We were recently asked this question: As first times cruisers, it it worth it to take ship excursions? We have cruised about 450 nights and stepped on all seven continents in the last seven years. I only tell you this because we been there done that for most everything on cruises.Now as to your question. I would recommend that because this is your first cruise you stick with the ships excursions. Why you ask? You’re new to cruising and should you get caught up in town or walking around on your own and you’re not back on time the ship will leave without you. That’s a big deal trust us. Ships excursions offer you trips that you may have never thought of including walking tours. They also offer you the opportunity to get an overall view of each port. In our seven years of cruising we have returned to several ports at least once. On that second visit we have often “walked the streets“ of the port. As an example. We have been to Cartagena Spain at least three times. The first time we took a tour. The last two times we did our own walking tour. We had learned the city, we learned the safe parts of the city, and stayed away from the less safe parts. We knew where the good tapas restaurants were as well as where we could get great sangria.
Will cruise ships require a vaccination? The answer is not a clear one as some will and others not. Viking cruises will not require vaccinations, however they will test you every day. Seabourn on the other hand will on their latest Caribbean and Greece cruises. A lot depends on the requirements of the itinerary ports.
Is there a benefit to booking a cruise while on board? We will do if there is a benefit to it and there usually is. We will always ask if the booking can be transferred to our travel agent. If not We will not book on board. As to price differences I am sure that happens, however that is one of the benefits of a cruise booking professional. They can rebook if there is a price drop.
How many cruise ships are at sea at any given time?It is generally accepted that there are about 300 at sea at any given time
Are cruise loyalty programs really a benefit? It depends on what you are looking for. We are at the top level on Princess and close to the top level on Seabourn. We do enjoy the benefits of their loyalty plans however; we didn’t chose Seabourn as our favorite because of their loyalty plan. On the other hand being loyal to a cruise line will get you some unwritten benefits. Because of our loyalty to Seabourn, we were bumped up to a penthouse suite on one cruise. Then there is the benefit of being recognized by crew members you have sailed with before. That seems minor but believe me it makes a difference in the service you receive. In short, find a cruise line you like and stick with them.
Why do you like small ship cruising over the larger ships? Chosing a ship size is a personal choice.We like small ship cruising for the following reasons.
Generally small ships can get to ports that the big ships can’t
On small ship, long lines for service on virtually nil
Depending on the line you are not nickel and dimed
Seldom are the ships spaces crowded
You meet other guests often enough to strike up a friendship
Crew to passenger ratio is usually higher resulting in more personal service.
Excursions are less crowded. Depending on the cruise and cruise line, zodiac and/or kayak excursions are available.
Embarcation and disebarkation are less of a hassle
Any time dining
These are just a few of the reasons we like small ship cruising.
Is the TSA pre check worth the time, effort and money? The short answer is yes if you fly a couple of times a year. This is especially true if you have a disability but do not require a wheel chair. For the most part you by pass the lines and get to your plane faster.
We have heard a lot about Antarctica cruises. Are they worth it? Check back with us in a month, we are going there on the Seabourn Quest and we will let you know.
What is your favorite cruise line? Believe it or not this is not a tough question for us to answer. Out of the numerous cruise lines we have sailed on, Seabourn tops our list. We like all their ships. Viking Sun is second and Pacific Princess is our third. Note all three are small ships.
How many Cruises have you been on? Separately and together over 40. As of December 2018, we will have visited 79 countries and six continents. In 2019 we plan to add seven more countries and the seventh continent to our list.
We are planning our first cruise, should we use a travel agent? In our opinion, absolutely. Booking a cruise is not like booking a hotel or plane trip. There are numerous variables, ship size, itinerary, the best ship lines for your itinerary, what type of ship, what cabin type etc? ‘Leave it to the experts to help you get it done.
Are you Travel Agents? The simple answer is NO. We are just two seniors who love to travel. More specifically we love small ship cruising. Our mission is to instigate a desire of cruising in others.
Do you need to take your passport on an Alaskan Cruise? The best answer is yes, your passport should be with you on every cruise you take.
You have mentioned small ship cruising. How many passengers on a small ship? There’re are those lines that say their “small ship” has 1000 guests. When compared to 6,000 guests that indeed is small. Our definition of small ship cruising is sailing on a ship with 600 or less guests. The more official size is less than 1,000 passengers.