A New Year, and a Whole New Cruising Season

So I am sitting in a hotel room in Tuscon (Arizona in case you weren't sure where that is), and I am sitting here thinking about everything that has happened in the last 365 days that have passed. Its truly been an interesting year, both for myself and the cruising industry. I expect a lot more news (hopefully good) out of the industry in the next year. I hope to be able to upkeep this blog a lot better than I have been doing (1 post a month is not enough by my standards). I will be adding on news headlines from the cruising industry (as soon as I find the time do add them on; should be soon). New Year's is not only a time for reflection, but for celebration as well, and I can almost guarantee that there will be a huge amount of people onboard ships when midnight comes around tonight. The New Year is definitely having effects on cruising as well; tonight is generally one of those rare "stay up all night and party" nights (on a 7 day trip; the one I usually do is the last night). In any case, I wish you a happy new year and hope for many exciting things in the near future.

Cruising over Christmas; Yay or Nay?

So I realized I hadn't kept this blog up in a while, so here is the special Christmas Day edition...

Christmas, for many is a time to sit back at home in front of the fireplace, maybe roast a marshmallow, and spend some time with the family; however, more recently, it has started to become a popular trend to cruise over Christmas. Cruising adds a whole new dimension to Christmas, as one is no longer at home, but instead is on a boat with new acquaintances and your family (if you so choose). Ships generally plan something special for Christmas (usually on a 7 day ride, one of the two gala nights occurs on Christmas), also, one is also receiving a higher degree of relaxation than if one were to be staying at home in front of a fireplace. Taking note of tradition, and of rapidly changing norms, the quintessential question presents itself: Is Christmas on a cruise ship any better than Christmas at home?

To address the question directly, Christmas on a cruise ship can definitely be better than spending Christmas at home. My reasoning is simple. At home, Christmas is one day, a day in a pool of many days, nothing around you changes, save maybe the mood of Christmas. On a ship, everything around you is constantly undergoing change (whether it be Christmas or not). Another pro to Christmas onboard is no cooking; most of Christmas Day or Eve (depending on your heritage) is spent laboring over a hot stove or cleaning up afterwards. On a cruise ship, no cleaning is required, a worriless care-free Christmas if you will. Also, a cruise can be a gift itself, so no need to be shopping around for weeks trying to find that perfect gift.

The downside to all this? Probably less tradition, but if you are willing to give up tradition for a fun vacation and a perfect Christmas gift, then cruising during Christmastime is probably for you. Be forewarned that Christmas cruises can be expensive when you look last minute, so give at least six months difference if you're looking to get one cheap.

Merry Christmas to all.

Cruising tip: What do I Bring?...the seven nighter unraveled

Taking a cruise, in terms of clothing, really isn’t that much different than a normal vacation. Really thinking about it, people really try to “dress to impress” onboard a cruise, but maybe not so much on land; it really depends on what kind of person you are. This article is dedicated to give a rough (and when I say rough, I mean VERY ROUGH) idea of what one should bring on a seven night cruise. (List to be included)

Men
Men will want to carry the following, assuming they carry the personal inner clothing for all seven days.
(2-3) Jeans
(1) Fancy Shoes
(1) Sneakers
(1-2) Sandals
(5-6) Short sleeve shirts
(2-3) Dress shirts
(2) Swimming Trunk/Swimwear
(1) Suit (Blazer + Pants)
(As needed) Hygienic items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shaving cream, etc…

Women
(3) Jeans
(1) Fancy Shoe(s)
(1) Sneakers
(1-2) Sandals
(5-6) Short sleeve shirts/tops
(2) Swimming Trunk/Swimwear
(1) Fancy Dress
(As needed) Hygienic items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shaving cream, etc…

Remember, this is just a rough list, the list changes based on people and their different styles. Also try to remember that first impressions on a cruise are pretty much everything, so you might want to try to dress to impress (this does not in any way shape or form mean to go replace your entire wardrobe). Also keep in mind that while washing machines and dryers as well as delivery laundry service are available on most ships, you really don’t want to be doing laundry while onboard (it’s a waste of time, especially when you could be having fun) Finally, remember that you should always try to keep your suitcases to under 50 lbs each…don’t want to be overcharged at the airport now do you?

For Teens: Carnival Conquest vs. Golden Princess

Having gone on both ships, and at the request of an acquaintance, I have decided to bring the two ships together and see how they measure up to each other on a scale of 1-10 in the categories of overall fun, amenities, and general comfort. While I can review these based on my experience, it is important to note that any cruise is entirely subjective upon the people one meets onboard; or, as I like to say, the people make the cruise.
*When the article mentions Carnival and/or Princess it refers to the ships, not the lines

The Stats
Carnival Conquest:
Total Staterooms - 1,487
Private Balcony Staterooms - 556
Decks (Passenger) - 13
Passenger capacity - 2,974
Total crew - 1,150
Officers nationality - Italian
Ship size - Large
Tonnage - 110,000
Ship length - 953 feet
Registry – Panama

Golden Princess:
Total Staterooms – 1508
Private Balcony Staterooms – 710
Decks (Passenger) – 13
Passenger Capacity – 2600
Officers Nationality – Italian
Ship Size – Large
Tonnage – 109,000
Ship Length – 951 feet
Registry – Great Britain

Amenities
When I was onboard Carnival Conquest, it was still sailing out of New Orleans (winter ’05). Carnival Conquest is the flagship of its class, taking this into consideration; it was remarkably lacking in the amount of brand new up and coming amenities. It maintains all the standards like multiple pools and whirlpools, a basketball court, a running track, an arcade, a camp carnival area as well as a dedicated Club O2 (It was one of the first ships to have one). Taking into account the lack of overall amenities the ship is then dependent on the people onboard.
CCL Amenities Rating: 4 Stars

Golden Princess has no “Movies Under the Stars” system onboard as far as I know, but it does have the basics for Princess which include minigolf, basketball, spa/fitness area, swim against the current pool, dedicated teen club, and a “teen hot tub”, multiple pools, and an arcade. Golden Princess, however, does have a paddle tennis court, and as an added bonus, a dedicated screening room for movies (great for capture the flag if you enjoy that)
Princess Amenities Rating: 6 Stars

Even though both ships aren’t the greatest in overall amenities, Princess takes the edge mainly because it has more amenities and better ones than Carnival does. Princess takes this one 6-4.

General Comfort
Carnival has a lot to offer when it comes to comfort, although it does not fully make up for the lack of amenities. CCL has some of the largest staterooms in the industry, and the comfort of the stateroom increases as the price (price varies directly as features/comfort). CCL, however, has fairly decent staterooms across all categories (Interior to Suite). CCL’s service, as on any line, will vary from ship to ship as well as from deck to deck, so it really depends who is working the ship when one is onboard.
Carnival features the traditional dining (2 rooms) as well as the standard lido deck restaurant onboard the Conquest. Conquest also features specialty restaurants (like most other modern ships). Midnight buffets are normal, and pizza can be found at pretty much anytime of the day (or night)
Carnival has more capacity for people, and therefore, one who doesn’t enjoy big ship crowded cruising will not be inclined to enjoy Carnival as much as Princess.
CCL Comfort Score: 6 Stars

Princess is often noted for its high quality customer service and comfort. Princess attempts to produce a “small ship” feel even on its larger ships and manages to be successful at it as well; for example, there are 3 restaurants onboard for traditional dining, but all three are single deck restaurants (unlike RCCL for example which usually features a single traditional restaurant spanning three decks). The small ship feel definitely makes for a more intimate environment as well as a better opportunity to get to know the people onboard (moderate to long length cruises only). The downside to the small-ship feel is that the overall layout of the ship has become very confusing (for example, one restaurant can only be accessed by traveling to the aft, then going down a flight to the deck below. However, it is a small price to pay, because once one memorizes the layout, everything is easy to find.

Princess dining is incredible; if I remember during my cruise, everything was tripled in number. If the menu called for 1 lobster tail, 3 were served; and the waiters were more than happy to satisfy your every need. Princess, unlike the other lines, seems to strive more to make your cruise enjoyable, and I can truly say this is evident having been on two Princess Cruises with no deviation or change between the two.

One major thing to watch out for are the staff that are about to disembark. I had one bad experience with a cabin steward on the ship that refused to make up our room.
Princess Comfort Score: 9 Stars

Princess takes this one hands down. Even though Carnival is very good with service in general, there was nothing exceptional on the Conquest in my eyes. Princess on the other hand, had one small issue against, but many more pushing for it.

Final Thoughts and Overall Decision
Golden Princess dominated this battle in service, comfort, and nearly tied for amenities. Golden Princess comes to be the choice you want in this instance, it has superior service and comfort that in a sense do make up for the semi-mediocre amenities. Carnival Conquest, by comparison, does not have great amenities, mediocre to good comfort, and good to very good service. Princess takes this one 15 to 10 (Scoring out of 20)

Carnival vs Royal Caribbean...What are the real differences?

When one looks at Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (abbreviated CCL and RCCL respectively), one sees two very different cruise lines each with its own style as well as some overlapping ones. What I am curious about, are the side by side comparisons in various areas, such as comfort, amenities, overall fun, suitability for each age group, and simple class to class comparison.

Comfort

RCCL has recently begun upgrading various things fleetwide. RCCL has begun to introduce flat-screens in all rooms, Wi-Fi connectivity, and higher thread count. RCCL has also in recent years imposed a curfew for minors under the age of 17 after 1 am.

CCL, unlike RCCL, has no curfew for minors, and therefore some can be seen wandering the ship late into the night on some of the more highly populated cruises. Carnival has, however, started an “evolutions of fun” program in which many of its smaller ships will be receiving upgrades such as new pools, new slides, improved spas, children’s areas etc...

The edge (by age group):

Teens and Underaged Minors

Any minor’s best bet in terms of comfort is going to go to CCL. Carnival maintains a fun environment for a vacation with no restrictions at all on when or what to do (except perhaps dinner in which both cruise lines follow traditional assigned seating)

Adults

Adults fall into a split between the two. I’ve found that some older adults (not seniors, but older nonetheless) prefer a more quiet and relaxed environment while cruising, but others (the younger crowd) prefers to party and just have a great time. RCCL might cater to the older crowd’s needs better than CCL in some ways, as well as vice versa, so this category is really a split between the two that comes down to personal preference.

Senior Citizens

Seniors, last, but certainly not least, are in an interesting situation. One cannot imagine a senior citizen enjoying too much partying, but then again, there are always exceptions. For seniors I would look more towards Carnival than anything. Carnival usually has the better prices, and as I’ve personally found out, seniors are happy so long as they are on a boat and know where to find everything. In terms of comfort, it’s no different…Carnival has fairly decent sized staterooms, more than enough activities to keep them pleased, and more or less a fun festive environment.

Amenities

Royal Caribbean has many choices when it comes to amenities; surfing, basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, golf, minigolf, a running track, ice-skating, rollerblading, rock-climbing, and even a water park onboard some its ships (Freedom Class) and these are in addition to the basic 3+ pools. The remainder of the fleet still retains some of the amenities, like voyager class only differs from the freedom class in that it has no surfing or water park. Some of the smaller ships only have a pool, golf, basketball/volleyball/dodgeball, and perhaps minigolf. In addition to these, RCCL introduces several industry firsts, such as a pizzeria and a barbershop; most ships on the line also feature an improved adult’s only spa/retreat area. Other features include a casino and a promenade modeled what appears to be a street straight out of a city.

Carnival has the basic amenities such as pools, casinos, and a grand atrium, but comes nowhere near close with other amenities. Basketball courts, running tracks, shuffleboard, and ping-pong can be found on most ships. Some of the newer ships feature a spinoff of Princess Cruise Line’s “Movies Under the Stars” and have a big-screen TV for movies and other entertainment purposes looking down on the main pool. However, Carnival does have waterslides on most if not all ships. Some of the older ships (Fantasy Class) are currently in the process of improving the Lido Deck area with new pools and restaurants, longer slides, a spray park. The Evolutions of Fun upgrade which is Carnival’s name for the improvements also includes a new adult’s only retreat onboard all Fantasy Class ships.

The Edge:

All around Royal Caribbean maintains the edge for amenities. There is simply no way to beat out a company introducing multiple industry firsts every few years. Carnival, however, is not too far overshadowed. The “Evolutions of Fun” upgrade is sure to leave a lasting impression on most; and, the big-screen TV and waterslides leave something unique to the line. Royal Caribbean held us in the surfing, rock climbing, ice-skating, promenade, and various other smaller amenities that one would not expect to see onboard a Carnival ship.

The Final Word:

For people who prefer adventure and constant activity, Royal Caribbean is the line for you. RCCL maintains a relaxed environment while still having all the basics and keeping you moving and exploring.

For people who like to party or just cruise in general, Carnival suits you best. Carnival is best known as the “fun ships” and these ships live up to their name. Every year CCL comes up with something new and exciting to do and its gets noticed.

Both cruise lines have their ups and downs and each caters to different types of people. RCCL seems to edge towards the adventurous as well as easy-going people while Carnival aims for the people who just want to have fun…without having to do something stupid. Both feature a host of different amenities and comforts.

Welcome!

First post of the new blog, and I just want to take the opportunity to thank you for reading and visiting the blog. The first cruise related post should be coming up quite soon (look for something Carnival related).

The general overall purpose of this blog is simply to entertain past cruisers, and inform new cruisers. I intend to keep the blog updated biweekly with a new article, review, or something of the sort. I hope to eventually be writing full reviews on cruises, although those may be limited depending on my own cruising schedule.

If you wish to become a contributing author, or wish to find out more about one of the posts or articles, feel free to contact me at any time.