Forbestraveler.com
September 10, 2007
Tips from the Top

A cruise is the ultimate vacation of convenience. The captain does the driving, the chef cooks your meals and the shore excursion staff tells you where to go. All you gotta do is show up, unpack your stuff, and sit back to enjoy the ride.

Like with anything else, though, heeding the advice of experts before you sign on the dotted line improves the odds of having a good time. There are hundreds of ships to choose from and thousands of itineraries. Wind up on a cruise that doesn’t suit your tastes and you’ll want to jump overboard.

“The inexperienced cruiser should find a friend with similar tastes and ask them which travel
agent they use and what cruise line they like,” says Regent Seven Seas President Mark Conroy. It
may sound simple enough, but not all agents have your best interests in mind.

“If the recommended agent doesn’t spend a lot of time asking questions about your lifestyle and vacation expectations, move along to someone else,” warns Charlie Funk, co-owner of Just Cruisin Plus in Nashville. “The right cruise for you is not about what the agent likes or dislikes or what they want to sell you, it’s about what you want.”

Do you want to take a cruise with 3,000 others, or do you prefer a much more intimate setting? The experiences are like night day. Cruise ships are not all created equal. If you want Vegas vibe, you can get that, if you prefer the feel of a boutique hotel, there’s a ship for you too. An experienced travel agent will steer you in the right direction and be an invaluable source of insider info and useful tips.

Sharon Turnau President and CEO of Landmark Travel tells clients worried about getting seasick to try dabbing a little herbal oil called MotionEaze behind their ears. Sherry Kennedy of the Vacation Shoppe in Satellite Beach, FL tips her clients off about the handful of cabins with sheltered balconies aboard the QM2. They’re less exposed to the wind and cold, and perfect for those chilly Transatlantic crossings.

And the list goes on. Before you take the plunge, see what the experts have to say about choosing the best cabin, getting to the ship and having a great time once you’re on board.

The List:

1. Bag the right balcony
Definitely get one for some one-on-one time with the sea, but before you book the balcony cabin of your dreams, make sure it’s not a dud. Eric Maryanov, president of All-Travel in Los Angeles (www.all-travel.com), points out that some ships (Princess Cruises’ Grand-class and Celebrity’s Galaxy and Mercury, for example) have tiered decks like a wedding cake, which means zippo privacy --- people on the higher balconies can see down on the people below them.

2. Stay on the ship’s radar
Though it may cost more (and you can’t use miles) and could be a more circuitous route than you’d book yourself, the big benefit of booking airfare through the cruise line is you’ll be on the ship’s radar if your flight is delayed or canceled, according to President and CEO Sharon Turnau of Ft. Lauderdale-based Landmark Travel (www.landmark-travel.com). It’s the cruise line’s responsibility to get you on the ship one way or another. If you book your own airfare and miss the boat (and didn’t purchase cancellation insurance), meeting up with the ship at the next port is on your own dime.

3. Go a day early
“I always book clients in a hotel the night before the cruise no matter where they are sailing from, it takes the stress out of misconnections, bad weather and lost luggage,” says Mary Jean Tully, chairman and CEO of Ontario-based Cruise Professionals (www.cruiseprofessionals.com). “Who wants to fly all the way to Barcelona and get right on the ship? It’s nice to wake up in the city where the ship is sailing from, have a leisurely breakfast, relax or do a city tour.”

4. Cruise off season
Everyone knows what Europe is like in August --- jam packed and too hot. Walter Littlejohn, president of Chartwell Vacations in Rutherford, NJ (www.chartwellvacations.com) recommends doing a Europe cruise in April, May, or from mid-September through November. Not only will the crowds be thinner, chances are cruise rates and airfare will lower. In Alaska, April, May and September are considered low season.

5. Choose the right cabin
All-Travel’s Eric Maryanov says never take a room on the Promenade deck, where runners and walkers are hoofing it past your windows. To hedge against seasickness, choose a cabin amidships (in the middle of a deck) and on a lower deck, as close as possible to the ship’s center of rotation. Definitely avoid cabins directly below the loud pool deck, sports deck, gym or restaurants, and Sherry Kennedy of the Vacation Shoppe in Satellite Beach, FL (www.vacationshoppe.com) recommends not booking a room with a connecting door if you don’t know your neighbor. “Nothing is more frustrating than the nearly paper-thin door which barely separates you from the wailing infant, romantic couple or family with teens next door,” she says.

6. Send your suitcases ahead
Ship your luggage from home to the boat to avoid airport hassles, suggests All-Travel’s Eric Maryanov. Silversea and Seabourn use shippers like DHL and Federal Express; expect to fork over $500 plus per suitcase. “For shorter cruises it especially makes sense,” says Silversea spokesman Brad Ball. “Imagine arriving in Rome for a seven-day cruise and having your bag lost by the airlines. By the time your suitcase is found (if it is found), your cruise may be over and your vacation ruined.”

7. Supersize your space
“A stateroom is a small space compared to your home or a hotel room. This is your vacation, be comfortable. We book many clients two adjoining cabins, since two-bedroom suites are in very limited supply,” says Cruise Professionals’ Mary Jean Tully. Most ships have a number of side-by-side cabins with connecting doors.

8. Skip the bus tour
Many cruise lines offer private VIP tours, especially in Europe, or have your travel agent make arrangements for a private car with English-speaking guide. The freedom to call your own shots will be pricey in Europe --- try $1,000 plus for a day tour to Rome or Florence --- but much less in Asia or South America. Sherry Kennedy reminds independent explorers to carry along the port agent’s phone number (it’s usually printed on the ship’s daily newsletter) in case your car breaks down and you need to contact the ship about being late.

9. Indemnify yourself
If you’re blowing a big wad on a cruise, Charlie Funk, co-owner of Just Cruisin’ Plus in Nashville (www.justcruisinplus.com), says it makes sense to spend a few hundred bucks to protect your investment with third-party insurance. You’ll be covered if you have to cancel the cruise for medical reasons, missed flights, work commitments, cruise line bankruptcy and other issues.

10. Don’t start small
Taking a short three, four or five day sampler cruise to test the waters is not a good idea for the uninitiated, says Mike Driscoll, editor of Cruise Week. “Generally, the cruise lines put their older ships in the short cruise market and look for revenues on board to counter the lowball pricing with heavy drinking and gambling,” he says. If you’re not a party animal, definitely start off with a seven-day cruise on one of the newer ships.