Merging Into Life: Tips for Cruising

[00:02:14]
Amanda Greene: Can you give us some of your tips for having a smooth embarkation day?

[00:02:18]
Ilana Schattauer: So I do always like to tell people, make sure that you fly in one day early. And especially when it’s in the wintertime and perhaps somebody’s coming from the northeast or somewhere where weather can affect that flight, you do need at least two hours to spare before the sail away time, which is not obvious, but that is actually a rule for the cruise lines.

And another thing is don’t show up hungry. So when you get to the cruise terminal, it can take a little bit of time before you board your cruise ship and sometimes there can be a delay. So you don’t want to wake up in the morning, not have breakfast and show up starving. At least have a breakfast, some people even bring a little snack with them just in case. And this way you can ease when you get onto the cruise ship, do everything you need to do and then take your time before having your lunch.

[00:03:07]
Amanda Greene: Because we don’t want to be hangry as we’re getting on a cruise to have an amazing vacation.

[00:03:11]
Ilana Schattauer: You are right. It is no fun to be hangry or to be cruising with other people that are hangry.

[00:03:15]
Amanda Greene: No. What about when it comes to packing and what you should have for that first day versus once you’re settled into your room?

[00:03:25]
Ilana Schattauer: So you want to arrive at your cruise port with a cruise carry-on bag and basically that’s going to be the things that you need for the first few hours of your cruise before your luggage arrives. So if you are taking checked baggage, which you can do, there are going to be porters that are outside of the cruise terminal and they’re going to take your luggage and then it is going to be tagged and it’s going to be delivered to your cabin. But it can take a few hours, so we’ve boarded a cruise ship, let’s say around 12:00 noon, and we’ve got our luggage maybe around 3:00, 4:00, even sometimes 5:00PM.

So you want to have things to enjoy the day. So that’s going to be things like bathing suits maybe because the pools, all the activities, they are open right away. But other important things that you want to have is make sure that you have your boarding documentation, your identification. So oftentimes, that’s going to be a passport for a lot of people. Otherwise, always verify with a cruise line any other documentation or ID that could be required. But as well, you want to make sure you have your valuables with you. And even something as simple as you may want to freshen up when you get on the cruise ship, you may want to freshen up your makeup or deodorant or brush your teeth. So just really thinking about what are the things that you will need for those first few hours until your luggage arrives.

[00:04:41]
Amanda Greene: What about the need to be flexible on a cruise? Because as enjoyable as it’s going to be, things are going to maybe not always go according to plan.

[00:04:50]
Ilana Schattauer: Yes. So just like everything in life, we have to be flexible, but one thing in particular about cruises is itinerary. So a cruise ship, of course, is moving through the ocean and it’s a great vacation because you can go to several different destinations. But one thing I would caution people about is being flexible with the idea that your itinerary may change.

Now, usually itineraries don’t change, but I’ll give you an example. We were on a cruise and it was in the Caribbean right at the beginning of when Hurricane Helen was going to be passing through. So our cruise wasn’t affected, but what happened was when we got onto the cruise ship, we had a letter in our cabin stating that three of our cruise ports would be changing, and that was because the captain had made a decision to actually reroute the ship. We were supposed to be going, for instance, to Cozumel, Mexico. So there was the potential of the storm being in that area at the time, it was before it had arrived. So to just avoid any of those problems, we headed instead to Dominican Republic, which was really nice.

[00:05:53]
Amanda Greene: Thanks, Ilana, for sharing your love of cruising with us. I’m pretty sure I’d be okay with a surprise trip to the Dominican Republic.

All right, make sure you leave plenty of time. You don’t want to miss the boat. Don’t show up hungry, and pack a carry-on so you can start enjoying all the things your ship has to offer immediately.

[00:06:12]
Dana Hammond: We’re talking roller coasters on the top decks of these big ships, ice skating rinks tucked in their bellies, planetariums, beautifully curated lectures, so there’s something for everybody to do.

[00:06:23]
Amanda Greene: This is Dana Hammond. She’s a travel writer whose work has appeared in major news publications and AAA magazines throughout the years. Dana loves cruises.

[00:06:33]
Dana Hammond: It’s almost like magic. You go to sleep in one place, you wake up in a new place. I often say it’s kind of like Christmas morning for travelers every day on a cruise because you’re unwrapping a new destination.

[00:06:44]
Amanda Greene: That is so beautiful. You’re really romanticizing cruising, and it sounds so magical. I’ve seen cruises that are like, I don’t know, 10 to 14 days long and that seems like a really long time.

[00:06:57]
Dana Hammond: It is.

[00:06:57]
Amanda Greene: Especially for someone who has never done a cruise before. So if someone’s never been on a cruise before, they probably shouldn’t be looking at one of those two-week long cruises, right?

[00:07:07]
Dana Hammond: For your first cruise, five to seven days is probably the perfect time. It gives you an opportunity to get a lay of the ship and to experience all the onboard attractions. I guarantee even with seven days on most ships, you’re going to have a conversation with someone in the elevator who’s telling you their most amazing thing they did on the cruise and you’re like, “Oh, we didn’t even get to that.” And then you share yours with them and they’re like, “We didn’t get to that,” because there’s just so much to do.

[00:07:30]
Amanda Greene: I know that there’s different kinds of cruises and every ship kind of offers different things and different cruise lines offer different things. Who are cruises meant for?

[00:07:39]
Dana Hammond: There’s a short answer to that. It’s everybody. You can find any price point for cruises. You can find an active cruise, you can find a cruise that’s more cerebral. There are accommodations for solo passengers now. And families are very welcome on cruise ships. Some of the kids clubs that you’ll find are amazing. They’re age-specific, supervised programs. They’re decked out with the latest tech gadgetry, special clubs for teens. And believe me, the teens clubs, they do what we’re doing. They can learn how to podcast. They’ll cut videos, learn a movie. There’s gaming and sporting tournaments, dances with mocktails. I sometimes think the teens, by the end of a cruise, have the run of the ship because they have a certain agency of their own, so they learn every last space and they know the layout by the time you get off better than half the passengers.

[00:08:27]
Amanda Greene: I’ve heard stories even of teenagers finding their lifelong best friend on a cruise because it is just a special kind of bonding that happens.

[00:08:35]
Dana Hammond: For adults and kids too. Some cruises are almost like a camp for adults because you just have this quick bonding experience over the shared thing that you’re engaging in.

[00:08:43]
Amanda Greene: So you were saying earlier that one of the special things about cruising is going to sleep in this floating hotel.

[00:08:49]
Dana Hammond: That’s right.

[00:08:49]
Amanda Greene: And then waking up in a destination. Do you have any destinations that you recommend that are really special to you?

[00:08:57]
Dana Hammond: Absolutely. You can go anywhere, particularly from a home port in the Northeast where we are, you can head north to New England, south to Bermuda, Europe, and the Caribbean. And on the other side of the country, Alaska is easy to get to Hawaii. I’ve been to Antarctica, which was amazing.

But if I were going to recommend the first time cruiser, I would say head to the Caribbean. It’s very easy to get there. All of the ships are there. It’s open year round. It’s beautiful. There are arid islands like Aruba and lush ones like Jamaica. So the Caribbean provides an easy, convenient year-round option. And also, that’s where the cruise line private islands live and those port calls are among the most raved about on all the itineraries.

[00:09:41]
Amanda Greene: Why do you think so?

[00:09:42]
Dana Hammond: I think because it dovetails nicely with what cruising does, delivering that hassle-free approach. You have a carefree beach day, the cruise line takes care of everything. They’re going to give you your towel, the beach chairs are there, the umbrellas. They provide a beach barbecue and some snack shacks all included, so it’s really lovely. And they’re also tricked out in a style that is reminiscent of the various cruise lines, so it’s really an extension of that experience. But you can leave your wallet on the ship. You don’t have to worry about anything.

[00:10:12]
Amanda Greene: Having a private island be one of the ports sounds like kind of getting the best of both worlds on a vacation because on a cruise, you probably don’t spend a lot of time at the beach. But if you are stopping for a day on one of the private islands, you have the chance to swim in the ocean and get that beach experience while also being on a cruise.

[00:10:30]
Dana Hammond: Absolutely. Sometimes I’ve found that you want to just go, go, go with the ports, even in the Caribbean and you’re not taking that time for a beach experience. Here, it’s built in, the day is devoted to that. And as I said, you have all the amenities, you don’t have to think twice about anything. And let’s say you forgot your suntan lotion, run back to the ship and get it. It’s just so easy.

[00:10:52]
Amanda Greene: I feel like there are so many options when it comes to cruising. Even if you just do a quick search, there’s just so many different lines, so many different ships. How do you find the best ship for you? How do you narrow down that search?

[00:11:07]
Dana Hammond: I always look at the ship kind of as an extra travel companion and you want to have a personality that jives with the people you’re traveling with. So you do a little research, get online. The cruise line websites are true to character. They show the activities that they want to highlight, the people that are doing them, families or maybe a more mature crew line is going to be represented in that way.

You can join forums where you can actually speak with or communicate with people who have been on these ships that you’re looking into going on. You can ask them pointed questions, “Hey, Grandpa likes to golf every day, and I heard there’s a golf simulator on this or a mini golf course. Were they crowded? Were they nice? Do you think he’d be happy?” So you can really get a lot of information from that. And an agent is also very good, have to give a plug to AAA. A knowledgeable cruise agent is invaluable.

[00:11:55]
Amanda Greene: And I know you can even book on your own at AAA.com/Cruises. There is so much information there, including deck plans. You can really get a feel for the ship right on the website. Of course, ships come in different sizes. How do the big ones and the small ones compare?

[00:12:1]2
Dana Hammond: So the big ships are kind of jacks of all trades and the smaller ships tend to be a little more luxurious, a personalized experience. I would say though, if you’re a first time cruiser and you’re really kind of battling which direction you want to go, that the larger ships do tend to be the ones that have something for everybody to do. You really can’t go wrong. At any given time, someone might be zip lining across the top of the ship while somebody else is attending an art auction or a wine lecture, so you’ll find your place.

[00:12:42]
Amanda Greene: How many people would be on a large ship versus a small ship?

[00:12:45]
Dana Hammond: Get ready to have your mind blown, at least I always feel like it’s a mind-blowing thing, but the largest cruise ship sailing right now can accommodate more than 7, 000 passengers.

[00:12:55]
Amanda Greene: Wow.

[00:12:56]
Dana Hammond: I think it’s 7, 600 to be exact. And this particular cruise line breaks their ship up into neighborhoods. And then the smaller ships, the most luxurious ships tend to be, of course you pay a little bit of a higher price point for them, but you could have as little as 400 passengers on the ship.

[00:13:13]
Amanda Greene: Really is like a floating city, which is just so neat.

[00:13:16]
Dana Hammond: Yes, it is. It is.

[00:13:20]
Amanda Greene: Do you have any key tips that you share for first time cruisers?

[00:13:25]
Dana Hammond: In particular, getting on the cruise first time, the cruise line apps are incredible. You want to download that cruise line app. It’s kind of like having a pocket sized cruise director with you at all the times. It can give you the information on when venues are open, what kind of activities are going on. You can make reservations. Some of them even allow you to turn on your cabin lights, communicate with other people. There’s information on the ship layout, there’s information on the destinations. It’s anything you want, you can turn to it. So I would say for sure, do that.

And another thing is make some reservations in advance before you get on the ship, particularly shore excursions, they can sell out and you don’t want to miss something that you want to do. Also, specialty dining, it’s an extra charge for this, but if you have a birthday or maybe an anniversary and you’re locked into a certain date, you’d want to make that reservation in advance too. You could even reserve things like spa time during a sea day when spa is humming, and that way you don’t miss out if you’re locked into a certain date.

[00:14:24]
Amanda Greene: I feel like I see a lot of hacks on Instagram about packing.

[00:14:28]
Dana Hammond: Well, my first rule is pack light or likely go home regretting it because cruising has become so much more casual over the years. And while it’s a great opportunity to turn yourself out in a fabulous dress and have a formal night, you definitely do not have to pack a ball gown and a tuxedo. It’s really much more casual than that nowadays.

Also, one of my cabin hacks is that ships are made of metal. You forget that because they’re so beautifully decorated interiorly. But if you buy just a couple of magnetic hooks, they can go a long way, particularly because in the bathrooms, let’s just say they’re economical in space, so counter space can be a bit limited. You throw some of those magnets up and you invest in a fold down toiletry package, you can just hook that up there and it saves space. If you’ve got kids traveling with you, hang their bathing suits on a few of them.

[00:15:19]
Amanda Greene: What’s included in most cruises and what’s extra?

[00:15:23]
Dana Hammond: It’s a good question because you don’t want to be disappointed. A lot of the things are included, the shipboard activities, your dining. But there are up-sales for all of this. It really depends on the line too, because when we’re talking about the bigger ships that have that resort feel or even your premium cruise lines, they have less of the things included. But when we’re talking about that 400 passenger ship, you can bet that almost every single thing is included. Sometimes even your airfare and your transportation to the ship, your shore excursions, alcohol, all of that.

But when you’re looking about things that are not included, the likely extras are gratuities. I don’t think that one surprises people too much. There are specialty dining, that’s going to be an upcharge. Your Wi-Fi is going to cost you extra and your alcohol and some beverages. That last part can throw people. Like a specialty coffee, you would pay extra for a lot of times, but not regular coffee or tea. And while the cruise line will provide things for you to drink, like maybe iced tea and lemonade and juice or variety of that, but they won’t necessarily provide soda. Some do, but not all of them do. So you have to be prepared for those extras that might come along.

[00:16:29]
Amanda Greene: So your food other than specialty dining would be included. The nightly entertainment, the shows that you’ll often find on the ships are included.

[00:16:38]
Dana Hammond: Yes.

[00:16:39]
Amanda Greene: But things like the spa for example, that’s going to be an extra cost.

[00:16:43]
Dana Hammond: Yeah.

[00:16:45]
Amanda Greene: Do you have any strategies for people who start to feel a little uncomfortable at sea?

[00:16:51]
Dana Hammond: I think it’s usually tied to the motion sickness. First of all, you can start by picking a great cabin for that, if that’s a concern of yours. The middle of the ship and lower is generally where you feel the least amount of motion. I also would suggest a balcony cabin because then you have access to fresh air and the horizon. The horizon usually sets your brain straight and you realize why you’re feeling a little woozy. There are, of course, medications you can take. I see people wearing sea bands that have pressure points.

But also I’d like to say that these ships are very stable, so I don’t want people to really have too much fear about that. They actually have stabilizers, which are these airplane wing things that kind of come out from the side of the ship while you’re at sea and help stabilize the ship. So it’s more often that you might forget you’re actually at sea than be worrying about that for most people. But if you have terrible issues, of course there is a medical center on the ship and they’ll help you out.

[00:17:43]
Amanda Greene: I’m sure you’ve met a few people who are naysayers when it comes to cruising over the years, right?

[00:17:50]
Dana Hammond: Yes.

[00:17:50]
Amanda Greene: What do you tell them?

[00:17:51]
Dana Hammond: It usually turns out that you need to do a little bit of myth busting, which I think we’ve done. They’ll say it’s too pricey and yet there’s various price points and there’s a lot of value included in the price that you pay. Or they’ll worry about the motion sickness and we’ve just talked about that. Or that the cruise is too crowded. Even on the biggest ship, you can find these nooks where you’re okay with having a private moment or looking at the sea and no one else seems to be around. So you can definitely seek that out. Also, that they’re bored and that’s just a hard no. There’s no way you can be.

[00:18:23]
Amanda Greene: Right.

[00:18:25]
Dana Hammond: No. If you want to be active, you can be active.

[00:18:27]
Amanda Greene: And as someone who is so passionate about cruising and loves the experience, what would you tell someone who is on the fence about trying one?

[00:18:37]
Dana Hammond: I would say go. In a life well traveled, you cannot miss out on cruising. You have to try it, and the odds are you’re going to love it. Passenger surveys and nonprofits, they show that first time cruisers have an experience that exceeds their expectations. And I always love the stat that they kind of put their money where their mouth is and book a second cruise fairly quickly after the first one.

So it’s really not much of a leap of faith to try it. You’re probably going to have an amazing time. And whether you’re choosing one of these big leviathans of the sea with all the activities or a smaller ship for a more sedate experience, I guarantee you you can find your slice of seafaring heaven out there and you’re going to have a beautiful sail away if you try it.

[00:19:21]
Amanda Greene: Before we let you go, we’re going to ask you just some rapid fire questions. Are you ready, Dana Hammond?

[00:19:26]
Dana Hammond: I think so. I don’t know, let’s see.

[00:19:29]
Amanda Greene: How many cruises have you been on?

[00:19:30]
Dana Hammond: Okay, more than 100. And it’s unusual that I don’t know my exact number because cruisers usually do know their exact number and my sister thinks it’s 150 at least.

[00:19:40]
Amanda Greene: What’s the wildest amenity you’ve ever seen on a ship?

[00:19:44]
Dana Hammond: I’m going to go with skydiving simulator.

[00:19:46]
Amanda Greene: What? Have you ever been on a ship where someone was left behind at a port?

[00:19:52]
Dana Hammond: Yes.

[00:19:53]
Amanda Greene: What happened?

[00:19:53]
Dana Hammond: I have. Most recently, I was in Alaska in the port of Juneau, which is a very easy port to navigate on your own, so I would almost recommend that. And these people were obviously doing that. There’s a chairlift to the top of a lookout point. And I had been chatting with them for a minute or two, lovely couple, and they said to me, “Is that ship pulling out?” And they pointed to it, and here I was excited. I said, “Yeah, we’re going to get to watch it sail away.” And they’re like, “We’re on that ship.”

I felt so bad for them because, Amanda, Juneau of all places, to get to Juneau, you have to take the Marine Highway or fly in on a float plane, and it’s your responsibility to get to the ship. Those are the rules. So I have seen that. You need to manage your time when you’re on shore. If you’re not going with an organized shore excursion where they’re going to do that for you, you need to be cognizant of where you are and when the ship leaves.

[00:20:49]
Amanda Greene: Great tip. Have you ever seen any sea life from the ship?

[00:20:54]
Dana Hammond: Yes, absolutely. In fact, in Alaska, most of the itineraries include a glacier viewing experience. And I’ve been in Glacier Bay. It’s funny, your ship seems big when you’re on it, most ships even, when you’re not on the hugest ship. And then you cruise up to this glacier and you’re kind of dwarfed in the presence of it. So it’s spectacular to begin with, and hopefully it calves for you and it smashes into the water and creates all these bergy, icy bits.

And we’ve seen whales, we’ve seen incredible bird life. You can spot wildlife and experience the beautiful inner passage. And for families, it’s kind of an expedition type cruise without really being a true expedition. It just has a lot to offer.

[00:21:35]
Amanda Greene: Dana, thank you so much for coming on today and sharing all of your passion for cruising and some amazing tips. When you’ve never done something before, you have no idea what to expect.

[00:21:45]
Dana Hammond: Right.

[00:21:45]
Amanda Greene: You have really painted a picture for first time cruisers to kind of have an idea of what they’re getting themselves into.

[00:21:51]
Dana Hammond: I hope so.

[00:21:52]
Amanda Greene: So thank you for doing that.

[00:21:53]
Dana Hammond: Amanda, thank you so much.

[00:21:55]
Amanda Greene: That was travel writer Dana Hammond, and before that, Ilana Schattauer of Life Well Cruised. Honestly, I’ve never stepped foot on a private island or cruised past a glacier. But hey, I’ve also never gone ice skating on a ship or played pickleball with the ocean as my backdrop. Who knew there were so many ways to experience life at sea? Now that I’m thinking about it, maybe it’s time to start adding this stuff to that bucket list so that I can check it off.

You’ve been listening to Merging into Life, where we navigate life’s milestones one episode at a time, brought to you by AAA Northeast with assistance from JAR Audio. I’m your host, Amanda Greene. We would love to hear what you think. Your feedback really matters to us, so if you have any ideas for an episode or you just want to say hi, please leave a review wherever you listen or email us at podcast@AAANortheast.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA, and/ or its affiliates.