A small but loud group of people still tell us they “just aren’t the type” to enjoy a cruise vacation, as though it would be too boring or too confining. Of course, they’re almost always singing another tune when they get off the ship and want to book another cruise as soon as possible.
For the squawkers, however, I’ve developed this could-do list. It’s for those restless types who think they might go crazy if they spent, horrors!, a full day on a ship. Share it with any friends or loved ones who may be balking at joining you on a cruise. Continue Reading »
March 15, 2 p.m., Caribbean Sea — Clad in a purple swimsuit, broad-rimmed hat and polarized sunglasses, Raelyn Lucklow is enjoying yet another sunny day at sea. One of 700 passengers on Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Mariner, the Dana Point, California, resident appears totally at ease. But something is amiss. Instead of reaching for sunscreen or a tropical cocktail, Lucklow reaches for her laptop. “If I knew the ship didn’t have internet, I wouldn’t go,” says the design consultant for Preserved Treescapes International. “I can only take time off if I can continue to work through my computer. There’s no one who can take my place. There’s no one who does what I do. So if I’m down for a week it’s basically horrible.”
The view from my balcony while docked in Tunis may not be the most picturesque port this ship has seen, but the distant mountains are beautiful as the sun sets, and the capital city itself was full of beauty and surprises on Azamara’s first call in Africa.
Many passengers opted for shore excursions from the ship, but others negotiated with taxi drivers near the modern and clean terminal.
The better deals were to be had just outside the terminal gates. My taxi driver told me that taxis inside the gate had to pay 20 euros for the privilege of being inside the terminal gates, so naturally prices were higher inside.
I paid 25 euros for a 90-minute private taxi tour of the highlights - Sid Bou Said, with its blue and white sugar cube houses perched on the hillside overlooking the sea; Carthage, founded in 800 B.C., where Hannibal began his legendary journey; and Medina, the old town.
Little, if anything, is within comfortable walking distance of the terminals, so it’s best to take a tour or hire a taxi.
The terminal has good shops and internet access - terminals and WiFi. I paid 2.5 euros for one hour of broadband WiFi (the ship’s internet has been down all week - note, the ship’s internet was restored on the last day of the cruise).
This photo, taken at Barcelona’s cruise terminal, shows how some cruisers choose to communicate with their friends, family and businesses while away on vacation.
Armed with their laptops, passengers often step off the ship to seek out free WiFi, such as the network at the cruise terminal.
Azamara Quest, docked just steps away from where these men are seated, uses satellite systems to provide internet access, and that makes accessing the internet from the ship (any ship) pricey and, with limited bandwidth for sending and receiving data, pokey.
A tip: If you carry a Blackberry, activate “Unlimited International E-mail” before leaving home (your service provider may call it something different). While calls I make from Azamara Quest and other ships are often billed at $5 or more per minute, accessing e-mail costs me nothing more than the $19.95 per month that I pay T-Mobile for unlimited international e-mail. This story, in fact, was posted to the blog you’re reading using Blackberry e-mail from the ship. Update: My Blackberry would not send or retrieve e-mail from Azamara Quest’s system a few days into the voyage, so it seems this may not be dependable on all cruise ships. I was able to send and retrieve once within range of ports, however. A week later, on Crystal Symphony, I was able to send and retrieve e-mail free of charge (except for T-Mobile’s monthly fee) using the ship’s system.
Silversea Cruises isn’t noted for low lead-in cruise prices, but the company does offer good value for its all-inclusive product. In fact, if you do the math, you’ll find that Silversea compares reasonably to other cruise lines. I spoke with Silversea Cruises’ Director of Corporate Communications Brad Ball about how to get the absolute best value for your dollar. Two of his tips stand out:
Book The Terrace Suite Category. To save on a veranda stateroom, book the Terrace Suite category. Located on Deck 5, the suites (there are nine in this category) share a veranda. The reason: The veranda is part of an emergency exit, so furniture and other barriers cannot be permanently placed in the area. The Terrace Suites feature doors that open onto the veranda, giving you all of the pleasures of a veranda-category stateroom. The only drawbacks are the verandas aren’t private, not a problem, however, for families or for those who don’t mind getting to know their neighbors.
Book A Silver Sailing. Through a program known as Silver Sailings, Silversea discounts select cruises up to 50 percent off brochure rates. These are capacity controlled offers, so as space sells, the percentage discount decreases correspondingly. For the best discounts, book early.
