‘FOR’ & why that one little word means your cruise may not be taking you to exactly where you think you’re going!
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‘FOR’ & why that one little word means your cruise may not be taking you to exactly where you think you’re going!
On Valentines day I was thinking about the title of ‘Most Romantic City in the World’ in relation to cruise destinations and for me the most romantic destination for cruisers it just HAS to be Venice! I know the title is meant for Paris, but much as I like Le Havre it doesn’t seem a very Romantic cruise destination!! So I’m voting for Venice (for as long as they’ll have us!) and it was while I was looking for some pictures from my various visits that I thought that I should tell you the story of how PortExplore was born in Venice…
One of the crucial elements of a cruise is good preparation - it's important not to underestimate the amount of background work that needs doing beforehand. Thiats why we wrote the Cruise Planner - it's a great way to keep all your information to hand. It shows you what still needs to be done and keeps everything neatly in one place.
A ship can tie up on either side and could face either into or out of the port - so one side does not consistently have better views in port. Once you're in the open ocean, the view will be pretty much the same on either side - ships really don’t often sail that close to shore. If you’re arriving into port or cruising near somewhere amazing - past Stromboli volcano for example - then you want to be up on deck, looking forward to see the all ocean around you, to make sure you get the full experience! For this you can either go high to the top decks or search out a lower viewing deck that’s open to passengers - the helipad at the bow is very popular but you may need an invitation or a pass. When Cruising in an inlet - say into the Fjords, Kotor or parts of Alaska - the ship will go in facing one way and come out facing the other, so both sides will get the best view at some point! And for some ‘scenic cruising’ such as in Hubbard Glacier the ship actually turns gently in a full 360* circle so everyone will get the same view from their balcony.
I love sunsets and am fairly unlikely to even see the dawn so on a passage - a cruise that start in one place and ends in another - there will generally be a side that will get better sunsets. On these itineraries, choose a port side cabin for sunsets if you're sailing north or west, or to see sunrise if you're sailing south or east (or choose starboard for the opposite). But most cruises go out and round and back to where they started so then it really won’t matter at all
There are a couple of specific places it could make a difference …
Sailaway - safely back onboard ship and the perfect time to reflect on an awesome day spent ashore!
But the perfect day isn't something that just happens is it? It needs planning!
And it's difficult to plan ahead at the moment because the rules on cruising are changing all the time.
So we have thought about the best way to move forward in the current uncertainty.
Read our Blog post GOING ASHORE and see if you agree...
Some people are naturally organized, others aren't, but there are some who seem to exist wilfully in a sea of chaos!
CLIA's top ten list of ‘must visit’ destinations for 2020, includes both cities and more remote regions all of which can be visited on a cruise holiday. Not quite convinced about some of them, see what you think.....
As I spend my life writing about cruising and what do to ashore in port I am often asked, “Which is the best port, which one is your favourite?” I can't really answer because of course, I don’t have one! It is impossible, there are so many wonderful places that you can visit on a cruise that one individual port in the whole world won't stand out above all others. But the question got me thinking... I decided that there are definitely a few things that would go together to make my perfect port - see if you agree…