Aboard the Celebrity Century with the Hubbard Glacier in the background.
In a couple of weeks I will embark on a quest to experience and report on some different sides of cruising. I will only have time to hit a few this year; over time I will try to discuss and photograph the many sides of this hugely popular form of vacation, which is growing more customized over time.
My evaluations will not be so much about declaring one style as good or bad, but trying to describe which expression might appeal to which type of person. After all, on a single day recently, I talked with someone who said, shaking his head, that he can’t ever see himself on one of those floating cities, and another who told me he would like live his entire life on a cruise ship. In between those two extremes are plenty of people who would enjoy one type of cruising, but not necessarily others. Beyond that, there are people for whom a big ship might facilitate a multi-generational family renunion, but would truly love a slower, culturally immersive river cruise.
I try to savor a variety of experiences, from a 50-mile packpack to a luxury cruise. I have to admit I will not be a very good critic of shipboard casinos, as I can only tolerate $20-buy-in poker with some friends a few times a year. But I try to control for my own biases, as I am well aware of Las Vegas’ testament to lovers of gambling.
As far as my role in the booking of travel, it is strictly to provide the most accurate information possible to help people design the perfect vacation for their individual preferences. I will never shill for a particular product because I know that all of the products are good for some and not good for others. My role is to help people make decisions that will make them happy.
My 2013 experiences start in a couple of weeks with a two-day “inaugural cruise” on the new Norwegian Breakaway, a colossus with something for everyone – and something for some to roll their eyes at. The Breakaway’s Swedish-style ice bar – 17-degrees Farenheit with loner parkas – was declared as “gimmicky” by one associate and “cool’ (sorry) by another. I’m keeping an open mind about that, the ship’s faux boardwalk, the Broadway-style entertainment, and the celebrity chef restaurants. I’ll let you know what I think, what others say, and what type of traveler might enjoy them.
In July, Susan and I will embark on a completely different kind of cruise, riding the 694-passenger Azamara Journey from Monte Carlo to Rome. Along the way we will visit smaller ports inaccessible to the giant ships, such as Portofino, Santa Marguerita and the villages of Cinque Terra. The Journey eschews glitzy entertainment and water parks, instead playing the role of a floating boutique hotel while the destinations take center stage. We will experience these destinations in different ways – using Azamara’s excursions, recommendations from guidebooks such as Europe expert Rick Steves, and simply winging it. This way I can offer some pros and cons of the different approaches.
In November, I embark on the world’s largest cruise ship, the 5,400-passenger Allure of the Seas, with its rock-climbing walls, surf simulators and zip lines. Both the Allure and the Journey are owned by Royal Caribbean International, occupying far ends of a spectrum of choices, so my compare-contrast will have an additional dimension.
Please submit your comments and questions, which I will take into account as I go about this effort.