Into the Wild Blue Yonder

So I convinced you?  Really?  Well that's great!  Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising!

I guess we need to figure out where you should go now, right?  Here are the three big questions to get you started:

1. Climate:  Are you out for a swimming and sunshine cruise with warm weather?  If so choose the Caribbean, Mediterranean (in late Spring / Summer), Hawaii, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Singapore, or the South Pacific.  Are you looking for an expedition?  There are cruise lines which cater to the adventurer types such as Antarctica. And there are cruises in the Baltic and Nordic area where you can stop in St. Petersburg for multiple days.  There are transatlantic crossings which don't have many stops but can be a great value.  The important thing is that you identify the climate that you wish to be in.
   
2. Ship vs. Destination:  If you have a limited budget you'll need to make one more choice:  is the type of ship you sail on important or is the destination more important to you?  If it's the ship that really floats your boat, no pun intended, have a really clear idea about what features you want.  For example, are you looking for an intimate experience with fewer passengers, or would it excite you to be aboard a ship that is literally the size of a small town?  Are onboard activities (ie: rock climbing walls, golf, etc) important, or are you mostly interested in being in different ports and hearing lectures about art?  Do you have small children?  In this case a ship with children's activities will be very important.

Destinations

Typically, the more popular Caribbean tends to be more focused on relaxation and outdoor activities, and the most popular (read:  expensive) time to take a cruise in this region is between Christmas and New Years and in the vicinity of Easter.  If you can plan around these dates you'll be better off.  I recently found that a Mediterranean cruise in late June attracts families.  The kids are out of school and it's an ideal time to take the family to Europe.  Even though I have a child, I personally do not like to be on a boat surrounded by tons of kids.  Except if I'm on a Disney boat...more on that later in the blog.  In any event, the Caribbean cruises are usually the easiest on the budget and can be a nice place to start if you are a first time cruiser. 

Mediterranean cruises,  on the other hand, are usually very port intensive.  there are fewer "sea days"  (usually 2 in a 10 day cruise) and they are more "go, go, go" than a Caribbean cruise.  But they are lovely!  If you haven't been to Europe and are not sure when you'll be able to get there again, keep in mind that you'll feel a lot of pressure to get out and see as much as you can during the day.  It is not a relaxing vacation, in fact, it can be downright exhausting!   But truly, it is a great way to see a lot of a wonderful part of the world with very little planning effort on  your part.

So you get the picture...decide what type of experience you want to have and then choose your destination and ship accordingly.

To Balcony or not to Balcony?

This is an easy one for me...once I sailed in a balcony room I could never ever go back.  I'd rather take fewer cruises but have my balcony. 

This might not be an option for you.  If this is your first cruise and you're not interested in investing too much money, then sure, go ahead and get the outside cabin.  See how you like the cruising experience.  However, consider what a balcony cabin gives you:

1. A balcony expands your living space.  Cruise cabins tend to be small.  Many of the new ships are designed exceptionally well, but even so, they're on the small side.  If you have kids, especially kids who need to nap during the day, a balcony can be perfect.  You can still enjoy the outdoors and read or relax while they snooze away in the bedroom.  Even if your kids don't nap, there's nothing like a little space that you can call your own!  
2. A balcony gives you your own private outdoor space.  I like to enjoy my morning coffee outdoors when I cruise--in my robe, before I make myself presentable.  I can't do that on the main decks.  I also like to sit on the balcony with a glasss of wine, in my robe after I've showered but before I get ready for dinner.  By myself.  With my sudoku.  And my aunt or my kid.  But not with the whole ship.
3. A balcony makes a bigger ship feel more intimate.  Having your own balcony is a bit like being on your own boat.  It's peaceful and private.  
4. You can fall asleep at night with your doors wide open and listen to nothing but the waves lapping on the side of the ship.  Now that's a vacation.

All inclusive or Pay as You Go?

Each cruise ship operates a bit differently, but all have a basic room and board plan which is included in what is typically called the "cruise fare."  This fare does not include port taxes and sometimes some other miscellaneous nominal fees.

Some cruise ships also include some beverages as part of the cruise fare.  For example, iced tea, milk, juices, coffee and hot tea are typical beverages included at no additional charge.  Some ships will also include carbonated soft drinks.  But most will NOT include alcoholic beverages of any kind, or bottled water.

Different ships charge various amounts for wine and cocktails.  Some are very expensive (Celebrity comes to mind) and some are exceptionally reasonable (Disney and Crystal come to mind).  I mention this to illustrate that you need to be careful when evaluating the costs of the various cruises--if you enjoy a bottle of wine with your dinner and might have a cocktail or two each night, and maybe a few bottles of water--it WILL add up.  So that "bargain" cruise may not be such a bargain after all.  Be aware of the following hidden costs:

1. alcohol (and most ships will not let you bring alcohol on board from port)
   
2. bottled water (this one can be a killer)
3. specialty coffee (ie espresso based drinks such as lattes) 
   
4. gratuities (figure on at least $15 a day per guest or more if you would like to add additional $ to the requested amount--these go to your cabin attendant, waiter, bus boy, maitre d', etc).  For a 10 day cruise for 2 people, that's $300.
   
5. spa charges (typically more than you'd pay at home, and it's so fun to go...)
6. shore excursions
7. specialty dining (this seems to be a trend--pay around $20 per person and you get to dine in a very intimate space with usually pretty exceptional food).  Some ships do not charge extra for this but most do.
8. Babysitting and/or some children's activities
9. Ship photography (we all get trapped into buying at least one picture of us taken aboard the ship!)

Note:  beverages and food are charged an automatic gratuity of approximately 15%.

Stateroom Credits

With all of the extra charges you can face, you are probably beginning to see how you might utilize a stateroom credit--and why having gratuities included as part of your  cruise fare can be so attractive. 

Right now, Crystal is offering a $1000 "as you wish" stateroom credit per person on any cruise for 2010 and paid in full by December 23, 2009.  It's obvious that they are attempting to book 2009 revenue, but WOW, the customer really wins on this one!  Their cruise fares are higher than most of the larger brands, but with that credit I would argue that you'd actually break just about even, yet get the experience of a six star ship (where many of the extras mentioned above aren't "extra" or they are more reasonable then other "cheaper" ships, for example their wine markup). 

So when you are quoted a cruise fare, ASK what is included, what is not, and just how much does that bottled water cost?

I do need to mention that there are a few ships which are truly all-inclusive when it comes to food and beverage.  You pay one price up front and that's it.  You tell them what your favorite adult beverages are and your mini bar refrigerator is pre-stocked for your arrival.  The fares, as you can probably imagine, are at the highest end, and typically these are not ships for children.

What Time Should We Eat Dinner?

The never ending debate about the dinner hour is really quite simple.  If you're going to be out all day long in various ports, the last thing you'll want to do is be rushing back to get ready for dinner so you can make the early seating (usually 6 pm).  The later seating (usually 8 pm) gives you the chance to have a cocktail before dinner if you'd like as well, without having to cut your day at port short.

If, however, you love to see Broadway style shows but you don't want to have to stay up past midnight to enjoy them, the early seating is for you.  The early seating also allows you to have a night cap and enjoy the casino and midnight buffet.

Big ship or small, balcony or  not, all inclusive or pay as you go, with an experienced and qualified travel agent who specializes in cruises you will be sure to find a cruise which is a perfect match for what you are looking for.  The question is, how long will you wait until you take your next one?