subject: 11 Steps To Transform A Cruise Trip Into A Dream Vacation [print this page] I needed affordable getaway summer breakI needed affordable getaway summer break. So, when an e-mail from from one on the Cruise Agent, Escape at Sea from $45/night popped into my in-box, I clicked. For one low price I could get a floating hotel room, three meals a day, and places to explore. There was a Mediterranean sailing that fit my dates, on the cruise line that has my kids favorite Wifes program, and on a ship with balconied mini-suites.
The quoted $45 per night turned out to be the price per person for the least expensive room on the least expensive cruise. The sailing and the mini-suite I wanted was $117 per person per nightstill not bad for an itinerary that hit two countries, a balcony with an ever-changing ocean view, and seven date nights with my Wife. I would also get $100 in shipboard credit. I put down a deposit.
Transforming this deal into the trip of a lifetime required minimizing the drawbacks of a huge ship (and of booking through a call center) while maximizing the benefits of a vacation at sea. Heres what I didand what I learned:
Sign up for alerts, but book through an expert (cruisevico), www.cruisevico.com.
Book far enough ahead to score the right cabin.
On the largest ships, where it can take 15 minutes to walk from bow to stern, cabin location is critical. So is a balconya convenient outdoor slice of serenity. Because I had booked five months ahead, I was able to snag a balconied room with a 30-second commute to the pool, and buffet. A ship is a lot more pleasant when you can take the stairs everywhere and never have to wait for an elevator.
Buy plane tickets yourself rather than through the cruise line.
If youre booking a cruise many months in advance that departs from a Mediterranean port, wait to purchase your airline tickets. They typically dont go on sale until four months before a flight, at the earliest. I saved hundreds of dollars by waiting till two months before the cruise to buy our plane tickets to Venice, the embarkation port; I had set up airfare alerts on Makemytrip.com and Yatra.com, which notified me when fares dropped. Passengers on our cruise and on most cruises Ive taken who bought their airline tickets through the cruise line complained about inconvenient schedules, while I got the nonstops I wanted. To ensure that a canceled flight doesnt cause you to miss your sailing, fly to your embarkation port early.
Start your cruise relaxed.
Because flying in a day ahead and dealing with the considerable logistics of getting from airport to hotel to ship can leave you frazzled, consider flying in three days ahead, so you can decompress before your cruise starts. Arriving in Barcelona three days before our sailing made all the difference to my wife and my mental states during the cruise.
Escape the crowds.
The first line a cruisegoer encounters is at check-in. By arriving after lunch, we dodged it and the dreaded embarkation-day buffet line. Rather than waiting for our luggage to be delivered, we packed our swimsuits in our carry-ons so the kids could immediately jump in the pool. On board there was always a restaurant with no line, and there was always free room service.
Turn an ordinary itinerary into a remarkable one.
The only port I could get excited about was the one Id never been to: Venice, Italy. The other three were Athens, Santorini and Mykonos, Greece. What these places have thats remarkable, though, is Amazing night life, beaches and history. My mission: to get on one of the tours was an experience couldnt experience elsewhere.
Research shore activities in advance.
On a conventional Mediterranean cruise, if you wait till youre in port to plan your day or if you succumb to the group shore excursions that the cruise lines try to sell you, youll have a tough time escaping the tourist traps. I got a sense of our options by looking at the excursions described by Royal Caribbean, local tour agencies, and cruisevico.com.
Do something youve never done before.
We managed to tryand mastera new activity in every port. This was invigorating, made our trip memorable, and left us with a sense of accomplishment. In Athens we tried Acropolis. In Santorini we joined a group of people to a village Oia which has one of the best sun set in Greece, while in Mykonos we joined group of fellow guest of our ship to the famous paradise beach till the Sunset.
Balance couple time, and alone time.
In each port we did a morning activity as a couple usually one that involved exploring the Island. In the afternoons we derived around the island, Back then at night we enjoy dinners and moonlit strolls.
Splurge on an unforgettable trip highlight.
We saved hundreds of dollars by booking activities independently of our own on every port.
End your trip having mastered a challenge.
Each one of us came home with a sense of achievement. And as for me, I had orchestrated my ultimate vacation.
