Tour Yourself Around

 What is this unique objet d'art onboard Statendam?

Find out with Holland America's iPod Art Tours.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

When a ship is designed, part of the interior design team is assembled to acquire the multitude of art onboard.  This may be modern or historical depending on the nature of the ship being built - and sadly, most of it goes unnoticed by the passengers as they scurry to the Lido Buffet.

Holland America Line prides itself on its astounding, multimillion dollar art collections onboard each of its vessels.  Each ship features some of the most truly unique artwork available to any ship - from a Saxophone on Zaandam signed by former president Bill Clinton to an actual cannon onboard Statendam.

In order to help passengers appreciate the unique art onboard their ships, Holland America has been offering self-guided iPod art tours onboard since 2006.  Available from the Purser's desk, these iPod tours take guests on a detailed tour through every deck of their ship, describing the unique artwork, paintings, and sculptures along the way.  They are also loaded with trivia about their ships: did you know the chairs in the Oosterdam's Pinnacle Grill were designed specially for that one room alone?  Or that the Noordam is home to a painting of Utrecht that was painted in 1842?

Even better is the fact that you can also download these unique podcasts to your computer, iPod or iPhone and enjoy them in the comfort of your own home - no cruise required.  These entertaining podcasts are a great resource to passengers about to embark on one of Holland America's ships, or those simply wanting to re-live a past cruise.

Art Tours are available for every ship up to and including the Eurodam.  Holland America's newest ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam, will embark on her maiden voyage in July, and will no doubt boast an equally impressive iPod tour available after her launch.

For more information, visit the Holland America Line website, or click here to go directly to the Art Tour Podcasts download page.

Focus On...When It All Goes Wrong

A British Midlands jet lands at Belfast International Airport.

Photo © 2009 Aaron Saunders

Núll vitleysa.  It's the rough Icelandic translation of "Oh crap."  This week, a great many travelers attempting to fly into or out of some of Europe's largest airports - Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle, and Frankfurt - were saying that phrase as well as a few choice four letter ones upon news that an unprecedented volcanic eruption in Iceland had shut down most of Northern Europe's airspace until at least this afternoon, and possibly beyond.

For all travelers, something of this magnitude is disruptive.  Business travelers are stuck, holidaymakers are either scrambling to call their employers to explain why they won't be home after taking several weeks off, while others have watched their long-awaited vacation plans blow up in a similar fashion to the volcano in question.  People trying to make connecting flights have found themselves stranded in a city they weren't prepared to spend more than a few hours in.

What has played out at airports around the world this week is known as force majeure, meaning superior force in French.  It's also an elegant substitution for some of those more common four-letter words we talked about earlier.  A staple of contracts around the world, a force majeure frees both parties from any legal obligations to each other due to unforseen and far-reaching events, like floods, acts of war, riots, and yes, volcanic eruptions.  It's the legal equivalent of throwing up your hands and saying "damned if we know."

So what's a traveler to do - particularly if you are trying to reach a cruise - and something like this happens?  There are a few steps you can take right when you book your next cruise or flight to hopefully ensure you get to your destination, or at the very least receive a substantial refund.

1.  Purchase Trip Delay & Cancellation Insurance

When the cards are stacked against you, this will be your best friend.  You want to purchase this not just for your flights, but your cruise as well.  Let's say you were trying to get to a cruise leaving from Southampton, but were prevented from doing so due to the eruption.  British Airways would have re-scheduled your flights at no additional cost, but here's the kicker: unless the cruise line physically cancels your voyage itself, you're not entitled to a refund without cancellation insurance, regardless of the fact you could not reasonably get to your destination.

A similar situation played out for many passengers in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in Chile.  Flights into and out of Santiago were canceled for days - yet cruises from the port continued to operate.  So even though passengers could not realistically join the ship, the cruise line expected them to make their way through an earthquake-ravaged country with little infrastructure and no operational airport to join their ship.  At their own expense.  

Trip cancellation insurance allows you to cancel your trip in the event of something like this, and will reimburse you directly for all costs, including the cruise.  If you are delayed en-route, or are forced to fly to a port of embarkation, usually a per diem will apply - but you are still fully covered.

Not having trip delay and cancellation insurance leaves you holding the bag for the costs if you can't reasonably reach your ship and have to cancel entirely.  Remember: if the cruise line cancels your voyage, you are entitled to a refund.  If not, you are not entitled to any special consideration, even if there was no way you could get to the ship.

2. Research Your Flights

 This is the second most crucial step, and one that a surprising number of passengers don't bother to investigate.

Say you're leaving on a cruise from San Diego.  You're flying from Vancouver, and are planning to fly out the day of the cruise.  There's a flight that leaves at 8am, arriving in San Diego at 11am.  Perfect, right?  Maybe not - what if a mechanical issue forced the cancellation of the flight?

No problem, I hear you say, they'll just put me on the next one.

Ahh...but is there a 'next one'?

In this case, no.  There is one direct flight from Vancouver to San Diego on Air Canada per day.  A quick Travelocity search shows there are other flights to San Diego - but all on other airlines, and all of which connect and arrive too late to be of any use.  In short: if you missed that flight, you'd better start looking at airlines that fly to your next port of call.

So here's what you do: assume the worst.  Assume one or more of your flights may be canceled - just for the sake of argument.  What would you do?  If you don't know the answer to that, you haven't done your homework.  Do some research: are there other flights you could catch, and if so, what airline are they operated by?  In the event of a cancellation, if the airline is unable to book you on one of their flights, they'll try their codeshare and alliance partners first. 

 Jot down the other possible flights that would work in the event of an emergency, and take it with you along with your passport and travel documents.  If the worst does happen, you've got a printout showing what other flights work for you - and by handing that to the gate agent, you can save valuable time and possibly secure yourself a spot on one of the last - or only - other flights that will work for you.

Lastly, keep a small piece of paper with the reservation numbers for major airlines servicing your destination with you at all times.  

3. Arrive a Day or Two Beforehand

For North America, this one is a must, particularly in the United States.  Many flights connect with short time windows in large airports and are rarely on time.  As if that wasn't bad enough, a few airlines (you know who you are) seem to make a game out of last minute schedule changes.  Flying in a day or two early ensures you're not going to miss that ship.

For European destinations, that can prove problematic.  The time change dictates you're already having to leave at least one calendar day before your voyage, and work schedules as well as flight availability during peak summer months means you might be flying - and connecting - to arrive on the day of the cruise.

If you have to go this route (and we all do sometimes), try to pick the flight that arrives the earliest (as this gives you a larger buffer zone to safeguard against delays), as well as a direct flight or one that only connects once.  Try to time it so you connect through your own country if possible to avoid having to clear customs until you reach your final destination, and/or ensure your connection window is no less than 90 minutes. 

4. Be Flexible

Don't panic - if a problem arises, just keep going.  Make the decision early on about whether to cancel your cruise or continue to do your best to reach the port in time.  Many cruise lines have an emergency number for in-transit guests to call if they are facing air delays en-route.  Always have this number with you; it helps to keep the line informed, as they will in turn keep the ship up-to-date, and may - if port and tide conditions allow - hold the ship if there are enough of you.  Remember though, this is a courtesy, not a guarantee, and if they do hold it, unless there's a 747 full of you, it will be for 30-40 minutes or so.

In the end? The best advice is to be prepared for the worst, so you can be calm and collected should it happen. Be informed; don't be one of those passengers suggesting the airlines should have just flown through the ash cloud anyway - they clearly haven't done their homework.

And be thankful that this sort of thing doesn't happen often.

European Flight Chaos

 Heathrow's Terminal 3 Departures on a good day.

Photo ©2009 Aaron Saunders

Flights to and from many Northern European countries are still in chaos this morning after a volcanic eruption in Iceland on Wednesday.

BBC News reports that flights could be grounded well into the weekend, backing up a system already clogged with displaced travelers. 

Airspace in Denmark, Belgium, The Netherlands, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia is closed to air traffic entirely.  Partial closures still exist in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines to determine if their flights will be departing, or to make alternate arrangements.  

Eurocontrol, the regulating body that oversees European air traffic, said in a statement that on a normal day, over 300 transatlantic flights arrive in Europe in one morning.  Yesterday, less than 120 made it across.

What makes this so dramatic - and affecting - for potential cruise or land travelers trying to reach Europe is just how far they'd have to deviate in order to do so.  With London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Frankfurt's airports all closed to air traffic, getting to many places in Northern Europe is next to impossible at the moment.

Tomorrow we will have a feature article on what you can do if you are faced with a massive airport shutdown like this, and how to ensure you get your money back if you can't reach your destination.

One Step Forward...

Alaska may be blessed with some of the most beautiful scenery on the North American continent, but it certainly is having a run of bad luck with the cruise industry: in 2006, a controversial head tax was approved for cruise ships sailing in Alaskan waters.  Cruise lines responded by moving ships elsewhere, though the impact of that will be felt hardest this season. 

Then, a reprieve: Alaska State Governor Sean Parnell attended SeaTrade Miami, an annual shipping conference, and came away vowing to reduce the head tax in an effort to entice the lines back to his beautiful state.

Yesterday, the Alaska State Senate approved a preliminary bill that would reduce the tax by $11.50 per person.  Like everything else in this saga though, the opposition came out swinging - even though the bill still has yet to be passed by the House.

Aside from the usual grumbling about whether this form of appeasement was in the best interests of the public and the State, a new fork in the road has sprung up as a result of one of the clauses contained in the new ruling: cruise ships calling in Ketchikan or Juneau will have their head tax reduced even further.

 In 2006, smaller port communities in Alaska couldn't wave farewell fast enough. Now, Alaska's two largest ports stand to face the wrath of smaller port towns like Haines and Sitka, both of which face declining passenger numbers and along with it, dwindling revenues from the so-called Head Tax.

The State still expressed concerns the cruise lines will stick to their word.  The cruise lines, presumably, aren't holding their breath - though it is admirable that both groups, initially very far apart in terms of what they'd like to see accomplished, have come to the table so quickly to hammer out a deal. 

Still there are those - including Chip Thoma with Responsible Cruising Alaska - who feel that other economic factors, like the recession, are responsible for the State's declining visitor numbers.

Regardless of who's right or wrong, it made us wonder: what good is a Head Tax if there are no heads to tax? 

We will keep you updated on this developing story as it unfolds.  We'd like nothing more than to see cruising in Alaska return to its former glory so more passengers may experience all this beautiful state has to offer.

Focus On...Gratuities

Champagne on the high seas.

Photo ©2009 Aaron Saunders 

In the "Old Days" - meaning not that long ago - gratuities were distributed in cash.  You received a series of envelopes on the second last evening, and had to fill each one with the required amount depending on the staff member: your room steward got one amount, your head waiter another, assistant waiter yet another, and so on.

Now, with the advent of gratuities charged directly to your onboard account, a lot of the frustration and confusion is taken out of this process; no longer do you have to worry about hitting up an ATM in your last port to ensure you have enough cash.

Where the frustration comes in now, particularly for cruisers not married to one line, is the myriad of tipping requirements for each cruise line, which can vary wildly, even changing depending on your stateroom category.

Which is why we've come up with this handy list.  You may find some of the results surprising - we know we did.

Azamara Club Cruises
In keeping with Azamara's move into more upscale territory, gratuities are now included in your cruise price.  The only exception to this is gratuities for spa staff, which will be added at 18% to your spa bill.

Carnival Cruises
$10 per guest, per day.

Celebrity Cruises
$11.50 per person, per day, for guests in regular staterooms (inside, outside, most balcony).
$12.00 per person, per day, for guests in Concierge or Aqua-class staterooms.
$15.00 per person, per day for guests in Suites.

Costa Cruises
This was easily the most difficult to find out of all the lines listed here.  So for those interested, I've provided the link here - and you'll need it to decipher the mind-boggling myriad of gratuities onboard.  Costa's gratuities are broken down depending on the geographical region of their ships:

For Caribbean sailings departing from US Ports:
$11.00 per person, per day for cruises 7 nights and under.
$7.50 per person, per day for cruises over 7 nights.
For guests 18 and under, $7.50 per person, per day for cruises 7 nights and under; $3.75 per person, per day for cruises over 7 nights.

For Caribbean sailings departing from Non-US Ports:
Euro 6.00 per person, per day for sailings under 8 nights.
Euro 5.00 per person per day for sailings over 8 nights.
For guests between the ages of 14 and 17, half the above amounts will apply.  Guests under 14 pay no service charge.

For Europe, Dubai, and Costa Marina Sailings:
Euro 6.50 per person, per day for sailings under 8 nights.
Euro 5.00 per person, per day on longer sailings.
For guests between the ages of 14 and 17, half the above amounts will apply.  Guests under 14 pay no service charge.

For Transatlantic Sailings:
Euro 5.00 per person, per day.
For guests between the ages of 14 and 17, half the above amounts will apply. Guests under 14 pay no service charge.

For South America Sailings:
$ 8.00 US per person, per day.
For guests between the ages of 14 and 17, half the above amounts will apply. Guests under 14 pay no service charge.

For Far East and Costa Allegra Sailings:
$6.00 US per person, per day.
For guests between the ages of 14 and 17, half the above amounts will apply. Guests under 14 pay no service charge.

Cunard Line
 In comparison with Costa, Cunard is positively straightforward, and can be found on page 33 of the Cunard Voyage Guide. 

$13.00 per person, per day for guests in Grills staterooms (Categories Q1 to Q7; P1 to P3)
$11.00 per person, per day for guests in Britannia Club staterooms (Category AA)
$11.00 per person, per day for guests in Britannia staterooms (includes most inside, oceanview, and balcony staterooms)

Crystal Cruises
$13.00 per guest, per day.
$18.00 per guest, per day for guests with staterooms featuring butler service.

Disney Cruise Line
$12.00 per person, per day.

Holland America Line
$11.00 per person, per day. 

Norwegian Cruise Line
$12.00 per person, per day.

Oceania Cruises
$12.50 per person, per day for guests in standard inside, oceanview, or balcony stateroom.
$16.50 per person, per day for guests in suites with butler service.

Princess Cruises
$10.50 per person, per day for guests in standard inside, oceanview, or balcony staterooms.
$11.00 per person, per day for guests in mini-suites or suites.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Gratuities are included in the cruise fare for guests sailing with Regent.

Royal Caribbean
$9.75 per person, per day for guests in standard inside, oceanview, or balcony staterooms.
$15.50 per person, per day for guests staying in suites.

The Yachts of Seabourn
Gratuities are included in the cruise fare for guests sailing with The Yachts of Seabourn.

Silversea Cruises
Gratuities are included in the cruise fare for guests sailing with Silversea.


Surprised by some of the results?  We know we were.  Royal Caribbean, for instance, has one of the least expensive daily gratuity rate for standard staterooms, but this comes on the backs of one of the highest daily rates for suites - even more than Cunard.  NCL also outdoes most of the competition by $1 per day - despite the fact many 'premium' lines like Holland America still have theirs set at $11 per guest per day. 

In short - the staff onboard each and every ship work damn hard to ensure you have the experience of a lifetime - but forewarned is forearmed. 

Stay tuned for more insightful articles in our new "Focus On..." series - only on From the Deck Chair.

Unique Itinerary: New York to Barbados

 Silver Whisper at sea.

Photo courtesy of Silversea Cruises

It's Monday, and that means it's time for another Unique Itinerary of the Week.  Focusing on itineraries that are unusual, different, or represent a departure from the norm for a particular cruise line, these itineraries are about as far away from your standard Caribbean cruise as you can get.

The Unique Itinerary this week comes to us courtesy of Silversea Cruises.  With their stylish fleet of elegant, yacht-like ships and a highly experienced staff dedicated to ensuring your enjoyment at every turn, Silversea is widely regarded as the creme de la creme of five-star, all-inclusive, luxury cruise lines.

Departing New York City on October 14, 2010, this unique voyage aboard Silver Whisper winds its way through Bermuda and some of the most enchanting Caribbean islands before completing its journey - and yours - in beautiful Bridgetown, Barbados.  It is a voyage that is rarely offered by many cruise lines, and guarantees passengers a completely unique experience - both onboard and ashore.

The full itinerary is as follows:

October 14 - New York City - Depart 5:00pm

October 15 - At Sea

October 16 and 17 - St. George's, Bermuda

October 18 and 19 - At Sea

October 20 - San Juan, Puerto Rico

October 21 - Gustavia, St. Barts

October 22 - St. John's, Antigua

October 23 - Bequia, St. Vincent and The Grenadines

October 24 - Bridgetown, Barbados - Disembark

Of course, the benefit of this voyage on the beautiful Silver Whisper is that every stateroom onboard is a suite - right down to the most inexpensive room on the ship.  For this ten-day voyage to paradise, fares start at just $3,687 per person for a Vista Suite.  Even better, for a limited time Silversea is offering free roundtrip Economy-class airfare from a number of US and Canadian gateways.

For more information on this exciting voyage, visit Silversea's website and start dreaming of a fall getaway in the utmost comfort.

Where's my Waterslide?

The upper deck of the Oosterdam, sans waterslide.

Photo © Aaron Saunders

An interesting question was posted on CruiseCritic yesterday: does Holland America Line's Oosterdam have a waterslide?  The quick and easy answer for anyone familiar with the line's ships is a resounding 'no', but what is interesting here is why the question came up in the first place - and why it's so potentially misleading.

The original poster had read Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, 2009 Edition. The book, now in its tenth edition by noted author Douglas Ward, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of cruise travel books.  Its cover claims the book boasts in-depth reviews of over 270 ships, and that it is "the most insightful, thorough resource for cruise information."

The problem?  The review for the Oosterdam lists it as having "a winding waterslide that spans two decks in height" as part of the dedicated children's pool.

There's two things wrong with that statement: one, Oosterdam and her Vista-class sister ships, Zuiderdam, Westerdam, and Noordam don't have a dedicated children's pool.  There's a family pool amidships, covered by a retractable glass dome, and there's a separate adults-only pool with hot tubs at the stern of the ship.  Secondly - and perhaps most notably - there is no waterslide anywhere on the ship. 

Carnival Spirit, Pride, Legend, and Miracle - ships from which the Vista Class are very loosely based on - boast a two-story high waterslide as part of their children's facilities.  Was their review used as a template for the Holland America reviews?

Regrettably, other reviews are also filled with the same inaccuracies: the section on Celebrity Century still lists that ship as having a large hydrotherapy pool as part of her spa.  Century did have a hydro pool - until her massive 2006 refit, when the pool was ripped out to make way for substantial changes to the spa, and allow the addition of the Spa Cafe.  

The Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships 2010 Edition still lists the inaccuracy.

So why is this a big deal?  Because errors like this are sloppy and shouldn't have made it through in the first place.  That's why books have multiple pressings, or in this case, yearly editions.  There will be errors - with so much information, it's virtually impossible to ensure the odd gaffe doesn't get through.  But to have these errors appear consistently throughout various yearly additions is troubling: if they haven't caught that - after multiple pressings - what else is misrepresented?

I am, by my own admission, a cruise fanatic.  I'm interested not just in the ships, but in the business of cruising.  I try to be like a sponge and soak up all the information I can on every line and its vessels.  Not everyone is like me, though - many people turn to these guidebooks to cut through the glossy pictures and rosy outcomes painted by the brochures put out by the cruise lines to get the real lowdown on a particular ship or line.  

Which is why I find this particularly distressing: there will be those who have never laid eyes on a cruise ship and see that Oosterdam review and say "the kids'll love it!"  

Imagine their surprise when they get to the pier and find out there's no waterslide at all.  

I deal with this every day writing this blog: everything must be fact-checked against the cruise line, particularly if there's no press release to go off of.  In many cases, though, the line's themselves give you all the data on their ships and itineraries you could want - and then some.  I've met some kind press people from a variety of lines who are thoughtful enough to correct me on certain facts, or clarify something, and I've been fortunate to have had an eagle-eyed reader catch a mistake regarding Europe 2011 pricing.  We are none of us perfect; but if an error is made, every attempt should be made to rectify it.  The last thing you want to do is provide a prospective cruiser with the wrong information.

We've contacted the publishers in an attempt to find out what, if any, plans there are to correct these errors in the 2011 Edition.  Being a Sunday, we've had no response.  

Hopefully later in the week we can bring you an update.  Stay tuned!