Cruising

2008-01-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

Cruise traveling can be a pleasurable experience especially when you get on board a luxury cruise ship with all the amenities you like. At times you can find some great deals with some of the top cruise liners if you look certain times throughout the year. I have been on several cruises over the past few years and I have to say, some are better then others!

Cruises, especially during the winter, can either be the most expensive or you can land a great deal. Most times, booking ahead of time can either save you money (depending on the time of year) or cost you more. There are several website with last minute deals that can save you hundreds of dollars. VacationToGo.com is one of those websites. This site has hundreds of cruise liners from 2 day to month long cruises for discounted prices. So if you feel that you can wait to purchase your cruise tickets, do it, you can save some money. Mexico's Caribbean coast is a popular spot for cruise vacationers. I have been to Mexico once but my stay wasn’t as pleasant. A hurricane had gone through Cozumel about a month before I got there. We had to be tendered (boated) onto the island. My last cruise a ship crew member saw my Cozumel bag and asked me how I had acquired it. I told her I got it on a Royal Caribbean cruise 2 years prior. She then continued to tell me that they ship dock is up and running again! Knowing that information, I might just travel there again. It was a beautiful island!

Going on a cruise is a great way of spending your holidays. If you are living in the north with your temperature in the negatives, a cruise in November or December can be a nice break from the harsh northern winters. I personally lived in Florida for 4 years and trust me; even then the tropical weather was nice for me! Cruises can last anywhere from two days to one month. If you are a person who needs something to do, 24 hours a day, a cruise is the perfect vacation for you. The cruise liners have something planned practically ever hour of the day. Most things are free but there are a lot of costly things. What ever you do, if your ship is offering bingo DON’T DO IT! What a waste. I spent $20 for 5 minutes of play!!

The cheapest cruise I have been able to find was about $250 per person. Now I found this price on an online travel agent. But using these may not be the best deal out there. Sometimes using your old fashion personal travel agent (that you actually call and talk to) can give you come great tips and also save you a lot of money. I know the internet is the way to go for most things, but if you haven’t cruised before, talking to someone in person can help you with your difficult questions. Just a personal suggestion, if it is your first time going on a cruise, a 3 night/ 4 day cruise is enough. Anymore than that, you might go bonkers! Depending on your personality, how much you like to move around and what activities you enjoy. Spending a whole week on a ship might be a bit much for the non-active. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of places to go on a ship in the middle of the ocean. But many of these cruise liners are upgrading and adding some great amenities. With the launch of several new ships over the next couple of years, you are going to see some wonderful improvement like movie theatres, ice skating rinks and much more!

The most popular times to cruise are major holidays: New Year's Eve, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter. If you can avoid going during these times, you can save yourself a lot of money. But if this is what you are looking for, you will truly enjoy your holidays on the seas. I have been on two Christmas cruises and I wouldn't go any other time. I love the decorations and you can’t forget about the wonderful gourmet food choices each and every night. I could probably write a whole article about the food you are going to eat on a cruise. By the end of the cruise, the very sight of food will wear you out. There is some sort of food option almost 24 hours a day. I suggest you work out before the cruise, because once you are on it, you will NOT obey your diet.

Things to remember, the shorter your cruise, the fewer tropical locales you'll be able to visit. That is the one plus to going on a longer cruise. You get to get off the ship a lot more then if you are on a shorter cruise. Maybe that is to keep your sanity and keep you active. Starting January 2007, you are now required to show a valid passport for all cruises. Back in the day, a birth certificate was enough. Now with all these international travel laws and illegal immigration, you are now required to how a passport. Reminder, make sure you file for a passport at least 6-8 months before you plan on traveling. Or you can pay over $100 to expedite your passport. (I learned the hard way). If you plan on doing an excursion on your cruise, make sure you book it before you get on the ship. You could easily spend 2 hours on your first day, standing in line, attempting to book an excursion at the last minute. There are lot of people that tend to wait and you do not want to be one of these people. My last handy reminder, try everything you can on the ship. A lot of programs will offer free products to get you to come to their program, Do it. There is nothing to lose!

I hope this article was helpful. Feel free to post your comments to this article!

Author

Monica Molzen

Travel Adventures

Cruising