Fly or drive to the cruise?

Here's some snippets from a great article by Lyn Edwin Cathey – Network Travel Services with pros and cons of each.

‘Air/Sea’ packages are available – purchased through the cruise line. Your travel agent will handle this as part of a single transaction – the cruise and airfare combined. Or, your TA can arrange the flights separately. However, the “unbundled” option almost always results in greater choice and lower fares.

Or, how about loading the family the car and driving to the port of departure? With ships sailing out of many regional ports such as Galveston, New Orleans, Mobile, Charleston, New York, etc. – driving is becoming more and more of a viable option.

Always Plan for Contingencies

Unless yours is a very short flight, say Tampa to Miami, it is almost always best to schedule arrival at the port of departure a day or two prior to the ship’s sailing. Why? If you are late to the port for ANY reason, the ship is not going to wait. You will be on your own for all costs related to catching up with the ship at the first port stop. And the cruise line is not going to compensate you for days that you were not on board. The best strategy is to book a flight arriving the day before the ship sails, grab a hotel near the pier or in an area that would be fun to explore for half a day. Then sleep easy with the peace of mind that you are not likely to miss your ship. When returning to port for disembarkation allow for unexpected contingencies, such as a customs or immigration instigated delay in clearing the ship for one reason or another- or a weather related delay to the ship’s arrival in port, etc. A good rule of thumb – if you are catching a flight home on the same day the ship gets in, don’t schedule your departure any earlier than mid-afternoon; even if the ship is scheduled to arrive at 7am and the airport is only a stone’s throw away – such as in Ft. Lauderdale.

Working with a Traditional Travel Agent

Pros – Agents have the experience and resources to get it done quickly and can often save you money – even after paying the service fee. One issue to discuss with your TA – that there is some value in the marked up Air/Sea ticket purchased through the cruise line that is not apparent at first glance. Example: Transfers from the airport to ship (or hotel) and return are usually included – plus there is a minor insurance factor in that the cruise line will assist and cover the cost of getting you to the ship if you miss departure due to delayed flight arrival. This is not something they will do if you bought the airline ticket separately. Still, all things considered, we feel there is better value in booking the air on your own.

Cons – Just one, the standard agency service fee will apply to all non-commissionable purchases such as air tickets – generally from $30 to $50 per. Well worth the money in our estimation since a good TA will save both time and money in the long run.

Driving to the Port of Departure

Pros – Usually secure, fenced in parking is provided by the cruise lines at domestic ports of departure – sometimes even covered parking. The fee is usually reasonable – $10 to $20 per day. Plus, by driving rather than flying you not only save on airfare, you can pack EVERYTHING! Think you might want that polyester Nehru jacket for formal night? Just throw it in the suitcase. No need worry about schlepping too many bags, excess baggage surcharges, etc. Once at the pier you can always make several trips from the car to your cabin. Just tell those longshoremen giving you the Evil Eye that your spouse over-packed.

Cons – None that we can think of. Just don’t leave anything valuable in the car. Break-ins happen. Even in “secure” parking areas.

I don't use a travel agent

I'm always amused when I hear that statement. It's like saying I don't go to stores, grow my own vegetables and raise my own meat. Admirable, but highly unlikely.
When people say that, they usually follow up with 'I book online with...' Guess what ...(fill in the blank with your online retailer of choice) is a travel agency!

I just read a fascinating book called 'All Marketers are Liars' by Seth Godin. The concept is so simple. We buy things because of the way the lie makes us feel. We don't really need $100 sneakers, a Hyundai will get us from point A to B just as well as a Lexus, but it doesn't make us feel the same.

Online retailers have done a great job at creating their story. They appeal to the 'rugged individualism' of American consumers. We want to feel we're smarter, tougher, faster etc. than others and we can do anything! Well of course you can do anything, but how well can you do it? How much time does it take you to do it yourself?
Online retailers make you feel, you're really doing a DIY job on your vacation. You can sit and search for hours, waiting on that great deal to pounce on, learn all you can about which cruise line is right for you and happily book it yourself on pretendingnottobeanagency.com .
Just like you can learn how to change the oil in your car, do your own taxes, build your own house and on and on and on; while the rest of the world uses their free time to do something they actually like doing.

Celebrity Century 4 Day Review

Three or four day cruises are an excellent way to whet your appetite for cruising if you're not quite sure about being on a ship for a long time. Many people are skeptical about taking a cruise because they think they'll be bored or will feel constant motion like smaller boats they've been on in the past. If you haven't taken a cruise in 20 years things have changed tremendously!

While most people opt for Carnival or Royal Caribbean on a short cruise, Celebrity also offers a 4 day Western Caribbean itinerary. I've sailed with Celebrity previously on 7 day itineraries so I was anxious to see how different a short cruise would be with them. We didn't have time for a 7 day, I don't particularly like Carnival's food, so it came down to Royal, NCL or Celebrity. Since food is my top reason for cruising and we had been to all the ports offered on each we chose Celebrity Century. The ship sailed from Miami, visiting Key West and Cozumel before spending a day at sea on the way back to Miami.

If you're used to longer itineraries and newer ships you should be aware that short trips are usually on older ships with perhaps newer staff. If you're new to cruising you might not notice, but a veteran may miss some of the bells and whistles of newer vessels and seasoned crew members. I heard complaints from a few people about things they should have known before booking this cruise. (Tsk-tsk, at least do some research if you're booking online by yourself! Don't spoil other people's good time because you were being cheap) You know I'm all about managing expectations and knowing what to expect to get the most out of your vacation. Celebrity definitely has a more laid back relaxed atmosphere than the other lines would have on a 3 day trip. If you love the late night party atmosphere of Carnival this would not be the ship for you. The passenger demographic was a little younger thankfully than previous trips, but still a little older than you might find aboard Carnival or Royal. (We've always been the youngest people on board other Celebrity ships) The entertainment onbard was not as great as some of the longer cruises we've been on, but definitely adequate. There was a Broadway style show in the theater one night, comedian and acrobatic duo others. Musicians included a guitarist, jazz ensemble, party band and vocal quartet performing at various venues around the ship each day. We heard Franklin the guitarist the most. Somehow we managed to be wherever he was performing each day. He was great, but we got tired of hearing the same songs since we saw him s o many times. My son even stared at him so hard once he paused between verses and said 'He's not impressed'. Embarrassing, but kids are some of the most honest beings! We also found out midway through that this was the Soap Cruise. Several actors from CBS soaps were onboard hosting events and in port. I thought I saw Cassie from Guiding Light one day, but thought I was crazy till our breakfast mates the 2^nd morning told us about it. Once I started paying attention, I did notice several events around the ship and a few other actors. Josh from Guiding Light also was in front of us during the comedy show. I hear Cain from Young & the Restless was onbard as well, but I never did see him. That's one I wouldn't have minded checking out in person! Oh and Brad Carlton too! There was a fan who had tattoos of the Y&R stars on her back! Seriously! Now that's some dedication.

Since it has been a while since we did traditional fixed dining, we had mixed feelings about having to dress for dinner and sit with strangers. It ended up being the highlight of the cruise. We met some great people that we plan to keep in touch with. My son even met a little friend he keeps asking about. They were holding hands by the last morning and he still wants to talk to his 'friend on the ship'. Since we did Freestyle dining on Norwegian Jewel last time, we forgot how much fun it is to meet new people at dinner. We ended up with a great table and learned so much from our new friends from Canada, Russia and the U.K. Besides the food that is one of my other favorite parts of cruising. We American definitely need to get out of our comfort zones more and learn more about other cultures. Surprisingly most of the bartenders were Jamaican, on this ship. There were lots of Indian crew members and a few South Americans and Eastern Europeans. We had fun learning about the little cliques onboard. Isn't it funny how we humans always tend to separate ourselves?

We utilized the Fun Factory program a few times. I was too nervous at first to leave him alone, but after the first time he asked to go back to the 'playroom' and didn't even want to eat dinner with us. A daily schedule of activities is delivered to your stateroom so you know what they're doing all day. Some activities are in the room and others are around the ship. In addition to typical crafts and games, they had scavenger hunts, backstage theater and bridge tours and a trip to the ice cream parlor. Although we hit the ice cream everyday as a family, going with the Fun Factory seemed to be the highlight of his trip. Since this is low season (the ONLY time I cruise) the kids age groups were combined. It was not a problem however, since the older kids seemed to like helping with the younger ones. Although the Fun Factory

staff was excellent, I probably wouldn't take this ship again with young children because of the lack of water play areas for them. The two pools were quite small and 4- 6 feet deep. I didn't think it would be a problem, but we didn't want to get all the way in with him everyday since it was chilly a few days. Those times it would have been nice to have a splash or wading area for him to use without us having to get all the way in the pool.

Dinners in

the Main Dining Room were excellent as usual. Our head waiter, Rodrigo, was outstanding with the kids! He kept the pace of the meal up for my son and his new friend and even brought extra treats if he noticed they were getting antsy. Not once did he seem annoyed by having two preschoolers at the table.

Cruises are an excellent way to get a feel for the islands you may want to visit again in the Caribbean, or a way to see several European countries in one trip avoiding trains and multiple flights.

In April, I'll be doing a ship inspection of Carnival Fascination since I have not seen any of the Fantasy Class ships since the Evolutions of Fun refurbishments were done. I can't wait to see how they stack up now. In closing this trip on the Century hit the spot for a relaxing long weekend with great food and service. If you're looking for a short cruise try them out instead of Carnival!