To Cruise or Not? A few observations on taking big boat vacations.

Taking a cruise has become a steadily growing share of the tourist market over the last twenty years. The average annual growth for the world market has been 7.4% since 1990. In 1990 there were almost 3.5 million cruise passengers in North America. That number was up to almost 10.25 million in 2007. Worldwide the numbers have grown too, from 3.77 million in 1990 to 12.56 million in 2007.* Miami, the world’s busiest cruise terminal, sends luxury ships to all corners of the Americas on a daily basis. Mediterranean cruises are also increasingly popular as are cruises in the Far East. Like anything there are advantages and disadvantages to taking a cruise and they often revolve around money, time, and expectations.

Getting to the cruise terminal

I took my first cruise in 2005. It was a short three day cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida to the Bahamas. We were novices to this type of vacation so we were looking forward to it. Our first obstacle was getting to the cruise terminal in Florida from our home at the time in Portsmouth, Virginia, some 800 miles to the north. This first hurdle, getting to the cruise terminal, is one of the first questions anyone asks before they take a cruise. Do I have to fly or drive to get to the boat, and if so, how far? If you live in, let’s say, Chicago, and need to fly to Florida to meet your boat, you have consider how much plane tickets will cost and sudden flight cancellations due to weather (winter weather or hurricanes). If you are flying make sure you allow enough time to meet the boat. Consider flying in to the cruise port the day before. Flying in the day of your cruise doesn’t allow much room for error, even though the cruises usually depart in the late afternoon. Also, once you arrive via plane, how far is it to the cruise terminal? Will you have to rent a car, do you have arrangements for transportation from the airport to the cruise terminal (most cruise lines offer this at an extra charge); is the cruise terminal far from a major airport (such as Port Canaveral), requiring either rental car, shuttle service, or connecting flight? Finally, if you live next to a cruise port, as we did in Virginia, is it worth embarking from that port? Norfolk, Virginia is the starting point of a few cruises, as is Baltimore and even New York City, but consider destination. If you leave from Norfolk, or points north, to go to the Caribbean, you spend at least 2 or 3 days at sea (one way) before you arrive at your first port of call. This will make the cruise more expensive as well. Consider driving, or flying, to an embarkation port that is better located.

Where to cruise? (Personal experience from one cruise)

Another million dollar question is where to cruise. Do you like tropical, or northern temperate, such as Alaska’s panhandle? Mediterranean, or the historic ports of Canada’s Maritime provinces? While cruise boats offer excursions into the hinterlands, their duration usually depends upon how long the ship will be in port, which is usually about one day. The cruises that I have taken had limits in terms of my own geographical interests. Since I live near San Diego, the most popular cruises are down the Mexican Riviera, or Mexico’s Pacific coast. Ports of call include Acapulco, Zihuatanenjo/Ixtapa, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, and Baja. There are also cruises to Hawaii, but it’s five days at sea just to get to the islands. Does the Mexican Riviera really float your boat? I took a nine day cruise from San Diego with the following stops: Acapulco-Zihuatanenjo/Ixtapa-Manzanillo and I was disappointed at the ports of call. Since I like to sight-see on my own terms, I was interested in getting off the boat and exploring. Excursions sponsored by the cruise line tend to be pricey, rushed, and they push shopping to no end as they herd you from one tourist trap to the next. More about that later. The first stop, Acapulco, had only one site that intrigued me – the Fuerto de San Diego, which fortunately was right across from the cruise terminal. I wasn’t terribly interested in seeing the cliff divers so I wanted to do some snorkeling on Isla Roqueta. After visiting the fort, all but one hour, I headed to Isla Roqueta. The beach is definitely for locals. The water was murky, the beach polluted, and it just wasn’t very pleasant. Okay, so we chalked it up to an interesting local experience. We bargained down a cab ride there, took a short dingy ride to the island, and saw how plebian Mexicans recreate, and decided to walk back to the boat. My take on Acapulco: it has seen its golden days as a world class resort, maybe in the nineteen seventies when The Love Boat would play it up, but my overall impression was that it was dirty, crowded, and not worth visiting. The water isn’t even that clear and nothing compared to the Yucatan resorts on the other side of Mexico. Later, we walked into town and I found this experience the most interesting just browsing the various shops and taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of Mexico. The next day the boat arrived in the quaint little town of Zihuatanejo. While scenic there’s not much to do there except sit on the beach, shop, or dine at a restaurant. The cruise line offered excursions, and I took the one to Ixtapa. I wanted to do some snorkeling and apparently Ixtapa island had a nice sheltered cove with coral formations at Playa Coral. The snorkeling turned out to be good, but the sponsored excursion was another story. The tour guide couldn’t keep her mouth shut and went on blathering about the beauties of the local area. I didn’t need someone to narrate the view from the bus window. I would have tipped her just for keeping her mouth shut for a few minutes. Fortunately there was another tour coordinator, who spoke much better English, and he just showed us the way to Playa Coral once we got on the island. Otherwise we would have had to hear this lady talk another fifteen minutes trying to orient us to the obvious. The planned excursion only allowed a total of two hours on Ixtapa island. The last stop of this cruise was Manzanillo. Why they even bother with this port of call is something of a mystery. Its claim to fame rests on the fact that it is the largest container port on Mexico’s Pacific coast – not exactly your ideal cruise destination. Furthermore, the terminal is at least three miles away from the city, which has little to offer. So, the only thing you can do is take an excursion or sit in a café in Manzanillo and drink all day. There is one resort called La Hadas, but unless you take a taxi there or a cruise-sponsored trip, your options are limited in Manzanillo. The final stop on this cruise was strangely unplanned. While heading back toward San Diego, there was a medical emergency on board and the boat moored off Cabo San Lucas at the tip of Baja. While nobody was allowed to get off, except the hapless patient, the views of Cabo were spectacular. People crowded the upper decks for a photo opportunity. My final take of the Mexican Riviera was disappointment. Perhaps Baja would have been nicer. It all depends upon what you want from the port of call. If shopping is your thing, perhaps this itinerary would have been suitable, but I prefer a mix of interesting beaches where I can put on my snorkel mask, and some history and culture in the port cities.

Saving money

Taking a cruise probably saves you money if you don’t spend lavishly on your suite. On the cruises we took we booked the no-frills suites without windows, and I found them to be comfortable down to the fold-out beds. Some of the cabins can be a little crammed but that’s something I can live with. The next big money saver on your cruise is the food. While many cruise lines now have fancy restaurants to add to your dining experience, they might require additional expenses. If you stick to the cafeteria-style dining, which is included in the price of the cruise, the food is not bad, there is plenty of choice, and there’s always some grill or stand open close to 24 hours a day. Some cruise lines have better food than others. For instance, we enjoyed the food aboard Royal Caribbean more than Carnival, but Carnival’s wasn’t bad and they had some food option available 24/7. The third biggest money saver is transportation. Obviously the boat is in perpetual motion except when you make it to a port, so you aren’t paying the extra money on airfare to get there. This is a moot point because many pay airfare to get to the cruise terminal but cruise lines and travel agents often offer huge discounts of up to 75% if you are flexible and time it right.

Spending money

Most billing aboard cruise lines has gone totally electronic. On board is virtually a cashless environment. When you check in for your cruise they issue you a cruise card that is magnetized like a credit card. Of course when you purchased the cruise they asked for your credit card and everything that is swiped on this card during the cruise hits your credit card. Traveling in any form has a vicious way of adding incidentals to your expenses. Cruise lines are similar to hotel casinos. The latter often have discounted rooms and relatively cheap buffets because they assume you will blow your wallet at the blackjack table or slot machines. Many do and the on-board casinos are but one way that cruise lines reap huge profits. In addition, you have to pay every time you want a soda or alcoholic average. These are not included in the built-in cost of dining. It’s no accident that as soon as you come aboard tuxedo-clad waiters, usually from Caribbean countries, pounce on you with a colorful assortment of cocktail drinks. You are the most vulnerable when you board. Your spirits are up, a nice tropical trip beckons and oh-what-the-hell, I’ll treat myself, is the motto of the moment. Why not? I’m on vacation. The catch is they will ask for your cruise card and swipe it in their electronic register. Ka-ching: you’ve just added at least 5 dollars to your checkout bill. Same goes for the well-stocked fridge in your room. Every day your housekeeper checks it and adds whatever is missing to your bill. You can request that they lock it when you check in to your room and they will happily comply. Easy credit is an effective and fast way for cruise lines to make money and it takes some discipline to reign in spending, unless you are there to completely indulge yourself. Personally, I don’t like the sticker shock of seeing my credit card full of goods and services that I purchased when I return from travel.

Shopping

From the moment you board to the moment you leave, you’ll be bombarded by opportunities, vice temptation, to shop. I don’t know of any cruise ship that doesn’t have a mini-mall of shops selling anything from jewelry, alcohol, and clothing. That’s only half of it. Most of the excursions on-shore will route you like a herd of sheep, or tourists, through every gift shop and tourist trap. If you like shopping that’s fine, but I’m not particularly keen on this type of form of recreation. I would rather be doing other things. Sometimes I think it’s a conspiracy between the cruise lines and local shops. The way they push it is demeaning. You are just a dumbed-down American that is born to spend. They even promote the products in the on-board shops using the closed-circuit TV in your room. Then they remind you that it's duty-free, or that you can buy duty-free things in various shops at your ports of call. My opinion about shopping is that you can do it anywhere, anytime, even online – so why travel to a faraway destination to shop, unless you find the occasional souvenir that you want to decorate your home or office. Otherwise it’s just a way to separate you from your money.

A few other things to consider…

Cruising with kids

Kids typically love big boats. Sensation overload - there’s so much to explore and do. Some cruise lines are better than others with accommodating kids. It also depends upon the currency of the boat. Newer built ships will probably have better facilities. It can also depend upon how long the cruise is. The longer the cruise, hopefully the better the daycare facilities, but this is not set in stone. We found that Carnival had exceptional facilities and programs to accommodate kids. Keep in mind hours are limited, but the cruise lines take into account functions such as midnight balls, etc. Also, daycare and play facilities are not dumping grounds for kids. You will be required to pick them up during certain hours when the facilities close for one reason or another. Better daycare programs have planned and structured activities for your kids. Call the cruise line or travel agent to get details. Online blogs and forums are also very helpful in getting feedback about which cruise line offers what.

The people on board

Consider who may be traveling at which time of year. Unless you are a college student do you really want to be on a cruise during Spring break? This is hit or miss and somewhat beyond your control, but cruise lines cater to different crowds. Some are fun and encourage the party scene. Others are more subdued and may favor retirees and families. It all depends on where you are going, what time of year, and even the cruise line. This will take some research on your part and I suggest reading the numerous online reviews. We had heard the Carnival was more of a party ship, which was not particularly our scene, but the opposite proved to be true. Maybe it’s because it was a longer cruise – I can’t say for sure. One the other hand, a three-day cruise to the Bahamas on Royal Caribbean proved to be full of rowdy and obnoxious people looking for a quick Spring getaway.

The boats have their quirks.

Look online and you can get some stats and facts about the boat you will be taking. The year it was built is important. When we cruised Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of the Seas, which first sailed in 1988, it was clearly dated, especially compared to Carnival’s Spirit, which first sailed in 2001. The former’s pool deck had a perpetual stench that reeked of urine. Equipment on board these vessels gets corroded with salt and sea spray everyday, and the maritime environment takes its toll. Maybe that’s why Sovereign of the Seas was relegated to the short three day cruises. Would this type of corrosion and stench be acceptable aboard a Disney cruise for instance? Disney’s quality control is legendary but that ethic doesn’t carry over to every cruise line. It’s something to think about. The next thing to consider is the relatively frequent news reports about crowds of people getting sick, usually from the food. Salmonella outbreaks aboard cruise lines are not infrequent. While I haven’t heard of this recently I’m sure there are a handful of people who get sick on every cruise, most likely from food-borne illnesses. To date, we’ve been lucky and I’m sure the cruise lines are painfully aware that bad publicity hurts.

Safety

On the cruises I’ve taken it is mandatory on the first day of the cruise to participate in the on-board emergency evacuation drill. This is for your own benefit. Other issues to consider are rough seas. Some boats have been hit by rogue waves in the middle of the ocean which caused substantial damage and injuries. Securing your personal belongings in the strong box in your room is a good idea. They are all self-programmable. Pay attention to offshore dangers and nuisances such as pickpockets and scammers. This depends upon the country you visit. Some countries require more caution than others. Perhaps this is one advantage of taking a cruise-sponsored excursion. If something happens to you offshore and nobody knows you are missing, lost, or detained, regardless of the circumstance, the boat will not wait for you to return. You will either have to meet the boat in the next port of call (how you do this is left up to you), or just return home on the next available flight.

Conclusion

I admit this write-up is highly subjective. My own biases against spending and shopping put me at direct odds with much of the culture associated with taking a cruise, but I like to relax and sight-see as much as the next curious tourist, and cruising clearly has potential in these areas. I remain mixed in my experience with cruising, but it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t cruise again. With the right itinerary and company I’m game for another cruise. I can’t emphasize enough to check online and do your research regarding which itinerary is best for you. Read the reviews as well. Here are some popular cruise lines that you might try: Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess, Norwegian, Celebrity and Disney. I don’t endorse any cruise line over another. I just give my opinions.

* Cruise Lines International Association. (n.d.). Retrieved June 6, 2009, from http://www.cruising.org/Press/overview2008/#RecentGrowth