When you’re on a cruise be sure to Get Off …

…The beaten path every now and again. 

This is the first of a few blogs I will do over the next few weeks and months highlighting some of my and my fellow crew members favorite off the beaten path restaurants, cafes, bakeries, beaches and all sorts of hidden secrets that could take you months to find. This week I’m going to focus on Alaska. Now I know in my webisode I mentioned that Alaska is going to most likely be cheaper next summer due to the increased tonnage, but it’s a very popular destination and one of my all time favorites. Anyone that is sitting at home sweating out a boiling summer should consider a trip to Alaska. That’s you Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona; it’s cool and comfortable, filled with interesting characters and a very colorful history. There’s something for everyone to do, from adventure hikes on Glaciers to smooth and easy train rides through the mountains even world class shopping right at your cruise door steps. Alaska has it all and with Norwegian Cruise Lines bringing Nickelodeon characters like Sponge Bob Squarepants and Disney Cruise Lines even entering Alaska, it’s younger spirited more family friendly than ever. No more tumbleweed's around the nightclub at midnight. Unless you choose a cruise that is more geared to adults and less to families, read Holland America and Celebrity, which also offer their own unique advantages to visiting the 49^th state in the union.

My personal connection with Alaska began late in the summer of 2003 when I started my cruise career onboard the Vision of the Seas in Vancouver, I only got to have 2 weeks in Alaska and didn’t get to see very much, however I had the opportunity to return for two full seasons many years later. I always had a wonderful time in Alaska, did so many adventurous things and managed to meet all sorts of interesting people and find all the little secret spots. I’m a huge supporter of independent and family owned businesses and Alaska abounds with that spirit. All over the state you’ll find great family owned cafes, shops, and more. Some are amazing, some maybe not so much, the following list is by no means the definitive say on independent Alaska, but just a few of my personal favorites. 

One of my favorite stops in Alaska is Skagway, most ships stay the longest in this tiny port, which is actually the birthplace of little girl many of you may have heard of, Sarah Palin. Regardless of your politics there is no denying the deliciousness and quirky independence of one of my favorite places. When I was a cruise director I would go on stage and tell thousands of people to stop by my number 1 dont' miss spot of Skagway and I never once got negative feedback.

So here it is don’t miss spot number 1:

Sugar Mammas Cupcakes – This tiny independently owned and operated cupcake shack took the city by storm back in 2008 and has been dolling out the most delicious and creative cupcakes in the state every since. The most popular and always delicious is the red velvet, however the menu changes daily and the owner operator Deb is always cooking up interesting flavors and bizarre treats. If it’s there, try this one: maple bacon cupcake, not for vegans but OMGoodness is it delicious. The store is also a bit of a novelty shop, featuring everything from slightly raunchy post cards, vintage toys, sunglasses and even occasionally roller skates. Stop by and see Deb and the gang and be sure to try a cupcake made with their signature secret recipe “love”. Like your mamma used to do.

Skagway is not for dieters, there are pizza parlors, breweries and fudge shops on every corner and most all are good, however there is one restaurant and one dish in particular that stands out above the rest for me.

Stowaway Café French Fries – Stop by the Stowaway Café located right off the big pier, not the town pier, for a number of great dishes always served with a smile, but in my opinion their French Fries, served with a secret dipping sauce, there horse radish and hot sauce in there for sure (I know but trust me it’s amazing), for some of the best French Fries you’ll ever have in your life. I don’t know what it is, but they are AWESOME, crispy, full, golden dark brown, just amazing. God I want some French Fries right now.

Juneau – Juneau is full of awesome dive bars and jewelry stores also adventure abounds in the surrounding parks and rivers, so after your shopping or outdoor adventure pick a dive bar and try an Alaskan Amber or any Alaskan beer on tap, you have to get it on tap to truly experience it. Look for a bunch of crew members loitering outside a bar that usually means it’s a dive bar that is welcoming to tourist and it probably has Wi-Fi, so you can check your e-mail if you’re feeling withdrawal. Other than a mandatory beer stop, if you have an early call you can try one of my favorite treats ever.

The Paradise Café & Bakery, located next to the Harley Davidson Store is full of delicious treats, coffee, lunch and amazing breakfast, their quiche and scones are unbelievable, but they also have a cookie that is out of this world. The Pumpkin Cookie, soft with the most delicious icing, screw your diet, try a cookie you won’t regret it. Warning these sell out quick, go early and if you have a late call and you can’t make it till after 4, don’t count on getting a cookie, but they do have other great treats and you may get lucky.

Icy Strait Point: This teeny tiny port of call is a relative new port for Alaska but you may have a ship that stops there. My suggestion is to take a tour don't worry you’ll still have some time to shop around, this is pretty rugged Alaska. They have a dive bar right in the entry to "town" called The Office. The Office has the best steamed crabs you’ve ever eaten, it’s usually full of people sitting at plastic tables, eating crab legs from paper plates, and they are amazing. The Juke Box also has some deep cuts for those music heads out there so spare a few dollars for some great tunes and soak in a true Alaskan experience, nothing fancy just good a** seafood.

Ketchikan: Ketchikan if you happen to get one of the very rare sunny days is one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever see. However, even if it’s raining wildlife and fun abounds. The tour options and shopping opportunities are out of this world. If I had to give you one off the beaten path stop, try “Burger Queen” no not Burger King, Burger Queen, it’s right across the street from the pier and is usually littered with crew members a sure fire sign that it’s good. They have awesome old fashioned burgers, fries and out of this world Onion Rings, but if you want something unique, my friend Yvette Sechrist, no relation to Ryan, but also a true port expert says the must try is the Halibut Burger, fresh fish, light bread, special sauce a quote from Yvette “It’s the best fish sandwich I’ve ever eaten EVER” That means you better try it. You’ll thank us later.

Many of you will also stop in Victoria, a stunning pacific northwest Canadian city that usually falls at the end of your cruise and sometimes is a night stop, the crew love a night stop because it’s one of the only times you get to see a city at night. But it is such a beautiful city it doesn’t matter when you go. The best thing to do there is the Butchart Gardens. It’s just unbelievable what they have done with the place. I’m not a huge garden fan and I love it, I've been three times and would go again also if your there at the right time of the season, usually around July onwards they have a fireworks show that is not to be missed. This is a heavily promoted attraction and for good reason, it really is that great. Sorry I don’t have a more unique off the beaten path stop for victoria but didn’t want to leave you high and dry. If you can’t go to the Gardens, a stroll around the city is worth it, and something unique and free you might like to see is the floating houses, this great little neighborhood of teeny tiny houses that are all around a series of docks and the houses are literally floating, it’s really cool and makes me wonder why other lake communities haven’t copied the idea, when they do, remember who told you they should.

So again this is by no means the definitive list and be all end all Alaskan cruise to do list, these are just a few of my expert recommendations and some off the beaten path options for the independent minded cruiser.

Keep it on Cruise Control.

Till next time.

-Andy 

Damn Those Extra Charges!

Damn Those Extra Charges!

Cruise Ships are all inclusive right?

Wrong, while cruise ships include a lot more than average hotels and vacations, it’s a common misconception that once you’ve paid your fare your all settled. Well this is just not the case, so allow me to educate everyone on how much you really need to budget for your dream cruise vacation.

Pretty much every cruise ship includes with the fare: most meals, free entertainment in the main theater and lounges and use of most all facilities, including, the fitness center, kids drop off programs and more depending on the cruise line. However most people never factor in port taxes, which usually don’t’ show up on your initial charge, gratuities for all the people that serve you, and any extras you might want such as dining in specialty restaurants, shopping, shore excursions, spa treatments, gambling and alcohol.  I’m going to break down the most popular extra expenses that could arise, and how much you should budget for them if you’re interested in them.

Now before you go further know that you could simply pay your fare, budget your gratuities and taxes, and that’s it, however your really missing out on a lot of great products and services that are truly at good prices, so the choices are up to you, but don’t’ say your weren’t warned in advance.

No more last day bill shock!

Let’s start with the essentials.

Port Taxes – The cruise lines have to pay a fee for every person they bring to every port of call, even if they don’t’ get off the ship. These vary depending on your disembarkation port and which ports you visit on your cruise and run anywhere between $30 – $150 per person, if your very budget conscious, check before you book your cruise, usually on the cruise line website it will factor in the port taxes before you make your final booking and give you an honest idea of what the additional taxes will be. At the least just be aware that when you see that banner ad that says 3 night cruise $199, what they are really saying is $199 plus tax that could be anywhere between $30 - $150 per person.

Average Total - $75 per person

Gratuities - why am I paying these in the first place? Well there’s no real answer other than that’s’ just the way it is. Cruise lines traditionally pay their service staff a very low salary and the rest is earned on gratuities. Gratuities are traditionally recommended between $12 and $15 per person, per day, depending on the cruise line, most will tell you to allocate x amount for your waiter, x amount for your room attendant, etc. However all cruise lines offer pre-paid gratuities once your on-board. Pre-Paid gratuities are basically the recommended tipping amount automatically applied to your on-board account. Norwegian Cruise Line has freestyle cruising and since you eat with different waiters each night it automatically applies the gratuities in the form of a service charge to each person and then divvies the charges up to each position that is included in service charge as part of their compensation. Now with all cruise lines even Norwegian you have the option to not tip at all or remove the service charge, however, remember that the employees that you feel may not deserve your gratuities, work 70 hours a week, for usually 8 months at a time and are away from their families and usually are supporting them with this profession. My advice is to take the automatic gratuity and or service charge, factor it in the cost before the cruise then forget about it, your service personnel will be happy with the recommended amount and if you feel anyone has shone brightly above the rest, tip them extra, at your own accord.

Average Total – For a 7-day cruise $84 per person

So no matter what, plan on budgeting an extra $150 - $200 per person minimum for the cruise. You can stop here, but I recommend you continue reading, as I give you an honest break down of the “extras”.

At your discretion:

Alcohol - while a few lines offer packages, it’s generally not included, except for elite high-end luxury liners, and believe me you’ve already paid for it in advance, so drink up. Alcohol is obviously totally up to you; however there is no denying that it is part of the cruise experience for many cruisers. Hey, people want to get away and have a drink, I’m all for it. Depending on where you are from your perception on the cost of alcohol on a cruise ship will differ. If you’re from a big city, you’ll think its dirt cheap, if you’re from a small town, you’ll think its sky high. On average Beer is usually $4 - $6, and liquor drinks are $5 - $9 depending on what you’re drinking. Want to save, drink domestic beers, well liquor drinks and avoid the souvenir cup! If you’re a modest drinker, you plan on drinking 5 nights of your seven night cruise, and you’ll have 2-3 drinks per night, you should budget anywhere between $75 - $100 per adult. Now if you’re a party animal, just prepare a much larger budget, but I bet you already have.

Average Total – for a 7 day cruse $85

Specialty Restaurants – Nearly every cruise ship you go on now a days has at least one specialty restaurant. You could easily avoid it, and eat in the main dining room every night; however, these restaurants are usually a cut above and in my opinion well worth the cover charge. Most of the restaurants provide excellent service and cuisine and offer you a high end dining experience that would cost you usually 3 to 5 times that amount on land. For the planners you can usually research what your choices are and the cost on the company website in advance.

Average Total - $20 - $75 per person, depending on how many times you go and your potential choices.

Gambling – Nearly every cruise ship has a casino, of course minus Disney Cruise Lines, and Pride of America, the only American Flagged ship, where it’s not allowed. Gambling is totally at your discretion; however remember there are other ways to gamble, such as the ever and still present Bingo, and cruise lines are creating new ways, such as Norwegian Cruise Lines new partnership with Deal or No Deal. So even the non-gamer might want to budget a little discretionary money for gambling. I recommend anywhere between $50 - $150 per person for the cruise, it can be pretty fun, again this is totally up to you.

Shopping – Weather onboard or ashore, nearly 99% of the time, it’s tax and duty free, which means great savings. Shopping is totally up to you, but be prepared that the deals are great and the prices are low, so this may just get you by surprise. I recommend for the causal shopper, to budget anywhere between $50 - $100 on some souvenirs and fun deals that may present themselves. Now if you are going to the Caribbean or Alaska, be aware the amazing prices on jewelry, watches and more in the ports of call. With those tax and duty free prices you may want to take advantage, the deals really are that good. So take a moment to think this over for yourself and or discuss with your partner in advance if it might be time to make a big purchase and then budget that in as well.

Going Ashore – For most the destinations are half of the reason to take the cruise, so you don’t’ want to just walk off the ship, go to the souvenir store and walk back. Get out there and enjoy these destinations, my recommendation is to take advantage of your ability to book in advance. Every cruise line sells their excursions on-line in advance of the cruise, so this is an easy thing to budget in before the cruise. Yes, the cruise excursions are more expensive than going it alone, however remember you’re getting cruise line service and guarantees with that price. If you go it alone, you risk it alone too, if something goes wrong they’re will be no one to talk to about it when you come back on-board.  So that’s entirely up to you, but I recommend you budget at least $50 - $100 per person per stop, for whatever adventure you might want to take part in. Of course if your going to Europe, Alaska, Hawaii or any other major destination cruise you may want to budget even more, possibly $200 - $400 per person per stop, if you really want to see and do it all.

Spa Treatments – This is obviously a totally luxury and add on, but all cruise ships have spas and once your there, you may be enticed to indulge; hey, it is a great way to relax and feel pampered and you do deserve it, right. Just know that if you choose to go your not getting out of there for less than $50 - $200 depending on what treatment you choose. If you think you’ll be tempted more than once, better earmark your budget accordingly. For the Spa fanatics a few newer cruise ships on Norwegian and Celebrity have Spa Suites that come with great perks and exclusive spa access. This might be worth it if you’re planning on making a partial spa week out of your cruise.

Now your probably doing the math in your head right now and freaking out, however remember cruises are still great values for what you get, and as you know, most of these are add on's to enhance your vacation. So the choice is totally up to you, but just be prepared that these choices and charges will come up.

So what are you waiting on, get an honest budget together and find the cruise that right for you.

Till next time,

Andy Steinhauser