Stern’s Guide to the Cruise Vacation: 20/21 Edition

REVIEWER COMMENTS

Stern’s Guide to the Cruise Vacation is an excellent resource for novice and experienced cruisers alike. It offers sound information on the ships as well as the places they anchor … Stern exhibits experience in the complex world of cruises with an ability to combine careful reporting with reasoned opinion.

SHEILA F. BUCKMASTER, SENIOR EDITOR

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER

This is the book with which to gain a full and thorough understanding of the wonderful world of cruising. Repeat cruisers and novices alike will gain enormously from the huge volume of features—menus, daily schedules, photos, as well as the details on every cruise ship and port of call throughout the world. This should be the encyclopedia for any cruise aficionado.

SIMON VENESS, EDITOR

WORLD OF CRUISING MAGAZINE

Stern’s Guide to the Cruise Vacation is one of the most comprehensive authorities and a must-have for both the novice and the seasoned cruiser.

PORTHOLE MAGAZINE

Travelers adrift in a sea of luxury voyage options can get their sea legs with the new edition of Stern’s Guide to the Cruise Vacation, which boasts detailed descriptions of every major cruise ship and port of call around the globe.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

To say this book is thorough is rather like saying your local telephone book provides information … Stern’s Guide to the Cruise Vacation is required reading.

STATESMAN JOURNAL

SALEM, OREGON

Covers virtually everything you need to know about cruise vacations.

CYNTHIA BOAL JANSSENS

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

The extent of detail given … is good not only for the novice cruiser finding their way around the hundreds of opportunities that now exist, but also for the veteran cruiser who wants to know the latest about the newest ships.

MARK TRÉ

CYBERCRUISES.COM

A softbound review of everything (and I mean everything) you’d ever want to know about taking a seafaring vacation anywhere in the world … Nothing has ever given us the depth of information available in Stern’s offering … it would be good insurance of getting exactly what you want from any world cruise long before stepping on the ship.

PETER WAGNER

NORTHWEST IOWA REVIEW

A clever system of awarded stars makes overall judgments easy to make.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL NEWS

2020/2021 Edition

Stern’s Guide to the

Cruise Vacation

STEVEN B. STERN

Copyright © 2019 by Stern’s Travel Guides Ltd.

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Thirtieth edition 2020/2021

ISBN:              eBook                978-1-7960-5429-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Information in this guidebook is based on authoritative data available at the time of printing. Prices listed are subject to change without notice. Readers are asked to take this into account when consulting this guide.

Rev. date: 09/24/2019

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Contents

Preface

Chapter One

The Cruise A Complete Vacation

Chapter Two

Getting Ready for the Cruise

Chapter Three

Your Day at Sea

Chapter Four

Cruising for Singles

Chapter Five

Cruising with Children

Chapter Six

Where to Cruise and How Long

Chapter Seven

Beaching It When in Port

Chapter Eight

European Riverboats, Hotel Barges, and Expedition Cruises

Chapter Nine

Oceangoing Cruise Lines and Their Vessels

Chapter Ten

Star Awards and Ship Ratings in Specific Categories

Preface

Over the past forty-five years, I have had the pleasure of experiencing some marvelous vacations and unforgettable moments aboard cruise ships. I have seen the cruise industry grow from a formal haven for the very rich to a fun-filled, exciting, bargain holiday for a broad cross section of our population. Every year, greater numbers of travelers are wisely spending their vacation dollars on a cruise. It has been estimated that the cruise-passenger market has increased 2,000 percent since 1970, when half a million people took a cruise. In 2020, thirty million people, including eighteen million North Americans, are expected to enjoy a cruise vacation. Since 2000, nearly 220 new ships have joined the cruise market, and plans to build numerous additional vessels over the next few years have been announced by various cruise lines. Seventy percent of today’s cruisers are between the ages of twenty-five and fifty-nine and include singles, couples of all ages, families with children, honeymooners, and groups. Undoubtedly, cruising is the most popular and fastest-growing segment of the travel industry.

Cruise ships built in the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s are quite different from those built today. Today’s vessels are generally larger and provide more public areas, larger staterooms (with more facilities and amenities), and better-trained crews. They offer greater dining options; more menu selections, including healthy cuisine; enlarged buffet-style dining areas on lido decks; upscale, reservation-only specialty restaurants; larger state-of-the-art fitness centers; sophisticated spas with a bevy of treatment options; computer, internet, Wi-Fi, and high-tech facilities; more upscale entertainment, including Vegas-quality productions; increased children and teen programs and facilities; and more exotic ports of call.

One of the hottest new cruise markets is China. All the major cruise lines are in the process of transferring ships to homeport in China and are building new ships designed specifically to appeal to the Chinese population.

This guide has been written to familiarize those who have never encountered the delights of the open sea with what they can expect from a cruise vacation as well as to assist seasoned sailors in making intelligent selections for their next ship and cruise grounds. Chapter 9 offers a detailed description of each major cruise line and the vessels of its fleet. Included are statistics and overall ratings for each ship (Star Awards), as well as a history, a description of medical facilities, photographs, sample menus, and daily programs for each cruise line. Chapter 10 summarizes the overall ratings (Star Awards) and goes on to rate ships from each major cruise line in eleven specific categories. Riverboats and barges are not rated in this book, and for a more detailed coverage and ratings of these vessels, go to Stern’s Guide to European Riverboats and Hotel Barges.

Chapter 6 includes a description of the various cruise grounds and ports of call, setting forth points of interest, restaurants, beaches, sports facilities, and what you can cover with only limited time ashore.

NOTE

Due to the turmoil throughout various areas of the world (including wars, terrorist attacks, revolutions, and outbreaks of disease, as well as government warnings not to travel to these areas), many cruise lines have found it necessary to change the deployment of their vessels from time to time. Inasmuch as these decisions are made frequently, it is impossible to be completely up-to-date when describing itineraries for the various ships. The itineraries we list are based upon the information given to us by the cruise lines prior to publication. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you verify itineraries with the cruise line prior to making your own cruising plans.

New Ships Coming on Line

With the ever-increasing growth of the cruise industry, major cruise lines are continuously building new vessels both to expand their fleets and to replace older ships. During the period extending from late 2019 to the end of 2023, the following new vessels are scheduled to enter service:

(NEW Page)

Chapter One

The Cruise

A Complete Vacation

An Introduction to Cruising

(With Four Case Studies)

Lively and exciting, yet serene and relaxing; romantic and glamorous, yet interesting and broadening; elegant and luxurious, yet casual and economical; gregarious and convivial, yet intimate and private. All of these descriptions, although antithetical at first glance, in fact apply to the cruise vacation. A cruise is a truly unique travel experience, the ultimate escape from reality that does not lend itself to a simple definition.

Taking a cruise vacation is partaking in varied programs of exciting activities with interesting and congenial fellow passengers from diverse walks of life. It may be indulging in the finest gourmet cuisine prepared by Continental chefs and impeccably served by an experienced crew who cater to your every whim. It is unwinding and relaxing in comfortable, posh surroundings with an impressive variety of facilities and modern conveniences. It is traveling to exotic ports of call, viewing breathtaking scenery, and exploring historic points of interest. It is a cool dip in the pool, breakfast in bed, a relaxing sauna and massage, moonlit walks on deck, costume balls, movies, bridge tournaments, games, entertainment, cocktail parties, shopping, sunning, dancing, romance, companionship, enlightenment, and, best of all, this can be yours for less than you would spend on any comparable land-based vacation.

Although the price of any cruise will vary on the basis of your accommodations, economy-conscious travelers who book minimum cabins can obtain the best possible buy for their vacation dollar. If you reside in the Southeast, for example, you can take a seven-day cruise from Miami stopping at four or five Caribbean ports for as little as $700 to $950. If you live in the Midwest, you can purchase an air-sea package (offered by numerous cruise lines), fly to Puerto Rico, and cruise to South America plus five additional Caribbean islands in a seven-day period for as little as $1,200, including your room, all meals and entertainment, round-trip airfare, and transfers to and from the airport and ship. Of course, the majority of accommodations aboard ships will cost two to three times more depending on the market category of the vessel. To duplicate these trips flying from place to place by plane and frequenting restaurants and hotels with food and accommodations comparable to those found on the ship would easily cost a great deal more.

On a land vacation, you will have a greater opportunity for in-depth sightseeing and pursuing more time-consuming activities, such as golf and fishing. However, to visit as many varied places and to engage in activities similar to those offered on a cruise would require you to be constantly on the move. One of the most unique characteristics of a cruise vacation is that everything is conveniently located aboard ship. You need not run around seeking out restaurants, nightclubs, hairdressers, laundries, or companionship. It is all right there. Additionally, you are afforded the opportunity to visit many glamorous and diverse foreign countries without the necessity of lugging around heavy baggage, waiting in line at several airports, and constantly changing hotels. After you have spent a busy day in port sightseeing, swimming, and shopping, you can return to your friendly, familiar floating hotel to dine, drink, dance, and be entertained before you finally retire to awake the following morning already delivered to your next exciting port of call.

Cruising has grown impressively in popularity over the past few decades. New modern luxury liners are being built, and older vessels, not sold off to emerging lines, are being remodeled to meet the ever-increasing lure of travelers to the high seas. This demand can be attributed, perhaps, to the fact that today’s cruise offers something for just about everyone—young and old, singles and couples, adults and children, gourmets and gourmands, the gregarious and the inhibited, sun worshippers and those who prefer indoor relaxation. The rich can reserve the most expensive suite aboard and ensconce themselves in the lap of luxury, and the not so rich often can enjoy the same food, entertainment, and public facilities while booking a less expensive cabin. Those who desire recreation can participate in a diverse range of events and activities around the clock, while those who wish to relax can sit back and let the experienced staff and crew serve and entertain them. The athletic types can join the exercise class, work out in the gym, jog around the deck, and on shore can swim, play tennis, or catch a fast eighteen holes of golf, while the spectator types can watch a movie, attend a lecture, or view the nightly entertainment. The working person can find a cruise that coincides with his or her one-, two-, or three-week vacation, while retired persons can opt to cruise for three to four months around the world.

During the past twenty years, major cruise lines have introduced numerous state-of-the-art vessels with features not found on ships built in the 1980s and 1990s. These features include an abundance of veranda cabins; specialty, reservation-only fine-dining restaurants; elaborate spas with large fully equipped gyms; lounges and bars dedicated to wines and champagne, cigar smokers, martini drinkers, sport enthusiasts, etc.; computer cafés; and more extravagant décors. Many of the older vessels pale by comparison. Therefore, if you haven’t cruised in several years, you may be pleasantly surprised with the new generation of ships.

For the cruiser who feels he has seen it all and does not wish to return to ports previously visited, consider an interesting riverboat adventure through the waterways of Europe, China, South America, or Southeast Asia, or a relaxing barge sojourn along the lovely waterways of France. These forms of cruising have become very popular over the past few years. Like the oceangoing cruise lines, the riverboat and barge companies have been building more luxurious vessels with accommodations as large and comfortable as those found on cruise ships. For a comprehensive description of every aspect of this type of cruising, I suggest Stern’s Guide to European Riverboats and Hotel Barges.

Four Case Studies

John and Martha

John, a bookkeeper from Omaha, Nebraska, and his wife, Martha, who have just seen the last of their three children graduate from college, are looking forward to letting loose and having the time of their lives on a very special cruise. They get up early the first morning at sea to watch the sunrise while enjoying some coffee, juice, and rolls on deck. After a few deep knee bends and stretches at the exercise class, they are ready for a hearty breakfast in the dining room with fresh pineapple and melon, smoked salmon, a cheese omelet, sausages, fried potatoes, toast, and pastries.

Following breakfast, they participate in a Ping-Pong tournament and deck games at the pool, followed by a free salsa lesson. After a cool dip in the pool, they are ready for an elegant lunch in the dining room with an opportunity to try some exotic foreign dishes. Sunning and swimming fill up the early hours of the afternoon, still leaving time for the duplicate bridge tournament. A little workout on the elliptical and treadmill at the gym, followed by a sauna and massage, helps John work off a few of those piña coladas he was sipping all afternoon. He then showers and shaves while Martha is having her hair set at the beauty salon.

John and Martha don their fancy clothes in time to attend the captain’s cocktail party and practice the new dance steps they learned earlier. Then comes the welcome aboard dinner in the dining room, complete from caviar to crêpes Suzette. Martha wants to play a few games of bingo before the evening variety show, and John tries his luck at blackjack and roulette in the casino.

After the evening’s entertainment in the main lounge, a few cold cuts, cheeses, and desserts at the midnight buffet just hit the spot; and then it is time to go up to the discotheque to swing with the night owls into the wee hours. Following a leisurely stroll around the deck, our active couple is ready for bed. It was never like this in Omaha!

Michael and Vivian

Michael, an overworked New York attorney, and his wife, Vivian, a harassed primary-school teacher, never had a chance to take a trip when they got married last June. This cruise represents a long-overdue honeymoon. They start their first day at sea by enjoying a leisurely breakfast in bed, followed by some quiet hours soaking up the sun on deck. One shuffleboard game, a short swim in the pool, and a stroll up to the bridge are just enough excitement to help them work up an appetite for a delicious buffet lunch served on deck by the pool.

A little more sun, a few chapters of a good book, a first-run movie in the theater, some tea and cakes on the promenade deck, and our honeymooners are ready for rest and relaxation in their cabin before dressing for the evening. They elect to drink the bottle of champagne their travel agent sent them, while enjoying some hot hors d’oeuvres in the lounge; then it’s off to the dining room for an eight-course gourmet meal. After the evening entertainment, Michael and Vivian have the first opportunity since their wedding to dance to a romantic orchestra. A chance to gaze at the stars on deck caps off the night. What new marriage couldn’t use a day like this?

Joan and Ron

Joan, who works in a Miami insurance office, wants to make the most out of her one remaining week of vacation time. She wants to relax and visit some new places, and she wouldn’t object to meeting a handsome tall dark stranger if he came along. On the first day at sea, she misses breakfast in the dining room but enjoys some juice, croissants, and coffee served on the deck for the late sleepers. Off comes the cover-up, revealing her new bikini. She takes a stroll around the pool to let all those who are interested know she is aboard.

The eleven o’clock dance class is a must, since it affords her a controlled atmosphere for meeting other passengers. At the class, she meets two women from California, and they decide to sit at the same table for lunch. The understanding maître d’ arranges a large table for singles, where Joan and her two new friends are joined by another woman traveling alone and four eligible bachelors. The group decides to spend the afternoon at the pool, swimming and playing backgammon. Several of the other singles come over to watch, and by the afternoon singles only cocktail party, Joan has already met most of the other single passengers aboard ship.

Ron, one of the eligible bachelors at Joan’s table, is an advertising executive from Boston who is recently divorced and in search of some feminine companionship. He initially decides that he and Joan are basically looking for different things; however, her popularity with other single female passengers indicates that she is a good mixer and a potential source of introductions. By participating in the deck games and making frequent trips to the numerous bars, Ron manages to meet a few more women, and those he missed show up at the singles only cocktail party. By dinnertime, he has three or four interesting prospects for the evening. He decides to have a drink with Joan and her friends before dinner; however, he passes up the planned evening entertainment and goes straight to the discotheque where he can dance with all of the other young women he has met.

After dinner, Joan prefers to see the variety show, browse through the shops, and try the one-arm bandits before joining the other singles at the discotheque at midnight. By the time she arrives, Ron has already run through half a dozen possibilities and decided that he really can’t relate to any of them. Ron asks Joan to dance, and both feel a strange new chemistry that wasn’t evident earlier that evening. Joan and Ron won’t give permission to print the rest of the story; therefore, you can select your own ending.

Scotty and Jamie

Scotty, age eight, and his big sister Jamie, age fourteen, could hardly sleep the night before their mom and dad took them on their first seven-day Caribbean cruise. By sharing a four-berth cabin with their parents, it only cost an extra $175 apiece to bring them along.

The first afternoon aboard ship was exciting. The band was playing, passengers were partying and throwing colorful streamers overboard, and crew members were passing out drinks and sandwiches. Upon arriving at their cabin, Scotty was delighted to find that he had been assigned an upper berth, but Jamie pouted when her dad told her that the other top bunk was hers.

After the ship set sail, Scotty migrated to the electronic game room, where he met numerous other youngsters around his age. After a while, he and a new friend went up on deck to play Ping-Pong and shuffleboard by the pool. At five o’clock, there was a get-together at the disco for teens, which Jamie anxiously attended. A member of the ship’s social staff outlined the special events and programs that would be offered throughout the cruise for the teenage set. At the same time, there was a similar meeting for the preteens at the ice cream emporium. Here Scotty learned about the daily movies, bingo, deck sports, pool games, scavenger hunts, masquerade balls, talent shows, and Coke-tail parties that would dominate his days aboard ship.

After dinner, Scotty and his new friend went to the movies, followed by pizza and a soda in the special pizzeria. Jamie attended the first-night-aboard party in the show lounge, where she was introduced to the cruise staff and took part in the audience-participation games. After the party, she went to the teen disco, which was already packed to the rafters with enthusiastic young passengers getting to know each other.

Days ashore were especially enjoyable. The varied ports of call offered pristine white-sand beaches, water sports, horseback riding, tennis, historic sites, cute souvenir shops, and scenic drives. Mealtimes were also great fun. Each evening, the dining room was decorated in a different ethnic theme, and the attentive waiters were dressed to blend in. Scotty was able to order hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch and mac and cheese or a big, fat steak and fries for dinner. Jamie, an aspiring gourmet, elected to sample the more esoteric offerings.

On the last evening aboard, the lights were turned down, and all the waiters paraded around the dining room carrying baked Alaskas with sparklers while the passengers sang Auld Lang Syne. The seven days had passed too quickly, and our two young sailors were very sad the morning the ship sailed back into its home port. They had visited exciting and different islands, made many new friends, and participated in numerous good times. As for Mom and Dad … they showed up at dinner, bedtime, and when the youngsters needed quarters for the game machines. When Scotty and Jamie were asked how they liked the cruise, their joint answer was, Awesome!

The remaining chapters of this book are designed to familiarize you with the different aspects of the cruise vacation. Chapter 2, titled Getting Ready for the Cruise, starts by detailing how to go about planning and booking a cruise and proceeds to set forth objective standards for selecting a ship. The chapter goes on to delineate the factors that will determine the cost of your cabin and list the items you will want to be certain to bring along. Chapter 3 describes your day at sea, depicting the customary facilities found aboard ship as well as the typical program of round-the-clock activities. The dining experience is then portrayed with descriptions of the numerous meals and varieties of cuisine as well as some suggestions relating to multiple sittings and tipping. Chapter 4 analyzes the pros and cons of cruising for singles. The desirability and cost of bringing along your children are explored in chapter 5, together with a description of the events and facilities aboard ships that are designed specifically for their interests as well as the best ships for traveling families. In chapter 6, you will find a summary of the various cruise areas and highlights of the most popular cruise stops, with suggestions on what you can see and do during your day in port. Chapter 7 describes where to go in each port to swim.

Chapter 8 describes what to expect when cruising on riverboats and barges in Europe and how they differ from oceangoing vessels. Chapter 9 includes a description of every major cruise line and cruise ship, including my overall ratings (in the form of Star Awards), photographs, sample menus, and daily programs. Chapter 10 summarizes my Star Awards and goes on to evaluate the individual ships of each major line in eleven specific categories.

The growing concern of prospective cruisers as to available medical facilities on the various ships is covered in this edition. An analysis of medical care at sea is discussed in chapter 2, and the facilities, equipment, and personnel available aboard each ship (as represented by the cruise lines) are included in chapter 9.

Chapter Two

Getting Ready

for the Cruise

Planning and Booking a Cruise

When planning a cruise, you must consider a number of factors. First of all, you must decide at what time of year you will be taking your cruise vacation. If you choose to travel in the late fall or winter, you may prefer cruising in the warmer climate and calmer waters of the Caribbean, South Pacific, Indian Ocean, or the Far East. Transatlantic crossings at this time of year can be a bit rough for all but the hardiest sea dogs.

On the other hand, a late spring, summer, or early-fall cruise in the eastern Mediterranean to the Greek Islands, Turkish Coast, and Middle East; in the western Mediterranean to ports of call in Italy, France, and Spain; or in the Baltics, North Sea, and Norwegian fjords to cities in England, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, and Russia can afford you a very interesting opportunity to mingle with passengers from other countries. Transatlantic crossings at these times of year are not necessarily rough, but they are not recommended for your first exploration of the sea. Be aware that ships crossing the Atlantic by the southern route will encounter better weather, permitting more days on deck than those ships taking the northern route.

After you have decided upon the time of the year you wish to go and the general geographic area you wish to see, the next step is to find out which ships will be cruising in that area on the dates you have available. Unfortunately Official Steamship Guide, a quarterly magazine that listed every cruise that sailed throughout the year is out of business. Presently, you have to go to each cruise line’s web site to learn where they go and on what dates. Cruise News, Portholes, Cruise Business News, World of Cruising, and Cruise Travel magazines are a few of the periodicals that list prospective cruises and include articles describing ships, ports of call, and updates on what is going on in the cruise industry. Also several Web sites provide information about cruise ships and the latest developments in cruising. Alan Wilson’s Cruise News Daily sends its subscribers daily information by e-mail. Kevin Griffin’s Tutto Crociere: The Cyberspace Cruise Magazine sends a weekly newsletter every Monday. Of course, each of the cruise lines has a Web site where you can obtain specific information about their ships and itineraries.

Over the past few years, numerous travel agencies that specialize in cruising have sprung up. Occasionally they can offer deep-discount tickets due to prior arrangements with some of the cruise lines. You will want to check the cruise/discount-fare advertisements in the travel section of your Sunday newspaper as well as the various cruise periodicals and Web sites. Once you have cruised on a particular line, you will be placed on its mailing list and be provided from time to time with brochures offering special discounted sailings.

When consulting the available guides, you will also have to consider the length of time you have for your vacation. If you have only a week or ten days, seek out a ship with a correspondingly shorter itinerary. However, if you have two weeks or more, you can also consider the longer cruises.

Now that you have traced the ships that are sailing in the geographic area of your choice during the period you have scheduled for your vacation, you will want to study the credentials and offerings of each of these vessels. Do you prefer French food, Italian service, Scandinavian joie de vivre, Dutch hospitality, or British efficiency? Do you wish to storm seven ports in seven days, or do you prefer spending three or four relaxing days at sea? Do you desire the intimacy of a small ship, or is a large superliner your cup of tea? These are the questions that you must ask, and the following section of this chapter, as well as chapters 9 through 11, are devoted to helping you arrive at your decision.

After you have finally selected a vessel, it is desirable to include a second and even a third choice, for now you must determine whether space on the ship you desire is still available. A later section of this chapter on Costs and Your Cabin will point out the factors to be considered in choosing accommodations.

When booking reservations for a cabin, you can go either to your travel agent or directly to the cruise line office in your locality or to its Web site. Booking through a travel agent generally has the advantage of having someone else obtain your tickets, make all arrangements, provide you with necessary instructions, and maybe even throw in a bottle of the bubbly when you arrive on ship. However, if your agent tells you that the space you desire is not available, do not give up. Either call another agent, search Web sites, or contact the line directly, request that you be wait-listed, and explain how you are dying to cruise on their ships but can go only at a certain time and for a certain price. Call them up every week or so to check on whether there has been a cancellation. Persistence may pay off because vacationers often change their minds, and there are usually a great number of last-minute cancellations.

To play it safe, you can accept a more expensive room, for example, and ask to be wait-listed for the first cheaper one that becomes available. I do not know for a fact what procedures the various lines follow; however, it is possible that some cruise lines will sell a room that becomes available to a new customer rather than to one who has already accepted another room and has been wait-listed. Therefore, if you are set on obtaining specific accommodations, you may have a better chance if you do not accept a substitute. On the other hand, if you don’t, you may be left behind. Here, again, it will pay off to contact the numerous travel agencies that specialize in cruising since they may have an inventory of pre-purchased accommodations or a little extra clout with the cruise line.

As you would expect, it is more difficult to book cruises for holidays such as Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Everyone wants to go away at these times, and you must book far in advance (as much as six months to a year for a Christmas or New Year’s cruise on some ships).

For those who choose to book their cruise through the Internet, cruise lines and travel agencies have established Web sites that provide information on sailings and rates. If you are comfortable with booking travel in this manner, you may find some excellent last-minute bargains.

I always recommend that cruisers arrive at the port of embarkation at least one day in advance in order to avoid airplane delays and the possibility of missing the boat. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to catch up with a ship at its next port of call or having to turn around and go home. Although you may have purchased insurance to cover this possibility, it will certainly be a disappointment.

It is generally possible to purchase air travel through the cruise line, which will have negotiated rates with the airlines. Although the rates can be higher than those on the Internet or those available for advanced purchases through the airlines, the fact remains that the cruise line will have the responsibility of attending to you until they can get you on the ship.

Most major cruise lines now encourage passengers to print out their boarding passes and select their dining and excursion options via e-mail. Some require these preparations to be done in this fashion because it greatly simplifies the boarding process.

Selecting a Ship

What kind of ship you select will depend upon your feelings about people, food, relaxation, activity, aesthetics, and so on. Whereas one reader may be delighted by a ship that offers a diverse Continental menu of gourmet delights, another may feel dissatisfied because the kitchen staff cannot prepare a thick juicy sirloin steak. One couple may fall in love with a cruise ship because of the super time they had dancing to good music every evening and taking part in a masquerade ball, but another couple may feel that the same ship was not a good buy because it offered no big name entertainment. The fact that any particular ship may appeal to one does not mean it will appeal to another. Also, the food and service on any given ship can vary from time to time, just as it does in a restaurant or hotel. A change in chefs, for example, can make a big difference.

How, then, can you compare ships and make a selection? To a certain extent, you will rely on the opinions of others. You are encouraged to discuss this with your travel agent as well as with friends (holding similar interests and tastes) who have cruised on the ships you are considering. Acquire all the brochures and other promotional matter printed by the cruise lines. These pamphlets usually contain pictures of the public rooms and cabins, prices, enumeration of facilities, description of ports of call, and a deck plan. If your travel agent does not have the relevant brochure for the ship in which you are interested, you can write directly to the line or go to its Web site. Almost all cruise lines have Web sites providing detailed information for each of their ships, as well as for all itineraries and fares. Do not hesitate to contact the line about any specific bit of information you may wish to obtain.

To assist you further with your selection, detailed descriptions, per diem fares, and ratings for most cruise ships, as well as photos, sample menus, and activity programs, appear in chapters 9 through 11 of this book.

The following is an analysis of many of the factors that I recommend you consider in comparing potential cruises.

Ports of Call and Shore Excursions

Check to see at which ports the ship will be calling and then review what each of those ports has to offer (see analysis of ports in chapter 6). Do you prefer spending your days ashore shopping, sunning at a beautiful beach, exploring archeological ruins, hiking through natural scenery, or visiting historic museums? Be certain that the ship stops at a port that will afford you an opportunity to pursue the activities you enjoy.

When sailing the Caribbean, the islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Curaçao are considered to have the most diversified shopping, with the best bargains in French perfume being found in Martinique, Guadeloupe, and St. Martin. The finest beaches for swimming and sunning are found in the Grand Caymans, Bermuda, St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John, Virgin Gorda, Aruba, Barbados, Antigua, Anguilla, Jamaica, St. Martin, Grenada, the Bahamas, and Cozumel. Archeology buffs will want to visit Cancun, Costa Maya, Guatemala, and the ports of the Yucatán.

Although the beaches of the Mediterranean, Baltics, and North Sea don’t compare with those of the Caribbean, the offering of historic points of interest, art, museums, and shopping is far superior in the Mediterranean and Northern European ports. Today it is possible to cruise almost anywhere in the world, including such faraway areas as the South Seas, the Far East, Australia, Africa, the Indian Ocean, and even Antarctica.

As mentioned earlier, you will want to determine how many ports are on the itinerary of the cruises you may be considering. For example, some ships visit as many as six ports on a seven-day cruise, whereas others stop at only one or two. Do you prefer a busy itinerary, where you are in port almost every day, or do you prefer spending the majority of your days on the open sea?

Next, you should check out the period of time the ship is docked at each port. Too often, a ship may be in port for so short a period that there is not time to visit the places you have mapped out. For example, several ships stop in Montego Bay for only five hours, not leaving sufficient time to drive to Dunn’s Falls or take the jungle river raft ride down the Martha Brae. Other ships dock at San Juan only in the later afternoon and evening to permit passengers to gamble, while leaving insufficient time to explore the island. There are still other ships that include in their brochures ports of call where the vessels dock for merely an hour to pick up passengers. Certain Mediterranean cruises drop anchor at Gibraltar, Cannes, Genoa, and Naples to receive embarking passengers but don’t stop long enough to permit any exploration. You should carefully analyze the itinerary of each ship you are considering.

All ships have a shore excursion department, where various tours are offered for each port of call. These excursions range from inactive to very active and include bus orientation tours, snorkeling and/or scuba outings, beach parties, glass-bottom boat and submarine explorations, four-wheel drive tours, zip line rides through jungles, shark feeding, swimming with stingrays, helicopter and float-plane rides, and visits to places of interest in the port. Unfortunately, most of these excursions incur a stiff charge and greatly increase the cost of the cruise. On many lines, a schedule of the available tours can be obtained in advance online and prebooked.

Dining

As pointed out in detail in the next chapter, the dining experience aboard ship is one of the highlights of the cruise. Therefore, a good deal of consideration should be given to the fare offered by the different lines. Although many ships rate far above the average restaurant in this department, the types and varieties of victuals do vary from ship to ship.

Most of the lunch and dinner menus offer an interesting assortment of food, including vegetarian, healthy, and ethnic dishes. If you require kosher food, baby food, or have any special dietary restrictions, you should check with the ship line in advance to determine whether the required foods will be available. A very popular concept is the inclusion of alternative specialty restaurants in addition to the main dining room, which affords passengers an opportunity to break up the nightly routine and opt for a more intimate dining experience. These venues generally feature steak house, Italian, French, or Asian cuisine. Casual, alternative-dining restaurants are available on almost all of the major vessels. Wine, caviar, and espresso bars along with pizza parlors are rapidly being added to many of the ships that have come on line during the past few years.

In chapter 9, you will find sample menus from ships representing the various lines. Because the menus tend to be similar for ships of the same line, these samples should give you some idea of what to expect. (Caution: You will see steak and lobster offered on almost all of the menus, but the quality may vary radically. Beef shipped from the United States and lobster caught off the coast of Maine may be quite a bit more tender than beef picked up in Mexico or lobsters caught in the Caribbean.) In addition, food and dining room service often will be superior on the flagship of each line. Generally, the chefs and waiters earn the privilege of serving on the flagship by working their way up the ladder on the other vessels. The ratings for dining quality found in the last half of chapter 11 may assist you in comparing the ships of the various cruise lines.

Many ships now allow passengers to make dining arrangements and reservations for specialty restaurants online prior to the cruise.

Service

The quality of service rendered by the dining room staff, the cabin stewards, and social staff can significantly affect your enjoyment of the cruise. A pleasant, efficient waiter can perk up a mediocre meal; an understanding and helpful cabin steward can minimize the inconvenience of a small or otherwise inadequate cabin; and a tactful, perceptive social director can bring together people of common interests and add an additional dimension to your vacation.

Naturally, the quality of service varies from line to line and even among ships of the same line. I have found that ships with European dining room and cabin staffs offer the best all-around service. These waiters and stewards seem to have received the best training, maintain the best attitudes, and are the most anxious to please. I found the mixed European crew on Crystal, Hapag-Lloyd, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, SeaDream, and Silversea to be superior in these areas. The Greek ships tend to economize and overwork their crews, with the obvious results. Those ships using mixed service crews from the Caribbean islands, South America, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Asia, and Mexico do so as an economy factor. Unfortunately, these people do not have the training or know-how of most of the European crews. Many of the cruise lines’ predominant use of Indonesian and/or Filipino waiters and room stewards has proved to be somewhat of a mixed bag: some cruisers find them charming and attentive, while others have found the service mediocre because of the serious language problem and lack of experience. The all-American crews on several of the U.S. cruise lines are often inexperienced. The nationality of the dining room and cabin crews is indicated in chapter 9. Service may vary from one year to the next on the same ship, especially when a line is striving to improve this area. Therefore, obtain knowledgeable opinions on the standard of service for any ships you are considering.

Medical Care at Sea

Considering the millions of people of all ages and levels of health who cruise each year to exotic and remote areas where access to state-of-the-art hospitals and well-trained physicians may be limited, one must conclude that the availability and quality of medical facilities and personnel aboard ship should be a major consideration when selecting a particular vessel.

Certainly, a significant segment of the cruising population that opts for longer cruises to more out-of-the-way destinations is retired and getting on in years. When encountering an emergency at home, these senior citizens can call 911 and be rushed to a modern hospital, but when they find themselves in the middle of the Pacific or docked at a primitive port in New Guinea, the best they can hope for is a decent medical facility and physician aboard ship. Many younger passengers have infirmities that could require special medical attention, while others may suffer accidental injuries either on the ship or during port explorations. Here again, the only available emergency equipment and supplies may be at the ship’s medical facility.

Therefore, the experience and specialties of a ship’s physician and nurses, the technological equipment and pharmaceuticals available, as well as the X-ray, operating, and emergency facilities should receive as much consideration by older cruisers and those with preexisting medical problems as the level of dining, activities, and shore excursions.

Generally, the larger vessels carry more medical staff and are equipped with expanded facilities in anticipation of a greater demand by both passengers and crew members. Many smaller ships have also made ample provision for medical emergencies. However, over the years, I have found that ships unwisely economize in this department. Ships sometimes carry too small a medical staff to cope with the passenger or crew load, hire physicians for short durations or who are not trained to deal with multiple emergencies, have limited equipment and supplies available, and tend to downplay their responsibility for passenger health needs.

The American College of Emergency Physicians has published Guidelines of Care for Cruise Ship Medical Facilities. Among the numerous recommendations are the following:

1. A medical staff, available around the clock, board-certified in emergency medicine, family practice, and internal medicine, with two to three years of clinical experience, emergency/critical care experience, advanced trauma and cardiac life-support skills, minor surgical skills, and fluency in the major language of the passengers and crew.

2. Emergency medical equipment and medications, including primary and backup cardiac monitors, primary and backup portable defibrillators, electrocardiograph, wheelchairs, refrigerator/freezer, extrication device, C-collar immobilization capability, trauma-cart supplies, airway equipment, volume pumps, ventilators, pulse oximeter, external pacer capability, portable oxygen sufficient until patient can disembark ship, and medications comparable to those required to run two emergency department-code carts, including advanced cardiac support drugs.

3. Basic laboratory capabilities—including an X-ray unit; capability to perform hemoglobin, urinalysis, pregnancy, and glucose tolerance tests; a microscope; and a universal crew-blood-donor list.

4. A passenger information program regarding onboard health and safety, a preassessment of passengers’ medical needs, and a program to meet Physical Disabilities Act standards.

5. A crew screening program covering all communicable diseases and certain other conditions as well as a crew safety program.

6. Examination and treatment areas and an inpatient holding unit adequate for the size of the ship.

Heads of hospital staff on various cruise lines have suggested that ship doctors be trained in advanced trauma and life support, have broad experience in family and emergency medicine, and be backed up by sufficient registered nurses with similar practical experience to formulate an efficient emergency-response team to deal with cardiac arrest and other serious medical traumas. They advise that when the combined passenger/crew population exceeds one thousand, a second physician is advisable, as well as an expanded nursing staff. Facilities should include a well-stocked, computer-controlled pharmacy; a satisfactory range of X-ray facilities; a fully equipped operating theater; biochemistry and full blood count equipment; at least one or two intensive-care wards that include a cardiac monitor, EKG machine, and pulse oximetry; and, if possible, a telemedical facility, enabling the shipboard doctor to consult with and obtain advice from hospitals and specialists ashore while giving advice or performing procedures with which he may not be familiar, at sea.

We have attempted to elicit information as to the experience of the medical personnel and the extent of the medical facilities, equipment, and systems aboard each cruise ship. However, it would be naive to believe that one could obtain totally honest responses when surveying the various cruise lines as to the quality of the facilities, equipment, and staff aboard their ships. No cruise line would admit to be remiss in any of these areas, although my personal observation leads me to suspect some are inadequately staffed or equipped to handle the passenger and crew load they carry.

Any potential cruiser with a medical problem, in a high-risk group, or with general concerns as to medical facilities aboard a particular ship would be well advised to contact the medical director of the cruise line in advance of booking the trip to determine if the caliber of medical support and facilities he or she may require will be available. Probably, it would be prudent to make a written inquiry and request a written reply so that the party responding is careful to research the matter before making any representations. Similar investigation can be made into the ship’s ability to satisfy special dietary needs, as well as possible inoculations that may be advisable. When in doubt, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or some such euphemism.

Note: After the short summaries of each ship listed in chapter 9, we have added a code designating the medical personnel, facilities, and equipment that the cruise line has represented is available aboard the vessel. Where the cruise line has not responded to our inquiries, the failure to respond is indicated. I must emphasize that this information was given by an employee of the cruise line, has not been verified by the author or publisher, may not be up to date, and may have changed by the time you read this information. A written inquiry made directly to the medical director of the cruise line is your most prudent course.

Code Designating Medical Personnel, Facilities, and Equipment

Emergency Medical Equipment, Lab Equipment, and Facilities

Some cruise lines have a limited number of life jackets at the muster stations. Where LJ is included, it indicates that the cruise line has represented to me that it has life jackets sufficient to accommodate all passengers at muster stations, in addition to those in the cabins.

Facilities for the Physically Challenged

Cruising is possibly the most convenient way for the physically challenged to visit places of interest around the world. Today, most new ships have increased the number of wheelchair-accessible cabins and have improved public facilities to make them more user-friendly for those with physical impairments. A cruise experience is available today for the visually or hearing impaired, diabetics, dialysis patients, pulmonary sufferers, and wheelchair users.

The cruise lines and ships that have provided the most facilities and accommodations for the physically challenged are Celebrity, Regent Seven Seas, Norwegian, Crystal, Disney, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival’s 100,000-plus-ton ships, Holland America’s newest ships, Genting Hong Kong’s new builds, Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa and Europa 2, and P&O’s newer ships. Although there are various sites you can go to online, the most prudent procedure would be to contact the cruise line you are interested in and obtain timely details about the facilities on their ships.

Other Facilities

The facilities will vary from ship to ship, with the most facilities being found on the larger crafts. The megaships (more than 70,000 gross register tons) of Royal Caribbean, Princess, P&O, Cunard, Celebrity, Disney, Genting Hong Kong, Holland America, Costa, MSC, Norwegian, and Carnival cruise lines, for example, have just about every facility found in a large resort hotel and then some. However, even the midsize and smaller vessels make clever use of the area they have, offering passengers almost the same facilities as the larger ships but on a smaller scale. The age of the ship may be a factor here, and if you are considering an older ship, it is important to find out if it has been recently remodeled. Currently, Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class, Oasis-class, Voyager-class, and Freedom-class ships and Norwegian Breakaway, Getaway, Eclipse and Bliss boast the most impressive facilities at sea, with Princess’s Royal-class ships, Norwegian’s other ships and Carnival and MSC’s larger ships, running close behind.

Consider and compare the public rooms, swimming pools (number and size), deck areas, restaurant facilities, gymnasium, sauna, deck sports, library, elevators, movie theater, chapel, dance bands, bars, game rooms, hospital, cabins, bathrooms, and so on. Some of the more common facilities are included in the descriptions of the various ships in chapter 11. A better description and pictures of these facilities can be found in the ship’s promotional brochures. Be careful! These brochures are like most advertising material; they have a tendency to portray the ship as larger and more beautiful than it may appear on actual inspection.

Activities

Although almost all ships offer a wide range of varied activities, not all ships subscribe to the same program. Golf addicts will want to consider those ships that offer golf clinics and feature excursions to golf courses ashore, joggers should check out which ships afford jogging decks, and amateur chefs may wish to select a ship with gourmet-cooking lessons. The vast range of daily activities is more thoroughly described in the next chapter, and chapter 9 contains sample daily programs from ships of most of the major cruise lines.

In general, I have found that the ships offering regular cruises from Florida, California, San Juan, New York, and other US ports have the most activities per day at sea, with the Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity, Norwegian, Carnival, Crystal, Costa, and Princess lines leading in this department. Ships sailing the Mediterranean and Northern Europe seem to offer the least activities (probably because they spend the majority of days in port). Several of the lines offer once-a-year, special activity cruises featuring classical or jazz music festivals, gourmet-cooking classes, wine seminars, or Broadway theater.

Today most of the major cruise lines offer learning at sea agendas, which may include computer lessons; language lessons; photography and computer technology; lectures on wine, archeology, history, and marine biology; hands-on cooking classes by well-known chefs; musical lessons; painting, weaving, pottery, and other crafts; and numerous other useful courses. We found the Crystal and Princess lines’ enrichment programs two of the best.

If you are cruising with children, be sure to note those vessels that offer a special children’s program. I was particularly impressed with the children’s programs on Carnival, Disney, Princess, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean cruise lines, which include special counselors, age-appropriate children’s activities, special discos, electronic game rooms, and ice cream and pizza parlors. Most of the other larger ships also have good facilities and programs for children.

Many of the vessels built after 1990 have special areas and facilities for business meetings and seminars, as well as public computer rooms with instructional classes.

Computers/Internet/E-Mail/Cell Phones/Wi-Fi

With the growing demand of passengers wishing to send e-mails and check their favorite Web sites, cruise lines have rapidly caught on and are now competing to furnish the most comprehensive computer facilities. Most of the new ships that have come on line during the past few years have quite impressive Internet cafés and computer facilities. For most there is a significant per hour charge with discount packages also available for purchase.

Some cruise lines provide facilities permitting passengers to connect their own personal laptops, while others require you to use the equipment available aboard ship. Most of the major cruise lines have recently expanded their computer facilities and instructional programs. Many of the ships provide wireless access, or Wi-Fi, at various spots throughout the ship, including cabins, so that those who bring their own laptops can access the Internet remotely. One significant benefit is the lower cost of communicating back home by e-mail as opposed to the expensive telephone and fax procedures aboard ships. Since there will be variances among the cruise lines and from ship to ship of the same line as to facilities and charges for Internet access, it would be prudent to check out what is available before sailing.

SeaMobile, which enables passengers to use their cell phones on the ship to both place outgoing and receive incoming calls, is being installed on many ships. You are simply billed a roaming rate by your cell provider. Where this service is available, you will also be able to connect your laptop computer to the