GET ME TO THE SHIP ON TIME

At present, if you are scheduled to sail at 5:00 pm, all passengers must be checked in and on board by 4:00 pm. At that point, with few exceptions, check-in closes.

Beginning February 19, 2008, US Customs and Border Protection will require that all cruise lines submit an electronic transmission of their passenger and crew manifests no later than 60 minutes prior to departure. NCL and Royal Caribbean are implementing the policy a little early, but all cruise lines will have to comply with it by February 19th.

Therefore, the cruise lines are requiring all guests to arrive at least two hours before scheduled departure so that they have time to deal with luggage, go through security and check-in and meet the transmission deadline. If everyone were to show up an hour and 10 minutes before departure time, it would be impossible to process them all in 10 minutes and meet the 60-minute deadline for electronic manifest transmission.

The cruise lines are not doing this to save money. They’re not trying to cause guests to stress and worry about getting to their embarkation point on time. But they do expect passengers to allow enough time to check-in so that the lines are not holding up the entire ship (They don't really do that you know!). Guests are also strongly encouraged to complete their online advanced guest registration forms at least seven days prior to sailing as this will facilitate the check-in process. Agencies were not consulted as this new rule will apply to all cruise lines. NCL’s policy is very specific, guests will not be allowed to board after check-in has been closed. Late arriving guests may join the ship at an approved port of call in the scheduled cruise itinerary. Travel to that subsequent port of call will be at the guests' expense.

We are seeing this on some cruise line sites already, with check-in time policies ranging from 90 minutes to 2 hours.

DON'T BE LEFT BEHIND!

No Smoking Please

As anyone who has traveled in Europe knows, Europeans are heavy smokers. Emphasis here is on heavy. Nothing ruins the enjoyment of a great meal like the strong odor of tobaco smoke. Several years ago we were actually forced to leave an incredibly wonderful meal in a Paris restaurant as the smoke from one chain-smoking patron was so overwhelming that we could barely breathe and actually lost our ability to taste the meal. This individual in fact smoked while eating.

Well, there is relief in sight.

Paris, France, has gone smoke-free in all public spaces, including cafés and restaurants, starting January 2, 2008. The city approached the ban in stages: it outlawed smoking in venues like schools and hospitals in February of 2007, but granted a few additional months for patrons of bars, cafes, and restaurants. Hats Off to the Parisians for this effort.

Now, if only we could get the same law passed in other European cities.

Uncorked: Fine Wine at Sea

Wine is the drink of choice these days amongst many beverage aficionados. It’s not just the big, bold delectable taste that has people coming back for more; it’s also the social aspect that wine often brings to the table that has people raising their glasses. From wine tastings to wine dinners to wine tours and wine cruises, this tasty grapey goodness is today’s latest craze. We recently hosted a pre-wedding dinner in the wine cellar of a restaurant.

Cruise lines have done an amazing job integrating wine onto their ships. Of course wine has always been available at sea, especially in the main dining room with dinner, but hop on any cruise ship today and you’re sure to see a wine tasting event on the activity schedule. Onboard wine tastings are quite popular these days. The tasting is often held in a shipboard lounge with either a sommelier or a staff member with a vast knowledge of wine. A nominal fee often applies and includes a number of wines to taste. Wine tastings are a great way for the novice to acquire a new skill or for the wine expert to refine their palate. Wine and food pairings take these onboard wine tastings one step further in showing what type of wine goes with what type of food. Wine isn’t just for dinner anymore but is also enjoyed at lunch and after dinner as well. Speaking of dinner, you’ll not only find a wide range of everyday wine in the main dinning room, but when you choose to dine in one of the specialty restaurants (found on many of today’s cruise ships), you will often find an upgraded wine list with reserve collections and older vintages. For example, Oceania Cruises wine cellars hold a vast collection of over 150 vintages that even the most discerning oenophiles will appreciate.

Another way to enjoy cruising and wine together is on a specially themed wine cruise. Holland America, Crystal, Regent Seven Seas and Silversea are the masters of hosting wine themed cruises and offer many sailings throughout the year, to a variety of destinations. Some of the events also feature celebrity chefs along with wine and food pairings. Highly regarded wine experts provide insight and education into the fascinating world of wine. One can enjoy enlightening guest lectures, wine tastings, wine and food pairings, and even optional private tours to world-class wineries and cellars.

River Cruising offers yet another aspect of wine enjoyment where passengers can enjoy the many fine and boutique wines and accompaniments produced in the areas in which they are cruising.

Crystal Cruises has something very unique just for lovers of fine, rare wines. Onboard the Crystal Symphony and the Crystal Serenity is The Vintage Room. This unique enrichment experience focuses on wine, with food specially prepared and paired to complement the specific fine wines selected for the evening. The room is available for dinner on a first come, first served basis and is also available for private parties all at an additional fee.

Not only can you enjoy great wine on your cruise, but now you can enjoy that same wine in the comfort of your own home. Many of the cruise lines including Norwegian Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, and Celebrity Cruises are creating proprietary wines that are available for sale on board and some are even available on-line.

So grab your glass and raise a toast to a great combination of wine and cruising. These two classics go perfect together and are sure to please just about everyone.

CELL PHONES ON THE HIGH SEAS

It is almost impossible to go anywhere without being able to reach out and touch someone. Cellular telephone communication is just one of today's modern communication methodologies. It is not at all unusual to see people driving and talking on their cell phone. The most unusual cell conversations we've seen were a youngster on a skateboard talking on his cellphone and a young lady riding on horse back and talking on the phone. Whether we have to stay in communication as much as we do is a subject for another discussion but here we're just going to look at the cost of maintaining communication while on a cruise ship.

Many of today's modern cruise ships are equipped to enable those who need to STAY IN COMMUNICATION to do so. On a recent Caribbean cruise we used our cell phones a lot. After all, we did have to keep our business going and we did have to stay in contact with family and friends and we did have to send and receive our e-mails on our Blackberry. All this at a cost. When our cell phone bill arrived, we found out just how expensive today's communication can be. The use of shipboard cellular service over that two week period was more than the monthly cost of our cellular service.

Believe me, I'm not saying don't use your cell on a ship. There are times when, for business or personal reasons, you must communicate. If ya gotta do it, you gotta do it. But, if it can wait, let it wait! Avoid the un-necessary expense and shock when the bill comes in after that wonderful cruise.

Consider the pros and cons before reaching out:

Pros - Maintain Communication with; business associates and customers, family and friends parents and children and emergency situations.

Cons - Expense, ability to escape the world's hustle and bustle, personal privacy, don't even think about texting.

Alternative, save your conversation till you're in port where the roaming charges are much lower. You might even find that your cellular provider has service there.