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Dining Around Los Angeles
2007-12-05 02:56:00
Yesterday I mentioned that we flew to Los Angeles for the weekend. While there we spent our time in Redondo Beach. It was a cold windy weekend so much of our time was spent indoors. When we were not playing "Rock Band" we had a chance to visit a restaurant or two. The first that I would highly recommend is the Original Pancake House. It was very busy, but the wait was short and the service was great. We tried the specialty apple pancakes and the dutchboy. Hard to explain except to say that they were both worth ordering. It was so good that I almost forgot to take a picture before digging into my apple covered deliciousness. For lunch we went to a place not far from the airport called the LA Food Show. Contrary to the weird pictures that the name may conjure up, it was a nice sit down restaurant with plenty to choose from on the menu. The price was reasonable for Los Angeles and the service was excellent. A place I am going to mention but not recommend is Encounter. Its at the airpor...
More About: Dining

SouthWest Airlines New Boarding Proceedure
2007-12-04 05:44:00
If you travel on Southwest Airlines but have not traveled with them in a while, you may be in for a little bit of a shock like we were this weekend. Everyone that flies on Southwest knows the A, B, C, cattle call. Well that has changed a bit. On a quick trip to Los Angeles this weekend, we found out that they now have numbered boarding tickets for group A and you line up in groups of 5 for the first 60 passengers. I am not sure how much I like or dislike the new procedure after only doing it once going and once returning but I know its going to take a little getting used to. In the past we knew that if we logged in a couple of hours after the 24 hour window for online boarding passes that we would still have a good chance to get an A pass depending on the flight. Now the earlier the better is not just a thing to do its something to strive for if you want to make sure you are at the front of the A line (and you people who do this know what I am talking about). If anyone has fl...
More About: Southwest Airlines

When is Big Too Big
2007-11-30 03:49:00
Royal Caribbean is due to take possession of the biggest cruise ship ever built in 2009. Code named Genesis, the ship will hold 5400 passengers. Like the new Airbus 380 for the airline industry, finding ports that can support such a ship is going to be difficult without modifications. For ports where ships do not dock but use tender boats to get passengers to shore, 5400 passengers could lead to long waits to get off ship. I have been to Cabo San Lucas a couple of times on ships that hold less that half that number of passengers, and unless we had a tour booked or some other priority to get off the ship, the wait to get off took over an hour with 2 tender locations being operated to speed up the process. But then again, when the ship is that big, maybe the ship itself is the destination and there is no hurry to disembark at the port of call. People have complained that the embarkation and debarkation processes feel like cattle calls now. I am thinking that when the ship launc...

Rumor: Royal Caribbean to add Social Network to Website
2007-11-29 03:31:00
Royal Caribbean has, for a short time now, had a place for members of the Crown and Anchor Society to log into and share experiences but the rumor is that they are looking into creating a full on social networking site. An employee of RCCL mentioned in a recent interview in the U.K. that it was a possibility. Royal Caribbean has said that they monitor message boards now and that word of mouth is one of the best ways that the product gets shopped. Having their own social networking site that was not for members of the C&A Society only would be a step in the right direction of creating a new buzz around the product line. As a frequent cruiser, and internet junkie, the thing that Royal Caribbean will need to do is market the online social networking site as as well as the cruise product to get some early interest if and when it goes live because I know from experience that some of the best laid ideas can die quickly if not marketed well. If they can build a great base for a so...
More About: Social , Website , Rumor , Network

Holiday Pictures
2007-11-28 02:00:00
One of biggest complaints I hear is about the photographers on board ship. Some can be annoying when trying to get you to pose in front of their backdrop on most nights yet on formal night, when you are all dressed for the occasion, there is always a line for the better backdrops. The cost of the pictures gets some complaints as well ($10-$20 for the first print depending on size) but when compared to what it would cost on land to do a professional sitting its not that bad at all. On top of this, most cruise lines will fax or email you a release form so you can get copies made if you ask once back home. And now with it being the holiday season, it can be a great time to get some awesome family photos to send out. We did this last year. The ship we were on even had special Christmas related backdrops, and on non formal nights there really wasn't a wait. The only downfall is that the family pet gets left out of the photo well unless you or someone you know has some experienc...
More About: Pictures , Holiday

Royal Caribbean's Music Making Waves
2007-11-27 02:51:00
There has been a lot of chatter among the cruising community about Royal Caribbean eliminating much of the live music on board. This cost saving measure seems to have a few people pretty upset when thrown on top of the other changes that have been recently announced. While I have seen no official announcement of the music change, nor would an announcement be required, word has been spreading fast on the cruise message boards. Members have been posting about recent cruises where CD's or some other type of recorded music has been playing in common areas on the ships that have been known for the live entertainment in the past. It's a shame for some areas, such as the Lido Deck where the live bands have been known to liven up the day on many of my previous cruises. Members on the Royal Caribbean message board on Cruise Critic have been questioning the cruise line a lot lately. This is not what Royal Caribbean should want to be hearing about their product when they are pushing th...
More About: Music , Waves , Aves

Recent Cruise Ship Sinking Could Hurt Industry
2007-11-25 23:15:00
The news of the recent sinking of the MV Explorer, a small cruise ship cruising in the waters off the coast of Antarctica is going to put a damper on bookings for a while for all cruise lines. While how much damage news like this actually does will never be known its fair to say that a number of people will be wary of cruising. Its a shame that disasters have such and effect. This is not the kind of news I like to talk about at all. Luckily all passengers and crew were safely rescued by lifeboat. Its an incident like this that shows why the muster drill that all passengers go through before sailing is so important. For those that have never been on a cruise before, in the United States it is a requirement all passengers have to do regardless of how many times they have been on a cruise. I hear more than my share of people complaining in the middle of the drill how they have done this so many times in the past that they should be exempt. Better yet, the person or group of peo...
More About: Industry , Hurt , Recent , Cruise , Ship

New Cruise Review Site for U.K. Cruisers in 08
2007-11-22 02:16:00
A new site called Socruise.com has recently pre launched with an official launch scheduled for January. Unlike other U.K. sites Socruise plans on not just advertising rates and discounts on cruising but also give detailed information on cruise lines, ships and cruise reviews. Their goal is to give customers a chance to set up personal profiles where they can upload pictures and details on past and future cruises. The site will also feature a blog to inform customers and users of the site of the comings and goings of the cruise industry. Time2Cruise wishes Socruise a great start and looks forward to the growth of the site.
More About: Review , Site

Could the Future Hold Alternative Fuel Cruise Ships?
2007-11-21 05:26:00
It seems like today everyone knows someone who drives a hybrid car and talk of the next big thing is right around the corner for the automotive industry. So my question is whether or not an alternative fuel cruise ship would work? Cars get miles to the gallon but cruise ship fuel usage is in gallons per minute. Even when not in motion, the amount of fuel required to keep all the electricity flowing on board would give a hybrid car owner a heart attack. Again, back to my question, could it work? Would hydrogen be a possibility for a ship? Hydrogen production either uses water or creates water which is not a problem for a ship. But the logistics and safety makes that a difficult sell. The ships are already hybrids so to speak with the diesel electric generators on board dedicated to making sure you can run the hair dryers and watch TV in your state rooms. The next thing to question is bio diesel. With the amount of food that is prepared on a cruise ship, this has got to be t...
More About: Future , Fuel , Alternative , The Future , Ships

Shoppers Beware When In Port
2007-11-20 03:06:00
One of the fun parts of a cruise is shopping while in port. Once off the ship, the area just past customs is usually lined with street vendors all ready to wheel and deal for your money. But just like out of Hollywood movie scene, there are also some shrewed individuals that may approach you with ill intent. The walk up to you and offer illegal merchandise or even drugs. The best thing to do is to ignore them and keep walking. Just stopping can to say no thank you can make the situation worse. This is because they have no intentions of selling you anything. Their goal is to get you to buy and then just by coincidence the local police will show up and arrest you for possession and broker a deal with you to not end up in jail. This con is common in many of the locations in the Caribbean and in Mexico. If something looks suspicious when you are in port its best to treat it as such and go the other way. Its better to be safe then sorry. This advice is very appropriate right ...
More About: Port , Beware , Shoppers

Royal Caribbean Changes Not Pleasing Fans
2007-11-18 03:44:00
This past summer Royal Caribbean made an announcement on changes to their smoking policy tightening the rules on where smoking will be allowed on their ships. Just this past week, along with all the other cruise lines, Royal Caribbean has announced a $5 per day fuel charge for the first and second passengers in each cabin. Now the latest word is that RCCL will be making a major change to the dining menu. Starting in 2008 lobster will not be served on any of Royal Caribbeans ships. For many cruisers lobster has been synonymous with formal night when cruising. It is not known if this is a cost cutting move or for other reasons, but it will not sit well with the guests. A rumor is that they will be decreasing the number of live music acts on board the ships drastically as well. Again, these are all indicators of how the economy is having an affect on the cruising industry. In checking out a couple of the more popular message boards for cruising fans, I noticed that many Royal C...
More About: Fans

More Cruise Lines Jump on Fuel Charge Bandwagon
2007-11-17 03:47:00
It seemed like no one wanted to be the first but now all the different cruise lines are jumping on board the fuel surcharge bandwagon. Windstar and Majestic can be added to the list with an $8.50 charge for anyone that has not paid in full by the 15th of December. Norwegian has added a charge for all cruises to Hawaii at $7.00 per person per day for the first 2 passengers in a cabin and $3.00 for additional passengers in the same cabin. This is the first announcement that will tack on the fee to third and fourth passengers. There are a couple cruise lines that have not made any announcements yet. I say give them time. Now that its becoming the norm to have the added fee it won't be long until they all are doing it. Just like when the airlines start to make drastic changes, it only takes one to get the ball rolling. The average couple can now look to spend over $100 more for a 7 day cruise in fuel surcharge fees alone. A family of 4 on a 14 day Norwegian cruise to Hawaii ca...
More About: Fuel , Charge , Jump , Cruise , Lines

Makeover On the Way for the Queen Mary
2007-11-16 03:10:00
The Queen Mary , which has been a floating hotel in Long Beach for almost 40 years now has new owners. Known as "Save the Queen", the new ownership plans to $6 million over the next year and a half renovating the ship. Ownership rights of the lease also includes the rights to develop the 45 acre property that surrounds the ship. The owners have hired a company called Hostmark Hospitality Group, known for the management of many upscale hotels around the world to run the day to day operations. It will be interesting to see what if any impact this will have on Carnival Corporations operations out of Long Beach. Carnival currently operates Mexican Baja and Riviera cruises out of the building adjacent to the Queen Mary that used to house the Spruce Goose wooden airplane which is a few years back was moved from the domed building to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in Oregon. Passengers on Carnival cruises that arrive early at the terminal currently get to go through early ch...
More About: Makeover , The Queen

Will Economy Affect Cruising Industry?
2007-11-14 02:59:00
The real question is how much will the downturn in the economy affect the cruise industry. After last weeks announcement of a fuel surcharge by Carnival Corporation, both Oceania and Regent Seven Seas have tacked on a fuel charge of their own. Stock for the different companies have been following the trend in the market in the recent days just like most other companies have. But the big factor with all the volatility in the economy will be if the number of passengers decreases. A fuel charge only works if the ships are sailing with people on them. If you have been reading the news or listening to talk radio you have seen the doomsday outlook economists have on the direction the economy is headed. We either are headed into a depression or will be bouncing back but its going to take some time and going to be a bumpy ride. For the average person either outcome is going to mean a tighter budget at least for the short term and when the purse strings start to tighten the vacation d...
More About: Economy , Industry

Buying Gift Coupons for Use on Carnival
2007-11-12 03:44:00
Many cruisers may not know that you can purchase coupons that can be used for the purchase of drinks on board ship right from Carnival s webpage. They have coupons for both bar drinks and soda drinks. The question is are they worth it? If you are not going on a cruise but a close friend or family member is this may be a nice way to let them know you are thinking of them by buying a drink for them. Great idea and Carnival sells plenty of these coupons. Currently the Bar coupons sell for $21.25 for 4 and the soda coupons are at $7.50 for a set of four. The coupons include the %15 gratuity that is tacked on when ordering a drink. There are frequent Carnival cruisers that purchase these coupons for themselves as a way to prepay their bar bill for the week and keep track of what they spend which works well for them. But do not think that because the word coupon is used here that there is any savings. A can of soda on Carnival sells for $1.50 as of this posting. Four cans would b...
More About: Buying , Coupons , Gift

Are Cruise Lines Bringing Back the Class System?
2007-11-10 17:48:00
An article in the Travel section of the New York Times indicates that a shift back to a class diversification is happening right now. Many of the cruise lines are working hard at trying to find ways to please the people that don't want to be part of the group atmosphere that is common on a cruise vacation. But as always, the exclusivity will come at a price. Access to the V.I.P. areas on some of these ships are open to only those sailing in select cabin categories, however others, such as on Princess, have an adult only area that is open to anyone willing to pay the $10 per day fee to get in. As with any change in the cruise industry, it will appeal so some and not others, which is not a bad thing at all. Don't look for things to go back to the days of the Titanic where if you are not one of the V.I.P.s that you will be tucked away in steerage by any means. These areas are not going to appeal to everyone and the bottom line with the cruise companies is to make money, so they...
More About: System , Back , Class , Cruise , Lines

Cost of Fuel Hitting Home with Carnival
2007-11-08 02:36:00
Carnival Corporation has announced that they are going to implement a $5 per person per day fuel supplement for the first and second passenger booked per cabin, not to exceed $70 per person on all cruises from February 1, 2008 and beyond. Along with new bookings, the fee is to be added to all existing bookings for cruises after the 1st of February. The $70 cap basically means that only those on cruises of 15 days or longer are getting a break if any. This fee will be applied to all ships in the Carnival, Cost a, Cunard, Holland America, Princess and Yachts of Seabourn brands While cruising is still one of the cheapest vacations going, an additional $70 for some families could be a make or break item when it comes to planing a vacation when on top of the price of the cruise they are expected to pay $10 per person per day in gratuities. It is understandable that the company has to take measures to keep up with the rising cost of fuel, but I personally do not believe that people th...
More About: Carnival , Fuel , Home

Is Cruising's Future in Time Shares?
2007-11-07 03:13:00
The cruise ship Pacific Aurora was recently purchased an renovated by a company called Maritime Growth Ventures (MGV) out of Canada in partnership with a company called Euro Oceans. Cabins will be sold as timeshares on this small 90 passenger, 1100 ton ship that will sale in Canadian waters. It will be interesting to see where this goes and how it may shape the future of cruising. Could we see a 110,000 ton 2500 passenger time share docked next to the Carnival's and Royal Caribbeans in the future? Just this spring a public filing with the SEC for MGV which details out the plans of the company. Being a fairly new venture, information on the Internet seems to be scarce. I could not find anything in the line of pricing other without having to call or email someone. Who knows, it may be one of those things where if I have to ask, then I probably cant afford it. Anyone interested in this can go to cruiseshares.com and see what they have to offer. Many of the links on the site r...
More About: Future , Time , Shares , Ares

Insurance - Gambling With Your Vacation
2007-11-06 02:52:00
In a previous post a few months back, I talked about travel insurance and how to go about finding the right one for you. The thing about travel insurance is its a gamble if you get it, and a gamble if you don't. I hear people all the time say that they don't need it because they have health insurance through work. But how many people really know what their insurance covers? Will it work when out of the country? Does it cover being airlifted off a cruise ship? The fact is that many health insurance plans don't not to mention the other things that travel insurance covers that one may not think of such as getting left behind, flight delays, and even having a vacation cut short due to unforeseen circumstances. We used to pass on travel insurance in the past and gamble on the fact that we would never use it, but have changed our outlook on the whole thing recently. I would rather take the gamble that I may need it and be wrong than the other way around. I know my odds of winn...
More About: Insurance , Vacation , Gambling , With You

Overbooking Not Just an Airline Tactic
2007-11-04 04:38:00
Many seasoned cruisers know that it is smart to book their flights to port a day in advance when at all possible. The major reason for this is simply airlines like to overbook and anything could happen. Having that extra time could mean the difference between making ones cruise on time or not. But what about the cruise line itself? Cruise lines follow a similar business practice when it comes to the number of bookings hearing of someone being bumped from a cruise is unheard of but could happen. Just like airlines, when an overbooking is going to happen, the cruise line has ways of dealing with problem. They offer perks to get people to cancel such as a huge discount on a future cruise which if you can swing a change in itinerary on such short notice can work out greatly for the passengers involved. There are people that live for being bumped when it comes to flying. But just how often does this happen within the cruise industry? Its hard to tell because they know days or we...
More About: Airline

Health Conscious Cruising
2007-11-03 02:23:00
It's hard to believe that one can take a cruise and still think and eat healthy but they can. Just about every ship has a full service health spa with just about every workout machine or variation of available. The dinner menu in the main restaurants have low fat, low salt, and other health conscious options noted. The buffet lines will have their fair share of baked items to compliment the deep fried stuff as well. It all comes down to will power and the want to make the healthier choices which is a difficult decision when your on vacation. Taking this into consideration, below are a few options to consider to maybe reduce the guilt factor of all the temptations while on a cruise (and still not see the inside of the gym):Book a cabin the furthest from the Lido deck (where the buffet is).Only use the stairs on board instead of the elevators.Take a walk after diner up on deck to help your food settle.Share deserts rather than getting one of each for yourself.Try the sugar free ...
More About: Health , Heal

The Cruiseer's Dream - Retire On Board
2007-11-02 04:03:00
Just about everyone has heard the story of the retired woman who decided to live full time on a cruise ship. Bea Muller is that lady, in this true story, who took up residence on the QE2 around the year 2000. Feel free to search her name and read one of the many articles about her. This is what I have done recently, just to see if there is any information about her that is recent but to no avail. The reason for my inquiry is simple. Best I could find is that she is still currently on board and paid up through the final World Cruise before the ship finally retires. She is writing a book that I have found no evidence of being published yet, so am to assume is still being worked on all about the QE2. It will be an interesting read when it hits the book shelves.
More About: Board , Dream , Retire , Tire

Smoking Restrictions Continue to Grow
2007-10-30 03:02:00
As a non smoker I have requested a non smoking room at a hotel, only to show up and not have the room type requested available. It can range from tolerable to "how does anyone stay in a room like that?" in the terms of odor. Luckily for us, we have not had a problem with the smell of smoke in the cabin when on a cruise. I don't know how they do it, but the some in the hotel industry needs to learn from the cruise lines in how to clean a room. But slowly smoking is going away from areas like the stateroom on board ship. People laughed when Carnival introduced its non smoking ship, the Paradise in 1998, and three years ago the non smoking moniker was removed when smoking in some public areas was allowed, the trend of major cruise lines on smoking has been shifting. Royal Caribbean just this past summer announced its new rules that go into effect starting next year which includes an all out smoking ban in all cabins on board, and Disney has had a ban on smoking in the cabins for...
More About: Smoking , Grow , Conti , Strict

Is Freestyle Dining Hot or Hype?
2007-10-27 04:08:00
Freestyle cruising, and more appropriately, freestyle dining is all the rage of late. Norwegian has been promoting the system for over seven years now and the other cruise lines are starting to take notice. But whats the big deal? It has to do with the monotony of the way most cruise lines approach dining with two options. You either go to the formal dining room at a set time, sit with the same people, and have to dress up one or more times during the cruise, or you get the buffet. With Norwegian, there is no set times, and there are many restaurants to choose from when it comes to dining options. It sounds great doesn't it? But there is always a catch. Some passengers off a Norwegian cruise ship have complained that the more popular restaurants get so busy that you have to call ahead from your stateroom to make a reservation for a specific time or risk not getting to eat at that restaurant. Its a small price to pay for having more options for some, but for others it is ju...
More About: Freestyle , Hype , Dining , Rees , Dini

The Blogging Cruise Director Goes on Hiatus
2007-10-26 05:29:00
John Heald and his wife are going on vacation. While on vacation, his blog will be supported by guest bloggers and he plans on keeping everyone up to date on whats going on in the life of John and Heidi. It was posted on his blog just a few short days ago that he has surpassed the 1 million visitor mark as well. Not bad timing. We all wish John and Heidi a wonderful vacation from being there for our vacations and look forward to their return to the Carnival Freedom next year.
More About: Blogging , Hiatus , Cruise , Director , Goes

Embarkation Day
2007-10-24 14:16:00
When it comes to cruising, the hectic parts are embarkation and debarkation. Embarkation can be made a lot less painful if you are ready. The first thing that you should do is consider when you plan on getting to the dock. Getting there to early can make for a long wait and add to the stress level. Getting there late can lead to a rushed feeling. USUALLY the best time is a couple of hours before the final boarding time. This is normally when there is the biggest lull because all the early boarders are through the system and the late arrivals haven't shown up yet. Another thing that helps to be prepared is to have the paperwork they require in hand and filled out correctly. This can slow down the line quiet a bit and includes your identification and boarding passes. Also note that there will be a security check similar to one at the airport. If you have as much out of your pockets as possible, it will help you get through quicker. And the last thing you need to do is reme...

Costumes for Halloween Cruising
2007-10-23 15:00:00
The first question is whether or not to even take a costume? We say if you are a Halloween fan and the costume does not take up much space, then yes. If you are taking your kids, a costume party may even be offered at the kids club. You may even want to check with the cruise line to see if there are going to be activities. Carnival has embraced Halloween and encourages the younger guests to bring their costumes during this time of year, with trick or treating, contests and other fun activities. As for the adults, you never know. The disco could be a pretty fun place to hang out when everyone shows up in costume. Now as for the other question to ask, it what costume right? We recommend something that is easy to pack as to not take to much space away from the other packing for the vacation. Another suggestion is to stay away from dressing up as a cruise ship captain. While this sounds like fun, you can guess how many other passengers have the same idea. In fact, there is usually at le...
More About: Costumes , Ween , Allo

Eco Cruising
2007-10-22 15:10:00
Eco tourism is becoming a catch all lately when it comes to cruising. You can find articles almost weekly about it and its a good thing. Getting the word out is the first step in making sure we all do our part in protecting the environment. What many people don't know is how much effort the cruise industry has been putting into trying to become as Eco friendly as possible. Ships no longer just dump their trash while cruising along at 17 knots out in the Ocean, and high standards are consistently being raised even higher. A recent example of the changes is Holland American Line's recently upgrading the laundry facilities on its ships to change from a chemical based dry cleaning system to a wet clean system that is more environmentally friendly. The changes and upgrades are two fold for the cruise lines as well. Not only in helping decrease pollution, but also make for better and cleaner ships for the passengers on board. The cruise industry has come a long way since the late 90s wh...

Compare a Cruise with Las Vegas
2007-10-21 18:48:00
As popular as cruising has become in recent years, there are a lot of people that still think of cruising as an expensive vacation. This couldn't be further from the truth but how does one explain why? I decided to compare a 4 day Mexican Baja Cruise on Carnival to a 4 night stay in Vegas at the Excalibur hotel on the strip for a couple with no children with all nights weeknights. The comparison shows how the two vacations are not as far off as people may think. For this comparison, all meals in Vegas are assumed eaten in the same restaurant in the Excalibur. Gambling and souvenirs will not be added because that will vary greatly by person. Transportation is also not added because it depends on where flying from.Room Price:Carnival - $280 per person for a total of $560Vegas - $61 per night for a total of $244Taxes and fees:Carnival - $40 per person for a total for $80Vegas - $20Breakfast:Carnival - includedVegas - $11 per person per dayLunch:Carnival - includedVegas - $13 per pe...
More About: Las Vegas , Compare , Pare

Cruise News for 10-19
2007-10-21 02:19:00
Here are some of the more notable news snippets from today.Carnival announces Veterans Promotion (booking code CPM1) to run November 1st -30th. Must have valid proof of Military service (active or Retired).Holland America an ounces that the Rotterdam will be returning to world cruising in 2009.Carnival orders 2 new ships for Costa Crociere from Fincantieri Ship Yards, to be ready for the 2011 cruising season.P&O swamped with calls during early hours today, mostly due to the new Pacific Dawn's itinerary and date release.
More About: News , Cruise