But let’s examine this issue in depth and share our feelings on it in a healthy spirit of debate.

I have no problem with tipping service people.  While I think tipping has gotten out of hand in our society today, I do realize that there are certain service providers whose income depends on tips simply because custom has always dictated that a good portion of their compensation would come from tips.  In other words, if I don’t tip them then they wind up losing money by serving me simply because their employer will not pick up the slack.

My feeling with tipping is that it was always meant to be something additional, and not a part of the service person’s regular compensation.  Should not the service person be making a basic wage and the tip be added onto the top, as something extra for going above and beyond in providing service?  Shouldn’t the tip represent an acknowledgement that the service provided went beyond what the customer would expect and be designed as an added reward?

I think this has always been the goal of a tip, but in our society its purpose has become corrupted.  Today, we have “tipping guidelines” … i.e., what is “expected” to be an appropriate amount to give the service person for any transaction.  In the case of our cruises, it’s the $10 or $11 per day that is charged to our onboard accounts, and the 15% added gratuities that are tacked onto our bar tabs.  But what happens if we don’t feel we’ve gotten good service?  In past years, you just didn’t tip that service person and the matter was solved.  Hopefully he learned a hard lesson when he didn’t get a tip out of the transaction, and hopefully that will encourage him to do better the next time.  But today, it’s far more convoluted than that.  If we have a lousy cabin steward who makes no effort to improve over the course of a week’s cruise, despite “gentle” reminders from the passenger, we now have to go down to the front desk and wait in a long line to get his tip removed from our bills.  On some cruise lines, that may actually be impossible to do if they have the tip classified as a non-removable “hotel service charge.”  In the case of other cruise lines, yes, we can remove the tips, but then have to put up with the dirty looks we’ll get from other passengers at the purser’s desk, not to mention from the purser’s staff themselves.  It seems like it is just a whole lot easier to leave the tip on there, despite being totally dissatisfied with the service.

Then percentages have changed over time as well.  True, one could argue that the economy is different today, and of course, the percentages of what would be considered an “appropriate” tip will change.  But think about it.  In many cases, why should it?  If I go into an expensive restaurant and order a meal, today that meal might cost me $50.00, over a $100 for me and my dining companion.  In a past era, that same meal would have maybe cost $50 for the both of us.  Well, a 15% tip back then would have been about $7.50.  Today it will be about $15.00.  I think my tip amount has certainly kept pace with inflation.  But no.  Today we are told that an appropriate tip would be a MINIMUM of 20%, and in many cases as high as 25%.  Now the cost of a meal out is gonna cost me over $100, plus $20 to $25 for the tip.  For some folks, especially those struggling in this economy today, that often means they can no longer afford to enjoy an occasional meal out.  And the worst part of this is that the tip almost doesn’t even seem to be tied to the quality of the service any longer.  We find ourselves leaving that big tip even when we are generally unhappy with the level of the service we have received.

I am saddened by the fact that when we take a cruise, we are often made to feel that we are being cheap if we “decline” to tip anything over and above the daily gratuity charged to our accounts.  We are told that if you can’t afford to tip, then you shouldn’t be on the boat to begin with.  Well, wait a minute.  Something’s wrong here.  The cruise line is the one telling me that $11 per day is an “appropriate” tip amount to cover the services of my cabin steward, waitstaff and certain behind the scenes people.  Now you’re telling me that I should tip even more if the service is “satisfactory.”  Wait a minute here.  I work hard for a living too.  Keep increasing the amount of the tip that I should be “expected” to give, and pretty  soon I’m no longer gonna be able to afford to take a cruise.  Is that fair?  I’m just a working stiff same as these cabin stewards and waiters.  My money doesn’t come easy and I don’t even get tips.  My employer pays my salary.  Shouldn’t the cruise lines be paying more of these peoples’ salaries instead of relying on me to do it?  I’ve already paid for my cruise.  Now I’ve got to pay their salaries too?

And another thing.  The cruise line tells me that $3.50 a day goes to my cabin steward team and $3.50 to my waitstaff team.  Well, okay.  Now where does the remaining $4.00 a day go?  Well, they tell me, that goes to a lot of the “behind the scenes” people you don’t see, but who make your cruise experience special.  Really?  What? Those people aren’t paid?  Shouldn’t it be the cruise line’s responsibility to pay the people who do that “behind the scenes” work?  Why should I be getting involved in that?

And that’s another thing about tipping.  At one time tipping was confined to certain jobs, purely front-line service workers — waitstaff, housekeepers, and the like.  Now it seems like everyone’s got their hand in the “endless” tip jar.  Everyone wants a piece of the tip pie … be it on a cruise ship or in our daily lives at home.  I go to the Dunkin Donuts and mosey up to the counter to get a cup of coffee.  I place my order and the ordertaker fills it.  I have not been waited on in the traditional sense.  I am standing in a line at a service counter waiting to get my cup of coffee.  But yet, there’s a tip jar sitting there in front of me.  I’m supposed to tip?  For what?  The person is filling my order.  He’s not giving me that cup of coffee for free.  I’m paying him to fill my order.  So, why the tip?  I don’t understand.  If I sit at a table and a waitperson comes up to me and takes my order, and then brings it to me … that’s different.  I am being served and if that service is acceptable, I should tip him something.  But in the case of the going to a service counter and having the wait person merely fill my order — pour my cup of coffee from the urn and collect my money — then I’m sorry, but I’m not tipping him with anything more than a smile and a thank you — something that I should be getting from him, but often am not.

And how about some of the other people you would never expect to have their hands out for tips …

For example, have you ever cringed when the dining room manager or “matre ‘d” made his rounds of the tables on the last night of your cruise?  You haven’t really had many dealings with him on the other six nights, but now on the last one he is coming around, making nice and holding his hand out to accept the tips?  Have you ever wondered why you are tipping him … a management level employee?  Aren’t tips supposed to go to the service workers?

In the same vein, I like to occasionally engage in “extreme” experiences.  Trust me, these experiences are not cheap.  I took an aerobatics flight down in Florida on a couple of occasions.  We’re talking at a price tag of over $500 bucks here.  Imagine my shock when I see a “discrete” plaque posted on the instrument panel in front of me … “tips are never expected, but definitely appreciated.”  What?  I am gonna tip a “professional” now?  You mean to tell me that at a $500 price tag for this experience, the instructor pilot (who, by the way owns the company) is not making a nice take on the deal for his time and expertise?  And another time, in Hawaii, I decided to go for a tandem skydive.  Again, this experience is not cheap.  Something like $250 for the jump; another $150 or so for the video and stills … not to mention the tee-shirts and all that other good stuff.  As I am handing over my credit card to the helpful lady at the service window, she “politely” asks what kind of a tip I want added to my total.  She tells me that it is “appropriate” to tip my tandem instructor $20, and give the videoflyer another $20.  Wait a minute.  These people are “professionals,” are they not?  Don’t they get well compensated for their time and trouble.  If I WANT to tip these people, that should be my choice, shouldn’t it?  What’s next?  Will I soon be expected to tip my doctor, my dentist and even the pharmacist who fills my prescription?

Please don’t get me wrong.  I am not saying here that I am against tipping.  I am just against “forced” tipping, or tipping that I am “expected” to do.  I am also against tipping people who are already compensated at a very generous rate of pay based upon their status as a “professional” service provider.

To me, the decision about whether to tip, how much to tip, and whom to tip should be mine.  It shouldn’t be something I am “shamed” into by custom.

So, how do you feel about this issue?  Have you sometimes tipped because you felt you had to, and not because you felt the tip was earned?

Have you ever tipped someone that you really felt shouldn’t be collecting tips — such as a management or technical employee who is already well-compensated, or at least should be?

Have you ever refused to tip someone and then been made to suffer embarrassment because of it?

Let me know your thoughts on this.  I think they could be very enlightening.

I recently attended a virtual luxury cruise expo.  The presentations for the most part were understandable. I realize that there are some people who prefer a more intimate cruise experience on a smaller ship where everything is top drawer — the service, the amenities, and the ship.  But what I don’t understand is why someone would go on a mass market, or even a premium cruise line, in order to get this experience.  Huh?  Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

One of the presentations offered during this expo was a roundtable discussion where members of four “mass market” cruise lines were the participants.  There was someone from Holland America, another from Royal Caribbean, Andy Steward from NCL and a representative from MSC.  These individuals were touting their luxury accommodations and describing how passengers can book into them for an entirely different cruise experience while onboard their ships.  This I just don’t understand.

True, the accommodations can be truly luxurious on these mass market or premium lines.  Holland America discussed the features of their penthouse and deluxe suite acommodations, especially the penthouse categories with close to 1,000 square feet of living space, including an enormous balcony — along with all the special amenities including free laundry and pressing, a private hot tub on the balcony, second “guest” bathroom, ensuite canapes served nightly, the opportunity to have dinner served course by course in the suite or on the balcony, and the list goes on and on — not the least of which is exclusive access to the “Neptune Lounge,” with a concierge who can take care of all manner of needs for suite guests, including making dinner and spa reservations, as well as taking care of arranging for private cars and tours in port.

NCL talked about the advantages of their suite accommodations — some of them called “Garden Villas,” where guests have access to a private courtyard, complete with butler service and their own private pool.  Of course, butler service is provided ensuite as well.

But the thought that kept running through my head is that the bottom line is that people booking into these accommodations — right up through the highest priced ones on the ship — are still sailing on a mass market ship.  Sure, if they are willing to isolate themselves in their suites or on their exclusive suite deck, they could probably have a somewhat luxury cruise. But the sad fact is that as soon as they venture into any of the public areas on the ship, they will be subjected to a mass market experience, the same as anyone else.  Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that experience, but … after all … if you are paying the major bucks for a luxury cruise experience, don’t you want to get that?  I know I would.

As I see it, there are two major differences that separate a mass market from a luxury cruise experience:  (1) Size and expansiveness of the accommodations; and (2) The all-inclusive nature of the shipboard experience.  True, a mass market cruise line can certainly duplicate the luxury cruise experience in terms of accommodations.  A suite onboard the mass market ship can be identical in elegance to one onboard a luxury vessel.  It’s all about size and amenities afterall, and a mass market ship can certainly provide large suites with first rate amenities just as well as the luxury cruise line can.  However, where the mass market line falls way short, in my opinion, is in providing the luxury shipwide experience.  They can’t possibly compete in this area, as far as I’m concerned.

When the luxury cruise ship passenger leaves his cabin, he remains immersed in the luxury cruise experience.  There is a much higher staff to passenger ratio throughout the ship, and that shows in the level of service he receives, whether that be in the dining room or in his favorite bar or lounge.  Luxury ships generally carry less passengers — that’s precisely what makes them luxury ships.  The bar waiters have more than ample opportunity to get to know their guests and know what they like to drink.  All a passenger has to do is walk into a favorite bar or lounge, and chances are his drink of choice will magically appear before him in a matter of seconds.

On a mass market ship, often carrying 2,000 to 3,000 passengers, this level of service is simply not possible to deliver.  The crew to passenger ratio is not as high, meaning that less crew members are available to service the guests.  This means that sometimes there will be lags in the service, and since there are so many people onboard for any given sailing, it will be very difficult for even the most competent bar server to remember each individual guest’s personal preferences.  As a result, it will be nearly impossible to deliver the same level of personal service that one would expect on a luxury type cruise.

This lack of a luxury experience also filters down into other aspects of the cruise experience.  Head off to daily trivia on a small luxury ship and chances are it will be held in an intimate venue where the atmosphere will be friendly and the game will move at a more relaxed pace.  Time limits won’t be strictly imposed because even if the event runs over by 15 or 20 minutes, it’s no big deal.  But on a mass market ship, daily trivia could be a blood sport.  Often you could have several hundred people participating, and you have to stay on schedule.  After all, you must hold it in a large venue to accommodate all of the people, and chances are that venue is probably tightly scheduled.  Run over by ten minutes and the next event is ten minutes late getting started.  That can cause a major problem.

And is not the onboard environment entirely different between the mass market ship and the luxury vessel?  If you’ve ever sailed one of the luxury lines, I would love to hear from you in this regard.  I would assume that usually the luxury vessels are smaller, and carry far fewer passengers, and that fact alone would seem to encourage passengers to mix more freely.  If you are only sailing with 600 other people, do you not have the luxury of time to get to know some of them as you frequent the same hangouts onboard.  With some of the larger mass market vessels, if you meet someone onboard whose company you enjoy, you’d better get their cabin number because the odds are you’d never run into them again without pre-arranging it.

Also, are not the itineraries more varied on the luxury lines, giving guests a chance to visit more exotic ports, and some smaller ones that are simply not accessible to the larger ships?  This fact alone would seem to give the luxury vessels an edge over the mass market lines.

Dining too is very different on a mass market ship when compared to a luxury one.  Chances are the dining venues on the luxury ship can easily accommodate the entire passenger population even if everyone decided to eat at essentially the same time.  Not so on a mass market ship.  People have to be “slotted” — main or late seating, or flexible dining.  If you choose flexible and don’t make reservations early in the day, chances are you will have to take “pot luck” when you arrive in the dining room — either having to share a table with others or perhaps having to wait a half an hour for a table for two.  Not so on the luxury lines.  There the dining is far less structured, generally always open seating and with plenty of capacity to accommodate everyone with a minimum of waiting.  While the luxury ship may have a few “premium” restaurants onboard, these venues will generally never have an added fee and will only require that advance reservations be made.

Also, dining on a mass market line means eating mass market food, where little is available in the way of customization.  The kitchen has 2,000 meals to prepare in a very short window of time.  Really, how much can truly be handled in regard to “special” orders — even for the penthouse suite guest?  The bottom line is the penthouse suite guest is in the same “boat,” so to speak, as everyone else onboard.  He eats the same quality of food, prepared in the same manner, as the guest staying in the lowest category inside cabin.

Finally, the biggie, drinks — both alcoholic and otherwise.  Onboard most luxury cruise lines, drinks are included in the passenger’s cruise fare.  A lot of folks will say that the reason they don’t sail luxury cruise lines is specifically because of that fact.  “I don’t drink enough to make it worth the extra money,” I’ve heard several people say.  But is really about how much you drink?  Or, could the real difference be in the ambience of the environment in which you drink it?  On the luxury line, one doesn’t have to sign “chits” everytime they place an order at one of the bars.  They don’t have to deal with the often awkward question of “who’s buying?” when they join friends for pre-dinner cocktails.  They don’t have to worry about gratuities for the serving staff, because those gratuities are already paid upfront in their cruise fare.  This creates a much more relaxed environment onboard ship, similar to that of a private country club.  People are encouraged to venture into the lounges before dinner to enjoy a cocktail, or even a soft drink, as they socialize with friends.  This creates a more friendly environment among passengers, whether they tend to be drinkers or not.  On a mass market ship often people who don’t drink will hesitate to frequent the bars and lounges in the evenings because they feel that they will look “cheap” when they decline to order a cocktail.

True, there are some cruise lines — Cunard comes to mind — that try to compensate for these shortcomings with luxury cruising on a mass market ship.  They segregate the dining venues based upon passenger accommodations.  People staying in Queen’s Grill Suites (the most expensive) are the only ones who can dine in that venue, or visit the exclusive lounge only open to Queen’s Grill guests.  The choices and ambience in the Queen’s Grill restaurant are far different than what the more “common” passengers will find in the lowel level dining venues such as the Britannia Restaurant. Lots of special requests can be accommodated, and as a result those suite accommodation guests can truly enjoy a luxury dining experience in tandem with their luxury shipboard accommodations — something others cannot.  But I know of no other mass market cruise line that offers this dining distinction to its suite-level guests.

And finally, the nuts and bolts issue — money.  Could it not be actually more expensive to take a luxury cruise on a mass market ship?  You’re probably paying about the same on the mass market vessel as you would on a luxury sailing when you consider the cost of some of those suites.  But, in addition to the cost of your accommodations, you now have to also budget for drinks, gratuities, basic shore excursions, and even soft drinks and bottled water on the mass market sailing.  Not so on the luxury voyage as generally they include all soft drinks, liquor, wine and spirits.  They also include gratuities and even some basic shore tours within the cost of the cruise fare.  Often they even go so far as to forbid staff from even accepting additional gratuities if they are offered.

So, I am left with the question: If someone had the means and the desire to avail themselves of a luxury cruise experience, why would they choose to do it on a mass market line, especially since the cost would probably be the same and sometimes even more?  Would it not be better to take advantage of an integrated cruise experience where all aspects of it were on the luxury level — from the accommodations to the dining, to the onboard ambience, and everything in between?  Or are there just advantages I’m overlooking to enjoying a luxury experience, despite its limitations, on a larger mass market ship?  Is it just the desire to sail on a larger ship with more amenities and more venues in which to enjoy them?

What has been your experience?  Have you ever been on one of the luxury cruise lines and if so, what was your experience?  Did you find it to be superior to a luxury experience offered on the mass market ship?  Do you have a preference, and if so, why?  And, if you prefer enjoying upper level accommodations on the mass market ship over sailing a luxury vessel, why?

I’d love to hear your insights.

Sure, the mechanics of booking cruises, working with clients, customer service, etc. can be learned, but how about all the other things that almost seem intuitive?

So, I thought I would come to the CruiseMates community for answers. I tend to think this community probably has better answers than the travel industry does.

So, here’s my questions:

What do you look for in a travel agent? Is your primary concern one of price or of service? Do you have a regular travel agent, or do you book each cruise with a different one — often the one that will give you the best price? If you do have a regular agent, why do you stick with her?  Does she offer superior service to the point that, within reason, you wouldn’t care if another agency was offering your cruise at a lower price? And, if your agent’s price is initially higher, would you give her the chance to match a lower price you obtained elsewhere before pulling your booking?

The reason I ask these questions is because I’ve discovered that the cruise lines give ALL agents pretty much the same price for a cabin.  Sure, some agencies can possibly have group space reserved on a certain sailing, but those group prices are pretty much the same.  The bookings only accrue certain amenities not available to a single booking.  For example, maybe all the cabins in the group will get a bottle of champagne in the stateroom and a $50 per cabin onboard credit.  Where the differences seem to come into play with price is that some high volume agents may offer ”discounts” that come out of the commission they would make on the booking.  Some cruise lines have disallowed this practice, but some still do permit “rebating.”  And on the surface, this discounting sounds like a great idea.  It seems a good way to increase bookings for your agency, and since a lot of bookings with the same cruise line often results in a higher rate of commission paid to the agency, the “rebate” the agent gives her client should result in the same basic amount of commission for the agent anyway.  But do you get the same degree of service from the large discount agencies?  I honestly don’t know, but my experience says no.

The problem I’ve noticed with the large discount agencies is one of service.  It seems they are primarily order taking mills, and that they are pretty slim on personal service.  But, of course, my experience is rather limited.  Maybe some of you have better experiences  If you use a large discount travel agency, are you happy with the service you get from them?

The reason I ask this is because I booked a couple of cruises through one of the “biggies” in the industry and got what I thought was a good rate for my cabin.  However, I was still a relatively new cruiser at the time, and could have really benefited from some saavy advice.  I made two bookings with this agency, both in the same year.  Both bookings were with Princess, by my own choice.

The next year, when I wanted to book another cruise, a message board friend referred me to her travel agent.  When I got that agent on the phone and told her I was a solo cruiser wanted to book a sailing on Princess, this agent seemed a bit taken aback.  She told me that Princess gives absolutely no break to solos — 200% single supplement, so why would I want to sail Princess?  I was shocked.  I never knew that.  In fact, I was still a relatively new cruiser with little “inside” knowledge of the industry.  I only wished my previous agent had told me that.  I only wonder how great her knowledge of the industry really was.  Maybe she didn’t even know there were other cruise lines that wouldn’t charge me a 200% single supplement.

Right there, with that one piece of advice, this travel agent earned my loyalty.  She made me aware that I was wasting my money — spending more for a cruise than I needed to.  She then proceeded to ask me some questions, trying to determine what I looked for in a sailing, and then steered me to another cruise line where I could get a better deal as a solo, yet still get the type of cruise I was looking for.

So, what’s more important to you?  Is price the guiding factor?  Or, do you prefer dealing with someone who offers personalized service and whose knowledge of the cruise industry you have confidence in?  Do the two have to be mutually exclusive?  Have you been fortunate enough to find a travel agent who offers BOTH discounted prices AND excellent service?

The next question I have regards loyalty.  Are you “married” to your travel agent.  In other words, do you prefer to make all of your bookings with her, not even shopping with others?  If so, has this relationship been one you’ve developed over the course of years and many bookings with her?  Do you stick with her mainly because she is comfortable for you to deal with?  Do you just have a great rapport with her, such that you don’t care if you are paying a little bit more?

Or, are you a person who prefers to get the best deal possible, and don’t care which agent you book with, just as long as you are getting the best possible price?  Do you consider each cruise a separate transaction, shopping it around with many agencies, rather than sticking with one particular agent?  Have you been successful in this strategy or have you often met with frustration dealing with some of these agents, either because of service issues or perhaps simply because they were difficult to communicate with?

Finally, how do you feel about “brick and mortar” travel agencies versus long-distance ones? Do you prefer dealing with an agent whose place of business you can just walk into when you want to make a booking?  Or, do you usually make your bookings online or over the telephone, with a travel agent you’ve never met face to face?  Do you feel one type of travel agent is better, or doesn’t it matter to you?  Do you feel that dealing face to face with an agent is somehow more satisfying than via the internet or on the telephone?

And, on a related topic, what do you think is an acceptable amount of time for your travel agent to get back to you in response to an email or telephone message?  Is the next day acceptable, or do you expect ot hear back within the hour?  What about when your agent is on her own cruise?  Does she have someone backing her up in case you have a question or a problem with your booking?

I ask these questions because they are things I have been thinking about quite a bit lately.  And I can’t think of a better place to seek answers than right here in our CruiseMates community.  So, would you mind helping me out and giving me your thoughts?

I’ve read each response posted, and here’s what I seem to find.  You folks let me know what you think.

I think the whole issue of smoking onboard is one where there’s lots of strong feelings both pro and con.  It seems to me that about two-thirds of the responses favor smoking onboard, while one-third do not.  I think most people who are against smoking feel that way because the smoke truly bothers them, and impacts their overall shipboard vacation experience.  The folks who favor smoking onboard feel that if they could not smoke, it would detract for their cruise experience as well.

Is there any way to please both factions so that everyone has the shipboard experience they are looking for?

I think there is, and I think it is up to the cruise lines to make it so if they want to retain everyone’s business.

A major complaint the non-smokers seem to make is that they cannot enjoy their balconies when a smoker’s balcony is located in their general vicinity.  I can understand this complaint entirely.  Some people are truly bothered by smoke. They spend the considerable extra money to get a balcony stateroom and then have their enjoyment of that amenity destroyed by others who are smoking on balconies around them.

On the other hand, I would imagine that many smokers purposely book balconies because they need a place to smoke, and the balcony provides that.  Maybe they are sharing a stateroom with non-smoking friends or family, and the only place where they can light up without bothering them is on the balcony.

So, it would seem to me that the cruise lines are not doing their part to ensure everyone has the vacation experience they desire.  Why can’t the cruise lines simply ask the person making the booking – the travel agent, group leader, or passenger – whether they smoke or not?  Smokers will book cabins toward the back of the ship and if non-smokers choose to take one of those aft cabins, they do so knowing that there are likely to be smokers in the cabins around them.  Having a balcony at the aft of the ship would also ensure that smoke is blowing backwards and not into the faces of those non-smokers on balconies at the front of the ship.

Of course, this would not be a foolproof solution.  There are certainly going to be cases where all of the cabins at the rear of the ship will be booked and a smoker may have no choice but to be located in a cabin towards the front of the ship.  Also, there are some people who are adamant about wanting a certain cabin, and regardless of whether they smoke or not, are going to book that cabin.  Also, there may be some situations where someone books their cruise late and the only cabins available are in the rear of the ship, forcing them to book in “smokers’ territory.”  However, by at least making an effort to segregate the smokers, the cruise lines will do much to improve relations between them and their non-smoking fellow passengers.

The other major complaint I seem to read from the non-smokers is that they can’t enjoy the bar and lounge areas because of excessive smoking.  When smokers read this sort of thing, they tend to get annoyed because generally the smoking section in these venues is very small.  The non-smokers have the run of the place, and there is no reason they must sit near the small section that the smokers have to enjoy.  The smokers complain that non-smokers will often sit in or around the smoking section and then cough and wave their hands in front of their faces, in an attempt to make the smokers uncomfortable.

Can’t we all live together and enjoy the ship together?  I say we can, and again I place the responsibility for creating this cohesive environment squarely on the shoulders of the cruise lines.  If certain areas of the ship “stink” of cigarette smoke, then I would suggest that maybe the cruise lines need to carefully evaluate the effectiveness of their ventilation systems.  Perhaps in many cases the fault lies with a ventilation system that is not properly maintained.  There is no reason a room should “reek” of cigarette smoke – especially when smokers tend to occupy it for only relatively short periods of time (i.e., during the evening hours when that lounge is open for business.)  If the ventilation system were working properly, it would have no problem removing those odors in such a manner that they would not become at all offensive.  Add extra ventilation in the area of the venue that is open to smokers, and I’d bet the problem wouldn’t be half as bad as the non-smokers say it is now.  And, non-smokers – if cigarette smoke truly bothers you, why not settle in at a table far removed from the smoking section.  Usually the smoking sections are located near the bar area.  Most of the lounges onboard most ships have a lot of seats, with bar service, that are nowhere even close to the actual bar.

I know that non-smokers do make an argument that cigarette smoke is harmful even to those who are only exposed to it second-hand.  They feel that it is unfair that they have to “compromise” at all.  The ships should be 100% non-smoking because smokers have no right to “kill” non-smokers with their noxious smoking fumes.  The only question I have for these folks is why they are not boycotting the automobile industry and lobbying against them? Why are you taking all of your frustration out on smokers alone?  Believe me, you get far more noxious fumes in your lungs from vehicle exhaust than you could ever get from being exposed to 100 smokers year-round, around the clock.

The smoking debate will never truly be resolved – at least not as long as cigarettes are legal.  Sure, smoking is a harmful habit, but it is not the only one.  There are plenty of habits that are just as potentially dangerous – gambling, over-eating, drinking to excess, etc., etc.  And if you don’t think those bad habits affect you at all, you might want to think again.  When the habitual and careless drinker gets into his car after a night on the town, it is you who is affected if you happen to get in his way.  Through no fault of your own you could wind up with life-altering injuries in a matter of seconds.  Believe me, I know someone who is in just that sort of situation — her life hasn’t been the same since she was plowed into by a drunk driver.  Yet it seems that there is far more negative publicity about smokers than there is against these careless drinkers.

True, smokers can have a negative impact on the cruise experience of the non-smoker, but that impact can be greatly reduced if only the cruise lines would take some of the simple steps outlined above.  True, those steps would involve more work, more trouble and maybe even a bit more expense – however, in these troubled economic times can the cruise lines honestly afford to turn away any willing customer?  Shouldn’t they be more than happy to do whatever is necessary to create a positive cruise experience for their smoking and non-smoking passengers alike?

Does anyone have any additional ideas as to what the cruise lines can do to help both smokers and non-smokers alike to enjoy their cruise experiences?  I’ve come up with a few ideas here, but there are far more creative minds than mine in our CruiseMates community, so I’d really like to hear your thoughts and ideas.

(Note:  I will be putting up an article in the next week or so detailing the general smoking policies, as they currently stand, for each of the major cruise lines.)

I will be honest, I am a smoker, but it seems more and more cruise lines are not too friendly to us smokers these days.  The areas you can smoke in are becoming less and less.  I remember when I boarded Holland America’s Veendam for a TransAtlantic cruise from Tampa to Venice back in April of 2007.  Without any prior warning, beginning with our cruise Holland America had tightened up their smoking policy.  They removed all of the ashtrays from the tables in the small section of the outside Lido deck, where smoking had previously been allowed.  They also started a rotation policy in the casino of smoking and smoke-free nights.  There were a “hard core” group of smokers on that sailing who were pretty much up in arms about the changes … especially since Holland America offered no advance warning before implementing them.  In fact, on the cruise right before this no such restrictions were in force.  A friend who had been onboard the previous sailing told me that stewards began removing the ashtrays from the tables on the Lido while she and her husband sat there having a cigarette before disembarking.

Of course, to be fair, I have to say that the upset smokers were clearly in the minority.  There were plenty of passengers onboard who were absolutely thrilled with the changes.

Lately, HAL has been distributing a survey to all guests asking smoking-related questions.  Would you continue to sail Holland America if smoking were prohibited in most venues?  Would you continue to sail the line if smoking were totally prohibited?  … questions of that nature.  Supposedly this survey will go on for a year, after which time decisions will be made based on the results.  My feeling, and those of most other smokers I’ve talked to is that smoking will probably be greatly restricted, if not altogether eliminated at that time.

How do you feel about this?  Does the smoking onboard the ships you sail bother you?

I’ve heard many people complain about balcony smokers.  I would imagine that a good number of the people who opt for a balcony stateroom do so because one member of the party smokes, while the others do not.  The balcony provides a place for them to indulge their “vice” without bothering the other people in the stateroom.  Yet, when they light up on their balcony, they risk bothering other people who want to enjoy their own balconies without being exposed to second-hand smoke.  This problem becomes even worse in the case of pipe or cigar smokers.

Carnival at one time had a smoke-free ship, the Paradise.  I’ve heard conflicting reports about its demise.  Some say that the ship was very profitable and sailed full just about every week.  Others say the ship reverted back to normal smoking policies after it kept losing money week after week in onboard revenue.  Supposedly the take from the bars and lounges, as well as the casino, was dismal.  Supposedly non-smokers simply don’t drink and gamble as much as smokers do.  Other people, however, claimed that the only reason Carnival removed the Paradise’s smoke-free designation was because the second Carnival ship that was doing regular Caribbean sailings was relocated elsewhere.  Since the Paradise was to be the only Carnival ship left in the Caribbean, the cruise line executives felt that they would lose too many of those Caribbean passengers to other cruise lines if they kept the Paradise sailing as a smoke-free ship.

Of course, the days of the smoke-free Carnival Paradise were pretty long ago.  So, what about today?  Do you think a totally smoke-free ship could be profitable?  Or how about this one — would you actually be willing to pay more for your cruise if you could sail on a totally smoke-free ship?  Some of the cruise lines state that the simple reason they have refused to go entirely smoke-free is that the impact on onboard revenue would be too great on such a ship.  I actually had one hotel manager tell me that his predecessor had made the bar area smoke-free in a couple of the lounges, and when he took over and saw the major decline in drink sales in those bars, he immediately switched them back to smoking venues.  He claimed that it’s a simple fact in the industry that smokers tend to drink more.  So, it would seem, at least to me, that if a ship was going to go either smoke-free, or at least highly restricted, they would have to demand a higher price in order to compensate for lost revenues.  Would you be willing to forego cheaper cruises on other ships in order to sail a smoke-free one?

And, how about you smokers?  Would you stop sailing a cruise line if they greatly restricted the areas onboard where you could light up?  I heard via various message boards that Regent Seven Seas’ passengers were pretty hot when that luxury line eliminated smoking in the cabins and on balconies.   Would you sail, for example, the ships of Azamara, Disney or Oceania – some of the most restrictive lines in terms of smoking?

If your cruise line told you that you could no longer smoke in your cabin or on your balcony, would you cancel your bookings with them?  Or how about the casino or the bars?  Would you frequent those venues if you couldn’t smoke?

Let us know what you think about this highly “inflammatory” issue.

In the days of ocean liners, the more you paid for a stateroom, the higher the quality of your shipboard experience.  Cunard, for its 140-year history, has always divided its dining venues by  “class,” with only the most expensive staterooms having the privilege of dining in the famed Queen’s Grill.  While ”lesser” passengers dined in the traditional fixed seating dining room, passengers qualifying for dining in the Queen’s Grill enjoyed tableside food preparation, a much wider variety of dining choices, higher quality food and far more personalized service. For the record, the newer “Princess Grill” restaurant category was not created until the newer Cunard ships were built, beginning with Queen Mary 2.

While Cunard has been at the forefront of this class system of ocean vessels for years, it seems that especially as of late, other cruise lines are jumping on the bandwagon.  Celebrity Solstice, for example, offers the separate dining venue, “Blu,” exclusively for those booked in the AquaClass cabin category. Other cruise lines have recently added ”exclusive access” areas onboard ships that are only open to those who either book a certain category of cabin category or are willing to pay a premium for access.  

Examples of this include NCL’s Garden Villas that come with access to a special outdoor deck area that contains a variety of special pool and sundeck amenities and services.  Also, Holland America has long been known for their Neptune Lounge, a special enclave open only to the highest level suite categories on the ship.  Guests staying in those suites have access to concierge service and a host of other exclusive “perks.” These include priority embarkation and tender service, as well as first dibs on those often coveted tables for two in the dining room.

Spa decks, too, have been created on several mass market lines.  On Holland America’s first Signature Class vessel, the m.s. Eurodam, a group of “spa” level cabins entitle the guest to various perks such as a spacious cabin in a relaxing color scheme, complete with use of a yoga mat, iPod docking station and flavored waters.  They also can use a special ”spa concierge” who can assist them with bookingpriority access  spa appointments. 

Princess has long had its “Serenity,” adults only retreat area, which passengers in any cabin category can access if they are willing to pay the daily fee.  Holland America does something similar with their hydrotherapy pool by offering both daily and cruise-long rates.

Are these special access perks the beginning of something bigger?  Are they a good trend or a bad one?  Do they represent a move to set apart certain passengers from the flock, giving them exclusive access to certain areas of the ship that were once the province of all?  Well, I don’t know.  You tell me.

Proponents of the “ship within a ship” concept think it offers greater flexibility in customizing the cruise experience.  Maybe they are healthy lifestyle addicts who want to ensure they keep up their healthy lifestyle while onboard.  offered there.  They have priority for booking Spa appointments which ensures they will get serviced no matter what happens.  Their access to a spa-type deck allows them unimpeded access to all the various treatments, healthy snacks and fruit drinks, while also serving to provide a relaxing environment away from all the hustle and bustle of a crowded ship.

Detractors say that the “ship within a ship” concept only serves to take things away from passengers not willing or able to pay top dollar for their accommodations.  While they enjoyed the use of certain facilities, such as open decks, those same areas are now being done away with in order to make room for the exclusive ones.  While those same passengers never had a problem before getting a spa appointment on a sea day, now they are often being forced to take their treatments at less desirable times.  Why?  Because the spa deck passengers have booked up all of the preferred ones.  While those passengers never had much of a problem before getting a deck chair reasonably close to the pool, today it is impossible because there are far less loungers.  The space many of them have formerly occupied has been taken up with private deck cabanas, such as on Holland America’s Eurodam.  Want a cabana?  Pay the price.  Otherwise, fight everyone else, including the “chair hogs” for what few loungers remain.

And the critics point out other problems too.  Let’s take dining for example.  Passengers staying in full service suites on some cruise lines, such as Holland America, have first choice for the most desired dining arrangements.  Where in the past you could book your cruise a year or so in advance and be reasonably assured of getting your preference; i.e., a table for two, fixed versus flexible dining, etc., now booking early offers no guarantees.  If the passengers in suites on your sailing happen to all favor smaller tables in traditional dining, you’re going to either have to take a dining time not to your liking, a larger group table, or maybe even switch from traditional to flexible dining — something you’d rather not do.

Another area of concern regarding dining is the move toward lots of premium dining venues onboard many mass market cruise ships.  NCL is a pioneer in this area, with a wide variety of dining choices being offered to their passengers.  While a limited number of them will be no-extra-charge venues, most of them are not.  While the premium dining venues are open to any passenger willing to pay the extra charge to dine there, where does that leave the passenger who either can’t or won’t pay an extra tariff for dining.  “Hey, I thought food was included in the cost of my cruise!”  Well, yes, it is … to a point.  Does the addition of premium restaurants onboard lead to a decline in the quality of the food offered without extra charge?  Some people feel it does and several reviews of NCL ships, on both CruiseMates and other cruise sites, point out this fact, often loudly.  One woman claimed that the lines to get into the included restaurants often forced them to opt for an extra charge one.  Another reviewer lamented that if she and her family of four wanted a decent meal onboard, they were forced to dine in one of the premium restaurants at a charge of a hundred dollars or more for the four of them.  The reviewer claimed that the food in the regular restaurants was almost inedible.  Another reviewer told of spending $400 over the course of the week, just on premium dining venues.  So, it appears these people certainly have a point.

Other public areas of the ship can be affected, too.  If a cruise line has decided to set aside more space for the spa, a traditionally high revenue producer onboard most ships, they’ve got to take that space from someplace else.  Usually that place will be the gym or perhaps another public venue high atop the ship.  This means that a favorite viewing area once very popular for sailaway parties is now much smaller, though having to accommodate the same number of passengers.  Folks wanting to enjoy their daily workout will find longer waits for the various pieces of equipment in the gym because the smaller gym cannot accommodate the quantity of equipment that was once there.

Do these drawbacks mean that the “ship within a ship” concept cannot work?  Can cruise lines only offer customized experiences to the guests willing to pay for them — at the expense of the passenger who just want a relaxing cruise with no extra charges?  I guess it depends on the cruise line and on the ship.  When cruise lines build a new ship, they can design for all of these areas.  If they do it right, there is plenty of room to house all of the extra venues, while keeping public space available to all at an acceptable level.  But when they are trying to “retrofit” an existing ship, there is only so much space to play with.  Add ten luxury cabins here and you have to take the space from somewhere.  Expand the spa, and something else will have to give.  Even with new builds, there can be problems.  Fail to take into account an emerging trend, such as a new style of restaurant that is becoming very popular, and adding it towards the end of the build process can result in the space being taken from somewhere else.  Cruise line executives almost need to be psychic to project everything they need to include in a new ship that won’t be built for several years yet.

Cruise lines need to stay competitive, but can  the “ship within a ship” concept work without angering the folks who just want a relaxing and fun getaway at a reasonable price?  I think it can, but you may feel differently.

How about offering customized “experiences” instead?  Customized entertainment, lecture series offerings, learning experiences and the like?  Of course these would all be at extra charge, but would be offered in addition to what’s currently available.  How about “theming” cruises with popular offerings and then charging a package price for the passenger wishing to participate.  Maybe a series of lectures on a popular topic such as scrapbooking, supplemented with hands-on classes where the participants can get one-on-one help in preparing their scrapbook pages.  Or, for the chamber music enthusiast, how about bringing aboard some well-known artists and offering a series of caberet-style shows using a lounge venue that can easily be closed off without impacting the rest of the passengers?  The shows would be offered exclusively for participants, who would perhaps be issued badges for the themed events.  Not only would they have their shows, but perhaps a lecture series about the genre as well.

The list could go on and on.  Some of these things have been done on the luxury cruise lines for years.  On the mass market ones they would come at an extra price, but would be far, far superior to what’s traditionally been offered in the way of “enrichment.”  Golf-themed cruises taking place on a ship having the facilities to run golf clinics.  Participants would pay an “all inclusive” fee.  This fee would cover onboard clinics and practice sessions, as well as a lecture series and pre-reserved escorted golfing excursions in the ports of call.  The same sorts of programs could be offered for diving enthusiasts as well as a whole range of other popular pursuits such as photography, computers, and other hobbies.

These things too can be great revenue producers for the cruise lines if the cruise lines jumped on the bandwagon by creating high quality interesting, fun and educational programs to offer their passengers.  These are things that are not offered today and would never be considered inclusive with one’s basic fare.  Done properly, utilizing space and resources not otherwise allocated for other shipboard use during certain time periods, they can be offered without impacting those passengers not choosing to participate, while still provided a value-added service to those passengers who want to “customize” their cruise experience.

To me, this is what the “ship within a ship” concept should entail.  What do you think?

I’ve set up a gallery at the CruiseMates site.  You can go here:  http://www.cruisemates.com/gallery/view.php?id=4964

In it you will find a selection of photographs that will give you a good idea of just how rustic and primitive this place truly is. 

Breadfruit grows freely on trees throughout the island.  The people of the island can live on this stuff, though the taste, from what I understand, is not the best.

Breadfruit is grown throughout polynesia

The people of Nuku Hiva are a religious sort.  Catholism plays a vital role in their culture today, though pagon religions abounded in the past when they erected stone structures to honor a variety of their pagen gods.  Maraes can be found throughout the island where one can still view the stone structures and tikis of the ancient polynesians.  They had entire communities with stone structures for every conceivable purpose; for housing their religious leaders to serving as gathering places for the entire community.

ship in harbor

Today one can find a variety of churches, again mostly Catholic, where residents worship sometimes on a daily basis.  On Sundays, the island virtually shuts down as church and community take front and center over the necessity to make a living.  Families will attend church services and then gather at one of their homes to make a day of it — eating, talking, sharing and just enjoying the simple pleasures of being together.  “On the seventh day … ” and all that — really means something to the people of Nuku Hiva.

There is virtually no crime on Nuku Hiva and for that reason the residents do not need to be concerned with such things as securing their belongings.  Horses graze freely along the mountainside, often with their owners not even being in the nearby vicinity.  Houses often have no locks, as home invasions and theft are virtually unheard of on this island.

Flowers of every conceivable color grow here.  They can be found along the roadside, by the seafront, in the quaint little gardens of the homes along the mountain — just about everywhere.

What makes this place so wonderful is how almost primitive it is.  It seems unaffected by modern life, and more importantly modern tourism influences.  It seems like the people of this island far out in the Marquesas chain really don’t care about tourists.  Oh, they will offer them tours and perhaps sell their crafts and other wares to the tourists from the ships that visit here, but they really don’t seem particularly interested in making a living off of them.  It seems they will welcome them to enjoy the island pleasures for a day, but really don’t care one way or the other if the ships stopped coming tomorrow.  And that is precisely what makes Nuku Hiva so refreshing as a place to visit.  It’s not like they want to make a killing off of the tourists.

In fact, they don’t even have much other than seclusion to offer tourists.  There are not a lot of activities on offer that would make this island a hot tourist spot.  You won’t find the clear blue waters and protective lagoons that you will find in places like Moorea and Bora Bora.  You also won’t find first rate hotel and resort facilities.  In fact, Nuku Hiva only has one resort, and even that could probably not be called a luxury property.

For activities, one can dive, or take a 4 x 4 tour.  There is also some fishing and hiking as well.  Beyond that, there is merely the allure of visiting a place where you can truly be secluded.  Your privacy will be ensured here, because few people would be inclined to visit.  For perhaps this reason, Nuku Hiva is a favorite for Hollywood celebrities wanting to get away from it all and truly enjoy their privacy, far away from adoring fans.

When your ship sails into Nuku Hiva, the first thing you see is the jagged mountaintops which were formed years ago by volcanic activity.  If you get the chance to ride up that mountain, you will see a world far removed from anything you’ve probably ever encountered before.  You’ll see simple living, where it doesn’t take much in the way of money to enjoy a life many of us would consider paradise.  You’ll see a way of life where family is everything and everyone pitches in to forge a living, often off the land — fishing for their evening meal and picking breadfruit off the trees, as well as other delicious fruit delicacies to round out that meal.

I guess the way I dream about life on Nuku Hiva is that it is probably what life was like in a lot of other places, such as the South Pacific and Hawaii, many, many years ago before the tourists came and ruined everything.  I think the people of Nuku Hiva are maybe just a bit smarter than those others.  They remain unaffected by us and won’t let that happen.  We can keep our tourism dollars.  They will just continue to enjoy their way of life without our interference.

Maybe that’s actually how it should be, don’t you think?

Unlike most cruisers, I love long voyages. For this reason I am also partial to Holland America Line.  I also am interested in some of the “niche” cruise lines as well, such as Windstar, Silverseas and Cruise West.  However, no matter what cruise line you favor, I will certainly be glad to help with any of your questions.

I’ve just returned from a 35-day cruise to Hawaii and the South Pacific.  Some of those out-of-the-way ports are exceptionally wonderful, especially those places which haven’t been too affected yet by the ravages of modern tourism.  One of my favorite islands is Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas.  It’s the largest island in that archipelago, and it is breathtakingly beautiful.  Its cliffs tower above the sea, and it is best known for the 550 metre Ahuii waterfall in its Hakaui Valley.

The island only has about 1600 residents and they don’t get very many tourists.  Holland America only stops there a handful of times in a given year, and a few of the other cruise lines make the occasional call.  There is a freighter that stops on a monthly basis with supplies for the islanders.  This freighter also carries a small complement of passengers and these people provide most of what little tourism the island gets.  There is also a resort on the island that gets some tourists.  These are mainly people who are looking primarily for seclusion, as Nuka Hiva doesn’t offer much in the way of tourist activities.  The island does have an airport and a few flights come in daily, mostly from other regions of the South Pacific, most notably Papeete.  The planes used are small … primarily “puddle jumpers,” such as Twin Otters.

Because Nuku Hiva gets very little tourism, they have no real tourism infrastructure set up … which is a good thing.  Holland America offers no shore excursions on Nuku Hiva, probably because it’s not worth it to them to develop such.  They make maybe two or three calls a year there, so putting together a shore excursion program would probably not be worth it … assuming that they could even find enough available tour operators.  There are a few people, however, who use their own vehicles to operate tours.  Horseback riding is also available, as is SCUBA diving.  One could snorkel in the waters surrounding Nuku Hiva, but be aware that the water will not be that beautiful shade of clear blue that you will see at other South Pacific islands.  But it is sure warm and wonderful to cavort in.

The people of Nuku Hiva eke out a living where they can.  Many work for the government, the community, the Catholic Church or the school system.  Many are self-employed in ventures such as agriculture, fishing, and the raising of cattle and other livestock.  Some are craftspeople as well, sculpting bowls, platters, Marquesan ceremonial clubs, tiki’s and ukuleles.  Others travel to some of the nearby islands in the South Pacific to work.  Any tourism activities they engage in are just part-time ventures.  When I was on Nuku Hiva this past October, we took a complete tour of the island by four-wheel drive vehicle.  The proprietor of the tour “company,” Claude, was a carpenter by trade, and he made his primary living fashioning handmade furniture for the islanders.  There’s no mass production there.  Every piece is fashioned custom-made and built by hand.

You won’t find any shopping malls or McDonald’s Restaurants on Nuku Hiva.  But what you will find is a small collection of stores selling mostly crafts and other hand-made items.  You can get some clothing items too, many of these hand-made and dyed as well.  I noticed a small selection of tee-shirts, which I guess they sell to tourists.

There is really only one full service restaurant on the island, as well as a few “shack” type establishments.  The craftspeople pretty much only come out to the dock area when there is a ship in port, which isn’t that often.

I’ll upload some pictures of Nuku Hiva later on this week so that you can see the beauty I’m talking about.  When your ship approaches the island, you can see  what I am talking about.  As your cruise ship approaches Nuku Hiva, the first thing you’ll notice is Muake Hill, the jagged peak and highest point on the island, towering way above you.  Its rugged beauty is impossible to describe.  The only way to get up the mountain, and to really see all there is to see on Nuku Hiva, is by four-wheel drive.  That’s because most of the roads going up the mountain are not paved.

As you travel upwards, you will notice a wide variety of flowers.  These will be everywhere … by the road side, growing in the valleys, and even adorning residents’ neatly kept yards.  Horses will be grazing by the side of the road, often with no human in sight.  This is probably because theft is not an issue in this place.  I’d be willing to bet their crime rate is zero.

There isn’t much industry on Nuku Hiva — pretty much just one resort property, a restaurant, government buildings, a post office, a small general hospital, banks, schools, and a few stores and shops.  There’s also a town hall and an Air Tahiti office.  Most of the commerce is located in Taiohae, which is a pleasant village area that borders the sea.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Nuku Hiva, by all means do so.  And don’t be an idiot like I was the first time I happened to find myself there in January of 2006.  Since I was told there were little to no opportunities to take tours, I didn’t even bother leaving the ship.  What a waste, as I discovered during this more recent trip, when I was finally able to see all the hidden beauty of the island.  You have to work a bit to locate them, but you can arrange to hire a guide, usually through the one hotel on the island, the Nuku Hiva Pearl Lodge, or through contacts you can make over the internet.

If there is any further information you’d like about Nuku Hiva, just leave me a note and I’ll be happy to provide it.  If there is another subject you need more information about, just leave a comment and I’ll be happy to try and provide it as well.

I love cruising and there is no other subject I more love to write about.  So go ahead and put me to work. That’s what I’m here for.