This is a small article about the realities and pleasures of cruising. And specifically, the fellowship of cruising, which I recently discovered, is also known as Cruise Critic (CC).
All aboard the SS Cruise Critic! There is no secret handshake, simply plop yourself down onto the Cruise Critic website and let your fingers do the walking. You can go to places you have dreamed, or never dreamed of visiting, with full details of food/drink menus, foodie porn shots, itineraries, shore excursion triumphs and woes, wildlife photos, how to smuggle booze on board tips, secret cabins or balconies with extra space are revealed and more often than not, best of all, a chance to really understand how regular folks plan, save and so much look forward to their chance to take a departure from their daily lives.
Here is where I truly hope travel agents (TAs) are watching closely. This is a front row seat to understand how and why consumers choose a particular cruise brand. It is an opportunity to learn what is a deal-breaker between cruise brands or conversely to appreciate the fierce following certain brands have earned with the marketplace. Many of the posters have very savvy travel professionals working hard on their behalf, others use online agencies, but they often fail to capitalize on price drops, perks or insider know-how that can make all the difference on any given voyage, given the factor of booking engines doing the actual booking.
For some background, I have trolled Flyer Talk for years. I am a flyer and landlubber, not a cruiser. The mileage runners on Flyer Talk I completely identify with. Off to HKG to top off miles? I totally get it. Cruising is a new arena for me. For full disclosure, I pay my own full freight on cruises. I am not in any way associated with Cruise Critic. And also let’s be clear here, Cruise Critic is a quasi-seller of travel, but as a business they have also have built a massive, very vocal, highly intelligent community within their website.
Having said that, my own cruise history is short and yet also long. Long In between cruises that is, clearly given two of the cruise brand names below!
Past:
Chandris’ Patris – Australia/Asia
Commodore SS Enchanted Isle – Panama Canal
Carnival Something Or Other – Caribbean
Celebrity Summit – Alaska
Holland America Oosterdam – Pacific Coastal
Norwegian Sun – Pacific Coastal
Princess Sun – Pacific Coastal
Coming up:
Golden Princess – Ensenada
Costa Favalosa- Mediterranean
When visiting Cruise Critic Member Boards, you can see from the vast majority of posters, a range of various signatures that like a badge of honor, are essentially all about credentials. Some posters will display Elite Status. Yes, I spent a lot of time on the Princess boards, but to my mind this is akin to United 1K status. Or close to it. Others will note 5,000, 10,000 or 30,000+ Club in their signature, I am not at all clear yet what that means. But everyone pretty much has a signature that in itself is a resume that displays prior cruise lines, allegiances and itineraries, along with upcoming cruises/ships. While some will post how many days at sea they have under their belt. All of which are measurements to give credence to their opinions and posts. Not that there is anything wrong with that! Show me someone with a grand total of 100 days (or similar) onboard any cruise line and I am more than willing to listen to their opinions.
One of the best features for CC members counting down the days (some have a countdown clock on their signature) are the much trafficked “live posts” from at sea. These are usually, blow-by-blow descriptions of embarkation, current menus, photos, port tips, shopping tips, changes to services/amenities, and literally dozens of detailed details that will whet even the most anti-cruiser’s appetite for a voyage.
However, having spent some time on the CC Princess board, there are a few posters who crop up over and over again. Some are stellar, some should have their keyboards confiscated. There always has to be a Queen Bee of any hive, and trust me, the Princess board has one in spades. This is a woman with a signature of loads of cruises, past and future. What is sorely lacking with this particular poster is a kindness or generosity towards fellow cruisers. A know it all? Check. Been there, done that? Triple check. Obsessed with her “ranking” onboard a cruise? Double check. Snarky, dismissive posts? Check!
It is unfortunate, yet entirely predictable any forum would have this sort of member. The woman noted above also deserves an honorable mention purely based on her mind-boggling stats: 14.9 posts a day are her average, regrettably, for the most part, from what I can see, with a sharp, often unfriendly tone to her fellow cruisers. Not cool and actually, not at all pleasant to read. As fondue is pretty much considered by many as the national dish of Switzerland, to write off a newish, for fee, Princess dining outlet (Fondues) as essentially not serving anything she would eat, clearly, shows this poster may have cruised a lot, but obviously has not travelled a lot. Oh, and who smuggles onboard Two Buck Chuck? Who declines to dress for formal nights, but sneers at “newbies” for doing so? Who prefers to eat at the buffet nightly, while dismissing the main dining rooms or specialty restaurants? Seriously? So, this type of input, despite coming from a so-called seasoned cruiser, deserves to taken with a grain of Aromat.
But let’s get to the good stuff as to why any consumer’s first port of call prior to a cruise should be Cruise Critic. Very randomly I happened upon the Cruise Critic Roll Call page. Very randomly I happened upon a Princess Cruise Roll Call that departs September 2013. And here is where Bravo TV was turned off and I spent many happy hours reading this particular, lengthy Princess Roll Call.
Let’s call them Dick Doe and Jane Doe. Both booked their voyage in May 2012, for a cruise in September 2013. The first posts were simply two passengers, different states, different people, different lives, both looking forward to a cruise miles away. Dick Doe is a very nice, thoughtful man. Jane Doe is a very nice, thoughtful woman. Both retired. Dick was in the landscaping biz, Jane was a teacher. Both are huge dog lovers, with five (count them, FIVE!) much-loved, four-legged friends between them. No romantic nonsense between each other, but loads of affection for their respective pets and partners. I so much enjoyed reading about how they make plans for their pets when traveling, how hard it is for each of them to leave their doggies and how those dogs were pampered over the 15-month period of their postings on the roll call thread. Happily, my two dogs do not have computer access, so they won’t get any grand ideas about how they need this or that when we travel!
When Jane had some tree problems with frostbite, over watering, under watering, and so forth, Dick was able to offer sound advice, albeit from afar. Dick is a great home cook and foodie, always experimenting with new dishes for his wife, who is not yet retired and clearly comes home to some fabulous meals. I would love to have a meal onboard with Dick and his wife, purely to enjoy their enthusiasm and love of food. Speaking of which, food easily is one of the most discussed topics on the CC boards, from what I could tell. Second only to cabin recommendations, IMO. Anticipation clearly is a big factor related to cruising and food. Whereas the same cannot be said for flying, unless one is turning left onboard!
Jane was considering changing her balcony cabin to a suite well over a year ago, Dick, I think, had an inside cabin. Both spent a number of posts reminiscing about cabins they have enjoyed over the years with friends and family, ranging from bunk beds with kids to full suites. Which reminds me to mention a term used frequently on the CC boards: “Upgrade Fairy” – which is when you either get an upgrade out of a cabin you handpicked long ago, or an upgrade that is actually wanted. Another thing I learned from CC is have your booking marked “no upgrade” or “meta upgrade only,” if you are set on the cabin you actually booked. The latter upgrade is an inside to ocean view, balcony to mini suite or mini-suite to full suite. Meta upgrades are not an ocean view to a different ocean view. Having said that let’s say you specifically hunted down and reserved what many consider to be a prized aft balcony, a “meta” upgrade to a mid-ship mini-suite might not actually be an upgrade one might appreciate! Mid ship sells for more, mini-suites generally sell for more, but many aft aficionados may well not consider that an upgrade! Different strokes for different folks. I will say though I am clicking my heels three times and hoping the Upgrade Fairy visits Dick and his wife! Jane, I trust, is all good with her suite. Full disclosure: I do not know “Dick Doe,” I have no knowledge of “Dick” other than randomly reading posts on CC.
Ten Things I Learned Reading Message Boards:
1. If you do not want an upgrade from a cabin you have chosen specifically, have your record/booking marked accordingly. Not all upgrades are upgrades in the eyes of the receiver. And be sure to tip your cabin steward. In an era of auto-tips, removing them can be problematic for the folks who have taken care of passengers on the voyage. If you remove the auto tip and hand an envelope of cash to your steward/stewardess, they are tracked and obligated to turn in the envelope. To make it easy all round, keep the auto-tip on your cruise account and by all means, say thank you with a cash tip to crew you feel are deserving. Disconcertingly, I did read a few times that Costa on Med cruises, has a mandatory auto tip/service fee. I have no problem with this. What I do have an issue with is that the passenger is charged the per day service fee in Euros, yet Costa pays their staff in USD. If this is incorrect, I encourage CCL to please let us know. Fact or fiction? We will print a retraction if it is fiction. One cannot always believe everything one reads on the Internet.
2. There is a better alternative to the crush of the deck buffet upon embarkation. On most cruise lines a main dining room is open and often is not very busy. Ask or simply scout out which dining room is open for lunch yourself while checking out the ship. A quiet sit down lunch is perhaps preferable to the crowded buffet on deck.
3. If you a shareholder of Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) holding 100 shares minimum, you are entitled to onboard credit (OBC). Simply fax in your shareholder status 21 days prior to earn up to $250 OBC, depending on length of your cruise. This is a security that also pays dividends. Always check with your financial advisor, this is not an endorsement for purchasing CCL shares, simply a heads up to what could be, for some travelers, a very attractive perk. I believe this credit is valid across many of CCL’s brands.
4. Princess (and other company brands) offer a military onboard credit, up to $250, depending on length of cruise, is extended to several countries for current and veterans of various military branches, including those from Canada, UK and Australia. And of course, the US. This is combinable with the above mentioned shareholder OBC for CCL.
5. Personally, I loved this tip, although I cannot imagine using it as I do not go on longer cruises. Most walls are made of metal, so one can use a cabin’s wall as a huge organization board. Simply bring onboard magnets and voila, you have a place to stash receipts, menus, tickets, souvenirs and so on.
6. Huge numbers of Princess Cruise devotees swear by and discuss frequently the ‘Always Available’ Fettuccine Alfredo served in a parmesan bread basket as a main course. If you want it as an appetizer, be sure to specify to have it served in the much loved edible bread basket.
7. The included coffee is often terrible, regardless of cruise brand, so consider buying a coffee card for the specialty outlets. The International Court outlet (without charge for the most part) on Princess has been warmly received. Folks also appear to really like the newish Vines wine bar on Princess. Some lament the lack of food availability on several vessels, but overall, the option of flights of wine while nibbling on tapas or cheese gets a big thumbs up from a considerable amount of cruisers on CC. The Princess Crown Grill, a for fee dining outlet, which by all accounts, is truly wonderful. Being a carnivore, just looking at their menu makes me hungry. So many CC members share extensive, long posts describing their Crown Grill dining experience. At $25 per head, it is a steal. Granted, not Prime USDA steaks, but a good level of Choice USDA beef, with lobster and other seafood choices thrown into the mix. Did I mention escargot in the main dining room? Single handedly, this perhaps, other than the much loved Princess’ Alfredo pasta dish, crops up over and over again. Princess cruisers love it and tend to get pouty if they cannot get it. Who knew?
8. A travel agent/seller of travel can either be the best friend a consumer ever had or a massive hindrance to obtaining deals, perks and price drops. With huge inventory, multiple brands (albeit many owned by the same company) and with pricing and categories changing faster than the wind, I can see how being a cruise specialist is not easy. For consumers, shop wisely first for a specialist who truly knows the cruise industry. Then with that person onboard, shop for your cruise. Whether that is by brand, by destination or by price/deals. Having a knowledgeable, hard-working cruise specialist in your corner, working on your behalf is worth its weight in gold. If I were a TA specializing in cruises, I would make it my business to track fares for prices drops, which are frequent. Yes, you will earn less commission, but in the process you might just earn a client’s loyalty for life when you call them to let them know you just saved them money they thought was spent.
9. Let me repeat for consumers, do not rely on booking engines. Nothing can replace a person at the other end of the phone who has genuine knowledge of the cruise lines, cabins, covered balconies, uncovered balconies, larger inside cabins, obstructed ocean view cabins that do not actually have an obstructed view, itineraries and also the swiftly changing yield management cruise industry pricing. I saw in spades numerous unhappy posts from CC members who simply relied on booking engines. Conversely, I read many happy posts from folks who called and worked with a cruise professional when purchasing their cruise.
10. Pack a good attitude. After all, one is on vacation. Nothing is perfect. With mainstream brands/vessels carrying often upwards of 2500 passengers, not everything will be smooth sailing. It seems that for the most part, cruise lines work hard to deliver on their various marketing promises. Compared to the airline industry, it is my belief the cruise line industry is a lot more focused on customer service and feedback. Massive kudos to the cruise lines for that.
I wish every consumer reading this an adventure on the high seas sometime soon. Try a short 3 day voyage to get a feel for cruising, these are widely offered and offer some good deals, most especially close to a sailing date, during the week. Or opt for a long, last minute cruise, where prices are very low across the board. I saw the other day a repositioning cruise, albeit an inside cabin, at $27 per day! It was a 28-day cruise. Room and board at $27 per day for nearly a month is cheaper than staying at home for a lot of people. There has never been a better time to secure a remarkable deal, regardless of the itinerary or cruise brand. To every TA reading this, I hope you wrap your arms around CC, there is a wealth of information readily available at your fingertips that could help you become one of those coveted TA’s that are highly regarded and sought after. And of course, nothing beats actual experience, so hopefully any travel professional involved in selling cruises participates in cruise line educational programs. After all, you might get a CC member as a prospective client and the chances are they will probably know a great deal about any given cruise line or itinerary.
AUTHOR: Melanie Webster eTN Correspondent, Los Angeles
