Can I afford a cruise?
Some vacations are just more fun than others!
There will be very few times in your life when you are completely free. Free from cares, responsibilities, chores, deadlines, timetables, ringing phones or demanding voices. It’s time to start planning for such a vacation and you feel overwhelmed by all the choices.
You may be looking for a place the whole family can enjoy. Perhaps a romantic vacation or a place to meet people. At the same time you want great value for your money. Seem like an impossible task? Then maybe you haven’t considered cruising.
With so many destinations and so much to do on today’s cruise ships it is becoming a very popular alternative to more traditional vacations. Hold on a minute, you might be thinking, I thought cruises were not for me.
Not anymore. Dance clubs, sports facilities, live entertainment, movies, classes, casinos and supervised children’s activities are just a few examples of how cruise ships are catering to people of all walks of life.
One of the main benefits of cruising is it’s all inclusive nature. The cost includes all the meals, 24 hour room service, cabin and entertainment just to name a few. Once you’re on board you’ll be amazed at the variety of activities and land excursions to choose from – or you can choose to do nothing but lounge on the deck.
Get ready to be pampered in a safe and relaxing environment. The high quality and worry free environment will make it a true escape from the “real world”. And what other vacation hotel lets you go to sleep at night and wake up to a new country at your front door every morning? Read the rest of this entry »

Cruises are usually thought of as a vacation for adults, but many cruises are excellent for the whole family. Some cruises are even designed as family cruises, complete with entertainment options designed for both adults and children to enjoy together. If you are contemplating a cruise as a family vacation, be sure to check and see what sorts of children’s activities the cruise line offers before you book your cruise. In order to give you a point of reference, here are some of the most common activities for kids that you may encounter on any cruise.

Play Areas Many cruise ships have special play areas with a number of toys, games, and activities that children can enjoy. These play areas are usually staffed by individuals who have special training in youth protection and they also love working with children. This provides your kids with plenty to do, while being supervised by people trained specifically to keep them safe and entertained. Read the rest of this entry »

Cheap cruise deals are commomplace these days with many holidaymakers taking advantage of the excellent facilities on board today’s cruise liners for little out of pocket expense.

What constitutes a cheap cruise deal? Well, I recently returned from a Royal Caribbean holiday through Key West and Cancun, Mexico, enjoying five days and four nights of total luxury for four hundred bucks. To me, that was a cheap cruise deal well worth the effort. more

There is so much competition among cruise lines today that finding a cheap cruise deal is easy. Magnificent ships built to carry thousands of passengers are luring a lot of first time cruisers off the land and onto the water. Cruise line competitiveness is only intensifying with the major companies getting involved in recent years in a “let’s see who can build the biggest ship” type of battle. These ships obviously need to be filled with passengers and cheap cruise deals are there to be enjoyed.

Don’t get a cheap cruise deal confused with a cheap holiday. Sure if you want to stay in one of the prime state rooms you’re going to be paying for the privilege but my experience tells me that a cruise should be enjoyed from the ships decks and wonderful amenities and not from your state room. If that’s what you’re after then you might want to consider another type of holiday.

So which cruise line do you select for a cheap cruise deal? Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal, Disney, Royal Caribbean… it depends on where you want to go in the world. Today, cruise lines are offering more of everything; more choices and simply more service. It’s all aimed at ensuring you just have more fun. Let’s face it, they want your repeat business.

There are many areas online for you to locate the best cheap cruise deals. I know of people who are total cruise junkies ( up to nine cruises a year ) who are always monitoring the latest cheap cruise deals. Cruise lines often advertise limited deals; you’ll want to be quick for these. Many people prefer to travel in groups which can reduce the overall cost of the cruise even further but for group deals, you’ll want to speak with your cruise line agent.

If you are a first timer and don’t know the process in first, locating, and then booking a cheap cruise deal then the best advice is to speak with someone who has done it before. Even better, your local travel agent will be able to answer most of your questions and if they can’t, then the alarm bells should be sounding!

Cheap cruise deals but not cheap cruise holidays. More like cheap cruise deals and luxury fun-filled holidays. That is the nature of cruising on the world’s oceans today. And your hip pocket won’t be unduly ravaged.

Cruises are the most versatile of vacations no matter what your age. Not only that, it’s a great way to bring the whole family but still have time alone with your spouse while the kids-only activity coordinators take charge of your children’s fun.

The first step to putting together a great cruise vacation is to find yourself a travel agency that specializes in cruises, or to book directly through a cruise vacation Internet site.

Before you contact the travel agent though you need to determine when you’re going, where you’re going and from which port you’ll depart and to which you’ll return.

There are some seasonal rules of thumb about your destination. If you’re limited in the time of year you can get away then you’re also somewhat limited in your destination. You can’t, for instance, cruise the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska any time during the summer. Europe has about the same seasonal restriction as well. If you’re planning on heading out in the spring or fall you might want to consider an excursion up and down the Panama Canal. Just about any time of year, including the winter, you can cruise to Asia or the Caribbean.

Determine who is going to go with you. Knowing if children or seniors will be a part of your vacation group will effect which trip offers the best choices of entertainment for your party. In fact, it’s best to gather everyone together, or conduct a phone or e-mail discussion of what everyone wants to do. You need to know if crafts are important; how many are going to lounge by the pool; who wants to get off and explore at the first land stop; who prefers exotic locations and who’d rather just play shuffleboard. more

The size of the ship can be important as well. Larger ships have a vast variety of entertainment options, such as dancing and stage shows, although smaller ships may provide a lower guest to staff ratio, and thus more personal attention to your needs.

Know how much you and the others can spend. If money is a critical factor look for discounts for booking early, or starting out on a different day or different week from your original request. Staying flexible can save you considerable money. Ask about port fees as well. These are not usually included in the quoted cruise cost and may cost you dearly. You’ll also be expected to tip room stewards and wait staff.

If you’re not going as a large group and you might be interested in getting to know your fellow passengers then be sure and inquire about the usual demographics of these travelers. If you’re 20 something and it’s a baby boomer cruise you’re apt to be bored. If you bring your grade schoolers and most of the other kids are in their teens they won’t have enough playmates and you’ll be their entertainment for the extent of the cruise.

One very important inquiry to make of your travel agent as well is the formality of the cruise that you’re considering. If you show up with a suitcase full of swimsuits, shorts and sunscreen only to find out formal dress is required at dinner you’re going to be embarrassed or hungry the entire excursion.