As the popularity of cruise-based vacations continues to rise, Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant member and District 7770 Governor Lou Mello recently tipped off colleagues on useful do’s and don’ts before booking their next nautical getaway.
As a grizzled veteran of 50-plus sea-bound sojourns, Mello detailed an assortment of options to his fellow Rotarians at the Club’s April 10 meeting, including ocean cruising, riverboat cruising and expedition cruising (i.e. smaller ships that travel to Antarctica, Alaska and the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador).
In covering the basics of ocean cruising, Mello began by listing well-known budget lines, such as Carnival, Royal and Norwegian, which are generally within the $600-$900 range per person. Balcony rooms, however, will cost at bit more than inside cabins, he noted.
Overall, a seven-day voyage on one of these ships, Mello advised, isn’t as costly as a week-long hotel stay “by a long shot.”
When touching on premium lines, the Rotary leader highlighted Princess, Celebrity and Holland America as being “one step up” from the standard cruise ship options that will cost upwards of $2,000 per passenger.
Adventurers seeking ships devoid of children and large crowds, he continued, can reserve a spot on one of several luxury lines, such as Azamara, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, Crystal, Viking Seaborn or SeaDream Yacht Club. The services and amenities offered by the upscale cruise ship alternatives can run about $10,000 per individual.
Those seeking vast dimensions, Rotarians learned, can opt for the Royal Caribbean brand that features vessels with a capacity of 6,700 that have been described as large aquatic resorts.
“Travel advice: never book yourself,” cautioned Mello. “I will tell you always use a travel advisor — always, always, always. The reason is simple: You tell them what you want. I go ahead and research every one of our cruises. I know exactly what I want. I can call my travel advisor and say, ‘Okay, book this.’ And after that, any problem [emerges], they take care of any messed-up flights; they take care of anybody who has COVID on the ship, and [if] I have to stay in Barbados for nine days — which I did — they take care of it.
“[If] you booked this all yourself and you booked your flights yourself, you’ve got to fix it yourself — plain and simple. If you want to be on vacation and not have to worry about that stuff, get yourself a travel advisor. They also have special rates with the cruise lines.”
Along those same lines, Mello strongly suggested that everyone secure travel insurance prior to embarking on a cruise. He made his case by mentioning how someone requiring medical attention could incur charges of about $45,000 to be airlifted from Barbados to the United States without coverage.
Other tips dispensed by the Ohio State University grad included:
• Booking a full 7-10 cruise instead of a 3-4 trip, which often caters to a rowdier crowd
• Not booking a Christmas cruise if one wants to be in an adult-only environment
• Purchasing drink packages at about $89.95 per day in lieu of paying for individual cocktails as you go, which could cost $20 each
• Keeping one’s passport current
• Stocking up on Dramamine to combat sea sickness
The Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant invites community members to attend their weekly Wednesday meetings at the Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church, starting at noon.
