Networking - Personally Recommended

A few years back, when were first thinking about going cruising, I had to research sea sickness tablets for my partner. I stumbled across a cruise blog called the Cruise Note Book. Anyway I ended emailing some questions to Mike up in Canada and he got back to me with info about Bonine. Which was really great advice as it allowed my partner to go cruising for the first time, and since then we've become fully certified cruise crazies.

Last Nov (2011) we signed up for a Trans-Atlantic on Celebrity Eclipse. And guess who popped up on the Cruise Critic Roll call, none other than Mike and his partner. Cruising is like that, you make life long friends and often with out planning you eventually end up on the same ship.

Here is link to Mike's record of that cruise. Great pictures of Celebrity Eclipse (My fav ship to date). His blog is chock-ablock full of beautiful photographs and tips for cruises new or old.

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Also on that same same cruise was Monica and her husband from Maryland USA. We hit it off straight away on the Cruise Critic group and when we met onboard it was like we were old friends. Monica is a busy little bee and has some great blogs and websites.

From a her travel journal, Travels with Monica, to a cruise specific website (above). Monica also takes amazing photographs which are a wealth of information when choosing a cruise.

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If you have your own cruise or travel related blog, journal or website, or you know some one does, please share the details below.

Or if you want to start you own let us know, we'll help get you started.

Tipping

One of the contentious and confusing aspects of life at sea, especially to Australians.

NB Tipping is not a broadly accepted part of life in Australia, at least not to the same degree that it is in the USA or Europe. And when we do tip it is general spare change instead of 10-15%. As international cruise ships started to be based here this caused major problems to the entire financial model enable cruise lines to remain viable and staff able to survive. Most cruise lines now have raised prices for Australian based cruises that include a premium to allow companies to pay staff the tips they are used to, and rely on, in other parts of the world. Therefore the comments below relate to tipping as it operates on ships cruising in other regions apart from Australia.

This is one of the few costs that are not 'all inclusive' in your fare. It was always been thus. Cruise employees generally come from third world countries, work extremely long hours and get a very low, unsustainable base pay. Staff simply would not be able to survive without tipping to supplement their meagre wages.

Like it or loath it, baring absolutely appalling service there really isn't an option not to pay, because it is such an entrenched part of cruising.

NB This chart is not in $AUD. Useful as an overview only

Recommended tipping rates are published by all major cruise lines and naturally they vary, but plan one approximately $10-12 per person in your cabin, per day.

On the last night of the cruise envelopes are provided for you to add cash so that you can personally hand them to each of the staff concerned.

Cash can be problematic and hard to obtain as ships generally operate as a cashless society at sea. By ticking a box on your ship board account the cruise line will charge the tips to your credit card and then provide vouchers to be placed in each envelope which you then hand to staff. These act much like cheques that staff redeem.

This system has been entrenched as a part of cruising since the days of the Titanic and it all worked swimmingly when everyone had a set dining time and was served by the same wait staff every night. With the advent of freestyle dining where people sit at different tables every night the cruise lines needed someone to ensure staff still received tips - as the whole system of the companies paying minimum wages would have collapsed.

And this is why you want to enjoy Freestyle dining you must select this prior to the cruise commencing and pay your tips up front.

Recommendations as of May 2012 - In USD.

Celebrity:

Tipping Guidelines Added to onboard account. Cabin Steward, $3.50 per person/day ($4.00 for Concierge/Aqua class). Butler (Suites only), $3.50 per person/day. Waiter, $3.65 per person/day. Asst. Waiter, $2.10 per person/day. Maitre'd, $1.00 per person/day. Other personnel, $1.25 per person/day. Total, $11.50 ($12.00 for Concierge/Aqua class, $15.00 for Suites) per person/day.

Royal Caribbean:

Tipping Guidelines Waiter, $3.75 per person/day. Asst. waiter, $2.15 per person/day. Maitre'D, $.75 per person/day. Housekeeping staff, $5 ($7.25 for suites) per person/day. Total, $11.65 ($13.90 for Suites) per person/day. 15% tip included on beverage orders.

Princess:

Tipping Guidelines $11.50 - $12.00 per guest, per day (depending on stateroom category) automatically charged to onboard account (amount can be adjusted according to quality of service received). 15% tip included on beverage orders

More info re tipping at Cruise Critic

Formal dinners

Formal dinners are a traditional part of life at sea. On a short cruise expect one, a ten day cruise two, and two weeks or longer there will be three or more.

Some cruise lines like Cunard and Seabourn take this all very seriously and have strict dress codes.

Celebrity is not quite as strict and other lines like P&O because of the market they are chasing would have trouble enforcing even just long pants!

Call me old fashioned but I like the sense of occasion that comes with pulling out the old Tux. Ships where this tradition is still up held by the majority take on a real sense of occasion and there is an incredible vibe that permeates the entire ship. It is quite infectious.

However if black tie is not for you, there is no obligation what so ever to dress up, and those that don't can always head up to buffet or other speciality restaurants.

Sticky Vicky TIP: For our last big cruise we ordered Tux's online, they were tailor made to our measurements and delivered for about $100 each. When I find it I'll add a link here.

Short or long cruise?

So you've decided you want to try a cruise, should you go on a long or a short one?

Again as with so many things related to cruising it's all very subjective.

A new addition to the cruise market with Australia are one and two night cruises sampler itineraries.

If you really aren't sure if cruising is for you, give em a go. However I tend to think it's such a shame to only have a such a short time on board, and you only really get into the swing of ship board life a few days from your home port.

5-10 day cruises are probably idea for cruise virgins. But more than the length you need to consider how many ports you want to visit.

I personally dislike lots of ports and prefer lots of sea days. (EG trans Pacific or trans Atlantic)

Getting on and off a ship, especially when customs is required can take some time even when tied up to a wharf in port. This becomes even more time intensive when the ship is anchored off shore and tender boats must be used.

Cruises in Europe routinely stop at a different port almost every day. This means that there is a lot of time and energy exerted simply getting on and off the ship.

I love sea days because there is no rush to get up, no rush to get back to ship or dinner and I can relax by the pool sipping cocktails and reading novels. You simply can't do that when you are in port everyday. (NB you can always stay on board, which is what I often do, but it's just not the same as steaming across the blue Pacific).

Cabins

If you haven't cruised before you will likely be pleasantly surprised with how well designed cabins on modern ships generally are.

Expect all the comforts of a plush 5 star hotel with a surprising amount of cupboard and drawer space. one of the best bits of cruise holiday is that you only unpack once, and then you slide that big old suitcase under the bed and it's not seen again until the last night.

The air-conditioning is normally excellent with individual control. And the beds on good ships are some of the most comfortable I have experienced.

Older ships tend to have have small rooms and consequently no room for a separate sofa from which to watch TV, or just relax. This makes a difference on longer cruises. Some ships have a curtain that separates this area from the bed, which is great is you and your travel companion have different sleep patterns.

Royal Caribbean

Sound proofing is again normally fantastic and it is rare to hear any other guests in the hallway or next door.

Occasionally some ships, generally older ones have issues of noise from decks above or below a particular cabin. This can happen if under the pool deck where deck chairs are repositioned at night, the runner track, galleys or even large show rooms. Again it's normally only a problem on older ships and you can save a lot of grief checking deck plans before selecting a cabin.

There are also websites that offer advice on cabin selection and those that have caused problems in the past.

Bathrooms are notorious small. That being said on new ships some of them are as glamourous and better designed than 5 star hotels.

Celebrity Eclipse - standard bathroom.

Bathrooms are one of the reasons I suggest you avoid older ships - while almost every other part of the ship can be updated bathrooms are one area that really can't be changed. Older ships will also have shower curtains instead of sleek glass doors, which make a huge difference in a small space.

Pacific Dawn - standard bathroom

Every cabin has a TV naturally, and on these you should be able to view movies free of charge, numerous cable channels and your account.

Sea Sickness

This can really be a deal breaker. I know because for years I couldn't go cruising, couldn't even consider because my partner gets very bad sea sickness. Like in a bath. 

Anyway when we eventually got around to thinking about a cruise I researched it on the web. (See story on Networking)

And that's how I discovered Bonine. It has changed our lives. Traditional sea sickness tablets had major side efforts like drowsiness and not being able to drink alcohol. (why would you bother?).

Anyway it's only one tablet a day. Doesn't make you sleepy and best of all you can drink. Actually better than that, it actually works. We have successfully sailed across the Pacific and the Atlantic several times, once through 6-8 mtr metre swells.

Oh and it's cheap too. Like $20 for 18 tablets.

Only problem for us Aussies is that it's not available here, only in the USA. But it's not prescription and numerous websites will ship to Australia.

Boarding Mainfest

If you are just about to go on a cruise, or have just come back, you can add your details and share information, questions or stories about the ship or the line.

So that we can pool our collective cruise knowledge please add details of a past or future cruise you have planned. Eventually I'll break these up by cruise line and ship, until then please use the following format. NB You can copy and paste this into the comment box.

Ship name:
Cruise Line:
Ship Class:
Cabin/Deck:
Date of cruise:
Your name:
QF or home Location:
Comments and questions:
How best to contact you - email - Facebook (Optional).

Vicky NOTE: Make sure you hit the subscribe button located below the comment box, this way you will be notified when someone adds information.

What cabin - inside or outside?

Many big time cruises will only ever cruise if they have a balcony cabin. Again this is a major change to cruise ship over the last 10 years. Traditionally there were very few cabin with balconies as most of the public rooms were up on the higher decks. Designers switched the focus as balconies could be sold at a premium and now the vast majority of cabins now have them. Libraries, bars, shops and other public areas now face inward.


This has meant that people have come to expect them.

Balcony Cabin - Celebrity Eclipse

Exactly the same size and lay out - an inside cabin.

I am in the minority here in that I prefer inside cabins. We've had both, and on a two week transatlantic we only sat on our balcony two or three times. And because of that we figure the money we save - (up to 50-75% less than a balcony), we can go on many more cruises.


But that is not the only reason. We find we sleep so much better in an inside cabin. especially on the open sea light is more intense being reflected off the water. And it always manages to creep through the curtains. Inside we sleep until we wake, blissfully oblivious to what time it is. That to us is sheer luxury.

Which cruise ship to choose?

Again, like cruise lines, not all cruise ships are the same.

For my money, (which I'm loath to part with), I prefer new, big ships.

Why? Cruise ship have changed incredibly over the last ten years. The new ones have been refined to such a degree that a ship of 10-15 years old can seem like there is a 20 year difference. 

Oasis of the Seas - Central Park

I'm not just talking about the absence of new sexy features like out door movie screens, ice skating rinks and surf riders. It's much more basic than that. Ten year old ships have narrow corridors, low ceilings, cramped bars, theatres, buffets and main reception areas. They generally have smaller cabins, atrociously small bathrooms, no all-weather pools and perhaps worst of all slow lifts. 

Cruise ships date very quickly. And when you add in all of the wear and tear they experience in their 27/7, back to back schedules, along with the corrosive effects of salt air, they really should have a 'complete' refurbishment every 3-5 years. (Not just a comestic one).

Rhapsody of the Seas main dining room

Note the word 'complete' - some ships of 15 years if carefully maintained and refurbished every 5 or so years can still offer a beautiful cruising experience. Rhapsody of the Seas is a perfect example. Royal Caribbean don't just change the carpet, they are constantly adding new concepts and restaurants. Rhapsody has good bones and works well.

Dawn Princess main dining room

Princess, at least here in Australia seems to have taken short cuts, replacing carpets and furnishings, but with reproductions of the original designs from 15 years ago. And unlike Rhapsody, the Princess ships do not have good bones, and suffer from poorly designed public areas.

Size. I used to think that a big ship would be hideous. Far too many people. Crowding. But surprisingly having been on a ship with 4,500 people it never felt crowded.

The reason I personally recommend bigger ships for first time cruisers is that they offer so many more options, not just in terms of activities and dining, but loads of different passive areas such as by the numerous pools, initimate bars and open decks.

Small ships have a place and the super elite 6 star ships from all reports are simply sublime, however if you are new to cruising, I'd personally recommend you try a larger one. But that's just me.

Which cruise line to choose?

If you are new to cruising this is perhaps the most important question you need to address as it will, more than any other, determine whether you end up loving your cruise, or not. 

Before you board, or indeed well before that, you need to know exactly what you are signing up for.

The key point to remember is that all cruise lines are not the same. 

They each target and cater for very specific markets and demographics. If you are young or with a small family in tow, there are cruise lines you really should avoid, and likewise if you are retired or more mature, there are specific cruise lines designed just for you.

What follows below is my own personal take on the main Cruise Lines serving Australia. NB This is a very subjective list, ( I haven't been on all of them), and if you disagree with my thoughts please join the conversation and share your experience.

Cruise Lines owned by the Carnival Group

Carnival: Designed for a younger demographic, think of the spring break crowd in the USA. Ultra relaxed and nothing too refined or staid. They focus on freestyle dining and lots of physical activities. Carnival are basing one ship, Carnival Spirit, in Australia for the first time from late 2012.

Cunard: The traditional home of the luxury liners that plied the Atlantic from London to New York. All cruise lines have certain levels of formality, especially when it comes to diner and dress codes. Cunard would be on the upper end of that scale. 

A quote from the Cunard website gives you an idea of what to expect ..... "Guests sailing in the comfort of our luxurious Britannia staterooms can make their dramatic evening entrance into this elegant two-tier dining room with a graceful descent of its grand staircase, gleaming beneath the eye-catching art deco chandelier".

Cunard consequently appeals to a more wealthy, much older crowd. Where as many lines are much more relaxed about dress codes, on Cunard ships formal nights require a black tie and tux. Which incidentally I applaud - but more of that later.

Cunard has always been home to the Queens of the sea, (not the gay variety) Mary, Elizabeth and more recently Victoria. These were up until a few years ago the largest, grandest ships afloat. Today however there are ships almost twice as large. See below..

P and O: Was once a much larger player in the cruise business especially prior to the advent of air travel when they focused on the trade in friends and relatives travelling between the old country and Australia. The line has consequently had a long term presence in Australia and to me equates closest to what cruising used to be like back in the 80/90s as in ...  "Fairstar - the fun ship". Their fleet in Australia is composed of small ships and they very much target the budget end of the market and first time cruises. Lots of short one week cruises to the closer Pacific Isles.

 

Holland America: Again an older very traditional cruise line that is known for mid size ships with longer itineraries, think 30 days plus, that consequently appeal to retirees. Some of the decor is unusual to say the least, with one ship having an ornate (read garish) pipe organ in the grand foyer (below). At least by the brochures they appear to have much in common with the old grand(?) hotels of Europe. Their ships are renowned for having extra large cabins.

Seabourn: This is the top shelf, ultra exclusive line offered by the Carnival Group. They have very small, intimate ships with an individual butler per cabin. The prices are consequently very high, however the advantage is that they offer and all inclusive price. This means that at the end of a cruise there are no tips to pay and better yet it is open bar and that includes french champagne. Again for the well heeled, older crowd. 

 

Princess Cruises: Ten years ago most of their fleet were considered mega ships, now however most are considered mid sized. That shows just how much cruising has changed in the last decade. Princess again focuses on the older demographic and they offer longer cruises that appeal to this market.

They were one of the first to base ships here for a entire season and were also the first to offer round the world cruises to and from Australia. Princess are known for the high quality of food on board.

Having sailed twice with Princess (along with reading reviews of others) it would appear the age of the ships and standard of service offered to Australian market is of a lower quality to that found on Princess ships based overseas. We'll look at this in greater depth in individaul ship reviews.

 Cruise lines owned by the Royal Caribbean Group

Celebrity Cruises: Has the most modern contemporary style of any cruise line today. Their ships which are all mid size to large, have a sleek, plush, sometimes quirky feel that I personally love. Although that being said, one complaint from traditional cruise lovers is that they feel like flash hotels rather than a traditional ocean liner. 

The food is more upmarket than their sister line Royal Caribbean and the the prices are higher. Consequently tends to have a more refined crowd where a lot more people make an effort to actually dress for dinner, rather than just jeans and a polo tops of other lines. And hence not for everyone either. 

Vicky Note: Celebrity is my personal Fav.

Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean more than any other line has reinvented modern cruising. They have continually pushed the boundaries of what people expect on board a cruise ship. They started off by adding rock climbing walls up the funnels, then they introduced ice skating rinks, wave machines where you surf on board and water parks for the kids. 

Two years ago they brought all these ideas together and launched Oasis of the Seas, the largest ship in the world, with 5,500 passengers and 3,500 crew. Oasis and her sister ship Allure feature a central park (complete with trees and garden beds), an Aqua Theatre at the stern and two story loft suites (below).

Again such innovations do not appeal to traditional cruisers, however if you are in your 20-50s, as a couple or a family, no cruise line offers as much as Royal Caribbean. What they do, they do very well. And although in my personal opinion the food is slightly higher quality on Celebrity, the vast array of dining and leisure options means that I highly recommend this Royal Caribbean for first time cruisers. It's a great introduction to life at sea.

Vicky Note: Royal Caribbean is generally acknowledged to have better entertainment onboard, especially famous for their big production shows. On the bigger ships they even now do broadway shows like Hairspray.

Other cruise lines:

Star Cruise Group

Star Cruises: Based Star has a small fleet of 5 smaller ships that cruise exclusively in Asia. Australians got to sample them when they fled Asia for a season during the SARS outbreak. The decor, furnishings, food and service were of a surprisingly high quality. (Although I should add that was almost ten years ago). Hopefully that standard has been maintained. Let us know if you've cruised with them and what you thought.

 

NCL Norwegian Cruise Line: This company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or seating arrangements for meals, nor is formal attire required. Which has great appeal to many people and in fact virtually all cruise lines are introducing some form of free style dining. 

Other innovations; very unique single cabins without having to pay a single supplement, circus shows above diners and even ice bars.

Taste is very subjective and mother always said if you can't say anything nice .... but ..... I really do think some of their newer ships resemble cattle carriers - don't get me started on the graphics painted down the side of their ships.

Disney: If you've been to Disneyland you know that what they do, they do well. Obviously they are targeting young families but I've heard good reports from other travelers. Apparently you can get away from Mickey Mouse and friends if you want to. 

I actually think that Disney has some of the most beautiful lines of any cruise fleet and the black hulls are reminiscent of true ocean liners.

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Obviously there are many cruise lines I haven't been able to add here yet. 

Drop me a line below if you'd like me to add one, or better yet share your own favourites. And please if you disagree with my personal opinions feel free to jump on in.