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PATRICIA Cruises (DEFUNCT)

Sep 24, 2018 | 0

Patricia Cruises

by Karl Zimmermann & Ted Scull

Update: Trinity House ceased its cruise business sideline in Oct 2020.

The Trinity House Vessel PATRICIA serves as a working ship for Trinity House, the British agency that looks after lighthouses and buoys in the waters around England, Wales and the Channel Islands, but not Scotland.

In recent years, 12 passengers have been accepted and occupy very comfortable cabins on working voyages that have you following the course of the ship’s duties. While the length of the voyage (a week) is known upon booking, the exact sailing details are usually sent out about 10 days in advance and that includes the dates, times, and ports of embarkation and (usually different) disembarkation. Last-minute alterations can and do happen. Perhaps not until the sailing commences will you know the exact itinerary, and because of the weather or other circumstances, a complete change of course may be required.

Accepting these uncertainties, the passenger response has been very positive. It’s living on a floating English country house at sea where most of the crew is engaged in maritime safety tasks.

Note: The bookings go fast for the most popular dates.

Patricia in Harwich. * Photo: Karl Zimmerman

Ship, Year Delivered & Passenger

THV PATRICIA (built 1982 & 12 passengers)

Passenger Profile

The dozen passengers are usually older and well-heeled British nationals. While there is no upper age limit, passengers must be able to climb and descend narrow, steep steps into and out of the work boat.

Passenger Decks

The accommodations are arranged on two decks.

Price : $$. Rates quoted are for the cabin (not per person) and for one week or two weeks. Passengers traveling alone will pay a single rate for the double cabin.

Included Features

Wine with dinner.

Itineraries of Patricia

The PATRICIA operates passenger-carrying voyages between late April and into October.

Port calls will usually occur only at embarkation and disembarkation, and the regions accessed may be the East Coast and the North Sea; the South Coast and the English Channel, including the Channel Islands off the coast of France; the Southwest off Cornwall and in the Bristol Channel, and the West Coast of England and Wales in the Irish Sea.

The coastline is often in view as are islands. N.B. The website shows the Draft Itinerary for an entire year and the longest block in any one region is the East Coast June to August. However, this is a guide only and circumstances may require the ship to respond to an urgent need elsewhere.

Sailing aboard the PATRICIA is a unique experience that is not available anywhere else in the world, and if you can accept the uncertainties, the voyage could not be more comfortable nor provide a more relaxed social setting shared with fellow passengers and crew.

When to Go?

Anytime during the six-month season that passengers are carried. Early and late season voyages are cooler and cold out on the water. Even summer months can be chilly on deck at all hours.

Stateroom # 1, Prince Philip’s cabin when aboard. * Photo: Karl Zimmermann

Patricia Cabins

The six cabins are all good-sized twin-bedded, windowed outsides with individual décor, lounge area, private facilities, including bath tub and shower, satellite TV, coffee/tea making facilities, Internet connections, and the very British amenity called a trouser press.

Stateroom One is officially reserved for the Duke of Edinburgh and Stateroom Two for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Public Rooms

The main lounge opens to an outside forward viewing deck for watching the ship approach the working locations and then the activities as they unfold. A helicopter landing deck at is the bow.

Elder Brethern Dining Room seats 12. * Photo: Karl Zimmermann

The passengers eat at one long table at set times and with a set menu. However, the food is very good British cooking by a chef dedicated to the passengers. Seating changes are encouraged so that everyone gets to meet one another. Service is formal and very attentive. Special dietary requirements are accepted with advance notice. Passengers tend to dress up a bit for dinner.

Activities & Entertainment

They are generally focused on watching the crew lifting and cleaning buoys and attending to and refueling lighthouses, all are now automated and unmanned. Lighthouses mark shoals, dangerous rocks or land masses such as islands and coastlines. Buoys mark safe shipping channels and navigational hazards including shipwrecks. The ship may also respond to emergencies. The bridge has an open policy allowing passengers to learn more about the ship’s activities and navigation in general.

Acting Captain (three stripes) Dave Cooper with a chart of the approaches to Southampton. * Photo: Karl Zimmermann

Special Notes

If a change of crew (every three weeks) is scheduled at the end of the voyage booked, the ship may arrive at the disembarkation port a day in advance, though you stay aboard until the following day.

Be sure you can handle last-minute changes such as the embarking and disembarking ports and even an itinerary that involves working in a completely different region or regions. Inquire well ahead of when you may want to go as bookings go fast for the most popular months.

If you might be interested in staying at a lighthouse cottage (separate from the lighthouse itself), the Trinity House website lists a dozen locations along the English coast and provides a link to the booking agent.

Along the Same Lines

One of a kind, nothing else like it.

Trinity House, The Quay, Essex, Harwich CO 12 3JW England; www.trinityhouse.co.uk then click on Holidays +11 44 1255 245156 if phoning from outside the United Kingdom

Passenger bookings are made through: Wildwings (incorporating Strand Travel), Davis House, Lodge Causeway, Bristol BS16 3JB England; www.wildwings.co.uk 011 44 117 96 58333 (from outside the UK) www.wildwings.co.uk/app-holidays/patricia-voyages

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© This article is protected by copyright, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the author. All Rights Reserved. QuirkyCruise.com.

About The Author

QuirkyCruise

Ted & Heidi are long-time travel writers with a penchant for small ship cruising. Between them they've traveled all over the world aboard hundreds and hundreds of small cruise ships of all kinds, from river boats to expedition vessels and sailing ships.

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Adventure cruises offered on-board Trinity House’s THV Patricia

Author: [email protected]

Published on: 23 March 2015

Updated on: 13 November 2020

Those seeking a UK coastal trip with a difference are being offered an exclusive opportunity to experience a voyage on-board THV Patricia. Measuring 86 metres in length, the 2,541 tonne THV Patricia is the flagship of Trinity House, which services and maintains navigational buoys, light vessels and offshore lighthouses around England, Wales and the Channel

Those seeking a UK coastal trip with a difference are being offered an exclusive opportunity to experience a voyage on-board THV Patricia .

Measuring 86 metres in length, the 2,541 tonne THV Patricia is the flagship of Trinity House, which services and maintains navigational buoys, light vessels and offshore lighthouses around England, Wales and the Channel Islands, as well as dealing with maritime emergencies and wrecks.

Six deceptively spacious en-suite cabins are available accommodating up to 12 passengers on a choice of seven- and 14-night sailings. The sailings depart between April and October.

Unlike with traditional cruise holidays, THV Patricia ’s tour of duty around the coasts of England, Wales and the Channel Isles is subject to change at any moment, due to emergencies or alterations to the work schedule. While guests are given an outline itinerary before they set sail it is subject to change at a moment’s notice.

Among its routes, the THV Patricia travels the Thames Estuary where some of the largest ships to dock in the UK can be found; the North Sea, an important trading area where fishing, wind farms, offshore oil and gas exploration take place; the South Coast, home to the busiest shipping lane in the world; the West Coast with its dramatic cliff tops, tempestuous seas and strong tides, and the Bristol Channel, with its many lighthouses marking dangerous offshore rocks.

The THV Patricia operates an Open Bridge Policy, whereby guests are encouraged to watch the officers and crew at work, ask questions and learn more about the vital work that is undertaken to maintain maritime safety in UK waters.

Guests also have access to the promenade deck and viewing area for foredeck operations as well as use of a lounge area and dining room where three set meals created by a dedicated passenger chef are served each day.

There is also a chance to view the coastline from a unique perspective, with the possibility of seeing marine wildlife ranging from sea birds and dolphins to turtles and basking sharks.

Another perk of travelling on THV Patricia is that you could find yourself sleeping in Princess Anne’s bed – she is Master of Trinity House and prefers Stateroom 2. Her father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, preferred Stateroom 1 when he was master.

Prices for a seven night full board voyage start from £3,080 per cabin based on double occupancy or from £1,990 for single occupancy.

(Photo credits to WildWings)

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VOYAGES 2020 A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE - Trinity House

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Cruise And Ferry

Trinity House bids a sad farewell to cruise passengers

UK agency says old age rather than Covid-19 is the reason it is pulling out of the cruise business

Trinity House, the agency that looks after lighthouses and buoys in the waters around England, Wales and the Channel Islands, has called time on a lucrative side business — cruising.

For many years, Trinity House has carried a dozen passengers on its 2,639-gt multipurpose buoy tender Patricia (built 1982).

They joined the ship on its working voyages, following the course of its duties as it serviced buoys and lighthouses.

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My journey to the lighthouse with Patricia

It wasn't a typical introduction to life on a cruise ship. I stood on the helipad of the Patricia during a force six blast, watching in awe as the crew hauled huge ropes and the ship's launch pitched wildy in the waves. After nearly 30 minutes of wrestling, their task was complete.

The 2,500-tonne Patricia is the flagship of Trinity House, which is responsible for the maintenance of lighthouses, buoys and light vessels that guard the shipping lanes and coastline of England and Wales. I had just witnessed the crew positioning the South Goodwin, a small boat that is home to a light tower.

Technological strides have meant that Patricia's role has changed since she first came into service in 1982. One of her original tasks had been to transport lighthouse keepers to remote stations such as Wolf Rock and Bishop's Rock. But the automation of lighthouses and the construction of helipads on some of the lighthouses means there are no keepers to ferry, leaving room for a few fare-paying passengers keen to experience life on a working ship. I was one of the first onboard.

The ship's main task during my three-day trip from its base in Harwich was to reinstall the South Goodwin vessel near Ramsgate, Kent, which had been away for repair (Trinity House had put in a replacement).

If passengers are lucky they might be able to visit a rock station or attend a shipwreck where the Patricia may have to mark out no-go areas with buoys or install a light vessel. If the car-carrying Tricolor, which sank in the Channel in 2002 with £30m worth of luxury cars onboard, had been in British waters John Mallett, the captain of the Patricia, and his crew would have been responsible for preventing any further wrecks.

I had great fun hanging out on the bridge with the crew, who pointed out the basics of radar, global positioning systems and steering. Polite enquiries resulted in a tour of the engine room where one of the six diesel electric engines was being stripped down and cleaned.

My fellow passenger, Mick, was a veteran of freighter trips across the Atlantic and the Caribbean. From a maritime family, he felt happiest when he was at sea and loved being on a working ship. 'You can really get to know the crew, there are far fewer passengers and, though it's not cheap, you get a unique experience,' he said.

After a few hours in his company I began to share his enthusiasm and was spotting bulk carriers, dredgers and ro-ros as they sailed by. At one point we sighted a gargantuan cruise ship sailing along the hori zon on her way into the Channel. About the same time, one of the Patricia's crew was conducting a delicate electrical operation on a light vessel that was pitching in rough seas. I felt a slight smugness that I was not in a floating hotel.

The Patricia may be a working ship, but it is surprisingly luxurious. In fact, it is so comfortable the Duke of Edinburgh, patron of Trinity House, and his entourage use it during Cowes week. Behind the special towing winches and a 20-tonne speed crane are six good-sized guest cabins with ensuite bathrooms and satellite TV. The food is top notch, good enough to grace any captain's - or prince's - table and a dedicated team is onboard to look after guests. There's also a well-stocked bar in the dining-room. My evenings were spent watching the sun go down and looking up at starry skies.

Though joining the Patricia may appeal to those who are fond of spending time on cargo ships, this isn't a typical freighter cruise. We didn't eat with the crew as is customary on cargo voyages and there was a sense of separation from the goings-on of the ship, though these barriers are likely to break down as more visitors come onboard and the crew realise that people are fascinated by what they do.

On our last morning we were back in the Stour estuary dropping off the replacement South Goodwin light vessel and getting ready to go back ashore. I hid on the bridge for as long as I could before I was summoned to the launch that took several crewmembers, Mick and myself on a fun, speedy ride to the pier at Harwich.

It had been an utterly gripping trip. I was astonished at how much there was to look at, and how alive and busy a working ship felt. As my train rattled back towards London I caught a glimpse of the Patricia sailing back out to sea and felt green that I was no longer on board.

A seven-day trip onboard the Patricia with Trinity House (01255 245034; Trinity House ) starts at £1,400 single and £2,450 double including all meals, available from March to October. Longer voyages are possible. Information on visiting lighthouses in England and Wales and lighthouse museums is available on lighthouse-visits .

· For more on cargo ship travel the bi-monthly Freighter Travel Review (c/o Michael Murphy, 14 Egremont Way, Colchester, CO3 5NJ; 01206 503798) is an excellent starting point. The Cruise People (020 7723 2450 ; cruisepeople ) and Strand Travel (0207766 8220; Strand Travel ) can help with freighter travel bookings.

If you liked the sound of that ... try these

You can stay in one of 10 lighthouse keeper's cottages in England and Wales offered by Rural Retreats (01386 701177; Rural Retreats ), including Anvil Point, Dorset, and St Catherine's on the Isle of Wight. Two new locations open this year in Whitby in North Yorkshire (October) and St Anthony's Head on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall (July), where a week's stay ranges from £599 in low season to £855 in peak season.

The romantic West Usk Lighthouse (01633 810126; West Usk Lighthouse) is unusually short and fat rather than tower-like. It has great views of the Bristol Channel from its location near Newport, Gwent . Built in 1821 it now operates as a guest house with doubles from £90 a night, B&B. A range of strange treatments, including biorhythm readings, past life regression and flotation tank relaxation is available.

Watch over the straits that separate San Francisco and San Pablo Bays in California with a stay in the East Brother Light Station (00 1 510 233 2385; ebls ). Set on an island, the inn has four bedrooms with bay views. Rooms cost from £158 per night based on two sharing, including boat trip to the island from the mainland, breakfast and four-course dinner. Flights from Gatwick to San Francisco are from £314 with Delta Airlines (0800 414767; Delta )

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• THV PATRICIA

Buoy/Lighthouse Vessel, IMO 8003632

• VesselFinder
• Miscellaneous

The current position of THV PATRICIA is at North East Atlantic Ocean reported 2 mins ago by AIS. The vessel is en route to HAMSTEAD LEDGE , sailing at a speed of 0.1 knots and expected to arrive there on Apr 30, 16:00 . The vessel THV PATRICIA (IMO 8003632, MMSI 232647000) is a Buoy/Lighthouse Vessel built in 1982 (42 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of United Kingdom (UK) .

Position & Voyage Data

Map position & weather, recent port calls, vessel particulars.

THV PATRICIA current position and history of port calls are received by AIS. Technical specifications, tonnages and management details are derived from VesselFinder database. The data is for informational purposes only and VesselFinder is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of THV PATRICIA data.

TRINITY HOUSE FLAGSHIP THE PATRICIA

THV PATRICIA, a Buoy-Laying ship that undertakes aid to navigation maintenance, towing, wreck location and marking – dropped its anchor in the Sound this afternoon.

The British built registered ship was spotted in the Sound by our Westward Shipping News 24 hour live webcam that can be viewed on our Homepage.

The THV Patricia is the flagship of Trinity House, and one of a fleet of lighthouse tenders that look after and service maritime navigation aids primarily around the English and Welsh coastlines.

Built by Robb Caledon in Leith in 1982, her work includes refuelling offshore lights, maintenance, towing, buoy work, and wreck location and marking. 

The THV Patricia  is fitted with towing winches providing a routine capability for moving lightvessels to and from their stations.  She has a 20-tonne speed crane capable of lifting the largest navigational buoys, and has a helideck aft.

In 1994 the ship led the  Royal Yacht  Britannia  at the D-Day 50 th  Anniversary Fleet Review. 

THV Patricia  works alongside other Trinity House Vessels including the  THV  Galatea   and  THV  Alert .

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UK Department for Transport to replace THV Patricia with new ship

The UK’s Department for Transport will acquire a new ship to ensure other vessels continue safe and smooth operations in the UK seas.

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The ship will be bought for the General Lighthouse Authority Trinity House to replace THV Patricia, which has been in service since 1982.

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General lighthouse authority, uk department for transport.

General Lighthouse Authority is responsible for providing over 600 aids a year to navigation around the UK waters, including ships, lighthouses and buoys.

The unnamed vessel will deliver critical navigation aids to ships in some of the most dangerous waters in the world.

Featuring the latest technology, the vessel will guide ships into safe channels away from wrecks.

UK Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani said: “Our maritime sector is crucial to UK trade, with 95% of our imports and exports transported by sea.

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“With our waters becoming busier all the time, dealing with incidents quickly and efficiently is more important than ever.

“This new ship will support the General Lighthouse Authority to help future-proof their fleet and continue to support maritime safety and trade for generations to come.”

The government has launched a tender invitation to the shipbuilding industry to develop plans for the new vessel, which will join Trinity’s existing fleet.

Trinity House executive chairman Ian McNaught said: “We are pleased to hear that the maritime minister is content for us to move the vessel replacement project closer towards the design and build phase.”

Earlier this year, the Department for Transport has announced its Maritime 2050 Strategy, with the aim to reduce the environmental impacts of shipping and support UK-based businesses.

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Grand Event – P&O Cruises secures royal Fleet Review for celebration of 175 years of heritage

It has been announced that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will conduct a review of the P&O Cruises fleet as part of The Grand Event on Tuesday July 3, 2012, the pinnacle to celebrations which mark 175 years of heritage.

Her Royal Highness will visit Southampton and join guests on Oriana, the ship named by HM The Queen at its launch in 1995. Following the reception, she will join THV Patricia to conduct the Fleet Review in her capacity as Master of the Corporation of Trinity House.

Each of the seven ships in the P&O Cruises fleet will depart on a Grand Event cruise and passengers on board will enjoy a special deck party to see them off in style with flutterfetti and daytime pyrotechnics from the quayside. They will leave their berths in Southampton in order and process down the Solent into Southampton Water.

The P&O Cruises fleet will then move into formation to pass THV Patricia at Charlie Anchorage and salute HRH The Princess Royal as they are photographed from the air before they sail onwards to their various destinations.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow, said:

“We are honoured to have HRH The Princess Royal visit us on this, one of the most significant days in our history, as all our seven ships gather in their home port on the same day for the first time ever to celebrate 175 years of heritage. As one of our esteemed godmothers* she is intrinsically linked with P&O Cruises and we are privileged that she has agreed to conduct our Fleet Review.

“Thousands of people are expected to line the shores to witness this historical occasion, joining over 15,000 passengers and 6000 crew on board the seven ships.

“I am sure that this magnificent Fleet Review with Her Royal Highness in celebration of 175 years of heritage will go down in British maritime history, providing long lasting memories as we look forward to the next stage in our company’s history, with a new ship being launched in 2015.”

The Grand Event is part of a year of celebrations in 2012, marking 175 years of heritage. P&O Cruises can trace its roots back to 1837 when the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company was awarded the Admiralty contract to carry mail to the Iberian Peninsula and beyond.

This will be quite a sight to see on Southampton Water, worth taking a day off work for. The shoreline at Weston and the Royal Victoria Country Park is usually busy when a flotilla of cruise ships leave.

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Major milestone for Trinity House ship replacement project

Trinity house secures ministerial approval to launch the tender for its vessel replacement project.

Trinity House’s project to commission the design and build of a vessel to replace THV Patricia has reached another milestone now that it has Ministerial approval to go forward to the Tender phase.

Trinity House first announced the project on 9 September 2019, when the then-Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani MP gave her support to the recommendation that the three General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland (along with the Northern Lighthouse Board and Irish Lights) needed a total of seven vessels to carry out their essential statutory functions.

This vessel will replace the multi-function THV Patricia , delivered in 1982 and reaching the end of its operational life.

Following the Minister’s approval, Trinity House has issued an Invitation to Tender to reach out to the shipbuilding sector to identify a contractor that will deliver the design and build of a vessel that will support Trinity House at sea as it provides its aids to navigation services.

Secretary of State for Transport The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP spoke of the importance of Trinity House’s milestone:

“As an island nation with a rich maritime history, Britain is the best place in the world to build ships and this is a tremendous moment for the UK shipping sector.

“We are buying a new vessel for Trinity House which will be going out to tender shortly – this is a great opportunity for UK businesses to demonstrate their competitiveness in the sector. This will ensure our Trinity House has the modern and green vessel they need to continue to ensure the safety of all mariners.

“We’re also doing more than ever to power forward the UK maritime sector, supporting jobs and propelling a green recovery as we work with the sector to build a thriving industry for generations to come.”

Trinity House’s Deputy Master Captain Ian McNaught commented on this achievement and what comes next for the project:

“ I am delighted that we are one step closer to getting a new ship in the water, and so I want to thank not only the Minister but also the project team for the enormous efforts put in so far and of course the ships’ crews working at all hours on our marine operations.

“We will be looking closely at the tender submissions and we hope to see some great ideas that will make good use of technological and environmental innovations while also providing good value for money .”

NOTES TO EDITORS

Trinity House is a charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers, providing education, support and welfare to the seafaring community with a statutory duty as a General Lighthouse Authority to deliver a reliable, efficient and cost-effective aids to navigation service for the benefit and safety of all mariners.

www.trinityhouse.co.uk

For further information please contact:

Neil Jones, Public Relations and Records Manager

Email: [email protected]

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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$49 standby cruise could be a dream, could be a nightmare

For last-minute adventure seekers or those who love a good deal, Holland America Line has introduced a unique Standby List Program , offering travelers the chance to cruise for as little as $49 a day. The concept is simple: Travelers add their names to a standby list for a specific itinerary, and if unsold rooms become available, they’ll be notified two to seven days before departure.

Although the program offers huge savings, it also has a few catches. Standby passengers do not have control over their stateroom category, must be ready to embark on short notice and must be prepared for the possibility of not being selected (in which case they’ll receive a full refund). Young families are also excluded, because the fares are available only to those 21 and older.

“Travelers who want to benefit from a standby fare should keep in mind that once confirmed, Holland America Line assigns their room,” Rob Clabbers, founder and president of the agency Q Cruise + Travel, told Condé Nast Traveler . “While that might result in savings, it means travelers may end up in the last remaining and likely less preferred location — above a theater or night club (or) all the way forward or aft. While this may work for some, it is definitely not recommended for those who fear seasickness, have mobility issues, would like to be close to travel companions, (or) want to be near or away from elevators,” he said.

However, the payoff could be significant for those willing to roll the dice, especially for group travelers. The third and fourth guests in a stateroom can sail almost for free, paying only taxes and fees.

Despite the uncertainties, the allure of deeply discounted fares and the excitement of a last-minute adventure may be enough to entice daring travelers. As one Reddit user put it, “I feel like (a) 7-day notice for going to Hawaii is the kind of anxiety I need in my life.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Scott Eddy (@mrscotteddy)

Cruise ships participating in the Standby List Program depart from Seattle; Whittier, Alaska; San Diego; Boston; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Montreal; Quebec; and Vancouver, Canada.

For those willing to embrace the unpredictability and short notice, Holland America’s program offers a unique opportunity to experience the joys of cruising at a fraction of the usual cost. It’s a gamble, but for the right traveler, it just might pay off.

About the Author

Avery Newmark covers travel, health, events and trending news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. With a dual background in film production and journalism, Avery came to the AJC after working as a video editor. She enjoys film photography and live music in her free time. Reach her at [email protected].

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