Cruises and Shore Excursions

 "Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen." Benjamin Disraeli

Cruising in Glacier Bay


If you really want to go somewhere and really see that destination, then a cruise by itself is probably not the right option for you. Realistically, you are seldom in port more then 6 – 8 hours. That is really not enough time to really get to see a place. There are some exceptions to that.  Alaska would be the exception, partly because you are seeing Alaska as you cruise, viewing the inside passage and glaciers from the ship, and because the towns that you pull into are so small, you can explore them in a short time. But if your port of call is  Barcelona, for example, well you can see a few things and get a feel for Barcelona, but you won't have time to really see Barcelona.

Our ship Cristal in port in Patmos, Greece

 There is always the option of booking a cruise and then spending time on land pre and post cruise. The other option is to plan a land trip with a small local cruise added on. When we went to Greece we spent 3 weeks there. We spent a week on the mainland, Athens, Delphi, Meteora, and then we did a 3 day Greek Island cruise which took us to Rhodes, Mykonos, Patmos and over to Kusadasi, Turkey. Then we flew to Santorini for a few days and then took the ferry to Crete, where we spent a week. So by doing the cruise, we got a quick look at a few islands, but then we got to spend time on land also, really exploring. The cruise portion was a fun relaxing break.

There are so many different options to consider before booking your cruise.  Do you want one of the big mega ships, maybe something mid-size, or a small ship. There are some places where the smaller ships have an advantage, such as getting up closer to the glaciers in Alaska, or going to islands in the Caribbean that do not have large ports to pull into.  There are cruises on the major rivers of Europe, China and the USA.  There are also cruises on sailing ships, such as Windstar Cruises or the Windjammer Barefoot cruises.  They make stops where the big ships can't go.  The tall ship experience is the ultimate in relaxation and peacefulness.



The tall ship experience

Of the big cruise line companies, the best known are:  Norwegian, Carnival, Disney, Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Crystal and Seaborne.  And I would rate them in that order with Norwegian and Carnival the lowest, and Crystal and Seaborne the highest, as far as amenities, food, service, etc.  But that does not mean you shouldn't take a Carnival Cruise.  You may have heard that they are party ships, catering to a younger crowd.  To a certain extent that is correct, but they will have all age groups, including seniors aboard any of their sailings.  They are less expensive then some of the other ships, and I would rate there food and service slightly below the others, but still quite good. They are a lot of fun, and even though their are lots of families on board (kids), they are not a problem usually.  I'm past the kid stage, and when I sailed on Carnival I found the kids were so busy with the activities planned for them, that they were not around the areas I wanted to be.  Of course, if you have kids, Carnival and also Disney are certainly the best option for cruising.


Disney ship in port in Key West

The top cruise lines are Crystal and Seaborne.  And you will pay a lot more for cruises with them, but the service, food and all the amenities are the best.  Certainly the cruise lines like Holland America, Princess and Royal Caribbean are top-notch, and you will not be disappointed with them.

Before taking a cruise you will also have to decide on the type of cabin you want.  The least expensive cabin will be either forward or aft, inside (no window), and on the lowest floor for guests (and yes, the floor is above the water-line.)  The higher you go on the ship, and the more in the middle of the ship the room is - the more expensive the cabin.  Also, a room with a window is more then an inside cabin, and if you get a balcony it is even more.  There are suites, some even with butlers, but again the more amenities, the more money.  If you are worried about getting sea-sick, then a cabin at the front of the ship would be one to avoid, as they tend to get the most up and down motion.  Either a cabin in the middle or back of the ship would be best.


Pool and slide on the Carnival Glory

Once on board there are expenses still.  Your meals are free - unless you opt for a special meal at one of their special restaurants.  Wine, alcoholic drinks and soft drinks are an added expense.  There are stores to shop in and shore excursions to purchase at every port of call.  Everything on board is cashless, they have your credit card number and you pay at the end of the cruise.  You also are expected to tip all the staff on board, that is also done at the end with the credit card.


Esphesus near Kusadasi, Turkey

A word on shore excursions. The ones the cruise lines sell are usually quite good and they cover the main things people want to see in most ports. Most of those things can be done on your own and for less money. Again, it depends how independent you want to be. If you are a nervous traveler, then by all means, book the ships excursions. If you do it on your own, remember to be back on board before the ship sails, they won't wait for you. If you book their excursion, then they will make sure you are back. In Alaska I walked off the ship and booked a seaplane trip that was about half the price of what the ship charged. And in Kusadasi, Turkey, the main excursion was to the ruins at Esphesus, which I wanted to see, but I did not want to spend the whole 4 hours we had in port at just the ruins. I really wanted to explore the town of Kusadasi also. So we took a taxi out to the ruins and asked the driver to wait. We explored for a couple of hours and then went back to town to explore there. The taxi was a lot less then the ships shore excursion. And we could get a guide there at the ruins for just a few dollars to show us the sights.

So consider your options. Just getting off the ship and wandering around a new town can be a lot of fun in itself.