The Devil is in the Details - Part 2

What am I going to see? – At each port you must decide what activities you are going to do.  The cruise line offers hundreds of excursions on a world voyage.  You can also set up private excursions (you or someone on your cruise contacts local tour operators) or just go out and explore on your own.  For this cruise there is a fourth option.  My travel agency sponsors a number of excursions that are fairly similar to the HAL ones but are slightly cheaper and, for the most part, have smaller groups. 

In many ports that I have been to previously I often “do my own thing”.  Also, if the port city has a “Hop-on, Hop-off” (HOHO) bus tour I will frequently do that.  These are great because you get to see the major sights with commentary and can get off at any stop where you want to explore more and then get back on a later bus.  I am planning on going on at least two HOHO buses. 

I also take some private excursions set up with people I meet on-line on Cruise Critic.  I have signed up for five on this cruise.

For the majority of ports on this cruise I will be taking ship excursions.  The huge plus for a ship excursion is that the ship will not leave you behind (yes, it does happen – check out some of the You Tube videos of “runners” trying to make it back to the ship) if your tour does not come back on time.  The ship excursions are the easiest to do because they plan everything although they are almost always much more expensive than the other choices. 

I often wait until I am onboard to purchase my ship excursions because you often hear suggestions from others onboard as to what is good and what is not.  The only ones I usually book in advance are ones that I would be very upset if I did not get to do (sometimes these excursions fill up fast).  Planning for excursions usually starts shortly after booking for me.  I make lists and add and delete over the weeks and months before the cruise.

My cruise is 113 days long – does that mean I have to bring 113 outfits? - Of course, the answer is no.  Ships have laundry and dry cleaning services available for a price.  Most of the ships that do world voyages also have self-serve laundries.  On my first world cruise I would set aside three to four hours to devote to waiting for a washer, using the washer, waiting for the cycle to end, waiting for a dryer, and then waiting for it to finish.  Then I had to take everything back to my cabin to fold or hang up (and some of it was so wrinkled I had to go back and wait for an iron).  About half way through the cruise I got resentful of “wasting” those hours.  After all, if I want to wash clothes I can do it at home!  That is when I started sending out my laundry.  On HAL they offer a small bag (in which I can stuff 15-20 items) washed and pressed, coming back folded or on hangars (my choice) for about $20.  They also offer an unlimited laundry service for a set price.  I opted for the unlimited this time and I already purchased it (I thought it was a real steal for $189).

Medications - Everyone I know on a world cruise takes a small pharmacy of over the counter medications.  Some of these are hard to impossible to get when you need them so it is better to pack them “just in case”.

Most people who have the time and money to do a world cruise are older and with that comes a variety of issues that require prescription medicines.  You can usually work with your doctor and prescription plan to get enough for your world cruise.  Luckily, I don’t have to take any prescription meds.  I did have my doctor prescribe antibiotics for the infections to which I am prone.  Going to the ship’s doctor usually costs about $100 just to make the appointment and more for any meds you might be given and any subsequent visits.  Also, on my first world cruise the medical center ran out of almost all medicines before the four months were up so I like to go prepared.

The dreaded “V”s (vaccinations and visas) – Most itineraries do not require any specific vaccination (although if you look at the CDC website you would wonder if it is worth leaving home).  My first world cruise required none but for this one a yellow fever shot was required for entering some of the African countries.  I also spoke with my doctor to see what he would recommend.  Since typhoid is common in many of the countries, I took a series of (very expensive even with insurance) pills.  We discussed malaria pills but he said dousing myself in Deet bug spray should do the trick since I will not be spending a night off the ship.  He also suggested inoculations that were not specifically travel related but important to keep you healthy anywhere – Prevnar, Shingles, and a flu shot.

For most countries who require a visa (great way for them to make money), the ship can procure your visa and add the cost to your onboard account.  There are a few countries that require each person to apply for their visa in advance.  You need to fill out a very detailed application on-line and send your passport (or if you live close enough, visit their consulate) along with passport size pictures of yourself.  India, China, and Brazil seem to be the worst ones to get.  I had to do India and China on my last WV.  Luckily, the only visa I had to get in advance this time was for Australia and it is a simple on-line application which gives you an ETA which is electronically linked with your passport.

Mail - Lots and lots of mail will accumulate over the course of four months.  The postal service will only hold mail for a month.  You can pay about $20 per week to have the USPS box up your mail each week and send it to someone you designate.  On my last world cruise, my daughter picked up my mail (she only lives 2 miles away).  This time I am going to stop the mail twice and she will pick it up the other times.

Anything I forgot to cover?  Let me know if you have any questions.

Smooth sailing until next time!