Porthole Ships
Porthole Ships Cruising South To The Antarctic Two nautical charts are on the ship's navigation table. Never surveyed waters surround the ship, according to both charts. A reasonable path, the cap...
Porthole Ships
Cruising South To The AntarcticTwo nautical charts are on the ship's navigation table. Never surveyed waters surround the ship, according to both charts. A reasonable path, the captain opts to maintain a course drawn on depth soundings. This channel is new to him, though he's sailed the Antarctic many, many times. Go to this site for further information on <a href='http://www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/antarctica-cruise.aspx'>antarctica cruise adventures</a>. Oncoming dusk makes it harder to see, then the heavy snow starts. The icebergs encumbering the channel are even harder to track as the giant snowflakes cling to the windows. We luckily have radar, which shows us a safe route to follow. The large ice blocks show up orange on the screen. One enormous glob dominates the channel ahead on the monitor. The ice is only three kilometers from us. The captain whispers his command at one kilometer. No one else speaks. The helmsman deftly moves the wheel and the ship alters its course. Peeking through the snow and fog, we see the ghostly tabular iceberg. It's a sight that can only be experienced in the southern ocean. Sporting straight sides that rise rapidly into the air, this berg is over one hundred feet tall. The top is very flat and very wide. Not for the first time, has the sheer magnitude of Antarctica stopped me in my tracks. We are heading to the Antarctic Circle in our polar class cruise vessel. We'll pass some of the most desolate and inhospitable areas in this world as we travel. After being discovered in 1820, another 79 years went by before a human spent the winter there. Explorers were quick to search for the South Pole, but soon perished. Scientist came next. Just recently, tourists who were not filthy rich could begin visiting Antarctica. You could experience Antarctica for about the same cost as visiting a Caribbean island. Go to this site for further information on <a href='http://www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/antarctica-cruise.aspx'>adventure antarctica cruises</a>. Antarctica looks a little bit like a manta ray with a curved tail. South America is separated from Antarctica by 500 miles of ocean. This is known as Drake Passage. It is home to the roughest seas on the planet. It has also been called the 'Slobbering Jaws of Hell' and extracts a high price for passage. One caring passenger reminds us to stow our gear carefully and then make sure our cabin portholes are latched well. After sailing from Ushuaia, in Argentina, we sailed through the Beagle Channel and reached the open ocean. We spent two days on very rough seas with no land in sight. The wind approached gale force for the entire time. As waves broke over the bow, ocean spray shot up beyond my fourth deck window. Swells could be seen in the range of fifteen to forty feet; size varied according to the observer's level of seasickness. The Southern Ocean greeted us two days out from South America. The view of a coastal enclave filled my porthole the next morning. Due to the land, the water seemed to have quieted. The tops of the high mountains were sheathed in wispy clouds. The ridges stuck through the smooth glaciers at sharp angles. Rough, tumbled ice filled with cracks and dirt fell into the sea in large slabs. The mountains, which looked they could house Everest, appeared to jump straight up from the sea. One traveler found the travel to Antarctica to be akin to childbirth's labor. Antarctica is the world's windiest, driest, coldest and highest continent. Holding 70 percent of earth's fresh water, the polar plateau gets the same amount of precipitation as Death Valley does. No animals stay all year long on Antarctica and there is no indigenous human population. No one even owns the land. The shore landings and sailing routes must depend on the weather. Though we've been counseled by the guides to remain flexible, our original shore landing becomes reality. We've been assigned groups and told to meet on deck. I climb into an inflatable boat with the nine other people in my group. We quickly ride across the quarter mile of water. And then, with just one step, I am among the few who can say they've stood on the Antarctic Continent. About the Author My professional background is a mixture of ministry in the church and academic work in psychology and education. I am a retired minister in the Uniting Church in Australia, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Melbourne where I have an honorary appointment as Principal Fellow in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, and as a Fellow of St. Hilda's College. |
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How to get the Best Stateroom on a Cruise Ship
Pimp Up My Stateroom Selection, please...
How to Choose the Best Category
How to Choose the Best Location
How to Get Free Upgrades
How to choose the best category -
Stateroom fundamentals are easily mastered by simply answering the following questions truthfully and to the best of your predictive ability.
1. Are you the party-all-night-every-night type and tend to get up at the crack of noon each day?
2. Are you allergic to sunlight?
3. Are you a vampire?
4. Is your idea of fun curling up with a good book or in-room movie and ordering room service?
5. Are you a shutter bug who just has to jump up and take a hundred pictures of every sunrise, sunset and seagull - even at 3am in a Norwegian Fjord?
6. Do you find it intoxicating to have fresh sea breezes blowing across your bed during the night - or does your spouse's snoring satisfy that need?
7. Do you enjoy sunlight and expansive vistas - but the very idea of fresh air makes you nauseous?
8. Do you want your own private escape route in case of flooding, fire or Somali pirates?
If you answered "Yes" to questions 1, 2 & 3 - then best to save your money on the more expensive cabins and go for the least expensive inside cabin (a cabin on the interior of the ship, having no window, porthole or balcony - but definitely a door - one door - you'll want at least one door for coming and going from your cabin).
If you answered "Yes" to questions 4 & 7 - your best bet will be an Ocean View cabin - one with a window or porthole.
If you answered "Yes" to questions 5, 6 & 8 - you will want a Private Balcony Cabin - or sometimes referred to as a Veranda Cabin.
In spite of the fact that the cruise line will attempt to confuse you with 47 different room categories on any one ship - there are really only a total of five - Penthouses, Suites, Balcony or Veranda Cabins, Ocean View and Inside. The additional category distinctions are really just a function of location within the ship - not size or amenities.
Penthouses- and top end Penthouses called "Owner's Suites" - can be from 900 to 3,000 square feet in size. Almost always with a private balcony or two - they are located on the top most decks of the ship. There are usually only a handful of these type of staterooms on the ship - a half dozen, max.
Suites - a bathroom, bedroom area and separate sitting area usually offering 50 to 150 square feet more space than a Veranda cabin and with a larger than normal private balcony.
Veranda or Balcony Staterooms - pretty much the same as Ocean View staterooms only slightly larger and with a private balcony/veranda - one just big enough for a couple of small plastic chairs and a cocktail table.
Ocean View - just what it says - a stateroom with a window or port hole - neither of which can be opened.
Inside Cabin - a cabin that, due to it's location in the interior section of the ship, does not offer a window, porthole or balcony.
Hot Tip #1 - When attempting to save money by stuffing four or five people in a stateroom- just remember, you will all be using the same bathroom. Thus, the money saved may not be worth the aggravation if you are traveling with teenagers and/or high maintenance women.
How to choose the best location -
"Location, location, location" is the mantra of real estate agents on shore. But to cruise passengers, it is not that big of a deal.
All cabins within any random category tend to be the same size with the same amenities regardless of placement within the ship. The perceived value among the cruise buying public is that the higher up in the ship the more desirable, hence the more valuable the cabin. The cruise lines take full advantage of this misconception via premium pricing for cabins on the upper decks. But here's the skinny. If it is stability you want you should get a cabin as close to dead center of the ship as possible - not too high up, not too low down, not to close to the bow (the pointy end) or stern (the rounded end). Cabins in this Middle Kingdom area will experience less motion.
Additionally, take a close look at the schematic diagrams of each deck - found in brochures as well as online. Look for proximity to elevators, the dining room, the pool deck, the main lobby and late night venues such as the disco. Closeness to these facilities may or may not be desirable depending on your mobility, tolerance for noise, desire to be close to most frequented services and activities, etc.
Hot Tip #2 - If you go to bed at a reasonable hour, watch out for cabins next to elevators or late evening venues such as the disco - it can be very noisy late into the night.
How to get free upgrades -
Here are the two magic words - whip them on your cruise agent - say you want a "Category Guarantee". Just like airlines who over-book flights - cruise lines will frequently over book certain cabin categories. Therefore, they will often reward flexible passengers with a "category guarantee". This simply means that - at time of reservation - if you are willing to forego immediate confirmation of a particular cabin - the cruise line will guarantee a cabin in the category that you have reserved or higher. Often this will lead to an upgrade to the next higher category at no additional cost. Unless you need a stateroom in close proximity to friends or family members; accepting a category guarantee is always worth the gamble - at least in our experience.
Being part of a group or availing one's self of a special promotion can often get an upgrade of one or two categories. (see Pimp My Cruise Fare...especially the section on How to Read a Cruise Ad)
Lastly, it is a rare occurrence - but never let any opportunity go unexploited. If the cruise line reservations department messes up your booking for one reason or another - no matter how small - respond with kindness and sympathy in your heart - saying something to the effect "We understand and forgive you and hold no grudges...but how about a free upgrade as compensation, Fumble Fingers!"
New article coming soon...travel insurance: Good Deal or Ripoff?
About the Author
Lyn Edwin Cathey - Network Travel Services, LLC A veteran of 25 years in the travel industry - holding positions within the industry such as trainer, educator, agent, consultant, agency owner/manager and product specialist. For 15 years prior to joining the travel industry Lyn worked as a full time entertainer/comedian, performing on banjo & guitar - often as a featured act on cruise ships- http://pimpmycruise.com/mod/customindex/ourstory.php He created and currently maintains several websites, including -http://TripFinder.com http://PimpMyCruise.com