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Destination: Mediterranean Cruising

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Video: The Ethics of Cruising (From My Big, Big Chair on the Top Deck)

Okay, I’m on a massive cruise ship at sea with 3,000 mostly wealthy, mostly white tourists blitzing the great ports of the Mediterranean — and having lots of fun. No, I’m not suddenly abandoning my independent travel principles and becoming a huge proponent of cruising. But I am impressed by the economy, efficiency, and popularity of this kind of travel…and, to be honest, I enjoy cruising.

I’ve found it interesting reading your comments — pro and con — both here and on Facebook. Unfortunately, I’ve been too busy filming to respond directly. Here are a few general thoughts:

I am the first to agree that cruising is not for everyone. And why should it be? For some, it’s the anti-travel. For others, it’s the perfect vacation. On our ship, I met only people who seemed to be having a great time…most of them veterans of many cruises.

I’ve also met lots of budget-conscious, independent-minded travelers who’ve told me that a cruise (which includes all of their transportation, lodgings, and food for one discounted price) is, for them, a wonderful value.

My goal is not necessarily to promote cruising, but to acknowledge its huge presence in the travel world, and to outline its pros and its cons. Again, cruising isn’t for everyone. But lots of people are going to go on a cruise…whether I tell them to or not. My Mediterranean Cruise Ports and Northern European Cruise Ports guidebooks (and our upcoming public television special) are designed to help those who do cruise, to cruise smartly.

Some commenters have raised some important ethical issues. Here are a few of my thoughts on those (and I’d love to hear yours):

What about the environmental issues around cruising? Sure, a ship consumes a lot of energy and creates a lot of pollution. But how does that compare to 3,000 people traveling independently by car, bus, or boat?

What about the impact on local economies and communities? Cruising can trample towns with sightseers who leave almost no money (since they eat, sleep, and buy their tours on board). On the other hand, most of those communities seem to view cruise ships as a big economic boost (which explains why so many cities are investing in cruise ship-size piers and terminals).

Many point out that the industry is basically rich (on a global scale, anyone cruising is wealthy), white tourists being served by a black and brown crew from poor countries. I’ve talked to many people who work on cruise ships, who have told me that the income they earn on a cruise ship (and send home to their families) is far more than any employment prospects they have back home. And, not to be cynical, but isn’t that the reality of our world anyway — with the richest nations able to essentially ignore the fact that half the planet is trying to live on $2 a day? (Consider the $10 billion immediately given to help out Houston, while victims of a similar storm — which devastated entire Caribbean nations whose humble worlds were literally blown away — will hope for a tiny fraction of that and likely be ignored.)

Cruising might not be for everyone. But neither is my style of travel. And at least cruising gets people (who might otherwise stay home) out interacting with the world. And frankly, if I were to compare the people I met on our cruise ship to the people I’d meet on a typical train in Europe, those on the ship are more likely to be in need of the perspective broadening value of travel.

While I don’t really want to hear from people who’ve never been on a cruise ship saying that it’s a terrible way to go, I am interested in thinking a bit more about the ethics of cruising…and would welcome your comments.

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Video: Tipsy at the Top of the Ship

After raiding the minibar, I found myself all alone in a storm at midnight on the top deck of my cruise ship. I was a little lonely and feeling guilty that I haven’t been writing about all the great places we’ve been on this cruise — so I made you this little clip.

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Video: Marveling at my Cruise Ship

We’re wrapping up nearly two weeks at sea, our cruise show (a one-hour “Rick Steves’ Mediterranean Cruising” special to air on public television in January 2019) is in the can, it’s midnight, and we’ll be in Barcelona by the morning.

Join me in this clip as I journey from the top deck to my stateroom. I was going to tell you all about the wonders of the room card, which is also your on-board credit card and ID card…but I’m a bit tired and loopy, and I forgot. Still, here’s a quick little look at our ship (Celebrity Cruises’ good ship Reflection).

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Video: Terminal Happiness for Independent Cruisers

My TV crew and I are on a Mediterranean cruise, filming a special that will air on public television in January 2019. One of my main goals for the show is to help independent travelers make the most of the cruising experience. Here’s one big tip: Consider your shore excursions carefully.

While easygoing cruisers may choose to book an excursion from the cruise line for $100 (or more) a crack, there are many other legitimate options that open up to passengers once they step off the ship. Some travelers may opt to find a small company with a box office in the terminal — and have essentially the same experience for about half the price. Meanwhile, others will book a private guide with a car or minibus in advance (using sites such as Cruise Critic to team up with other cruisers and share the expense). And others will simply hop on a public bus or hike to the train station (guidebook in hand) and do their own thing. For the most reliable information, I recommend skipping the onboard shore excursion information desks. Instead, head to the tourist information kiosks that are set up to greet ships in each port.

As the cruising industry grows, more and more cities are investing in terminals that can accommodate these massive ships (and their payload of tourists). In this clip, I’ll take you for a quick walk through the terminal at La Spezia, Italy. From here, you can get to Florence (a couple of hours away by bus), Pisa, Lucca, and the Cinque Terre.

(Note, however, that I don’t recommend that cruise ship travelers try to see the Cinque Terre. It is not designed to handle masses of quickie half-day visits by cruisers. Locals don’t appreciate “looky-loos” from cruise ships, notorious for arriving all at once at peak time and congesting the villages and trails, without staying for dinner or spending the night. The crowds can be frustrating for all involved.)

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Video: Dig These Bones — Cimitero delle Fontanelle

Follow me in this clip as I venture deep into Naples, far from the throngs of tourists piling off our cruise ship. I discovered an amazing quarry filled with human bones when I was here in the spring, and I just had to come back with my TV crew to film it.

 

Here’s how I wrote it up for the next edition of the Rick Steves Italy guidebook:

Cemetery of the Fountains (Cimitero delle Fontanelle)

A thousand years ago, cut into the hills at the high end of Napoli, was a quarry. In the 16th century, churches with crowded cemeteries began moving the bones of their long dead here to make room for the newly dead. Later, it housed the bones of plague victims and the city’s paupers. In the 19th century, many churches emptied their cemeteries, adding even more skulls to this vast ossuary. Then, a cult of people appeared whose members adopted skulls. They named them, put them in little houses, brought them flowers, and asked them for favors from the next life. And today, the quirky caves — stacked with human bones and dotted with chapels — are open to the public. Located in a sketchy-feeling neighborhood at the top end of Sanità (via Fontanelle 80, tel. 081.795.6160, 10:00-17:00 daily, tips accepted). To get there, hop in a taxi, ride the subway to the Materdei stop and follow the brown signs for ten minutes, or hike ten minutes up Via Sanità from the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità).