GUNNAR SVANBERG SKULASSON
Have you ever noticed how people either love cruises or hate them? My pet theory is that the people who love them picked the right ship the first time they ever cruised. And the people who hate them neglected to check this annual list of the best and worst ships, as rated by Condé Nast Traveler readers. The 2014 list has just come out, but studying it is only the first step to choosing the right cruise. To minimize the potential drawbacks of cruises (e.g., limited time in port, crowds and lines, possible seasickness) and maximize the potential benefits (e.g., a new place to explore each day, an ever-changing ocean view, free child care), here are eight important things to know:
How to pick a ship that’s the right size:
The most vital statistic about a vessel is the number of passengers it carries. Ship size determines a lot more than you might imagine—from what you’ll be able to see and do in ports of call to what you’ll eat on board to how rested you’ll feel by the end of the trip.
The most vital statistic about a vessel is the number of passengers it carries. Ship size determines a lot more than you might imagine—from what you’ll be able to see and do in ports of call to what you’ll eat on board to how rested you’ll feel by the end of the trip.
How to transform a cheap cruise into a dream trip:
Sometimes a cruise “deal” is no deal at all. But sometimes it’s just a few tweaks away from the trip of a lifetime. This is the story of how I turned a low-budget Caribbean cruise—on a crowded megaship with a run-of-the-mill itinerary—into my family’s best vacation in years.
Sometimes a cruise “deal” is no deal at all. But sometimes it’s just a few tweaks away from the trip of a lifetime. This is the story of how I turned a low-budget Caribbean cruise—on a crowded megaship with a run-of-the-mill itinerary—into my family’s best vacation in years.
How to choose a great cruise for kids:
A cruise can take the work and stress out of a family vacation. If your goal is to sightsee, you can show your children a different place each day without having to change hotels and beds. If your goal is to relax, you can drop your kids off at the supervised kids' club while you stare at the sea and read novels. But pinpointing the right cruise for your family is a lot more complicated than you’d think. Here are the crucial questions to ask. Here, too, are the pros and cons of cruises I took with my own kids on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star, and the Disney Dream.
A cruise can take the work and stress out of a family vacation. If your goal is to sightsee, you can show your children a different place each day without having to change hotels and beds. If your goal is to relax, you can drop your kids off at the supervised kids' club while you stare at the sea and read novels. But pinpointing the right cruise for your family is a lot more complicated than you’d think. Here are the crucial questions to ask. Here, too, are the pros and cons of cruises I took with my own kids on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star, and the Disney Dream.
Factors that make for a great itinerary:
Look for routes where the ship hits a charming port every day and stays in it till after dark—like this itinerary I chose on Azamara Club Cruises in the Adriatic Sea.
Look for routes where the ship hits a charming port every day and stays in it till after dark—like this itinerary I chose on Azamara Club Cruises in the Adriatic Sea.
How much your cruise will actually cost once you factor in onboard expenses:
There’s a big difference between the base price you pay for a cruise and the total you end up paying once the add-ons have been tacked onto the supposedly “all-inclusive” base price. What do cruise ships nickel-and-dime you for anyway, and how much does a cruise really cost?
There’s a big difference between the base price you pay for a cruise and the total you end up paying once the add-ons have been tacked onto the supposedly “all-inclusive” base price. What do cruise ships nickel-and-dime you for anyway, and how much does a cruise really cost?
What a river cruise is really like:
Americans are flocking to river cruises in record numbers, making it one of the hottest trends in travel and leading river lines to launch a whopping 25 new ships on European waterways next year. But will river cruising float your boat?
Americans are flocking to river cruises in record numbers, making it one of the hottest trends in travel and leading river lines to launch a whopping 25 new ships on European waterways next year. But will river cruising float your boat?
The surprising differences between river cruising and ocean cruising:
They differ more than you might think. Many of the people I've met on the former are refugees from the latter: They chose a river cruise to avoid the crowds, lines, and hassles they've encountered on giant ships at sea. But river cruises also lack some of the most enticing features of the ocean experience—from vast, uninterrupted sea views to romantic dinners on your balcony. Here are 13 things that make a river cruise different.
They differ more than you might think. Many of the people I've met on the former are refugees from the latter: They chose a river cruise to avoid the crowds, lines, and hassles they've encountered on giant ships at sea. But river cruises also lack some of the most enticing features of the ocean experience—from vast, uninterrupted sea views to romantic dinners on your balcony. Here are 13 things that make a river cruise different.
How to have a perfect time in port:
Here are ten ways to get the most for your time and money during your days ashore. And, for those of you headed to Europe this summer, here are seven great day-long itineraries for seven popular ports.
Here are ten ways to get the most for your time and money during your days ashore. And, for those of you headed to Europe this summer, here are seven great day-long itineraries for seven popular ports.
Contributed by Wendy Perrin, www.cntraveler.com
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