Cruising is among the best ways to see the highlights of Southern Europe without the hassle of driving, foreign languages or changing hotels. But veteran cruise passengers often get a lot more value from their experience than first-time cruisers, simply because they know the ropes and choose cruises carefully.
Look for the Real Value of a Cruise
Free airfare and shore excursions mean big savings, especially if the cruise line doesn’t ordinarily offer them. These bonuses are often added to attract passengers on less popular sailing dates, or fill empty cabins close to departure dates.
- Ask if some sailing dates include free air or other perks not normally included that represent real savings.
- Compare costs with and without airfare included, to be sure it’s a better deal than making separate air arrangements. But be sure that the cost of getting from the airport to the ship, normally included in airfare packages, doesn’t eat up any saving.
- Consider whether all-inclusive ships that include alcoholic drinks are a real saving; for those who drink very little, the added cost of these cruises might not be.
- Tipping adds significantly to the cost of a cruise. Know if tips are discretionary, added onto your bill automatically, or if the ship has a no-tips policy.
Read the Fine Print About Destinations
Not all ports-of-call are created equal. Some are blockbusters where travelers want plenty of time, others are little more than drop-off points for distant attractions. And not all ships spend enough time in port for passengers to experience the destination.
- Know where the ship docks. If it’s not in or close to the city, how can passengers get to the sights without a shore excursion?
- Know how long the ship is in port. A three-hour stop in a major port may barely be time enough to get off the ship before it’s time to re-board. That’s not really going somewhere.
- Consider what time the ship arrives and leaves. A stop late in the day may arrive after museums and attractions have closed. An overnight stay departing early in the morning may leave little useable time. Some cruise lines cut docking costs by arriving at less popular hours when other ships have left, but they can still list the port on the itinerary.
When to take a Shore Excursion
Know the sightseeing alternatives before booking expensive shore excursions. Some ships make a good profit on these, and are not always forthcoming about alternatives. These details are often as simple as looking at a map on the internet.
- Find out where a shore excursion is a good value and where it’s not. In Barcelona, for example, ships normally dock right in the city, within walking distance of the Gothic Quarter sights. Passengers there enjoy the freedom of exploring at their own pace.
- Is it a shore-excursion-only port that requires an expensive add-on to see an attraction? If so, add that to the real cost. Some ships dock at Vigo, Spain in the morning long enough for passengers to debark for excursions to Santiago de Compostella, before sailing on to A Coruna, where the ship meets them later. Passengers not taking the day-long excursion remain on the ship.
- Go to nearby places by taxi. Ships dock at Livorno for Pisa, but it’s easy to get there independently if the stop is for a whole day. Or two couples can share a taxi to take them to sights such as Delphi or Mount Etna (from Taormina), that they can see at their own pace. Taxis are almost always waiting at the dock when a ship arrives.
Barbara Rogers - Traveler, writer and guidebook author with a passion for those lands that border the Mediterranean Sea and the neighboring Atlantic ...
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