Tag Archives: cruises

Is This the Best New Cruise Perk at Sea?

If you think there’s no way you could survive a 6,000-passenger cruise ship, listen up. When the world’s new largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, debuts this month, it will introduce a first in special treatment at sea: the Royal Genie. Yes, that’s right, a genie. The kind who grants your every wish. More specifically, a shipboard fixer whose goal is to expedite you past every line and make every potential obstacle on a 227,000-ton floating megaresort vanish.

At least, that was what my Royal Genie did when my family and I put one to the test a few months ago aboard Allure of the Seas. Allure was a fitting ship for this test run because it was the world’s largest cruise ship at the time (until Harmony of the Seas overtook it) and is very similar in design to Harmony. Royal Caribbean, the cruise line to whom these ships belong and that invited me to preview the Royal Genie service, plans to roll it out across five ships this month. Only a handful of passengers—those in the top suites—get a genie.

Now, testing a Royal Genie is harder than you might think. I had trouble dreaming up things for her to do. Maybe I’m just too low-maintenance for a genie. Or maybe I’m more comfortable fending for myself. I did that too on my cruise: I split my time between being spoiled rotten and tackling the buffet line like everyone else. My goal was to be able to advise you how to have the best trip possible aboard the world’s biggest cruise ship, whether you’re in a $30,000 suite or a genie-less $4,000 stateroom.

Before I share my hard-earned advice, though, allow me to clarify what a Royal Genie actually does.

What My Royal Genie Did

My genie, Smitha Thompson, and me in the Royal Promenade aboard Allure of the Seas.

Me and my genie, Smitha Thompson, in the Royal Promenade aboard Allure of the Seas.

If you’ve ever had an airline rep meet you at an airport entrance and escort you through check-in and immigration and onto the plane, bypassing every line en route, then you can start to wrap your head around what a Royal Genie does for you. Her first order of business is to whisk you through the cruise check-in and embarkation process. My genie—the lovely Smitha Thompson, who hails from Mauritius—met me and my family inside the Fort Lauderdale cruise terminal. After we’d sailed through check-in, she escorted us onto the ship and to our room, where awaiting us was about a month’s supply of Brownie Brittle, pretzels, and red licorice (my kids’ favorite snacks, which our genie had researched beforehand). Refills flowed every day.

Smitha got us tables in the ship’s fully booked restaurants and front-row seats to the most popular shows. She had me meet with the head of the shore excursions department so I could get answers to my questions about the pros and cons of various shore tours on offer.

Smitha with the boys at our cabana. Photo: Timothy Baker

Smitha with the boys in our cabana in Labadee.

Her main goal, though, seemed to be for us never to get lost on the ship and never to wait in any line. To that end, she insisted on coming to our room (or to wherever we were on the ship) to escort us to every dinner, show, and scheduled activity. We assured her it was unnecessary, but this genie business was new to her too, and she didn’t want to mess up. Her goal in escorting us was always to take us on the shortest route from point A to point B and, upon arriving at point B, to hand us off to the person in charge there for safe keeping. When the ship docked in port, she expedited us off the ship via a labyrinth of secret passageways, normally off-limits to all but crew, so as to bypass any potential bottlenecks en route to the gangway. When we called at Labadee, the cruise line’s private port in Haiti, we were the first passengers off the ship, onto a private golf cart, into the roped-off portion of Labadee that is reserved for suite passengers, and up to a hilltop private cabana, where snorkel masks, fins, a cooler filled with drinks, and a bartender named Kesnel awaited.

Smitha even stood in line at the lobby Starbucks each morning so that she could knock on my door holding a skinny vanilla latte at 7:00 a.m. (She had asked me to specify a coffee drink and delivery time each morning.) The coffee was free of charge, of course, as were all of her services. Only Star Class passengers get a Royal Genie, and those passengers have already paid top dollar, so the cruise line is not about to nickel-and-dime them.

Smitha expedited our departure as well. Normally, on a cruise, passengers must place all suitcases and non-carry-on luggage outside their cabin doors the night before disembarkation (so that the luggage can be transported off the ship and into the cruise terminal). Smitha got this rule waived for us. On the final morning of the cruise, we got to stay in our cabin with all our luggage till everyone else had been ushered into disembarkation groups. Then she came with porters to collect us and our bags, led us on another shortcut to the gangway, escorted us off the ship, expedited us and our baggage through customs and immigration, placed us in a taxi, and sent us on our way. From cabin door to taxi door, disembarkation took 15 minutes—which, for the world’s biggest cruise ship in one of the world’s busiest cruise terminals, is pretty darned fast.

Our baggage left the ship at the same time we did. Photo: Timothy Bake

Thanks to Smitha, our luggage stayed with us in our cabin until we left the ship.

The Royal Genie concept has evolved in the months since my test run. Smitha, whose real job was in the ship’s guest services department, was enthusiastic about trying on the role but had never received any official genie training. Since that time, Royal Caribbean has hired a bevy of Royal Genies, trained and certified by the British Butler Institute, and has even designed special outfits for them that are less nautical, more purple.

How to Use a Royal Genie

As wonderful as having your own personal vacation assistant might sound, there were awkward moments and missed opportunities. Should you ever be so lucky as to have a Royal Genie at your disposal, here’s my advice:

Don’t be afraid to say No.

A Royal Genie wants so badly to be helpful that sometimes, so as not to hurt her feelings, you end up saying yes to things you really don’t want. For instance, I wish I’d said “No” when Smitha urged us to ride around Labadee in a private golf cart even though we would have preferred to walk like everyone else. I did say “No” to the hand-delivered morning lattes, once I realized I’d rather sleep in.

Ask which shipboard experiences are most special and why.

On a Royal Caribbean megaship, there are more activities, shows, and restaurants than anybody could ever try in one week, so you must choose carefully. I wish Smitha and I had sat down at the start and gone through the universe of options, as overwhelming as that might have been. Somehow I didn’t even learn until Day 6 that the ship has a zip-line or that I could dine al fresco in a garden, under the stars, listening to live music.

Request an in-depth tour of the ship on Day 2 or 3.

Smitha gave us a 45-minute introductory tour of the vessel on Day 1. The ship is the length of four football fields, with 18 decks, so she probably didn’t want to tire us out. But I wish I’d asked for an in-depth, three-hour tour. The ship has seven “neighborhoods” and surprises on every deck, from a Kate Spade boutique to a Boardwalk carousel to a running track that wraps around the entirety of the ship. Only on the last day of the cruise did I discover my favorite serene hideout: Deck 5 aft, where there are just a couple of empty wooden deck chairs and ocean panoramas forever.

Find out what behind-the-scenes tours are available.

Who are you most interested in meeting on the ship and what are you most interested in learning from him or her? The inner workings of a 6,000-passenger megaship are pretty fascinating. Your genie can probably arrange an insider’s tour with anyone from the chef to the chief engineer.

Ask about private photo ops with one of the ship’s photographers.

Your genie will likely schedule activities for you that are unique in the world. (Here, for example, is a glimpse of the first-at-sea features aboard Harmony of the Seas). And when you’re doing a one-of-a-kind activity with your family, you may want a photographer capturing the moment—such as when you’re riding the Labadee Flight Line or surfing on the Flow Rider.

Smitha checks on the boys at the Flow Rider. Photo: Timothy Baker

Smitha kept showing up to check on us around the ship. Here, she checks on the boys at the Flow Rider.

How to Get By Without a Royal Genie

The truth is, some of what a Royal Genie does you can arrange on your own, as long as you’re organized and do some advance planning.

Figure out what’s important to you ahead of time, so you board the ship with a strategy.

Study the cruise line’s website, read the forums and advice on Cruise Critic, and know the full range of options that will be available to you, so you can take action immediately upon boarding. On the ship each morning, read the list of scheduled activities in the daily newsletter; it’s a long, dense list, so bring a highlighter.

Book as much as possible before boarding.

You can make restaurant reservations and book show tickets online in advance. If it’s a free show, send a family member 30 minutes early to save seats for you.

Do the most important activities early in the cruise rather than later.

You know those one-of-a-kind activities I mentioned? On the last day of the cruise, passengers were realizing that they hadn’t tried the Flow Rider, or the Boardwalk zip-line, or what-have-you, and the result was that these things were in high demand. Try them early in the week when the line is short—or before they shut down because the weather has turned too windy.

If you’re in the Caribbean, consider staying on the ship during one of your days in port.

Nobody is a more enthusiastic shoreside sightseer than I. If you have a smart plan for exploring and getting an authentic experience of an island during your limited time in port, good for you. But if you’ve boarded with no plan, beware. The larger a ship, the longer it takes to get on and off, and the more touristy or inconvenient the port areas it calls at. If you’ve got no sightseeing plan, and your choice is between a generic group tour and walking aimlessly around tourist traps, consider just staying put on the ship and having all its features to yourself. Then return to the island and see it properly someday when you have the time to do it justice.

Ask the crew for dining recommendations.

Seriously. The crew members aboard Allure, at least, are outgoing conversationalists, and we got our best food tips from a random assortment of them. They recommended breakfast at the Park Café in Central Park (a big mid-ship outdoor garden), for instance; there we discovered New York deli-style bagels with assorted flavors of cream cheese, lox, and toppings. They also sent us to Johnny Rockets in the morning for omelettes. Who knew?

********************************************************************************

If you are considering a cruise on a giant ship, I recommend having a savvy and extremely well-connected cruise specialist arrange and book it for you so that you get the best cabin and itinerary for your dollar. Feel free to write to Ask Wendy and I can suggest the right cruise advisor for your particular trip goals.

Full Disclosure: Royal Caribbean provided me and my family with a complimentary cruise (I paid for the airfare). In keeping with my standard practice, there was no request for or expectation of coverage on Royal Caribbean’s part, nor was anything promised on mine.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

This is a Cruise Ship That Smart Travelers Will Love

6 Replies

Lunch aboard Viking Star in the port of Monte Carlo. It was December, and temps were in the 50s.

In Corsica, an empty beach—one of the rewards of low season.

Viking ships tend to stay in port till after dark. This is Ajaccio, Corsica.

Lunch al fresco on Viking Star cruise ship

Lunch al fresco again—in December, in Ajaccio.

Toulon, France on Viking Star cruise ship

Here we are in Toulon, France, just past sunset.

all onboard sign on Viking Star cruise ship

A curfew of 10 pm means you can arrange a very full day of sightseeing in southern France.

Most parts of the ship let the outdoors in—even the buffet restaurant.

the bar in the buffet restaurant on Viking Star cruise ship

Almost everywhere on the ship there’s a view. This is the bar in the buffet restaurant.

Explorers Lounge on Viking Star cruise ship

Viking Star has a ton of nooks with books and, sometimes, screens displaying ever-changing travel photos from around the world.

The biggest screen with a scene is in the atrium.

Even the bars are comfy.

rooftop infinity pool on Viking Star cruise ship

Probably the only rooftop infinity pool in Toulon.

The main pool can be enclosed or open-air, depending on the weather.

Here’s the same pool, at night.

spa thermal pool on Viking Star cruise ship

And here’s the thermal pool, in the spa.

There’s no fee to use the spa. These heated loungers are available to everyone.

spa snow room on Viking Star cruise ship

The spa’s snow room is available to everyone too. In case you feel like jumping from hot tub to snow and back again.

This was my cabin—simple and comfy.

cabin balcony on Viking Star cruise ship

This was my balcony.

putting green on Viking Star cruise ship

The ship’s putting green—which I never saw used, despite shirt-sleeve weather.

Viking Heritage Museum on Viking Star cruise ship

The atmosphere onboard is one of cultural enrichment with a Scandinavian flavor. Here’s the Viking Heritage Museum.

wool hats for sale on the Viking Star cruise ship

Homey touches include these wool hats for sale. They’re knitted by Berit Clausen, the spa manager’s 95-year-old grandmother back in Norway.

Mamsen’s, the Norwegian deli on the Viking Star cruise ship

My favorite place to eat on the ship is Mamsen’s, the Norwegian deli in the Explorers’ Lounge. It’s named after the mother of Viking president Torstein Hagen and supposedly serves her traditional recipes.

Norwegian deli food on Viking Star cruise ship

Among the delicacies on offer (for free) in the Explorers’ Lounge, as well as in The Living Room, are salmon gravlax and steak tartare.

Reke (Atlantic shrimp on white bread) for lunch.

At Mamsen’s they make these special waffles with berries and sour cream.

Voila!

Room service is free too. And the salmon gravlax melts in your mouth.

If you’re an avid independent traveler, as I am, seeing the world by ship has its pros and cons. A cruise is an easy way to see remote places that would otherwise be too expensive and logistically tricky to get to. But there’s a trade-off: Your limited time on land at each stop hampers your freedom.

That’s why I’m excited to tell you about Viking Cruises’ first ocean ship, the Viking Star. On a recent Mediterranean sailing from Barcelona to Rome, it was easier than ever to go at my own pace and do my own thing. (I say that having sailed on more than two dozen ships worldwide, ranging in size from 120 passengers to 6,000.) Viking Star’s sister ship, Viking Sea, will launch next month, and two more nearly identical ships are coming next year: Viking Sky and Viking Sun. They’re a good option for travelers who are normally too independent for a cruise. Here’s why:

1. You can avoid the tourist hordes.

In my case, I got to explore Europe minus the crowds of peak season. It was an unconventional wintertime Romantic Mediterranean itinerary that the new Viking Sea will sail next winter. The Barcelona-Rome route includes Toulon (on the French Riviera), Monte Carlo (Monaco), Ajaccio (Corsica), and Livorno (Italy). There are two traditional drawbacks to Europe in low season, of course: Chilly weather and not enough daylight hours. Normally in low season it’s smart to stick with Europe’s large cultural capitals, since they have a lot to offer even when it’s cold and dark outside. But the Viking Star keeps you warm and cheery in cold weather (see #5 below). The ship can’t rectify the second drawback: the sun setting at 5 pm. Darkness falling early, combined with the fact that the ship was docked in one port or another all day every day, meant that I almost never got to see the ship moving through water in daylight (normally one of my favorite things about a cruise). What made up for that, though, was the absence of other cruise ships in port, making it so easy to escape other tourists on shore (something that is not easily done on, say, a Caribbean cruise).

2. The ship isn’t too big or crowded.

It holds 930 passengers, but it feels more like a 500-passenger ship. It’s blissfully uncrowded, perhaps because people disappear into the dozens of nooks and hiding spots around the ship, and also because every cabin has a balcony. At no point did I encounter or spot any lines or wait for a deck chair or an empty table. There are many public spaces where you’ll find a comfy armchair, a great book, and nobody around. The ship has three pools—an outdoor infinity pool at the stern, a heated pool in the spa, and a main pool that can be either enclosed or open-air, depending on the weather—and none of them ever had more than two people in them.

3. You spend a ton of time on land.

On the “Romantic Mediterranean” itinerary, we sailed only at night. The ship was docked in port all day long, every day. You can sightsee till 8 or 10 pm, and the ship overnights in Barcelona on the first night and in Rome on the last night, so on those nights there’s no curfew at all. I ended the trip wishing we’d had a day at sea so I could have spent more time enjoying the ship itself—watching the waves pass by, soaking in the spa’s thermal pools, sampling more Scandinavian delicacies, and curling up on one of the many plush sofas with one of the many classic novels from one of the many intriguing bookshelves.

4. You don’t feel confined.

First, you’re almost always able to get off the ship and into town. Second, every chance they get (when the weather is warm enough), the crew throws open the floor-to-ceiling doors and windows to let the outdoors in. There are great views from almost every public space on the ship. Even the buffet transforms into an open-air restaurant—and it has an open kitchen, so you can actually look through the kitchen to the ocean on the other side of the ship. Every room has a veranda with a floor-to-ceiling view, and there’s a promenade deck that wraps around the entirety of the ship (something that’s increasingly rare nowadays). Windows onto the promenade deck open as well.

5. Itineraries can be unconventional because the ship is weather-proof.

I’ve never been on a comfier ship for cold-weather cruising. In addition to two indoor pools, Viking Star’s got two indoor hot tubs, a Nordic-style spa with saunas and steam rooms, an abundance of armchairs adorned with blankets and throws, and warm Scandinavian décor throughout. This means the ship can ply cool itineraries such as from Norway to Montreal, with stops in the Shetland Islands, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and Quebec.

6. There’s no regimented schedule.

Unlike on some larger ships, there’s nobody telling you when to do what. There are no announcements. There are no formal nights. You don’t have to report to a particular lounge or theater at a particular time in order to join a tour. Nope, if you want to join the free group tour in each port, you just get off the ship and meet your group on the pier. In fact, the only time I saw herding during the cruise was off the ship, on those free tours. Because they’re free, almost all the passengers take them, which means you could be part of a caravan of buses all pulling into the same tourist sites at the same time. Remember: Just because it’s free, you don’t have to do it. It’s very easy to do your own thing in port. Just grab a taxi, hop on public transit, rent a car, or start walking.

7. The Wi-Fi is free, fast, and reliable.

The Wi-Fi alone gives you freedom and flexibility because it costs you nothing to hop on the Internet and do a little research before arriving in each port to find out what’s happening on the day you’ll be there.

8. It’s easy to dine privately and on your own schedule.

There are four restaurants where you can have long, elaborate meals, but if you’re like me and you just want quick, easy options anytime, anywhere, the choices are excellent. You can order room service for free, 24 hours a day, and it’s delicious and arrives fast. You can also grab hefty, free gourmet snacks of melt-in-your-mouth salmon gravlax, Atlantic shrimp, and steak tartare (with all the trimmings), both at the ship’s Norwegian deli and at its Living Room bar.

9. The ambience is more boutique hotel than cruise ship.

The ship was designed by an architect who does not normally design cruise ships. Not only are the interior design and décor atypical, but very little of what you see onboard feels corporate or mass-produced. The ship feels like an independent, family-owned, Scandinavian hotel, with homey and personal touches—such as wool hats, for sale in the spa shop, that were knitted by the spa manager’s 95-year-old grandmother. The atmosphere is one of cultural enrichment, from the collections of classic books to the Viking Heritage museum to the selection of TED talks on your in-room television.

10. You can relax mentally because it’s so affordable.

Your cruise fare includes a lot. In addition to the Wi-Fi and the tour in each port, you get entry to the spa’s thermal pools, saunas, and steam rooms; beverages, beer, and wine served with meals; minibar items; cappuccinos at the bar; and the aforementioned gourmet snacks served around the ship. There were salmon gravlax (on rye bread with dill mustard sauce), Reke (Atlantic shrimp on white bread), steak tartare (with the trimmings), and assorted Norwegian pastries, including special waffles with berries and sour cream. When you consider the sky-high prices you’d pay for those things in Scandinavia, the value is striking. There’s no nickel-and-diming; in fact, it’s hard to spend money on the ship. There isn’t even a casino. My only shipboard expense was a 50-minute Swedish massage which, thanks to massage therapist Luisa who is literally from Sweden, was the best I’ve had on any ship.

If you’ve got questions about the ship, feel free to ask in the comments below.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Disclosure: Viking Cruises provided me with a complimentary week-long cruise. In keeping with WendyPerrin.com standard practice, there was no request for or expectation of coverage on Viking Cruises’ part, nor was anything promised on mine. You can read the signed agreement between me and Viking Cruises here.*

How to Keep Your Kids Happy on a Cruise

2 Replies

the Flow Rider on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas

Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas cruise ship

Allure of the Seas has a park in the middle. Photo: Timothy Baker

central park Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas cruise ship

Growing trees at sea is hard, but Royal Caribbean has managed to do it. Photo: Timothy Baker

Central Park is a mid-ship oasis of calm, at any time of the day or night. Photo: Timothy Baker

kiddie pool Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas cruise ship

The ship has pools for kids... Photo: Timothy Baker

hot tub Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas cruise ship

And the ship has pools for adults. Photo: Timothy Baker

Boardwalk on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas cruise ship

There’s always something going on at the Boardwalk—including free donuts in the morning and free hot dogs in the afternoon. Photo: Timothy Baker

surfing the Flow Rider on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas

The surfing staff is highly experienced at teaching beginners how to enjoy the Flow Rider. Photo: Timothy Baker

Flow Rider on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas

Doug’s surfing lesson paid off. Photo: Timothy Baker

Flow Rider staff show on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas

Even if you yourself don’t want to try the Flow Rider, you can enjoy the spectacle. Here, the surfing instructors put on their own show. Photo: Timothy Baker

Royal Promenade on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas cruise ship

Among the eateries and bars on the Royal Promenade are Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and Guess boutiques. Photo: Timothy Baker

The Aqua Show features acrobats in a modern circus-like atmosphere. Photo: Timothy Baker

Aqua show on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas cruise ship

The Aqua Show stage, as viewed during a rehearsal. The diver (at top left) is jumping off a 60-foot-high platform. Photo: Timothy Baker

Ice show on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas cruise ship

The “How to Train Your Dragon” Ice Show Photo: Timothy Baker

friendly officers on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas cruise ship

Officers aboard Allure of the Seas pose with King Julien, the lemur from Madagascar. Photo: Timothy Baker

Hi. I’m Doug. I’m 12 years old, and I just took my 12th cruise. It was on the Royal Caribbean ship Allure of the Seas. If your kids are 9 to 14 years old, and you want to be sure they have a great trip and don’t complain, here are the things onboard that you should do with them because they will enjoy them the most.

The Aqua Show: It will make your jaws drop. Divers dive off tiny platforms higher than the Olympics’ highest platform. They dive into a small pool that is only 11 feet deep. It will stun you.

The Flow Rider: It is a surfing and boogie-boarding simulator. Even though the lines are super-long, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Izumi: It is a super-funny hibachi dinner. The chef started out saying, “Hi, I’m Ryan, and I will be your fake Japanese chef today.” He cooks in front of you and says things like, “These eggs came all the way from…yup, you guessed it… Kentucky.”

The Ice Show: The ice rink has many shows—like How to Train Your Dragon and Monopoly. It has many jokes for adults and kids. You will probably end up talking about it all through dinner.

Central Park: Central Park is a nice place to relax. It is always very calm there. It has great restaurants. Nobody knows that you can even go there for breakfast: The Park Café has bagels with different flavors of cream cheese and toppings, and you can get them to take out and walk around the ship with.

The pools: There are 7 pools and 12 hot tubs—and that doesn’t include the pools and hot tubs that only parents can go in. Some hot tubs have huge TVs so you can watch a sports game. Each pool has its own theme and is equipped with a soft-serve ice-cream machine. There are pools for all ages. There are no water slides, but there’s a water volleyball court.

The Boardwalk: The Boardwalk is a place to go with your family and have fun. There’s a carousel, an arcade, a ring toss, a bean bag toss, a Johnny Rockets, a hot dog stand with all different kinds of hot dogs, a candy shop, and an all-night buffet that Mom and Dad didn’t even know about. There’s a zip-line above the Boardwalk but, once you’ve done the Labadee Flight Line, it’s not very exciting.

The Royal Promenade: It’s a huge shopping mall in the middle of the ship with a floating bar that goes up and down three decks. There’s a parade there on the last night of the cruise. It has shops like Kate Spade (parents might want to know that).

The ship’s staff: The officers and crew are very nice. If you ask them to do something, they’ll do it. They’ll even play ring toss with you. They are very loyal and don’t get mad. Overall the staff is much nicer to kids than the staff on most other ships.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

The Perfect Cruise Shore Excursion in Barcelona

Leave a reply

The shore excursions sold by cruise lines can be touristy, overpriced, and inefficient. In this series, local experts in the world’s most popular ports recommend sightseeing itineraries for your time off the ship, so you can get the max out of your precious time in port.

The Perfect Port Day in Barcelona

Since its cruise port sits so close to the city center, Barcelona is a natural contender for independent shore excursions. We asked the whizzes at Context Travel to dream up the best ways to spend a day in the city. You can choose to go it alone or hire one of their “docents”— professors, art historians, chefs, and other interesting local people—to show you around.

Getting into Barcelona

Most cruise ships dock extremely close to the city center at the Moll Adossat terminal (moll means pier in Catalan); even if your ship doesn’t dock there, the other piers are nearby.

By bus — The Barcelona port authority operates a shuttle bus (the T3 PORTBUS, a.k.a. the blue bus) that takes passengers between Moll Adossat and Plaça de Colom. From this plaza at the base of Las Ramblas, you can easily get around on foot or by metro; the Drassanes stop on the green L3 line is nearby. To catch the bus, look for signs upon exiting the boat; the cost is 3 euros (about U.S. $3.30) round-trip, 3 euros (about $3.30) round-trip. Your cruise company may also run its own shuttle from the Moll Adossat to the World Trade Center, which is just a few minutes’ walk from Plaça de Colom.

By taxi — There is a taxi line at Moll Adossat, though sometimes the wait is long. The ride to Plaça de Colum should take about 10 minutes at a cost of roughly 10 euros (about $11). The ride to Plaça de Catalonia, Barcelona’s more central square, is about 20 minutes and roughly 15 euros (about $16.50).

By private car — You can pre-book a private car to whisk you back and forth in style, but it comes at a price; Context Travel offers the service for $50 each way.

Walking — It’s about a 45-minute walk to Plaça de Colom; the part of the city you’ll see is neither interesting nor beautiful.

Things to do

If it’s your first time in Barcelona:

Start your exploration at Plaça de Colom, where you’ll see a large monument to Christopher Columbus. The monument sits at the base of Las Ramblas, a historic, pedestrians-only avenue that runs north to the city’s main square, Plaça de Catalunya. Stroll up Las Ramblas to see some of the street performers and activity (though watch your purse); veer off to the right at some point to get lost in the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) and El Born neighborhoods in the Ciutat Vella (old city). The Barri Gòtic does have some heavily touristed streets, but it’s still possible to find quaint ones—we especially love exploring what remains of the historic Jewish Quarter.

Stop at the Born Centre Cultural, housed in a 19th-century covered market, to learn about the history of that neighborhood as well as all of Catalonia; then head to lunch at Bar del Pla for some tapas.

In the afternoon, head up Las Ramblas (by foot or via metro line L3) to Passeig de Gràcia, the main artery of the Eixample district. It is in this newer district that you’ll find Barcelona’s famous modernista architecture, particularly works by the three most famous modernistá architects: Antoni Gaudí, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and Josep Puig i Cadafalch. You’ll see the bulk of these on the Passeig de Gràcia itself, including Gaudí’s famous Casa Mila. Passeig de Gràcia is also home to luxury stores like Chanel. While walking the Passeig de Gràcia, look down at the paving stones beneath your feet—they are based on a design by Gaudí. The L3 line runs parallel to this avenue, so you can simply hop on the subway to the Drassanes stop and catch the next PORTBUS whenever it’s time to get back to the ship.

If you’ve already been to Barcelona:

Head to Gràcia, a village once well outside the city limits (now near the Lesseps stop on the metro’s L3 line). Far from the prying eyes of tourists, Gràcia is an ideal neighborhood for learning about Catalan culture and pride; for insight into the current political atmosphere and independence movement in Catalonia, Context Travel offers a three-hour walking seminar of the neighborhood. Have lunch in Gràcia at Can Xurrades, a local favorite for Catalan cuisine, particularly steaks from Iberian bulls (similar to Kobe beef); call in advance to reserve a table. Then head by metro down to Plaça Espanya for an afternoon of Catalan art: the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, a fantastic collection of Catalan visual art, is housed in the Palau Nacional; the nearby Caixa Forum has wonderful temporary exhibitions in a converted textile factory. Context arranges a three-hour walking tour of nearby Montjuïc hill that contextualizes the area.

To return to the port, make the five-minute walk from the Caixa Forum to the metro stop Plaça d’Espanya on L3. Exit at Drassanes, and return to the T3 PORTBUS stop to catch the shuttle back to the Port.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

The Best Cruise Lines of 2015: Do You Agree with Cruise Critic’s Picks?

1 Reply

Cruise Critic announced its list of the best cruise lines and ships of 2015—including the best new ship, the most romantic cruise line, and the line that offers the best nightlife.

In this annual series, winners are chosen by a panel of Cruise Critic’s editors, who are some of the most experienced cruise reporters around. (Editor in chief Carolyn Spencer Brown has sailed on hundreds of ships, and she shared some of her most memorable travel experiences with us in this interview.)

So what ships did they name No. 1? Well, the Viking Star got the honor of the best new ocean cruise ship, while Uniworld’s S.S. Maria Theresa took the best new river ship category. For families, the nod went to Royal Caribbean, and for romance, Windstar took the top spot (I can attest to that, I took my honeymoon on a Windstar cruise).

Cruise lines were also evaluated for their food, their shore excursions, their nightlife offerings, even their various cabins. Here’s a selection of the winners; check out the full list at Cruise Critic, and let us know: Do you agree with the selections?

Ocean Cruises

Best new ocean cruise ship: Viking Star
Best Cruise Line for Luxury: Crystal Cruises
Best Cruise Line for Families: Royal Caribbean
Best Cruise Line for Value: Carnival
Best Cruise Line for Dining: Celebrity
Best Cruise Line Suites: Royal Caribbean
Best Shore Excursions: Azamara Club Cruises
Best for Romance: Windstar
Best for Nightlife: Norwegian Cruise Line

River Cruises

Best River Cruise Line: Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
Best New River Cruise Ship: S.S. Maria Theresa, Uniworld
Best Cruise Line for Dining: AmaWaterways
Best River Cruise Line Shore Excursions: Uniworld
Best for Value: Emerald Waterways

Planning a Cruise? Avoid These Rookie Travel Mistakes

2 Replies

Part of the reason for the growing appeal of cruises is that they remove a lot of the stress and logistics from travel. You get on the boat, and you enjoy. Easy. The tough part comes beforehand, when you have to decide which cruise is right for you: Big ship or little ship? Ocean or river? Exciting expedition boat or leisurely barge? And where in the world should you go?

There are so many factors that affect the success of your cruise that it’s easy to make a rookie mistake. That’s why I have a special section of my WOW List of Trusted Travel Experts dedicated solely to cruise travel agents. Here, I’ve asked them to share the biggest blunders they see travelers make when it comes to arranging a cruise vacation. Fortunately, these are easy mistakes to avoid when you book your trip through a savvy cruise specialist.

The Celebrity Reflection cruise ship. Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

European Cruises
Planning to board the ship the same day you fly into port. You want to book a flight that gets you to your embarkation port city at least the day before, since there’s always the chance of an airline delay and you don’t want to risk missing the ship.
—Tom Baker, Trusted Travel Expert for Affordable Large-ship Cruises

Read Tom’s Insider’s Guide to Affordable Mediterranean Cruises and contact Tom to get the best possible trip.

Asia Cruises
Sleeping on the ship when it overnights in a location where the port is far from the city. In Bangkok, where the ships dock 90 minutes from town, overnighting in a hotel will cost a bit more, but it can save you six hours of driving back and forth over two days. In Shanghai, pay attention to where your ship docks; smaller ships, like the Crystal Symphony, can get right downtown, whereas bigger ships must dock 90 minutes away.
—Mary Jean Tully, Trusted Travel Expert for Luxury Small-Ship Cruises

Read Mary Jean’s Insider’s Guide to Asia Cruises and contact Mary Jean to get the best possible trip.

Barge Elisabeth in Burgundy. Photo courtesy Barge Elisabeth.

European Canal Barge Cruises
Expecting to cover as much ground as you would on a river cruise. Barges cruise at four miles per hour, and never at night—you could walk faster than the barge moves! Itineraries are six nights long (beginning either on Saturday or Sunday) and travel 30 to 50 miles deep in the countryside. Canal barging is about getting to know a small area intimately and thoroughly.
—Ellen Sack, Trusted Travel Expert for European Canal Barge Cruises

Read Ellen’s Insider’s Guide to European Canal Barge Cruises and contact Ellen to get the best possible trip.

Antarctica Cruises
Selecting an itinerary that’s too short. A trip to Antarctica is an investment of not just money but also time. It takes several days to reach the continent (including crossing the Drake Passage), and because of unpredictable sailing conditions, an extra two to four days can make a significant difference in your experience. Eleven-day itineraries provide a cushion for challenging weather conditions. I’d also encourage you to build in an extra day or two to relax when you arrive in Argentina or Chile (the usual points of embarkation) so that you’ll be refreshed and more present with the experience once you reach Antarctica. I have never met anyone returning from the Great White Continent who complained that the trip was too long—rather, people wish they’d had more time.
—Ashton Palmer, Trusted Travel Expert for Small-Ship Expedition Cruises

Read Ashton’s Insider’s Guide to Antarctica Cruises and contact Ashton to get the best possible trip.

Viking Star: The Ship That Downton Abbey Built

2 Replies

Viking Ocean Cruise line isn’t for everyone. But it doesn’t want to be. At a press conference last week—held aboard the two-month-old Viking Star in her home port of Bergen, Norway—the company’s chairman and one of its founders, Torstein Hagen, said that his ocean liners, like his fleet of wildly successful European river ships, are meant to appeal to travelers much like him: older (55-plus), intellectually curious, interested in the world, and somewhat demanding.

“If they [cruise passengers] want to be in the sun, get drunk, or hang out in casinos, then they’re in the wrong place,” said Hagen. Viking Cruises are for the “thinking man,” he added, “not the drinking man.” The focus will be on the destination first, rather than the ship, he announced, pointing out that their sailings, which are currently in the Baltics and the Mediterranean, will allow for much longer port visits than the competition. In other words, Torstein Hagen is bringing river cruises to oceans.

Setting sail on the Viking Star. Photo from Viking Cruises.

The Viking Star at its christening ceremony, May 2015. Photo from Viking Cruises.

I boarded the Viking Star, the company’s first ocean-going vessel, in London (Greenwich, technically) and sailed it up to Bergen (long-ago settlement of the ancient Vikings, appropriately enough), on one of the last legs of her 50-day maiden voyage from Istanbul to Stockholm. She carries 930 passengers, making it one of the smaller big ships around. (By comparison, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas, which debuted around the same time, carries more than 4,000 passengers). Two sister ships, the Viking Sea and Viking Sky, are scheduled to roll out of the shipyard in spring 2016 and winter 2017, respectively. Hagen says he’s planning on ten ships in total over the next several years. Ambitious, yes, especially when you consider that Viking is the first ocean cruise line to launch with newly built ships in 17 years, since Disney went to sea, in 1998. Ordinarily, that’d be big news in itself, but what really has travel industry insiders abuzz is that Hagen is looking to revolutionize ocean cruises much the same way he did with river cruises—by giving sophisticated travelers a sophisticated cruise at a reasonable price.

The Wintergarden and tea salon. Photo from Viking Cruises.

We have Lord and Lady Grantham to thank. Viking River Cruises has been around since 1997, but it wasn’t until 2011, when the company became the one-and-only sponsor of PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre and its breakout hit, Downton Abbey—by strokes of luck and genius—that the cruise line shifted into rapid expansion mode. “We realized that the people who watch Masterpiece Theatre are our kind of passengers,” said Richard Marnell, Viking’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. Viking had been chugging along with some 20 fairly standard river ships up until then, but after millions of Downton Abbey fans were exposed to the Viking ads, bookings soared, and the company sped up construction of its “longships,” a roomier, sleeker, and more modern take on the old river-ship model. Since 2012, Viking has built more than 40 new longships, establishing itself as the biggest player in the field, by far.

Capitalizing on the high demand for their river cruises, Hagen and his team plunged into the ocean-cruise market, applying their same winning formula to the new venture. Along with more time in ports, they offer a more streamlined approach to cruising (no onboard casinos, no sushi bars, no rock walls). They also offer remarkable value: The base cruise fare includes one shore excursion in every port, as well as wine, beer, and soft drinks with meals, and WiFi access. All passengers also have access to the (very nice) onboard spa, and if you’re in one of the higher cruise categories, you get complimentary dry cleaning and laundry. What might cost you hundreds of dollars extra per day on most other cruise lines is essentially free on Viking.

Norwegian-style waffles, fluffier than Swedish ones, are up for grabs morning and afternoon in the little Norwegian deli on deck 7.

Despite the fact that Hagen is careful not to bill his ships as luxury vessels (“You will just disappoint people,” he said), the onboard experience is hardly bare bones. The Viking Star has only outside staterooms, all with balconies, and the décor throughout is so refreshingly modern that I found myself constantly (window) shopping for furniture—something I never thought I’d do on a cruise ship. A fabulously curated selection of books are found in every nook and cranny, many tied to the destinations, others about great explorers throughout history.

Then there are the delightful Scandinavian-themed touches, in keeping with Torstein Hagen’s Norwegian heritage. A Norwegian deli serves three kinds of herring, gravlax on rye bread, and traditional apple and almond cakes. The artwork displayed throughout the ship is almost predominately Norwegian, including an Edvard Munch lithograph. The onboard spa, which impressed even the most jaded cruise-ship connoisseurs, staffs only Swedish masseuses, offers a “luxury beard treatment,” and has an onboard snow room, to be visited in between sauna sessions in true Nordic tradition. The owner’s suite, which is up for grabs on most sailings, has its own sauna, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sea.

The onboard spa, which all passengers are free to use without paying an additional fee. Along with a heated pool and whirlpool, the spa also has saunas, plunge pools, and a snow room. The treatments, which costa extra and are typically pricey, have a Scandinavian theme (Swedish massages only!). Photo from Viking Cruises.

Not everything onboard was so innovative. Muzak plays not-too-softly on the otherwise pleasant pool deck, and the nighttime entertainment was less Scandinavian than good-old-American-cruise-ship cliché—the “Rat Pack Revisited” cabaret show and a Broadway-style Mamma Mia medley may have been designed for the older demographic, but passengers of all ages seemed bored stiff. Luckily, at the Explorer’s Lounge—a beautiful space at the front of the ship, with cozy faux-fur pelts on the sofas and the night sky’s constellations lit up on the ceiling after dark—you can sip on Aquavit until the wee hours. The Viking Star may not be for everyone—kids under 16 aren’t allowed, for one thing, and it isn’t small enough to sail into the off-the-beaten-path ports that 200-passenger ships can access—but for a high-quality, high-value cruise with some wonderfully idiosyncratic elements, it seems hard to beat.

*Disclosure: Viking Cruises provided me with a six-night stay free of charge. In keeping with WendyPerrin.com standard practice, there was no request for or expectation of coverage on Viking Cruises’ part, nor was anything promised on ours. You can read the signed agreement between WendyPerrin.com and Viking Cruises here.

How I Became a Cruise Ship’s Godmother

7 Replies

I’ve been a travel reporter for 25 years, and never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be named godmother of a cruise ship. But last week I christened the newest addition to Windstar Cruises’ fleet, the 212-passenger Star Breeze, in a ceremony on the French Riviera, and then hosted the inaugural voyage to Rome.

Star Breeze christening ceremony in Nice, France, on May 6, 2015

It’s a longstanding maritime tradition for cruise ships to have godmothers—they bless the ship and historically have been entrusted with the safe passage of the vessel—and I’m told I’m the first journalist to receive this honor. Usually it’s reserved for people like Sophia Loren and Princess Kate. Here’s why Windstar chose me.

Star Breeze captain Krasimir Ivanov, priest Father Jean Marie, Windstar CEO Hans Birkholz, and Wendy

Hans Birkholz introducing Wendy as the ship’s godmother

The ship’s crew—and a Jeroboam of Veuve Clicquot

The ship’s crew watching the ceremony—and a Jeroboam of Veuve Clicquot waiting to be smashed against the bow

The moment before the champagne bottle hit the ship

Being named godmother is a tremendous honor. It’s also one that some people might view as a conflict of interest for a journalist. You might be wondering whether I’ll show bias toward Windstar. You might question how I can report impartially on Star Breeze when my portrait hangs in one of its hallways.

So let me explain why I accepted this honor. First, as I’ve said before, it’s meaningful to me personally. The Windstar sailings I took with my dad two decades ago are among my favorite memories of our time together. And my husband and I still keep in touch with friends we made on our Windstar honeymoon voyage 15 years ago.

Moreover, I want to do what I can to support small ships. Some would say they’re endangered. Most of the new ships that cruise lines build nowadays are behemoths. And while a vacation in a 4,000-passenger floating city may make sense for some people, it’s certainly not the best way to explore foreign countries. So I’m relieved that there are still a few small ships taking travelers to those off-the-beaten-path islands and hidden-gem harbors that might otherwise be too logistically difficult or prohibitively expensive to get to any other way. Anything I can do to help small ships continue to help sophisticated travelers see the world better, I’ll do.

I want to assure anyone who might be concerned about a conflict of interest that my godmother role will have zero influence on my travel reportage or the advice I give travelers. I remain the same unbiased truth teller and honest adviser I’ve always been. Just because Windstar’s style of small-ship travel suits me personally, that does not mean it’s for everyone. We all have different travel tastes, interests, and needs, and my mission is the same as it’s been for 25 years: To point you toward the right travel experience for your goals, whether that’s a small ship, a big ship, or no ship at all.

If you’re hoping for a review of Star Breeze, though, I’m going to recuse myself—not because I can’t write about the ship impartially, but because there was nothing typical about the voyage I just experienced. I was showered with special treatment (as you’ll see in the photos below), and while there were a number of regular passengers onboard—and I spent as much time as I could chatting with them—I was mainly with the media and travel-industry execs who were being wined and dined (as they are on nearly every new cruise ship’s inaugural voyage). In other words, it was not a normal cruise like one that my readers would experience, and therefore it would be a disservice to them to pretend that it was.

So I will leave the reviews of Star Breeze to exceptional cruise reporters such as Cruise Critic’s Carolyn Spencer Brown and USA Today’s Gene Sloan. You can read their accounts of the christening ceremony here on Cruise Critic and here in USA Today. My husband Tim (who shot the photos here) also plans to weigh in (I’m not sure how, but I’m sure it will involve more photos). Stay tuned.

With Nancy Anschutz, godmother of Star Breeze’s sister ship Star Pride

With Windstar CEO Hans Birkholz

The sailaway from Nice

Arriving in Monte Carlo a few hours later

Arriving in Monte Carlo that same night

The top deck

The Yacht Club observation lounge

The dining room

The Veranda café

A pretty typical room on Star Breeze

Wendy’s room: Suite 03 (one of the Owner’s Suites)

Wendy on her balcony on the ship’s bow

Family Cruise Advice, from Wendy and Cruise Critic

Leave a reply

Wendy chatted with Cruise Critic readers today, sharing her best advice and insights on family cruises. Here are a few highlights from the conversation, including how to make your trip less stressful, the best regions for cruising, and additional tips from Cruise Critic editor in chief Carolyn Spencer Brown.

Read the whole conversation at CruiseCritic.com.

Cruising with a family can be stressful. What are some of your tips on how to cope?

Wendy Perrin: Get a balcony (for extra breathing room) and a cabin location convenient to the kids’ club, the sports deck, or wherever the kids will be spending most of their time. (By “convenient,” I mean within two or three decks, so you can take the stairs rather than having to wait for the elevator.) Feed the kids at the buffet rather than making them sit through a long meal in the dining room. I’ve actually got cruise hacks for acing your family cruise.

In your opinion, are there better regions to cruise to than others?

Wendy Perrin: Yes: groups of islands (archipelagos) because a cruise is an economical, efficient, and logistically easy way to get between them and see a lot of islands you wouldn’t otherwise get to see.

Carolyn Spencer Brown: Also, beware that some ports of call, particularly in Europe and Asia, are deceptively far from where ships actually dock. Bangkok is one, Rome is another. This means a lot of time on a bus just to get there…very exhausting and not much time to really have an experience. Alaska is a particularly good place to cruise because a lot of its key places to see are only accessible via ship. Same goes for the Galapagos!

What European river would you recommend for someone taking their first river cruise? What about for someone who is more adventurous?

Wendy Perrin: Well, for my own family’s first river cruise, I chose the Danube, which gives you four countries in one trip and a mix of important cultural capitals and picturesque landscape. If you’re looking for adventure, I’m not sure a river cruise is the answer. Then again, you can make any river cruise adventurous just by doing your own unusual thing in each port.

Carolyn Spencer Brown: The Rhine is another excellent choice for a first-time cruise because the ports vary—you’ve got cities that are fabulous for cathedrals and others that are more recreationally oriented. But the Danube has the prettier scenery :)

What are some of the pitfalls people can make when they book a river cruise?

Carolyn Spencer Brown: The biggest mistake we see passengers making on river cruises is they over-sightsee! Partly that’s because many of the river tours are complimentary and so people want to take ’em all, get their money’s worth.

Wendy Perrin: They can pay a lot for a balcony they never use. Or they can assume their whole itinerary is on the river. In fact, here are 7 river-cruise mistakes you think you’re too smart to make.

What do you think of Disney’s announcement about river cruising. I think my kids are too young for Europe and river but not sure.

Wendy Perrin: I think it’s terrific that somebody is finally focusing on river cruises for families. I’m excited to watch the Disney partnership with AmaWaterways unfold! I’m not sure how old your kids are, but here’s what my 12-year-old thought of our European river cruise—and the advice he has for parents.

Check out the rest of the conversation at CruiseCritic.com, and when you’re ready to book your own cruise, be sure to check Wendy’s WOW List of Trusted Travel Experts for the best cruise specialists. The right travel agent has sailed many times on the cruise line you’re considering, knows all its ships’ pros and cons, knows the head of the cruise line, and can get you excellent rates and benefits you couldn’t get on your own.

Which River Cruise Ship Should You Choose? Here Are the Key Differences

22 Replies

Many of you have never taken a river cruise, are curious to try one, and write to me asking which you’d enjoy most. It’s tough for me to answer because river ships have many more similarities than differences. Some seem almost interchangeable in their architecture, itineraries, and daily routine. The biggest differentiating factor is usually the river itself—the scenery (castles? farms? vineyards? trains? autoroutes? industrial stretches?), the amount of boat and barge traffic, and the shape of the river (its width, and the number of twists and turns). Honestly, the biggest determinant of which cruise you’ll end up on is probably which ship has cabin availability for your travel dates and a price tag that suits.

Still, I want to help. So, as a public service, I will go out on a limb, reduce something that’s complicated to something simplistic, and try to single out the key differences among river cruise lines, based on five I’ve sailed on that cater to English-speaking travelers. (Note: I have not sailed on Tauck yet—and I hear great things about it.)

First, here are some of the features that these ships have in common. They all have:

* A top-floor outdoor observation deck, with chairs and a shaded area.
* A large, indoor, glass-walled observation lounge at the front of the ship.
* Three meals a day and group shore tours included in the price.
* Free coffee, cappuccinos, hot chocolate, and little snacks (usually cookies and fruit) available all the time in one of the lounges.
* Free but intermittent Wi-Fi.
* A buffet for breakfast; a buffet for lunch; and four-course (at least), two-hour dinners. Meals happen at set hours, and you cannot be late to dinner. You may end up dining with people you don’t know.
* Passengers from North America and sometimes other English-speaking countries.
* A cruise director to answer your questions about which excursions might suit you best and which stretches of the river not to miss.
* A group-tour approach to travel. Most river ships are run by tour companies and thus operate a river cruise like a group tour, only you’re moving by boat rather than by bus and you needn’t switch hotels every couple of days. Note to those of you who hate group tours: Nobody hates group tours more than I do. But I like river cruises because I love boats and I love gliding past all that scenery and history. I also love a room with an ever-changing view out my floor-to-ceiling window. So I use the ship as scenic, effortless sightseeing and transportation, and I explore the ports on my own.

So those are the similarities. Now for the differences. Keep in mind that each line has a variety of ships of different ages and sizes, and with somewhat different features; the summaries below tend to describe the newer ships in each fleet.

AmaWaterways

• You get a lot of living space—relatively speaking—and creature comforts. Many cabins have two “balconies”—an “outside balcony,” with a table and chairs, and a “French balcony” that’s floor-to-ceiling glass that opens. The cabins have a large flat-screen infotainment system that’s both TV and computer, with movies, music, and a bow cam.

• There are two dining rooms and a focus on regional cuisine.

•The service is attentive to travelers with special needs.

• There are bikes, perhaps a small outdoor heated pool, a beauty salon, and a massage therapist.

• Who I’d send on AmaWaterways: Foodies who need their creature comforts.

• Here’s more in-depth info from Cruise Critic.

Avalon Waterways

French balcony in a cabin aboard Avalon Tapestry II

My cabin (#312) aboard Avalon Tapestry II on the Seine River in Normandy.

• The cabin window is wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling glass that stretches 11 feet wide and opens up 7 feet wide, thus basically turning your room into a veranda. It’s a smart design for river ships—and a good value for you because you’re not paying extra, or giving up precious floor space, for an outdoor table and chairs that you’re likely not going to use. (You’ve got an indoor table and chairs already.)

• The tour guides are better than most because the shore bus tours are run by Globus, the group-tour operator that owns Avalon Waterways and has been running tours for 85 years.

• There’s a second dining venue in the observation lounge; it offers a small-plate tasting menu.

• Who I’d send on Avalon: Travelers who choose four-star hotels, who don’t mind group bus tours, and for whom the most important aspect of a cruise is the scenery.

• Here’s more in-depth info from Cruise Critic.

Grand Circle Cruise Line

• There’s a pronounced emphasis on getting educated about the destination. Each cruise has three program directors who know the area and culture well and can answer all your questions in depth (which is a contrast to many ships, where the staff often can’t even name the river town you’re passing).

• These program directors serve as your local guides in each port. This is in stark contrast to other river cruise lines, most of whom subcontract their shore tours to a local tour company; in each port you get a different guide, and some can be a real snooze.

• Grand Circle tours tend to attract retired teachers and professors, so onboard you’ll find a lot of intellectuals and interesting conversationalists. Passengers are particularly friendly and extroverted too; there’s a real sense of camaraderie onboard.

• Cabins are small and closer to three-star than four-star and have two twin beds rather than one queen-sized bed.

• There are no bikes, pool, or beauty salon.

• Who I’d send on Grand Circle: Retirees who want to stretch their dollar as far as possible in order to take as many trips as possible, and who value education and well-traveled fellow travelers over luxury.

• Here’s more in-depth info from Cruise Critic.

Uniworld

• It’s like living in a floating palace. The ships are splendiferously decorated, with regal furnishings and plush fabrics. Cabins have amenities such as custom-made Savoir of London beds, heated floors and towel racks, and a selection of movies on the TV.

• There are bikes and sometimes a gorgeous heated indoor pool.

• The price includes all alcohol and gratuities, so you won’t be surprised by a big bill at the end of your cruise. (On the other hand, the all-inclusive price may mean you’re subsidizing other passengers’ bar bills.)

• Who I’d send on Uniworld: Travelers who choose five-star hotels and plan to spend a lot of time onboard the ship enjoying its luxuries, plush salons, and food extravaganzas.

• Here’s more in-depth info from Cruise Critic.

Viking Cruises

Our ship, docked in Budapest, November 2014

• There’s a range of cabin types to choose among—from small and tight to two-room suites. (Many river ships label their one-room cabins “suites”—which is confusing. Only Viking longships have honest-to-goodness suites comprised of two rooms.)

• The longships have less space per passenger than other cruise lines’ ships of the same size. (Viking puts 190 passengers on ships that are the same size as the ships that AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, and Uniworld put about 166 passengers on.)

• There’s an indoor/outdoor terrace where you can grab a quick dinner rather than having to sit through a two-hour meal every night. In nice weather, you can dine there al fresco.

• The ship has a concierge who can make private shoreside arrangements for you.

• There are no bikes, gym, spa, beauty salon, pool, or hot tub.

• Who I’d send on Viking: Independent travelers who want to focus on the destinations, prefer not to explore with a group on a bus, and don’t want to pay for shipboard amenities that they’re not going to use.

• Here’s more in-depth info from Cruise Critic.

Have you sailed on these five river cruise lines? If so, please weigh in below and let me know if your experience onboard was the same as or different than mine. (Include which river you sailed on and the year you sailed.) Thanks!

Cruise Hacks: 14 Tips for Acing Your Family Cruise

1 Reply

Many of us prefer small ships, but sometimes a large one is your best option. Maybe it’s what your children need (only large ships have water slides and mini-golf), or it’s what your group can afford, or it’s the itinerary that best suits your schedule. Last month my family ended up on the biggest ship we’ve ever sailed on, Norwegian Cruise Line’s 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway, because it’s one of the few ships that sails from New York to somewhere warm in the dead of winter. While a large ship can be a smart vacation option for busy kids and their exhausted parents, it can also feel crowded and chaotic, especially when chilly weather keeps everyone indoors for half the cruise. Since it was my husband’s and my tenth cruise with our kids, now 11 and 12 years old, I thought I’d share our hard-earned tips for maximizing the advantages, and minimizing the drawbacks, of a giant ship.

1. Choose a cabin suited to your children’s ages.
The larger the ship, the more confusing the cabin choices. A family of four can feel very cramped in one stateroom, but it can be hard to find connecting cabins or an alternative configuration that works. One thing to be wary of is cabins with upper berths. When we’ve had such rooms, we’ve been so concerned that the boys would roll out of their beds in the middle of the night that Tim slept in the first upper berth, the second went empty, and the kids slept with me below. When the boys were younger than eight, we were comfortable in a “mini-suite” where they could share a double sofa bed. Since then we’ve needed two connecting cabins. My strong recommendation is to book your cruise through a highly knowledgeable cruise specialist such as Tom Baker of Cruise Center: Tom knows the pros and cons of all the cabins on all the ships and has the clout with the cruise lines to get you the one you want.

En route out of NY Harbor. In 19-degree weather. Can anyone guess what ship we’re on?

A photo posted by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Feb 15, 2015 at 12:34pm PST

2. Insist on a balcony. A balcony gives you breathing room, fresh air, great views, lots of sunlight, and private outdoor space. When the boys were small, we opted against one because they could have climbed over the railing. By the time they were four and six, we felt we could risk it, and today it’s non-negotiable. (A balcony isn’t nearly as necessary on a small ship…but that’s a different article.)

See that mist above the Atlantic? That’s because the air temperature (23 degrees) is lower than the sea temperature (48 degrees). We’re off North Carolina, headed south. #NorwegianBreakaway #nofilter A photo posted by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Feb 16, 2015 at 5:03am PST

3. Pinpoint the most convenient cabin location.
A great location for families is on an upper deck near the aft: It’s a quick walk to the places you need to get to most often—the pool deck, the sports deck, the kids’ club, the buffet—and you can avoid elevator waits and crowds.

Charlie working the #NorwegianBreakaway’s ropes course, 16 decks above the water, with a 360-degree view of the Atlantic Ocean (and the rest of the ship).

A photo posted by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Feb 20, 2015 at 10:36am PST

4. Bring Post-It Notes, a European plug adapter, and highlighters. Post-It Notes are handy for your cabin door: When your kids are old enough to check themselves in and out of the kids’ club (which means they’re old enough to wander the ship on their own), they can leave you messages as to their whereabouts. If your family needs to charge an array of electronic devices daily (and whose family doesn’t?), bring a European plug adapter because your cabin might have only one or two U.S. outlets; don’t let European outlets go to waste. As for highlighters, the daily shipboard program delivered to each cabin door lists so many activities and events that each child will want a highlighter to mark his or her favorites.

You can do all these things aboard #NorwegianBreakaway. Or you can sit on your balcony and read novels like I do. #whenImnotcheckingemail A photo posted by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Feb 16, 2015 at 4:32pm PST

5. Throw your kids’ swimsuits in your carry-on.
On embarkation day, it can take some time for your luggage to be delivered to your cabin. If you’re embarking in warm weather and you’ve got the kids’ swimsuits with you, they can jump in the pool and use the waterslides right away. One parent can watch the kids while the other walks around the ship doing recon and making spa and dinner reservations.

6. Switch your child’s cell phone (and yours) to airplane mode.
If your child will be using his smartphone as a camera, switch it to airplane mode immediately after leaving your U.S. port for international waters, so that international text messages can’t be sent or received. Otherwise you could get socked with charges. Keep your own phone on airplane mode so you don’t fall prey to roaming charges. (Keep it on airplane mode when accessing the ship’s Wi-Fi too. The great news is that cruise-ship Wi-Fi has improved a lot recently in terms of speed, reliability, and cost.)

7. When everybody else on the ship is zigging, zag.
My family avoids crowds by doing the opposite of what everybody else is doing. Between 6 and 7 pm, for instance, when everybody else is getting ready for dinner or already dining, that’s when we take advantage of the empty sports courts, Ping Pong tables, or hot tub.

8. Find your own serene shipboard hideaway.
In addition to a balcony, you’ll want space to stretch out in tranquility somewhere on deck. There’s almost always an empty area with lounge chairs somewhere. Sometimes it’s the Promenade Deck; sometimes it’s an area up top that people just haven’t discovered.

On every busy giant #cruise ship there’s always one hidden quiet deck area you can retreat to. On #NorwegianBreakaway in winter, it’s Deck 8.

A photo posted by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Feb 21, 2015 at 12:38pm PST

When the weather is too cold to be outdoors, you may crave an indoor pool or hot tub. Often the spa has a heated indoor pool you can access for a fee. On the Breakaway, access to the spa’s Thermal Suite for $199 for the entire seven-day cruise turned out to be a good value.

The spa’s hydrotherapy pool. #NorwegianBreakaway A photo posted by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Feb 17, 2015 at 6:53am PST

9. Study the children’s weekly program schedule before making dinner reservations.
If your kids are like mine, certain scheduled evening activities will appeal to them and others won’t. Pirate Night is a must, Hollywood Night is not. If you’re making dinner reservations for the family, choose nights when the kids won’t complain about being with you rather than with their friends.

10. Ace the buffet.
It’s usually the most casual way to grab a bite on the ship (except for room service), and it can be jam-packed. Four tips: (1) Avoid the buffet on embarkation day, when it’s at its most chaotic. (2) When you do eat at the buffet, make a beeline for the Asian and Indian food. The kitchen staff is frequently Asian and Indian, so what you get is their home cooking, and it’s delicious. (3) Often one side of the buffet is open and the other is closed; if you can’t find empty seats, go to the closed side. (4) Feed your kids at the buffet, then go elsewhere for a proper adult meal. Like this:

This is the first raw bar I’ve seen on a cruise ship. How about you? #NorwegianBreakaway

A photo posted by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Feb 20, 2015 at 6:07pm PST

#yummy A photo posted by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on Feb 20, 2015 at 6:19pm PST

11. Have your child wear a watch.
There are few, if any, clocks on the ship. If you’ve instructed children to meet you in a certain place at a certain time, the only way they’ll know is if they’re wearing watches.

12. Ensure room keys don’t get lost.
Bring a lanyard, or punch a hole into your child’s key card, so it can be worn around the neck.

13. Don’t activate your kid’s room key for purchases.
On ships you use your room key card for purchases, and kids lose room keys. They accidentally leave them in the games arcade—where other kids may find them and swipe them in the machines—or by the pool, where adults may find them and use them to buy a round of drinks. I’m not kidding; this happens with surprising frequency. When you check in for your cruise, the check-in agent will ask whether your kid’s key should be enabled for shipboard purchases. Just say no, unless you’re certain your child won’t lose the key. And if you’re certain your child won’t lose the key, please share your secret with me!

14. Read my 12-year-old’s advice that parents should know before booking a family cruise.

If anyone else has tips for sailing on megaships, I’d love to hear them. Chime in below!

Disclosure: This was my family’s fourth cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line. We’ve always paid our own way in the past; this time the cruise line provided us with complimentary accommodations. In keeping with my standard practice, there was no request for or expectation of coverage on Norwegian’s part, nor was anything promised on mine.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

How to Make a Low-Season European River Cruise Awesome

European river cruises have grown so popular that often the only time you can get a cabin is low season. But is a low-season cruise worth doing? I’ve taken six European river cruises now—at different times of the year—so I thought I’d lay out for you the pros and cons of low season; how to choose the right ship, cabin, and week; and how to transform a low-season cruise from average to extraordinary. The photos are from my extraordinary Danube cruise from Budapest to Passau aboard Viking River Cruises’ Viking Alsvin in November 2014. The seven-day itinerary hit four countries: Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany.

The Pros and Cons of Low Season

Three Pros:

1. You pay less.
A cruise can cost $1,000 per person less in March, April, November, or December than in July or August. Airfare is lower too. Also, when the weather is cold, there’s no pressure to splurge on a balcony, since you won’t spend much time sitting on it. (I recommend a cabin with a “French balcony.” See below.)

These are the colors of low season. That’s Schönbühel Castle, in Austria’s Wachau Valley, near Melk.

2. River towns are less crowded.
In high season, river towns can be packed with cruisegoers. In low season, they’re delightfully empty.

In low season you needn’t fight crowds at famous sites—such as inside Melk Abbey’s famed library of 16,000 ancient books.

3. Holiday markets
Festive Christmas markets, which tend to run circa November 22 – December 24, make every port more charming and fun. I’ve now gone Christmas-market-hopping in Central Europe via rental car, train, and boat, and the latter is by far the easiest. (For the reasons why, plus photos and tips, see Europe’s Christmas Markets: How to Plan the Perfect Trip.)

Bratislava, Slovakia, is charming both with a Christmas market and without one—but it’s better with one.

Three Cons:

1. It’s nippy up on that observation deck.
My favorite place on a river ship is the top deck, where I can watch history glide by and try to sneak into the wheelhouse to chat up the captain. But it’s chilly and windy up there in March and December, with temps in the 30s and 40s. Then again, that’s nothing that the right outerwear won’t solve. Of course, you can always descend one deck to the indoor glass-walled observation lounge and enjoy the neverending free supply of hot chocolate and cappuccinos.

Passengers were bundled up as we passed the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest.

2. Your river photos will be grayer.
Compare the photos in this post—all shot on a Danube cruise in November—with those from my July 2014 cruise on the same stretch of river.

Dürnstein, Austria, November 2014: Misty but delightfully uncrowded.

3. Darkness falls early.
Fewer hours of daylight mean fewer hours for sightseeing. In November and December, it’s dark by 4:30 p.m. That’s no problem on a Christmas markets cruise, though; it’s a plus, in fact, since nighttime is when the markets light up and are at their most festive.

Here’s an example of the fun things you can do at night at a Christmas market. That’s my 10-year-old in Bratislava.

How to Choose the Right Ship, Cabin, and Week

Time it right.
I’m convinced I chose a great week of the year for my Viking cruise on the Danube: Thanksgiving. The Christmas Markets had just opened, the weather wasn’t too cold yet, the kids didn’t have to miss too many days of school, and the cruise fare was the lowest of the year. Fares for late-November 2015 start at about $1,760 per person for Viking, $1,900 for AmaWaterways, $2,500 for Uniworld, and $2,600 for Tauck. If you’re not going for Christmas markets, look for value in late April or early October.

Vienna’s holiday market at Michaelerplatz two days before Thanksgiving 2014.

Ask yourself what shipboard décor, ambience, and indoor creature comforts you’ll want.
Given the cold weather, you’ll be spending almost all your time on the ship indoors. Do you want to live in a plush palace? That’s the ambience you’ll find on Uniworld’s splendidly furnished ships. The S.S. Antoinette, for instance, is the Versailles of river ships and has an indoor cinema and an indoor pool. When it’s freezing outside, splurging on such cold-weather niceties may make sense. If your goal is to spend as much time as possible off the ship exploring, however, you may prefer to spend your money on experiences in port, rather than on shipboard bells and whistles you may never utilize. On my six European river cruises, I have never once watched a movie in my cabin, let alone in a cinema; I’ve been too busy watching the river.

This was my veranda stateroom on the Viking Alsvin—a little tight, but comfy, warm, and efficient.

Decide how important it is to you to have a second shipboard restaurant for gourmet dinners.
Uniworld and AmaWaterways ships have two restaurants: the main dining room, and an alternative small restaurant featuring special creations of the chef. If sitting down to a two-hour, four- or five-course dinner each night is your idea of Nirvana, those ships are for you. If you’re like me, though, you’re snacking on so many delicious local specialties onshore throughout the day (especially if you’re at Christmas markets) that when you get back to the ship, there’s barely room in your belly for one course, let alone five. What I and my family loved about our Viking longship was that we could skip the two-hour dinner in the main dining room and instead grab a quick, easy meal upstairs on the indoor/outdoor terrace—an express-dinner option that exists on few other river ships.

Here’s the dining room on the Viking Alsvin.

Think about whether you’ll want a heated indoor pool, a hot tub, a sauna, or spa treatments.
After traipsing around in the cold all day, such things can be nice. Some ships have them, some don’t. The Viking Alsvin has none of them. Which was fine with me because I’d rather spend my money, and my precious time in Europe, getting my pool-and-spa fix off the ship. So my family went to the legendary Gellert Baths in Budapest—which had all the local atmosphere we could have wanted.

The Gellert Baths in Budapest have a ton of local atmosphere.

The Gellert Baths’ pools beat a tiny river cruise ship’s any day.

Consider a cabin with a “French balcony.”

On ocean ships I’ve got to have a balcony—I spend a ton of my time out there—but on river ships I find I don’t use one. That’s because only one side of the river is visible from your balcony, whereas if you’re up on the observation deck or in the indoor lounge, you can see both sides at once. My personal preference, no matter what time of year, is a “French balcony.” A French balcony is basically either a floor-to-ceiling glass door or an enormous picture window that you can open—for fresh air and photos—without paying for outdoor sitting space that you’re not going to use. (You can enjoy your open-air view while sitting indoors.)

How to Transform a Low-Season European River Cruise From Average to Extraordinary

Dress up your cruise with special insider experiences in port.
On our Viking cruise, we made some unusual advance requests of our shipboard concierge. As a result, we ended up with unique local experiences that we will never forget.

 The first was in Bratislava, where my goal was for the kids to visit a Slovak school. The ship arranged for a guide—a mom with a child at a local school—to pick us up at the ship and give us a tour.

Here’s our lovely guide showing us her son’s school in Bratislava.

Kids are the same in all countries.

My children played soccer in the schoolyard with new friends.

The best surprise was yet to come.

Our guide walked us back to Bratislava’s Old Town and to its 13th-century Franciscan Church, where an organist would be giving a concert.

Doug got handed the key to the church.

Bratislava’s Franciscan Church features a Baroque organ.

We got to sit upstairs with the organist while she played the concert, and then she let the kids try. They got to play the organ and hear their notes resound through Bratislava’s oldest church.

The kids got such a thrill out of playing the famous pipe organ (as did their parents).

My other unusual request to the Viking concierge was for our stop in Melk, Austria. I had been to Melk Abbey twice before and wanted to do something new this time. The ship arranged for a guide to take us inside the Abbey’s Minerals Collection—a “library” of semi-precious stones housed in the former private library of the abbot. It’s not on the regular Abbey tour; it’s usually closed to the public, and you need a special key and guide to gain access. It’s an exquisite collection of at least 1,000 stones from around the world. Melk Abbey collected great rocks for the same reason it collected great books for its world-renowned library: Its goal was to capture the finest wisdom from around the world—both literary and scientific. Here’s a list of the minerals on display.

Melk Abbey’s Minerals Collection

Cool minerals

More cool minerals

The boys were fascinated. They took dozens of photos.

The good news is that Viking says it can replicate these special-access experiences for other interested travelers. In fact, Viking plans to roll out a pre-trip concierge service in 2015, so that booked passengers can make unusual requests like this well in advance of their cruise.

Book through the right Trusted Travel Expert.
The Trusted Travel Experts on my WOW List create similar WOW experiences in cruise ports worldwide. As an example, on my AmaWaterways cruise on the Danube last July, Gwen Kozlowski, my Trusted Travel Expert for Central Europe, had me making Habsburg-era strudel from scratch with a renowned chef in Budapest; touring the normally-off-limits Bergl Rooms at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna; and getting inside historic private wineries in Austria’s Wachau Valley with a local wine aficionado.

If you’re seeking the right travel agent to match you to the right cruise ship and cabin, reach out to Tom Baker, my Trusted Travel Expert for European River Cruises, but contact him via this trip-request form so he knows you’re a WendyPerrin.com traveler.

Not sure which which Trusted Travel Expert to contact—or which cruise line to choose? Click to Ask Wendy and shoot me your question.

Returning to our floating home after our day in Melk, Austria.

Stay tuned for my 12-year-old son Charlie’s article about how to transform a normally non-kid-friendly type of travel—a river cruise—into a super-kid-friendly experience. Meanwhile, you may find these other articles helpful:

The Easiest Way to See Europe: A River Cruise
Which European River is Most Interesting for a River Cruise?
Europe’s Christmas Markets: How to Plan the Perfect Trip

Full disclosure: Viking River Cruises gave my family two complimentary cabins. In keeping with my standard practice, there was no request for or expectation of coverage on Viking’s part, nor was anything promised on mine. The other river cruise lines I’ve sailed on—so you know what I’m comparing Viking with—are AmaWaterways, A-Rosa, Grand Circle, and Uniworld.

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Which European River Is Most Interesting for a River Cruise?

8 Replies

Question:

Hi Wendy,

My wife and I are looking to go on a 10-day river cruise this year (our first). Which of Europe’s rivers would be most interesting? We have been told that some rivers can be on the boring side. We are not looking for a cheap option and are prepared to pay up to £2000 each. Hope that you may be able to assist.

Regards,
David

Answer:

Great question, David. I’ve sailed on the Seine, the Rhine, and the Danube, and, in my opinion, the prettiest of those is the Seine: There is more scenery that is pastoral rather than industrial, the river winds and swirls a lot more, and it’s also narrower and so the passing boats are smaller and more rustic and charming.

The Rhine has the most activity and the most transportation you can see from the ship (often you see trains go by along the riverbank); it’s like being on a highway of ships. But it’s also got the most castles. The Danube is very pretty in parts (especially the stretch from Durnstein to Melk that is famous for its vineyards and castles), but it too is industrial for stretches. All three rivers have a lot of locks. I’ve heard that the Mosel (sometimes spelled Moselle) is quite picturesque and, like the Seine, is relatively narrow and winds a lot. A couple of ship captains and river-cruise execs have told me it’s their favorite.

Of course, just as important as the river’s landscape are the cities and villages you stop in. I chose the Danube for my river cruise in November specifically because Danube cruises tend to hit at least four countries (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary) and several important and gorgeous cultural capitals (including Vienna and Budapest). I specifically wanted to be in these big cities during their Christmas-markets season. Ships on the Seine tend to stop in more small villages than big cities.

David, you’re the perfect example of someone who would benefit by using the right travel agent who specializes in river cruises. You need an honest adviser who knows the differences among all the rivers and ships and can make sure you get exactly what you want and spend your money wisely. If I were you, I’d reach out to European river cruise specialist Tom Baker.

I hope that helps.

Happy New Year,
Wendy

8 Cruise-Ship Pools that Make You Say Wow

Leave a reply

Note from Wendy: Cruise-ship pools used to be tiny, boring, and pretty much all the same. Nowadays there’s a huge variety: indoor spa pools, private-deck pools, adults-only pools, pools with outdoor movies, pools with scuba lessons…. Yahoo! Travel has pinpointed eight of the coolest pools at sea today, and they’re worth looking at so you know all your options.

When temperatures rise, take a dip. Floating in a pool on a cruise ship that’s gliding along the ocean is an inimitable indulgence—especially when it’s in one of the industry’s most remarkable pool oases. Dive in on one of these eight wow-factor cruise ship pools and you’ll have to think twice about getting off in port.

1. Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises touts their signature “Movies Under the Stars” poolside cinema (see photo above) on nearly all of their ships, but it’s the Royal Princess and Regal Princess that boast the biggest movie screens at sea. Watch favorite flicks or sporting events day or night while swimming in the duo of freshwater pools, and for an extra dab of dazzle, catch the colorful water-and-light show put on by the adjacent dancing fountains.

Photo courtesy Viking Cruises.

2. Viking Cruises

Viking Cruises‘ upcoming trio of oceangoing vessels—the Viking Star, Viking Sky, and Viking Sea, debuting in 2015 and 2016—will be outfitted with onboard infinity pools, a rarity for the industry. Backed by glass paneling, the infinity pools will cantilever over the ships’ stern, allowing passengers to fully immerse themselves in the ocean and port-side scenery.

Pool on the Sun Boat III. Photo by Mohammed Ismail—Abercrombie & Kent Picture Library.

3. Sanctuary Retreats

Onboard Sanctuary Retreats‘ Sun Boat III, guests float along the Nile River. Fittingly, “Cleopatra’s Oasis” on the upper deck proposes the perfect perch to combine a refreshing dip with ogling of ancient temples along the riverbanks. The watering hole-style oasis is fringed by live palm trees, a sun deck with canopied daybeds, and an open-air bar—though it’s up to you to bring along somebody willing to fan you and feed you grapes.

cruise ship pool on AmaWaterways AmaPrima

The pool on the AmaPrima. Photo courtesy AmaWaterways.

4. AmaWaterways

It’s fairly uncommon for European river vessels to have a pool at all, let alone one with a nifty swim-up bar. Board AmaWaterways‘ AmaCerto, AmaPrima, AmaSerena, AmaReina, or AmaSonata, and you can take in the passing European landscapes from the comfort of a heated swimming pool, froufrou cocktail served up on command. As if you needed to take any more of a load off, the swim-up bars also come equipped with in-water seating, where you can sip your swill without a care.

Photo courtesy Royal Caribbean

5. Royal Caribbean

Disappear deep into the Asian jungle-inspired retreat that is the adults-only (ages 16 and up) Solarium aboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas. A pool and large whirlpool serves as the centerpiece to this transporting center for R & R, replete with verdant foliage, playful water features, and elephant statuary, all set at the entrance of the ship spa. Plus, with a retractable glass roof, the Solarium is relaxation-ready, whether the weather cooperates or not.

Infinity-style pool on the MSC Divina cruise ship

Infinity-style pool on the MSC Divina. Photo courtesy MSC Cruises.

6. MSC Cruises

Sail aboard MSC Cruises‘ MSC Divina, where the onboard infinity-style pool is almost as much of a draw as the Caribbean ports the ship sails to. The adults-only, Zen-inspiring Garden Pool exudes minimalist design and is trimmed by four resounding sculptures that emit sounds from nature (like bird songs and waterfalls). The pool’s infinity edge melds with the ocean for seamless views, while a lively pool bar dishes out perfectly frothy drinks.

Pool on the Oasis of the Seas. Photo courtesy Royal Caribbean.

7. Royal Caribbean’s AquaTheater

Sister Royal Caribbean ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas tout the deepest onboard pools at sea—reaching depths of nearly 18 feet. Popular public pools by day (and the setting for afternoon scuba lessons), bordered by tiered platforms overloaded with lounge chairs, the kidney-shaped pools transform into the AquaTheater come nightfall, where aquatic performers—high-diving aerial athletes, water acrobats, synchronized swimmers, and more—reinvent the space as a theatrical venue, complete with amphitheater-style seating. Look, too, for a synchronized fountain show here, with shoots of water that reach up to 65 feet high.

The pool on the Marina. Photo courtesy Oceania Cruises.

8. Oceania Cruises

Classy Oceania twin ships Marina and Riviera each boast stylish pool areas, fringed by teak decks, soothing greenery, a duo of whirlpools, a pool bar, and plenty of plush lounge chairs. A water fountain feature adds atmosphere, while a large, built-in TV screen (airing movies, sports, and more) encourages guests to fully submit to being refreshingly submerged. The pool really pops, however, come evening, when soothing blue LED illuminations set the pool area’s sleek design aglow.

Interview with an Expert Traveler: Cruise Critic’s Carolyn Spencer Brown

Leave a reply

Carolyn Spencer Brown spends most of her life on cruise ships, but don’t mistake that for a life of leisure. As Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic, the hugely popular cruise-review and cruise-trends website, Carolyn is always at work, even when she’s at sea. She’s constantly reviewing new cruise ships, checking out old favorites, exploring up-and-coming ports, and rediscovering popular ones, all in an effort to make sure her readers have the most up-to-date and intelligent feedback on the cruise experience. And those readers have high standards: They are more than four million strong and make up one of the largest and most vocal cruise-forum communities online. Since she’s spent so many years meeting the standards of these discerning travelers and seen so much of the world herself, we thought it was high time we put Carolyn in the hot seat and grilled her about her own travel experiences and strategies. Interestingly, they’re not all about cruising.

Job title:
Editor in Chief, Cruise Critic

Most memorable travel moment:
My husband proposed on top of Rome’s Spanish Steps—that was pretty memorable. Alas, I wasn’t quite ready so postponed the decision. When he proposed again the next night, while on a cruise sailing out of Italy’s Civitavecchia (under a beautiful moonlit sky), I said yes. Italy’s special to us for that reason—and also because we met in Naples.

Most embarrassing travel moment:
There are so many. My suitcase is fairly distinctive; it’s a large red Rimowa with an orange bag tag. Still, I managed to pick up someone else’s large red Rimowa and didn’t notice it wasn’t mine until I was outside the airport. There was the time I had a five-hour layover in Paris and managed to miss the flight (I still don’t know how that happened). Or when, headed to Leipzig, I discovered I’d booked a flight to Dresden by accident; the incredulous look on a cabbie’s face at the airport when I asked how much taxi fare would be between the two cities was a tip-off that I wasn’t this-close. (Took the train instead).

Touristy spot that’s actually worth it, and the trick to doing it right:
Jordan’s Petra is haunting and beautiful, and it’s on many cruise lines’ shore excursion menus. But you can’t do it justice in one day (plus, the trip between Petra and the port city of Aqaba is a several-hour bus ride). You need a couple of days and should definitely avoid midday summer heat by visiting early and then again later in the day. Another place I go back to time and time again is Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. The vast estate perched on a mountaintop overlooking the Pacific—and surrounded by a lot of emerald fields with grazing zebras—is so massive that there are at least five different tours you can take through it. I’ve done them all, at least a couple of times.

Non-touristy spot people might not know about (or have thought much about visiting) but should add to their must-visit list:
I love to bicycle through England’s rural villages—not just the well-known ones like Chipping Camden, Lymington, Aldershot, and Rye, but also smaller places, often with just a pub and a few shops—and see what I find.

Name two indispensable apps you use when you travel:
I’m not a huge app user, but the TripAdvisor app is a helpful pal (full disclosure: Cruise Critic is owned by TripAdvisor)—it works offline—and I love Instagram, though the newer version has me a bit confounded.

The travel gadget or gear that has saved your life…or your mind:
The iPad. Always the iPad. I can watch a movie, choose from among tons of books, catch up on Facebook…or simply play solitaire, which is my when-travel-is-stressful go-to.

Whose tweets do you find the most useful and entertaining when you see them in your feed?
I love Bob Payne’s tweets—they always make me smile.

Name one way the travel industry can do better.
To parlay the expression “when life makes lemons,” when things go wrong, travel companies actually have a chance to win my loyalty—if they handled the situation properly. Too often they exacerbate a bad situation and fail to take responsibility or act in a generous manner—and that’s unacceptable, especially when it’s their own mistake. Recently I showed up at a Hyatt in Los Angeles hours before check-in. Slightly tense because of a tight day of important meetings, I was impatient and a bit…brusque…and then, it turned out, the reservation didn’t exist. The staffer was so lovely—and went above and beyond to try to help, ultimately creating a new booking at the same price I thought I’d paid and finding an available room so I could get settled—that I didn’t mind apologizing for the fact that I’d booked the wrong hotel. Oops.

Look into the future and describe one aspect of travel that you think will be different in 20 years:
I’m going to look ahead 20 years in cruise and wager a bet that after all the contemporary styling, and the deconstruction of traditional styles of cruise travel, there’s going to be a resurgence in retro cruise traditions like formal nights, set-seating-set-tablemates, and elegant evenings.

Overrated:
B&Bs.

Underrated:
Villa/cottage/flat rentals.

If you were in my car during a road trip, you’d hear me singing…
Henry Mancini’s “Two for the Road.”

The airplane movie that, unexpectedly, made me bawl was…
The Notebook. It was on Continental Airlines, in the day when there were no personal screens, and everybody was bawling. It was such a common experience that a flight attendant walked up and down the aisle with a box of Kleenex.

When I travel, I’m not afraid of…
Surprises on the ground.

…but I am afraid of…
Surprises in an airplane.

Follow Carolyn and Cruise Critic:
Twitter: @CruiseEditor
Instagram: @carolynspencerbrown
Facebook: Facebook.com/CruiseCritic

Exclusive Cruise Deal for WendyPerrin.com Readers

Leave a reply

Many of you have been waiting for the launch of The Perrin Passport newsletter (thank you for your patience!), where we plan to feature exclusive travel deals from our Trusted Travel Experts. There’s one deal, though, that cannot wait for the newsletter’s debut (hopefully next month):

It’s a seven-day family cruise to Alaska on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel, and in addition to the reduced fare, it comes with onboard credits and extras. The deal was secured exclusively for WendyPerrin.com readers by Trusted Travel Expert Tom Baker, who is a pro when it comes to Alaska sailings; just check out all the cool tips in his Insider’s Guide.

Nobody is salivating over this deal more than my 12-year-old son, Charlie. He’s a big fan of Norwegian Cruise Line for our family vacations, and he explains his reasons in this article about the important things parents need to know before booking a family cruise.

Now, about that deal. Here are the details from Tom Baker:

7-Day Family Alaska Cruise Deal on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel

Sailing dates: Either June 27, 2015 or July 4, 2015

Itinerary:
Ports of Call
Day 1 Seattle, Washington
Day 2 At Sea
Day 3 Ketchikan, Alaska
Day 4 Tracy Arm, Alaska
Day 4 Juneau, Alaska
Day 5 Skagway, Alaska
Day 6 At Sea
Day 7 Victoria, British Columbia
Day 8 Seattle, Washington

Rates*:

Balcony Cabin from: $1,609 per person
Mini Suite from: $1,889 per person
Penthouse Suite from: $3,683 per person
Haven Suite from: $5,243 per person

Extras include:

Suites in The Haven:

$500 onboard credit per suite
Soda package for all children (valued at $6.50 per guest per day)
Nickelodeon Pajama Jam for all children
Nickelodeon bedtime kit for kids 12 and under (valued at $39.95)
Behind-the-scenes tour for each adult (valued at $55 per guest)
Private Cocktail Reception (valued at $25 per guest)

Penthouse Suites (not in The Haven):

$350 onboard credit per suite
Unlimited dining package for adult guests 1 & 2 (valued at $119 per guest)
Soda package for all children (valued at $6.50 per guest per day)
Nickelodeon Pajama Jam for all children
Nickelodeon bedtime kit for all kids 12 and under (valued at $39.95)
Behind-the-scenes tour for each adult (valued at $55 per guest)
Private cocktail reception (valued at $25 per guest)

Balconies & Mini Suites:

$100 onboard credit per balcony cabin or mini suite
Dinner at Cagney’s with one bottle of house wine (valued at $30 per guest for Cagney’s, plus $40 for the wine)
Nickelodeon Pajama Jam for all children
Nickelodeon bedtime kit for all kids 12 and under (valued at $39.95)
Private cocktail reception (valued at $25 per guest)

How to book:
Contact Tom Baker of CruiseCenter. The best way to make sure Tom knows you’re a WendyPerrin.com traveler is to contact him via the black Contact button you’ll find on his Alaska Cruises Insider’s Guide (just below his photo). Or phone him at 1-800-592-3887.

The fine print:
*All rates are per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability at time of booking. Ask about low third- and fourth-person rates for family travel. Taxes and fees are: $197.69 per person additional for both departures. Additional charges may include non-discountable fees (port charges), taxes, airfare, air taxes, transfers, and surcharges. A $30 booking processing fee is additional. All cancellations are subject to a $50-per-booking cancellation fee from CruiseCenter, in addition to vendor cancellation penalties. All information, pricing, taxes, fees. and surcharges are subject to change without notice.

Spongebob and kids on Norwegian Jewel Cruise ship

Courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line

Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

Tag Archives: cruises

Is This the Best New Cruise Perk at Sea?

This is a Cruise Ship That Smart Travelers Will Love

How to Keep Your Kids Happy on a Cruise

The Perfect Cruise Shore Excursion in Barcelona

The Best Cruise Lines of 2015: Do You Agree with Cruise Critic’s Picks?

Planning a Cruise? Avoid These Rookie Travel Mistakes

Viking Star: The Ship That Downton Abbey Built

How I Became a Cruise Ship’s Godmother

Family Cruise Advice, from Wendy and Cruise Critic

Which River Cruise Ship Should You Choose? Here Are the Key Differences

Cruise Hacks: 14 Tips for Acing Your Family Cruise

How to Make a Low-Season European River Cruise Awesome

Which European River Is Most Interesting for a River Cruise?

8 Cruise-Ship Pools that Make You Say Wow

Interview with an Expert Traveler: Cruise Critic’s Carolyn Spencer Brown

Exclusive Cruise Deal for WendyPerrin.com Readers

We may receive a referral fee from trip planners for trips designed for and purchased by travelers referred through us.

Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

Our Latest Newsletters

Be a Smarter Traveler

We may receive a referral fee from trip planners for trips designed for and purchased by travelers referred through us.