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Elderly Couple Missing From the Carnival Paradise

Written by T.I. Cruiser on January 17, 2009 · Leave a Comment

The FBI is investigating another mysterious cruise ship disappearance. The Associated Press reports that an elderly couple onboard the Carnival Paradise have disappeared. The 90-year-old man and his 79-year-old wife boarded the five day cruise on Monday but could not be found when the Paradise returned to Los Angeles on Friday.

It has been confirmed that the couples cabin door was locked from the inside, with a “Do Not Disturb” sign on it. The couple’s belongings were in the cabin, and the balcony door was unlocked. A Carnival spokesperson reportedly told the Associated Press that they did not know if the pair disembarked in Catalina or Ensenada during the five-day Mexico cruise.

Fanmail Friday: January 16th Edition

Written by T.I. Cruiser on January 16, 2009 · Leave a Comment

What is the largest cruise ship currently at sea?

At the moment, the largest ships at sea are the Royal Caribbean Freedom Class ships. Currently there are three Freedom Class ships, the Freedom of the Seas, the Liberty of the Seas and the Independence of the Seas. Each of these ships if over 1,100 feet long, 200 feet high and has a gross tonnage of over 150,000 tons. In short, they are huge. However, starting December 12^th 2009 the truly monstrous Oasis of the Seas will begin sailing. The Oasis of the Seas has a gross tonnage of 220,000 which will make it the new king of the seven seas.

My travel agent gave me a $100 onboard credit. What can it be used to purchase?

An onboard credit can be used for anything purchased onboard the ship. The way it works is whatever purchase you make will be added to your onboard account. The $100 dollar credit will then be applied to your onboard account. After the hundred-dollar credit is applied, you will pay the difference. Think of your onboard credit as a $100 dollar instant rebate.

I would like to go on a cruise but do not have a credit card to set up the onboard account. Can I still go on a cruise and how does it work?

Sure, you can go on a cruise without using a credit card. What you would have to do is, go to the purser’s desk to put down a cash deposit for your onboard account. All of your onboard expenses will still be charged to your account but instead of being billed to your credit card, it would be deducted from your cash deposit. If you still have money from your deposit left at the end of the cruise it will be refunded to you.

Shore Excursions: Independent or Ship Sponsored?

Written by T.I. Cruiser on January 14, 2009 · Leave a Comment

We spend a lot of time talking about the actual cruise ship, which makes sense, after all the ship itself is a destination. However, some times we lose sight of the fact that the ship is also a mode of transportation. Half the fun of cruising is that it allows us to visit many different countries or regions over the course of a few days or weeks. This begs us to answer another question, what to do when we get to our destinations.

Some of the more adventurous cruisers may like to get off the ship and just explore on thief own. If you are adventurous, this article may not be for you. Now, for those of you still reading I will examine the two types of excursions, cruise ship sponsored and independently booked.

Independent Shore Excursions

If you have the time and ability to do your own research, you can save money booking an independent excursion for each port. However, you have to make sure you are booking with a reputable company or you may be risking both your money and more importantly your safety. Many reputable companies provide excellent shore excursions, just be sure to do your research first. While it is true that you will occasionally hear about a safety incident or someone on an excursion not making it back to the ship on time, be advised that these are in most cases urban legend. The truth is most independent excursion providers advertise solely through word of mouth and stake their business on their reputations. In my experience, I have found independent excursion providers to be every bit as reliable and knowledgeable as those booked through the cruise lines.

You should choose an independent excursion if:

You desire a more exotic excursion
You are comfortable making your own arrangements
You desire a smaller group setting
You wish to cruise as economically as possible.

Ship-Sponsored Shore Excursions

All cruise lines have special ship sponsored shore excursions. These excursions are outsourced to companies that have great reputations for both safety and customer satisfaction; the drawback is the cruise lines charge a “finder’s fee”. Since all of the excursions have been pre-screened, you can be certain they provide the highest levels of safety. Ship-sponsored shore excursions are usually listed on your cruise lines website and advertised in the ships daily newspaper. Usually you can book ship-sponsored excursions either before you board or while onboard. Ship-sponsored excursions will be charged to your shipboard account.

You should chose a ship-sponsored excursion if:

You want to have the cruise line make all the arrangements
Money isn’t really a concern
Your desired excursion is fairly common
You want to do an excursion with friends you met onboard the ship
You don’t want to have to worry about anything

Whichever way you choose just remember that cruise lines are businesses, they intend to make money whenever possible. As far excursions go, cruise ships make money by being the middleman, so in order to save money it is possible to cut out the middleman. Since a majority of cruise excursions are merely outsourced to local companies with a bit of research you can find those companies and take the very same pre-screened excursions at a significant savings by booking directly.