Venice Cruise Port of Call - Using the People Mover

Explore Venice on a cruise port of call

In this post I'll tell you how to get to the Cruise Terminal in Venice. On the day we were embarking on our NCL cruise, there were 4 cruise ships in port. And it wasn't even high season! So be prepared to queue and allow yourself plenty of time to get to the ship.
   Access to the cruise port is easiest if you use the People Mover, a monorail that leaves from Piazzale Roma. This square is the big transport hub for Venice, with car parks and bus terminals at the end of the causeway from the mainland. 
  There are clearly marked signs round Piazzale Roma that will lead you to the People Mover.
  You buy a ticket for 1 Euro from a machine on the ground floor of the People Mover building then either walk up the stairs or take the elevator to the next level where you will get onto the monorail. It takes only 5 minutes to reach its stop near the cruise port entrance. I had thought it took you right into the port area, but it doesn't. There was still a distance to walk to get alongside our ship, that I hadn't expected.
  At the time we went there were not many people embarking but I can imagine that at busy times there would be long queues, to buy the tickets and use the lift to get to the People Mover.

Hotels and canals surround Piazzale Roma

Cruising in the Mediterranean with MSC

Cruise for $1

Great excitement in our house. You see, we have got a wonderful deal - a 7 day cruise with MSC in the Western Mediterranean.
I nearly fell off my chair when I got an email from the travel agent. It said that if I paid the advertised price, my husband could cruise for $1, plus port charges.How good is that?
The other interesting thing about this cruise is that we haven't been to many of the ports of call - Mallorca, Menorca and Sardinia. So all in all, it should be a great week.

Cruise Ships in Australian Ports - Part Two

Cruise Ship in Port Melbourne

To continue the round-up of where cruise ships dock in Australian ports, starting with Melbourne.

Melbourne: Cruise ships dock at Station Pier, Port Melbourne. At the end of the pier is the terminus for the light rail tram that carries passengers into central Melbourne. This takes about 20 minutes.

Hobart:  The Hobart Docks are in the heart of the historic area of Salamanca. It is about a 10 minute walk into the shopping precinct. For those people not wishing to walk, shuttle buses run from the wharf into the information centre.

Fremantle: This is the town 25 kilometres south of Perth in Western Australia where the cruise ships dock at Victoria Quay. The passenger terminal is an historic building that has been sensitively restored.

Darwin: Ships dock at the Fort Hill Wharf in the Wharf Precinct. In the cruise terminal local artists and artisans display their wares for sale. A courtesy bus takes ship passengers up the hill from the dock to the information centre. This is opposite the pedestrian mall in the city centre. 

Enjoy your cruise around Australia!

Where Cruise Ships Dock in Australia - Part 1

View of Sydney Harbour from a Cruise Ship in Dock at Barangaroo Wharf

Here's a quick round-up of where cruise ships dock in Australian ports of call. You'll be able to plan your days ashore better if you know some practical information about where your ship will be.

Sydney: There are 2 wharves for cruise ships in Sydney Harbour: 

• The Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, right across the bay from the Sydney Opera House, is the prime site, with wonderful views, at the foot of the CBD and shopping precincts. It's a short, flat walk to the end of the pier where there are ferries, sightseeing buses, local city buses and trains.
• The other wharf is on the Darling Harbour side of The Rocks peninsular. It is a temporary wharf, Barangaroo, that will be closing next month. After that, the brand new cruise terminal at White Bay, 2.4 km west of the CBD, will be in action from mid April, 2013.

Brisbane: in the capital of Queensland, the Sunshine State, cruise ships berth at Portside Wharf, about 5 km from the centre of Brisbane. There are buses, taxis and river ferry boats to get from the dock to the CBD.

A Cruise Ship Berthed Close to the Centre of Cairns

Cairns: is another city where ships dock conveniently close to the city centre.

The new Cairns Cruise Line Terminal was completed in 2010, in a restored historic wharf shed, right on the waterfront of Trinity Inlet. It is a flat, 5 minute, two block walk from there into the shops and cafes of Cairns.

   In my next blog post I'll give you information on the Australian cruise ports of Darwin, Melbourne, Hobart and Fremantle.

  

Merry Christmas

Calm Seas at Dusk in the Pacific Ocean

     I'd like to thank you all for 'cruising' along with me this year and wish you

                       a very Merry Christmas

                           
            and may 2013 bring you more cruises and calm seas all the way!

Going Ashore on a Pacific Island

In the Village on Dravuni Island, Fiji

Sunhat. Check. Swimsuit. Check. Sunscreen. Check. Beach towel. Check. Water bottle. Check.
Now, what else will you need on a shore day when you're on a South Pacific cruise?
  Shore tours are often action-based, such as being out on the water, visiting waterfalls for a swim or walking through the tropical rainforest where the tracks are sometimes wet and muddy. Closed-in sports shoes are better than open-toed sandals or jandals (flip-flops).
   When at the beach, it's a good idea to wear reef shoes, those soft-soled rubber slip-ons, to protect your feet from scratches from the sharp coral that is underfoot in places.
   Take a cover-up top and perhaps a sarong to the beach as well. 

Kanak People on Lifou Welcome Cruise Ship Passengers

  Many of the South Pacific communities are deeply religious and the local people dress modestly. This photo shows women on Lifou in New Caledonia wearing dresses that are styled on the ones missionaries, shocked by the locals' nudity, introduced to the islands in the 19th century.
  It is a sign of respect for a different culture if you dress respectfully when ashore. Keep your swimsuit and scanty clothing for the beach. Cover up when walking in areas away from the beaches and especially when visiting an island village.
  Local customs may also mean that you don't wear hats in the villages and women are asked to wear knee-length or long dresses. This is where a sarong comes in handy!
   If you're lucky enough to be invited into a home, take off your shoes and leave them outside at the door.
   And always remember to accessorise with a smile!

Clothes for a Pacific Island Cruise

Lightweight Summer Clothes for a South Pacific Cruise

Just because all the travel brochures show the Pacific Islands as being bathed in bright sunshine and surrounded by turquoise calm waters doesn't mean the weather is always like that. In fact there are two distinct seasons in the South Pacific that you need to be aware of when you are packing for your cruise.

  The dry season is during the winter, between May and November. This is when the weather is the most comfortable, with daytime temperatures around 25°C. In most areas the winds are generally light.

  Pack lightweight summer clothes that are easy to wash and fast to dry. Also put in a pashmina or light jacket for when you stroll around the decks at night or sit outside on a lounger, stargazing to pick out the Southern Cross constellation.

  The wet season is during the Southern Hemisphere summer, between November and April. Then you can expect high humidity which makes the temperatures of 27 to 32°C seem even hotter than they are. The wet season is aptly named for the fierce tropical downpours that last about half an hour or so before the sun shines again.

  This time of year is also the cyclone season so you may find you are cruising through high winds and choppy seas. 

  It's a good idea to pack a fold-up, light umbrella or a clear plastic rain poncho (the type that comes in its own little pouch) in case you get caught in the rain when you're ashore.

  You might find it more comfortable in the high humidity to wear clothes made of natural fabrics rather than synthetic materials. 

   And what ever the season, you will need a sun hat and a swimsuit to make the most of the South Pacific and those exotic tropical island destinations!

Souvenirs From a South Pacific Cruise

Beach Bags for sale at Port Vila markets, Vanuatu

I think part of the fun of travelling is picking up souvenirs of things you might not get in your own country. An island-style memento to take home as a reminder of your Pacific Island cruise will bring back fond memories of sunshine and sandy beaches when you are in the middle of a cold and frosty winter!
  The laid-back lifestyles of the tropics are reflected in the souvenirs on offer to tourists. When cruise ships visit some of the Pacific Island ports, the local people sell their wares from little stalls set up beside the roads or on the beaches. It is a great chance to chat and laugh with the islanders as you look at what they have for sale.

Souvenirs at a roadside stall in Savusavu, Fiji

Here are some of the things you might choose to buy on your South Pacific cruise.

The doll wears a tapa cloth top

• Pacific Island clothing: casual clothes are the order of the day. Brightly coloured fabric, often patterned with hibiscus flowers, is used to make shirts, skirts and sarongs as well as beach bags.
• Jewellery: delicate mother of pearl and other shells, such as the colourful conch and cowrie, are made into bracelets, necklaces, pendants and earrings. In Fiji, I bought an unusual pendant made of strips of shells. In Savusavu, Fiji, and in Tahiti, black pearls which are locally farmed are used to make striking jewellery. 
• Wood carvings: artisans use locally sourced wood to create a range of wood carvings as souvenirs. Sometimes you'll be able to watch the woodcarvers at work. Their pieces range from tiny to life size, and include paddles, spears, decorated masks and carved turtles. I suppose what you choose will depend on how much space you have in your suitcase!
• Souvenirs made from leaves: in villages all around the Pacific, pandanus leaves are woven to make a wide range of useful items such as floor mats for houses, and baskets to store and carry provisions. You might like to buy placemats and coasters for the dining table, baskets and bags or even a sun hat made from pandanus leaves.
• Tapa cloth: something that is unique to the South Pacific is tapa cloth. The inner bark of the paper mulberry tree is harvested, soaked in water and pounded to compress the fibres. This results in a strong, thin, paper-like substance used to make floor mats, placemats, even clothing. The patterns in brown and black on the cream coloured tapa cloth are made from natural dyes. I bought a set of four round placemats in Fiji that are perfect for when we have barbecues.

A word of warning. If your cruise ends in Australia or New Zealand be aware that those countries have very strict bio security laws about importing items made of wood and other plant materials. You must declare them on your customs arrival cards otherwise you'll risk getting an instant fine and the goods will be confiscated.

What to Pack in Your Carry-on Bag

What to Pack in a Carry-on Bag

We all know that cruise lines advise us to put such items as medication, jewellery and anything else of value in our carry-on bags. But what else should you pack in your hand luggage in case something goes wrong?

   Jeanette and Dan had a very stressful start to their Mediterranean cruise. They were in Venice; their luggage was in Vancouver! Another horror story about airlines leaving bags behind! 

  So began a hurried round of shopping to buy underwear, in an unfamiliar city that seemed to sell mostly souvenirs! They boarded their cruise ship with only one small carry bag between them. Fortunately the rest of their luggage arrived within 30 minutes of sailing - the airline couriered the bags to the ship just in time.

  Here are Jeanette's recommendations for extra items to pack in your carry-on bag just in case  you and your luggage are spending the night on different continents!

• spare pair of knickers and nightwear
• change of clothes
• basic toiletries
• mobile phone charger
• copy of complete itinerary
• copy of travel insurance documents

Jeanette and her husband went on to enjoy the cruise, but could have done without the hassles in the beginning.

  Take their advice. Be prepared for a luggage hold-up, and pack things to get you through the first couple of days - just in case! 

  Thanks, Jeanette, for the cautionary tale.

Thinking of a River Cruise in Europe?

Research a River Cruise in Europe

My daughter and son-in-law are moving to Germany to live so the thought of visiting them next year sent me scurrying to my stack of brochures about European river cruises.
  Viking, Amadeus, APT and Avalon Waterways seem to be the main cruise lines in the area. In fact, the future of river cruising looks so bright that this year Avalon have two new 'suite' ships and Viking are launching six new ships, with another four to debut in 2014.
  The prices for European river cruises seem to be quite a bit more expensive than ocean cruises. But you have to think what is included in the cost:

• all gourmet meals (wine and beer and soft drinks included in on-board dinners and lunches)
• accommodation in large staterooms (with floor-to-ceiling windows on upper and middle decks)
• all gratuities
• all guided shore excursions daily with local guides
• transportation, entry fees and reservations on tours
• personal audio headsets for tours
• port charges
• lectures about local areas visited
• wi-fi connections
• excellent crew:passenger ratios ensures excellent service

Now to work out which cruise we might go on!

Holland America Line's Commitment to Safety at Sea

Holland America Line logo

I am copying here part of a message I received today from Stein Kruse, President and CEO of Holland America Line. He reiterates the company's strong commitment to safety. I thought it worth putting on my blog.

I am joined by a solid team of professionals who understand the critical importance of safety, many of whom have long careers at sea, whether on cruise ships, commercial ships or serving in the Coast Guard, Navy or other professional maritime organizations. Among them is Captain Cees Deelstra, our Vice President, Nautical Operations, who started his forty-year career with Holland America Line as a cadet, ultimately attaining his own command as a master before accepting a position shoreside to oversee the safe operations of our fleet. Similarly, Captain William Morani, our Vice President, Safety, Environment and Health, served for twenty-five years in the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Program before joining Holland America Line. All of our captains have spent decades at sea and all have a solid record of safely sailing passenger vessels. Most have spent their career with Holland America Line.

All shipboard personnel undergo comprehensive regular safety training. This includes live onboard training, computer based courses and state of the art simulator training. We hold regular shoreside conferences for senior officers to discuss safety and other critical issues, the last as recent as October 2011. All crew participate in regular drills to ensure they know what their role is in the event of an emergency. We also drill our shoreside response team so that we are always prepared, including a simulated mass rescue exercise with the U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska.

You also need not rely solely on my word for all of this. Like every passenger vessel, each ship in our fleet undergoes mandatory inspections by Lloyds, our classification society, as well as by the Netherlands (our flag state), by the U.S. Coast Guard, and by other regulatory authorities based in the countries we visit.

Counting Down the Days Till the Next Cruise

Cruise documents

The excitement is starting to build! Today we received our cruise documents in the mail -that makes it all seem real. After the rush of Christmas and New Year I can now concentrate on planning what clothes to take, what sights we'd like to see in the different ports, have a close look at some of the shore tours information and think about what we will do immediately before and after the cruise.

   This next voyage will begin and end in Sydney. I've got our flights to Australia booked and a hotel room reserved, near the dock, for the night before the cruise leaves. We'll have 14 days sailing around some South Pacific Islands, with Princess cruises. Bliss!

   It will be my husband's birthday while we are on the ship. I've noted that in the cruise personaliser information section. I wonder what surprises will eventuate!

  
  
  

Becoming a Princess Cruises Elite Passenger: the Benefits

How to become an Elite passenger

Staying loyal to one or two cruise lines has its advantages. The more cruises you go on, the more the rewards for being a past passenger increase.

   Berni Blair and her husband have recently returned from their 40th cruise. This was a 29-night voyage on 'Sea Princess' across the Pacific from San Francisco to Sydney, via Hawaii and Tahiti. Having completed more than 150 cruise nights with Princess, they qualified as 'Elite Members'.

   And Berni loved it! She said she felt special and pampered the whole time.

   So what are the benefits of being an Elite passenger with Princess?

• You never have to queue - you get priority check-in, priority tender embarkation and priority disembarkation. No more waiting in lines with hundreds of other passengers.
• You get $200 credit towards Internet Cafe time on voyages of more than 21 days.
• You get complimentary laundry and dry cleaning services.
• You get a free mini bar setup (one time only).
• You get a plate of delicious canapes delivered to your stateroom before dinner.
• You get a traditional afternoon tea.
• You get 10% discount at the onboard shops.
• You get complimentary wine tasting.
• You get invited to members-only onboard events

Some of these benefits apply to Platinum members (6th -15th cruise or 50-149 cruise nights) also. But for Berni, it was the extras, such as never having to queue and using the complimentary laundry services, that go with being an Elite member that really made this cruise special.

   Already she's planning her next cruise!

'Tis the Season - for Travel Expo

Travel brochures galore - read and dream about cruises!

Have you noticed all the advertisements in the newspapers this last week or so for cheap travel deals? Flights, cruises and hotels are all discounted heavily for 'earlybird' buyers. It means that you pay this year, in November or December, to have a holiday in the 2012/2013 season.

   We went along to a Travel Expo on Saturday. There were video presentations every half-hour for cruises and expeditions and excursions in various countries. I particularly enjoyed the one on Greece and Turkey, which reminded me of the time I lived in Greece.

  Many of the stands were set up advertising cruises. There was such a variety: European and Russian river cruises, holidays on barges in France, river cruises in South East Asia and China, round the world voyages, Mediterranean and Pacific and Caribbean cruises. I was in my element! In fact, I collected so many brochures that someone asked me if I was setting up my own travel agency!

   It was also a chance to talk to interesting people who had been on many cruises. One man had worked on cruise ships for seven years as part of the entertainment staff. Another had been on 40 cruises. 

   Since we got home from the Travel Expo I've been immersed in brochures and websites checking out various cruise holidays and ships. There is a wealth of information about cruising, which is one of the fastest growing trends in the vacation industry. All the brochures have seductive photos of beautiful ships with beautiful people on board sailing in beautiful weather to beautiful destinations. How tempting they are!

Spoilt for Choice - Princess Cruise Ships 'Down Under'

The Princess cruise line's logo

The 2012 and 2013 Southern Hemisphere cruise schedules are out now and here 'Down Under' we are spoilt for choice!

   Itineraries for Princess cruises include 14-day round New Zealand and across to Australia cruises; a circumnavigation of Australia; a Northern Australian Explorer from Sydney to Perth; even a special 11-day cruise to see the Solar Eclipse on November 14, 2012. There are also several cruises to some Pacific Islands to add in.

  Princess will have four ships sailing in the region - 'Diamond Princess', 'Sun Princess', 'Dawn Princess' and 'Sea Princess'. Their home ports are Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

   If you live in New Zealand, these cruises are an opportunity to 'escape' in luxury without the hassle and discomfort of long-distance flights. At the most, you'd fly for only three hours to get to an Australian port.

  We've been on 'Sapphire Princess', the sister ship to 'Diamond Princess', before and loved it. Now I've booked us a cruise on 'Sea Princess' to go on a South Pacific itinerary next February. Roll on 2012, I say!

Last Minute Cruise Deal!

Booking a cruise with Holland America Line

Well, I've done something I haven't done before! I've booked a cruise at the last minute. Usually I book months in advance so I can select the stateroom we want and take advantage of the early bird discount.

   This time, I saw a short cruise that is leaving soon, for a great price and couldn't resist.

   The cabins are guaranteed, which means I don't get to choose. We won't know where we will be until we check in. The weather is very unsettled at this time of year with a chance of rough seas, so I sincerely hope we'll be somewhere close to midship! I've stocked up on seasick pills, ginger and sea bands just in case.

   But booking this close to sailing has made me realise a few things. I've found that I like the months of anticipation, the time to think about the ship and what to wear and the places we'll go that you have when you book further in advance.

   Having said that, I am starting to get excited about sailing soon.  The cruise is on a ship we have been on before and really like so I'm sure, no matter what the weather, we'll have a wonderful time!

Which Cabin Shall I Choose?

This is a question I hum and ha over every time I'm planning a cruise. We love to cruise but we also have a budget to stick to so ....Which type of cabin? Which deck? Where on the ship? How much will each grade cost? Is the extra, significant expense worth it for a balcony cabin?

   I look at the itinerary, check out the number of ports of call versus number of sea days, and hum and ha some more.

  But so far, on the cruises we've been on round the Pacific and Asia, we've been perfectly satisfied with an interior cabin, midships, on a lower, rather than upper deck. There's less chance of seasickness then and we hardly spend any time in the cabin anyway.

   I don't choose the cheapest option, but make the position of the cabin the deciding factor. Close, but not too close to the elevators; not near the laundromats; not underneath high traffic, possibly noisy areas such as restaurants or music venues. It's great that cruise lines put deck plans on their websites. You can really do your research before you book.

   And I know I should be calling them 'staterooms' not 'cabins', but I'm the one who calls 'gangways' 'gangplanks'! I think I read too many books about pirates when I was a child!

   Mind you, finding our cabin each day can be a challenge! Take me out of an elevator, put me in a long, long corridor lined with doors on each side, and I totally lose my sense of direction! I can't tell where I am, which way the 'pointy end' of the ship is, where on earth our cabin might be.

   Except on a Pacific cruise last year. Just along from us, someone had stuck a giant paper bird with a fat stomach onto their door. I always knew where our cabin was on that cruise - four doors past the pregnant parrot!

The Hidden Costs of a Cruise

If you are as keen on cruising as I am, you are probably always on the lookout for your next holiday deals. But the advertised price of a cruise is just the beginning of the money to be spent on a cruise vacation. Some of the extra costs start before you walk out the door of your home.

• Do you have pets? Add in the price of a boarding cattery or kennels for your cat or dog.
• Does your cruise start or finish in a port away from your home town or city? Add in the cost of air fares or road travel.
• Will you take your vehicle to a port or airport? Then allow for car parking fees for the time you're away.
• Will you be visiting countries with different currencies? You will need to get their local money so add in exchange rates and bank fees.
• Will you book the cruise yourself or use a travel agent? There may be agent fees to include in your budget.
• Check carefully whether port charges and gratuities are included in the advertised fare. If they're not, these expenses can add considerably to the cost of a cruise.

  Once on the ship, you will have to pay for things over and above the standard cruise inclusions. These extras include drinks, photographs, shopping at the on-board boutiques, using the laundromat or laundry services, shore excursions and others such as wine tasting classes, cookery lessons, and speciality dining cover charges.
  Having said all that, I still believe cruise vacations are excellent value for money. When you consider the distances travelled, all the meals, great accommodation and the variety of entertainment (not to mention chocolates and a towel animal on your pillow every night!), you would be hard pressed to find a comparable land-based vacation for the same price.
  Now I'm off to Singapore with a short cruise to Malaysia. I'll report on that in my next posting.

Planning a Cruise

Where in the world will you cruise?

Part of the fun of cruising for me is in the planning: looking at travel brochures and cruise companies' websites; talking to others who've been on cruises; checking newspaper advertisements for up-coming voyages.
   Then comes the hard part - which cruise to choose?
   For us, deciding on a cruise comes down initially to three things:

• Itinerary - where do we want to go? Somewhere new or places we've been before? An itinerary with many ports of call or lots of sea days? Will it involve long plane flights to get to or from inital or end ports?
• Time -how long can we be away from 'real life' commitments at home?
• Money - how much will it cost? What will the extra expenses above the actual cruise cost?

   Once we have those questions sorted, we get down to the details.

• The cruise line - should we keep cruising with one or two preferred lines to qualify for increasing 'past passenger' benefits? Or try something new?
• The ship - shall we cruise on a favourite ship or its sister ship? Or go on one we don't know?
• The stateroom - which type and category of cabin? Where do we want to be situated? Which deck would be best?
• When to book the cruise - should we book early on to get the cabin we want and the 'earlybird' special price?  Or should we wait till the last minute to get even more discounted rates and take a chance on the cabin?

   So many decisions! So much fun to plan!

Seasick - Not This Time!

Every cruisers' dream - calm seas

The old saying, "Take the rough with the smooth", certainly applies to cruising. Every time I get on a ship, I hope the voyage will be as calm as it was in this photo.

   Years ago, I was terribly seasick on a ship crossing between Norway and Denmark in what was then the worst storm for four decades.That six hours has remained etched in my memory as an absolutely ghastly time, one I never want to repeat.
   So on every cruise, I go prepared with several remedies. I figure that if one doesn't work, another will. I get prescription medication for nausea from the doctor, I pack my Sea Band acupressure wrist bands, and I drink lots of ginger ale. I also book our cabin in the mid-ship area which is the most stable part of the ship.
   On this 'Bounty Discovery' cruise we ran into a two-day storm. The swimming pools were emptied and covered with netting. The deck chairs and sun lounges were stacked into piles and chained down. The ship was rocking and rolling about which made walking more like staggering. Even some of the crew were getting seasick.

  But I was just fine. Whether it was the medicine, the wrist bands or the ginger ale that worked, I don't know. And at night, in our mid-ship stateroom, we were rocked gently to sleep like babies in a cradle.