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Mailbag Monday: April 30, 2012 Edition

Written by T.I. Cruiser on April 30, 2012 · 2 Comments

Here we have another edition of Mailbag Monday. Today I answer three questions I received in my email inbox. Today I’ll be answering questions about the effectiveness of sea sickness pills, Carnival room service and “tendering” into a port. If you have any questions you would like me to answer you can shoot me an email via the blogs contact form. Just remember if you don’t want to post your question publicly just include that instruction somewhere in either the subject line or the beginning or end of the submission.

Do sea sickness tablets really work?

I am going on my first cruise this August. Something that worries me about cruising during hurricane season is the condition of the seas. I would expect that the waters will be more rough than normal and was wondering if those seasick pills you see actually work.

Seasick remedies come in all shapes and sizes. Some people swear by Ginger, the patch, acupressure wrist bandsand even seasick pills. Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a dozen different reviews for each of those remedies. Some people will say one a certain method works while the very next person will say the same exact remedy is bogus. No method is fool-proof, if one were the others wouldn’t exist.

My advice for someone who is prone to getting sea-sick would be to try multiple remedies. What you don’t want to happen is to be on the ship with a “cure” that doesn’t work. A cruise costs thousands of dollars, sea-sick remedies cost less than 20 dollars each. Stocking up on a few different cures for sea-sickness to bring along on your cruise is probably the best way to assure you get something that works for you.

On the Carnival Cruise ships, is the 24-hour room service free?

I’ve been seeing people say different things, like that the food is free but beverages are not. I tried to look for answers on the Carnival website but didn’t find what I was looking for.

Yes the room service is free on board Carnival Cruise ships. Some cruise lines have started charging a surcharge during certain hours as a deterrent to people making late night room-service orders for food that will not be eaten. As far as I know Carnival hasn’t instituted anything of the sort, yet. However, that isn’t to say everything is free. Anything that would cost you money from the ships bar will cost through room service. So, alcoholic beverages as well as soft drinks won’t be free even though room service technically is free. Also you should probably tip whoever brings the room service order to your cabin. It doesn’t have to be a lot but you should tip something. As a general rule of thumb I tip just a couple of dollars minimum, but if I make a large order I tip more.

What does the term “tendered” mean?

I will be taking a New England cruise this fall and one of the ports says “tendered”, but all the others say docked, what exactly does this mean?

The term “tendered” is one that everyone encounters if they cruise enough. What it means is instead of the ship docking in the port it will anchor off shore. Passengers will then be shuttled to the mainland via smaller boats.

There are a couple of reasons why tendering may be necessary. There could a glut of ships in port on that particular day, or your ship could simply be too large to dock. In these instances passengers will need to be ferried back and forth between the ship and shore.

Tendering can be fun because it gives you a unique view as you approach the port. However, tendering is not without its drawbacks. If you have mobility issues, tendering is less than ideal. Another drawback is the lines to leave the ship and particularly when returning late can be longer than you would like them to be. Tendering services are run by the port of call and not by the cruise lines so they aren’t as streamlined as what you are used to on the ship. Some ports are better than others so there is no way to tell what your experience will be like unless you have visited that port in the past.

Royal Caribbean Portfolio App Review

Written by T.I. Cruiser on April 26, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Always the innovators when it comes to cruising, Royal Caribbean is constantly churning out new ideas to enhance the cruise experience. Some of their ideas turn out to be bona fide hits, while others just kind of piss people off. So when I got an email to try their new shopping app called “Portfolio”, I was eager to see which category it belongs in.

If you don’t know what the “Portfolio” app is, basically it’s a Smartphone app Royal Caribbean developed to help cruise/shopaholics prep prior to boarding the cruise ship. It’s got loads of information to help shoppers not only plan out purchases but also plan out their day. So, if you are someone who goes on a cruise to shop this may be an essential app for you. Personally, I’m not that big of a shopper so on the surface, I’m not the intended audience. However, even I can see the benefits of being able to pre-plan port shopping. After all more efficient shopping means more time exploring?

The idea behind the app is allowing passengers to be more informed shoppers prior to boarding the ship. By having advanced notification of the product available shoppers can read reviews, do comparison shopping and ultimately get the best deal.

How does Portfolio work?

Portfolio is a Smartphone app that you download through either the Android Market or the iPhone App Store. The version I am using is the Android version, although I would imagine functionality is identical to the IOS version. Once downloaded on your phone you can either use it to browse through various port shops or customize it for your specific itinerary.

Royal Picks: The first thing that catches your eye is the luxurious looking pieces of jewelry displayed across the top of the screen. These are called “Royal Picks” which are for the most part, absolutely stunning pieces of jewelry. Clicking on any of the pieces takes you to another screen with options to share your selection with friends (via Facebook and twitter), add to a personalized wish list or view a list of retailers that carry the item.

Browsing the Portfolio App

There is a yellow compass at the bottom of the screen with 5 different icons. By swiping across your screen you can choose between 5 different means of browsing. From there you would just “click” the highlighted option.
• Ports – A list of all the ports Royal Caribbean visits. Clicking on this option will take you to a screen that allows you to see all of the retailers in a particular port. It also gives you the option of seeing a map of the port with the locations of the stores already marked.
• Retailers – a list of all the retailers arranged in alphabetical order. Clicking on a specific retailer will take you to another screen that shows which ports have that retailer.
• Category – here you can narrow selections by category. The categories listed are Designer jewelry, Diamonds, Jewelry, Museums and Attractions, Restaurants and bars, Specialty stores and watches.
• Brands – A list of all the product brands available. Clicking on any of the brands takes you to another page where you can select another option to see specific products from that brand, view the retailers who carry the brand or add to your wish list.
• Search – Clicking search takes you to a screen that is basically a replica of the “Browsing” screen, but instead of using the odd compass graphic (which doesn’t work all that well) to navigate you can just click text, much better in my opinion.

Personalizing the Portfolio App

Here you can select your port and sail date to give your experience a bit more or a personalized feel. After you choose your ship and sail date it will take you to a screen that is identical to the screen from the browsing option, but this time it only shows ports, retailers or brands that are relevant to the cruise you will be taking.
For instance if you say you will be sailing on the Oasis of the Seas on May 12th it will only show you the options that exist in the ports of Cozumel, Falmouth and Labadee; which are the ports that sailing visits. Functionally speaking everything else works the exact same as it does when just browsing.

What are my thoughts on the Royal Caribbean Port App

I love the idea behind the app, but it does have some warts. On a cruise more so than other vacations time is of the essence, so being able to pre-plan something that I find tedious is a godsend. I also love the fact that it allows me to see what is available so that I can gather my own information, since I don’t really trust that the port shopping experts are anything more than paid shills.

Another thing I really do like is the Google maps integration into the Portfolio App. I understand there is a significant segment of cruisers who live to browse; I’m not one of them. When it comes to shopping I need laser targeted focus. The sooner I can acquire and engage my target, the sooner I can get on with the sightseeing. The idea of being able to plan out the most efficient route to the stores I need to visit is incredibly appealing. In those areas the Portfolio app shines.

However, like I said the app does have some warts. The interface is cute but clunky, which is no good to me. Although it will appeal to some, I want something that works well first and looks good second; in this instance the reverse is true. At times trying to get the compass to spin correctly can really try your patience. If it were up to me the compass thing would be scrapped. It’s a novelty but it doesn’t work very well and can become frustrating.

Also, some of the options are kind of pointless. I think a simpler graphical representation of the options would work better, sometimes less is more. I would also like it if there was some way to actually “search” for a brand or retailer. For browsing it’s okay to be able to sift through a list but there are so many options I think it would be more effective if you could type in the first few letters of what you are looking for to get search results. I want to be able to type “Tag Heuer” when searching I shouldn’t have to click and scroll a bunch of times to get the desired result. Admittedly some users may prefer to click and scroll but those who like to type and search shouldn’t be ignored.

The interface can also be buggy as to when it decides to stop working. A couple of times the app got stuck at a “please wait, retrieving search items” screen. Sometimes it would fix itself but other times I would let it idle for 5 minutes or so before I would be forced to close it and re-open. An app that freezes is something I would expect from a small company but you would think an outfit the size of Royal Caribbean would have had better testing and quality control.

Pluses and Minuses of the Royal Caribbean Portfolio App

Pluses

Loads of information, an info-junkies dream
Google Maps integration is a potential timesaver
Wish list is great as is the sharing function

Cons

Clunky interface should be redesigned
Sometimes it freezes
Not the most efficient search functionality

In the end what you have here is a “try hard” app that is more good than bad, but far from great. The app is free so if you are a shopper or just curious its worth the download, but don’t expect anything earth-shattering. Hopefully this is just a 1.0 version and not something that will be abandoned as it does have potential, it just needs some refinement.

5 Practical Ways to Curb Cruise Vacation Weight Gain

Written by T.I. Cruiser on April 24, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Let’s not kid ourselves; it’s damn hard (not impossible but damn hard) to take a cruise vacation without gaining weight. If you stick vacationers on a boat with 24 hour food and drink availability, healthy eating habits more often than not will cease to exist. Just because a certain outcome seems like to happen it doesn’t mean you should just throw in the towel, give into temptation, pig out and deal with the consequences when you get home; there is another way.

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, instead of seeking to completely avoid anything that can cause you to gain weight, pick your battles. Putting on a couple of pounds is perfectly normal and okay, what you want to avoid is packing on so much weight that your clothes no longer fit by the end of the cruise. The key is not to deny yourself completely, but moderation and knowing when to deny yourself. In my mind it’s impossible to go on a cruise vacation with the mindset of not enjoying all of the options available. Whether it’s where we are going, what we are doing or what we are eating I want to start things out with all of the options being available. This doesn’t necessarily mean I am going to take advantage of everything but I don’t want to limit myself before I even start.

Some people will tell you to take the stairs so that you get exercise. Other people will tell you that alcoholic beverages have tons of empty calories so they should be skipped. I’m going to tell you that taking the stairs slows you down and not drinking alcoholic beverages (when you are a drinker) sucks; so we have to do this another way. Instead of fighting that uphill battle (a battle you would eventually lose, leaving you both guilt-ridden and bloated) to completely cut out “the bad stuff” lets concentrate more on how to make “the bad stuff” not so bad.

Drink water whenever possible: Everyone tells you this one, which is something that I can get behind. While I’m not one to say you should completely avoid the empty calories in sodas (or pop as I would say) I do think it’s important to pick your battles. This is one of those battles where I like to play it conservatively. If skipping that glass of Pepsi or Coke allows me to enjoy a cocktail later, in my mind it’s a fair trade. Besides, I take dehydration seriously and there is no better way to fight dehydration than good old H2O, plus I need to prepare for all of the booze I won’t be cutting back on later.

Just because a buffet is available it doesn’t mean you have to eat everything: Buffets. Love them. I’m not someone who goes to a buffet with the intention of filling up plate after plate with food, just because it’s available. However, I am someone who once I see something I like will have no problem “going for it”. So, you don’t have to skip the buffets you just shouldn’t eat food just because it’s there. While you may feel the need to get your “money’s worth” of the ships food, you have to exercise a bit of restraint. Here is what you want to do, go through the line twice. The first time through just take small samples of anything you think looks interesting. This way you can sample anything you want and decide which battle is worth fighting. Then after you are done you can go back through the line to “fill up” on the items you really enjoyed. Who knows after you are done eating your samples you may not even want to go back through that second time.

Go easy on the frozen cocktails: Some people want you to skip the frozen cocktails because they are full of empty calories, which is true. I want you to skip the frozen cocktails because they are seriously lacking in booze. If you are going to be taking in all of the empty calories contained in alcohol you may as well be getting buzzed in the process. So instead of sipping on a Margarita go ahead and order yourself a long island iced tea; both of them are loaded with calories but it only takes a couple long island iced teas to get you going. You may have to drink your body weight in umbrella drinks before you start feeling anything.

Go out and get active: Ships are great because a lot of the time they will trick you into being active. There are some in your face “go out and exercise” areas like the jogging track or fitness center, but they aren’t my cup of tea. The real “gems” are activities like ice skating, rock climbing, trampolines or just walking around the promenade are all great ways to burn calories without actually “exercising”. Also when you get into port, exploring by foot whenever possible is a great way to not only really see a port but also to burn calories. Spending a couple of hours per port walking can almost negate the extra calories you take in during the evening. I love the variety of terrain you encounter in most ports; you can get a pretty good workout, without even realizing that you are actually working out. So if you are in a historic location do some research on a self-guided walking tour of the area, there is no better way to see the sights. I am big on snorkeling. In my experience few calorie blasting methods are more effective than chasing fish underwater. Any time I spend a few hours in a port snorkeling, I know that I can indulge with impunity when I get back to the ship because of all the exercise I got during the day.

Maybe You Should Eat More Often: I know this advice flies directly in the face of logic but maybe the right thing to do is eat smaller meals but more often. Since food is available 24 hours a day there is no need to load up on grub; they won’t run out. So instead of eating huge meals a couple of times each day, why not eat smaller meals and more often. By eating less food but more you will be encouraging a speed up of your metabolism allowing you to burn calories more easily. Since your body gets used to being fed several times each day it doesn’t hold onto calories wondering when the next caloric load will take place. This is also what you should be doing in your everyday life for optimum weight control.

I’m sure you have come across numerous articles telling you how to not lose weight on a cruise but most of them suggest unrealistic methods. What I tried to do was remind you that on a cruise you are supposed to have fun and enjoy everything it offers. However, just because you are enjoying yourself it doesn’t mean you need to overdo it. But even if you do happen to take things too far there are still ways to make cut calories in some places to be used in other