Cheap Cruise Holidays & Latest Cruises Deals

Because itineraries vary widely, it is wise to make as many comparisons as you can by reading the cruise brochures for descriptions of the ports of call. Several ships may offer the same or similar itineraries simply because these have been tried and tested. Narrow the choice further by noting the time spent at each port, and whether the ship actually docks in port or lies at anchor. Then, compare the size of each vessel and its facilities.

Caribbean cruises
There are over 7,000 islands in the Carib­bean Sea, although many are small or uninhabited. Carib­bean cruises are usually destination-intensive, cramming be­tween four and eight ports into one week, depending on whether you sail from a Florida port or from a port already in the Caribbean, such as Barbados or San Juan. This means you could be visiting at least one port a day, with little time at sea for relaxation. This kind of island-hopping leaves little time to explore a destination (but you’d probably get bored after a few days on one island). Although you may see several places in a week, by the end of the cruise you may need another week to unwind.

Note that June 10 to November 30 is the official hurricane season in the Caribbean (including the Bahamas and Florida). Cruise ships can change course quickly to avoid weather problems, which can also mean a change of ports or itinerary. When that happens, cruise lines will generally not offer compensation, nor will travel insurance providers.

* Eastern Caribbean cruises include ports such as Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St Croix, St Kitts, St Maarten, St Lucia and St Thomas.

* Western Caribbean cruises typically include ports such as Calica, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Grand Turk, Playa del Carmen, Ocho Rios, and Roatan Island.

* Southern Caribbean cruises include ports such as Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, La Guaira (Ven­ezuela), Tortola, San Juan.

Private islands
Several cruise lines with Bahamas/ Caribbean itineraries feature a “private island” (also called an “out-island”). NCL pioneered the trend when it bought a former military outpost in 1977. Such islands have all the ingredients to make an all-day beach party a “nice day out” – water sports, scuba, snorkeling, crystal-clear waters, warm sands, even a hammock or two, and, possibly, massage in a beach cabana. There are no reservations to make, no tickets to buy, no hassles with taxis. But you may be sharing your private island with more than 5,000 others from a single large resort ship anchored for a “beach barbecue.”

One bonus is that a “private island” will not be cluttered with hawkers and hustlers, as are so many Caribbean beaches. And, because they are private, there is security, and no fear of passengers being mugged, as occurs in some islands.

Private island beach days are not all-inclusive, however, and attract premium prices for snorkel gear (and mandatory swim vest), rental pleasure craft, and “banana” boat fun rides; it has become yet another way for cruise lines to increase revenue. But then it does cost a lot of money to develop a private island. Although private islands sound attractive, remember that many items cost extra and will be added to your onboard account. Examples: Sunfish sailboat rental, $40 per hour; snorkel gear rental, $10 per hour; floating foam mattress, $6; bottle of water, $2.50–$4; ice cream, $1.50–$3; water bicycle, $5–$10 per 15 minutes; use of hammock, $2.50–$5.

Alaska cruises
These are especially popular because:
* They offer the best way to see the state’s magnificent shoreline and glaciers.
* Alaska is a vast, relatively unexplored region.
* There is a wide range of shore excursions, including many floatplane and helicopter tours, some going to glaciers and salmon fisheries.
* There are many excursions, including “dome car” rail journeys to Denali National Park to see North America’s highest peak, Mt. McKinley.
* Pre- and post-cruise journeys to Banff and Jasper National Parks can be made from Vancouver.

There are two popular cruise routes:

The Inside Passage Route, a 1,000-mile (1,600-km) stretch of protected waterways carved a million years ago by Ice Age glaciers. This usually in­cludes visits to tidewater glaciers, such as those in Glacier Bay’s Hubbard Glacier or Tracy Arm (just two of the 15 active glaciers along the 60-mile/100-km Glacier Bay coastline). Typical ports of call might include Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, and Haines.

The Glacier Route usually includes the Gulf of Alaska during a one-way cruise between Vancouver and Anchorage. Typical ports of call might include Seward, Sitka, and Valdez.

Holland America Line and Princess Cruises own many facilities in Alaska (hotels, tour buses, even trains), and between them have invested more than $300 million in the state. Indeed, Holland America Line-Westours is Alaska’s largest private employer. Both companies take in excess of 250,000 passengers to Alaska each year. Other lines depend on what’s left of the local transportation for their land tours.

In ports where docking space is limited, some ships anchor rather than dock. Many cruise brochures do not indicate which ports are known to be anchor (tender) ports.

With around 1 million cruise passengers a year visiting Alaska and several large resort ships likely to be in port on any given day, there’s so much congestion in many of the small ports that avoiding crowded streets can be difficult. Even nature is retreating; with more people around, wildlife is harder to spot. And many of the same shops are now found in Alaska as well as in the Caribbean.

The more adventurous might consider one of the more unusual Alaska cruises to the far north, around the Pribilof Islands (superb for bird watching) and into the Bering Sea.

Finally, remember that Alaska isn’t always good weather cruising – it can be very wet and windy and excursions may be canceled or changed. Even if it’s sunny in port, remember that glaciers have their own weather systems and helicopter flightseeing excursions are particularly vulnerable.

European and Mediterranean cruises
Traveling within Europe (including the Aegean, Baltic, Black Sea, Mediterranean, and Norwegian fjord areas) by cruise ship makes economic sense. Although no single cruise covers every port, cruise ships do offer a comfortable way of exploring the area’s rich mix of destinations,  cultures, history, architecture, lifestyles and cuisines –  and without having to pack and unpack each day. For some, the appeal is to have a safe, virtually crime-free holiday.

These cruises are increasingly popular because:

* So many of Europe’s major cities – Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Genoa, Hel­sinki, Lisbon, London, Monte Carlo, Nice, Oslo, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, and Venice – are on the water. It is far less expensive to take a cruise than to fly and stay in decent hotels (and then have to pay for food and transport in addition).

* You will not have to try to speak or understand different languages when you are aboard ship as you would ashore (if you choose the right ship).

* Aboard ship you use a single currency (typically US dollars, British pounds, or euros).

* A wide variety of shore excursions are offered.

* Lecture programs provide insights before you step ashore. Small ships are arguably better than large resort ships, as they can obtain berthing space (the large resort ships may have to anchor in more of the smaller ports, so it can take time to get to and from shore, and you’ll probably have to wait for shore tender tickets). Many Greek islands are accessible only by shore tender. Some companies allow more time ashore than others, so compare itineraries in the brochures; it’s probably best to choose a regional cruise line (such as Louis Cruises) for these destination-intensive cruises, for example.

Middle East cruises
Countries with cruise facilities and places of historic interest are: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Oman, Yemen, and the seven sheikdoms of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Dubai is fast becoming a cruise base, although cruise terminal and handling facilities are still very limited. If you visit Dubai, though, note that displays of affection such as hand-holding or kissing are not permitted in public, and you can’t drink alcohol in a public place. If you fly into Dubai and need to take prescription medicines with you, make sure you have the appropriate, signed prescription. The authorities are extremely strict with drugs and medication.

South Africa and Indian Ocean cruises
The attractions here include cosmopolitan cities, wine tours, wildlife safaris, unspoiled landscapes, and uninhabited beaches. Itineraries (typically of 10–14 days) include sailings starting and finishing in Cape Town (in the same time zone as the UK), or from Cape Town to East African ports such as Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Durban, Zanzibar and Mombasa (Kenya). Longer itineraries, of 21 days or more, could include visits to Madagascar, Mozambique and the Seychelles.

Mexican Riviera cruises
These typically sail from Los Angeles or San Diego, along Mexico’s west coast, calling at ports such as Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, and Acapulco. These cruises also typically include a call in the Baha Peninsula, Mexico’s northernmost state.

Route Canal (Transcanal cruises)
These take you through the Panama Canal, constructed by the United States after the failure of a French effort which began in 1882 with a labor force of over 10,000 but was plagued by disease and financial problems (over 22,000 people died). The US took over the building effort in 1904 and the waterway opened on August 15, 1914, shaving over 7,900 nautical miles off the distance between New York and San Francisco. The Panama Canal runs from northwest to southeast (not west to east), covering 51 miles (82 km) of locks and gates and dams.

Control of the canal passed from the US to Panama in 2000. The $6 billion widening of the canal and new locks, to be built by 2014, will double its capacity, enabling the latest large resort ships to use it.

Between the Caribbean and the Pacific, a ship is lifted 85 ft (26 meters) in a continuous flight of three steps at Gatun Locks to Gatun Lake through which it travels to Gaillard Cut where the Canal slices through the Continental Divide. It is lowered at Pedro Miguel Locks 31 ft (9.4 meters) in one step to Miraflores Lake, then the remaining two steps to sea level at Miraflores Locks before passing into the Pacific.

Ships move through the locks under their own power, guided by towing locomotives. The 50-mile (80-km) trip takes 8–9 hours. What does it cost? Well, Disney Magic paid a record $331,200 for one transit of the canal in 2008.

Most Panama Canal cruises depart from Fort L auderdale or San Juan, calling at islands such as Aruba or Curacao before entering the canal and ending in Acapulco, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. In 2008, the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) board of directors approved a $400 million loan to help finance the historic Panama Canal Expansion Program.

South America cruises
Cruises around Cape Horn between Santiago or Valpariso in Chile and Buenos Aires in Argentina are increasingly popular. The optimum season is November to March and most cruises last 14 days.

Sailing southbound, ports of call might include Puerto Montt (Chile), the magnificent Chilean fjords, Punto Arenas (Chile), and Ushuaia (Argentina), the world’s southernmost city (pop. 64,000) and the starting point for many cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula. Coming up the continent’s west coast, ports of call might include Puerto Madryn (Argen­tina), and Montevideo (Uruguay). Slightly longer itineraries may include a call at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. Do watch for pickpockets in the major cities of South America.

A number of cruise lines also operate 7-day cruises from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, mainly for Brazilians (who love to dance the night away and don’t arise until nearly afternoon). Called “eat late, sleep late” cruises, these are typically aboard large resort ships chartered to local companies such as CVC.

Australia, New Zealand and Orient cruises
If you live in Europe or North America, be aware that the flight to your port of embarkation will be long. It’s advisable to arrive at least two days before the cruise, as time changes and jet lag can be severe. Economic constraints have depressed bookings in the past year, which is a shame because the region has so much to offer that it’s worth taking a cruise of at least 14 days. Australia, New Zealand, the islands of the South Pacific, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are all fascinating.

THE CRUISE LINES THAT OWN PRIVATE ISLANDS

Cruise Line Name of Island Location First   Berlitz
                                                   Used  Rating
                                                           (out of 10)
Celebrity Cruises Catalina Island Dominican Republic 1995 5.7
Costa Cruises Serena Cay Dominican Republic 1996 5.7
Disney Cruise Line Castaway Cay Bahamas 1998 8.6
Holland America  Half Moon Cay Bahamas 1997 8.4
MSC Cruises Cayo Levantado Dominican Republic 2005 4.7
Norwegian Cruise Line Great Stirrup Cay Bahamas 1977 7.5
Princess Cruises Princess Cays Eleuthera, Bahamas 1992 7.8
Royal Caribbean Int. Coco Cay Bahamas 1990 6.4
Royal Caribbean Int. Labadee Haiti 1986 7.2

DID YOU KNOW…

.. that permits for cruise ships to enter Glacier Bay National Park (June–September) are awarded as part of a competitive bidding process, tied to proposals for emissions and pollution control, as well as fees? The winners for 10-year permits for 2010–2019 were Cruise West, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises.

... that more than 400,000 cruise passengers visited ­Glacier Bay National Park in 2009?

... that Alaska has two time zones? Most of Alaska is one hour behind Pacific Standard Time, whereas the Aleutian Islands are two hours behind Pacific Standard Time.

... that the Pacific Ocean has a tide of 22 ft (6.7 meters) and the Atlantic has a tide of only 8 inches (20.3 cm)?

... that the Wallace Line is not a new cruise company, but the scientific demarcation separating Asia and Oceania?

 ... that the average time for a ship to pass through the Panama Canal is eight hours? The fastest transit time was set by the USS Manley at 4 hours and 38 minutes.

Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2010