Tim Leffel’s Cheapest Destinations

By Bernadette on May 22, 2006

I have a whole lot more than a comment and hope you will read the following in its entirety.

I realize you wrote this…some may call it an article, I prefer not to say what I think of it…back in mid-November of 2005 and, hopefully, by now you have taken a cruise in order to have an informed opinion rather than basing it on someone else’s word. It truly bothers me when people write about something they know nothing about because someone else said so. Millions of people enjoy the cruise experience each year, but you (like so many others) chose to take the word of those who have a negative opinion and, in many cases, have never been on a cruise. One of the most commercialized spots and most frustrating vacations in the world is Disney World and it’s type of “hurry up and wait” vacations, why not pick on them? I’ve been to Disney World more times than I want to admit and at times didn’t particularly enjoy the experience, but I don’t feel compelled to publicly write negatively about it because millions DO enjoy that type of vacation every year…..I just don’t go anymore but at least “I’ve been there, done that.”

OK, why not just go to a hotel? (1) A hotel is not going to take me anywhere but on a cruise, according to the itinerary I choose, I can visit 3 or more countries in a week; (2) Meals are not included; (3) I can’t unpack just once while being able to see more than one place; (4) My daily activities and live evening entertainment are usually not included; (5) On a cruise ship, even when I feel like doing nothing, the ship is still taking me somewhere interesting…but I’m still doing nothing; (6) There is a cruise for every budget – and I won’t stay in a budget hotel; (7) You can’t beat the service and attention you get on a cruise ship; and, saving the most important for last: (8) It’s a fact that cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied customers than any other vacation experience. I could add to this, but that’s enough for now.

“Lust for Life” is used by Royal Caribbean NOT Carnival Cruise Lines as you stated…so, who’s clueless? Truth be told, I had no idea what this song was about (my choice to be clueless) before I read what you wrote, but when I hear it I automatically think of cruising and all the activities and fun to be had on a cruise ship. F.Y.I. you need not do the same things as 600 tourists if you don’t want to….my husband and I have had many a great time doing our own thing and we sometimes include those who are traveling with us or people we meet on the cruise ship.

Now, for your salient points:

- You must be very lucky indeed if you have done that much traveling and have never had an airline delay or cancel a flight or arrived at your hotel to find out they were overbooked and your room had been given away to an earlier arrival. Cruise lines do not change an itinerary “at their discretion” unless they have a very good reason for doing so, such as weather conditions or unexpected operational problems at a scheduled port. The cruise contract states that the cruise line reserves the right to change the itinerary because of this and the fact that so many people think they deserve to have their money refunded because the cruise line had to change the itinerary in order to keep THEM as well as the crew and the ship itself safe.

- ANYWHERE people gather is an ideal breeding ground for viruses. The cruise ships are required by law to report breakouts affecting >3% of the passengers to the CDC (that’s the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) but hotels, schools, airlines, airports, amusement parks, hospitals, and many other places are not, so although many of these places have breakouts of these same viruses each year, the public is not made aware of them.

In my opinion, an aircraft is an ideal breeding ground for viruses and I believe that those people who travel by aircraft to board a cruise ship very often are already infected when they board the ship. It is also possible that some people pick up these viruses on land and bring it back with them to the ship.

I hate to tell you this, but if you stay in hotels on any night other than their opening night, then you have stayed in a room that was, more likely than not, occupied by someone else the night before. For the record, in a former life I worked in hotels as a housekeeper and no one can do a thorough cleaning job in the allotted time because of the number of rooms that need to be cleaned each day in the time given. I quit because I was unhappy knowing what the guest did not know. I take Lysol and small bottles of cleansers with me when I travel. Most hotels do not take the measures that the cruise ships take to clean the rooms in between guests.

- Do you know of any fine cuisine restaurants that seat 1000+ people at once? Do you think they could “cook to order” for that amount of people without some advance preparation? F.Y.I. even the finest establishments prepare food for large receptions, banquets, weddings, etc. with advance preparation, hence, the limited menu choices for these events. In spite of advanced preparation, I must tell you that, for the most part, meals on a cruise ship are delicious….and some are excellent.

- If you think you can pay 1/5 of the price for a reliable shore excursion, then by all means go ahead and do it, but chances are it won’t be the same excursion the cruise line uses. The cruise lines don’t flog you if you don’t book an excursion through them, however, if you don’t do your homework and something goes wrong, don’t blame the cruise and don’t expect them to hold the ship for you because they won’t even know that you’re on an excursion and have been delayed – here is where you may want to kick yourself. The cruise line may make money on excursions but they are paying employees to get you on a reliable excursion and these same employees will take care of you if something unforeseen should happen. The amount the cruise line makes is negligible as is what you will save by arranging the excursion yourself. F.Y.I. if you wait until getting off the ship to book an excursion, you run the risk of it being sold out, so it better not be something you have your heart set on doing.

- People who expect a sophisticated experience should be on a ship that offers such an experience and not on a “mass market” product. Yes, there are cruise lines that offer such an experience. F.Y.I. the lifestyle of the majority of cruisers these days has resulted in the mass market cruise experience being a less sophisticated experience than it used to be. If the cruise lines are being more relaxed with their dress codes onboard, it is because of the demand by the “masses” and not because this is the way the cruise lines would like it to be. I’ve seen men walk into the dining room on formal night with a sports jacket and open shirt…no tie, and ladies with sun dresses….get the point? Do you think the cruise line could turn these people away from the dining room without a negative backlash? Come on, things are never going to be perfect 100% of the time and the media (and people like you) already give them all the negativity a business can handle.

- “We’ll get along fine….” I’m glad that your hotel stays and vacations have all been perfect, or if they have not, that all of your complaints have been handled 100% to your satisfaction. Let’s keep this in mind: The cruise lines are very eager to fix what is wrong BUT, in many cases, the minute something goes wrong the public thinks it deserves a full refund. There was a time when the cruise lines were very generous and gave above and beyond, but today it seems that everyone knows about those days and expect that they can get off a cruise ship, send a letter of complaint to the cruise line and get their money back. How long would anyone stay in business if they gave their product to thousands for free every week? I’m sure some complaints are legitimate and I am equally sure that they are investigated and handled fairly by the cruise lines, although this may not be what the consumer thinks is fair. For the record, I have never been fully refunded for a less than satisfactory stay at a hotel.

Let me make it perfectly clear, that whether it is alcoholic beverages, clothing, souvenirs, photos, alternative dining, etc., no one is obligated to purchase anything on a cruise ship. If you have a mouth in your head and can say “no, thank you” then you won’t be charged for any of these things. It cannot be denied that cruising is an exceptional value so one must realize that the cruise lines try to up their revenue by offering these extras and this, in turn, keeps cruise prices down. I know many people who cruise and have a zero balance at the end of their cruise.

Cruising, like any other vacation, is subjective; you may enjoy China and someone else may hate it. It is my experience that the majority of people who cruise and found the experience less than fulfilling were on the wrong product. Many people go on one cruise and figure they know everything about cruising….how very delusional of them. Some, like you, believe much of what they read and figure they are armed with all the information they need; many of these people go on to book their cruise vacation on the Internet; sometimes this alone can ruin the perception of a cruise vacation before ever getting near the ship. That being said, it is extremely important to be qualified to the right product for the experience one is looking for and the best way to do this is to find a “qualified” cruise specialist. Cruising was never meant to be…and is not…“one size fits all.”

Yes, I am a cruise specialist and yes, I very much resent bias opinions from people who have never stepped foot on a cruise ship.

Maybe next time you should sign off with a little refrain from that ROYAL CARIBBEAN ditty: “Lust for Life”

By Tim L. on May 22, 2006

Wow, now I REALLY don’t want to go on one. Sorry, but I hear more “never again” comments from travelers who have been on cruises than for any other kind of vacation. Visiting three port stops is not “visiting three countries.” The ports are glorified outdoor shopping malls, totally geared to tourists. To each his own, but it seems the whole experience is geared to people who like to sit around and get fat, but be on a moving ship while they’re doing it. It’s certainly not so they can interact with other cultures. Others obviously like it, so we’ll keep going our separate ways.

Sorry if there’s a difference between Carnival and Royal Caribbean. I hadn’t noticed…

By Tim L. on May 22, 2006

Just to clarify, I didn’t write the article. It appeared in SmartMoney. I was just commenting on it.

By Juno888 on May 24, 2007

It’s certainly not so they can interact with other cultures. Others obviously like it, so we’ll keep going our separate ways.

By melanie s. on Jul 24, 2007

I used to think the same thing about cruising, and had no idea how my parents (former big time cruisers) could rave so much about it. That is, until the company my husband worked for issued him an all-expense paid cruise. Our daughter joined us, and we literally had a ball! It was both relaxing and exciting all at the same time; much to do, plenty of good food, beverages, breath-taking views, water so blue I only thought it could exist in fairy tales, and great shows/productions, and my favorite, the casinos, which, in my view, are much better in payout than Vegas or any other casino I have visited. My husband won $4,000.00 on that first cruise! Regarding expensive excursions, they dont HAVE to be. It all has to do with what you want to do. Personally, we were quite content in Mexico, going to the (free) public beach and walking a quaint area to shop for a special memento. I loved bartering, something USA store owners do not do, and I purchased a HUGE (appraised in the USA as genuine) smokey topaz and silver ring for a tiny fraction of the price it would have cost me back home in the states. We enjoyed our first cruise so much that we went on another, and will soon be taking yet another. On our second cruise, we stopped at Nassau. It was interesting to just walk the marketplace and look at all the sights and diverse people. Later, we bargained for a horse-drawn carriage ride, $25.00 for 30-40 minutes.

I think it is naive, unfair and ignorant for you to put down something you have never even tried. Its like saying pizza tastes aweful…without ever even eating a slice! Or saying a book sucks, without even reading it!

As for your view that many people come off a cruise saying never again, honestly, i have NEVER met such people. Everyone I know who has taken a cruise loves it so much they want to start planning for their next one! Crusing is economical, fun and a great way to see the world!