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Knowledge is Good

By Bill Panoff

As publisher of Porthole Cruise Magazine, I am privy to what my readers say about my publication specifically and the cruise industry in general. In fact, the letters we have received prompted my editorial director to institute an Ombudsman column to touch upon broad subjects that passengers might be faced with when on a cruise ship.

Nevertheless, I check the Internet chat rooms and forums frequently to read the questions asked by potential cruisers and answers given by those who have already been there, done that. The queries are wide ranging, from the weather in the Caribbean during a specific week, to the quality of tuxedo rentals on board, to the proper dress on the first night of a cruise to an invitation for any singles to come party with a group aboard a specific vessel.

The answers are, in fact, knowledgeable; the respondents are anxious to give their best advice. This tells me two things: 1) potential passengers are not going on a cruise ship without being well informed, and 2) cruise lines are very cognizant of the fact that one bad passenger experience can spread like the Ebola virus.

How long does a bad experience or image linger? You probably aren’t quick to book a Northwest Airlines flight if you recall the horror stories passengers told about being stranded on Northwest planes for seven hours, and the airline’s subsequent callous attitude toward its customers.

You can have a bad experience on a cruise ship, too. Mechanical breakdowns; ineffective staff; noisy passengers; poor food all make for an uncomfortable environment. So before you plunk down your hard-earned money for a cruise, pick up Porthole and read about the cruise experience, and if you’re Internet savvy, visit cruise chat rooms and forum areas and ask questions. To paraphrase the immortal words of Gordon Gekko in the movie “Wall Street,” “Knowledge, for lack of a better term, is good.”

WHAT’S AT SEA: Holland America Line announced that it has received permission from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to include Antarctica on its itineraries. The Rotterdam will visit the continent on her 2000 world cruise… Carnival Cruise Lines has instituted a 24-hour travel hot line for passengers who might have an emergency before or after their cruise. Emergencies include severe weather conditions or an airline strike. … Celebrity Cruises is unveiling audio art tours aboard its fleet so passengers can learn about the line’s acclaimed contemporary art collection. … Premier Cruises announced that it would unveil its new 7-Star Service on fall Mexico-based itineraries.  

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