11 Posts From 2011 That Helped You Become a Better Cruiser

As we bring to a close 2011, it’s important to look back at the current year before we start looking ahead to the New Year.  Here is a list of 11 posts from 2011 provide useful information to both new and experienced cruisers.

Those of you who are regular readers of theintelligentcruiser.com may have read most of these blog posts, but (if you ask me) they are worth reading again.  Those readers who just recently discovered this cruise blog and only joined us for part of the year should find these blog posts particularly useful.

• It’s no secret that Mexico Cruise Ports have gotten a lot of bad press in 2011.  Cruise Lines have canceled boatloads of Mexico Riviera sailings.  Here is what I had to say about the safety of Mexico Cruise Ports.
• Snorkeling is one of my favorite cruise port activities.  Since the closest beach to my house is in the Northeast United States, let’s just say gazing at fish in clear 80 degree water is not something I take for granted.  The problem is many tourists do take snorkeling for granted and because of that lack of respect the world’s coral reefs are being destroyed.  Check out this article about how tourists are unknowingly contributing to the destruction of the world’s coral reefs, and to find out what you can do to make sure you are not part of the problem.
• Every cruise I take I see people who really have no business being left to their own devices in a foreign country.  If you ever stood outside the gangway watching as passengers exit the ship you would know what I mean.  Loud shirts, fancy jewelry and general cluelessness are all too prevalent.  Then when you look to the other side of the fence that separates the “real world” from “Ship Life” and you realize exactly what is going on.  These passengers have bathed themselves in chum and are about to enter shark infested waters.  Here is a blog entry that details a slew of ways to not be one of those chum covered cruise ship passengers.
• I’m not sure if I am the only one who suffers from post-cruise depression.  I suspect there are others out there who also suffer from this affliction.  I wrote this blog post to share a few tips I have for avoiding post-cruise depression or to at least lessen its effects.
• Buffets, usually people say they either love them or hate them.  My theory is no one actually hates them but rather the behavior of their fellow passengers at the buffet.  I think if everyone knew how to probably conduct themselves the whole perception of the buffet would change.  This particular cruise article should be required reading for anyone taking a cruise.  In fact, if you are someone who thinks you have good “cruise buffet etiquette” you should probably read it twice.
• Cruise ship vacations are probably the most misunderstood segment of the travel industry.  Hotel stays and all-inclusive resorts are easy, but for some reason unless you are a cruiser you probably don’t understand cruising.  In fact, even some of the people I know that have been on cruises still don’t understand them.  I wrote this blog entry to clear up some cruise vacation misconceptions.
• The logistics of planning a cruise can sometimes be daunting.  While most of the anxiety comes from getting from your home to the cruise ship, something that shouldn’t be overlooked is getting from the cruise ship back to your home.  Depending on where you are sailing from and your commitments back home the need to have a smooth transition back to “the real world” can be even more stressful than leaving it.  Here is a little blog post I wrote that sheds some light on the unpleasant task of booking a post-cruise flight back home.
• While cruise vacations can be great values the presence of more ala carte options and the “cashless” transaction method can also lead to over-spending.  Here are 5 ways cruise lines encourage overspending onboard the cruise ship and here are 5 ways you may be able to save money on a cruise vacation.  While most of the ideas presented in those two posts will be things you probably have thought about at one time or another.  Sometimes being reminded of something and being able to see it written in black and white helps the idea sink in a little bit more.
• In 2011 not only did cruisers as a whole get a lot smarter but cruise lines got smarter as well.  When the price of oil started to once again rise there was much speculation the return of fuel surcharges.  However, cruise lines threw us a curve ball they didn’t reinstate the fuel surcharge.  What they did instead was make many of the other things just a bit more expensive.  The move was brilliant.  Cruisers didn’t have to pay “fuel surcharges” and cruise lines didn’t have to eat the cost of fuel.  Sure, all of us cruisers were still paying for the rising cost of fuel but as long as it wasn’t labeled as a fuel surcharge we stayed happy.
• Each cruise, thousands of passengers board their cruise ship to embark on their own version of a cruise.  The funny thing is even though ships have more than a dozen cabin categories, numerous dining options and countless ways to entertain you everyone on a ship is basically taking the same cruise.  The magic is in the choices and extras each individual passenger makes.  Even though there are thousands of passengers on the same cruise how you structure your cruise and what options you choose along with the memories created is what distinguishes your cruise from everyone else’s.  In that way a cruise is a lot like buying a car.  You can line up 100 Honda Accord’s and because of colors and options no two will be alike.  Here is an article about how going on a cruise is just like shopping for a car.

So there are 11 articles that I feel were amongst the most helpful in 2011.  Of course there are others that could have and maybe should have made the cut but I had to make a cut-off somewhere.  All in all I would say 2011 was a resounding success.   Just as always my aim was to provide good, useful content for readers a trend that I hope to continue in 2012.

R. Kelly Set to Host the “Love Letter” Cruise

These days musical talent hosting cruises are all the rage. With the Jam Cruise, VH1′s Best Cruise Ever and of course the New Kids on the Block cruise all being incredibly successful another heavy hitter enters into the niche. Heavy Metal entered the theme cruise arena with their Kiss Kruise and now it looks like R and B is next up to bat.

Next year R. Kelly will be hosting a cruise dubbed the “Love Letter” cruise. Departing from Miami on October 1, 2012 on a five day trip to the Bahamas on-board the Carnival Destiny, this cruise will definitely be one to remember for you R and B fans. Cabins start at about 1500 dollars for a double occupancy cabin and go up from there. I don’t know the full details of the cruise but I can tell you that there will be R. Kelly themed dance classes, special guests and two R. Kelly on-board concerts.

 

Here is a look at the Love Letter cruise itinerary:

Monday, October 1, 2012
Departs Miami, FL 4:00PM (ET)
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Fun Day At Sea
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Grand Turk 7:00AM 2:30PM
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Half Moon Cay, The Bahamas 9:30AM 6:00PM
Friday, October 5, 2012
Nassau, The Bahamas 7:00AM 5:00PM
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Arrives in Miami, FL 8:00AM (ET)

 

If you are interested in booking the R. Kelly “Love Letter” cruise you can head over to http://www.concertscruise.com/ to book. Please note, in order to be guaranteed a place at one of the two on-board R. Kelly concerts you will want to book through that link, no passes will be for sale once you board the ship.

 

Kodak Playsport ZX3 Amazon.com Lightning Deal

Last week I tipped you guys off on a great underwater digital camera deal on the Kodak Playsport ZX5.  Today there is an even better deal.  The older model of the camera the ZX3 (the one that I own) is on sale for a limited time at Amazon.com for 80 dollars.  While this is the older model of their Playsport series, older doesn’t always mean inferior.  In fact, many reviews say the ZX3 is superior to the new model.  While I haven’t made actual in hand comparisons between the two cameras what I can tell you is I have had mine for a few years and taken it snorkeling more than a dozen times and every time it has performed well.  I have never had a problem with leakage and the picture quality is also great.  Here is a link to the Amazon.com Lightning Deal.  Once again Lightning Deals are limited time, limited quantity deals so if you want one you might want to hurry as there is it will likely hit the quantity cap before the time runs out.  This one lasts until 1pm EST (Dec 5th) and as of right now they have sold a little more than a third of the units.