How Our Love for Cruising Started

click images to enlarge

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises

Yankee Trader 

Bahamas

Our Very First Cruise

Do you remember your first cruise?  If you've not cruised before, do you recall an early trip you took with your family?   Vacations are all about making memories.

As part of Plan a Cruise Month we co-hosted a special #FoodTravelChat last week about desserts,  and included many images from our cruises .  We thought it would be fun to turn back the clock to our very first cruise.  Looking through our old photos, we selected a few to use in this column.   The image on the left shows several images of the Bahamas, which was the destination of our short cruise.  It also shows the mast of our ship and a sister ship that was sailing with us. The images in the right photo were from the Captain's dinner which included a toga party and entertainment by the passengers and crew, including the Captain.

Yankee Trader

Certificate signed by the captain of Yankee Trader

Windjammer Barefoot cruises operated out of Miami, Florida back in the 80s when we took our first cruise.   It was normal for two ships in the fleet to sail together.  In our case the Yankee Trader, which we were on, was joined by M/S Fantome, the flagship of the fleet.   You can see her in the photos above as well. Yankee Trader was smaller than Fantome with a length of 179 feet and passenger capacity of 70.

We had no intention of going on a windjammer cruise when I went to a local travel show with a friend.   I filled out entry forms at various booths and to my surprise, got a phone call that we had won a passage on the ship.  All we had to do was get to Florida, and if desired pay for the stowaway night (which cost us $25). 

Toga Party & Captain's Dinner

Unlike other cruises on ocean-going ships, dress code on the Yankee Trader was very casual.  They didn't call them barefoot cruises for nothing.   Dressing up for the Captain's dinner meant putting on your sandals.  The night of the dinner began with a toga party.  The rules were that you needed to make your toga from whatever materials you could find and you must not have anything underneath the toga (and the female Purser checked to be sure).    Some of the people knew about the party in advance and were prepared.  We had not know but still participated.   My husband used a nightshirt for his toga and I used some sheets.   The winner of the event had been on the cruise the week before and had collected vines and other embellishments.

Dinner was a pig roast complete with all the trimmings. The Captain did the honors, carving the pig while the crew finalized the preparation of the other items.  To date we still remember this dinner party and the great time we all had.  This is what a great cruise is made of - memories that last for a lifetime.

It is sad that the current generation will never sail on these beautiful sailing vessels.  The fleet is gone and Captain Michael Burke, their founder, passed away several years ago closing the book on this chapter forever.

It was by chance that we took this first cruise.  We fell in love with cruising and the sea on this trip and the rest is history.   If you've not cruised before, we hope that you'll find a similar experience in your future.  We are certain once you take that first cruise, you'll fall in love like we did.

(Updated:  October 22,  2021)

Yesterday my husband and I signed paperwork to purchase a Dream Vacations franchise.  We've been part of the World Travel Holdings host agency since 2005.   Those that know us, are aware that cruising is our number one favorite mode of vacation travel.   It isn't the only travel option our clients enjoy, so the name change will help identify the wide-range of choices we can help with.   We are Travel Memory Makers and we enjoy every minute of it.

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I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

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Ship Size Does Matter - Now More Than Ever

	vs.
Length=1184 feet    Capacity=5518		Length=361 feet     Capacity=128

(Updated 10/19/2021)

What's Your Preference?

Do you prefer the large ocean-going ships, the more initiate river cruise ships, or something in between?  Now more than ever, factoring in the concerns around health safety as cruising resumes,  ship type and size is one of the key factors in vacation planning.

On the left is Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas and on the right is Avalon Waterways Artistry II. Just to give you an additional sense of scale, the first cruise ship we went on in the 80s was Carnival Celebration which weighed in around 37,500 GTs. At the time, that was one of the largest vessels in Carnival Cruise Line's fleet. The Symphony is over 6 times heavier (228,081 GT) than the Celebration and Artistry II weighing in at a fraction  of either vessel (2022 GT).

Ocean-going Ships Come In Many Sizes

In our post last year, Size Does Matter - They Come In Many Sizes, we showed a picture of Oasis of the Seas next to Grandeur of the Seas.  We also compared Oasis-class ships with the Eifel Tower, Statue of Liberty, and Boeing 747 airplanes to give you a sense of scale.

Ocean-going vessels have continued to get larger over time.  For passengers seeking new innovations at sea, this was good news, because the larger the canvas, the more diverse the onboard actives can be. Of course, the larger the ship, the higher the price tag, but with increased capacity, there are more passengers to share the weekly cost of operation.   Wait times for embarkation and other activities can fluctuate with ship size, but most lines have found measures to overcome the increased capacity.

River Cruise Ship Size

Traditional European size river cruise vessels are about the same size (excluding the double-wide AMA vessels).  Some might be slightly longer (like the Viking River longboats) but they are built to sail under centuries’ old bridges and squeeze between 12-meter-wide locks. The Avalon Waterways Artistry II shown here has a capacity of 128 passengers and 37 crew.  

Ship Size and COVID-19

As we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 cruise suspensions, passengers will need to consider several factors when planning their next travel adventure.   Are they comfortable on a ship that holds 5000 passengers or would one that holds 150 passengers be more appealing to them?   Of course, capacities will be reduced, per the guidelines that CLIA is recommending to member cruise lines, but the proportional differences remain the same.

Another consideration will be the size of the ship and available space for social distancing.   On one of the large cruise ships, there's a lot more public areas that can be utilized, allowing for greater social distancing.   With smaller capacity, even things like the theater can have protocols implemented to accommodate the new guidelines.

The larger the ship, the more area that needs to be kept sanitary by the crew.  Conversely, with smaller footprint, the more likely that public areas will have been used and surfaces exposed to potential germs.

Of course, this is nothing new as cruise lines have always taken measures to keep their passengers and crew safe as possible by implementing vessel sanitation.   I'd be more comfortable on a ship than on a plane for example as ships are constantly cleaning, while a plane is only cleaned once they get to their destination.

Ocean-going vessels will have increased medical capacity onboard, based on the CLIA guidelines. River cruise ships may not have additional staff, but they can pull into the next town should additional care be needed, while the cruise ship might need to wait for a helicopter or Coast Guard vessel to provide additional aide.   Size of vessels constrict the amount of space utilized for any purpose.

Summary

One important take away is that size is just one factor when planning your cruise vacation, but it is an important one. Take advantage of the expertise among cruise specialists in deciding the right ship for you and your traveling partners. The last thing you'd want would be to be expecting a ship the size of Grandeur of the Seas and step out of your cab to find Oasis of the Seas in front of you at the pier. 

No matter what size you are looking for, you'll find a ship in one of the cruise line's fleets that meets your needs. They come in many sizes, shapes, and with many different attractions. Personally, the fun is in selecting the ship you want to try next and enjoying everything it has to offer once you start your cruise vacation.

 

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Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

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I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday afternoon at 4 PM Eastern for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Memorial Day 2020

History of Memorial Day: Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. May 30th was chosen for Decoration Day because it was believed that flowers would be in bloom all across the country.

On Memorial Day the flag should be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised briskly to the top of the staff until sunset, in honor of the nation’s battle heroes. In the early days of our country, no regulations existed for flying the flag at half-staff and, as a result, there were many conflicting policies. But on March 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower issued a proclamation on the proper times.

You will notice in the collage above, that the flag is flying at half-staff. Those pictures were taken during our visit to the American Cemetary in Normandy, France. It was very moving seeing row after row of graves. For more pictures from our visit to Normandy, see my previous posts on the topic and also our cruise vacations website.

I've mentioned several times in the past about the opportunity to relive history while on a cruise vacation. This is especially true in Europe due to the large battle field from the World Wars. Whether your cruise vacation takes you to Normandy, France or Honolulu, Hawaii, please take some time to visit a historical site and pay your respects to the troops that fought to keep America strong. We have done so on several cruises and of all the trips we've taken, those tend to stand out in my mind. Don't forget to bring you children with you so that they too can learn about war first hand.

As Albert Schweitzer said "... Wargraves are the great communicators of peace ..." Perhaps another more striking quote was by George Santayanan who said "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

And who can forget those immortal words of President John F. Kennedy: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. "

To the brave men and women, living and deceased, who have taken President Kennedy's charge to heart, Thank You for your Service. May we never forget the sacrifices you have made.

Size Does Matter - They Come in Many Sizes

Grandeur of the Seas Next to Oasis of the Seas

We've taken many pictures of cruise ships over the years and perhaps none was as striking as this image we captured in Cozumel, Mexico, during our National Conference aboard Norwegian Epic.  Shown here are two Royal Caribbean ships:  Grandeur of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.

It should come as no surprise that the Oasis of the Seas would definitely stand out in a crowd of ships since it was (until the Allure of the Seas) the largest ship afloat.   Allure of the Seas, its sister ship, beats it out by 2 inches in length technically making the Allure larger.     Is that taking things to the extreme?  Well, maybe, but Captains Zini and Wright had something to say about it among themselves.   That story was picked up by the media and has become one of the talking points about the two ships.

Watch the video of the two captains: Allure of the Seas Arrives in Fort Lauderdale

Well, back to the story about different size cruise ships.   Here are the facts about these two vessels:

Grandeur of the Seas Passenger Capacity: 2,446 Gross Tonnage: 74,000 Length: 916' Beam: 106' Draft: 25' Cruising Speed: 22 knots

Oasis of the Seas Guest Capacity: 5,400 double occupancy Gross Tonnage: 220,000 Length: 1,187' Max Beam: 184.40' Draft: 30' Cruising Speed: 22 knots

Here's another image from our most recent National Conference.  We were docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico, next to two ships from Viking Cruises:  Viking Sea and Viking Sun.

Symphony of the Seas measures 361.011 metres (1,184.42 ft) in length and has a gross tonnage of 228,081 across 18 decks. She is able to accommodate 5,518 passengers at double occupancy up to a maximum capacity of 6,680 passengers, as well as a 2,200-person crew.

We published this picture and details before, but it is worth repeating.   Click on the image to really get an idea of scale of both Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.

Oasis of the Seas is 47 metres wide and 360 metres long, i.e. 40 m longer than the height of the Eiffel tower! Height over the water line is 65 m. Building the vessel has been compared to a huge 3-dimensional puzzle.

The vessel consists of 180 grand blocks, the biggest with a size of length 22 m, width 30 m and weight 600 tons! The vessel´s weight is 12 times the weight of the Eiffel tower.  The Statue of Liberty does tower over the ship but you could put several Boeing 747s, London Double Decker buses and Mercedes Benz autos end to end and have room to spare.

Size Does Matter

Just to give you an additional sense of scale,  the first cruise ship we went on in the 80s was Carnival Celebration which  weighed in around 37,500 tons.   At the time, that was one of the largest vessels in Carnival Cruise Line's fleet.   The Oasis and Allure are almost 6 times heavier than the Celebration.

If you have been following our blog, you are well aware of all the activities on Oasis, Allure, Harmony, and their latest sister, Symphony.   Size is obviously an advantage to ship builders - they have more canvas on which to create.  So with the introduction of these ships, we have some of the most amazing innovations at sea.  Carnival Corporation has announced new ship builds in this large category.

Of course, size costs more. The price tag of these state of the art vessels means someone has to pay for the ship.   The good news is there are more cabins on a large ship which means more passengers to share the weekly costs.    It does however mean that, at least for the foreseeable future, guests will pay a premium over smaller ships owned by the same companies.

More passengers can mean more wait time, but Royal Caribbean has taken that to heart in planning these ships, and you might not experience long wait times.   There are so many different attractions onboard, passengers will be scattered over the entire vessel, so it shouldn't appear crowded most of the time.  Loading and unloading the ship will be one time where you'll see most of your fellow passengers, but Royal Caribbean has taken steps to make that run smoothly.

We have focused on Royal Caribbean in this article, but there are other examples within the remaining cruise lines.   One important take away is that size is just one factor when planning your cruise vacation, but it is an important one.   Take advantage of the expertise among cruise specialists in deciding the right ship for you and your traveling partners.   The last thing you'd want would be to be expecting a ship the size of Grandeur of the Seas and step out of your cab to find Oasis of the Seas in front of you at the pier.

No matter what size you are looking for, you'll find a ship in one of the cruise line's fleets that meets your needs.   They come in many sizes, shapes, and with many different attractions.   Personally, the fun is in selecting the ship you want to try next and enjoying everything it has to offer once you start your cruise vacation.

National Plan A Cruise Month Promotions 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

Choose Cruise Month (click for mini-series)

Follow Us On

        

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers


Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat