It all seems so civilized at first.  You book your cruise, and the cruise line is offering free, or heavily discounted air. 

And then the games begin.

In our experience, debriefing our clients’ vacations when they return home, the overwhelming majority of any issues or complaints they have are with their air travel – NOT from the cruise or any land portions.

In fairness to the cruise lines, most of the problems encountered have nothing to do with them (none of them have their own airline).  It has everything to do with the fact that all of air carriers in North America have a horrible reputation for customer service.

Of course every traveller has their favorite, and most-despised airline, but I can find you just as many Delta-haters, as I can American Airlines-haters or United-haters.  Collectively, as a society, we have decided they are all terrible.  They deserve this reputation.

So what do you do?

You make sure you have all the requisite information, and then you hope for the best.  Here are some of the most common complaints we get about people’s air travel to their cruise.  At the very least, you can set your expectations, so you won’t be surprised when things go sideways (and they do – a lot).

Seat Assignments.  The fine print on your reservation will tell you that even if you have paid for a certain seat, it is not guaranteed.  Many of our clients get quite cranky with the cruise line over this, but it has nothing to do with them.  The air carriers like to swap out planes at the last minute, throwing all seating assignments into chaos.  Solution:  I still pay for a specific seat, and about 80% of the time it works out.  For the 20% of time it doesn’t, there is nothing I can do.  If I’ve paid for extra legroom and I don’t get it, the amount I’ve paid is refunded to my credit card.

Seat Assignments (Part 2).  If you’re flying overseas, and you are flying part way on an American carrier, and part way on one of their European partners, you won’t be able to select your seats on the code-share partner until check in.  This is utterly ridiculous in the 21^st Century.  Again – we have seen people go after the cruise line’s air department for this problem, and it has nothing to do with them.  Solution:  Try to avoid codeshare flights, and stick with one carrier for the whole trip.  If you are using cruise line air, you won’t have this discretion, so you may want to book your own.  FYI – it is going to cost you more. 

Upgrading with Points.  If you’ve booked free or discounted air through the cruise line, and then want to upgrade using your airline points – don’t count on it.  Again – this has nothing to do with the cruise line.   Here’s how it goes:  You, as the holder of the points call the airline, and say you want to upgrade using those points. They usually say they can’t do that because the flights have been ticketed by the cruise line.  OK – let’s give the cruise line a call.  Sorry, the cruise line can’t use YOUR points, because they belong to you.  This catch-22 cannot be resolved, even when getting all parties concerned on a conference all to discuss.  Solution:  If you want to use points, don’t use the cruise line air, and arrange your own flights. 

Bizarre Routings or Connections.  The cruise lines are looking to get you from home to the ship and back as cheaply as possible.  Sometimes this means a flight from Seattle to Miami, that connects in Houston, and then Chicago.  Solution:  Spend more money – ask the cruise line how much more it will cost you for a direct flight.  Often it’s not much more, and if you place any value on your own time, it’s well worth it.

Legroom/Space on the Plane.  Every year the planes seem to get smaller.  What we forget is that it costs a tiny fraction to fly what it did two or three decades ago, and the reason it is cheaper is that they have significantly scaled back the service, and placed the seats much closer together.  Solution: Spend more money – Business Class may be out of reach for many of us, but Premium Economy is normally affordable, and depending on the airline, could be worth it.  This is particularly worth considering on long-haul overseas flights. 

Baggage Fees.  Remember the good old days, when you’d show up at the airport, and they would check two bags for free.  This also stopped people from filling up a cardboard box that could fit a refrigerator, and trying to pass it off as “carry-on”.  Solution:  Get an airline credit card where they waive such fees OR fly in Premium Economy where you get one or two free bags.  By the time you subtract your bag fees, that ticket in Premium Economy is really not that much more than you’d be paying in cattle-class.

The one common theme that runs through all of these airline problems is that money can solve many of them.  Usually the amount of extra money is not much in percentage terms, but we tend to get a mindset of needing to get the best deal, as opposed to looking for the best value. 

We’ve had clients who paid more than $20,000 for a cruise, and then balked at an additional $200 charge from the airlines that would have largely eliminated most of the issues above.  You can fight the airlines, but you are not going to win – the days of glamorous air travel with impeccable service and comfort are long over.  You are also paying about half of what you paid in the 1980s for air (after adjusting for inflation). 

So our best suggestion for clients when asking about cruise line air, is to dial back your expectations (you should be used to this already if you fly more than once a year), and count on paying more money than is originally advertised. 

You can get low (or free) air, but it comes at a cost.

Planning a Cruise?  I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the fact that Viking had over 50% of the market share in Europe.  Some of you replied, “I had no idea they were that big”, while others replied, “There are other river cruise companies than Viking???”

So, I thought it might be worthwhile to look at a few of the other lines out there, and why you might want to consider them.  We do our job best when we match the client to the right product, and although we do a lot of business with Viking, there are some people out there who are better suited to one of their competitors.

AMA Waterways:  The food on all the river cruise lines is good, but AMA really works hard to be the river line for Foodies.  They also skew to a slightly younger demographic, and have more active options for shore activities.  AMA is currently offering free air on select 2019 departures, and early booking bonuses of up to $500 on 2020 sailings.

Avalon Waterways:  Avalon differentiates on their staterooms.  Their rooms are slightly larger than are seen on other river ships, and the beds are oriented so that when you look straight ahead, you are looking out the window.  Avalon is part of Globus Tours, who have been operating land tours for decades in Europe.  They are offering $299 air to Europe on select sailings in 2019 (mostly April through May), but if you can go on short notice, this could work well for you. 

Crystal:  Crystal is better known as an ocean cruise ship line, but they have five river ships that all offer impeccable service, and “all exclusive” amenities.  Crystal differentiates on service and quality, and have a well-earned reputation for delivering it on their ships.

Uniworld: Uniworld describes their ships as floating boutique hotels. Each of their ships is deliberately unique, and they have an all-inclusive, luxury offering.  They also have wide variety of special shore experiences, as well as a spa, a pool, a gym, and a wellness program on board their ships.  Uniworld has 3 promotions running right now on select 2019 departures, including reduced or waived solo supplements.

The differences amongst river ships is much more subtle than comparing ocean ships, however, there are specific reasons why you might want to look at one of these lines over the other.  Viking is most often the price leader in absolute terms, so if you are looking for the lowest price you are best to stick with Viking.  However, if you value some of the amenities described above, then one of these lines might represent better value for you.

Planning a Cruise?  I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

Last week, Bob and I were guests on board Uniworld’s Joie de Vivre for a river cruise from Paris to Normandy.  What a trip!

Now that we’re back, here are some of our impressions.

We also answered many specific questions here: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2330472760568558

Printemps au Paris (Paris in the spring time).  OK… technically, it had only been spring for a few hours when we boarded the ship, but the weather cooperated beautifully.  We had mostly sunny weather, and it was over 70 degrees in the daytime.  This was pure luck, but the other great thing about visiting Europe early in the season is that it was far less crowded than other times we’ve been to France.

River Cruises are all about being on shore. Even though we tell people this every day, it was underscored for us on this cruise:  if you drive from Paris (our furthest East point) to Cauldebec-en-Caux (furthest West point), it is about 130 kilometres or about 80 miles.  We were on board for a week, so needless to say, such short travel distances made for lots of time on shore, and unlike many ocean cruises, we felt as though we had actually experienced our destination.

Uniworld is boutique luxury.  Normally, you would have to see original art work in museums in Europe – unless you’re travelling on a Uniworld river ship.  The owners’ private art collection is on board, so it was really interesting to be able to see an original Picasso up close without having to line-up and pay an admission fee to a museum.  Uniworld creates a very comfortable and unique experience for its guests.  Perhaps most memorable on board was the night we spent helping the chef prepare our meals in the wine cellar – we even have souvenir chef hats and aprons to prove it.

Normandy is one of the most moving things you can experience.  If you have any appreciation for what happened in Europe 75 years ago, then a visit to Normandy will heighten that appreciation.  We got to visit the American, British, and Canadian sections of beach before spending an hour or two at the American cemetery. 

Air France rocks. In a strange series of logistics, we ended up flying from Mexico City to Paris (direct daily service on an A-380).  It’s been a while since we’ve travelled a long distance on a European carrier.  Without any doubt, Air France is far superior to any airline experience we’ve had on North American carriers.

France = FOOD.  It is a small wonder that anyone is still alive in France – the amount of butter and cream that accompanies meals every day is truly staggering.  I was waiting for the complimentary angioplasty prior to flying home.  This week we are on the “all broccoli-all the time” diet (breakfasts are a bit bland).

Les Gillet-Jaunes (the Yellow Vests) is a made-for-America media event.  There is no doubt there are some protests happening right now in Paris, but their impact has been overwhelmingly exaggerated by the American media.  We saw a higher than normal police/military presence (this is a good thing), but we visited all the main attractions in Paris without incident.  The attitude of ordinary French citizens seemed to be a respect for people’s right to protest, with a distain for the occasional protester that chooses to cause property damage.

Water Levels have recovered.  The freak droughts of 2018 seem to have been resolved by a wet winter.  There was no hint of problems with water levels on this trip.

New fans of Monet.  Both of us were aware of Monet, but that appreciation has been heightened after a visit to his home and gardens outside of Giverny.  This is not to be missed if you are in France.

Tolerance of bad French.  Bob is under the delusion that he speaks French.  In reality, he knows a lot of the words (this is a function of him having grown up in Canada), but like any other skill not practiced, if you don’t use it, you lose it.  To our pleasant surprise, our French hosts (both on the ship and on shore), were quite tolerant of him butchering their beautiful language.

Finally, we are often asked about the “best” river cruise itinerary in Europe.  Of course, such a question is highly dependent on what you wish to experience.  Those who will get the most out of a Paris to Normandy cruise will fall into one of three categories:

1. Those with a specific interest around World War II history.
2. Those who have already done the Rhine and Danube rivers and want to explore further in Europe
3. Those with a specific interest in France – the art, food and culture.

All the major river cruise lines operate on the Seine River from Paris to Normandy.

Planning a Cruise?  I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

Later this month, my husband Bob and I will be boarding Uniworld’s Joie de Vivre for a one week river cruise, round trip from Paris to Normandy. 

We don’t deny that this is a very fun part of our job, but we will be working just the same. 

We’re going to try to post daily videos about our journey, and try to give some raw insight into both the cruise line and the itinerary.

With that introduction, I’d like to invite questions from any of you who are considering a Paris to Normandy Cruise and/or those who are contemplating travelling with Uniworld. 

When we travel like this, it’s a risk that we look at things from the perspective of industry insiders, rather than how our clients might perceive things.

So we’d appreciate your feedback and questions ahead of time, to make sure we’re noticing the things that are most interesting to YOU, our valued clients.

Here’s a bit of info about the trip:

About Uniworld and the Joie de Vivre

Uniworld bills itself as the only Boutique River Cruise line.  Their ships are designed to reflect a high end boutique hotel experience.  Each ship is completely different.  Uniworld also differentiates on service, with highest staff to guest ratio in the river cruise industry.  The Joie de Vivre is one of Uniworld’s newest river ships – launched in 2017 – and holds 128 passengers.

About the Itinerary

When I first learned about river cruising, I was surprised that trips were offered on the Seine River between Paris and Normandy.  Not because it’s not a spectacular part of France to explore, but because it’s really not very far between those two places.  I remember exploring Europe as a backpacker, and was able to travel between the French Coast and Paris in just a couple of hours.

As it turns out, my memory hadn’t failed me.  If you drive between Paris and Normandy it is only 160 kilometers, or just under 100 miles.  So if you ever doubted that river cruises are about the destination itself more than the onboard experience, this should illustrate the point.

After we leave Paris, here’s where we’ll go:

• La-Roche-Guyon – Vernon Giverny:  This is where Claude Monet is from, and his home and museum are a big attraction here.
• Rouen:  This is the Capital of the Province of Normandy.  It is also where Joan of Arc met her end, as well as many Allied soldiers in World War II.
• Cauldebec-en-Caux:  This is a former commune, now a stop to visit the Abbey and the museum.
• Mantes la-Jolie and Versailles:  The 12^th Century Notre Dame, and the Palace of Versailles are also visited on this cruise.

Besides Uniworld, most of the other major river cruise lines also do this routing with similar itineraries.

If a Paris to Normandy river cruise AND/OR a Uniworld cruise is on your bucket list, then what information can we dig up for you while we’re there?

We’ll do our best to answer all your questions.

It’s easy to participate! Just leave a comment here: https://web.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/2330472760568558

Planning a Cruise?  I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley

Being on board a cruise ship for months at a time is NOT something that appeals to everyone. 

However, most who do it come back raving fans of these extended voyages. 

After you’ve done one or two world cruises, what could possibly be next on your bucket list?

SilverSea has one potential answer:  An Expedition style World Cruise.

There is no doubt that expedition cruising is growing much faster than the rest of the cruise industry.  As people get weary of visiting the Caribbean ports of call over and over, they begin looking for more interesting places to explore.  What used to be a very niche offering, is now a whole subset of the cruise industry.

So it was probably only a matter of time before someone came out with the extended version of the expedition cruise.

The Silver Cloud will be departing Ushuaia (at the southern tip of South America) on January 30, 2021 for the first Expedition World Cruise in history. 

She will do several days in Antarctica before heading to more moderate latitudes.  Guests on board will visit the Chilean fjords, followed by some zig-zagging through the South Pacific to places like Easter Island, Tahiti, Fiji and Tonga, before making a port stop in Cairns, Australia.

One doesn’t normally associate Australia with expedition cruising, but Cairns is the perfect port to explore the Great Barrier Reef, which fits perfectly into an expedition cruise.  From Australia, the Cloud will head up to South Asia before moving eastward through the Indian Ocean to Sri Lanka and India. 

The next leg of this cruise is decidedly less “expedition”.  During the month of June, the Cloud will sail up the Red Sea, and into the Mediterranean briefly, on her way to Iceland.  After six port stops in Iceland, the Cloud will head further north into the Arctic Circle to Svalbard before sailing south again to finish in Tromso, Norway on July 16, 2021.

Here’s the summary:  167 days, 107 ports of call, 30 countries, and to the best of my knowledge the only cruise ever to have included both the Arctic and Antarctic circles. 

“How much?” is probably the next question.  We’ll have to wait until March to find out.  

Looking at how SilverSea prices its other expedition cruises, I would expect pricing for this journey to start at around $100k per person.  Knowing SilverSea, this will be a highly inclusive price. 

So, if you’re looking for a bucket list trip that has really never been done before, OR if you’re thinking that a segment of this trip might be worth taking, then take a look at the Silver Cloud. 

In either case you will have earned pretty cool bragging rights.

Click here to learn more about the first-ever Expedition World Cruise: https://www.silversea.com/destinations/world-cruise/world-cruise-2021-expedition.html

Planning a Cruise?  I’d love to help!  Click here to get in touch today.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sue Bradley