There are three major monuments (memorials) in Washington D.C. honoring past Presidents; the Washington, the Lincoln and the Jefferson, The Jefferson Memorial, in my mind occupies the best location. While the needle of the Washington Monument dominates the city’s skyline and the Lincoln Memorial sits at the end of a great reflecting pond, it’s Jefferson that is nestled in among the cherry blossom trees at the edge of the Tidal Basin. To visit when the Cherry trees are in blossom plan you trip around late March to mid April and check out information online regarding “The Cherry Blossom Festival”.
I was born in Washington and grew up in the area and actually moved back a few times over decades. It’s a beautiful city packed with amazing public spaces and monuments and the seasons add a special touch to the scenes.
On the banks of the Danube in Croatia is the beautiful town of Vukovar. Walking its streets today you come across a number of odd structures that seem to have suffered a calamity. A riverside hotel, the towns water tower, a church and the building pictured above. If you talk to locals and do some research you will find that they are memorials to war crimes.
In 1991 the Yugoslav People’s Army, with the Serb Territorial Defense forces and paramilitaries from Serbia, launched a full-blown attack with a siege on Vukovar in eastern Croatia. It started on August 25th with thousands of artillery shells raining down on the tiny town. The siege would last for 86 days and leave around 3,000 soldiers and civilians dead and more wounded before the town’s defenders had to surrender. What followed became a mass murder of many of the survivors. Later a U.N. war crimes tribunal was empaneled to try Yugoslav officers for criminal responsibility in the 1991 massacre of non-Serbs in the Croatian town with several being convicted.
A Memorial To A Siege And War Crimes
Bećarski križ (Reveller’s Cross)
The oldest and largest public crucifix in Vukovar gave name to the Old City that was centered on the Reveller’s Cross. The crucifix was originally erected in 1805 and was the first public crucifix in the city sculpted in stone. The Reveller’s Cross was demolished in 1996 by artillery during the seige of Vukovar. After the war the Reveller’s Cross was replaced with an accurate recreation of the original.
Cruising is a great value for travel and more and more people are taking advantage of the cruising. There are however a few areas of unusual costs along with some opportunities to save…
Carry A Bottle Of Wine Onboard
Even with drink packages and those “drinks included” fares, this is still something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Many cruise companies allow each person when boarding to bring on one bottle of wine (check with the cruise company or your travel agent). For a couple that saves $50 to over $100 during the cruise compared to buying wine onboard. Don’t forget that corkscrew and ask your stateroom attendant to bring you wine glasses. There are also a growing selection of chocolate and coffee wines available today and they’re a good substitute for that evening aperitif instead of the high price of a glass of Baileys.
How To Get Money Off Your Onboard Account
If you have cruised much you have probably experienced onboard credits on your account. They can happen in a number of ways from refunds, advance payments, incentives or gifts. In some cases those credits will evaporate at the end of your cruise if not used. Rather than going on a spending spree there’s a way to quickly turn credits into cash.
Most cruise ships now have digital accounts in the casinos for playing slot machines. No more buckets of coins and no more pulling handles. The usual process now is to use your onboard account to put money on your casino account. To play a slot machine you insert a ticket or your room card and load money onto the machine. When you’re done playing or want to switch machines you cash out and the machine prints out your balance on a ticket.
Even if you aren’t a gambler you should take advantage of this hack. To cash out your onboard credit simply put it on the casino play account. Then to cash out simply take the balance ticket to the casino cashier and take the cash out.
Beating The High Cost Of Phone Service
Onboard telephone service can cost $5 or more per minute and cell service isn’t any cheaper. Talking with family or friends can cost hundreds of dollars while at sea, but there are options.
First before you go cruising be sure and check with your cellular service provider and find out what calling services are available on cruise ships and what the costs are. Many cellular companies and newer phones have internet calling now built in. Look for this option on your phone and ask your cell service for details. Pay attention to text service costs onboard (receiving and sending) as this can be an inexpensive and useful way of staying in touch.
Next, plan ahead and work out options with those you would like to stay in touch with. The best approach is to look into cell phone apps and coordinate using VoIP service. All cruise ships offer internet in various packages or pay by use service that make VoIP service significantly less expensive than cellular calling. Even ships with slower internet are usually good enough for simple voice calling.
Here’s a list of the top apps for making VoIP calls:
WhatsApp – Cost: Free. WhatsApp is popular for messaging, but something most people overlook is that it supports video and voice calls. The service is popular and quality is very good. If you need to call actual phone numbers though, this app might not be the best option.
Facebook Messenger – Cost: Free. A great application, Facebook messenger includes support for SMS messages, voice calls, and video calls. It works best for text messages, the voice quality quality depends on how fast your Internet connection is. There is also Facebook Messenger Lite which often provides better voice service but only provides text and calls.
Google Duo – Cost: Free. Another video calling application Google Duo supports regular voice calls well. To use Duo everyone needs to be on the app. The voice quality is superior and it’s very simple to use. It’s free and is available on iOS devices and is often pre-installed on some Android devices.
Google Hangouts – Cost: Free. If you’re looking for more features like sending pictures, Google Voice number for phone calls, voicemail, and SMS texting this is a good choice but for simply making calls Duo may actually perform better.
Magic Jack and MagicApp – Cost: telephone service $15 to $45 per year. One of the more popular SIP/VoIP apps around Magic Jack uses an actual phone number to make calls. The app includes SMS support, landline support, and cross-platform support.
Skype – Cost: Free. It’s one of the most popular VoIP apps in existence with direct support for both Facebook and Microsoft and a massive user base. You can also use this app to send text messages and to make video and voice calls. And for a fee you can call landlines. It’s also available as a desktop application but seems to require more bandwidth for good voice quality than the above choices.
Please Note: Currently there is only one cell service serving cruise ships and it is owned by AT&T. While it is not a too expensive option we’ve discovered that it has serious issues! For more on this click HERE.
An Inexpensive Solution For Seasickness
Getting seasick can take much of the fun out of your cruise and people spend lots of money on patches, pills and even acupuncture treatments. Here’s an inexpensive approach we found that really works. Take ginger capsules. Before discovering this treatment my wife had a serious issue with seasickness and her doctor recommended she try this. Now, starting a couple of days before and all through the cruise she takes three ginger capsules a day with food. In over 50 cruises she’s had no issues with seasickness.
Consider Booking Your Next Cruise Onboard
All the cruise ships have future cruising offices onboard ready to help you plan your next sailing with them. Oddly too many people just ignore this option. Maybe they would rather deal with their travel agent or don’t think there’s any real savings to be found. Perhaps they haven’t decided where they want to go on the next cruise. Actually all of those excuses don’t have much merit.
In the world of travel we seem to be bombarded constantly with bargains of the day. Save 20% today only. Book now and get free stuff. We have an exclusive discount with XYZ cruises. It’s hard to take most seriously and the truth is you shouldn’t. Usually the deals are available to everyone regardless who you deal with. There are some exceptions to this and booking a cruise on board is one. Some specials only available when booking onboard include reduced deposits, extra onboard credits and stateroom upgrades. Even if you’re not sure what you want there can also be future cruise coupons you can buy while onboard and decide later on that cruise.
Next time you cruise go and have a chat with the “future cruise” staff. You might be surprised…
Bring Onboard Your Own Cabin Upgrades
While the newer ships are catching up with the times some older cruise ship staterooms are missing some important features. Get in the habit of packing a few essentials to avoid dealing with stateroom shortcomings.
A Nightlight – Newer ships now usually have a nightlight in the bathroom but you should’n’t expect older ships to have this feature. There are a number of motion activated, battery operated nightlights on the market and they don’t take up much space. Our favorite is one that recharges off a USB power port (at Amazon HERE).
Power Strips – Traveling with cell phones, tablets and laptops requires a lot of charging and older ships are seriously short on power outlets. Adding a power strip to your suitcase can reduce that charging logjam. Our favorite is a compact strip with a small extension cord and a couple of outlets and two USB charging ports (at Amazon HERE). One word of caution – sometimes ships have rules about extension cords and multi outlets and while there are situations where it could be an issue, the voltages involved with charging phones and tablets are low and not a proble. Just in case get in the habit of storing these in a drawer during the day to avoid problems.
Clothespins, Hooks and Laundry Soap – Rinsing out a few things while cruising can help you pack lighter and can save you money too. Packing a couple of travel packets of laundry soap like Sink Suds takes up no room (at Amazon HERE).
Plastic clothespins can help not just with hanging up some rinsed out items but come in handy keeping that beach towel in place on the pool loungers. Another item that can be worth its weight in gold is a wall hook or two. Magnetic hooks will usually stick to cruise ship metal doors and 3M Command hooks can be attached to walls and easily removed.
It’s amazing how important these item can be so make up a small package with these items and add it to your suitcase before your next cruise.
Know Your Shore Excursion Options Before You Cruise
This is important for a couple of reasons. First, deciding on tours before your cruise and booking can save you some money. Cruise ships need to plan ahead for each cruise in order to schedule resources and often offer a discount for booking shore excursions ahead.
Next, a little research can allow you to go ashore on your own, do what you’re interested in and save a lot of money. A day at the beach is a great example. Instead of paying $50+ each for a beach excursion, you can catch a taxi, rent beach gear, have lunch and take a taxi back to the ship and save 50% or more. See more about other options HERE.
They come in all sizes, configurations and yes, prices but there may be valid reasons to turn down a stateroom upgrade.
If you do more than a few cruises, chances are you will be offered an upgrade. Generally upgrades fall into a few categories:
Upgrades at discounted rates
A promotional offer
Complimentary upgrade
Last minute upgrade offer at time of sailing
Usually the first reaction when offered an upgrade is elation over your luck, but don’t jump at that offer right away. There are a few things to consider so be sure and ask some questions.
If you’re being offered a stateroom upgrade ask if the usual category perks are still included with the upgrade. They can include complimentary spa use, a special restaurant, preferred seating at shows, preferred boarding to tenders. Often the upgraded does not include those perks and you need to consider if the change in stateroom location is worth a little extra room?
Additionally, often the cabin upgrade is in a less desirable location. Could it be noisy being near to an area that operates late into the night? Is it still on one of your preferred decks? Be sure and check a ship map to see if it is next to a void where there could be machinery or elevator noise?
There is also an upgrade offer called “run of the ship”. What that means is you will be guaranteed a specific stateroom upgrade but you’ll learn about the location when you board the ship. That means the stateroom could be on a lower deck, a high deck, all the way forward or include an obstructed view. While you can save money in booking by accepting “run of the ship” staterooms, that is a decision you consider in relationship to your budget and if the savings is worth the possible inconvience. In the case of the upgrade there usually isn’t a reduction in fare.
If you’re looking for an upgrade there is really no way to understand how to go about getting one. Your chances do improve as your cruising status improves with a favorite cruise line and that is a function of the number of cruises you’ve taken. Also remember the cruise ship knows a lot about the desirability of specific staterooms onboard and they always expect to get some advantage out of the offer. Sometimes it’s increasing your loyalty to the cruise line and that’s the real win-win!
If you’re picky about cabin location, understand you usually cannot choose the location of your upgrade stateroom or suite and if you’re excited about the upgrade for the increased perks, you need to know that most cruise lines don’t offer those perks with free or discounted upgrades from standard class cabins. Make sure what that offer includes.
There is also a new twist that’s been added to upgrading. Usually shortly before your sailing you may get an offer to bid on an upgrade. If the ship has unbooked cabins this gives them the opportunity to get paid something for upgrading your booking. All of the same cautions still aply…
Just like all transactions, in upgrading the caution “buyer be ware” is good advice.
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If you’re new to cruising it’s important to calculate gratuities into your thinking when considering the cost of a cruise. At the time of booking you will usually be quoted the base fare along with port charges, fees and taxes, but that’s not all your costs. You also need to be aware of what gratuities you will encounter.
Tipping on a cruise ship often causes some confusion. You’ll need to know when to tip, when not to tip and what mandatory gratuity charges to expect while onboard. To add to the confusion, cruising is becoming popular with people around the world and many international passengers often have different thinking about gratuities.
Tipping starts as soon as you reach the pier to start your cruise. Outside the terminal you will leave your larger suitcases with porters and while tipping isn’t required most people will offer a couple of dollars to the porter that takes your bags. While some people think that if they tip their bags will get better care and could arrive at your stateroom sooner. Not true. Bags are handled and loaded on board in large containers and by the time it reaches your stateroom any number of workers will have handled them. How soon they arrive at your cabin probably has more to do with how soon you check in –
While policies and amounts can be different for different cruise lines, it can also vary with ports of departure and regions. For most American based cruise companies there are many similarities and on most of those cruises expect similar gratuity policies.
Expect cabin gratuities to be automatically added to your onboard account. That amount can vary some by cruise line and depends on the class of stateroom. Additionally the amount can be adjusted up by cruise companies from time to time*. Any amounts you’ll find published are usually per person per day. Some cruises will charge them to your account each day while others post at the end of the cruise. At the least expect $12.00 per person, per day. Charges for children in a stateroom are, on average, half the adult amount and infants aren’t charged. With higher priced cruises and more expensive staterooms expect to pay more, usually somewhere around $30 per person, per day.
Seapass Cards And Cash
Using cash on a cruise ship is not common as most cruise lines use your stateroom access card for onboard charges. Cash is no longer the common currency in casinos and shops and tips need to be added to bar checks
One situation where you can expect to see gratuity charges is on drinks in lounges, bars and food venues. Today it’s common to have gratuities added automatically to your check, usually about 18% but many checks will also provide room for an additional gratuity. Before you sign a check and add a tip, see if the gratuity is already listed.
It’s common to tip for spa attendants and room service (some cruises are now automatically charging gratuities to room service checks).
Cruise Shore Tours
Tips are normally expected for shore excursions (cash and what you think is fair but usually $5 or $10) and that includes your guide and the driver.
A Tip On Tipping – While tipping for good service is what it’s all about, on a cruise tipping for better service is usually worth its weight in gold. Most service staff on ships do their best to provide good service but to get special treatment try providing cash tips to special servers on a regular basis. Want special service in a lounge? Try giving the server a few dollars when your drink arrives, he’ll pay special attention to you on your next visit. We have a habit of carrying a number of two dollar bills on board – they get attention because they’re unusual and it gets us noticed and remembered.
Why Are Gratuities Going Up?
The gratuities have always been an incentive for working on a cruise, and in recruiting. One reason for current increases has to do with increasing staffing problems post Covid pandemic. As cruise lines continue to deal with the aftermath of economic disruption and increased debt due to the global pandemic, increasing overall gratuities is a logical move to keep good people working on the cruise ships.
*Issues With Tipping Internationally
If you travel internationally one area where you need to do your homework is gratuities. While things are changing it is still not a common practice in many countries. Many places in Europe tipping wasn’t common and at most it was leaving the loose change. Because tipping isn’t common internationally, cruise companies are always struggling to get passengers to understand the practice.
Because some cultures and countries do not believe in the practice of gratuities it presents cruise ships with a challenge at times. For example, Australians simply do not tip. Going to a restaurant in Australia the check will only have the charge for food and drinks – no taxes or gratuities and you aren’t expected to leave any additional tip. Because of that Australians will go to guest services on a cruise and insist gratuities be removed. For that reason Australians booking in Australia or cruising from Australia will often be charged a higher fare to compensate for providing crew with gratuities.
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While it may seem obvious in deciding which room or category to book there are some points you may want to consider. For most people the decision comes down to what can you afford and should you consider an ocean view or a balcony stateroom.
A Royal Caribbean Suite
On most cruise ships cabins can be grouped into five categories; inside cabins, outside cabins, ocean view, veranda (balcony) or suite. There are usually a number of variations from ship to ship like some have balconies that look inside the ship instead of out to sea. There are also some ships that are all balcony and others that are missing one or two categories completely. There are also some additional categories like deluxe or a concierge class that can include upgraded dining, spas and more services but most ships are somewhat similar in their offerings.
If the money is not an issue why not just book a suite? Consider first what you are expecting on your cruise. Is it a long cruise where some extra room might really matter or is it a three or five day cruise where you expect to spend little time in the cabin? Why book an expensive stateroom if you don’t see yourself using it much? We’ve also even discovered an advantage staying in an inside cabin. It’s dark – with no windows a nd that usually means we sleep longer.
Will this be a cruise noted for its scenery or is it mostly going to be days at sea? We strongly suggest at least an outside cabin and strongly recommend a veranda for cruising Alaska as well as some other cruises noted for scenery. Consider what makes the best sense for the cruise itinerary you selected.
Oddly, for somer cruises, like trans-Atlantics, you may discover that usually less expensive cabins may actually cost more. This is usually dependent on when you book as the cruise ships are trying to hold onto less expensive categories for thrifty last minute bookings (See our article on saving money when booking).
Oceanview and balcony cabins are actually very similar. They’re both usually about the same size and can be located on most decks, as well as forward and aft, though some cruise ships will not have balconies on lower decks. In addition most cabins have twin beds that will convert into a queen, along with a desk and a sitting area, usually with a sofa or chairs. Many have convertible sofas or extra berths to fit additional passengers. Most work okay for families but can be too cramped if there are four adults cruising together. Bathrooms in both cabin types will vary, but usually feature a shower, sink and toilet and limited shelf space. Both usually have a set of standard amenities like a television, hair dryers, safes, and minifridge but vary by cruise line.
An ocean view stateroom
The key difference between ocean view staterooms and balcony cabins is, of course, one has a window and the other has a balcony furnished with a couple of chairs and a table. Oceanview cabins can have either a square window or a smaller round porthole, and most don’t actually open. Most balcony cabins have glass doors and an opportunity for sitting a watching the scenery glide by. If you’re cruising the Caribbean or other warm destination, you’ll spend some time out on your balcony but with destinations like the Baltic, Maritime Canada or Northern Europe probably not so much.
Another option to consider is location. Choices includ forward, mid ship and aft. If you’re concerned about seasickness you should select mid ship because it is more stable.
Again if money is not a consideration it really doesn’t matter but for most cruisers consider the itinerary and your options before booking a stateroom.
The Intentional Travelers 