Talk About Travel: Transcript Hosted by Craig Stoltz Washington Post Travel Editor Monday, February 15, 1999

Craig Stoltz The Washington Post

Craig Stoltz: Greetings again, everybody, and thanks again for joining our weekly travel chat. This week, following yesterday's special cruise feature by our on-staff cruise expert, Carolyn Spencer Brown, we're taking questions on cruising--but, as usual, we'll entertain queries on practically any travel topic. Veteran cruisers: Please add your own comments about Brown's answers, since we like to use this forum to provide lots of points of view on travel experiences.

As for the question below, here I turn over the keys to Brown: Maybe not the wrong line, but the wrong ship. Ships are getting bigger rather than smaller, so the experience you report is likely to keep happening. I've felt the same way. But on smaller ships, even those operated by Carnival and other mega-lines, aren't all so crowded. For example: The Royal Princess is, I think, the near perfect size, about 1,300 passengers (compared to over 2,000 for the Ecstasy) and about half the physical size. But there was still room for alternative dining, and a decent spa, recreation, etc.

So: Next time, consider smaller ships. Some ships are going smoke-free, like Carnival's Paradise (which, by the way, isn't small) and Renaissance, whose ships are 700 passengers. Agents don't like Renaissance, so you'll have to ask about them.

lexingtonkentucky: In fall of '99 I was hoping to take a Princess cruise on Mediterranean however I am budgeting around 3,000 and don't know how to keep shore excursions from running up budget. Suggestions welcome.

Craig Stoltz: Basically, do your research before you go: check guidebooks, get tourist office information, so you know what you want to do once you're there (since you have so little time when you are there). One downside on mass-market cruises on the Mediterranean: Often, you dock in ports that are an hour or more from the major cities, and transportion can be iffy.

So: Pick a few cities to go out on your own, and settle for the ship's excursions for the rest. Also: the more dicey the port--Casablanca, for instance, you'll want to keep with the ship's excursions.

E. Lansing, MI: What are the best excursions in Ocho Rios, Jamaica?

Craig Stoltz: In yesterday's paper, we did a special on navigating Caribbean ports. If you don't have the paper (we don't circulate much in E. Lansing, I know), check out washingtonpost.com; use Caribbean or Carolyn Spencer Brown as search words if you can't find it in the travel section. We covered Ochos Rios and many other common Caribbean ports.

McLean, VA: Bonjour Craig,
Please advice on the best cruise best value for about a dozen thirty-something professionals who love tennis, golf,scuba,dancing,great food and the warm Caribbean water!!! Thank you!!!

Craig Stoltz: Says Brown: Go for a line that skews younger (Royal Caribbean or Carnival), not just because of who you'll meet on board, but also if you want to do shore excursions, there will be some more active ones, with sports and whatnot--not just on the tour bus, in other words. If your serious about golf, try to look for sailings on Barbados or St. Thomas, or San Juan. Scuba, dancing, etc.--you'll find that anywhere.

Hyattsville, MD: Hi, I'm going sailing on a windjammer in Camden, Maine in July. I would like to stay a week and was wondering if you have any suggestions for reasonable cost accommodations.

Craig Stoltz: Stoltz here: I've been to Camden, and love the town. But yes, it's very expensive and tony, in that charming, slightly shabby New England way. I can't recommend cheap places. Anybody out there know of a nice cheap place in Camden? Also, check www.bbchannel.com, which may have listings. But be aware that July is absolute peak season/peak rates up there.

Washington DC: My wife and I are planning a cruise of the southern caribbean with our 18 month old. We are having a hard time deciding between Princess and Celebrity. Which one would you recommend?

Craig Stoltz: They're so close, says Brown, it really doesn't matter. If price doesn't drive your choice, Brown says, she'd choose Celebrity. She's heard a few folks who have taken kids on Celebrity and been happy.

St. Louis, Missouri: We like to cruise on small ships that carry 75 to 100 passengers. What cruise companys have ships of this size other than Clipper Cruise Line which is part of the Intrav company here in St. Louis?

Craig Stoltz: Check yesterday's paper, in which Brown wrote extensively about river cruises. But, in the U.S., you've got Delta Queen and America West, both offering steamboat experiences, and many in Europe ply the Rhine, Rhone, Danube, Seine, etc.

Johnstown, CO: How do you select a cruise that provides ones own preference of balance of time on the ship and enough time in the various ports?

Craig Stoltz: One of the key questions in cruising. On any ship, you can do whatever you want, or nothing at all. All mainstream lines offer the same kinds of stuff, so you won't find a meaningful difference between them. The real difference is on the higher-end ships, like Silver Sea or Seabourne, which consider their guests sophisiticated, or rich enough, to amuse themselves. But most of us can't afford that. The River cruises we wrote about yesterday, which we wrote about yesterday, are considerably more port-oriented and quite restful.

Sacramento, CA: I've cruised twice in the past ten years--both short, Florida-based cruises. I'm looking for a short itinerary departing from the West coast. I like to meet people, but the primary objective for me is R and R--NO MANDATORY SOCIAL FUN, PLEASE!!!

Craig Stoltz: The Mexican Riviera, as it's marketed, is a very hot 3-4 day cruise out of LA. Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean offer them year-round. As for the social stuff, both lines offer it, but you can avoid it by going to the front of the ship, finding a nook, etc.

Bethesda, Md: For Hyattsville:
Get a AAA tour book and look through the listings from Camden through Lincolnville, but skip the Snow Hill motel - what a dump! I spent $85 for a mildewed room there out of season. There are some good ones from Damariscott (just lovely) to several towns above Camden. And don't miss the sweater shop or The Waterfront Restaurant - my all time U.S. favorite.

Craig Stoltz: Thanks, Bethesda! Ditto on Waterfront Restaurant--it's the real thing.

gaithersburg, md: my kids and i cruised on the celebration in 97 on the western caribbean. i want to take them on the eastern side, except the sensation no longer cruises there. also i may want to try another cruise line any suggestions? my kids are 10 and 11.

Craig Stoltz: If you cruise during school holidays, all lines offer kids stuff. Newer ships offer better kids' facilities, and bigger ships too. The Grand Princess, which does the E Caribbean, has an impressive children's area, very separated from the adult areas.

LEONARDTOWN, MARYLAND: I PLAN TO TAKE A CRUISE IN THE JUNE TO AUGUST TIME FRAME. WHAT ARE SOME ECONOMICAL CRUISES AND IS THIS A BAD TIME OF YEAR TO TAKE A CRUISE?

Craig Stoltz: NO NEED TO SHOUT, LEONARDTOWN! June-August is high season, in the cruise industry, precisely because it's when families travel. If you have a problem being around kids, choose another time of year. The rule of thumb on cheap times of year--transition period in fall and spring (when ships are going from Carib to Alaska or vice versa) and also, the first week or two of the new year.

Christmas week, the last couple of years, has seen good deals, but the Millennial ho-ha this year will probably mess that up.

Washington, DC: What cruise lines serve the cruisetour in Alaska (the inland waterway and Denali Park) beside Princess and Lindblad Tours?I like the size of Lindblad, but the cost is steep.

Craig Stoltz: Holland America is also strong there; they're neck and neck with Princess.

Vienna, VA:
I would like to know cruise lines for singles. I am looking to meet women under 36 years who take a cruise to relax and party with other singles.

Is there a good web site to visit?
Thanks for the lead.

Craig Stoltz: Two ways to decide if it's a good cruise line for singles:

1. Age of people who sail: Royal Caribbean or Carnival will be better than Radisson or Holland America, whose demographics skew older.

2. Equally important: Which cruise line penalizes you the most with a high single supplement? Royal Caribbean's is a shocking 200 percent (with some exceptions)! For lines that seek younger people, it's inexplicable.

Most cruises have a singles get together the first night. The other good way to meet young people is on the more active, exotic shore excursions (ones where you get off the bus). It can be a good bonding/meeting opportunity.

Rockville, MD: My wife and I are considering a first time cruise to the Caribbean in about a year. Any thoughts on whether to do a four day or seven day cruise?

Craig Stoltz: Unless you count the Bahamas as the Caribbean--and a lot of folks do--there are few Caribbean 4-days. But you'll have plenty of options for short ones headed to the Bahamas. Seabourne, a very high-end line, is offering an occasional four-day cruise.

But back to the question: Conventional wisdom says first-timers should go short their first time out, in case they turn up sick, or really hate it. But Brown's first cruise was a 7-day, and she absolutely loved. You really relax at 3, 4 days into the sailing. You lose touch with all your daily routines. Many cruisers say anything less than 2 weeks doesn't do it for them!

Bethesda, MD: I checked out the Web site you gave several weeks ago for locating B & Bs - it was great - but, didn't write down - can you give it again. Thanks.

Craig Stoltz: that was www.bbchannel.com

Paramus, New Jersey: Is there a way to visit Bermuda by taking a boat one way, staying a week on the island, and returning to NY on a different boat?

Craig Stoltz: No.

Bethesda, MD: We've booked a Windstar Cruise in Costa Rica for our honeymoon in mid-April. I'd love your general comments about the ship and this particular itinerary, but I'd really like your help interpreting what the ship brochures mean when they say their style is "casual elegance." Not having been on a cruise before, I have no basis for comparison!

Craig Stoltz: Says Brown (her voice rising): I've heard nothing but great things about it. I'd love to do it. To them, casual elegance means khakis and a polo shirt. It's really a couples line, so it's great for honeymoon.

Let us know how it went. . . .

Chicago IL: I'm considering two cruises with similar itineraries in September - SilverSea Silver Wind and Radisson 7 Seas Navigator. I understand the latter will be an inaugural trip. Are there any particular risks or benefits as a consequence?

Craig Stoltz: Inaugural cruises have risks of delays--several high-profile lauches have been delayed not once, but sometimes 3 times, in the past year or so. Also, staff are often not that smooth on first cruises. Given the choice, Brown would not take an inaugural sailing. Wait 6 weeks or so, or take the other cruise line.

Centreville VA: We are taking a cruise on Carnival's Paradise this April. I've heard that you can get the same shore excursions that the ship offers for a cheaper price just by booking it yourself while you are on land. Is this true - and would that be a better way to go?

Craig Stoltz: Yes. There's a company called portpromotions.com, out of Florida, run by a former cruise exec, who will book your shore excursion in advance, often at a lower price than you'll pay to go with your ship's trip. There's no differenc e in quality--Brown took one of these--but the only risk is, if they can't sell a minimum amount, they cancel. Yes, you get your money back, but the ship's trips may be sold out by then.

Silver Spring Maryland: As a single father, I want to travel to Caribbean or Mediterranean with my teenagers before they go off to college, etc - boy 18 and girl 16. Ideas??

Craig Stoltz: If you try the Caribbean, choose an all-inclusive that caters to families rather than couples and singles (for example, Beaches is for families, Sandals for singles/couples). Club Med may be good, though kids at that age may find the activities a bit too cute. Shop for a place that's high on physical activities--water sports, etc.

In the Meditteranean, consider a cruise on a really large, really new ship that'll have all the latest: teen centers, virtual reality, lots of pools, alternative dining, etc. With kids, you want lots of variety and few of the formalities. In this case, they can run around without you and you don't worry.

Vienna, Virginia: I've never taken a cruise because it seems like the emphasis is on the ship rather than on the cities and ports being visited. I've had friends who've gone but all they talk about is the buffets, the pools, and the relaxation. When I ask about port cities they visited they just say "Oh, we spent an afternoon there, and went snorkeling another place, but mostly spent time on the ship."

So I get the idea that the appeal of a cruise is that someone else is cooking and driving. Am I missing something? Why are cruises so popular?

Craig Stoltz: Says Brown (author of a story, South America Lite, which made precisely these points): There are port-oriented lines and there are those where the appeal is the ship itself. For example: Windstar--not much to do on board, but because the ships are small (300 passengers or fewer), they can slide into really small, interesting places the big ships don't go. The Carnival Destiny, on the other hand, takes all-inclusive to the point of all-absorbing. It's a floating city. You don't have to leave, and lots of folks just dabble at the ports, but they are really there for the deck chairs and the buffets.

One point: Ships are increasingly overnighting in interesting cities (big and small ships). Several mass-market lines have spent 2 days in Barcelona, for example. And the smaller ships (like river cruises) do it with regularity.

The short of it: The smaller the ship, the more port intensive. Inveetigate options beyond the big, mainstream cruise lines.

silver spring, md: i love cruising. i took a cruise to cozumel, grand cayman and ocho rios just last year and had a grand time. one gripe: the cruise staff hawk these "tours" of the islands that are expensive and not nearly the value that they claim (only later when you return to the ship do you find out from more seasoned travelers that you could have toured the island with a cabbie and gone wherever you wanted to go for much cheaper). do the cruise lines get a kickback from these companies? and how can you find out these kinds of tips before you arrive?

Craig Stoltz: The cruise lines use the shore tours as a major profit center; they mark them up at a premium price. But you have to be careful going off on your own. If you're a seasoned traveler who's done homework, go for it. But don't just blunder around outside an unknown port. You may as well get a rubber stamp that says "victim" to mark your forehead.

Derwood, MD: My wife and I are in our (very early) 50's and would like to consider a cruise without many small children. Which line would cater more to our tastes?

Craig Stoltz: Holland America, Crystal. . .generally, the more expensive, the fewer kids. Holland America is the best mainstream, moderate priced line for folks who want to avoid kids.

Also, no matter what line you choose, don't cruise during school vacation times.

Aspen Hill Md: Craig,
What the heck is "alternative dining"?
Can I find it around here?

Craig Stoltz: So glad you asked. We're guilty of jargon. The traditional dinner on a cruise ship is a seated, formal affair, where you sit with assigned people, the same ones night after night after night. . . .

Alternative dining, popular with lots of new cruisers, basically uses the top floor bistro into a dinner option, so you can sit where/when/how you want, order off a menu, etc.

A relatively new wrinkle, particularly on new ships, is theme dining rooms--Italian, sushi, etc.

San Salvador, El Salvador: Which of your Caribbean cruise lines do you rate the highest and why?

Craig Stoltz: Greetings, San Salvador!

That's like asking whether we prefer Hilton or Holiday Inn, Toyota or Honda. They are all very much alike.

But, says Brown: If I (and not the Post were paying, and I were going for my own fun, I'd choose Windstar. Among mainstream, I'd like to try Holland America's Rotterdam--the ship is gorgeous.

If you're new to cruising, shop price, itineraries, and choose a new ship if you want all the amenities (but crowds), a smaller ship if you want more quiet (but fewer amenities).

Fairfax: Any suggestions on cruises to Bermuda? Best time to go?

Craig Stoltz: Says Brown: I went in September, and it was utterly gorgeous. One caution: It is, technically, still Hurricane season, and we had a brief (but not tragic) encounter with a storm. Celebrity does a good job with Bermuda; they've been doing it for years. There's not as much competiton in Bermuda due to restrictions imposed by the government that does not want to see the island overrun by cruise ship passengers. Princess is going for the first time this year.

Paris, France: Hello. I wish to go to Cashmere this year but I am concerned about all the violence. Are the tourists still threatened in that region ?

Craig Stoltz: Cashmere is out this year; wool, in earth tones, is in.

Oh, I'm sorry, you meant Kashmir. Check the U.S. State Department warnings at http://travel.state.gov

Arlington, VA: Next month I am going on a 4 night cruise aboard Royal Carribean. On each island (St Thomas, St Maarten, St Croix) we have about 8 hours on land. My question - Is it 'worth' it to buy the cruise sponsored day excursions? How easy would it be to just get onto land and explore by ourselves? Cost is a factor.

Craig Stoltz: Please check yesterday's port guide, which is full of suggestions about each of those islands. The islands you list are all easy to get around. In St. Maartin/St. Martin, one readar's favorite activity is to go grocery shopping (!), since you can get great Dutch and French food, wine, etc.

Are the pay your own way excursions worth it? Unless you're interested in some activity a great distance from the ship, or something very specialized (some exotic snorkeling reef), then do your own thing: grab a cab, walk around. None of these islands is dangerous.

Hume, Virginia: Is there really such a thing as "cruisewear", the frightening tropical shirts & other leisurewear, as portrayed on "Seinfeld"?

Craig Stoltz: And the worst part is, you don't even have to bring your own. You can buy it, at a handsome price, at the ship's gift shop.

One warning: Wear that stuff off the boat, and you may as well borrow one of those "victim" rubber stamps.

Bethesda, MD: Tell us your favorite Carribean destination and why?

Craig Stoltz: Says Brown: I like St. John--it had an arty feel, but 2/3 is park, so it's not built up. You can shop and hike! I also really like Dominica (doe-min-EE-ka); little tourist trap stuff, very undeveloped and beautiful.

Says me: I like Anguilla--the beaches are gorgeous, the snorkeling's great, and you can take a 10-minute ferry to the French side of St. Martin, which is lovely. Anguilla's expensive, but you can find deals.

Washington, DC: What do you know about gambling on cruise ships (such as the MV Horizon)? Are this multiday trips, or simply quick jaunts out of US water?

Craig Stoltz: Most cruise ships have some kind of casino, and they can only operate outside of U.S. waters. There are daily cruise-to-nowhere operations that are basically just for gambling--you sail out to the spot that's legal, and play blackjack. Whatever floats your boat.

Everybody complains the gambling's even more rigged than it is on land, but we have no information to corrobborate that.

Alexandria, VA: This is really a comment, not a question, regarding health emergencies on cruise ships. Five years ago I had to be taken off a Carnival ship one day out from Miami, along with my companion, in order that I could have emergency neurosurgery. My episode meant taking the ship off-course at full speed for three hours that evening, in the midst of the formal dining night. The ship's medical staff and other personnel were terrific--I'm so glad to have been out of it and let them deal with my companion's hysteria--first time out of the country, and disaster strikes. We had to be lowered off the ship in a lifeboat to meet a powerboat from Grand Turk which took us back to that island to meet an air ambulance. Almost to the island, my companion noticed a bag of liquor and cigarettes in the boat--"That's to pay the island men to take us to the plane," the nurse replied. The local version of the Walton's pick-up became our transport to the airfield. Once on the airplane, it was a bit more like being in the Western Hemisphere. The points of this story are these: (1) take travel insurance if you are the least bit concerned about medical issues--it saved us over $10K for the air ambulance, plus we got the cost of our cruise back and (2) if an emergency strikes, be prepared for what may seem like a circuitous and "rustic" experience on your path to modern medical care--you'll have plenty of entertaining party stories thereafter.

Craig Stoltz: Thanks for the story. Cruise lines are equipped to handle people with medical problems; the Grand Princess is ho-haing a new technology that lets them "consult" electronically with an LA hospital via satellite. Who knows whether it matters. But if you are in fear for your health, you should choose a vacation on the mainland.

Santa Barbara, CA: My wife and I are planning to go to Alaska on a 5-7 day cruise with one of the small boat lines, those with boats that hold 75-125 people only. Maybe even the one where you stay on shore and just cruise during the day. Any experience with such cruises, positive or negative?

Craig Stoltz: Any readers out there help these folks, with small-boat Alaska voyages? We're both blissfully ignorant. . . .

Montreal, Quebec: I will be in London during Easter weekend and I was wondering if you could recommend some good youth hostels or affordable bed and breakfasts that are centrally located. Also, since this is a holiday weekend, will a lot of the sights be closed and are there any special events in or around London at this time of the year that I could take advantage of?

Craig Stoltz: We recently published a story on urban B&Bs, and it covered a few in London. You should be able to find it on the Travel site of Washingtonpost.com. We also did a story on what we dubbed Floatels, or flats you could rent by the day rather than the week. Both are reasonably affordable, but frankly not the kind of hostel-cheap you're talking about. We suspect you may have to stay well outside London, which is very expensive and booked now. Try the area around Victoria Station, known for cheap digs.

Silver Spring MD: Where can I find a "cabana outfit" ? My dad needs a new one.

Craig Stoltz: If you find one--or even can explain what it is--please let us know.

Istanbul - Turkey: This question is for both Mr.Craig Stoltz nad Ms. Susan Browm.

As a travel agent of many years of experience, obviously I do not have any negative comments about Caribbean ports or European river cruises. I would like to know however if Mr.Stoltz or Ms. Brown have ever experienced a cruises on the traditional Gulettes of Turkey and the Aegean and whether they have visited any of the magnificent sites that ornament the Aegean coast of Turkey. If so wouldn't they consider that as a cruise worth trying?

Thank you and you can e-mail your answer to tachdatours@turk.net.

Mr.Mehmet Dervis

Craig Stoltz: Neither of us has been so lucky, but we have a colleague--a former staffer of a mainstream cruise line!--who describes her coast-of-Turkey sailing as the best trip of her life.

Washington, DC: What do you know about Disney's cruises? I heard from a mother who went with her 8 year-old the quality of the food was disappointing.

Craig Stoltz: Disney's gotten great plaudits for entertainment, kids activiites, shows. . .as you'd expect. But it's gotten less than stellar reviews in the adult experience category, which includes food, adult activities and amenities, etc. The ship is supposed to be beautifully done, quite dramatic and just a bit Mousey.

They've lowered the prices, making it more affordable, and they now let you book the cruise without the obligatory stay at Disney World.

Craig Stoltz: Well, our carpal tunnels are smoking, and it's time to sign off. Thanks for all the great questions, and thanks to Carolyn Brown, who was the knowledge source behind every meaningful reply this hour.

We'll see you again next week, same time and station. Meantime, look for our new (in color!) issue on Sunday, where we'll write about cheap Caribbean travel, a rail trip to Cincinnati (really!) and more.