The rest of Q&A

Q –  How do we actually book a flight on the new Boeing Dreamliner? We hear such great things about the plane but I don’t see any ads for it and I don’t know how to go about getting on board this year or, if necessary, next year. It is likely we would want to fly her from Minneapolis to Los Angeles.

A –  We’re anxious to fly the Dreamliner as well. There are larger windows with a button that controls the “dimmers”, the luggage bins are larger and do not cut into headroom, the pressurization system is significantly advanced over older aircraft and should help passengers avoid in-flight headaches, and it is less expensive to fly because it is made of lightweight composite materials.

As to your question: United will be years ahead of its domestic competition. They have 50 Dreamliners on order and the first will arrive at the end of this month.  The first flight will take off on November 4th from Houston to Chicago and we know the aircraft will be flying routes that include Cleveland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Newark, and Denver.

Plans for early next year include international service on United to Amsterdam, Tokyo, Beijing, Lagos, and London.

You can book your flight through the United Web site or through youjr local travel agent. You will avoid fees by booking directly on the United site. 

Q – My daughter, my only daughter, has come to me asking permission to join two girlfriends on a cruise aboard Royal Caribbean next Spring. There may be an older sister on board who is twenty-two if the line requires it. Her girlfriend’s parents have given their consent, feeling that a cruise ship is as safe a place as our kids can be during Spring Break. We are being told that they have good security aboard. The kids will want to enjoy the ports, particularly those in Mexico and they’ve promised us they won’t be drinking. Just thought we would run this past you before giving the go ahead. Are we being naive?

A – “Naive” doesn’t even cover it.   This is just irresponsible on your part. Here are a few facts and observations that might help you and other parents of potential unaccompanied, youthful Caribbean cruisers understand the risks:

01 – First our advice. Do not send your daughter on a cruise if you will not be there to go ashore with her and provide high levels of adult supervision.

02 – There are no police aboard these cruise ships. They have their own security personnel on board because they are needed. Why do some cruise lines cost a lot less than others? Do you think it could, in part, have something to do with who is employed aboard the ships, what they are paid, and the degrees to which they are subjected to background checks?

03 – Royal Caribbean will require an adult in the cabin over the age of 21. They make every attempt to enforce the drinking age aboard ship.

04 – The ship is less your concern, and ours, than the ports, areas where your cruise line has no policing power of any kind.

05 – The number of alleged cruise passenger  rape victims on certain islands in the Caribbean is alarming. Cozumel has one of the worst records in this regard. A passenger was allegedly raped in an area near a recommended shopping center downtown after disembarking the Oasis of the Seas.  Royal Caribbean argued it was not responsible since it could not document where previous rapes had taken place and thus could not warn its guests with any specificity about areas to avoid. The court in Miami agreed and tossed the case. Another Royal Caribbean passenger is alleging that she was raped at Senor’s Frog’s, a gathering place for young drinkers off cruise ships. The local press in Cozumel has reported that there were seven cases of rape in the past six months involving tourists.

06 – There is a State Department Advisory that refers to rape and sexual assault in Cozumel as “a serious problem” in resort areas. Date-rape drugs are used in bars and nightclubs throughout the Caribbean but the problem seems particularly widespread in Puerta Vallarta Mazatlan, and Cozumel.

All parents who are even considering travel on a mass market cruise line with teens to ports in the Western Caribbean and Mexico would do well to review the blog of Maritime attorney James Walker at www.cruiselawnews.com  

Q – We are writing about our desire to do something really different next year, exploring the sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand, the Antipodes. We know the seas are rough but we wonder if there is anything in these waters we might consider?  We’re thinking of, perhaps, seeing Campbell Island and the Bounty Islands, perhaps Macquarie. We’re in our mid-fifties, in good shape, and we’ve done four or five adventure trips and photography jaunts since my retirement as an international consultant.

A – It would be inaccurate to say that the Antipodes are hot right now, but they are slowly gaining interest among photographers, and particularly birders as islands with really amazing populations of large numbers of species. You will probably want to look first at Orion Expedition Cruises, a wonderful company that has just made our coveted listing of The World’s Top Ten Rated Cruise Lines. There is one sailing, on December 20th next year, that goes from Auckland to Dunedin, that will take you where you want to go.

Of course, we suspect you are aware that this area is known as “the Roaring Forties and the Furious Fifties”, a reference to their stormy latitudes. But if you are into both birds and nature photography, and you don;t mind traveling in five-star luxury, this is a uniquely wonderful opportunity.  These islands were granted World Heritage Site status in 1998. But remember, you will be aboard 4,000 gross ton yacht with a capacity of 106 guests. You will be tossed around a bit, but we think the ride will be more than worth it. And the cocktail party bragging meter scores this trip a rare 100.

Q – My wife and I are looking to take a Baltic Cruise next year. Given the current offers, we’d prefer booking now rather than wait. But we are rather new to cruising and not really sure about the differences between Crystal and Silverseas. Any light you might shed on the differences? We understand they are both rated five stars.

A – A good first step to understanding the major differences between these two lines would be to carefully go over our Ratings which you can reach from our home page. In our Ratings, we rate and evaluate the world’s top ten rated lines in descending order. Crystal is currently ranked higher than Silverseas.

We think it likely you would have a thoroughly enjoyable experience on either line and any of their ships. But here are a few recommendations and points of differentiation we think you should consider:

01 – We would look carefully at the time you will spend in St. Petersburg. We recommend three full days – not two, as offered on most itineraries. St. Petersburg is always the highlight of any Baltic cruise and we think you should maximize your time there.

02 – Silverseas has  smaller ships and they are permitted to dock in the inner harbor, directly across from the Hermitage in the center of the city. The larger (940 Guest) Crystal ships normally dock on Vasilyevsky Island using one of the Sea Facade berths, along with other larger ships. This is going to mean that you are about a 20 minute taxi ride from the pier to central St. Petersburg. This becomes somewhat less of an issue given that you will likely be on tour rather than wandering about the city on your own but it definitely adds driving time.

03 – Silverseas is a more elegant experience, with one or two dressy nights one each cruise and an international clientele. Crystal will have a majority of American guests, while Silverseas is more likely to have about a 50-50 mix of international guests and Americans. Crystal guests are predominantly from four States, Florida, New York, Texas, and California.

04 – We believe that the entertainment, lectures, and on board options are far superior on Crystal.

05 – Crystal staff is warmer and more likely to provide personalized service. But some guests are annoyed by, what they view as, insincere friendliness.  Silverseas service is more classically European and reserved.

06 – Crystal provides a greater degree of options in its sightseeing program in the Baltic. But Silverseas provides a number of excellent, but pricey, unique experiences.

07 – Both ships are inclusive in the sense that they include drinks, wines, and gratuities. Premium wines are available at an additional cost.

08 – Crystal has more dining options and, we believe, superior cuisine. Our reviewers have felt that Silverseas has, in the past, exercised portion controls in their main dining venues. That doess not mean that one cannot dine extremely well on any Silverseas ship. Crystal, however, is unique among the top-level cruise lines for the variety and overall quality of its dining choices.

09 – Silverseas feels much more like a Four Seasons Hotel. Crystal feels like a well-run mid-size cruise ship.

10 – Cabins on Silverseas are superior. Some guests complain that smoking in portions of the Silverseas dining room is an ongoing problem. Smoking is tolorated in some sections of the ship as a means of accommodating the large proportion of guests from Europe. Silverseas has, however, recently taken steps to address this issue and it is less of as problem than it once was.

There now, that should thoroughly confuse you. But we hope it also sheds some light.

Q – The stuff on the internet is really confusing. I am trying to find out which cruise line has the largest cabins, or should I say suites? My wife and I like lots of space and there is a possibility that we will bring our family of six along with us. I’ve looked at Silverseas and Seabourn and nothing is really that large so I’m wondering if some of the really big ships have the kind of multi-bedroom suites I might want?

A – Right now, the largest suites at sea, they are actually called Villas, will be found on the Norwegian Pearl. This is a 2400 mass market ship but the Haven Garden Villas are three-bedrooms and measure 4,252 square feet. Norwegian Cruise Line will allow up to eight guests in one suite and the total fare for a week for everyone will hover around $20,000. You will have access to a deck, , a restaurant and a pool exclsuively for suite guests and that is kept clean with the use of great chlorinators from this source. This is a kind of pampered segregation as many Villa guests, such as celebrities, rarely come in contact with Norwegian’s re3gular mix of guests.

If you crave something more upscale consider a two-bedroom configured Owner’s Suite on the 540 Guest Silverseas Spirit. One week in this 1668 square foot suite will run you about $25,000 for two for a week in Europe. There are significant extra charges for a third and fourth passenger. But then again, Silverseas is deluxe and inclusive. And you might actually want to socialize with the other guests.

Q – My seventeen year-old daughter, her best friend, and I are off  to Paris in six weeks for a shopping splurge the likes of which Westport, Connecticut has never seen. Wondering if you could give us your best tip to really take advantage of  the best designs at the best prices. We’ll have ten days in the city. My husband and I refer to your Q and A frequently and hope that you all just keep doing what you’re doing. You’re helping lots of us make better travel decisions.

A – Our best advice is to take one complete day and get out of Paris. You will want to do as Parisian insiders do, grboard one of the the three daily buses that depart from just near the Louvre to La Vallee Village, a part of the Chic Outlet Shopping empire of nine discount outlets within Europe. Here, just off the A4 to the east of Paris, about forty-five minutes away, is the small village of Serris, home to France’s top designer-centric, deluxe discount shopping mall. If you’ve heard of a famed rench designer back home, chances are they are represented here in an outlet store with some rather amazing saviongs. You can  plan on saving a minimum of one-third off current Paris prices. But you will also be able to save 19.6% VAT on most items.

Unlike discount centers in the States, the items you see are the same materials and styles sold in Paris’ best boutiques. The French factories do not make cheaper “for discount malls only” product lines. So there are no issues with authenticity. And before you take the late afternoon bus back to Paris, you will even have time to experience your best-ever shopping mall lunch.

Q – My wife and I are rather astounded at the lack of intellectually interesting river boat options available in Russia. We have a deep and abiding interest ion the fine arts and we were wondering if there is anything like a program along some of Russia’s rivers that might cater to Americans who wish to expand on their knowledge of both Russian history and Art?  Like the site a great deal but wish you would direct those on a budget elsewhere. There are plenty of web sites that cater to the tee shirts and bingo crowd.

A – You are probably taking advantage of the fact that we protect the identities of our visitors. We think you may find cultural nirvana aboard the Volga Dream’s Russian itinerary sponsored by Academic Arrangements Abroad. These are river cruises for those with a serious interest in the arts and they are sponsored by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. But be careful, you might spot a tee shirt inside one of the Russian collections.

Q – As an IT Professional, I am rather appalled at the sorry state of internet service as evidenced by recent cruises on MSC, NCL, and Holland America. I was just wondering who provides internet to ships at sea and when is it going to get to the point when I can search the web in a lounge chair by the pool bar?

A – Well you do realize that sensitive communications equipment needs to  stay as far away from sun and water as possible. Be mindful that your Bahama Mama does not tip over onto your keyboard. 

Internet service began showing up on ships in 2000. The leading Satellite provider has been a company called MTM Satellite Communications. That technology is now being eclipsed by Harris Rock Cap, a company whose O3b name stands for “other 3 billion.” O3b technology will provide more broadband aboard ships than the current standards. The ships you sailed were essentially sending data to stationary satellites 23,000 miles above the earth. The packets of information then had to be sent back down  to a ground station and then back up, again, to the satellite. As Travel Weekly recently reported in a cover story on current satellite communication, the current journey when you type in a message on a moving cruise ship is about 100,000 miles from start to finish. 

O3b satellites will be beaming broadband from points directly over the equator which will allow them to reach points from Nova Scotia to Santa Cruz, Argentina. Faster broadband will be available on ships sailing the Mediterranean Sea, as well as virtually all of Africa, Asia and large portions of South America.  The current satellite blank spots seem to be centered in the Baltic region and Alaska. 

Eight of the twelve new satellites being built in France for 03b will be launched out of French Guiana next year. Four more will be launched in 2014. 

Royal Caribbean has announced that the new, higher-speed broadband will make its first appearance on the Oasis of the Seas in June of 2013. 

Q –  The little woman and I are interested in sailing down to Mexico, perhaps getting off or on in Acapulco. But we’re fairly cautious people and if there is crime we’d just as soon go to one of the Mexican restaurants here in Denver, sip a few Margaritas, and pretend we’re out to sea. We are in our mid-sixties and my wife walks a little slow. I’m no gymnast either. Do you recommend these Mexican cruises?

A – The statistical truth is that crime is an issue in certain ports in Mexico including Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlan which has seen something of an outbreak in the past twenty-four months. It has reached the point where Holland America and Princess Cruises have said they will not be doing their normal full schedule of sailings to Mexico in 2013.

Inclusive resorts in Mexico appeal to a wide variety of travelers and there are upscale options that represent real value. We’d rather see you doing a great inclusive resort than wandering around port areas off a ship at the present time. The tourism officials in Mexico are adept at keeping bad news about attacks on tourists out of the news, but within the travel trade, it is a fact of life. Still, it needs to be emphasized that most port calls in Mexico by those ships still operating there, occur without incident.

Q – We’ve been looking into cruises to Norway and the Fjords next summer on one of the better lines. We’re just amazed at how few there are and we wonder why the demand isn’t greater. It seems that Seabourn, Crystal, Regent, and Silversea will do one, possibly two of these itineraries each summer yet they have multiple departures to the Greek islands or the Baltic and Russia. It all makes us think that the itineraries are lousy so demand is low. Is that the bottom line?

A –  No, you’re far off course but we understand how you got there. Cruise lines could generate marketing interest and increase the number of Norwegian coastal voyages if they felt they had a shot at full ships. But apart from the fact that most Americans just don’t know how  beautiful the Norwegian fjords really are, we suspect the real reason that you don’t see more itineraries in the region has to do with the cost of operations in Scandinavian waters. Port services, docking fees, fuel, and labor costs are all significantly higher than what the lines have to pay to operate in the Baltic or the Med. In fact, pilots who guide cruise ships into port are paid higher salaries in Norway than virtually anywhere else in the world.

The cruise lines must maintain a fairly even keel when it comes to per diem costs to their customers. So many of the Scandinavian port charges come right off the bottom line. This is more an economic issue than anything else. It is an absolutely wonderful itinerary for experienced cruisers looking for something different.