Cruise tips for people who don't like cruising.
It’s estimated that 10.5 million Americans will cruise this year. But despite steady growth in the industry – and efforts to make cruising more appealing to a broader audience – many people are still turned off by the whole idea. Myself include, and I’ve been on seven.
But these days, if you’re jonesing to go to Europe, cruising will make your pitiful little dollars go a lot farther. So even if the thought of a buffet makes you shudder, you might want to reconsider. After all, there’s a lot to be said for waking up in Sicily on Monday, Malta on Tuesday, and Corfu on Thursday.
http://cruises.travelzoo.com/european-cruises or your local travel agent are good places to start shopping.
Okay, it’ll never be like those Royal Caribbean ads where you and your girlfriends own the Grand Canal. But there are enough choices that you can probably find a cruise that’s right for you.
And with a little advance planning, you can zig when all the other passengers zag – which is the key for independent travelers. Trust us, the less you see those other people ashore, the happier you’ll be.
To help you have a positive experience, we’ve put together a series of tips designed to help non-cruisers enjoy cruising. Here’s the first:
#1) Rent a car.
If you’re not in a major city and you want to explore beyond your port of call, a car is your best bet. You can reserve one in advance through Hertz, Avis, or www.autoeurope.com just pick one up from a local place when you get there. In either case, buy the comprehensive collision damage waiver.
Before you leave home:
• Get an International Driver’s License from your local AAA
• Print out maps and directions to the places you want to go. http://maps.google.com/maps is a great resource, and you can see a satellite image too
• Print out traffic signs, and some key phrases for the countries where you plan to drive. http://www.ideamerge.com/motoeuropa/roadsigns is a good source of information.
Before you head out:
• Take a digital picture of the ship and of its berth in case you need a visual reference for non-English speakers
With your own wheels, you can go where you want, when you want. On Santorini, we explored Akrotiri, went to Red Beach, and did some shopping and had a late lunch in Oia, on the northern end of the island. We were the only tourists there.
By the time we got back to Fira, most of the other passengers had already returned to the ship and we had the shops to ourselves.
The day was perfect. We saw everything we wanted to see with virtually no crowds. And the car cost us less than two shore excursions.
Watch for more tips in the coming weeks.
