[ TRAVEL ] having to hurry back to the ship. Some folks even preferred to venture out in the morning, return for lunch to the ship and go sightseeing again till it’s time to sail in the evening. You can do a lot in one day if you are reasonably organized. To get the most out of our time in ports we were keen to explore, we would have an early 7am breakfast and get ready to disembark as soon as the ship docked. Deciding on ‘must see’ places in advance is a good idea not only to get things done but also for budgeting purposes. For instance Pompeii is one place you cannot miss on a Mediterranean cruise, but it is a long taxi ride from the port of Naples, and you need to allocate several hours to see it. Europe is not a place for aimless wandering, taxis are expensive and even a simple snack can cost you ten euros if you don’t know where to eat. Unless you want to splurge, look for cafeterias that have a selection of tasty snacks rather than full meals that are waiting for you on board. You can even pack a picnic lunch from the ship and take it with you. “With two children in tow, our family vacation at sea, had more helping hands, and that made a big difference to our vacation” said our daughter Shana admitting how nice it was to have her Mama and Papa along on the cruise. “We all had such a good time, three generations at sea made it so much more fun than it would have been with just two.” More and more families seem to be finding out about the rewards of threegenerational get-togethers. A survey of 400 agents by the American Society of Travel Agents found that 64.5 percent had seen their multigenerational groups increase in the last five years. After experiencing a floating vacation you tend to compare the Rivkah and friends at lunch with the Adventure Ocean staff – the program for kids is fully supervised by qualified staff. I was not allowed to photograph the other kids faces for security reasons. difference between doing Europe on a land tour versus a cruise. Many people would probably be just as happy to commute from city to city by train or road, but you have to admit it is hard work, compensated perhaps by seeing a little more. On a cruise you unpack your bags once when you board the ship. If you are smitten by the sea, you will want to do it again and figure out ways to improve the experience. Cruising allows you to explore by day and relish the comfort of a cruise ship by night or whenever you are tired and want to stay on board to enjoy the facilities. Based on our experience, here are some tips for a family cruise: • Book early if you want a connecting cabin. For the best selection, book at least six months in advance, and if possible, a year in advance. • A safe is provided in your room for valuables and the wardrobes are spacious enough.You can opt for formal dining in the evenings, so bring along some formal wear, but its mostly casual dining so keep the luggage light, wear shorts is okay most of the time. • Daily on-board routines and activities are provided in Compass – the ship’s newsletter. It is quite detailed and the There are plenty of <strong>Indian</strong> crew on board to make you feel at home. (Left) Anshuman Gune, Asst F& B Manager with some of his crew in the Windjammer Café range of activities available is mindboggling. Pick your favorites everyday and note the timings carefully. Try and experience new things like learning how to dance the Salsa or play a round of mini-golf. Movies are shown throughout the day in a regular theatre and in your room TV and Internet availability is 24 hours at fixed rates. After dinner head to the live theatre for off Broadway type shows, some of them are of high caliber and worth watching. With a discotheque, karaoke, and other options you can be entertained 24 hours if you choose. • Brilliance of the Seas had two formal dinner options and since we had young children, we opted for the first 6.30 pm seating. Dinner at 8:30 p.m would be too late for the kids. A children’s menu is available. There are also specialty restaurants where you must pay separately for dining • Besides the cruise costs consider all expenses like air fares, en route airport expenses, tipping, shore excursions, meals ashore, souvenirs etc.). The cost of a basic cruise alone is about US$ 125-200 a day, depending on the cabin you choose and the month you travel. • For further details contact: Lakshmi Durai Executive Director - Middle East Royal Caribbean P.O Box 72785 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 3314299 Fax: +971 4 3310583 E-mail: sales@royalcaribbean-arabia.com www.royalcaribbean-arabia.com Frank Raj is the founding editor of The <strong>International</strong> <strong>Indian</strong>. 74 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>INTERNATIONAL</strong> INDIAN
[ INDIA <strong>THE</strong>SE DAYS ] <strong>THE</strong> <strong>INTERNATIONAL</strong> INDIAN 75
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