Episode 5: Cruising

Mary Herendeen:

Want a vacation where your kids can go rock climbing, surfing, and maybe even ride a roller coaster? Maybe you're dreaming of a romantic getaway, a quiet dinner followed by a moonlit stroll. Or maybe you're single and you want a vacation where it's easy to meet people and also feel safe.

Well, for all those things, cruising might be the answer. But is it time yet to go cruising again? And where should you go? And for first-timers, just what is so great about cruising? These are just some of the questions you might be asking.

Welcome to Traveling with AAA. I'm Mary Herendeen, and today on the show, we're going to go cruising. To give us a sense of where cruising is right now and what that means to you, Fran Golden joins us.

Fran is an award-winning journalist and a cruise expert. Her work has appeared in Travel and Leisure, AFAR, Conde Nast Traveler, and Bloomberg. She's the co-author of 100 Things to do in Alaska Before You Die with Midgi Moore. Fran Golden, welcome to Traveling with AAA.

Fran Golden:

Thank you.

Mary:

We're glad to have you today. Fran, I consider you a cruise expert. You've been on more than 135 cruises, maybe more by now. Can you tell us what's so great about cruising that you've taken so many?

Fran:

A cruise can be a very relaxing vacation if you want it to be. Somebody feeds you three meals a day, makes your bed, and you are free to do whatever you want. You can go ashore at amazing ports and see the world. And there are all these ocean views, so what could be better than that?

Mary:

I love an ocean view. Could you tell us about your first time on a ship?

Fran:

My first time on a ship was many years ago. It was a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, an old one that doesn’t even exist anymore. And I was in an inside cabin—the cheapest cabin—with my two kids and husband, and the kids were on bunk beds.

Mary:

Wow. Did you fall in love with ships then or did that come sometime later? I'm just imagining myself with the kids in one of the smallest cabins.

Fran:

Right, with no views at all. You know what, the funny thing is I fell in love with cruising partially because that of that experience. There was a wonderful kids program, and I could send the kids off to do camplike activities during the day. I actually had a good time with my husband sitting on deck, I believe I got a whole book read, and my kids were quite little. If you have little kids, you can totally understand what a rare pleasure that is. And I didn't get seasick. Those were all lessons learned from that one cruise.

Mary:

I love that. As somebody who does get motion sickness, it's nice to hear it’s still a relaxing experience and not feeling sickness while you're there. Now, I understand you got married on a cruise ship. Am I right?

Fran:

I did. I got married on a Princess Cruises ship. Princess Cruises is the love boat line, and the captain of a ship married my second husband and me.

Mary:

Wow. What was that like? And was it your love of the sea that inspired you to do that?

Fran:

Yeah, it was our mutual love of the sea. My husband is also a cruise rider, so it just made sense. It was a wonderful experience because the friends and family that came were with us for four days, so it wasn’t just about the ceremony, which was wonderful and in our case, was in the atrium of the ship. The whole ship was invited to watch us. But it was also that togetherness with our family and friends, and it made it really special.

Mary:

That's incredible, especially on a trip like that. Doing a destination-type wedding, I guess I would call it. To have all of the guests that are on the ship to be able to enjoy and watch it now. The captain, Gavin MacLeod, am I right?

Fran:

Actually, the ship’s captain did the ceremony. Gavin McLeod, the famous Love Boat Captain Stubing, was also there. He read a poem at our ceremony, which also included an opera singer and a live orchestra. The Princess Cruises public relations team got involved in helping with my wedding.

Mary:

Wow.

Fran:

They kept doing things, so we weren't sure whether the people that came to watch the ceremony that wasn’t our family and friends came to see Captain Stubing, or get a free glass of champagne, or free designer chocolates, all of which were part of the ceremony.

Mary:

All those sound great. And definitely with Princess Cruises, it sounds like you really felt like royalty and they did a great job to make you feel that way. That's exciting. That's amazing. You and your husband, David, are veteran cruisers. What advice might you have for first-time cruisers? Would a short three- or four-day cruise be good?

Fran:

Sure. I mean, try it. If it's something that you've always wanted to do, try it. When I say that, I’m not even sure it matters what cruise line you try your first time; the idea is to get a feel for the experience. A lot of people start with the cheapest cruise they can get, which might be Carnival Cruise Line, for instance, and then they go from there. If you are a very posh luxury traveler, you might want to find a sample cruise on a luxury line. But if you just want to get a feel for being at sea, I believe any cruise will convince you to be a cruiser.

Mary:

Wow. That's good to hear because I know those of us on a budget want to maximize but still have a great experience. I hear that you can do some short cruises for as little as $50 a night.

Fran:

Keep an eye out for deals. Personally, when I'm trying to get an idea of what cruises are going for, I go online and start looking at various websites. Honestly, I'm a strong believer in people booking cruises with an experienced cruise travel agent. I just think you're going to have a better experience. The agents get all the deals. You might think you're seeing something that's a wow, but the reality is the travel agent could have told you that.

Mary:

Yeah. I've been on one cruise. It was actually with Carnival. It was from Long Beach to Catalina and Puerto Vallarta. I had a great time on that. I did use a travel advisor. I get a little claustrophobic, so I'm thinking about being embedded in the belly of this cruise ship in a tiny room and wondering if I'm going enjoy myself. Sharing that with the travel advisor, she was able to stand up in her office and say, “This is about how much space you would have.” I was able to get a view, I had a window, and I felt great. The cabin that I chose was close to a stairway.

Mary:

I felt like, “OK, I can get out and get air really quickly, and I'm not charging down a hallway if I have a small freakout.” It was amazing. I had a great time. Now, I have a 7-year-old and another little boy who’s almost 4. The thought of being in a cabin with those two little monkeys scares me. Any tips or words of wisdom that can give parents like me confidence that we can still have fun and relax while we’re on that cruise?

Fran:

First of all, think about your kids and bring a special toy or whatever special item makes them feel at home. Unfortunately, it might be an electronic, or stuffed toy—something to bring them comfort. Also, take advantage of room service and movies on the TV in your cabin, which the kids will love. I had one cruise when my daughter was young and we watched The Little Mermaid five times. The other thing is to take them to the kids program on the first day and introduce them to the counselors. My kids did many cruises, so in my experience, after that first day, all they want to do is hang out with the other kids in these wonderful programs. They do arts and crafts, and sports tournaments. Contemporary lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line in particular have these wonderful programs. They've seen it and done it before; they know how to entertain your kid. It's a wonderful feeling.

Mary:

That's amazing. Thank you for sharing that. To your point, having something from home I've found is so important. Once on a trip to Hawai‘i, we forgot the teddy bear. And how do you replace this loved teddy bear? Of course they won't let it go; there's no other teddy bear replacement, so that could really be a nightmare. I understand you're cruising with your grandkids this summer, and I definitely applaud that. You're going on a Disney ship. What makes cruising with Disney so magical?

Fran:

There's a new ship coming out that even the kids are excited about. I am particularly excited about the Disney Wish because it has a Star Wars bar, which is something I've been waiting for. To go in and order an odd-colored bubbling drink from a Star Wars bar is just particularly cool. But the thing is, you're on a ship and there's characters. I remember one cruise with my daughter when she was young, and the look on her face when she saw a Disney princess come down the grand staircase. I was crying, looking at the look on her face. If you're a Disney fan, I think a Disney cruise is an absolute must for the characters at night. They do this wonderful Pirates of the Caribbean show where you see swashbucklers and the Johnny Depp lookalike swinging across the deck on a zip line, and there's fireworks. They just really go all out for the family crowd.

Mary:

I love that. It sounds like a lot of entertainment on the ship. Very exciting. I recently visited Disneyland and California Adventure. I took my son, and to your point, he's obsessed with Donald Duck. When he'd see him or anything with Donald, he was like, “Oh, there's Donald!” It melts your heart to watch it. Even hearing you tell that story made me want to cry thinking about it because it really is exciting for them. But what about for a single person, somebody without a family, or maybe even a couple? Could they still have fun on a Disney ship?

Fran:

Yeah, Disney's smart. We know this, right?

Mary:

They know!

Fran:

They have adult-only areas, and these include some superb restaurants. I mean, some of the best restaurants at sea are on Disney ships. They also have bars, discos, and comedy that may be a little more toward R rated. That kind of thing. At night, they do all kinds of activities specifically for adults, and kids aren't even allowed in some of these areas. There are also adults-only pools, so it's very much a scene where somebody traveling without kids could have a great time.

Mary:

Oh, that sounds good.

Fran:

And by the way, some adults also like to see the Disney princesses.

Mary:

Of course they do! A lot folks that I saw visiting Disney were with kids. It's like half and half. There's something for everybody at Disney. I have a girlfriend who only takes Disney vacations with her kids. Her daughter's about to be 18, and they still love it. As a single person, is a cruise a good vacation for a solo traveler? I heard that there's a single supplement that solo cruisers have to pay.

Fran:

Yeah, and that single supplement is less with some lines. The single supplement basically is based on two people in a cabin is cruise ship pricing, right? So, the idea is if you're one person in a cabin, you would still have to pay the price of two people in a cabin. But a lot of lines have discounts on that. Some even barely have a single supplement, like you might pay 10% extra. This is where it really pays to work with an experienced travel agent to talk about what you're looking for on your vacation. A travel advisor can tell you which lines don't have big solo supplements. A cruise is a great experience for a solo traveler, especially on a small ship. I recently went to Antarctica, and there were a lot of solo travelers on that particular cruise. It had open seating, and you would sit with different people every night. We befriended several women who were traveling alone and a couple of men whose wives didn't want to go to Antarctica, so they were traveling alone. It became a whole group. My husband and I were some nights part of that group; it was a fascinating group of people.

Mary:

That's amazing. I bet you've made a lot of friends on those cruise ships.

Fran:

I have not only made friends—I recently actually visited a woman in Denver I met on that cruise because I happened to be there—but I also have people that I call my “recruisers” that I will actually recruise with.

Mary:

 Any recruisers on that trip to Antarctica?

Fran:

There weren't on that one, but I do have some people who sort of carefully follow where I'm going, and if they can get on the ship when I'm there, sometimes we travel together.

Mary:

I'm so interested to hear more about this trip. I've only been on one cruise, so this is generating some excitement here. I'm always thinking about Alaska, Caribbean vacations, maybe European cruises. Tell us more about this Antarctica trip. What drew you there?

Fran:

This is my year of doing bucket-list travel for some reason, somewhat circumstantial, but also I think as an escape from the whole pandemic. It was really cool to go to some remote destinations. I went to Antarctica and literally last week got back from the Galapagos, so I've done both of those this year. Antarctica was always someplace I wanted to go. I was a bit fearful about going there because I do get some seasickness and take medication, particularly when I think the seas are going to be rough. The Drake Passage is notorious for rough seas. Fortunately, in my case, it was like a lake during my cruise. And my desire to see penguins and other creatures in Antarctica sort of overrode my fears. Man, I'm glad I went. I landed in a place in South Georgia island where there were 100,000 pairs of nesting king penguins. These penguins are up to 38 inches tall, so they're like child-size penguins, and you're just surrounded by them. You feel like you're in a nature documentary. It was unbelievable.

Mary:

That's incredible. I couldn't imagine what that must feel or look like. It's once in a lifetime, but it sounds like with all your travels, you're making it more than once in a lifetime and getting to see everywhere and see it again and enjoy it again. I love that. Where would you advise people to consider cruising this year? I know you were mentioning this pandemic and how you just want to get out. Where would you advise people to consider?

Fran:

Surely the Caribbean, which is the number one place and a wonderful place to go with families. Particularly in the summertime, you're going to see lots of family travelers, so your kids will have companions and all that. Alaska will be particularly popular this year because there was no season in 2020 and a short season in 2021 due to various factors and constraints, so this is the return of Alaska year and all the major lines will be there with tons of ships. It's a destination close to my heart. I've been going to Alaska yearly since like the mid-1990s, so it's a place that I never tire of and I absolutely love. I'm trying to get there this summer.

Mary:

I'm glad to hear about that. I actually heard that 2022 might be a banner year for cruising in Alaska. What are your thoughts about that?

Fran:

Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean, possibly even 1.5 million tourists. Now that said, that's going scare some people, right? Am I going to be there in the masses? But Alaska has a lot of wonderful hidden secrets. I always suggest when you go to Alaska that you get off in the town and then go beyond the town because really what you want to experience in Alaska is that sort of feeling of the last frontier. There's lots of opportunities, whether you helicopter to the top of an ice field, visit a dog sled camp and go dog sledding on a glacier, or go salmon fishing. There's all kinds of ways to experience Mother Nature there, so don't be as afraid of being part of a crowd.

Mary:

Wow. Yeah. I'm thinking about that, the crowds and people worrying about having those experiences. But if that is something that I wanted to experience and I knew I was going on this cruise, how do I ensure that I can get those things in while I'm there?

Fran:

The cruise lines do an excellent job with shore excursions. The key here is that the popular ones sell out, so you need to book them as soon as you decide to take your cruises: Pay your final deposit and put in for those shore excursions. There's also things you can do on your own. Some of my best experiences, for instance, have been picking up a national park map and just going on a hike. On one, I ended up at the advice of a local at this gorgeous clear glacier lake with wildlife and everything. In my book, 100 Things to do in Alaska Before You Die, I highlight a lot of experiences. I tell everyone that you must spend in time in Alaska in a dive bar.

Mary:

I love that. Is that the thing that you would say that they absolutely must do if they go to Alaska?

Fran:

If you don't drink, make it a family-owned restaurant. Although the Alaska beer is quite good; they've gotten very good at brewing. But the idea is that you're going talk to locals. Alaskans are an interesting breed of people, and they always have stories to tell. If you don’t know how to start a conversation, ask them about the biggest fish they ever caught or whether or not they've seen a bear. The answer will be yes, and they'll have a bear story.

Mary:

Oh, wow. So asking about that'll get the conversation going. That's amazing. What else is it about the experience in Alaska that makes it so special?

Fran:

You're talking about a place with more national park land than most of the country. It's just huge; it's vast. Every time you go there, you're going have a different experience. I've been in Alaska during four seasons, so I've seen the northern lights and I’ve seen the Iditarod dogs. Then in summer, it's all about  watching glaciers calve. Everybody goes to Alaska and asks, “Am I going see an eagle?” Well, they're like pigeons in Alaska.

Mary:

Wow.

Fran:

You’re going to see bald eagles flying overhead, you may see a bear in your binoculars—you can guarantee you’ll see a bear if you go to certain viewing areas—and you will see whales. If you're lucky, you'll see them doing behaviors such as bubble feeding, where they all join together and create this bubble net to capture fish. It's a wildlife lover’s haven. I just love it.

Mary:

Oh, I love hearing about it. I can't imagine seeing that in other places, just even coming out here in the water. I live in Huntington Beach in Southern California. With whale watching here, you're lucky if you see anything —a dolphin or two—because it's just so populated. So Alaskan cruises, do you think they'll include stops at Canadian ports this summer? I understood that there was some question about that.

Fran:

There's no question anymore. Canada came out with their health rules the other day. Holland America and Princess Cruises are sort of the market leaders in Alaska. Both of them are going to do their full season, all plans are go. The issue was that the U.S. has a kind of old and outdated law that says foreign-flag ships have to stop at a foreign port if they leave from the U.S. before returning to the U.S. That foreign port is usually either Victoria, Canada, or Vancouver, Canada. Canada has said, “Yes, we want cruises back,” but this was not the case in 2021. In 2021, the U.S. Congress actually stepped in and said, “We'll ignore the law for a year and let cruises just stay in Alaska.” But in 2022, there will be calls in Canada, and it's business as usual for the first time since 2019.

Mary:

Wow. That's great to hear. It sounds like we're finally getting back to normal. I know most of us are tired of hearing about COVID but are still concerned about health and safety. How can we be assured that we are traveling and cruising safely? How do we find out what's required in terms of COVID?

Fran:

The cruise lines have really gone through extraordinary efforts to make cruise ships safe places, and they've worked with the CDC. The CDC actually had shut down cruising for almost 15 months starting in March 2020, and really monitored the return of cruising with strict regulations. Many of the rules are now voluntary, but cruise lines did everything from setting up testing policies to mask wearing—some of that is being relaxed now—to requiring vaccines, requiring boosters in some cases, and changing air-filtration systems. Viking cruises even set up onboard labs so they can do testing every day to make sure nobody has COVID-19. These are the most monitored places on earth, I think. The last several cruises that I've taken—and I have been pretty actively cruising again—have all been all-vaccinated ships. And if you think about it in your daily life, how many places are you where you're assured that everybody's vaccinated?

Mary:

Wow. Yeah, thank you for sharing that. Just thinking of how many cases had broken out on cruise ships. It sounds like they've really taken all the measures to ensure that people can still have a good time and travel safely. To get the most out of the cruise, you want to plan in advance. How far ahead should people be planning now for a cruise to get the best value and to get the experience that they want?

Fran:

It really depends where you're going, but I always say plan it as far in advance as you can because it's a fact that the cheapest cabins and the most expensive ones sell out first. If you want to have a balcony, which is a popular option in a destination with a lot of scenery like Alaska, you want to book that as early as possible. Particularly right now, you're not going to find a lot of space on some sailings due to the fact people are all returning. There's a lot of people whose cruises were canceled and who have future cruise credits and are looking for bookings, too. So you're not only dealing with the people that are this year deciding to cruise, but there's people that have credits they need to use and will be cruising this year. So as much advance as you can plan, it's a good idea to do so.

Mary:

You make an interesting point because I hadn't actually considered that not only are we dealing with those who really want to get out, who'd been holding back on it. Plus, I know my husband has like 250 hours of vacation banked right now and is ready to use it after all this time. I had to cancel a flight to Portland in March 2020, so I know that I'll be back to traveling again as well. That's interesting and important for people to take note of that in order to get the experience they want or the price they want, they really have to plan in advance. I think that's one of the things that makes cruising so interesting is the variety of experiences out there. Can you tell us about the range of ships that are available, maybe small expedition-style vessels or big ships, and how do people decide what's right for them?

Fran:

Within the cruising category, you can go on a 12-passenger tiny ship—there's some of those even in Alaska—or you can go on a ship with close to 7,000 passengers at full capacity. There's a huge range, and this is where a good travel advisor comes in handy again because they'll interview you. If you go to a travel advisor and they don't interview you, go elsewhere because they need to tap into your personality. I will argue there is a cruise ship for every personality, including people who said, “I'm never going to cruise.” An example: I was just on a 100-passenger Silversea ship, the Silver Origin, in the Galapagos and there were a lot of people on that who were first-time cruisers. The reality is you can't see the Galapagos except by boat. It's a national park of islands.

Fran:

There's other destinations like this around the world, too. They limit the ships there to a hundred passengers, but this ship is a perfect example, in a place that’s a perfect example, of why you want to go by sea. I would actually argue Alaska in the Inside Passage is another place that you really want to go to by sea. So now that you're looking at Alaska, do you want a small ship? Do you want a big ship? I mean, ask yourself: Do you care about a casino? Do you want nighttime entertainment? Or do you want to be on a ship where it's like totally relaxed and you can go barefoot out of your wetsuit into the lounge? It has a lot to do with your personality and who you’re traveling with as well.

Mary:

Yeah, that’s important. I like that you said they interview you to identify what kind of experience you want to have versus just where you want to go. For instance, if I say I want to go to Hawai‘i and my husband's like, “Great, we're going to Hawai‘i,” we're going to have two very different experiences in mind. He's thinking about catching waves, which are usually not on the best beaches for me, who wants to lay out and get a tan. And also, it's usually not the best weather that I would want to lay out and get a tan, relax, and read a book; it’s a different kind of weather that's good for surfing. I think that is important to rely on an expert that can help pull those things out of you. Now, cruising really does sound like a special kind of vacation, and I thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us. Before we let you go, Fran, what are the three most important things we should do to have a great cruise experience, or maybe even three main takeaways that you would want our listeners to know?

Fran:

Well, one thing is just because you're going on a cruise doesn't mean you can't do research. In my personal style, I might do a shore excursion here or there, but I tend to like to take off on my own at the port cities, so I do extra research. But you can go on a cruise as a brainless experience and let the cruise line do everything. But it's research, research, and research for me. The other thing again as we just talked about: Think about who you are, who you're traveling with, what the needs of that are. And then just relax! I mean, make sure you spend time just looking at the sea. Have those brainless moments where you're just like, “I'm looking at a beautiful place, and I'm on this ship, and I'm in the middle of the ocean watching the waves.” Breathe deep and enjoy yourself.

Mary:

Oh, I like that advice. I think it's definitely something I could take. I’m so agenda driven sometimes when I go on vacation, I forget to enjoy the experience. It's always important to just take a step back, breathe, soak it all in because those experiences, you know, we don't get so often. Fran Golden, thank you so much for being with us, and happy sailing. And thank you to our listeners for being with us. If you're planning a trip, be sure to connect with a AAA travel advisor. Check out AAA.com/Travel, or visit your local branch. If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe. I'm Mary Herendeen. Thank you for Traveling With AAA.