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Monday Mailbag: April 25, 2011 Edition

Written by T.I. Cruiser on April 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Hello everyone, welcome to another edition of the Monday Mailbag. This week I have a couple of questions concerning deadlines and cruising. The first question is about arriving at the cruise port at the last minute while the second is about booking a “true” last minute cruise. Hopefully, these user submitted questions prove to be helpful to you guys and remember to keep the questions coming.

How late can I arrive at the cruise port?

I will be sailing out of New Orleans on the Norwegian Spirit this coming June. My ship leaves at 5p.m. but my plane doesn’t land until about 2 p.m. Will I be able to make the ship on time or should I try to schedule an earlier flight?

This is a tough one because although I would love to, I have never sailed out of New Orleans. What I can tell you is that ideally you will want to arrive at the cruise terminal no later than 1.5-2 hours before its time for your cruise to sail. Although you can show up a little bit later 2 hours is a good time to aim for.

Now assuming it takes about 45 minutes to get from Louis Armstrong Airport to the cruise terminal that means when your plane lands you will have about 15-30 minutes to retrieve your bags before you run up against that 2 hour cap. However, like I mentioned you can get there later but depending on weather or any other unanticipated delays you are cutting it extremely close. If it were me I would try to fly down the night before, but if that isn’t possible the latest I would want to land would be somewhere in the noon to 1 o’clock range.

What is the latest I can book a cruise?

I heard that the cheapest way to book a cruise are the last minute cruises they sell at the cruise port on embarkation day. Is it true that you can buy those last minute cruises pennies on the dollar?

Unfortunately as far as I know you cannot buy last minute cruises at the cruise terminal. In the past driving to a cruise terminal with a trunk full of luggage with plans on taking a cruise may have been an option, since 911 happened that option has changed.

While it is still possible to book cruises with as little as 24 hours’ notice the true drive up option seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird. While there is a myth going around the internet that the deadline to book a cruise is 3 days prior this is nothing more than the internet version of an urban legend.

While my admittedly limited research shows there was a time period following 911 where homeland security indeed required a 72 hour cutoff time, since then this deadline has been relaxed. I have heard of people booking a cruise as close as 48 or even 24 hours prior to sailing time but this all depends on the individual cruise line. My advice would be to call around to the cruise lines you are considering to see what the actual cutoff time would be.

While it is true that booking at the proverbial 11^th hour will probably net you the cheapest price possible, this is really only an option for those that live within driving distance to a cruise port. Those of us who need to fly to cruise terminals would be absolutely killed by the cost of booking a last minute flight to the cruise port.

Monday Mailbag: April 11, 2011 Edition

Written by T.I. Cruiser on April 11, 2011 · Leave a Comment

This edition of the Monday Mailbag touches on three questions sent in by readers. The first has to deal with cold weather on a Mediterranean cruise. The second, dealing packing for a Caribbean cruise that sails out of New York in the dead of winter. The third question is in regards to Royal Caribbean’s policy on bringing non-alcoholic beverages on board their ships. Hopefully this will help some of you who have had or may have the same questions as these.

I was looking to book a cruise to the Mediterranean but want to avoid any possible cold weather. Which months are the winter months in the Mediterranean or is there a specific Mediterranean cruise itinerary I should choose if I was looking to book a fall Mediterranean cruise?

First let me say that in most places where Mediterranean cruises travel it never gets truly cold. The Mediterranean cruise season is typically from April through October although some cruise lines do sail year round. During that time period temperatures are very comfortable and no where near cold. While it can get down to the 50′s in northern areas like Istanbul, this is still a far cry from what most of us would call “cold”.

Personally I feel when you are choosing a specific Mediterranean cruise itinerary, you shouldn’t let the weather dictate which Mediterranean cruise itinerary you decided to book. If there are particular ports you want to see let that decide which Mediterranean cruise itinerary you select. Different regions have different feels and its probably not something you will get to do every year so don’t settle. You never know when you will get another chance.

I have never been on a cold weather cruise but this winter we are booked on a New York cruise on the Caribbean Princess heading down to the Caribbean. How should I pack for the trip?

Well, sailing out of New York in the winter time can be tricky. I’m assuming it will take you about 2 days until you hit your first port of call, meaning the ship will be cold for at least the first day sailing and the last day coming back.

My guess would be you will be dressed in winter wear when you board the ship, which is good. The outerwear you have will come in handy on the first and last days if you want to spend any time out on the Lido Deck. The second day will probably be more touch and go since you will be much further south. At that point in time it doesn’t matter that you started out on a New York cruise since it will be tracking more like any other Caribbean cruise by then. And of course on the way back home the day you would be worried about would be the last day at sea.

My advice would be to bring a couple of layers that you can pack on and shed off as temperature dictates. However, I wouldn’t go overboard (no pun intended) on the amount of cold weather cruise gear you bring as most of your time will be spent in temperatures 60 degrees and above. Personally the only modifications I would make to my normal packing list would be maybe a fleece pullover, sweatshirt, pair of gloves and a pair of jeans.

We are taking a family cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship in late June. It will be myself, my husband and our 3 kids in two cabins. I didn’t want to buy the soda card for all of our children and was hoping we could bring our own on board the ship. I know some cruise lines allow you to bring a certain amount of non-alcoholic beverages on board is Royal Caribbean one of them?

First of all congratulations on your family cruise. Cruising is definitely one of the best ways to build those memories that will last long after everyone is grown and gone their separate ways. I wish my family was able to take those types of vacations when I was younger. Now… on to your question.

While I do know what you mean with some cruise lines allowing you to bring on board a case of pop (I refuse to say soda), to the best of my knowledge Royal Caribbean is not one of those cruise lines. Here is the policy straight from the horses mouth:

Royal Caribbean Policy regarding bringing beverages on board

Onboard Policies

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Q:
Can I bring liquor or non-alcoholic beverages (from home or from a port) on board?

A:
Guests are not allowed to bring alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages on board for consumption or any other use. Alcoholic beverages that are purchased in ports-of-call or from Shops On Board will be stored by the ship and delivered to your stateroom on the last day of the sailing. Alcoholic beverages seized on embarkation day will not be returned.

Security may inspect containers (water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, luggage etc.) and will dispose of containers holding alcohol. Guests who violate any alcohol policies, (over consume, provide alcohol to people under age 21, demonstrate irresponsible behavior, or attempt to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage check points or any other time), may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense, in accordance with our Guest Conduct Policy. Guests who are under the permitted drinking age will not have alcohol returned to them.

Please Note: All guests must comply with TSA guidelines for transporting liquids.

So unfortunately the children will either have to make due with the free beverages Royal Caribbean provides on board their ship or you will have to fork out the 4 dollars per day (per child) the fountain drink package will cost. Its not the ideal situation but there is no reason to allow something like this to tarnish a perfectly good family getaway. I’m sure the kids will be able to survive for a week on water, iced tea and lemonade; especially since unlimited ice cream makes for a great distraction.

Friday Mailbag: February 11, 2011 Edition

Written by T.I. Cruiser on February 11, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I’ve never been on a cruise before and I have a question about packing. Does the cruise ship provide hangers for me to use while on the ship or should I bring my own?

The cruise ship will provide hangers for you to use. Some cruise lines use the regular household variety hangers while others will use the hook-less type you find in many hotels. However, if you are someone who brings along a lot of items than need to be hung, you may want to bring along a few extras. While you can ask your cabin steward for additional hangers some find it easier to bring their own extras, all cabin stewards are not created equal.

I heard you can buy an unlimited soda package on Royal Caribbean. How does it work and how much does it cost?

Royal Caribbean has a purchasable soda card which entitles you to unlimited refills on fountain sodas at any bar or lounge, Windjammer Café, Main Dining room, and their private destinations. You will receive a Coca Cola souvenir cup which is to be used for your refills. The cost of the card varies depending on the length of the cruise. The cost of the card averages out to be about 6 dollars a day for adults and 4 dollars a day for children under the age of 18 (plus gratuity). Please note that you can only be a card that spans the length of your cruise, you can’t buy it for specific days (at sea days for example). Also remember that the card only covers fountain drinks not, the cans of soda in the minibar if your cabin.

We are a group of 12 college students planning to go on a cruise for Spring break. Some of us are over 21 but some are still underage by U.S. standards, will Carnival let us drink once we leave U.S. waters?

Nope. When a ship leaves from a United States port it follows the laws of the United States. Since the drinking age here is 21, passengers have to be that age in order to drink. In the local college bars you probably could get away with getting served if you look old enough, no so on a cruise ship. You’ll need to present your sign and sail card every time you order a drink and when they run it your age will pop up. In other words, there is no way to get around being underaged. However, there is some good news for those younger than 21 wishing to imbibe while on a cruise.

Most of the ports you will dock at in the Caribbean have an 18 year drinking age if they have one at all. So you and those in your group will be able to drink while on shore (2 dollar beers FTW). Just be careful not to go overboard (both figuratively and literally) with the drinks since you can be disciplined once you get back onboard ship. They don’t care what you do while you are off the ship but once return they will step in if you become disruptive. Don’t take this warning as paranoia because disciplinary actions can be severe, up to and including removal from the ship or even banned from the cruise line altogether.

I’ll be going on a cruise that stops in St. Thomas this June. Some friends recommended that we take a ferry over to St. John. I was wondering what the difference is between those two islands.

While they are both great in their own way, these two islands offer two very different experiences. St. Thomas is the larger and more built up of the two islands. While St. Thomas is most famous for its shopping, their beaches are nothing to sneeze at either. Megan’s Bay is consistently voted one of the top beaches in the world (although I think it’s a bit over-rated). There are a plethora of restaurants of nearly every type which appeals to the foodie in me.

St. Johns is much smaller and has a more natural look than St. Thomas. Three-fourths of the island is a national park which gives it a very different feel than the more developed island of St. Thomas. If you are someone who likes to snorkel, the snorkeling is great at Trunk Bay (yet another incredible beach). St. John is also a great place to hike. If you are into nature St. John is the better choice since it’s a lot less commercialized than St. Thomas. The flipside of St. John being less commercialized is there are fewer creature comforts. So if you are someone who likes to shop or eat in fancy restaurants stick with St. Thomas. Also note that you will have to catch the Red Hook ferry to get to and from St. John which will eat up a significant part of your day.

If this is your first visit to the USVI, my recommendation for you would be to stick with St. Thomas. The fact that either will be a new experience coupled with the logistical difficulties of getting to St. Johns skews things. Besides, so many Caribbean cruises go to St. Thomas you will undoubtedly return some day. If it were me I’d save the daytrip to St. John for subsequent visits.