Terry's Travel: Cruising 101

#Cruising_101
Leaving Miami (as the sun goes down) & with its seven main terminals this port is one of the cruising industries biggest hubs with more than 4 million passengers
With these large numbers it can be stressful, but keep reading as we shall take some of the questions out of the equation

If arriving by air; Miami International Airport is 20 minutes & Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International is 45 minutes away & both depending on traffic conditions to the port
Now most of the cruise lines provide shuttles from Miami Airport but generally only on the day the ship is embarking, plus they charge $23.00 PP......so lets forget about this option
So lets use either a taxi ( $40 per car load ) or any of the ride-hailing services such as Uber or Lyft starting at $25 & again per vehicle not per person

Now if staying at a nearby hotel;
Most offer free shuttle services or if traveling by car & staying a night before your ship leaves, its cheaper to park it at the motel until you return than pay those expensive port parking fees ($22.00 per night)
Finally a majority the car rental companies offer a free shuttle after you check in your returned vehicle

One of the best ways to get a "feel" of many countries is to board a ship and go cruising. Now depending on your comfort level here there is a few ways to save big dollars if you decide to hit the sea;

A) First up is to book your trip last minute or keep an eye open on the Internet for deals as the cruising industry want to get you aboard as this is where they make their money from their captive audience, you!.

B) Next is to arrive the day of embarking, as most travel agents suggest a day or two before & that means sometimes a Friday/Saturday which is higher airfare plus of course factor in hotel rooms.

I just recently flew on a Sunday (saved $1,000.00 on 2 tickets) & i called the cruise line to say i had a 2 hour window, which they were very accommodating if i was running late as boarding starts hours before they hit the sea

C) Also your allowed to bring a case of water or soda aboard for your personal use which comes in handy plus some shipping lines allow your duty free purchases to come with you, but ask before you buy as i have had mixed results on this issue.

D) Speaking of (again comfort level) i usually wait to i get on shore to book any adventures as you pay more on the ship for the convenience of having all arranged for you, but there is that off chance what you want to visit is sold out because you waited

Plus once on land i avoid the Cruise Ship Shuttle if there is a fee & just take the Public Bus which is always nearby the cruise terminal to City Centre at a huge saving

E) Also make sure you eat before you leave for the day, as its what you paid for on the ship ( plus i always buy some energy bars from my last stop on land & put them in my backpack)

F) Plus remember everything is charged to your room, so i usually put so much cash down on account to avoid any surprises by using a credit card as we know how that can add up quickly if not managed. For your convenience there are kiosks around the ship to check your balance & status which isn't a bad idea to do every few days.

Speaking of additional fees, a 18% gratuity is added to your bar tab or drink package, spa treatments, etc plus for staff your Cabin Stewart, Dinner Waiters & others a $14 to $18US per day per person (even if you have young children which the industry needs to address as its not fair) is charged to your rooms account for their weekly tip

But also you can go to the reception desk to ask to lower the daily amount for the staff or just say politely that you will tip the workers personally & for the ship to not charge your room.

BUT this must be done before final billing

G) Be careful of internet plans on the ship as these are expensive & sometimes the service is spotty on the open sea, so why not just wait until you get to shore....visit a cafe, buy a coffee then use the free WiFi.

H) Specialty Restaurants onboard can cost big dollars so be aware of this & my way of thinking is your already paying for a La Carte Dining so why pay an extra $100 for a steak meal for example

I) Exercise Facilities are free but perhaps Spin Class or Yoga is not ....so ask before you get sticker shock 😅

J) Finally your traveling to explore new countries or cities, not drink 12 plus alcohol beverages per day to get your moneys worth out of a drink package. So yes, a waste of money

KeyTips on the Cruise Buffet;

A) I would avoid the Sushi Bar as raw fish needs to be eaten immediately

B) I go to the Omelette Station as its made in front of you & avoid the scrambled eggs, which are probably powdered anyway

C) I ask for new pizza & avoid the one that has been sitting for awhile because of the cheese

D) Always pass on the giant bottles of condiments (which have been touched by many hands) & opt for the single serve packets

E) Never use the same plate when going back for seconds

F) Be wary of the utensils that are used for multiple serving trays which could cause cross-contaminated food

KeyTips on Shore Excursions;

A) Avoid the ones that give you a limited time to explore that destination If the roundtrip total time by bus is say 4 hours & you have only 2 hours to sightsee, to me that is a waste of money

B) Tours that involve animals; for example swimming with the dolphins, horseback riding on a beach, donkey rides up steep stairs. In most cases the animals are mistreated or not well cared for so i personally avoid

C) Any activities that indicate how strenuous the tour is, so lets be honest with yourself or family members with their fitness levels & if you can complete it before you sign up. Or again a waste of money

D) Do not book those beach excursions through your ship, just take a local taxi or bus as they will know where to take you, plus if there is a fee to enter the beach through a resort it will be cheaper paying at the hotel

E) The all day bus panoramic tours......really, do you want to explore a historic city in a motor coach plus if on the wrong side of the bus you will not see anything interesting. If physically able, walking the streets is ALWAYS the best way to view a city in my opinion

KeyTips to enlarge your cabins small bathroom;

A) Bring a shoe organizer or toiletry hanger to fit your shampoo, lotions, conditioners etc plus maybe bring a night light for the bathroom, as its dark in these cabins especially the inside ones with no windows

B) No irons or steamers are allowed ( fire prevention of course) so bring a wrinkle-free spray so you avoid the expensive laundry service onboard your ship

C) Bring a Tide Pen to prevent future stains by rubbing it on the area so prepping it for a later cleaning

D) Make use of the provided clothesline inside your bathroom, mainly if your doing your own laundry or using the ships pool / hot tub areas to allow your clothes to dry properly

E) Personally i bring my own soap, body lotion shampoo & so on (as what the ships provide is a generic 3 in 1 product) especially if you have dry skin, textured hair or sensitive face which may add to unwanted stress if using the ships product

Now some personal observations about cruising;

A lot of the glamor is gone (in my humble opinion) because of the buffets with its no dress code, how the industry pushes the sale of alcohol drinks, photos, their duty free stores, casino/bingo's etc.

But i look beyond that and take advantage of the free nightly formal dinners, Vegas type entertainment, the exciting ports of call & of course the fantastic views from your ship as you cruise the waters of our amazing planet.

KeyTip; ask if any of your ports of call require a Tender to Shore

Why; as this will add a few hours for you to get to your destination (any clients who book tours through the ship get first right of way, then yourself )

Now for some unpleasant but true reality facts..... as sometimes not everyone aboard are nice people

A) For passengers or crew that commits a serious crime all ships have an holding area that is called the Brig (barebones room with a bed & bathroom) until the boat makes port & the offender is handed over to Law Enforcement
B) For the passenger who gets too drunk or disorderly he / she are put under Cabin Arrest & can only leave their room with a security escort

If your planning your first cruise i would strongly recommend the Mediterranean Sea area
You wake up every morning in exciting, historical port /city & generally have a full day to explore as the ships can stay longer...... as the next days destination is not far away
Plus i would book on some of the smaller vessels in the fleet for an easier manageable vacation for your first go around as a cruiser
Finally for sure i would avoid a Transatlantic repositioning cruise for your first time
A) as its a lot of days at sea
B) you may not like the shipboard experience
C) the weather is unpredictable

Some Fun Facts on Cruising;

A) As you probably noticed there are no Deck 13s because of Western Cultural folklore, but for some of the ships that sail the Asian Market it has that floor as its not considered bad luck
B) For the MSC cruise line there are no Deck 17s, as the founder was Italian & that number is considered a bad omen
C) There is a water filtration plant on your vessel
D) Cruise cabin walls & doors are metal for safety / fire reasons.....so bring some magnet hooks for hanging clothes & extra storage space
E) Cruise Ships purposely have different colored or patterned carpets to allow you to remember if your on the Port Side (left) or Starboard Side (right)
F) Champagne became the christening wine of choice with promises of good fortune & prosperity in the late 1800s
G) Why most ships are colored white is to reflect light thus it does not heat up as quickly. So with less heat, less operating cost plus it conserves energy