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Cruising
on the very cheap |
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So
you though Carnival Cruises was cheap. And you are correct; it is cheap and
horrid as well. But savvy adventurers who wanted to cruise on the cheap have
discovered Easy Cruise, a fairly new venture by the same folk who brought you
East Jet. |
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EasyCruiseOne |
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Think
of it as a no frills cruise with everything extra...including housekeeping
service. Or you can think of it
as a youth hostel on water. EasyCruise
is the latest brainchild of Stelios Haji-Ioannou (who goes by just "Stelios"),
founder of EasyJet, one of Europe's two top low-fare airlines. Building on
the principles of EasyJet, Stelios developed a product that cuts the costs of
cruising to a base price about as low as you could possibly get: * Prices start at $32 per night for a double cabin,
but fares increase as the ship fills. * You can board the ship at any of its ports and
get off at any port, as long as you stay on board for at least two nights. *
Everything beyond the cabin is extra: food, daily housekeeping and such. |
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Fusion on 4 restaurant |
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They
currently have two ships and are constructing another. They are tiny by today's ship standards. EasyCruiseOne holds about 230 passengers and EasyCruiseTwo
can carry 100. In
2004, the company acquired Renaissance II, a former luxury ship, and began
the process of renovating it beyond recognition, changing its suites to tiny
inside cabins and decorating both interior and exterior in signature
"easy" orange. The EasyCruiseOne launched in May 2005 and serves as
a simple, clean place to sleep on your way to your next destination. The
idea is to offer a unique vacation experience to independently minded
travelers. Following two successful seasons in the French & Italian
Riviera and Caribbean, the refurbished EasyCruiseOne is based in Greece
cruising to chi chi resorts and some islands, which are off the usual tourist
trail. EasyCruiseTwo was launched in August 2006 to cruise from Amsterdam on
the rivers and canals of Holland & Belgium through December 2007. Unlike
traditional cruising, EasyCruise ships only sail for a few hours each morning
arriving in each destination at around lunchtime so you can enjoy the rest of
the day and evening (until the early hours) having fun ashore. Our
itineraries are designed so that you can take a weekend, short break or a
week away at any time of the year. EasyCruise targets mainly travelers in their 20s, 30s, and early
40s--the average age is 32--but older travelers would be welcome if
they're comfortable mixing with a "swinging" younger crowd. The
line also targets mainly Europeans, but Americans would certainly fit in
without problems. While the EasyCruise concept pitches its very low costs, the
differences aren't as great as you might think. The cabin price, at $16 per
person, is just the beginning. Figure $9 per person for breakfast onboard,
$15 for lunch somewhere, $30 for a decent dinner, and $20 for drinks and
incidentals, and the daily cost rises to $90 per person per day. For that
kind of money, you can often buy a low-end cabin on one of the mass-market
cruise line's Caribbean itineraries, with much more comfortable cabins and
where all the extras are included. As with so many travel experiences, the appeal of EasyCruise is more
about your travel style than price. If you like the idea of taking your meals
in local restaurants and using the ship as nothing more than a base for
exploring some beautiful islands, you could enjoy an EasyCruise trip. But
if you're looking for big savings, forget it: After you've paid extra for everything--stuff
that's mostly included in the price of a conventional cruise--you're
probably just as well off buying a cabin on a mega-ship. |
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EasyCruise
provides none of the full-service features of a typical cruise ship: no
theater, no library, no casino, no pool, no boutiques, and no organized
entertainment. The ship has one restaurant, which seems to be about the
equivalent of Denny's, one convenience shop, a bar, and a snack bar. A
reasonably full dinner costs $25 to $30 per person. But
keep in mind that some might find EasyCruise the closest thing to camping on
a ship that one can get. If you pack more than a backpack you'll find the
rooms miniscule. But
the dining isn’t bad. No it's not fine gourmet dining, but then again you
aren't paying for that. On EasyCruiseOne the eatery is called Fusion on 4 and
was a sports bar in the ships previous life. It's very bright with turquoise
and white colors and cheerful wait staff. The Sun and Moon Bar is near the ships hot tub and the
center for various evening parties. |
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Port
itineraries depend on how much you want to spend. You're completely on your
own. EasyCruise
is a notch above what the old cruise lines called steerage. But unlike
steerage you get the entire ship. If you are young and looking to save lots
of money on your first cruise EasyCruise is for you. If you have been on a
Carnival Cruise and felt cheated by their lack of quality, EasyCruise may be
for you. If you are a cheap skate and don't care what you sleep in, you'll
love EasyCruise. If you are elderly and insane, you'll like Easycruise. But
if you are a seasoned cruiser or prefer the better things in life call
Cunard. |
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