This one's especially for first-time cruisers, the people who always ask someone like us how much the cruise will cost over and above the fare. The answer: "As much as you want." If that sounds like a cop-out, it's not. The so-called hidden costs of cruising are almost all a matter of choice. The two… Continue reading Cruise Cost…Above and Beyond
Ship to Shore Partnership Helps
Where there's a bajillion of something, there's a market to be tapped. There is, everyone would agree, a bajillion cell phones, and AT&T has combined with Royal Caribbean to tap into that market at sea. Everybody who cruises knows how expensive communication is when you're on a ship. Poor Internet connections at 75 cents a… Continue reading Ship to Shore Partnership Helps
Holland America: A New Flight Plan
As the PICOT in this family — that's Person In Charge Of Travel, now that you ask — I welcome anything that simplifies the process of flying. So when I spotted an item about Holland America and something called "Flight Ease" I was all over it. It's the first time I've heard of a cruise… Continue reading Holland America: A New Flight Plan
Carnival's Messenger Fingered
If you owned a restaurant and your food was making your customers sick all the time, would you fire the truck driver who makes the deliveries? If you owned a football team that couldn't score points, would you dismiss the ticket taker at the stadium? Okay, enough. Carnival, the world's biggest and most beleaguered cruise… Continue reading Carnival's Messenger Fingered
Cruising: a dictionary of its own
Sometimes, those of us with any kind of connection to cruising can be rather one-dimensional. We think the word "cruise" can only mean one thing. Then we'll hear aboiut the latest Tom Cruise movie…or girlfriend. Yesterday, we experienced another reality check. We were in the car with two of our grandchildren and one of them… Continue reading Cruising: a dictionary of its own