Oasis of the Seas were around)!

The video also takes a look at how ship design has evolved throughout- from wooden hulls to steel, from wind-powered, to steam-powered…and now, oil/gas-powered.

If you’re ship-nerds like us, we know you’ll enjoy this video :)

 

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Posted in cruise industry, cruise travel, cruises, Ship review | 2 Comments »

Too Many Sites Make Sore Eyes – Why You Should Use a Cruise Travel Agent

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Launch of new travel websiteAnother “cutting edge” travel website was recently announced. It leads to the question of “how many websites does a person need to visit to get information about travel offers?”

Since we focus on the cruise business, let’s take a look at this particular segment to see if we can shed some light on the question.

The first thing to understand when you let your fingers do the shopping online is that virtually all cruise travel sites develop their prices from the same “feed”. For the digitally challenged, this just means that the cruise lines send rates via their central computer. This means for all practical purposes, all cruise travel sites offer up the same basic rates.

One great myth is that the cruise lines who sell directly to the public (mostly the mass market lines) have special, direct rates lower than a local cruise agent. Wrong, my fellow cruisers!

In fact, an independent cruise agent can often find you rates lower than the cruise line. More on how to take advantage on some insider tips in a moment. But first we have to get this off our chest. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU ONLY SHOP DIRECTLY WITH A CRUISE LINE????

First of all, that cruise line employee is paid to get your booking as fast as possible and move on to the next sale. And, heaven forbid, maybe instead of cruise line ABC you really belong on cruise line XYZ, what is the chance that the cruise line agent will say “Oh you really belong on cruise line XYZ and not us”. This is about as likely to happen as a Toyota sales person sending you next door to check out new Nissans.

Your local cruise agent invests time in YOU and wants repeat business.

Now onto those hot tips. Your local cruise agent not only views the pricing feeds from the cruise lines, but may also have access to what is known as group rates. There are often unadvertised specials available from time to time that include special benefits such as upgrades, onboard credits, spa treatments, complimentary alternate dining. Your agent can also check for regional promotions, senior and public safety discounts, past passenger specials and lots more.

Get the picture? Maybe instead of surfing a dozen web sites and seeing the same information over and over put a local cruise agent to work for you. They don’t charge for their basic services and often find these hidden lower rates. Let them be your personal cruise detective.

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Posted in Cruise 101, cruise industry, cruise travel, cruises, How to | 4 Comments »

Fantastic Video of Allure of the Seas Cruise – World’s Largest Ship

Sunday, November 13th, 2011

 There are plenty of videos of the largest cruise ships in the world – Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas…but this has to be one of the best I’ve seen.

It’s a 15 minute journey through the guest experience of cruising on Allure – the dining, the shows, the ship and all the staff working behind the scenes to make it look easy.  What I liked best about this video is it’s not a typical sales-y video – in fact there is no talking at all. The audio track is simply uplifting music while the video tells the story of a cruise on the Allure of the Seas from a passenger’s viewpoint.

Kudos to YouTube user worldcruiser12 for creating it – If you are active on YouTube, you should follow him (or her).  It’s well worth 15 minutes of your day to watch this.  Enjoy.

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Posted in cruise travel, Ship review | 2 Comments »

Who Wrote That Cruise Review?

Monday, October 31st, 2011

Online ReviewsAccording to Google, there are 246,000 searches for “Cruise Reviews” every month – which is over 2.5 Million searches a year. If you consider folks looking for reviews using “cruises” or “cruise”, it’s a ton more. That’s a lot of people searching for cruise reviews. Not too surprising, given that most people looking to go on a cruise will search for and read some sort of review online. I’m going to look at the two major types of cruise reviews on the web – user generated and professional.

Before we do that, let’s step back and think about how reviews came about. Reviews are a big part of how people research any major purchase. Even before reviews were online, we called our family and friends and asked about their cruise; What did you like? How was the food? What did you not like?  What did you do at the ports? How was the cabin? That is essentially a review but it just happened in a conversation over the phone or in person.

There is one major benefit of these in person or phone reviews – you know a few things about the person giving you that information. Besides age, gender you also know a bit about their personality. You know whether they are typically overly generous or overly critical. Or you get a sense for whether you would enjoy the same things. E.g. if Aunt Hilda would not go back to Grand Cayman because she didn’t like getting on a tender boat, well that may not be a big deal for you, so you discount that part of her review. This benefit of knowing a few things about the reviewer is important.

So, if reviews are important, which type of online cruise reviews are the best?

Reviews by Everyday Cruisers: Sometimes known as “user generated content”, these are reviews written by normal folks who’ve submitted their cruise experience on a website for others to benefit from. Chances are if you search for a cruise review you’ll see links to Cruise Critic. Search for a review for any ship, and you’ll find several reviews by everyday cruisers on Cruise Critic including ratings of categories (food, cabin, etc.). Let’s be honest, Cruise Critic has the lion share of cruise reviews on the web and they are quite useful for anyone looking for help in choosing a cruise.

The issue with Cruise Critic reviews is there is limited information about the user who provided the review. If you are married with two pre-teen kids, you’d probably like to read a review from another family with kids of similar ages. A young, single person’s account of their cruise may not be as helpful to you.  Clicking on the author of a review on cruise critic, brings up their other reviews – but no social information about that person – how old, how many cruises have they been on, single/married, etc.

Reviews by Professionals:  These are experienced travel writers and/or travel media people who provide their discriminating opinion on every aspect of a ship and cruise. Given this person has been on many many cruises, they should be able to clearly articulate the pros and cons.  Perfect, who needs reviews from everyday cruisers?  Well, professional reviews are a great place to start, but again, there are some drawbacks.

The professional review writer is still an individual and their review is subjective. They are describing their experience through their individual lens. But the good news is you know more about the person (age, gender, etc).

A second issue with professional reviews is they are typically subsidized  or paid for by the cruise lines. So, the reviewer cruises for free and while there is no obligation to write a positive review, you can see how that can potentially influence the review. Obviously, there are good professional writers that will write their review honestly and fairly..but there are some that will not. Of course, cruise lines roll out the red carpet for professional media folks knowing that they will be writing, tweeting and talking about their experiences.

A new player to cruise reviews online is vacationcruisesinfo.com who has a very new take on cruise reviews. Their reviewers (professional) are anonymous. So cruise lines should treat the reviewer as an ordinary passenger and vacationcruisesinfo pays all of the costs. This is a nice addition to cruise reviews and solves the issue we talked about in the professional reviews above. However, what it doesn’t address is WHO is the reviewer. You have no idea if you have anything in common with this person. Are they like your Aunt Hilda or your crazy cousin Vinny?

Of course, there are other forms of reviews on the web. There are audio podcast reviews (both user generated and professional) on programs such as Cruise Radio and Cruize Cast. Also, there is the blog format review (professional) such as on Avid Cruiser and Cruise Maven who both regularly write reviews on their sites.

As for my view, (obviously I’m biased!) I think the best reviews are done by ordinary people who I have things in common with. When I search for a cruise I pay attention to reviews from couples with no kids because they will have similar priorities to me – the person trying to choose a cruise. And that’s why on MeetOnCruise.com we’ve chosen to have user-generated reviews (everyday cruisers) with a big emphasis on the social (who is the person, how many cruises, etc.).  Because we need to know more about the reviewer, not less.

At the end of the day, all reviews are subjective and there is not one way that has proven to be the best. All of these types of cruise reviews are good additions as they give cruise consumers more information to make their decsions. One thing is certain though, reviews will continue to change and evolve.

Now, your turn: Which reviews do you read and like? Do you agree or disagree with the view here? Sound off in the comments below.

 

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Posted in cruise travel, meetoncruise | 5 Comments »

NCL to Offer Nickelodeon Programming Year ‘Round on Norwegian Gem

Saturday, October 29th, 2011

Norwegian Cruise Line will add year ’round Nickelodeon programming to a third ship with Norwegian Gem joining Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Epic in February 2012.

Nickelodeon on NCL!

“Families are flocking to these ships for the unique experience available to them through Nickelodeon,” NCL’s CEO Kevin Sheehan said.  “Based on this success, we wanted to give more families the opportunity to experience sailing with their favorite Nickelodeon characters, so we are pleased to roll out this programming on Norwegian Gem.”

Each Norwegian Gem cruise will feature a Nickelodeon-themed show in the main theater; Nick Live!, where families can participate in interactive games and activities poolside; Breakfast with the Characters, where Sponge Bob Square Pants, Dora the Explorer and other Nick favorites join families in the main dining room for breakfast; and other fun, family-oriented activities.

Nick LIVE - Get Slimed on NCL!

“Nickelodeon’s entertainment programs on Norwegian have resonated with families around the world,” said Pam Kaufman, chief marketing officer, Nickelodeon Networks Group.  “We look forward to expanding the program and offering even more kids and families the opportunity to experience Nickelodeon alongside all the wonderful amenities on Norwegian’s amazing cruise ships.”

The addition of Nickelodeon programming on Norwegian Gem is the latest salvo in the family cruise wars, as lines vie for an even bigger piece of the lucrative family cruise pie. In direct competition with Nick on NCL, Royal Caribbean offers The Dreamworks Experience, featuring Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and other favorites on a growing number of ships, and long-time family cruise leader Disney Cruise Line continues to present formidable competition with the new offerings aboard the Disney Dream and the upcoming Disney Fantasy.

Sailing from New York, Norwegian Gem offers 7 night Bahamas and Florida cruises. The Nickelodeon-themed programming will be offered on each sailing beginning with the February 19, 2012 departure.

Meet on Cruise Members: Have you sailed with Nick on NCL or one of the family cruise programs on another cruise line? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below!

For even more Travel News & Views, check out Simon’s Blog at SimonTravels.net or follow Simon on Twitter @SimonTravels.

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Posted in Cruise News, cruise travel | No Comments »

Watts Up With These Strange Plugs? Guide to Electrical Plugs For Your Next International Cruise

Friday, October 28th, 2011

Quite a few first time visitors to Europe are surprised when they try to use their home hair dryers and hand held appliances in Europe and other international destinations. Most modern cruise ships offer both U.S. style 110/120 volt power plus 220/240 European power so this is not a problem. But if your international cruise involves staying a few days in Europe or other international destinations, it is a good idea to insure you have the right appliances and plugs.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid frying your personal appliances:

1. Know before you go: Check the electrical current for the countries you will be visiting at http://www.voltagevalet.com/elec_guide.html

2. Dual voltage: If your hair dryer, flat irons etc. are not DUAL VOLTAGE they will NOT work on 220/240 current. Most dual voltage appliances have a button to move the current from lower to higher voltage. Make sure you do this BEFORE you plug it in. Otherwise it’s Snap, Crackle and Pop and I don’t mean cereal.

3. Lots of plug types: In most 220/240 countries there are a variety of plugs and pins that fit the sockets. It is best to carry a variety of these if you are staying (on land) in various countries. For example, a plug for the U.K. is much different than Western Europe plugs and they are not interchangeable.

Types of Electrical Plugs

Types of Electrical Plugs

4. Hotels: Most 3 to 5 star hotels in Europe have hair dryers built into the bathroom or in a drawer in the room. Sorry ladies, but flat irons are generally unavailable at the hotels.

5. Laptops: For mobile devices and laptops the transformers that come with the unit is generally dual voltage and this is usually printed right on the transformer itself. (But remember if it is has a U.S. style plug on the end it will do you no good if you don’t have the right international plug.) I would also recommend that you back up your entire hard drive if you are taking your laptop overseas, just in case.

6. Outlets: If you are taking a lot of devices that need power or charging on the ship, it is a very good idea to take along a small power strip or 3 way plug. Why? Because, while most cruise ships offer 110/120 power, the cabins generally don’t have a lot of outlets. So, bringing a power strip can avoid having to switch out devices constantly. And don’t ask me why, but sometimes the outlet in the cabin is located in the strangest place. Remember, the same caveat goes for the ships. Don’t plug your regular appliances into the 220/240 outlets even if you have the right plug. You may just plunge all of Deck 9 into darkness. (I did this many years ago on a cruise ship called the “Navarino” in the Greek Islands. This ship eventually became the “Regent Sea” for Regency Cruises.)

With a little advance planning can insure you have an electrifying time on your cruise or land vacations even if you avoid shocking results!

Happy Sailing,
The Cruise Professor

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Posted in Cruise 101, cruise travel, cruises, Mediterranean, travel | No Comments »

Win $50 Onboard Credit with Cruise Trivia Contest

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

The Cruise ProfessorOnly a few more days until our first monthly “Cruise Trivia” contest launches on November 1st. Each month, I will post a question at 1 PM (Eastern Time) that has to do with some piece of cruise history. The first member who answers the question by posting the answer on our brand new Cruise Trivia forum will receive a $50 ship board credit on their next cruise compliments of Meet On Cruise.

Also on this forum, we would like to hear from folks who have travelled on some of the classic cruise ships and want to share their experience. Or maybe you can try to stump the Professor with some cruise trivia questions of your own. It promises to be a lively place to share our collective knowledge of everything cruise ships! See you on Tuesday!

Happy Sailing,
The Cruise Professor

P.S. Remember, you need to be a member to post in the forums. If you are not already a member, you might want to sign up here ASAP (it’s free)!

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Posted in cruise travel, cruises, New feature | 1 Comment »

Hurricane Rina Scatters Ships in Western Caribbean

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Hurricane Rina

Update – 10/27 1:45 pm:

The Carnival Destiny will head to Nassau on Saturday instead of Cozumel.

In what is likely a positive development for cruisers scheduled to sail to the Western Caribbean next, week, Rina has been downgraded to a tropical storm and is forecast to continually weaken. Additionally. the forecast cone has been significantly narrowed. The storm could still re-intensify or change course, and those cruising in the Caribbean within the next 7 days should continue to monitor developments.

Update – 10/26 6:25 pm:

Add the October 29 voyage of the Disney Magic to the list of sailings affected by Hurricane Rina. Instead of a Western Caribbean itinerary, the Disney Magic will head to the Eastern Caribbean,  ensuring that passengers get a full cruise experience with no need for last minute port changes. The sailing will now call upon St. Maarten, Tortola and Castaway Cay. Kudos to Disney for being proactive.

Update – 10/26 3:45 pm:

Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled all calls in Cozumel through the end of the week.

As a result,  Norwegian Star will call in Costa Maya, Mexico on Friday and Norwegian Pearl will head for Nassau on Friday with Norwegian Spirit remaining at sea.

Other changes to NCL itineraries announced this afternoon include the Norwegian Pearl skipping tomorrow’s call in Grand Cayman for a day at sea and the Norwegian Star being rerouted for a Thursday visit to Belize City (originally scheduled for today).

We’ll continue to post updates as they come in.

Original Post:

As Hurricane Rina approaches the Mexican port of Cozumel and brushes other popular cruise destinations like Grand Cayman and Belize, cruise ships in the region are scattering with many itineraries changed and vessels rerouted. Here are the current itinerary changes as of 2 pm ET on Thursday 10/26. We’ll update this post as additional changes are reported.

Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Destiny is calling at Nassau today instead of spending the day at sea.

Carnival Liberty is visiting Ocho Rios instead of Grand Cayman today and will visit Grand Turk instead of Ocho Rios on Thursday.

Carnival Valor is skipping Belize City today and spending the day at sea. A stop at Grand Cayman has been added to the itinerary for Thursday

Carnival Legend is visiting Cozumel today instead of Belize and will call on Progreso on Thursday instead of Roatan and will skip Grand Cayman on Friday, spending the day at sea instead

Carnival Imagination will skip Cozumel today and visit Nassau on Thursday

Carnival Triumph will swap calls in Cozumel and Progresso, visiting the former today and the later on Thursday

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Millennium is spending today in Nassau instead of at Sea

Princess Cruises

Island Princess will visit Ocho Rios instead of  Grand Cayman on Friday

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Star skipped Belize City today and will spend the day at sea

Royal Caribbean

Allure of the Seas will spend Friday in Nassau instead of Cozumel

All the cruise lines have indicated they are monitoring the situation closely and additional itinerary adjustments may be necessary depending on the speed and exact path of the storm. We’ll update this post as changes are communicated.

Meet on Cruise Members: Have you ever had your cruise itinerary changed in severe weather? Tell us about it in the comment section!

For even more Travel News & Views, check out Simon’s Blog at SimonTravels.net or follow Simon on Twitter @SimonTravels.

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Posted in Cruise News, cruise travel | No Comments »

Charleston, SC – New Port Guide

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Charleston BridgeCharleston, South Carolina, the birthplace of the American Civil War,  was once the wealthiest city in America. It’s large plantations and architecture are remnants of this history.  Visiting “The Holy City“, as Charleston is known, is to truly experience what once was the majesty and charm of the Old South. Boasting great food and that famous southern hospitality, Charleston is a great place to spend a day or two in before or after your cruise. More for the history buff than the explorer and more for the romantic than the party crowd, Charleston is a stark contrast from most of the ports in the Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean and Florida that its cruises visit. So relax and enjoy this rocking chair of a city.

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Posted in Caribbean, cruise travel | No Comments »

A “Shore” Thing!

Monday, October 24th, 2011

The Cruise ProfessorShore excursions can make up a fairly big piece of what is known in the cruise trade as “onboard spending”. That term simply means everything you spend on the cruise above and beyond the basic fare and taxes – things like alcoholic beverages, gambling, spa treatments, optional dining, duty free shopping, and shore excursions.

There are three ways that cruisers typically arrange shore excursions:
• Purchase them through the cruise line
• Purchase them in advance through an outside shore excursion company
• Walk onto the pier and wing it with a local taxi company or tour operator

While a number of community boards posters advocate “winging it” this practice is not for the faint of heart. After all, you are jumping into a cab or mini-bus with absolutely no guarantee of minor things like licenses, insurance and safety record. So, let’s eliminate the Russian roulette shore excursion method and concentrate on the first two.

There is a definite advantage of purchasing the excursions offered by the cruise line. They offer a high degree of reliability, operational oversight and the company is required to have proper insurance. But in the last several years, a second option for shore excursions has surfaced – private shore excursion companies based in the U.S. that offer a selection on shore excursions in the most popular ports in the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe. These companies put potential operators through a vetting process as intense as the cruise lines (and in some cases, they use the same exact tour operators as the cruise lines!). They allow you to pre-purchase the excursions prior to departure via online booking. Departure and quality is guaranteed. The key difference is these private companies can offer shore excursions choices similar to the cruise lines at prices that are often 15% to 35% lower than if purchased onboard. And because they generally accommodate smaller numbers their operators typically use smaller vehicles vs. giant motor coaches making the overall experience more personal.

One of the up and coming operators, the Shore Excursion Group counts most of the top cruise retailers in North America as clients and serves several thousands of cruisers per year. They have the most user friendly web site and competitive prices. The company is owned by two former executives of a major cruise line. To assist you in researching your shore excursion options, we have created a link to their web site: www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com

At Meet On Cruise we are all about giving our members good information and options. We want you to enjoy your cruise vacation to the fullest. And, in the meantime, if we can save you some money that is a bonus. So, no matter where you choose to arrange your shore excursions, it’s always a good idea to review all the options first.

Please share your experience with the various shore excursions options on our community forums.

Happy Sailing,
The Cruise Professor

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Posted in cruise travel, meetoncruise, New feature | 2 Comments »

Construction Milestone for Royal Princess

Friday, October 21st, 2011

Royal Princess, the newest and largest ship under construction for Princess Cruises, reached a milestone yesterday when the keel was laid for the new ship in the dry dock at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

The 500-ton keel was lowered into position by a large crane, the first step in building the 3,600-passenger 141,000-ton ship.

Royal Princess Keel

“It’s always very exciting to mark this step in a ship’s construction, when several of the pre-built sections come together to form a new addition to our fleet, especially with a prototype design,” said Alan Buckelew, president and CEO of Princess Cruises who traveled to Italy for the ceremony. He explained that Royal Princess’ evolutionary design will include some exciting new elements and expanded spaces, while maintaining the classic profile and popular features passengers have come to associate with Princess.”

The most striking of the new features will be the SeaWalk, a glass-bottomed enclosed walkway extending more than 20 feet beyond the edge of the ship. The over-water SeaView bar will utilize the SeaWalk on one side of the ship, providing cocktails and unbeatable vistas.

Get a sneak peek at the Royal Princess by watching this video.

For even more Travel News & Views, check out Simon’s Blog at SimonTravels.net or follow Simon on Twitter @SimonTravels.

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Posted in Cruise News, cruise travel | No Comments »

Boston – New Port Guide

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

Boston, MABoston is known as the birthplace of the American Revolution, the birthplace of freedom, the birthplace of liberty (although Philadelphia might have something to say about that.) With its very famous harbor, which has hosted such events as the Boston Tea Party and the British invasion that prompted Paul Revere‘s famous ride, Boston is now a burgeoning cruise port.

Serving much of New England, cruises out of Boston will take you to tropical Bermuda or up the coast of New England and into Canada. Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America and Royal Caribbean all have ships sailing from Boston from Spring through October.

If you are planning a cruise out of Boston, plan on coming in a day or two before and check out one of America’s truly great cities. From the Freedom Trail to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, from getting a bowl of “Chowder” to shopping the Quincy Market there is no shortage of things to do, see and experience in Boston.

Learn more about Boston on the latest MeetOnCruise Port Guide. For those of you who are very familiar with Boston share some quick tips, so we can find all the best in Boston.

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