Who is this man of moose-tery who has been with the Mates of Cruise since before the beginning of time? Does his real name matter? Not to us, he has always been Kuki - it rhymes with "pookie". (If you must know, visit his profile).
Will you know him instantly whence finally you meet? Only if spotted in his native habitat, the cruise ship blackjack tables, or sitting by the pool in a tanktop. But be forewarned, as he just might be in disguise, working as your waiter, your blackjack dealer, or even your butler!
Traditionally Travel Agent's earnings have been based on commissions paid by cruise lines as compensation for selling their product; cruises.
Go> 03-2-10
Just as in the world of communications and technology the world of cruising has advanced in many ways over the last several years as well.
Go> 02-23-10
Several weeks ago in my Blog I talked about "Things That Cost Extra". I thought I should follow up now with some realistic tips on how you can save money on those things.
Go> 02-16-10
You're getting ready to book your cruise and you find it just happens to be time for the "Sailaway Sale of Savings Lowest Prices of the Year or Ever Sale of the Century"
Go> 02-9-10
Over the years there's been hundreds, if not thousands, of articles and lists written talking about what everyone should know before they cruise.
Go> 01-26-10
You've received a quote on your cruise that you can live with, and fit into your budget, and you're ready to book. But let's stop for a minute and think about what your final dollar outlay might look like by the end of your cruise.
Go> 01-21-10
One very prominent, and indeed important part of the Internet has become user reviews. In fact there are web sites valued at hundreds of millions of dollars where 100 % of the content on the sites is provided by users.
Go> 01-12-10
Over my years writing for CruiseMates I've always recommended people do research, more research, and more research before they cruise, or as importantly, before they even book a cruise.
Go> 01-05-10
With the end of year tomorrow, the title phrase of this blog will pass the lips of millions of people; A rather natural expression of sentiment, as looking to the future supplies us the hope for the future, that everything will get better.
Go> 12-30-09
It wasn't long ago I remember quite clearly all the concern about what was going to happen cruise ships (and the world) with the worries of Y2K, and the chaos it would create.
Go> 12-15-09
It seems a very large number of first time cruisers take their first "dip in the pool" by booking a cruise that's either 2,3,4 or 5 day cruises.
Go> 12-08-09
Last week the Norwegian Dawn lost all power in the midst of a cruise. They were able to restore minimal power and get the ship (and passengers) to San Juan, Puerto Rico to effect repairs,
Go> 12-01-09
The "holiday season" officially kicks off this Friday, with Thanksgiving in the United States (though with the advertising we've seen this year you'd have thought Christmas ran from October to December).
Go> 11-24-09
I'm obviously talking to cruisers here. Since I'm writing for a Cruise Guide, it's likely the majority of people reading this entry will be cruisers.
Go> 11-17-09
Over the past decade at CruiseMates I've been asked all sorts of questions about cruising, both via message board posts, and private emails. Do you know what the most difficult question to answer is?
Go> 10-20-09
Though there have been a few hiccups along the way, since Sept. 11/01 the price of cruises have quite consistently floated near historic lows; the latest drops beginning this past year as the world economies battled recession.
Go> 10-13-09
For the past 10 years we at CruiseMates have offered from 3 to 5 group cruises a year to help facilitate members of our community cruising together; getting to meet and make great memories together.
Go> 9-29-09
There's all variety of packing lists available on the Internet, including on the CruiseMates web site. So, this is not a packing list. Rather it's a conglomeration of things everyone should take with them, along with their packing lists.
Go> 9-22-09
Two weeks ago I wrote a blog stating cruiser's needed to take more responsibility for themselves particularly in regard to purchasing travel insurance to cover unforeseen problems. This week's blog entry is somewhat the opposite of that;
Go> 9-15-09
I may be the only writer in the cruise industry who isn't salivating, in anticipation of the arrival or Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas.
Go> 9-8-09
Admittedly golf might not be the first thing to come to people's minds when they are considering their cruise vacations, and choosing which itinerary they might want to sail. But, devoted golfers are a bit of a strange breed.
Go> 7-21-09
Ever since "way back when" I've had a fear of flying. They have me as soon as we pull up to the airport. What were they thinking making me look at a large sign declaring "TERMINAL" ?
Go> 7-14-09
This past week I met, and had a discussion with someone who's never been on a cruise. When I meet a non-cruiser, and they find out I write about cruising they normally start asking questions.
Go> 7-7-09
In last week's Blog we talked about the "Demise of Traditional Cruise Dining", and included some discussion of the moves being made within the industry that I viewed as moving closer to a amusement park or resort mentality/atmosphere onboard.
Go> 6-30-09
Over the weekend Celebrity Cruise Line became one of the last hold-outs amongst the major cruise lines to amend their dining room arrangements to include a version of "unstructured" dining times ,rather than assigned times and specific table seating assignments for passengers.
Go> 6-23-09
The subject of choosing a cruise that's right for you may be one of the most covered topics for cruise related web sites, and cruise advice columns.
Go> 6-16-09
We admittedly live in rather odd times, with continuous bombardment from the media on troubling world and local events; the all too familiar issuing of Amber Alerts for missing children;, dysfunctional families with issuing leading to tragedies which unfold in the public eye; job loss and other financial factors making a mess of people's lives, plans and dreams.
Go> 6-9-09
The Caribbean is the most heavily cruised area of the world, and that's most likely to continue in the near future as more cruise lines are leaving more ships to sail the Caribbean waters for longer portions of the year.
Go> 6-2-09
Normally most of us (the cruise addicted) are very proud of our affliction. We don't waste our valuable cruise dollars on psychiatrists or mood altering medication because we know all we need to keep us happy is to have a countdown clock set for our next cruise; the shorter the countdown the happier we are.
Go> 5-26-09
The cruise industry is just coming out of the tumultuous efforts required to deal with the threats from the N1H1 (swine flu) Virus, and prior to that the hullabaloo caused by the outing of Royal Caribbean's "Royal Champs" viral marketing campaign.
Go> 5-19-09
As my job is to follow and write about the cruise industry one might naturally assume I am an advocate for the industry. And it's true in many ways. I am most certainly a fan of cruise vacations as I believe a cruise could easily be considered the best valued vacation purchase you can make
Go> 5-11-09
When we were married I had promised Mrs. Kuki a cruise to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. I had managed to avoid that commitment until our 14th anniversary. I finally caved in, and booked
Go> 5-4-09
On my Blog last week I answered one of the questions I'm most often asked. I thought I'd continue in that vein this week with the question I hear all the time... What's Your Favorite Cruise Line?
Go> 4-28-09
These days, in most cases when boarding a ship you'll find over 60% of the passengers onboard are repeat customers of that cruise line. I had always considered cruisers to be somewhat of an adventurous breed, and this seemingly high percentage of passengers returning over and over to the same cruise line seems to belie that idea...
Go> 4-21-09
These days, in most cases when boarding a ship you'll find over 60% of the passengers onboard are repeat customers of that cruise line. I had always considered cruisers to be somewhat of an adventurous breed, and this seemingly high percentage of passengers returning over and over to the same cruise line seems to belie that idea...
Go> 4-14-09
The latest catch phrase in the cruise industry seems to be "a ship within a ship". The phrase is used to describe more upscale cabin categories and amenities the cruise lines are trying to develop to attract those who are willing to pay extra for not only larger chunks of the real estate
Go> 4-8-09
I'm wondering now if Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is also attempting to swim upstream.
Economists throughout the planet have pretty much agreed the world economy is fragile at best...
Go> 03-31-09
Originally when cruise ships began offering shore excursions for their guests, in most cases they were the responsibility of the ships Cruise Directors.
Go> 03-24-09
And Does It Influence Your Post Cruise Feedback? A cruise is what you make it. I've often seen that phrase used on the message boards, particularly when someone has posted a less than glowing report about their cruise experience.
Go> 03-17-09
While it's not likely the primary reason people choose to cruise, the social life you encounter once at sea probably has a lot to do with your enjoyment of the cruise,though it may not immediately come to mind as being all that significant.
Go> 03-10-09
CruiseMates offers an all-new review for the latest NCL ship to hit the high seas - Norwegian Jade. The latest Free-style refinements come together.
Go> 5-26-08
Writing a cruise review is a great way to make your opinion known. It also helps your fellow cruisers when they are deciding on a ship for their next voyage. Here's some tips to make the process of writing your next review easy and fun!
02-20-08
Kuki sailed with the top Cruise Director and reported from the ship on a daily basis. All the weekly events of John Heald's Bloggers Cruise here.
01-19-08
Kuki updates our CruiseMates cruise ship review after a recent voyage on this popular ship. How have things changed since her christening five years ago?
01-07-08
She's bigger, bolder and more elaborate than anything else in the NCL fleet. Come aboard for a first-hand look at this fabulous new ship, the Norwegian Gem!
12-19-07
Cruise reviews can be a helpful tool for selecting your next cruise, but not all reviews are equal. Let Kuki help you separate the wheat from the chaff.
09-03-07
Things were complicated before security was boosted, now as a Canadian citizen, Kuki and others face early morning roll calls and other indiginities when entering U.S. ports.
It's easy! Find the pointy end of the ship and "port" is left. How do you know? look out a window. Which way is the water flowing? Face the opposite way, if the water isn't flowing, you are already in port.
There is no excuse for a bad cruise, as long as the cruise line fits your personal style. They all differ, and it is up to you to figure out which is best for you.
Cruise fares are still historically cheap, but the little extras can add up. Kuki offers advice on how to reduce your shipboard and shore-side expenses.
