Adventure and Travelling

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What about touring while on a cruise vacation? Tours can be purchased from the cruise line, done on your own or you can combine the two. Booking it through the cruise lines has some advantages. Some of them are obvious.

By taking a cruise ship tour you are assured that the cruise line has thoroughly examined the places they will take you and will rate them according to their difficulty. This lets you know ahead of time if this is the right tour for you. They are always run by local tour companies and these companies want to keep that business. For this reason alone they go above and beyond to keep you happy.

With a cruise ship tour you know the equipment -buses, trains, vans and sometimes airplanes- are A-one. They will always have English speaking tour directors but they also supply tour guides that speak other languages as well. You never have to wait in line to get into museums or other attractions- a big time saver. And of course, all of the work is done for you by the tour companies and the cruise lines. And it is safe. The cruise lines would never put you in a dangerous situation or take you to a dangerous location. There are always a couple of cruise line employees on the tour to make sure no one gets lost and that the bus leaves with the same amount of people that it started with.

When going to a new or exotic port I would recommend the cruise lines excursions. Some of the most wonderful excursions we have taken were cruise line tours.

Really, for a first time visit this is the way to go. And if you choose this option when the tour guide tells you to be back at the bus at a certain time, be there. By being late you are inconveniencing all the others on the tour and jeopardizing the remaining stops that are scheduled. When you get back to the ship look all around your seat for your belongings and don’t forget the rack overhead.

On the flip side of cruise excursions, you will be traveling in buses with lots of people. It will always be more expensive than doing it on your own. You’re paying for the work that has gone into the sites visited and the expertise of the tour guide

When touring on your own make sure you have the name and number of the port agent in case of an emergency. (This is quite handy if you miss the ship). Always know what time your ship leaves. Do NOT rely on the time printed in the initial brochure that you read at home. The departure time will be printed in your daily schedule and will be posted at the gangway. Things change and sometimes ships leave earlier than previously announced.

If you miss the ship it is your responsibility to meet it at the next port. Not a situation you want to be in. If you want to visit a place on your own make sure it is open on the day you are visiting the port.

Use common sense when touring. Don’t wear lots of flashy jewelry, leave it back in your cabin locked in the safe or in the safety deposit box at the purser’s office.

Use a handbag that zippers shut and keep a firm hand on it. Rome, Italy is notorious for expert picket pockets with all kinds of ways to trick you.

Wear comfortable shoes- your days are long when touring and you will probably be doing a lot of walking. Don’t wander off on your own, stay with the group. Layered clothing in the colder climates is very sensible since you may leave at 8:00 am when it’s still cold out but by noon it has warmed up. Pack some wet ones so you can clean your hands. We always pack an apple or candy bar for a little pick-me-up in mid afternoon on long tours (our tour from Le Havre, France to Paris was twelve hours).

I pack a small purse that has a handle that you can zip to make it into a back pack or it can be worn over the shoulder and in front of you. The pack always contains Tums, any medication I am taking, an extra pair of glasses, one for sun the other for indoors, bottled water, a book for long bus rides, a small snack, a collapsible cup, wet ones and tissues. My money and credit cards go in the inside compartment completely zipped up. When touring in large groups or large cities I put it over my shoulder with it facing forward and I always have a hand securely around it. If you are at an outdoor café don’t put on the seat next to you or hang it from the back of the chair you are using, keep it on your lap. You don’t have to be paranoid just be sensible. By following these guide lines you will have an enjoyable tour experience, no matter which option you choose.

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

Happy Cruising, enjoy it, we do!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

We were on the Radiance of the Seas for the western Caribbean cruise on November 28/04. This was our second cruise with Royal Caribbean with our first last year on the larger Adventure of the Seas. After one cruise with RCI, I expected roughly the same standards with the Radiance and in general, I wasn’t disappointed.

Staterooms:

Our stateroom was an inside aft cabin and we were not disappointed. It was roomy enough and the lighting was adequate. Closet space and drawers were also sufficient for our use. We noticed that the double beds here were actually a bit better than the one we had on the Adventure since we couldn’t really feel the split between the two separate beds like we did last time. If there’s one thing that can be improved is the shower curtain. The one installed was not adequate in keeping in all the water from the shower. The shower on the Adventure utilized a double glass door system which was far superior. Otherwise, the cabin was nice and dark for sleeping at night. Although we heard a little noise from the cabins next to us, it was minimal. We didn’t miss having any window or balcony at all since we were hardly ever in our stateroom. We were either at port or elsewhere on the ship and went back to our cabins just to relax or sleep. We would definitely book an inside cabin again with RCI unless we had a free upgrade.

Dining:

The main Cascades dining room was nice and meals were good. Breakfasts had the same menu every morning. Lunch at the dining room was okay. The dinners were good but not every meal item was a winner. There was the odd appetizer and dessert that was not up to par. One thing that my partner noticed was that the portions of the main courses seemed to be smaller than those served on the Adventure. We usually went upstairs to the Windjammer to get more food after dining at the Cascades. In some parts of the Cascades room, the tables were placed too cramp so walking to out own table was tricky at times. The self serve Windjammer was good. It usually had more variety of food than served downstairs at the Cascades. Breakfast and lunch were busy at the Windjammer but during evenings, most people chose to dine at the Cascades. The two other optional restaurants onboard Portafino and Choppe House were available at $20 US per person but we never tried them since the meals already included at the Cascades and Windjammer were fine by us. Other passengers who did go to these optional rooms told us that they were nothing special. There was another cafe available during late evenings called the Seaview and they provided fare such as sandwiches, salads and burgers. This was a nice feature. One thing we did object to was that they charged for the coffee and tea there. There was also a specialty coffee place on the main centrum of the ship and they also charged. We had more availability of free beverages on the Adventure.

Service:

The service by the stateroom attendants and dining room staff was top notch as expected.

Entertainment:

The evening shows at the Aurora Theatre were a mix of the ship’s own crew of dancers and singers plus some outside comics and singers. In general, the shows were quite good. We would have liked them to mix up the entertainment each night rather than allocate music, comedy and magic into different evenings. Rather than an entire show of magic, we would have preferred each night featuring a variety of entertainment. Live music around the ship was a nice added touch.

Amenities:

Although smaller than the Adventure, the Radiance had fine amenities including the gym/spa, mini golf, pools and the shops. There was internet access but at 50 cents per minute, the service is a bit steep. There were things to do during the days at sea such as art auctions, cooking demos and dance classes. However, we felt that there was more offered on the Adventure. As for embarking and disembarking, there was no problem on the Radiance. The 6th level contained the casino and for non-smokers, this was a problem. The ventilation in the casino was not great and as a result, cigarette smoke travelled to adjacent areas near the casino. My partner wanted to avoid going on the 6th level whenever possible.

In summary, we enjoyed our cruise on the Radiance of the Seas. However, comparing it to the larger Adventure of the Seas, we would rate the larger ship a bit higher. We liked the huge promenade on the Adventure which was not available on a smaller ship like the Radiance. Given a choice in the future, we would opt for the larger ship. For first time cruisers, the Radiance would still be a good ship to vacation on. This is simply the case of where veteran cruisers would expect more especially if they have been on higher end ships.

by Roy Witman © 2006

Selling chocolate is a delicious way to raise funds if you only need to raise a little. Silent auctions are known to bring in bigger bucks, but they are exhausting to plan and prepare for. Black-tie affairs with celebrity performers are always a hit, but require an enormous amount of up-front funding. Cruises, on the other hand, give your organization the ability to bring in large amounts of proceeds without all the work.

Fundraising cruises are becoming more and more popular because they give nonprofits the ability to generate greater interest, increase donor giving and have more fun. In addition, cruise agencies that specialize in fundraising cruises generally offer the services of an account manager or liaison with the cruise line who aids in planning and preparing for the tour. This leaves your staff free to enjoy the cruise as much as the donors who are attending.

Generate Greater Interest

Coming up with fresh ideas on an annual basis quickly becomes tiresome. Yet, those fresh ideas are absolutely vital to attract the interest of new donors and keep the interest of loyal, repeat donors. If interest in your events wanes, so does your funding for the upcoming year.

With fundraising cruises, you have the world to choose from. Most cruise lines accommodate large fundraising parties. This means you can opt for three- or four-night cruises to popular destinations such as the Bahamas or more exotic locales including Greece, Italy or Hawaii. Now that would generate a lot of interest.

Increase Donor Giving

Working with your cruise agency, you can find packages that offer the right levels of discounts in order to ensure your nonprofit receives the highest percentage of donor giving. Many cruise lines match all or part of the proceeds, allowing you to earn even more from the cruise.

Have More Fun

All the options available to regular passengers will be available to your fundraising party and more. Exceptional restaurants, pools and other water activities, casinos, nightlife, Las Vegas-style shows, full-service spa treatments and more are at the disposal of those who sail with you.

Custom excursions exclusively for your cruise party can also be arranged. Private parties aboard ship can be scheduled. Awards dinners, talent shows, golf tournaments and even silent auctions can all be lined up during the course of your cruise.

What’s more, fundraising cruises can be repeated time and again without fear of burnout or boredom on the part of your donors. How? Because you choose which cruise line and what destinations you prefer. The cruise is new and inviting with each year.

When you give donors something to get excited about, they reward you with consistent funding. Check with your favorite cruise agency for details about what they provide and how they can assist with booking a fundraising cruise for your next event. You’ll surely find that interest, participation and contributions rise dramatically when you do.