Quality Cruises: Part Two

Cruise lines increasingly offer pre and post cruise stays at the port of embarkation. Otherwise you fly into Puerto Rico or Hawaii or Miami that morning, then ship out. When you return you fly out that day. This seems a shame in attractive locations and two or three days spend relaxing put you in a good mood for a cruise. These stays also let you research shore activities and shop at local department and other shores out of the high budget tourist belt. On lines, like those that visit the Mexican Riviera, which offer split trips you can take a short three or four day cruise and combine it with a stay at a resort and fly back for far less than a week on board. Some lines let you stayover at resorts too. Most who cruise spend as much time as possible on shore. You should probably take excursion buses in areas where language or safety is a problem or, for example, where prices are unreal as is now the case in Japan with $5 a cup coffee and $125 taxi fees into town. Louis speaks several languages so we usually rent cars and travel on our own. You can often save 30 to 50 percent over the car rental firms that work with the ship. Last visit to Sitka, for example, we made a deal with a taxi driver on the dock that took us past all the sights and, when he discovered my husband was a "famous fishing writer," added a couple of hours catching small salmon at a tiny stream. Some shore tours need not be booked through the ship at all -- ships often add on 20% to 100% to the tour operators. For example, we found a better deal on snorkel trips through a local dive shop and saved on gear rentals as well. With these points in mind here are some specific suggestions on cruising areas.

HAWAII and SOUTH PACIFIC

American-Hawaiian Cruises cover several islands. Great shore activities and a casual crew make up for an older ship and unspectacular food. Stay on Oahu or Maui before the trip. A growing number of ships are staging Hawaii cruises out of Mexico to avoid the requirement that US Port to US Port cruises must be made on American ships.

Tahiti, Bora Bora and other South Pacific Islands offer unspoiled reefs and beaches. Deal with the French in Tahiti and you suffer high prices and marginal manners. Princess and Renaissance offer solid values here.

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