Living It Up on the High Seas

My Personal Inquiry to my Family’s Ultimate Spring-Break Cruise

Beth Wade September 2009

BethSeptember 19, 2009

Why? Cruises are fun for the whole family.

Cruises are great for children because they offer exposure to different cultures or locales in a safe environment (Ward Complete Guide to Cruising: 2009 67).

photos by Beth Wade

What do I already know?Cruises can go to beautiful destinations, such as

the glaciers at Alaska’s Inner Passage.

photo by Beth Wade

What do I need to know?(What is the best spring break cruise for my family?)

For its economic value, port destinations, and quality children’s activities, I have

booked a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Liberty for March 27, 2010.

Why the Carnival Liberty?family

movies on deck

a two-floor, highly-rated children’s activity program

called Camp Carnival

a putt-putt course

a three-story water

slide

newness: a 3 and ½ star rating, higher than other

Carnival ships

(Complete Guide to Cruising: 2009 254)

(Carnival.com http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/ships/carnival_liberty/default.aspx?shipCode=LI)

Who takes cruises?

Anyone, young or old:Cruises are known for their accessibility

features, making them a favored form of travel for people with all kinds of special needs—from guide animals to accessible cabins (Tierney “Cruise Ships Chart New Course to Accessibility.” Toronto Star T10).

photo by Beth Wade

What about the economy?

• Despite our recession, the cruise industry has done well. It’s has been called ‘recession proof’.

Why? Many vacationers love to cruise and find it cheaper to cruise than to fly to the destination itself and stay on land (Schwartzman 50).

It’s cheaper to ‘Clark Griswold’ an iceberg than to camp on it! (photo by Beth Wade)

Where can I go on a cruise?

• Nearly anywhere there is water and a boat to traverse it! Cruises can be taken on rivers, to other countries, and even to Antarctica!

• To find a cruise destinations, a couple of good websites are smart cruiser.com at http://www.smartcruiser.com/ and cruises.com at http://www.cruises.com/default.asp? .

• Family, friends, and online experts are also great resources!

• Every form of travel leaves some sort of carbon imprint, but these days cruise ships are adhering to strict environmental guidelines, following more standards than land forms of travel.

• Cruise lines are finding ways to cut fuel costs (for financial reasons, as well).

• Carnival ships are now installing monitoring devices that send data to government agencies. Ask your cruise line for more details. (Young 19)

How environmentally friendly are cruises?

How is the crew treated?

The crew can sometimes work 15-hour days, 8-month contracts, and earn less than minimum wage.

So…if you get good service, tip them well! (Bruns 103)

What do I still need to know?

• Research my ports of call for our spring break cruise!

Stingray City is a definite possibility in the Grand Cayman Islands.

http://www.stingraycitytrips.com/Grand Cayman Islands Ocho Rios, JamaicaCozumel, Mexico Alaska was spectacular,

but my family is ready for a tropical cruise.

Works Cited

Burns, Brian David. Cruise Confidential: A Hit Below the Waterline. Palo Alto, California: Travelers’ Tales, 2008.

Callison, Daniel, and Leslie Preddy. The Blue Book on Information Age Inquiry. Instruction, and Literacy. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.

"Cruise News." Cruise Travel 31.1. July 2009: 14-20. Hospitality & Tourism Complete. EBSCO. IUPUI Library, Indianapolis, IN. 17 Sep. 2009 <http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hjh&AN=43564319&site=ehost-live>.

Lamb, Annette, Dr. “8W’s of Information Inquiry.” Information Age Inquiry. IUPUI. , Indianapolis, IN. 1 September 2009. 31 August 2009 <http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/ws.htm>.

Schwartzman, M. T. "Recession Resistant." Cruise Travel 31.1. July 2009: 50-50. Hospitality & Tourism Complete. EBSCO. IUPUI Library, Indianapolis, IN. 17 Sep. 2009 <http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hjh&AN=43564330&site=ehost-live>.

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner in Action. Chicago, Illinois: American Association of School Librarians, 2009.

Stripling, Barbara K., and Sandra-Hughes-Hassell (Eds.). Curriculum Connections Through the Library. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2003.

Tierney, Diane. "Cruise Ships Chart New Course to Accessibility." Toronto Star (Canada) (n.d.). Newspaper Source. EBSCO. IUPUI Library, Indianapolis, IN. 17 Sep. 2009 <http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=6FP0725785616&site=ehost-live

Young, Susan J. "Riding the GREEN WAVE." Travel Agent 334.8. 13 Apr. 2009: 18-19. Business Source Premier. EBSCO. IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN. 16 Sep. 2009

<http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.iupui.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=5&hid=103&sid=9ce83b36-c845-4f5d-be77-11be524940ce%40sessionmgr111>.

Ward, Douglas. Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships: 2009. London: Berlitz Publishing, 2009.

*All photographs by Beth Wade or courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines and Google Images.