The New Viking Star Ocean Cruises (and Viking River Cruises)

Peterhof in Russia

As you know, cruising consistently receives the highest guest satisfaction ratings of any form of travel, but even among such a happy group of vacationers, some are more thrilled by their cruises than others. 

Viking River Cruises has carved out a niche in small ship river cruising that brings rave reviews.  By combining port-intensive itineraries that include complimentary shore excursions with other niceties that would cost extra on most cruises, from wine and beer with meals to port charges/taxes to reduced-price air (including transfers) to free internet and self-service laundry, Viking easily fills its ships that visit the great inland cities of Europe and takes other cruises to more exotic locales like China and Egypt.

Viking Star Piano Bar in the 3 story Atrium

Viking River Cruises also includes deluxe two and three day land packages as add-ons for either end of the river cruises to extend the vacation for those who want to experience even more.

Their chefs make a point of procuring the finest local ingredients to prepare fine cuisine onboard for guests, with regional wines and beers to accompany the locally-inspired dishes.

While at first glance, their prices seem higher than mainstream ocean cruises, returning passengers have found that the bottom line trip costs the same or even less, once all those shore exursions and drinks on an ocean going vessel have been paid with the final bill.

This has led to not only Viking rapidly expanding its river ship fleet, but other great competitors like Uniworld, AMA Waterways and Avalon entering the market with their own variations on the river cruise theme.  This has pushed Viking to keep improving, and Viking Long Ships were introduced recently to great acclaim.

Viking Star

In 2015, Viking Star will take the river cruise experience to coastal cruising in Europe.  As other cruise lines have announced pulling ships from Europe for next season, this certainly is a bold statement by Viking.  Like all great companies, however, they are expanding to give their customers what they say they want: the same river cruise experience on European coastal cruises.

To that end, Viking Star is designed for a more intimate onboard experience with its primary emphasis on the ports visited rather than the onboard experience.  The offerings for 2015 are amazing itineraries through Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, most having more leisurely two week itineraries with ports almost every day.  It's possible to combine several together consecutively into an amazing amalgamation. See the great itineraries at the second half of the Viking Star Brochure for 2015.

Al fresco dining at Aquavit Terrace on Viking Star

To glide comfortably through the ocean, Viking Star will obviously be larger than Viking Long Ships, but carrying only 928 guests, she is certainly not your typical mainstream ship.  If you're looking forward big shows and partying until the wee hours, this is not your line.  In fact, Viking Star will take the space normally devoted to a casino on most ships and use that for just lounging and enjoying Hygge.  The Explorer's Lounge, with two story panoramic windows, and the glass enclosed Wintergarden, all with coversational seating arrangments to encourage interpersonal relationships rather than at atmosphere of watching entertainers from afar.

Viking Star Infinity Pool

And there's still a great spa, along with the only infinity pool at sea.

Oh, and by the way, every stateroom has a balcony, and they are larger than standard balcony rooms on mainstream ships.  Remember that when comparing prices.

You'll enjoy complimentary excursions introducing you to the ports, and then have time to branch out on your own. Viking Star is destined to be a favorite of everyone who cherishes time in ports, with long days and a few overnights, always arriving with a smaller contingent of fellow passengers rather than swarming the ports from a mega-ship.



Laszlo and Gina in Copenhagen

As with traditional Viking River Cruises, you must book early to enjoy the greatest savings.   As the embarkation date approaches, air prices and cruise prices will begin inching higher.  Plus, booking early allows you to choose the very best ship locations.  Paying early entitles you to greater savings.

Make your future wonderful, and begin enjoying the anticipation today.

Better service leads to better trips! 

Explore Trade Routes of the Middle Ages

At first, making the stretch to Viking Ocean might feel uncomfortable.

After all, you've enjoyed wonderful cruises with Princess and Celebrity for lower prices.

Many people who felt just like you --- maybe you? --- took a chance on a river cruise.

What they found on the river turned out to be quite special and worth the premium price.

Frequently they returned feeling in the end that they spent less for a better vacation.

After all, on holiday we don't want to worry about small things.

We want to feel free to enjoy all aspects of our vacation.

Free-flowing local wine and beer with lunch and dinner, shore excursions in each port and even free internet all combine to make you feel like you're a wealthy traveler in a classic movie, and I'm not talking about a National Lampoon's Vacation.

It can be habit forming.

Many river cruise passengers asked, "Why can't we have all this on an ocean voyage?"

We always could, as long as we were willing to pay for it, and some upscale lines with prices four times as high included extras, but only recently did lines like Oceania and Azamara attempt to split the difference.

In 2015, the leading river cruise line, Viking, made the leap to ocean cruising.

Viking Ocean Cruises include those same amenities as Viking River Cruises, and while the prices may indeed cause you to gasp a bit, it turns out by the end of the trip you probably will have spent no more to live the life of luxury.

For example, in April of 2018, you can explore Trade Routes of the Middle Ages on a unique 14-night voyage from Barcelona to Bergen aboard Viking Sky with prices starting at just $3699 for a Veranda!

All staterooms on Viking Ocean have balconies, but you can decide exactly how large and deluxe you want your room.

Keep in mind this is not a mega-ship, and the least expensive categories (as well as the top suites) sell out quite early, so you must book early to lock the best deal.

Just as on river cruises, the included shore excursions will weave a tapestry of the region that will leave you not just having seen but understanding an amazing part of the world.

"Better service leads to better trips!"

Are Other River Cruises Better Than Viking?

If you go online to learn about river cruises, you'll probably not only be confused but likely misled into believing something that is simply not true.

To correct this, of course, I am writing one more online article, which I'm sure you will treat as the definitive article so that you never need to consult another.

Let me start with the elephant in the room: Viking River Cruises.

Watching TV commercials and judging by their success, you logically conclude that Viking River Cruises must be pretty awesome.



You are correct, sir or madam.

Yes, indeedy-do.

Viking does an excellent job.

Then why do you also find articles that seem intent on denigrating Viking?

In trying to differentiate other lines for their unique marketing propositions, they position Viking, as the best known company, as an able foil.

For example, Uniworld is more inclusive, easily proven by their standard pre-paid gratuities, unlimited shore excursions and open bar with top shelf liquors.  Crystal undoubtedly provides more anticipatory service than Viking, but while they include the open bar like Uniworld, they don't have unlimited free shore excursions, so in that way they're more like Viking.



AmaWaterways and Avalon Waterways have larger rooms than Viking, but also larger than Uniworld, in most cases.

If you definitely would appreciate any of those specific advantages of other lines, then the alternatives should definitely be on your radar.

In the final analysis, none of that should make you think you wouldn't like Viking River Cruises, especially if you've never been on a river cruise before.

Make no mistake; a Viking River Cruise is not some bottom of the barrel experience.

There are lesser lines than Viking, to be sure, most geared for markets with less discerning tastes than well-traveled Americans, and you would be well-advised to avoid those, unless you happen to be more at the back-packing through Europe stage of life, which most likely you're not.

Once you factor in what is not included on those sub-Viking lines, not to mention what the average river cruise customer seeks, you may be surprised to find that the bottom line savings aren't as great as you initially believe, especially when air promotions pop up for Viking.




Nonetheless, many times price is more significant as a factor than we like to let on. We all want good value, and of course, we want to get the most out of our valuable vacation days.

While there are exceptions based on specific promotions, for the most part it is hard to beat Viking on price for a great river cruise at the base River View level.

If you're only going to cruise the Romantic Danube once, however, you'll want to do it right for you. Perhaps you insist on suites on ocean cruises or always stay at Ritz Carlton Hotels; then another line might be a better choice for you personally. Even then, however, finding a cruise that aligns with your schedule may take priority, and make Viking or another line the obvious choice.

I personally think many lines provide value as good as Viking, especially for those who appreciate larger rooms, though usually at higher price points.

For example, let's say you have a very discerning palate for fine wines and dinner, or if air promotions aren't in favor of Viking --- whether because you pick a specific date where AmaWaterways has one or when Viking doesn't --- then pulling the handle for AmaWaterways might be an obvious choice.

Never forget that timing of when you book can make a huge difference. Knowing when to book can be as significant as knowing what to book.

The bottom line is that your best way to choose a river cruise is to enlist the assistance of a knowledgeable travel consultant to help you make an informed decision on all fronts.

Time for a Pilgrimage to the Holy Lands?

Perhaps like me, you grew up attending Sunday School, learning about the legends from the Bible.  I know that for me, David, Sampson and Solomon were big heroes, even more so than Zorro, Superman and the Lone Ranger, whom I understood to be just fiction.



The former seaside port of Ephesus (as in Ephesians)

Years later when I made it to college, a close friend took his own life, and I had a hard time dealing with that. I began attending church more religiously and bringing a Bible with me to read while waiting for Business classes to start.

At the same time, I did yoga along with a PBS Television class daily and meditated regularly in Mom's green backyard under a magnificent apricot tree.  Incidentally, that fruit tree became incredibly abundant with sweet, juicy, thoroughly delicious apricots, so much so that we would give bag after bag away every summer and still have lots to enjoy ourselves. 

I must have begun to present myself differently from the rocker I believed I was.  When working on a group project with a half dozen others in a Manpower Management class at Long Beach State, one of the other students uttered the slightest profanity, something not nearly as offensive as what seems to have become somewhat common language among young adults these days.  He turned to me and quite sincerely said, "Oh, I'm sorry Wes.  I didn't mean to offend you."  I smiled and said no apology was necessary.

What a diffferent world it has become since then.

Over the years, I've always felt a strong relationship with God and been extremely grateful for His many blessings.

While I'm not a medieval knight or Muslim who feels compelled to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Lands, it is a place I've dreamed about since my earliest memories, a land where heroes for the ages arose.

Have you always dreamed about visiting the Holy Lands?

There's no time like the present, but a "trip of a lifetime" frequently requires more time to plan and save for, so perhaps you'll be ready for your sojourn right about when Viking introduces its Holy Lands cruise.

Viking Ocean Cruises is a sister line to Viking River Cruises, which has been the market leader in river cruising in Europe and beyond for several years.

With their ocean cruise product, they are basically taking the features that made them popular on the river to ocean voyages.





As such, while their prices at first glance seem high, they do include an introductory shore excursion with local guides in every port, and on board free wifi, free alternative dining with a choice of 11 restaurants, plus complimentary beer and wine by the glass with lunch and dinner served on board the ship.

All things considered, this more inclusive cruise costs more than, for example, Celebrity Cruises, which is a very deluxe large ship, even after similar excursions and some allowance for the rest is allowed, but small ship cruising has nonetheless become increasingly popular with experienced cruisers.  In any case, Viking's itinerary has very succinct descriptions of excursions to amazing sites which can be easily explored on a Holy Lands cruise.

Viking River Cruises

The dominant name in river cruising is Viking, which has by far the most ships of any line.

Viking's marketing program is second to none, so if you've ever turned on a television or done an internet search, you probably are familiar with the brand and know Viking River Cruises include lots of no-cost inclusions like free shore excursions as well as beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner.

In fact, their commercials are so inviting that I dare say you've often found yourself deferring the usual DVR fast forward or "skip ad" feature to not only watch those cinematic images but have come to recognize the narrator's voice.

When you hear the opening strains of classical music, your mind might wander to beautiful castles and vineyards along calm European Rivers from their ads.



Most people choose the Rhine as their first European river cruise, perhaps taking this "trip of a lifetime" to celebrate a landmark anniversary or retirement.

They enjoy it so much, however, they often follow up with a Danube cruise within a couple of years.



An increasingly popular destination is Portugal, selected as Travel+Leisure's Destination of the Year for 2016.

Those with more time can combine a river cruise with a land trip through Spain, perhaps on a guided tour with Globus.



And, of course, who can think of Europe without contemplating romantic Paris and French cuisine?

Set your beret at a jaunty angle and cruise through Normandy or Provence, or both!



But Viking River Cruises are not limited to Europe.

One of their most popular vacations is through inscrutable China, a land where you definitely want to be in trusted hands to thoroughly enjoy and comprehnd your total experience.

I could go on raving about their magnificent itineraries and the wonders of river cruising long after you stopped reading (and probably already have done so).  Viking Ocean takes their river cruise experience to the open seas.

And Viking is just one brand in a growing market.

When you're ready to book your next trip of a lifetime, you don't have to go it alone.

In me, you have a friend in the travel industry.

"Better service leads to better trips!"

Time to Splurge for a River Cruise in Europe?

Are you looking for a great way to celebrate a milestone like a wedding anniversary or retirement?

Or do you just want to enjoy an incredible immersion in some of the most beautiful regions in the world?

Either way, is hard to beat a river cruise.



While ocean cruising wins over 95% of people who try it, the one whispered complaint that cruises battle consistently is a perception by some of being "nickel and dimed."

To combat this, more inclusions have been added, and unlimited beverage packages on Celebrity, Azamara, Oceania and Norwegian Cruises have definitely worked.

While some luxury lines charging two to four times as much have been all-inclusive for years, it seems like river cruises showed mainstream cruises the way.

In fact, when Viking River Cruises took their river cruise philosophy to the ocean, they quickly became the top ranked ocean cruise line in many surveys of travel agents and past guests.

Viking includes free-flowing regional wines and beer with lunch and dinner. free internet and even a free shore excursion in every port.



Other river cruise lines like Uniworld and AmaWaterways take that philosophy of all-inclusive even further, with more additional free shore excursions, bicycles and, in the case of Uniworld, free drinks anytime on board.

Of course, some luxury ocean lines like Regent and Crystal have been providing anticipatory service and amenities for decades, so when Crystal decided to enter river cruising, we knew it would be very special.

Crystal River Cruise ships are among the most beautiful of all, and their own "all-inclusive" approach demands premium prices on rivers just as on ocean liners.

Regardless of whether you choose Viking, Crystal or any other fine river cruise line, you will not feel nickel and dimed.

It comes down to the level of exclusiveness you want with your inclusive value.



I feel compelled to point out that the lowest advertised prices are almost inevitably for November and December, when snows fall in Central Europe.

These Christmas Market cruises have their own special magic and are well-worth experiencing, but don't hold your breath waiting to get that same low price during prime weather months.

You will nonetheless find your money has been very well-spent when your splurge for a river cruise.

Relative Value

No, we won't be trying to hang a price tag on your cousins.

Relative value in this case refers to comparisons between cruise possibilities.

Sometimes, we have obvious differences, such as between Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line, which are now part of the same corporate family of brands.



Yes, if you take the top suite on NCL, you can pay in the neighborhood of what you'd pay for RSSC, giving you the big ship cruise experience when you want it and luxurious privacy when you don't, but for the most part, the average customer on either ship has vastly different expectations.

Guests of premier cruise lines like Regent Seven Seas expect the best of everything, including intuitive service that anticipates what you want an instant before you realize it yourself.  The staff learns not only your name but your personal preferences in order to provide personal service.

NCL for the most part will be a place where you are free to find what you want for yourself to make your cruise enjoyable for you personally.  They call it free style, where no one plans your schedules but you.  Then again, they do provide information when asked, as well as providing a daily program of activities.

Sometimes, the differences between lines are more subtle.

For example, competitors Oceania and Azamara have very similar attributes and target audiences.




With ships smaller than mega-sized mainstream lines and larger than ultra-luxury lines, their approaches come down to port-intensive itineraries and country club casual ambiance.

Their exact mix of offerings differs.

For example, Azamara always includes free beverages and pre-paid gratuities, whereas on Oceania there is frequently free internet plus a choice among great amenities like several free shore excursions, free beverages or pre-paid gratuities.

Oceania includes "free air," or gives a discount if you don't take advantage of that service.

There used to be a stark difference between ocean and river cruising.



Travelers making the leap from ocean cruises to river cruiess accepted the would pay more, because the river cruise experience included items which would be extras on a standard cruise.

Not necessarily so any more.

Viking Ocean has taken their river approach to deep seas, with more-inclusive mid-sized ships that include free shore excursions, free wifi and free wine and beer with lunch and dinner.

Meanhwhile, in mainstream ocean cruises, Royal Caribbean has ridden its ever larger and more jaw-dropping ships to demand well-deserved higher prices not only than competitors for several years running.



In fact, RCCL's jaw-dropping mega-ships have had such strong appeal across demographics that they usually cost more than upscale sister Celebrity.

More recently, Celebrity has taken a page from the smaller, more-upscale ships with more inclusive offerings, which has made all the difference, dramatically increasing the perceived value of their offerings and putting them more in line with Royal Caribbean in terms of demand and pricing.

Often, there can be price differences between a different promotion stripped of benefits that can be a better value for the price-conscious cruiser who is happy to scrimp on a few inclusions in order to save on his bottom line.

For example, on Celebrity the difference between a stripped cruise only booking and having $150 per person on board credit and free Classic Beverage Package might be anywhere from $150 per person (where it obiously is a good deal) or $1200 pp, at which you must ask yourself how much booze you actually want to down in ten days.

There's also a difference between how the lines interpret those inclusions.  When Norwegian includes their free beverage package, a service charge (about $99 pp for a 7 night cruise) is added, whereas Celebrity's Classic Beverage Package is truly free.  However, NCL includes a wider variety of drinks, whereas Celebrity's Classic package includes basic drinks with a selection that satisfies most guests, with the option to upgrade to get better selection including more named brands for a fee (usually $10 per day) for those with more discerning palates.

When you give me the mission of finding a cruise for you, I start with what you tell me are must-haves, such as itinerary and time frame, and then work to find the best value for your unique desires.

Because I receive daily updates about cruise specials and new innovations, I find different possibilities on essentially every cruise search, frequently leading to alternatives of better relative value you may never have otherwise considered.

On the other hand, just because one cruise might from a strictly rational view seem to be a better value, what really matters is where you will be most comfortable for your next great vacation, which is why it is important that I get to know you personally to help you find the best possible cruise.  The more you share about your tastes, past experiences and future desires, the better I can help.

"Better service leads to better trips!"

Let's Get Small

If you remember Steve Martin's "Let's Get Small" as being funny --- or perhaps you vaguely recall Steve as some old comedic actor when you were a kid --- and you enjoy cruising in a balcony or suite, then perhaps it's time to consider small ship cruising.



Recently, I've received feedback from some folks who, like me, are in their sixties. They returned from a long cruise on a very nice ship feeling their fellow guests were too old. Coming from California, where 60 really is the new 30, undoubtedly exacerbates this impression, but there are certainly demographic trends at work here, too.

People who have the time to take longer trips unquestionably skew older than those on trips of 7 nights or less. I've noticed this too, although as I've noted in my blog, people who look older frequently turn out to be young rockers and hippies from the 1960's wearing perfect disguises.

On the other hand, many affluent people in their forties to early sixties are choosing smaller premium ships, whether for seven nights or longer voyages, and their absence on large cruises may be palpable to some people.

River cruises are the fastest growing segment in travel, and why not?



These more inclusive voyages give you a free introductory excursion in every port, so you never come away feeling any stop was inconsequential. The delicious food is sourced daily on shore by chefs to create regional magic. Local wines and beer with dinners are the norm, and some like Uniworld include essentially all beverages all the time. The dress code is country club casual rather than overly formal or grubby. And for a generation that increasingly finds web accessibilty essential, free internet on board feels quite liberating, even if once in the vacation frame of mind we realize cyberspace is a pale substitute for reality.

Viking Ocean Cruises has taken their award winning approach to river cruising to 930 guest ocean ships with wide acclaim, including recently landing at the top of Travel+Leisure World's Best Large Cruise Ships.



Yes, at 930 guests, it is still considered a large ship, as are Oceania and Azamara Club Cruises, which include vessels as small as around 700 guests in a very inclusive format, if not quite all-inclusive. They're generally more port intensive and include more late evening and overnight stays than large ships. They give you most of that mainstream ship style entertainment including production shows, if not all of those can't-believe-we-can-do-this-at-sea features of mega-ships.

Larger mainstream ship cruising continues to be rated near the top for value and overall customer satisfaction in travel. It is especially well-geared for multi-generational families with children.

If you love mega-ship cruising, by all means carry on.



However, if you want to try something a bit different and perhaps hope to surround yourself with travelers you relate to as being more like yourselves, try river cruising or smaller ship ocean cruising.

Big experiences can be found in small packages.

Why Should You Cruise on Avalon Waterways?

For empty nesters looking for a destination-immersive, relaxing and easy vacation, it is hard to beat a river cruise, regardless of brand.

Industry leader Viking earns the lion's share of business with great marketing, including specials that attract attention, and they deliver a wonderful experience.

Uniworld and Tauck take the inclusiveness of most river cruises to a more encompassing level, including pre-paid gratuities, adult beverages on demand any time and anticipatory service, and I assume Crystal Cruise Lines foray into river cruising will give them a run for their money.

What about Avalon Waterways?

As a member of the Globus Family of Brands, Avalon Waterways capitalizes on 88 years of tour experience to enhance their land experiences with certified local guides in each port.

That association with Globus allows them to offer a much wider range of seamless land experiences before and after the cruise beyond the typical 2 or 3 nights, including multi-country land tours on industry leader Globus Tours or modular independent regional stays with Monograms.

In the final analysis, however, the big appeal of Avalon are the unique Open Air Balconies found on their Suite Ships.

Words can't compete with the video above, but if you don't want to watch it, know that the freeze frame is not one of two suites on each ship.  80% of the rooms on the Suite Ships have 11 foot wide glass doors that open to become a 7 foot wide Open Air Balcony.

The room setup allows you to enjoy the features of a balcony in the comfort of your in-room seating area or while snuggling in bed.

While not all the ships in the Avalon fleet are identical to this, they have similar concepts for most of their rooms, and even the smallest river view room is 172 square feet, which makes comfortable room, and the price differential between their Suite Ships and others in the line is only about 6%, whereas some other lines may charge a 40% premium to be on their newest ships.

Everyone seems to want to be on a new ship, though there certainly is a good argument to be made for older ships that are well-maintained as a means of saving vacation dollars.

Avalon Waterways, however, is committed to never having a ship in the fleet more than eight years old, selling aging ships to other lines rather than retrofitting them to their newest concepts.  As an example of the opposite approach, higher priced Tauck will retrofit its own fleet over the next two years to include their newest design features, just so you know that I am not intending to disparage the practice.  It is simply part of Avalon's unique marketing proposition to say you will never be on an old ship if you choose Avalon.

You may not be surprised to learn that Avalon costs less than those more inclusive lines like Tauck and Uniworld, but it may surprise you that in comparison with Viking, the net pricing can be quite similar, and often less when it comes to their balcony rooms.

It should also be noted that Avalon has fewer rooms on ships of the exact same dimensions as Viking, translating not only into larger average sized staterooms but also 15% more space per guest throughout the ship.

What do you give up on Avalon? 

Like other lines, Avalon has introductory shore excursions in all ports (though Avalon claims theirs to be better in quality and selection), free wifi and wonderful meals, but you'll only get free flowing local wines and beer with dinner, whereas Viking includes them with lunch, too.

And while some lines like Uniworld and AMA Waterways have bicycles on board for the use of guests, Avalon does not, although they do offer optional bicycling tours.

Bottom line, if you've enjoyed ocean cruising with lines like Celebrity, Princess, Crystal, Oceania, Azamara and Regent Seven Seas and want an immersive, port-intensive vacation, you'll love river cruising in general and Avalon Waterways in particular.

Booze Cruise?

If you've ever found yourself at the end of a cruise with a bar tab larger than what you paid for your stateroom, then probably got an amazing deal on your cruise!

Then again, it might make you question why you didn't go to Sandals or some other all-inclusive resort instead.

However, you don't have to give up the convenience and multiple destinations of a cruise to get your drink on.

Most cruise lines offer beverage packages as add-ons for about $60 to $70 per day, and sometimes you might catch a sale that takes 15 to 30% off those prices.

Psychologically, however, it is much harder to carve that much out of your travel budget.

Quite frankly, to justify buying the package, you need to have about 8 drinks a day, which is 4 times more than what my doctor recommends as a maximum.



Cruise lines offering free beverages have nonetheless found that to be a wonderful siren's song, one learned by luxury lines long ago, but many of those cost three times as much as a mainstream cruise.

Azamara Club Cruises, designed to fit into the wide niche between those very upscale cruises and the large ship cruises most travelers choose, includes free beverages on every voyage, plus free pre-paid gratuities for not just the barkeeps but for dining staff and room stewards.  I must admit it is a very liberating feeling, even if you don't imbibe much alcohol.  It makes it very easy to offer new friends a drink.

I would attribute having free beverages on Celebrity Cruises in ocean view rooms and above as having brought that great line to the attention of travelers who had previously ignored it.



While Celebrity now offers free beverages as a choice from a menu of amenities on most cruises, there is always an opportunity cost.

Specifically, there is quite frequently a lower price for Residents, Seniors or some other promotion without amenities that will save you $100-$300 per person or more.  At that point, it still is a good deal for many people, especially if there happens to be a second free amenity that comes with the beverage package.

It should be noted that Celebrity includes tips for the bar staff in their drink packages.

Norwegian Cruise Lines includes open bar packages on essentially all of their cruises (except Hawaii), unless you buy the cheapest category labeled with the letter X or buy a last minute deal a few weeks before the cruise.

Let's face it: when you go out to a nightclub, it feels right to order a beverage, even if that's not necessarily the case when sitting in front of the boob tube back home.



Unlike Celebrity, NCL always charges in advance for waitstaff tips, so expect to pay about $18 per day or more for those tips along with the cruise.  So, on a 7 night cruise, you pay about $125 (subject to change), which is approximately what you'd spend on two drinks per day with tips, depending on your tastes.

If you only like one drink a day, and especially if you prefer that to be splitting a bottle of fine wine at dinner (and I should note the waiter will save and mark your unfinished wine for your next dinner), then obviously this wouldn't be a good deal.

However, a river cruise or Viking Ocean might suit you perfectly.  They include free flowing local wines and beer with dinner, and also lunch on most lines.  In fact, some river cruise lines like Tauck and Uniworld include all of your beverages on board, plus all of your shore excursions, pre-paid gratuities, internet and many other items for which you would expect to pay extra.



As mentioned, most cruise lines offer beverage packages as an add-on.  Occasionally they run specials where they include beverage packages as an amenity, but thus far they seem to be experimenting.

Fast growing MSC Cruises currently takes an innovative approach of alternative choices for people on a tighter budget.

In the final analysis, cruise lines seek to maximize customer satisfaction but never intentionally at the expense of their bottom line.

That doesn't mean that it can't be a win-win proposition, where it is also the best value for you.

Before paying extra, it's good to consider that on a port-intensive itinerary, you'll spend much of the your time on land, where most onboard drink packages enure no benefit.

"Better service leads to better trips!"

Sometimes It Pays to Take a Newer Ship

Today I received an e-mail from some happy folks just back from a Caribbean cruise aboard Norwegian Epic.

I always appreciate a brief note providing feedback on cruises, and of course I like the positive ones best of all. 

"Cruise was great -- noticeably better food quality from last year NCL. Or maybe each ship is different. And entertainment was top-notch!"

Often, voyages aboard the latest state-of-the-art ships cost more than those on other ships, even within the same cruise line.

It's not exclusively about the onboard hardscape, however. Usually, it comes down to the specific sailing's crew members and your fellow guests.

Obviously, we all enjoy being surrounded by happy people, and crew members are not exceptions.

It is not unusual for the best crew members to sign up for the most enticing itineraries or the newest ships.

When guests enjoy the meals, shows and ambiance of the ship, it leaves them smiling and pleased to be on board. Add great ports, and you have an amazing cruise vacation experience.

That's what we hope to achieve every time.

And that's why I share travel experiences hoping to entice you to enjoy amazing vacations as part of a well-rounded life.

Let's face it. If you can afford to spend more, you will generally get a better cruise experience, with the ideal perhaps being something like Viking Ocean Cruises.

But let there be no mistake: there are great cruise experiences awaiting you in all price ranges, as our weekly specials regularly attest.

Do shore excursions make the cruise?

19th Century Scottish sculptor John Steell's statue of poet Robert Burns in downtown Dunedin  turns out to be the meeting place for more than one tour, but you manage to hook up with the right guide, who immediately begins sharing local color about this charming village that could be in many parts of the United Kingdom.

As your bus winds slowly uphill, you enter a bucolic world of rolling farm fields and pastureland, with yellow Gorse flowers spreading wildly across what seem to be less-domesticated stretches.

You obviously must be in Ireland or Scotland.

Only you're not.

You're in New Zealand, driving to the Royal Albatross Colony, where you'll learn about amazing birds whose massive wingspans catch wind currents to fly around the world.  You'll later visit a penguin sanctuary, home to adorable flightless creatures whose own unique adaptations allow them to fly underwater through ice-cold oceans.

You can be forgiven for having misread the landscape.

The architecture and agricultural have been imported from the UK by homesick Scotsmen.  In fact, they introduced that yellow Gorse and rabbits, which have run rampant without natural predators, to New Zealand as reminders of home.

The city's name, in fact, is an adaptation of the Gaelic name for Edinburgh, Dùn Èideann.

Everything you need to know to make the most of this Scottish outpost in the Southern Hemisphere will be explained to you by a knowledgeable guide who knows exactly where to go and why.

You've heard the expression, "Clothes make the man," and how you dress can certainly effect the viewpoint, attitude and experiences of not only you but of those around you, but is it shore excursions that actually make or break the cruise?

The answer depends as much on you as on the itinerary or individual ports.

An excursion like the one summarized above certainly gives the traveler a great breadth of experiences over the course of a single day, but I dare say that someone who managed to make it to the same quaint village for a lengthy stroll through its quaint streets, punctuated by tipping a pint or munching on fish and chips in a pub, could certainly enjoy a wonderful day as well.

In fact, I know many people for whom the cruise ship itself is the primary destination, and if they get off the ship at all, it is just to visit a nearby internet cafe or souvenir shop.

They love the meals, entertainment and camaraderie found on board as well as the beautiful views across the water.  This is particularly true for repeat cruises in the Caribbean or Pacific.

However, if you've traveled half way around the world, you would probably want to include at least one or two in depth excursions that give you greater insights into the region.

After all, you must have taken that long flight for some reason.

There could be one specific highlight that makes the entire trip worthwhile.

My brother-in-law Brooks wanted to visit the Hermitage in St. Petersburg to see one special painting, something that would have been nearly impossible a few years ago, so he and my sister joined us on a memorable Scandinavia/Russia cruise.  It would have been crazy for him to stay on board when the long awaited opportunity to visit what is truly one of the world's finest museums arrived.

At the other extreme, some people want excursions in every port, and if you're among them, excursions definitely do make the cruise.

An all-inclusive or more inclusive vacation like a river cruise or the Viking Ocean Cruise might be more cost effective than a mainstream cruise for you, particularly if you always choose mini-suites or suites for accommodations.

Bridging the gap between extremes, Oceania Cruises' OLife Program may include free excursions for up to five ports, while mainstream cruise lines may feature on board credits specifically designated toward shore excursions.

Most of us will choose ship sponsored excursions for a couple of key ports on the itinerary, often those which would be perceived as difficult or dangerous to approach on our own, such as Istanbul or Israel, and then explore easier destinations on our own.



It's also possible to use third-party excursion companies, though you should exercise due diligence in researching independent vendors, as tours with similar names aren't necessarily the same.  Cruise Planners has partnered with Shore Trips to give you a safe alternative to ship sponsored excursions, including multi-port packages for potential savings.

Shore Trips has proven itself particularly adept at providing private van excursions for small groups prepared to pay a premium for a more custom-tailored experience ashore.

Surprisingly frequently, however, it will be some smaller port which perhaps you had never considered visiting and simply wandered toward without expectations that turns out to be a highlight of your trip.  Allow some time for serendipity during your voyage.



Whatever you do, mix it up.  Make each port memorable in its own right rather than repeating the same type of excursion to the same types of places and activities in every port.

In the final analysis, cruise lines do not haphazardly throw together itineraries.  Like carefully curated pieces of art from a larger collection in the Hermitage, the ports have been selected to weave a story about the region, adding significant strands in each port and also during onboard presentations.

If we pay attention, we fully experience a region and gain enlightenment as well as entertainment on these epic sojourns.

We return home with newly stretched minds.  As the great travel writer Mark Twain wrote, 

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”

All of the photos in this post, by the way, are from New Zealand .

Why should YOU take a World Cruise?

Quite frankly, many people may dream of traveling throughout the world, but most cannot afford it.

If you're an American, however, you start life with a much greater chance of exploring the world's greatest destinations than most.

About 70% of the world's poulation subsists on less than $10 per day.  It takes more wherewithall than that to take a very inexpensive cruise, which many Americans take for granted as almost a right, or at least a rite of passage.

Someone cruising for a weekend trip to Ensenada or Nassau is living like a king compared to most of the world, and lots of travelers have stretched their horizons to see many more parts of the world, often combining air travel with cruises.

Those successful enough to consider a World Cruise probably understand how Adam Smith's Invisble Hand of the free market enriches others when you pursue your self interest.  Countless impoverished individuals are helped directly and indirectly when you spend your travel dollars.

If you've never been on a cruise, then you're unlikely to be reading this blog about a World Cruise.

I mean seriously, take a cruise in the Southern Caribbean or Mediterranean and get back to me, because a World Cruise is a huge commitment.

You'll be spending months at sea, so you should at least see if the experience appeals to you on any given cruise line.  And don't be mistaken; there are definitely differences in cruise experiences, whether a country club casual approach of Oceania or Azamara or the considerably greater formality of Cunard or Crystal.



Because this is a World Cruise, you shouldn't expect to find a young crowd as you would on Carnival in the Caribbean.

Those taking a World Cruise are frequently commemorating a lifetime of achievement, often having recently retired from successful careers, sold their family business or perhaps celebrating a milestone anniversary.

World cruisers tend to be more mature as well as more affluent than the average cruiser, and of course you must have a voracious appetite for travel.



Not everyone has time to take the entire world voyage, but it is possible to take shorter segments of World Voyages, like 15 or 45 days, as many people do.

Over the course of a few years, you can piece together segments to have experienced all of the regions visited on your ideal world trip, understanding that each year the world voyages add new ports and skip others to keep the experience fresh for repeat World Travelers.



And believe it or not, while most initially sign up for a World Cruise as a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, many find it so spectacular that they take it again...and again....and again.

World Cruises are so popular with repeat guests that frequently they sell out early.

Viking Ocean's first World Cruise has only  two categories of Verandas still available for their first ever World Cruise in 2018, so imagine how hard it will be to get a room on one of their subsequent World Cruises.

Several cruise lines offer early booking incentives, which can add thousands of dollars in value to your World Cruise booking, so don't procrastinate.

For more information, contact Wes@CruisePlanners1.com.

Counting Sheep in Skjolden

I like to find a unique experience or iconic location in each cruise port visited so similar destinations don't bleed together in my memories. For Skjolden, that landmark appeared as soon as the ship pulled up to the dock.

Next to the pier, sheep moseyed across the green hillside below a red farmhouse and barn.  The rural scene is a far cry from industrial ports on the fringe of a city where large ships often port.

Had we still been in bed, we could have literally counted sheep looking through our balcony glass doors to go back to sleep.

But we were wide awake, bundled up warmly against the brisk morning and anxious to go ashore to explore beautiful Norway.

The village of Skjolden has a population of 200, so 3400 passengers on Sky Princess dwarfed their numbers despite being the only ship visiting.  Even if every resident was a taxi driver, there wouldn't have been enough cars to drive all of the passengers around.

While some cruisers had secured shore excursions in advance, Julie and I had read long before boarding the cruise that waterfalls could be found alongside the road within a couple miles of the village.

Indeed, we found several towering waterfalls by simply following the two-lane road leading out of town.

For scale, please note that I am standing to the right side of the stream a few hundred yards in front of the waterfall.  It would be easy to not notice me there in the picture.

We had actually been sailing past waterfalls for hours, having entered the world's longest navigable fjord well before going to bed on our second full day at sea..

Sognefjord is 126 miles long, and at the very end is Skjolden, our first port of call in Norway.

According to the Princess Patter, Sognefjord was an important trade route for Vikings 1200 years ago, when Skjolden was part of the small kingdom of Sygnafylki.

I could visualize the village ruled by the brutal but visionary alpha-male Ragnar Lothbrok of Vikings TV fame being situated in a similar location.  While the show is historic fiction, Ragnar is believed to be a real historic figure.

Unfortunately, the cultural presentations on board barely mentioned Vikings or other historical figures from the region like Leif Ericson, instead covering only tangentially related subjects like the voyages of Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo, which while interesting would have been more suitable for cruises almost anywhere else in the world.

The historian scheduled her talk about Vikings for the following cruise, apparently because she was on the full 21-day cruise that would return to Norway.  It would have been better for those on that longer voyage to have been exposed twice to Vikings lore than for our sailing to miss out entirely on what I would call an essential part of the picture.

This is where I would normally do my own research, following bread crumbs of information shared by the onboard historian, but there really were none.  I decided to just skip trying to do intensive research from scratch, just going with what I already knew, essentially.

A big problem is that in Viking sagas, it is impossible to separate true history from legend after centuries of time have blurred stories were first shared as oral traditions to illiterate people.

Suffice it to say that in the PBS series Vikings --- which I would say falls into Viking Saga traditions in this blurring of fact and fiction --- Ragnar's brother Rollo seems destined to be a weak link but turns out to be a mythic hero himself, so it is a nice character arc.

The most probable scenario of history, however, is that not only were Ragnar and Rollo not brothers, but they were probably not related and in fact never met. 

The real Rollo, however, did by strength claim a huge swath of territory and a royal title by invading France.  He was the first Duke of Normandy. making the most of the land he was granted. He was the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, who brought Norman rule to England.

Queen Victoria of England was purportedly a distant relative, and her nine children went on to marry royalty in other countries around Europe so that in the 19th Century, we might say the Vikings, if not specifically Rollo, were the ancestors of most European royalty.  World War I began as something of an ego battle between royal cousins over who had the greatest military might.

In any case, our highly entertaining port guide Julio informed a full Princess Theater and anyone who watched his presentation on TV live or in reruns about the potential to walk to waterfalls, so with few alternatives for those who had not locked in a shore excursion, we knew that as the day warmed, the road to the waterfalls might become crowded.

Because we got an early start, the hordes did not appear on the roads until after we were well on our way back to the ship.

The small village was filled with Princess guests when we briefly stopped there on our way back to the ship.  To be clear, this village is much smaller than the fictional Kattegat from the TV series Vikings.

After a late lunch, we were ready for an afternoon nap, but little lambs on the hillside were not nearly so lethargic as we felt after our long waterfalls hike.

They raced back and forth playfully.

I must confess that it had turned out to be a gorgeous sunny afternoon, so we took advantage of the relative warmth to head up to the sun deck and stretch out on lounge chairs with ocean views instead of counting sheep to fall asleep in the room.

Or did we do both?

You don't have to be constantly on the run to enjoy a port day.

As the pictures and videos attest, however, the waterfalls and other scenery were lovely and well worth the long walk, which turned out to cover more miles than we expected.

According to Julie's iPhone, we walked almost 10 miles altogether, and throughout that time we were either approaching waterfalls and arriving at waterfalls.

Cruising from Skjolden through Norway's longest fjord over the course of a long evening of daylight was also a treat, reminiscent of river cruising on the Rhine or Danube as we passed lovely hillsides and villages, but of course much different with waterfalls and farms instead of castles and vineyards.

Something of interest to many people considering a trip to Norway and Iceland are the Northern Lights.

A couple of days earlier, when Sky Princess began cruising from England toward Norway, the Captain had come over the public speakers to say that in the event of sighting Northern Lights, he would make a ship-wide announcement, including within our stateroom.

He apologized in advance if we were rudely awakened, but I assume everyone was happy to know we wouldn't miss Aurora Borealis should it appear.

No, that wouldn't be likely at our latitude, because we would approach but not enter the Arctic Region 20 degrees from the Magnetic North Pole.  However, within the last year, temporary geomagnetic storms have made Northern Lights visible in Montana and other states that are well south of where we cruised in Norway.  

Perhaps a bigger issue is that the Northern Lights are most visible against a dark night sky, and we only had about four hours of darkness per night.  The sun set about 11:30 PM and rose again around 3:30 AM.

It became the norm for us to go to bed for the night while it was still light outside, despite attending live music events around the ship until 11 PM.  Fortunately, we had thick curtains closed in front of our balcony sliding glass doors, so we weren't awakened by sunrise light.

If seeing the Northern Lights is high on your bucket list, take a cruise in winter rather than between spring and summer, and take a cruise that goes further north, such as on one of Viking's In Search of Northern Lights itineraries.

While we hoped to get lucky, we weren't terribly disappointed when Aurora Borealis did not put on a show for us.  It's important to set expectations realistically when traveling but be prepared to be pleasantly surprised.  Having that announcement by the Captain allowed us to sleep soundly, knowing if the unlikely Northern Lights appeared, we would be awakened to see them.

You don't need Northern Lights to love Norway.  Cruising through the Fjords of Norway on long evenings of spring through fall is a real treat in its own right.

More of Julie's Photos

5:30 AM, Cruising Toward Skjolden

More of Wes's Photos

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