Cruising for VaVenturers

We know, we know — how can a site that has Adventuring as part of its brand seriously include taking a cruise??

It’s because, in so many ways, today’s cruising is fundamentally different from even 5 years ago.

The fact is, cruises can be a really be a cost effective way to reach places you always wanted to visit.

Cruise itineraries are getting more varied and interesting. Something we particularly like are the growing number of extended stopovers where you might be in dock for 2 or 3 nights — letting you explore as if you were on a regular trip.

On more and and more cruises, the focus is on what Norwegian calls “freestyle.” Essentially a bunch of restaurants and activities that you can utilize whenever and with whomever you want — no set mealtimes or group tables. As a result the food quality and variety has improved dramatically, and options like spas and more secluded areas where you can escape from the crowd rather then join it have become increasingly prevalent.

On the big ships though, you can’t get away from the fact, especially on days at sea, that you are with a lot of people.

The bigger Norwegian ships do have wonderful spa areas where for around $200 per person — you can luxuriate in a series of pools and tubs, as well as steam rooms and saunas, with fabulous ocean views.

There are also lines like Windstar that offer small ships (some wind powered!). They price more expensively then the major mid market lines — but there are lots of deals, especially close to sailing.

For your money, you get a more authentic old school small ship experience, no more than 200 passengers —lots of time to read that novel you’ve been carrying around with you for years, on the waxed oak decks, a library, board games, a guy leading Beatles singalongs at the bar after dinner - and talking of dinner — traditional mealtimes with very well prepared food.

For VaVenturers — the major benefit is that they often call at much smaller, less touristy, ports. You can embark/disembark quickly and get 6 — 8 hours to do your own thing.

Or explore somewhere normally totally off limits like Monseraat — where the main town lies buried Pompeii like under feet of ash while the volcano still steams above.

The old idea that the cruise operates as a walled garden where shore activities belong to the cruise line, has given way to a growing marketplace of independent operators at ports of call offering a range of activities and price points — as well as the ability to do whatever you want on your own.

You can use apps like Shorefox — which let you match your itinerary to a broad range of non cruise sponsored local offerings.

Or you can create your own adventure.

For example, we love snorkeling and Martinique has some world class reefs — such as Anse Dufour and Anse Noire. So, we booked a $30.00 rental car at Hertz, disembarked the ship and headed off. Great few hours of snorkeling then a delightful roadside restaurant on the way back to the port.

Norwegian does a great week long cruise to Bermuda from NYC. You can score a balcony room for around $1,200 per person. So for under $3,000, you cover your hotel costs (and a big chunk of transportation if within easy reach of New York or any of the East coast ports that have similar itineraries), food in the main dining rooms and not terrible buffet (for small upcharges you can eat at any of the 15+ on board restaurants) — and, most importantly — free lodging for 2 nights and 3 full days in a lovely corner of Bermuda. Once the ship is docked, you can simply walk on and off at will 24/7 and be right in the heart of a fun neighborhood with restaurants and beaches or grab a taxi or city ferry to Hamilton or other points on Bermuda. (Norwegian also provides a free catamaran shuttle to the picturesque town St George’s on the other side of the Island.) In other words, you can do all the things you would undertake on a regular vacation.

For example — you can rent a Hobie or motorboat at H20 Sports — a ten minute $15 cab ride from the mooring.

We spent hours cruising and snorkeling beaches including a wreck surrounded by hundreds of dolphin and parrot fish.

If you like dinghy sailing — their Hobie Wave is a surprisingly fast and agile boat. Even in 6 knots got some nice speed and sailed around several deserted islands to open seas and did some great runs in the spectacular water and even managed to close haul upwind back to the jetty.

These days — you can utilize sites like Vacationstogo and Expedia to get consolidator prices — while many cruise lines will match or provide additional benefits for direct online booking with them.

All this means, that its time to stop thinking about the cruise as the vacation but more as a floating conveyance and hotel that, very cost effectively, can take you to places that might otherwise be out of your range.