Carnival really does have the Funships

I have always enjoyed Carnival cruises.

Since our last Carnival cruise on the Carnival Fantasy we had sailed the Celebrity Century, Cunard’s Queen Mary2, Norwegian Sun two times,and Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign and Freedom of the Seas. After all those, it was refreshing to come back home to Port Canaveral and the Carnival Glory.

At 110,000 tons, the Glory is one of the big fish in the cruise business. But on this one, which reminded me a lot of the Victory, Destiny and Triumph, Carnival has done a great job of breaking up large, open spaces, into smaller, more intimate areas. Taking a page from past renditions of FunShips but adding their typical unique twist done ship by ship, they have made a great addition to cruises sailing from Port Canaveral.

At the time of this sailing it was a tie between the Disney Magic or Wonder and the Glory for the “big, nice ships” prize ( If there was one). Now with Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas adding a totally different cruise experience to the mix of what is offered from Port Canaveral, it’s a tougher choice.

Glory is the clear winner, though, in many other areas. The main area, “Fun”, has Carnival clearly in the lead. That’s saying a lot when stacked up against the magical Disney brand. But since we had not only been away from Carnival for a while but had sailed on several other lines, the “fun” atmosphere really slapped me in the face. I missed it and did’t even know it.

Suddenly, what was missing on those other lines was very apparent. Here was a ship capable of holding up to 3700 passengers and darn near every single one I saw was over-the-top happy to be there. The atmosphere was relaxed but the air was full of anticipation, excitement and (again) “Fun”.

Upon embarkation, guests were advised that cabin’s would be ready about 1:30PM and to head to the lido deck for lunch. First, we had a great luncheon in the dining room. By the time we got up to the Lido deck it was packed. The familiar multiple food stations were all running full throttle keeping up with the demand quite nicely. I think it was here that I remembered how well Carnival knows “fun”.

On this visit I spent a lot of time touring the different categories of cabins. Still, my favorite and what I think is one of the best values at sea, is a category 9A corner balcony cabin. Very much like the one’s we’d sailed several times on other Carnival ships, the 9A’s on this ship have a unique layout. The big drawing point, though, is the huge wrap-around balcony.

Touring the Category 11 and 12 cabins was a lot of fun too (and about as close as I will ever get to staying in one). If I die and come back as a cruise ship cabin it would be in one of these categories. Not that the inside, outside and other balcony cabins are not nice, they are. After sailing all those other cruise lines mentioned earlier, some with cabins a lot smaller and most with cabins of varying sizes, it was nice to see the consistency that Carnival applies to their cabins. Each is comfortable and well equipped. OK so the Penthouse Suites have a bigger whirlpool bath than the somewhat smaller standard suites, even the inside cabin showers were quite functional and a fair size.

This visit was just a tour and luncheon on the ship, perhaps about the same amount of time one might spend aboard if in a wedding party. I did’t want to leave. I can’t wait to go back. My record is perfect; I’ve never met a cruise ship I did not like and the Glory I loved!

Cruising from Florida 101: Getting Started.3

So we’ve talked about Internet Cruise Brokers andCertified Cruise Travel Agents, but what about just picking up the phone or going on line to book directly with the cruise line?  Why not just eliminate the “middleman” and deal directly with the source?

You can do that and will probably get exactly what you paid for.  You might even get a complementary upgrade or some other perk not available with the Internet Cruise Broker.  But when it comes to comparing dealing directly with the cruise line to using a Certified Cruise Travel Agent, there is no comparison.

You see, while the Certified Cruise Travel Agent is paid a commission by the cruise line, they work for YOU…or they should.

A good one does.

A good agent works on building a long term business relationship with you. They want to be your go-to person for cruises now and in the future.  If nothing else, they have your repeat business at stake and want to do a good job for you so you will come back again for all cruise-related needs.

In Central Florida, like the rest of the planet, there are a lot of travel agents to choose from.  If you have been booking on the Internet, stop  and find one.  Ask a trusted friend who travels who they use.  Check with the local Better Business Bureau or Cruise Lines International Association for agents who have completed their certification training.  Then send that potential agent an email.  Give them as much information as you can; where you want to sail to, what your cruise history is (if you have one), how much you want to spend, where other vacations have been and what you liked or disliked about them.

Given enough information, a Certified Cruise Travel Agent should always be able to provide a better value for you.  They will respond promptly to your inquiry, ask probing questions to get a better idea of what cruise might be a good fit for you and start to develop that long-term business relationship rightfrom the start.

This is the way business was done for decades before the Internet enabled us to do so much on our own.  Now, in perspective, the Internet is a great tool for research but as the saying goes; “The Internet is for looking, Travel Agents are for booking”

Cruising From Florida 101: Getting Started.2

I feel bad for those who may have had their cruise vacation plans disrupted by trusting InternetCruise Brokers who ignored them after the sale or went out of business as we discussed in Part One of this series.

This is a really good reason, one that savvy travelers know, to concentrate on “Value” rather than simply “Price”. Yes, that advertised price of $199 for a cruise sounds great initially. But in almost all cases the end price nears double that once port charges, taxes and fees that everyone pays are added in, not to mention optional buried fees one might fall into.

The smart way to go is to find a Certified Cruise Travel Agent who offers the best value, not just the best price. Almost always, when all expenses are considered, the Travel Agent has the better value in the long run. And isn’t that what really counts? A professional, Certified Cruise Travel Agent can be your friend in the business that provides a really necessary service, much like you might use an accountant to help with your finances. The business relationship between you and a Travel Agent is one of trust that is built over time. “Your” agent will come to know and take a personal interest in what is best for you. He or she will be constantly on guard of your vacation plans, taking advantage of special offers, using their behind the scenes contacts and up to date knowledge of the industry on your behalf.

The best part? This costs you nothing. Travel Agents are paid a commission by the cruise line. You truly have nothing to lose and everything to gain There are Travel Agents who are simply sales people and Travel Agents who offer a service that will offer you great value in the long run. And the long run is what you need to think of because you’ll probably be cruising quite a bit in your lifetime

Here then are some simple ideas to consider when choosing between an Internet Cruise Broker and a Cruise Travel Agent:

• Concentrate on Value, not Price- look at the whole picture and be honest with yourself about it
• Always insist that your payments go directly to the cruise line- if they won’t do that, go elsewhere
• Carefully read the fine print- look for junk fees like change fees, cancellation fees, booking fees, etc. If you see them, run!
• Always pay with a debit or credit card- they provide some protection if that Internet Cruise Broker goes broke and shuts down
• Be sure they will honor any lower prices you qualify for. Most Cruise Brokers won’t do it but ask the cruise line to lower the price anyway. They lower the price, regaining some or all of the commission they gave up to get you that initial low price.
• Try emailing or calling them to ask a question and note the response time. This can be a real good indicator of how it will go after the sale

Next up?

Why not just eliminate these middlemen and book directly with the cruise line?

That is not a good idea and I’ll tell you why

The answer may surprise you!

Cruising from Florida 101: Getting Started

There are three basic ways to book a cruise.  Directly with the cruise line, an Internet Cruise Broker or a Travel Agent.  Which is the best way?  Let’s find out.

First, let’s start with the Internet Cruise Broker. That would be one of the many online companies that offers unbelievably low prices on a cruise. In most all cases those are unbelievable prices because they are not accurate or do not fully represent what is being offered.

The first misleading expense is hidden fees. I call these Burried Fees because you have to dig to find them. They are there for all to see but you will find them most commonly toward the end of their “Terms of Service” , far after the boring text turned off the reader. Most all of these fees are not necessary and simply sometihng that Internet Cruise Broker has levied upon each buyer, should they fall into the trap.

One that can add up quickly are “change fees” where you may be charged $50 or $100 for namespelling corrections. In the past, the cruise lines DID charge this fee but it as been dropped for quite some time. If you see this fee it should be a red flag to pay special attention to the details before buying. Processing Fees are another one that runs up the price of the cruise and is often charged by Internet Cruise Brokers.

But if you can get past all the potential or actual junk fees charged the low price may still be a good one. Reason enough to buy from your Internet Cruise Broker?

No way! One of the biggest areas where Internet Cruise Brokers fail is what happens after the sale.

The job of almost all Internet Cruise Brokers stops once you pay.

They simply don’t have time for you. To get those low prices they give up a good deal of their commission. They still have bills to pay so they rely on a huge volume of buisness to survive, often bending the rules or taking your money but not turning it over to the cruise line. Not long ago, I happened to visitwww.CruiseValueCenter.com, one of the big Internet Cruise Broker  websites, to find they had shut down and were offering site visitors advice on how to recoup money they had paid. If that is not enough reason stay clear of an Internet Cruise Broker, I don’t know what is.

Next up:  Why use a travel agent?

“Ok, so what’s NOT included with my cruise?”

This is a question everyone should know the answer to.

If you’re not sure, read on.  If you already know, skip this and go back to Twittering around or whatever it is you were doing before this.

It is true that much of your cruise vacation is included in the fare.  But that’s once you’re on the ship.  We need to back this up a bit and talk about what you paid for your cruise.

If you bought it from us, the price included all the port charges, taxes and government fees.  That’s important if you happen to be surfing around and see a price for a cruise that looks too good to be true.  Most often it is too good to be true, especially if it came from an Internet Cruise Broker. Those guys almost always withhold some fee, tax or other charge to make their big deal look more attractive.

You have got to resist the urge to embrace this and it can be harder than you think.

Some people want that great price so darn bad that they overlook the fine print or even the huge print just to have the bragging rights.  I remember a few years ago standing out in the middle of the street here talking to a neighbor.  He went on and on about the $199 cruise he bought and what a great deal he got.  Well listen, I know this business and there really are very few $199 cruises out there to be had.  I also knew this one he

was talking about was not one of them.  But I politely nodded and let him feel savy and powerful for a moment.

The point is, you need to be realistic and budget accordingly.

Why in the world would a travel agent tell you something like this?, you might ask.  Simple; from the beginning we have always told you the total price of your cruise, exactly what to expect and now it’s time to talk about your Total Vacation Cost.

Frankly, we have been on cruises where we did not spend anything other than the price of the cruise.  It can be done.  Ok that was a lie, I had to have a Diet Coke and those are not included so I charged that but that was all.  Hmm.  Now that I think of it, that was the cruise where they had just installed new gadgets on the slot machines that would allow you to charge money (tokens) on your cabin by using your cabin key/shipboard account card.  I had to try that so I charged $10.  I think it was $12.50 we spend over and above the price of the cruise.  It can be done.  You can spend nothing on the ship

The question is:  “Do I want to or should I?”

That’s where we need to start thinking about what you want to spend on the stuff that is not included in the price of the cruise like

• Spa Treatments
• Shore Excursions
• Gift Shop Purchases
• Tipping
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Internet Access and more

In the coming weeks, we will work through what you need to plan on and I want to get real numbers for each of you to use.  Not to scare you off but if a realistic plan does scare you off, maybe that’s for the best; you can cruise another time.

So now you have some homework.  Over the weekend, go to your group cruise website, or the cruise line website and take a look at your itinerary.  Consider what you would like to do ashore, on the ship, going to the ship or coming home.  Then send me an email with your ship, sailing date and any questions you have come up with.  No questions?  Send tips for others you think might be helpful.  No tips? Send jokes.  Clean jokes.  Everyone loves a joke.

And even though how much you spend on board is no laughing matter, let’s have some fun with it and see if we can make that Dream Cruise Vacation a reality without breaking the bank.

A moment to remember

Good Morning

I don’t think it would be possible to begin this day with anything other than a moment of thought and reflection on the anniversary of what has become “911″ in everyday conversation.  So much more than just a number, we need to take a moment and remember those who died on that horrible day.   Do you remember where you were?  I was working in my office and had CNN on as I do most days.  Somehow I knew from the initial report that this was going to be one of those life-changing moments.  Two VCR tapes later (probably 1000’s of tweets if this were today), coverage on CNN was still going on, covering a developing story that would go beyond the initial death and destruction and highlight an American spirit not seen in quite some time.  I remember my mother, now in her 90’s, saying “This feels just like Pearl Harbor.  I can’t believe I am living through this again” in disbelief.  I hope that was the end of such tragedies.  I’d like to believe that.  And I wanted to take a moment to think about those who died, those who rescued and everyone who was touched by this event in one way or another.

Ok now on with the booze smuggling tips!

Hurricane season kind to cruise ships…so far

The 2009 storm season has been a relatively easy one to date with little effect on the itineraries of ships sailing from Florida ports.  Last week, Carnival Glory sailing from Port Canaveral ran a modified itinerary, calling at Grand Turk as opposed to a scheduled day at sea.  Not a bad trade really.

But what happens if a storm is headed in the way of your cruise?

Well first be glad you didn’t book a Caribbean land vacation. They can move the cruise ships out of harms way.  The islands? Not so much.

The cruise lines make the safety of their guests, crew and vessels their highest priority. Unlike other vacation settings, by virtue of being a completely mobile vacation, cruising allows passengers to continue their vacations by altering itineraries should Mother Nature intervene. The cruise lines are prepared to keep their passengers and ships out of harm’s way. It is quite unlikely that the Captain will seek out a hurricane then command the ship to go full speed ahead right through it while hollering “Yaaaaaahooooo!!!” on the ship’s loudspeaker system.

“Passengers should rest assured that CLIA member lines have the latest technology and information to closely monitor weather conditions and take all actions necessary to make certain its passengers enjoy a safe and enjoyable cruise vacation,” said Terry Dale, Cruise Lines International Association president and CEO.

In the event of severe weather, certain operational protocols are in place for cruise lines, including:

• Today’s cruise ships feature the most technologically advanced weather forecasting systems and equipment available, allowing officers and company officials to forecast weather-related disturbances in advance.
• Today’s cruise ships are completely mobile and able to alter, cancel shorten or extend ship itineraries to keep guests safe in instances of threatening weather.
• In the event that ports of embarkation and debarkation are closed due to severe weather conditions, cruise lines can use a nearby alternative port. In these cases, cruise lines coordinate the logistics of loading food and supplies and getting passengers to and from the original port.

So yes, pay attention to hurricane forecasts and bookmark the Tropical Update page on your cruise line’s website that alerts guests to possible itinerary changes. But don’t be afraid to take advantage of some of the best fares of the year this fall during the tail end of hurricane season.

So far, so good.