5 Best Cruise Lines For Retirees

Above, a cruise ship near a Alaska glacier. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To be honest, taking cruises isn't my favorite mode of travel. Yes, I've been on three cruises and enjoyed each one of them. My favorite mode of travel is RVing. If a cruise comes up that is very interesting to me, I may indulge myself and go.

That being said, for seniors who do not have an RV, cruises may be just what one's doctor ordered.  

Above, a view of Skagway, Alaska. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Kiplinger has posted the five best cruise lines for seniors. Of the five, I have cruised with one of them, Celebrity Cruises. The cruise I took was to Alaska.

They begin with:

Retirement is the perfect time to set sail. Whether you’re chasing fun, adventure, or bucket-list destinations, cruises offer seniors the comfort, easy access, and unforgettable experiences they deserve after years of work.

According to Shore Excursions Group, seniors make up a significant share of the cruise market, with 32% of passengers being 65-plus.

"Additionally," says Jason R. Margulies, Partner & Maritime Attorney at Lipcon, Marqulies & Winkleman, "since cruises are a mode of transport in and of themselves, seniors don’t have to worry about the chaos of packing and unpacking at each port, moving to different hotels and rooms every night, and the other concerns that come with traveling by land or air to the next destination."

If you’re looking for an experience on ocean waves or river swells, dive into why cruises offer an out-of-this-world adventure for retirees, what to look for in a cruise line, and our top picks for the five best ones suited to active golden agers.

Above, our ship, Celebrity Mercury, docked at Juneau, Alaska. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

When Are The Cheapest Months To Take A Cruise?

Above, the Celebrity Mercury at Juneau, Alaska in 2001. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When is the cheapest month to take a cruise? 

That is the question and title of an article in USA Today. People who want to take a cruise but want to do so at lower costs will find the article interesting.  

They begin with:

If you’re looking for cruise deals, it pays to pick your sailing dates carefully. Prices can vary based on your cruise line, destination and more – but certain times of year tend to be cheaper than others.

Joanna Kuther, a travel agent and owner of Port Side Travel Consultants, said it’s “all based on the demand.”

“And when you're talking about holidays and when schools are out, when families want to travel together, it's always going to be more expensive,” she told USA TODAY.

However, there are bargains out there if you know when to look for them. Here’s what to know.

To read more, go here. 

Avoid Getting Sick On A Cruise

Above, the Celebrity Mercury in Juneau, Alaska. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To date, I've been on two cruises and both times I've gotten some sort of bug.

The first time was in 2000 when we took a cruise to Alaska. I caught a flu bug during the cruise. It could have come from the flight from L.A. to Vancouver, Canada (where we embarked). It subsided after a couple of days.

The second time was during my recent cruise to Cuba. About the third day, I got congestion and a cough to go along with it. It ended about a week after the cruise ended. This one was more of a head cold. Again, I could have caught it during the flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where we embarked.

Above, the Majesty of the Seas in Havana, Cuba. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Getting sick while on a cruise is more common than one may think. It is not surprising since over 2,000 people are crammed into the confines of a ship and passing germs to each other. I got the cold even though I was taking Vitamin C before and during the cruise.

How does one avoid getting sick on a cruise?

Cruise Critic has some tips.

They begin with:

Most cruise travelers sail happily and healthily, but anytime you step out of your daily routine, you let your physical guard down and become susceptible to all sorts of illnesses. From tummy troubles to head colds, seasickness to sunburn and hangovers to jet lag, cruise ship passengers can easily succumb to a number of ailments. 

Have we made you nervous? Don't be. It's relatively easy to stay healthy and not get sick on a cruise ship if you take a few simple precautions. All you really need is a mental checklist and a few minutes a day. 

While we can't guarantee you won't get sick -- for all you know, your germy coworkers may have already infected you before you embark on your trip -- here are our top 10 tips for staying healthy and minimizing your chances of getting sick on your next cruise.

 To read more, go here.

Book Your 2019 Alaska Cruise Now

Above, Alaskan totem poles. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2000, my mom, daughter and I took an Alaska cruise with Celebrity Cruises. It took us to places such as Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Mendenhall Glacier.

Condé Nast Traveler has six Alaska cruises profiled. The thing of it is: you should book now.

They begin with:

Calling all adventure travelers: Priceline is offering some big discounts on 200 Alaskan cruises for 2019, with sailings starting at $449 per person for four- to seven-day routes. That's $449 to cruise the Inside Passage, swing by glaciers and fjords, and spot all the wildlife. Yes please. It's all part of the Alaska Cruise Month offer, which highlights deals from major lines like Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, and Norwegian, and helps you save up to 75 percent when you book (think up to $1,000 of onboard credit and up to an additional $200 in shore excursion credit). Travel is available from April through September 2019—the best time to cruise in Alaska, as previously reported by Traveler—and you have the rest of October to book. 

If an Alaska cruise suits your fancy, the time is now to take advantage of discounts.

To read more, go here. 

What You Need To Know About RVing In Alaska

Above, Skagway, Alaska. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The first time I've ever heard of going to Alaska in a RV was when a friend's dad joined a guided group caravan of RVs. That was around 30 years ago.

I have been to Alaska, but that was on week-long cruise with stops at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Mendenhall Glacier and other places.

RV Life has an article on what to expect if one is going to Alaska by RV along with tips and advice.

They begin it with:

To most people, the largest state in the nation conjures up visions of natural adventures, untamed places, and wild people.  Alaska is a BIG land.  If you overlay the state of Alaska with the contiguous US, it would stretch from the California coast to the Florida panhandle and north to the Great Lakes.  Even with its large land size, Alaska ranks 48th in population with fewer than 700,000 people living here, making it one of the most sparsely populated areas in the world (approximately 1 person per square mile).  Roughly half of Alaska’s population lives within Anchorage, leaving the rest of the enormous state vast and unpopulated. 

Alaska is considered to be the “Last Frontier” and truly, it is.  You have to be pretty hearty to deal with the harsh climate, wildly changing length of day from season to season, raw wilderness that composes so much of the state, and also the remoteness and isolation.  Those who do well in this environment are self-reliant, possess plenty of patience, and have an ability to adapt, improvise, and create in order to best experience all that Alaska has to offer.  Keeping all of this in mind, here are some tips and advice to consider when planning your Alaskan RV trip.

If I were to consider going to Alaska by RV, I would do it the same way my friend's dad did. At least there would likely be a mechanic within the group (in case of mechanical problems) as well as a guide.

To read more, go here.

Alaska Airlines To End Los Angeles To Vancouver Route In 2016

Above, the Celebrity Mercury at Juneau, Alaska. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Fifteen years ago, my mother treated my daughter Amber and I to a seven-day Alaskan cruise aboard Celebrity Cruises' ship Celebrity Mercury.

The ship departed for its cruise from their port in Vancouver, Canada. Included in the cruise package were round-trip flights to Vancouver aboard Alaska Airlines.

Now it has been reported that Alaska Airlines is ending its non-stop service to Vancouver this coming June.

According to Travel Weekly:

Alaska Airlines will end its nonstop service between Los Angeles and Vancouver, effective June 4, according to AirlineRoute.net.

The route was launched in 1996 by Alaska Airlines. Other airlines will continue the Los Angeles-Vancouver route after Alaska Airlines ends its service.

To read more, go here. 

Cruising Alaska? Alternatives To Pricey Excursions

Photos by Armand Vaquer

It is cruise season in Alaska and Japan Today (of all places) has an article on saving money on off-ship activities (referred to as "excursions").

According to Japan Today:

JUNEAU, Alaska —It’s cruise season in Alaska, with more than 1 million cruise passengers expected between April and September in port towns from Ketchikan to Seward. 

Cruise passengers who sign up for shore excursions can spend hundreds of dollars, if not more in the case of families, in each port they visit. Taking a helicopter to see Juneau-area ice fields can easily run $1,000 for a family of four for a one-hour trip. A nature tour near the tiny town of Ketchikan can run $89 for adults and $50 for kids. 

But there are many low-cost and even free things to do in Alaska port towns, from hiking to exploring glaciers to learning about Alaska and Native culture. 

They then provide some ideas from some of Alaska's most-visited ports.

Back in 2000, my mom, daughter and I took an Alaskan cruise with Celebrity Cruises.  The accompanying photos are from that trip. We found then that the off-ship excursions were pricey.  We settled for a (relatively inexpensive) tour and talk about totem poles at a park in Ketchikan.

We saw some beautiful scenery that included glaciers, forested mountains, whales, eagles, rustic towns and, of course, totem poles.   We even toured a fish hatchery.

We also visited Juneau (Alaska's capital city), Ketchikan and Skagway.  We wandered around and did some shopping.

To view the full article, go here.