Should I buy my travel insurance thru the cruise line?

I do not really favor buying travel insurance thru the cruise line. In most cases what you get only covers cruise related travel, not the air going to or from the cruise. Also, for the cost unless you are well into retirement you can usually get far more comprehensive coverage thru a reputable travel insurance program. I personally like a couple of travel insurance programs with my overall favorite being the Gold Level plan offered thru Travel Guard.

The cruise line programs are backed by an actual insurance company, but it is one who does not regularly sell directly to the public. Instead they create programs customized for each cruise line. In many cases money back is in the form of future cruise credits which actually is more beneficial to the cruise line than the passenger. Other areas of concern with these policies, usually unless you specifically force payment of them before final payment, there is no coverage and no pre-existing condition coverage will be available when it is needed.

The limits on coverage for these plans are often very small. In fact one area I where I have big concern is medical evacuation coverage. They usually will only fly you to the nearest appropriate facility, not to a facility of your choice. That means they may not even fly you back to a US facility.  Also, the cost limits are such that depending on where you start and need to go the coverage may not fully pay for the medical evacuation.  Thus, even with insurance you could still have to shell out quite a bit of cash to get to an appropriate hospital and more to get home.

I’ve heard many people complain after the fact about how little was covered when they really needed the help.  This is of particular concern since the idea behind insurance is to have it there when needed, not to have it so limited that you only get partial coverage or worse find out many typical conditions are actually excluded from coverage. Of course only getting future cruise credit may depending on circumstances amount to no reimbursement at all.  Thus, I strongly recommend my clients both get travel insurance and that they get it and that they take true travel insurance from a reputable company as linked to above.

Should I buy the video put out by the cruise line while aboard?

I write from aboard the Island Princess where I am enjoying myself and thinking about how nice it would be to have a good DVD related to my transit of the Panama Canal. Also, it seems I may end up in one of the videos produced as I ended up a few times on the camera while they were shooting on the ship’s excursion we took today.  These DVDs are somewhat expensive compared to what you would pay for a movie when shopping at Target or Wal-Mart. The DVD typically is a mix of stock video collected over many cruises and updated periodically and lots of events collected on your specific cruise. 

The video is one great way to memorialize the cruise. If you have friends who likely will want to see the cruise it also serves as a great way to show them what you saw and what happened on the ship. Of course unless you are followed constantly by the ship’s videographer all of what you do and see will not be on the video, but given the amount of video you could create think of the editing that you would have to do to make it palatable to the general audience.

Yes, you can shoot all your own video, but the time it takes to edit it all down to one or two reasonable length shows can get lengthy. That said, do you really want to spend hours creating one or two videos that you can show your friends?  Yes when you make it yourself you are able to then go put it on Youtube etc… but unless you plan to post your video out there having a nice DVD from the cruise often is much easier to have.

Prices vary from really not too bad to fairly expensive depending on exactly what you purchase. The longer more involved cruises often have special packages that provide more than one DVD which allows you to tailor your presentation of DVDs to the audience you have watching them.  Overall in most cases if you want a unique and nice souvenir from the cruise, getting the DVD tends to work out to be a nice idea.

Should I buy my air thru the cruise line?

Air from cruise lines is one of those things that over time, has really changed.  Years ago, it was usually a good idea because they would get you essentially the same price you could find for your own air. Also, you could pack your bags and check them right thru to the ships at no extra cost.  Times have changed, especially in the post September 11^th days.

These days buying your air thru the cruise line is more, dicey.  You may save money or you may end up paying quite a bit more. Regardless you don’t get to check your bags straight thru to the cruise ship cabin.  You also no longer even get free bags on most airlines unless you happen to be one of their elite flyers.  Buying air thru the cruise line, unless you pay more for specific choices in the air reservation can easily yield you flights on non preferred airlines and at bad times. Also, unless you specifically pay the air portion at the time of booking, the air price may fluctuate up or down.

Paying for what is called an air deviation will allow you to select the airline and specify the time of day you want to fly. This can help at least get you on a preferred airline etc….but does not necessarily help with the airfare.  A new program offered by some airlines allows you to actually pick your own flights. In most cases you also pay a surcharge for this service. It does however offer some protection that just letting the airline pick does not offer.

Buying your air thru the cruise line does not guarantee you will arrive at your ship on time, nor does it guarantee they will get you caught up with the ship if a problem occurs while you are flying in. A common myth is that buying air thru the cruise line will have them holding the ship at departure dock or paying for connections to catch you up with the ship. That is simply not true, unless you also have unlimited travel insurance coverage.

Some of the new air programs, where you pay a fee of as much as $50 per passenger included special protections. They have a center monitoring all flights on which they have customers heading to cruises. When they see problems develop they try to work out rerouting where necessary to ensure you make the ship (your luggage may have to catch up later) on time. They also work with the cruise lines where possible holding ships to ensure slightly late passengers sail from the embarkation port.  When things go terribly wrong, they will reroute you to the next port of call where they can embark passengers. They cover the cost of the reroute also, but other costs such as extra hotel nights are on your own thus the need for travel insurance still exists.

It is worth looking at various factors when you are booking before picking if you will plan the air on your own or if you want to have the cruise line plan it for you.  Be sure you know what the benefits and costs are for choosing cruise line air.  We are here to help you with the entire cruise experience booking process.

What kind of shopping is available on the ship?

I can honestly say that I am writing this from just a few decks above and about 50 meters forward of the shopping area on the Island Princess.  Yes, there’s lots of shopping available on this and most other cruise ships.  Depending on your tastes you can find clothes, duty free booze, and even new jewelry on your next cruise without leaving the ship.

One thing to note, the cruise lines are only able to have the ship shops open while at sea. The shops are closed while in port due to local port rules and regulations. This does not really hurt your chance to shop on the ship since in port you aren’t usually hanging out planning to go shopping on the ship anyhow. I’ve always found the shops to be open an adequate amount of time while at sea.

The boutique shops range from fine jewelry shops where you can get top designer watches or diamonds. They also tend to carry a range of items to suite a wide range of gift purchases so most folks on the cruise ship can find something in the shop to their liking.  Also found onboard is a liquor shop selling a wide variety of the most commonly purchased alcoholic beverages at decent a price. Just keep in mind there are customs limits on how much you can bring back duty-free. You can bring more and pay duty, but it is best to get the most current limits and duty costs from US Customs before your trip.

Another standard shop is the logo shop for the particular cruise line. These you can find Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, or whatever cruise line you are on then, t-shirts, polo shirts, model ships and more. It is a great place to get trinkets related to the cruise and ship specifically.  It is always a good idea to watch for sales when they try to close out some of the merchandise as it may fetch you a good deal. T-shirts often go on sale one evening during the cruise, but you may find they are limited in both size and design on those days.

Usually you will find a boutique clothing shop aboard as well. This tends to have more expensive and nicer clothing, often with a flavor of the destinations you will visit. You can typically find some nice button down shirts along with nice dresses. You also find some fancy costume jewelry in this shop.  If you decide you need to dress up more for formal night this is a good place to go stop and check out the deals they may have. This shop often is where you will find fine crystal figurines alone with other high end collectible souvenirs.

There is typically also a camera shop aboard that not only handles the on-board photography but also handles the sales of digital cameras. They often offer services handy to digital photographers such as transfer of your pictures to CDs or DVDs. They also can usually print selected photos as you wish which can be good if you like to have prints or need them to share with others.  They are usually involved in the production of the cruise in review or similarly named DVD of the cruise.  These folks are also a good source of help with your current digital photography. Of course they do like to help you upgrade your current equipment.

Overall the pricing in these shops for many of the items is at a slight premium above what you can get on land especially when you find things on sale. The prices are definitely not hugely out of line though.  If you need something while on the ship they are there so that is a plus, but if you are looking for inexpensive souvenirs from your destinations, I’d recommend buying while ashore.

Call us to discuss the best shopping options in the Caribbean and on the ship. We have been there and know them well.

Are all travel agents knowledgeable about cruising? Is it better to look for a travel agent who is specifically trained for cruise travel and is certified by CLIA and the cruise lines?

Travel Agents typically can see most any travel regardless of their actual knowledge of the product. This is unlike what you find in many other fields. It allows a travel agent to help you plan most if not all aspects of a trip, but at the same time does mean that when for instance buying a cruise you don’t necessarily know what if any training that agent has about cruising. In fact specifically looking at cruising there are many agents who sell cruises who have yet to set foot on a cruise ship.  It would almost be like buying a new car over the internet from someone in an India call center who hasn’t ever seen the a US manufactured car up close.

Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) offers various levels of certification to travel agents. There are also a couple of travel agent certification programs that help set agents apart. I will focus on CLIA here since I am CLIA certified and I am focused on cruises in this post. CLIA offers an Accredited Cruise Counselor program as well as a Luxury Cruise Agent program. They also have a couple of other programs where there are some additional advanced studies required.  I hold the CLIA Cruise Counselor and am working on my Luxury Specialist Certification as well.

Part of what CLIA’s certification program requires is feet on ship time.  Each certified agent has been on at least two cruises and several additional ships to see what different ships look like and to better understand a short and long cruise.  With the definition I am using of short being 5 nights or less and long being 6 nights or longer.  In fact agents have to use at least two different cruise lines to accomplish this certification.  If asked many of the folks selling cruises would have to admit they are neither, enrolled in, or certified as a cruise counselor.  Also, the cost of taking two cruises is a hindrance to some agents, and the two actual cruise requirement is not waived.

The advanced programs, such as the luxury cruise specialist require even more study and more ship visits.  They also require minimum sales within a two year period which helps keep the certification process aimed at folks who truly sell cruises and know as well as understand the process and product. This is a step up from the sales certification programs offered my many of the cruise lines. Yes, the cruise lines do actually offer a program to get to know what makes them different than other cruise lines.  They do not require though any ship visits or cruises as part of the overall program.

Some of us actually used actual cruises on several ships to obtain our ship visits and cruises. For me I have over 20 actual cruises almost all of them week long cruises. In fact I had to seek out a short cruise to meet my last requirement for certification, not a bad thing to have to do to finish such a certification.  I’ve cruised on several cruise lines, and cruised everything from very laid back live-aboard dive boats which are a specialty product right on up to the largest ship sailing, Royal Caribbean’s Allure Of The Seas.  Each offers a unique experience and of course the different ports around the world offer different experiences.

I’ve sailed Asia, The Middle East, Alaska, and all over the Caribbean. I’ve sailed Northern South America and even transited the Panama Canal from Ft. Lauderdale on the way to Los Angeles.  All of these unique experiences help me, and other agents who sail a lot and are well trained the ability to really help you pick the best cruise for yourself and your family.  There is nothing more disappointing than going on a vacation and it not being what you expected and as a result possibly not enjoying yourself.

Ultimately a well trained agent, and for cruises that means their having the top level training for the particular line recommended as well as a CLIA training certification is key to ask about when selecting an agent. An agent who says it is not important likely is not well versed in really selling folks the right cruise for their particular vacation needs.  So be sure to ask your agent what certification(s) they hold. Or to deal with a CLIA Accredited Cruise Counselor who also holds top certifications from Cunard, Princess, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Celebrity, Azamara Club Cruises, InnerSea Discoveries, and American Safari Lines, and several others, give us a call, we are happy to help you pick the right cruise.

Sports and other Competitions aboard the Ships

Cruising is a great way to get away from all the cares of daily life at home. However all aspects of home are not lost while on vacation. Aside from lots of good food, you can participate in many sporting events while on the cruise. Some of these are individual sports while others are team sports. These sporting activities can be just for the fun of it or competitive in tournaments that last just a couple hours or thru the entire cruise.

Often there will be shuffleboard tournaments, mini-golf tournaments, table tennis tournaments, volleyball tournaments, and at times dodge ball tournaments. To some extent what is offered is partly based on the demographics of the passengers aboard the cruise. I find on cruises with younger overall populations the team competitions are more intense and frequent.

On Royal Caribbean in particular I’ve seen competitions for speed climbing the rock wall as well as surfing competitions. Rock walls are aboard all of their ships while the “flow-riders” are only on Freedom Class and larger ships.  Allure and Oasis are equipped with two each allowing one to be just for stand-up riding with the other dedicated to lay down surfing. (I really enjoyed it when I tried it in July 2011.)

Aside from the physically demanding sports competitions you will find other competitions aboard the ships. One where you will often find many are trivia competitions. Often they are a great place to meet other cruisers.  Aside from trivia there may be sign making contests, karaoke contests and many other ways for both individuals and teams to win particular events.  These are all set up to be fun for both the participants and spectators. Karaoke in particular is set up to be entertaining for large gatherings of people, not just the participants.

The competitions are typically all free to enter and often have trinket prices given to the winners.  Thus, it is worth trying one out yourself and seeing if you really enjoy them. When you find one you like, use it as an ice breaker on future cruises to meet someone new.

Round the World Cruises, are they for me?

Round the World Cruises are, a unique way to see a lot of different ports while at the same time enjoying a cruise.  These cruises are sailed typically by adventurous folks who are already fairly well traveled and have time to make the trip. These trips can be fairly long or perhaps somewhat short depending on how you go.  It is a fun way to see places you otherwise would likely not see. Most folks don’t of course pop from port to port via air or car for short visits. They may go for extended stays in select ports which is how many folks go enjoy the ports they really like after the cruise is over.

Round the World cruises are offered by a few different cruise lines.  Most Round the World cruises are offered by the luxury lines with Princess, an upscale cruise line offering some World Cruises as well. Princess cruises are typically not fully around the world, but segments out of the longer Round the World cruises.

Round the World cruises are often booked well in advance.  Frequently the best cabins are booked within hours of the cruise first going on sale as people tend to plan such a long travel event well in advance. The reason is there are so few Round the World cruises and the demand tends to be growing. The number of cruises available to feed the demand is not growing as fast as the demand hence a more limited supply of cabins. Thus the best cabins sell quickly.

Round the World cruises come in two forms full circle and partial circle cruises which are usually called segments by the respective cruise lines. Segment cruises are also very popular, especially among those who want the Round the World experience without spending the months on a ship required for a full circle cruise. Cost and time of travel are usually the difference between folks sailing a Segment and a full Round the World transit.  

Round the World cruises are a great way to see infrequently visited cruise ports. There are also numerous stop that are visited by cruises on a regular basis so you really get the best of both worlds.  The ports not frequently visited often end up gems because they are not yet overrun by cruise passengers in for a day rushing to see everything possible. Thus the ports tend to showcase more of a natural what life is really like around the area.  Mixing regular cruise ports with these hidden gems is part of what makes the Round the World Cruise an exciting adventure.

In addition to the exciting and unique ports a Round the World cruise is a great place to meet and really get to know other who enjoy cruising. These folks tend to be well educated and well traveled leaving open many different conversation topics. This is one of the things various cruisers really find exciting about these longer cruises.  Other cruisers use these long cruises to mark special occasions such as retirement.

No matter how you cut it, if you have the time and money and enjoy cruising a Round the World Cruise is an exciting way to send several weeks and see many different places around the world. When I retire many years down the road one of those cruises will be on the bucket list.  Speak with a cruise expert now.