Cruising like a Pro- an insider’s perspective

As former Cruise Ship crew members, we have seen our fair share of ports, passengers, and tricks of the trade. Making the mental shift from staff to passengers took a cruise or two, but we gave grown to appreciate the stress-free travel opportunities that cruising provides. Here are some top tips to help you maximize your cruise time and money.

Packing:

Your most important accessory will not be shoes, jewelry, or even sunscreen- bring an empty water bottle, both for onboard as well as off. With all the food, booze, and sun you will be consuming, you will be hard pressed to find enough hydration to combat them. Also remember to pack the business cards, keys, and random bits and bobs needed to dominate the final team scavenger hunt game they are guaranteed to offer on the final night.

After Matt and I had our first date in St Maartin, he went back out to buy me one of everything from the Belgian Chocolate Box, and left them outside my cabin. Every time we are in St Maartin, we go back here- the chocolates are both sentimental and delicious.

Having fun:

This is a matter of personal taste. If you enjoy shows and going out as we do, then Norwegian might be your best bet. The Breakaway currently features Rock of Ages, Burn the Floor, Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, and Second City Comedy, all top-notch shows that would command high ticket prices on land. The Epic’s main stage shows currently include Blue Man Group, Cirque Dreams and Dinner, Legends in Concert, and Second City. They both also have Nickelodeon shows for the kiddies.

Front row for Blue Man Group- which we saw twice, and Matt was called on stage once.

We loved having access to such high quality entertainment, but also really appreciated some of the other low-key options. For example, there was a wonderful member of cruise staff working trivia night on the Gem, with such a hilarious personality, we made visiting him part of our daily routine. That said, at the end of their shift, please let the crew leave. Keep in mind that when they are done with one thing, they are off to something else. Give them their space.

Yes, this is their job. No, they don’t want to talk to you after they get off.

Specialty dining:

I have been a passenger on 4 cruise lines: Norwegian, Holland America, Carnival, Windstar, and can therefore only comment on quality of those lines. I am also coming from a different price perspective than most- NYC dining is expensive and usually very high quality, so if better restaurants are available on land, we don’t visit the ones on board. For example, Geoffrey Zakarian restaurant Ocean Blue on the Breakaway is a bit pricey- at $49 pp, we could eat at his Lamb’s Club Restaurant in NYC for $35 during Restaurant Week, and therefore will not be paying on board. If you do not have this luxury, a splurge might be in order.

Why spend a fortune when THIS is available on land for half the price?

Holland America, my former employer, sits at the top of that food pyramid. I remember our Food and Beverage manager picking up salmon and crabs as we cruised around Alaska, and buying fresh fruits, cheeses and hosting specialty wine tastings on our Europe run. Even with their very high standard in main dining, The Pinnacle Grill Specialty restaurants are amazing quality and value at $25, and very highly recommended. As crew, we were given a discount, and frequently indulged in their beautiful steaks and sides.

White Pass Railroad Vistas, en route to salmon bake!

Norwegian dining is relatively similar across the board, adding a few more options on the newer classes. We have been on the Gem, Jade, Pearl, Epic, and will be on the Breakaway next week. I would say that Cagney’s Grill is always enjoyable, but I would advise against La Cucina, Teppanyaki, and other mid-level options. They are decent, but probably not the best value for money. One exception: The Pearl had a discounted lunch option at Lotus Garden Asian Restaurant on one of the first sea days of the cruise, with unlimited sushi for $10- and it considering I lived in Japan for three years, it was actually good!!

When we asked the waiter on NCL Pearl’s Cagney’s what to get, he said “I’ll take care of you” and brought us one of everything. Repeatedly.

The remaining two cruise lines are on the opposite ends of the spectrum- Carnival a lower end option where pizza and Haagen Daaz prevails, and Windstar, which is a much smaller and more personalized experience. Neither are my cup of tea- I like a bit of anonymity, but don’t want to feel invisible either. Windstar wins in terms of visiting amazing smaller ports you don’t get to visit on larger ships, and if you’re going for Carnival, you’ll probably be drunk anyway so who cares!

THIS is specialty dining- Le Ti Bouchon in St Maarten, in which the chef continued dinner service even through a power outage

Drinking:

The mythical “crew bar” is a place of wonder, with .50 cent drinks flowing freely, and show cast members dancing on poles. It wakes as many passengers are going to bed, the time when crew is finally free to let loose. Alas, passengers are strictly prohibited from entering this magical land, so “fugeddabouddit”.

Surprise dunk in the “emergency” shower at a crew party. There was no emergency.

Passengers consume most of their additional expenditure in the form of something frozen and topped with a pineapple. When starting a tab on that pretty plastic key card, remember that you’ll feel the pain on disembarkation day. One way to mitigate these charges is to bring your own bottles. Most lines have their own rules about what you can and cannot bring, and even through there are usually charges for corkage, they are usually comparable or better than ship markup. See http://saverocity.com/travel/bringing-wine-on-a-cruise/ for more info on this.

Only the essentials.

Additionally, many bars offer Happy hour deals between 5:30-6:30, so if you like a cocktail to start your evening, this is your best bet.

Diving:

If you plan to Scuba Dive in one of the beautiful locations your ship will visit, you will be virtually forced to dive through your ship. One of the key factors in deciding whether to use a local operator is timing- Since dive trips depart so early, you must compare your proposed arrival time with the feasible time you can reach the dive shop, and in Tender Ports without Priority Disembarkation, this can be very stressful.

Diving in St Thomas while aboard the Norwegian EPIC

In addition, some dive shops have exclusive deals with the cruise lines to solely provide dive trips THROUGH the ship if you are ON the ship. Meaning, if you disclose that your will be arriving on the XX, they will say you must book through the XX. Dive trips are seemingly the least marked up of the excursions, so if you want to play it safe and if the fee is comparable, book through the ship.

Bring your mask- then, you can see even better through the crystal clear water.

To bring your gear or not? We bring our fins, mask and dive essentials when cruising from NY, but find that the stress of getting equipment on and off the ship outweighs the benefits- especially if you bring dive knives, like we do. Also, the ship vets any vendors they provide excursions through, and with money comes a virtual guarantee that your rental gear will be in good condition.

Shore Excursions:

For all other excursions, book yourself. When we were crew members, Shore Excursion Managers often saved a few tickets  for fellow crew to act as “hosts”, meaning you tagged along for free as long as you shmoozed a bit. Through these comps, we swam with sharks and rays, rode the White Pass Railroad through Alaska to a Salmon bake in an old whorehouse, and even rode a private plane to San Salvador, Mexico to visit a coffee plantation.

Landing in San Sebastian, MX as a “host” aboard MS Zaandam

These were completely amazing experiences, but should serve as a template for your pre-cruise planning as you source other vendors to provide the same itineraries. As I mentioned in a previous post, renting a car or hiring a driver for the day can be significantly less expensive than booking through the ship, especially if you are with a group. You will then be able to set your own pace, make pit stops or veer from the plan (if you throw a little more money at it), and personalize your vacation much more than through Shore Ex.

Ziplining and horseback riding excursion through Costa Rican Rainforest-for free!

Tipping:

I was in a rare position on board that did not benefit from tips, so I can say this with no ulterior motives. You need to tip extra. Housekeeping, bar, and kitchen staff hours redefine “long”. There is no such thing as a full day off. Many contracts last 12 months or more, with babies waiting at homes halfway across the world. The auto-tips added to your bill do not begin to divide evenly among the many people working tirelessly, so if you like someone, SHOW THEM. Comments are also a great way to show appreciation, as they often manifest in promotions, or at the very least, a sense of accomplishment.

Our crew bartender- working tirelessly, as always

And speaking of tipping, watch take that first step off the ship back onto land, it’s a doozy….