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Cruise ship pointers
Aug. 17th, 2009 03:54 pmAn online buddy asked me for some pointers from the cruise I took - he's taking the same or similar tour of Scandinavia next year. I wrote this up for him and thought I'd add it here, in case others were interested in cruising somewhere.
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For all international travel, make sure that your passport is up to date. If it's expired or will expire before your next trip, start the process of a new application as soon as possible. If you're planning a trip for a year from now, 6-8 weeks waiting for a new passport is nothing. The closer to your travel date you get, the more stress you will have applying and getting the passport renewed. Furthermore, if you need a visa for a country you plan to visit and you need to get a new passport, the timeline overall just got shorter. Getting things done early will save you lots of stress, hassles, and money.
If you're flying into a big city (like London), don't use the ship's coordinated transport from the airports to the ship - the cost is astronomical ($300-500 round trip to the airport), and you can have a better, less expensive adventure using public transport and a train to get to where you're going - in less time than the other. You might consider doing a pre-trip or post-trip on either side of the cruise. Coordinate your rental car from the airport from which you're returning home.
When you do the excursions, plan them ahead of time and pay for them before you get on the ship - they're sometimes a little less expensive that way, and you will have more options before you cruise. Sometimes cruises will list how many spaces they have; if they don't you might be able to call the cruise line directly to find out the available tickets. But the best thing to do is purchase the tickets before you get on board. Many times, though, when the cruise sells out of a particular excursion before they disembark, they will coordinate an extra bus or two - they want people's money and to provide everyone with an excursion. My cruise ship, the Celebrity Constellation, bent over backwards to make sure we all had the excursions we wanted. We did the panoramic bus tours (my dad preferred walking with a cane or riding in a wheelchair, so these were better for us both) and some of those tours had boat tours around harbors attached - the combo tours were really great.
If you're going to Russia on your cruise, you might want to try getting your own visa (I heard they cost $400, but that might have been the expedited version) - start that process MUCH sooner than later. Do the tour of the subways in St. Petersburg as well as the Hermitage. I know the Hermitage is "just a museum", but its collection rivals the National Gallery in London, the MET, and the Louvre. Well worth the time and effort going there - especially with the Gold Room, which houses Russia's prized possessions of ancient Scythian, Sarmatian, Mongolian, Greek, and Chinese gold artifacts.
There's no real need to do the bus tours of Stockholm, Amsterdam, Tallinn, or Copenhagen if you can walk well. The cruise-supplied shuttles will suffice to get you into town and you can go hunting on your own for stuff to see. If you want to buy souvenirs, do not always buy stuff at the excursion-appointed shop(s) - often times the tour guides have "connections" with souvenir shops that work to their benefit - not yours. Also, check to make sure that the stuff you buy is made in that country; everyone is buying crap from China or Taiwan that you can get over here anyway.
When you're at sea (we had 4 days at sea), tour the ship, go to some of the activities, engage lots of people in conversations - about anything. There are some really interesting folks on these things!! I did the wine tastings and had lots of fun doing them - plus, I learned a lot. Also, be careful of the amount of food you eat. I gained 5 pounds, but many others gained easily 10 pounds!! Keep in mind that alcohol is extra and each day you'll be charged gratuity on your room, the restaurant wait staff, AND each bar drink you order. That can really add up over the course of a week or two.
BY ALL MEANS, get Concierge Class on any cruise you take. You'll love the service, the attention, and the add-ons. Cruisers typically get a better dining table, afternoon canapes, a welcome bottle of champagne, daily fruit, and expedited check-in/check-out on the boat. Plus, when ordering excursions, you get greater priority if an extra excursion has to be planned due to sold out excursions.
If you've never been on a cruise, go on one. Even if it's 5 days - it's worth it. It's an experience of a lifetime wherever you go. I've done two long-term cruises to places I'll probably never get a chance to visit again. Happy travels!
______________________________________
For all international travel, make sure that your passport is up to date. If it's expired or will expire before your next trip, start the process of a new application as soon as possible. If you're planning a trip for a year from now, 6-8 weeks waiting for a new passport is nothing. The closer to your travel date you get, the more stress you will have applying and getting the passport renewed. Furthermore, if you need a visa for a country you plan to visit and you need to get a new passport, the timeline overall just got shorter. Getting things done early will save you lots of stress, hassles, and money.
If you're flying into a big city (like London), don't use the ship's coordinated transport from the airports to the ship - the cost is astronomical ($300-500 round trip to the airport), and you can have a better, less expensive adventure using public transport and a train to get to where you're going - in less time than the other. You might consider doing a pre-trip or post-trip on either side of the cruise. Coordinate your rental car from the airport from which you're returning home.
When you do the excursions, plan them ahead of time and pay for them before you get on the ship - they're sometimes a little less expensive that way, and you will have more options before you cruise. Sometimes cruises will list how many spaces they have; if they don't you might be able to call the cruise line directly to find out the available tickets. But the best thing to do is purchase the tickets before you get on board. Many times, though, when the cruise sells out of a particular excursion before they disembark, they will coordinate an extra bus or two - they want people's money and to provide everyone with an excursion. My cruise ship, the Celebrity Constellation, bent over backwards to make sure we all had the excursions we wanted. We did the panoramic bus tours (my dad preferred walking with a cane or riding in a wheelchair, so these were better for us both) and some of those tours had boat tours around harbors attached - the combo tours were really great.
If you're going to Russia on your cruise, you might want to try getting your own visa (I heard they cost $400, but that might have been the expedited version) - start that process MUCH sooner than later. Do the tour of the subways in St. Petersburg as well as the Hermitage. I know the Hermitage is "just a museum", but its collection rivals the National Gallery in London, the MET, and the Louvre. Well worth the time and effort going there - especially with the Gold Room, which houses Russia's prized possessions of ancient Scythian, Sarmatian, Mongolian, Greek, and Chinese gold artifacts.
There's no real need to do the bus tours of Stockholm, Amsterdam, Tallinn, or Copenhagen if you can walk well. The cruise-supplied shuttles will suffice to get you into town and you can go hunting on your own for stuff to see. If you want to buy souvenirs, do not always buy stuff at the excursion-appointed shop(s) - often times the tour guides have "connections" with souvenir shops that work to their benefit - not yours. Also, check to make sure that the stuff you buy is made in that country; everyone is buying crap from China or Taiwan that you can get over here anyway.
When you're at sea (we had 4 days at sea), tour the ship, go to some of the activities, engage lots of people in conversations - about anything. There are some really interesting folks on these things!! I did the wine tastings and had lots of fun doing them - plus, I learned a lot. Also, be careful of the amount of food you eat. I gained 5 pounds, but many others gained easily 10 pounds!! Keep in mind that alcohol is extra and each day you'll be charged gratuity on your room, the restaurant wait staff, AND each bar drink you order. That can really add up over the course of a week or two.
BY ALL MEANS, get Concierge Class on any cruise you take. You'll love the service, the attention, and the add-ons. Cruisers typically get a better dining table, afternoon canapes, a welcome bottle of champagne, daily fruit, and expedited check-in/check-out on the boat. Plus, when ordering excursions, you get greater priority if an extra excursion has to be planned due to sold out excursions.
If you've never been on a cruise, go on one. Even if it's 5 days - it's worth it. It's an experience of a lifetime wherever you go. I've done two long-term cruises to places I'll probably never get a chance to visit again. Happy travels!
