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While it will still be a long time before cruise fares return to 2007 levels, a handful of cruise lines have recently announced they will be increasing fares for this summer, and in some cases, for the remainder of the year.

These fare increases will only impact cruise bookings made after the increases take effect, which for the most part will be in late March or early April. So anyone who books before the increase kicks in will still benefit from the lower price.

The fare increases at the mainstream cruise lines will be modest. For example, Carnival will raise prices by up to 5% effective March 22, and NCL will hike fares by up to 7% effective April 2.  The rate of increase will vary according to itinerary, with the most popular regions getting the highest bump.

However, the rate of fare increase will be significantly larger at the luxury lines, many of which have been offering extraordinary bargains and incentives such as “two-for-one” fares, free air, generous onboard credits, and free or discounted shore excursions.

For example, Silversea Cruises is planning to increase fares and eliminate some incentives beginning March 18. Regent will be hiking fares on many of its cruises after March 31. And others cruise lines may soon follow their lead in the months ahead, depending on consumer demand.

That’s not to say fares on every cruise itinerary will go up, or increase by the same amount.

There are still some itineraries that are not selling well, or are getting too close to their departure dates for increases to kick in. For example, Princess Cruises recently announced fares starting at less than US$100 per person for a 32-day voyage from Singapore to Cape Town that departs April 2. And demand for cruises to the Mexican Riviera, as well as for three and four day voyages to the Caribbean, continues to be soft.

In addition, there will still be times of the year when bargain fares are still available on certain itineraries. For example, the fall for Caribbean cruises, May and September for Alaska sailings, and the winter for Mediterranean voyages.

But there’s no doubt that the price of some cruises – particularly those during peak periods to popular places like the Mediterranean, or those with decreased capacity like Alaska – are going up. And the reason is that cruise bookings for 2010 have been way up over last year, thanks to strong sales during the first two months of this year during the cruise industry’s primary marketing period known as “Wave Season.”

Each year, cruise lines use Wave Season – where more than 50% of the industry’s yearly cabin capacity can be sold — to gauge the level of consumer demand. If that demand is low (as it was in 2008 and 2009), cruise lines respond with lower fares and special incentives to encourage sales. If demand is strong (as it was in January and February of this year), the same cruise lines try to increase fares and remove incentives where possible for the remainder of the year.

So with this year’s strong, and for some cruise lines, record Wave Season, cruise fares will be going up on many itineraries. Whether cruise lines can maintain higher fares and continue to increase them in the future remains to be seen. After all, it was cheaper fares that drove this strong Wave Season to begin with.

However, for the time being, cruise lines are sending travel consumers a powerful and pointed message:  if you want to take a cruise vacation in 2010, book early before the higher prices kick in. Otherwise, you could be paying more than you need to.

 A lot of people, particularly those who are new to cruising, tend to place a higher value on a cruise that includes more ports of call. For example, they believe a 7-night cruise that visits six destinations is better than one with only four or five ports of call.

In my view, this philosophy sells the cruise experience short and can make for a less pleasant voyage. Why?

First, most cruise ships are loaded with tons of great facilities like hot tubs, health spas, mini-golf, swimming pools, water slides, retail shops, etc. that rival anything on land. In addition, there are organized activities from dawn until midnight that run the gamut from aerobic sessions, enrichment lectures, and dance classes to bingo, paddle tennis competitions and Wii tournaments. Enjoying these activities and facilities, which are part of the cruise vacation experience, often gets short-changed when a voyage offers no days at sea.

Second, a cruise that features too many destinations often has to arrive in port late or leave it early in order to rush to the next port of call. This can result in passengers having too little time in a port to see everything they want to, or to combine some shopping with sightseeing.

And third, getting up early everyday to go on a shore excursion can be very tiring. In fact, after just two or three consecutive days of touring, passengers can get so fatigued that they begin to regret having signed up for so many excursions. Or worse, they’re so tired they have to go to bed right after dinner and miss out on the evening’s fun and entertainment.  

But as experienced cruisers know, a voyage that combines a healthy balance of ports and sea days provides a far better vacation experience. For one, it gives passengers an opportunity to explore and enjoy their ship – which is hopefully one of the reasons they took a cruise instead of a land trip. And two, it gives them time to plan for and enjoy their shore excursion without wondering where they are each day as in the movie “If it’s Tuesday this must be Belgium.”

So what’s the right combination of sea and port days?

It really depends what part of the world you are cruising in and how intense the shore excursions are. For example, Caribbean ports tend to focus on water, fauna and beach tours that last just a few hours. So it’s relatively easy to tour an island, do some shopping, and still have three or four hours of daylight to relax on the ship.

In that case, four or five ports during a 7-day cruise should be just about right.

However, a cruise in the Mediterranean, the Baltic or South America is altogether a different story. Ports can often be located quite a distance away from the nearest major city (e.g. Civitavecchia for Rome, Piraeus for Athens, Livorno for Florence, etc.), which can often mean shore excursions of 7+ hours. Even worse, tours to nearby landmarks like Iguazu Falls in Brazil, the Galapagos Islands near Ecuador, or Moscow from St. Petersburg often involve 10 to 12-hour trips that depart before dawn and don’t return until late at night.

In these cruising regions, it really helps to have at least one sea day in between every two ports of call.  

The bottom line is that you want to have enough time to enjoy all the amenities your cruise ship has to offer, as well as to feel rested enough for each shore excursion on your itinerary. After all, you don’t want to return home from your cruise feeling you still need a vacation.

I’m celebrating an anniversary this week – my 200th posting since starting this blog in late April of 2008.

My regular musings about everything cruising have come a long way since their humble beginning nearly two years ago. For example, selected blog postings are now featured on Canada’s premiere media aggregation service (www.bourque.com). In addition, Commodore Dave is now the primary provider of cruise content to Canada’s largest online media portal – www.sympatico.ca. You’ll find it at http://travel.sympatico.ca/trip_harbour/.

But what I enjoy most is getting comments from our readers – which now number more than 5,000 a month. Over the last year, I’ve received dozens of comments on a wide range of topics including pirates at sea, pisco sours, cruising to Haiti, and the population of Istanbul, to my foibles at sea, swine flu, tipping and outsmarting the cruise lines. Some agree with my views, and some don’t; but their comments are always insightful, entertaining and very much appreciated.

For example, when I criticized MSC cruises for allowing passengers to help fight off a pirate attack near the coast of Somalia, Ron jumped to their defence:

“Dave, those people who threw some furniture at the pirates who tried to capture a cruise ship recently should be commended, not criticized. None of them were compelled to take part in the defence of the ship and the fact they did is great. The sooner the pirates realize they are not on a cakewalk the better and if some participating passengers get hurt or killed defending the ship, well, that’s life and good for them for trying. The fact that it was an Israeli ship says a lot. Mainly it says that if you want what is mine you had better be prepared to fight me for it. I am tired of being a victim.”

(In that case, maybe we should start arming passengers with AK-47 assault rifles!)

And then there was my blog about Istanbul when I grossly over-estimated the size of the local population, which Ray took me to task for:

“What were you drinking, Commodore Dave? The population nearly doubled since you arrived, from 12.6 Million to 23 Million. I don’t think so. Maybe you counted all the Turks that now reside in Germany.”

(Whatever I was drinking, I’d like some more!)

My post about 10 ways to outsmart cruise lines by spending less on board the ship generated a lot of positive response, except for John who took offense with my suggestions:

“It seems to me to be a bad idea to bite the hand that feeds you. This industry has always been about add on services to offset lower fares and increase on-board revenue…nothing new here. Here is where I take offense….I spent three years working for a large unnamed line as a senior photographer. The photographs are taken quite clearly without obligation to buy…..

Encourage restraint by all means, but putting the squeeze on on-board revenue producing services can only result in higher fares in the long run. The ships have to make money however they do it.”

(I’ll make sure to pass around a collection plate the next time I’m sailing on a billion-dollar ship!)

However, the posting that generated the most response was the one asking if cruise ships should be sailing to Haiti so soon after the earthquake. Bob agreed with my position that RCI had done the right thing by returning to its private resort area in Labadee, Haiti:

“We will never be able to “Fix” the press and the way it reports. Some reports and “Stories” are better than others. Yours CD is a pretty good one btw. Labadee was way out of whack with Haiti well before their latest tragedy. RCI made a decision quickly and in my opinion the right one. Cruisers and future cruisers and others that have been or will go there will be split on their thoughts as are folks in all sorts of matters. It’s the human way. At least RCI is helping. Doing something… and because they had infrastructure already and it was unharmed were able to do it right away.”

(Agreed, but let’s not give up yet on trying to fix the press!)

However, Gerald took exception:

“Now if you were to go without passengers aboard and only crew and medical professionals; to get some of those Haitian people on to see to their medical needs, to feed and clothe them with all the clothing that the rich forget aboard your ships, etc. That would be a nice deed from your rich company……..”

(Gee, that sounds like what the Red Cross should be doing with the donations from companies like RCI!)

Believe it or not, I occasionally make spelling and grammatical mistakes, which a handful of readers have been good enough to bring to my attention. For example, Jim wrote:

“When speaking of Cartagena you said “…built on the foundations of a raised Indian temple…” Did you mean a razed Indian temple?”

I did and admitted so.  But then I embarrassed myself again by saying “mucho gracias” to Jim for his help, which prompted the following response:

“Last time, Dave. I promise. It’s muchas gracias, rather than mucho gracias.

Love your blog, by the way. All the best.”

(I’ve already offered Jim a job as a copy editor!)

From time to time I’ve tried to be funny with some blog posts in a series I’ve labeled “feeble attempts at humour.”  Thankfully, a few people like Vampzzzgirl have found them entertaining, in this case, one called “Behind the Fun Tours no Fun at All”:

“Hilarious!!!! Soooooooooooo funny I couldn’t stop laughing!!!! Fabulous blog!!! 2 thumbs up!!!

(Thanks. Gee, I wish you had 3 thumbs!)

I could go on, but I think you’ve got the idea – I love to get comments! Whether good, bad or even embarrassing, interaction with readers is the greatest reward that any writer could ask for. So thanks for your comments, and please keep them coming.

Have you ever wondered which cruise ships are rated the best in the world?

Conde Nast Traveler recently tried to answer that question by unveiling its annual list of the top cruise ships on the planet. And while the magazine’s list is just one of many produced by travel and media organizations, it happens to be one of the best because the results are based exclusively on the opinions of its thousands of readers from around the world.

In this survey, the readers of Conde Nast rated 471 cruise ships on a 100-point scale based on seven criteria – activities/facilities; cabins; crew/service; design/layout; food/dining; itineraries/schedule; and, shore excursions. The magazine then broke the scores down into three classes of ship size – small ships carrying fewer than 500 people; large ships that hold between 500 to 2,500 passengers; and mega-ships that carry more than 2,500 people.

So who were the winners?

In the small-ship class, the top two spots went to a pair of sailing yachts called Sea Cloud II (98 total points) and Sea Cloud (93.6). The latter began life as the largest private yacht in the world built for millionaires E.F. Hutton and Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1931. The ship was restored to its original glory in 1979 and has since been offering luxurious cruises in the Caribbean as part of Sea Cloud Cruises.

Amazingly, the 64-passenger Sea Cloud II earned perfect scores of 100 in five of the seven categories including itineraries, shore excursions, service, food, and ship design. Out of 50 ships rated in the small ship class, only four earned a mark of 100 in at least one category. In contrast, no ship in the large and mega-ship classes earned a mark of more than 96.4 in any category.

Rounding out the top five spots in the small-ship class were the River Duchess and the Seabourn Spirit tied for third with 91.5 points, and the Seabourn Legend at 90.8 points.

In the large-ship class, the Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony finished first and second with total scores of 93 and 92.4 respectively. The Serenity earned top marks for service (96.4), food (95) and ship design (95.8). In addition, the food scores for both the Serenity and Symphony (94.6) were the highest among all vessels in the large and mega-ship classes.

The Seven Seas Voyager from Regent placed third in the large-ship class with a total score of 90.9, followed by the Queen Victoria from Cunard (90.1) and the Seven Seas Mariner from Regent (90). Interestingly, the Queen Victoria grabbed top marks in two categories – shore excursions (88.6) and activities (95.5). The latter was the highest mark achieved in this category among all classes of ship, which is not surprising given that the Queen Victoria offers a wide range of activities including fencing and ballroom dancing.

In the mega-ship class, the Celebrity Solstice earned top honours with a total score of 88.9 points, followed by the Disney Wonder (88.2). The Solstice, which has been garnering great reviews since it was launched in late 2008, features a number of industry firsts like a top deck with real grass, a glass-blowing show, a private restaurant for spa-class passengers, and a martini bar topped with ice. It earned top marks among all classes of ship for cabin design (96.3) and best among mega-ships for food (85).

Rounding out the mega-class ship ratings, the Independence of the Seas from Royal Caribbean finished in third place with 87.9 total points, followed by the Disney Magic (87.7) and the Ruby Princess (83.6). Impressively, the Independence of the Seas earned top honours in three categories – itineraries (93.2), shore excursions (83.3) and ship design (95.5).

If we combine the scores from each class into a single list, you might expect the top five ships to come from the small-ship class. After all, these ships tend to be more expensive and exclusive. 

However, while the Sea Cloud II (98 total points) and the Sea Cloud (93.6) ranked first and second, the next two spots went to the Crystal Serenity (93) and Crystal Symphony (92.4) from the large-ship class. The only other large ship to crack the top 10 list was the Seven Seas Voyager, which finished 7th (90.9).

For handy reference, here is a list of the top 10 cruise ships as rated by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine:

1. Sea Cloud II – 98 points

2. Sea Cloud – 93.6 points

3. Crystal Serenity – 93 points

4. Crystal Symphony – 92.4 points

5. River Duchess – 91.5 points*

5. Seabourn Spirit – 91.5 points*

7. Seven Seas Voyager – 90.9 points

8. Seabourn Legend – 90.8 points

9. River Concerto – 90.6 points

10. Bizet – 90.4 points

(* Tied)

Every year cruise lines offer a handful of exotic itineraries that provide a rare opportunity for travelers to cross a special destination off their bucket list. These cruises are not part of a regular schedule, rarely get much publicity, and may not be repeated for many years.

In some cases, a cruise line will offer exotic cruises because they are trying to be the first to develop a new market for them. If the cruises sell out, additional cruises to the same destination may be added in future at higher prices. However, if these cruises don’t sell very well, the cruise line will change the itinerary or drop it entirely in favour of a new destination.

In addition, the need to reposition ships from one part of the world to another can often generate rare and extraordinary itineraries for a very limited period each year. This is particularly true when ships have to sail long distances between far-flung continents.

So what’s the best way to be among the first to identify, book and enjoy these special sailings?

1. Be the first to find the hidden gems of cruising by poring over cruise ship itineraries on websites like Tripharbour.ca or on the websites of individual cruise lines. Also, check out the various cruise line brochures and flyers that arrive in the mail. The problem with the latter is that by the time it arrives in your mailbox, the cruise you want may already be wait-listed or sold out.

2. Look for cruises that sail to ports of call that are not included in standard itineraries to the same region. For example, if sailing on a Northern European cruise, does it include more exotic destinations like Trondheim, Geiranger, Spitsbergen and Bergen? If sailing to the Eastern Mediterranean, will the ship call at ports like Yalta, Sevastopol and Odessa in the Black Sea? And if sailing around the Horn of South America, will the itinerary include Antarctica?

3. Be on the lookout for repositioning cruises that offer much more than the standard itinerary. For example, trans-Atlantic cruises that visit Iceland and Greenland. Trans-canal voyages that include South America. Cruises between Asia and Australia that include Bali, Indonesia and Vietnam. And sailings from South Africa that visit Zanzibar and the Maldives. 

4. Consider taking a segment of a world cruise. These longer voyages tend to visit more exotic locations and spend more time in port. But you don’t have to sign up for the entire 100-day voyage – most world cruises can be purchased in segments that typically range in length from 16 to 30 days.

5. Pay particular attention to the itineraries of small and medium-sized cruise ships. These ships tend to include visits to out-of-the-way ports that are too small for bigger ships to access. In addition, if a region like the Amazon River has been suffering from drought, larger ships may not even be able to call at ports that are advertised in their brochures. 

Once you’ve spotted your cruise, take at close look at what the fares break down to on a per diem basis versus travelling to the same destinations by airplane and staying in hotels.  In most cases, you’ll find your sea voyage represents a terrific value, and a very smart way to manage your travel bucket.

Some of the most beautiful health spas in the world are now found on cruise ships. In fact, some are even operated by or affiliated with the most prestigious land-based resorts in the world.

These ocean-going spas offer a full range of standard treatments such as facials, massage, hair and nails, as well as more unique treatments like cellulite reduction, acupuncture, teeth whitening and body wraps. They have fully equipped gymnasiums, many offering fitness classes and personal trainers. And they offer spa menus with light and healthy dining options. Some newer ships also have private outdoor “sanctuaries” where passengers can get have a massage under the sky or just get away from it all in a tranquil and peaceful setting.

So when it comes to staying fit, reducing stress and looking your best, there’s really no better place to be than on a cruise ship. However, there are so many spa options to choose from, and so little time to enjoy them, that many people miss out on the best treatments and services.

As a result, I recently asked the Spa Manager aboard the Golden Princess for some tips on how passengers can get the most from their sea-going spa experience. Here’s what Aletta Jansen van Vuuren of South Africa had to say:

1. A menu of spa services is usually available on the cruise line’s web site and most treatments (except those in the hair salon) can be booked online in advance. This is particularly useful for passengers with a busy shore excursion schedule who have limited windows of time where they will be available for treatments.

2. Spas usually have an open house on embarkation day when they offer tours, explain treatments, and make bookings. This is a great way to become familiar with what’s available at the spa, to meet the various staff members, and to make bookings before the best time slots disappear (and they will very quickly for the formal days).

3. Since boarding day is a slow time for a cruise ship spa, most of them offer embarkation day specials where various treatments are available at discounts until 10:00 pm that evening. So it pays to visit the spa and ask about these as soon as you board the vessel.

4. Some cruise lines offer discounts on spa services during port days. So if you don’t plan to be ashore for the entire day, ask about port day discounts and book yourself a treatment at a reduced price – at Princess, it’s 15%.

5. Many cruise ship spas now offer a body composition analysis which among other things can measure the toxins in your body, the amount of body fat and your metabolism rate. This analysis is then used to generate a tailor-made program that directs passengers to the best treatments and services for their particular situation and goals. This can help spa goers save money and get better results from their investment.

6. Most new ships now have outdoor areas sometimes called “sanctuaries” which are reserved for passengers taking spa services or who wish to pay a daily fee of about $20.  These areas are for adults only, provide reserved chaise lounges, and are usually located next to a small pool area. Aletta says these sanctuaries are becoming popular places, especially for passengers who don’t want to compete for a chair in the public pool area, particularly on busy days at sea.  

7. The best spas at sea are constantly adding new and unique services at competitive prices. For example, the Golden Princess recently added a Thai Poltise massage, an Oxydermy Facial Microderm Abrasion, and acupuncture treatments. Since these types of services may not be easy to find at home at competitive prices, Aletta suggests that passengers try them at sea.

8. There are usually a number of massage treatments for couples that they can take together. In fact, the spa aboard the Golden Princess offers them in the spa or outdoors in a private cabana in the Sanctuary. Aletta says this is a great way for couples to experience spa treatments together.

9. If you haven’t made a reservation at the spa during a sea day, Aletta says the best time to get a “walk in” appointment is early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

10. Watch you cruise ship program for notices of special spa promotions or programs. These will include complimentary fitness classes, discounted services and special educational seminars.

While the cruise industry enjoyed strong occupancy levels in 2009, many of those passengers were induced up the gangplank with discounts and incentives that brought cruise fares to historically low levels. That was great for the travelling public, but tough for cruise lines whose meager profits left shareholders looking for a life preserver.

Fast forward to the beginning of 2010. The economy is on the mend, interest rates are still low, there is pent up demand for travel, and this year’s Wave Season (the peak selling period for cruises from early January to mid-February) delivered strong sales for most cruise lines. In fact, several cruise lines reported that they enjoyed their best Wave Season ever this year.

As a result, some travel industry experts are now predicting that we’ve seen the end of the deep discounting in cruise fares that were available in 2009 and for the first two months of 2010. According to these experts, since sales for 2010 are off to a strong start and some cruises even have waiting lists why should they continue to discount their fares?

While there’s no question that 2010 sales have gotten off to a fast start, much of this demand has been fueled by discount and incentive programs put in place at the end of last year. For example, programs promising two-for one cruise fares, free cabin upgrades, generous shipboard credits, free air, incredibly low lead in prices, complimentary shore excursions, children cruise for free, and other incentives have continued to drive passengers up the gangplank.

The question is whether the travelling public will continue to snap up cabins once these incentives disappear, and whether there is anyone in the cruise industry willing to take that chance before the end of 2010. In my view, the answer is “no.”

I expect we may see a small increase in prices for cruises at the bottom of the market that have been selling for ridiculously low prices like $35 to $40 per day. These types of lead-in prices are difficult to sustain for long, do not build brand loyalty, and usually represent a last-minute response to slow bookings.

However, I think it is unlikely we will see much in the way of price increases for premium and luxury cruise lines for the remainder of this year. In fact, I’m still receiving cruise line flyers promoting various incentives – the latest this week from Crystal, Regent, Princess, Seabourn, MSC, Cunard and Costa.

The reasons for the continuing soft cruise market are as follows:

- Cruise ship capacity will continue to increase in 2010 as new ships are launched, yet the pace of passenger growth has slowed considerably, particularly in the US.

- Airline capacity has decreased, making it more expensive and difficult for passengers to take advantage of last-minute discounts that cruise lines once used to fill empty ships. As a result, passengers have to be sold on taking the cruise much earlier.

- In order to generate reasonable returns, cruise lines need to fill their ships to at least 115% occupancy (100% occupancy is two people in each cabin). So demand needs to increase significantly before cruise lines can increase fares or drop incentives.

- Some cruise lines have already announced and locked in deeply discounted fares and generous incentives for the entire 2010 season in order to get their share of passengers.

- People are now used to getting some kind of discount fare or incentive in order to book a cruise well in advance of sailing.  That’s not going to change overnight. In fact, it’s been years since it was necessary for anyone to pay the brochure rate for a cruise.

As a result, I think it’s premature to predict cruise line fares will return to normal anytime soon. However, I do think we have reached the absolute bottom of the market when it comes to pricing, and that there is only one direction for fares to go in 2011 – up. So if do you have a special cruise in mind, it may pay to start looking for it soon.

It could be the beautiful sunsets, the sultry breezes at sea, or the excitement of sailing to far-away places, but there’s something special about vacationing on water that brings out the romantic in everyone.  

In fact, according to survey after survey, the traveling public consistently rates cruising as one of the most romantic forms of vacation on the planet. And believe it or not, they also claim that cruising positively impacts everything from the type of lingerie they wear to the frequency, quality and location of their sex lives!

For example, a survey conducted a few years ago for Royal Caribbean International found that 95% of Americans consider cruises “very romantic” compared to land-based trips, and that 80% of them feel more amorous at sea than at home. In addition, 79% said they pack sexy undergarments and head to bed for a romp within 10 hours of boarding the ship.

While slightly more reticent, Canadians apparently feel the same way. For example, in surveys conducted over the last two years for Tripharbour.ca, 81% of Canadians said that cruise ships are romantic places for a vacation, and 64% agreed that cruising is more exciting than staying in a hotel. And perhaps surprisingly, the survey showed that men find cruising to be as romantic as women do.

While Canadians gave cruise vacations top marks for romance, they also ranked them high for excitement, with 94% saying cruise ships travel to exciting destinations all over the world.

When it comes to the most adventurous places aboard a cruise ship in which to have a romantic tryst, Canadians were divided with 23% voting for their balcony, 20% favouring the ship’s life boats, and 19% voting for the hot tub. Fortunately, only 15% said they would like to make “whoopee” on the ship’s bridge, which I’m sure was a relief to the Captain and officers who spend most of their time there.

While not as scientific, an online poll undertaken by a cruise community called Cruise Critic found that cruising is also a good place for single people to begin a romance.

For example, the poll revealed that 49.75% of respondents had met someone special while cruising and that 12% of those relationships had ended in marriage or a committed relationship.

So if you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day gift that exudes romance, why not give your spouse, partner or friend a cruise. After a few days at sea, even Cupid would agree you made the right decision.

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