For Your Next Vacation, Choose a Cruise
Cruises as a form of vacation travel is steadily gaining popularity in the tourism industry. One of the main reasons is the relatively cheap price a tourist might be expected to pay for vacation cruises as opposed to the equivalent quality holiday at a land resort.
Many tourists however have not yet experienced the joy of cruising. First-time passengers tend to choose the more prominent and popular cruise destinations, such as the Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico. These destinations offer anything the tourist’s heart may desire.
Because of the sheer variety on offer, tourists can now choose cruise vacations as easily as a land holiday. An important consideration here is what you as the passenger want from a cruise. Cruise vacations have something to offer for every desire; cruise holidays are tailor made for singles, couples, and families.
Indeed, many cruise lines now include facilities that are specifically catered to look after and entertain children while the parents enjoy a relaxing break. Another great advantage of cruises is onboard personnel. These employees make it their mission to take care of your needs as a passenger.
How do Top Cruise Lines Stack up?
Trying to decide which cruise line is best is almost like trying to announce the best NFL team in a partisan crowd. So try to remember that this article is based on an unofficial rating of some of the major cruise lines. In fact, the selection of a line depends much on what a particular customer is looking for. Some think the cheapest cruise is the best, or the most luxurious, or the most kid-friendly, or the one providing the finest service. So try to read this article with these concepts in mind. Your top-rated cruise line may not be your neighbor’s. On one web site, cruisers rated cruise lines with the following criteria: Food, Entertainment, Activities, Staff, Accommodations, and Value. I only chose the lines that had at least 25 reviews. Here’s how they ranked:
Disney: 90.0
Celebrity: 85.4
Royal Caribbean: 83.4
Holland America: 75.9
Princess: 74.2
Carnival: 71.6
Costa: 65.0
Norwegian: 63.1
Disney is ranked highest above, but they are by no means the least expensive. Obviously, a huge draw for Disney is kid-appeal. The family programs are unparalleled. However, the ships can be quite elegantly appointed and there is a section on the ship for adults only. (However, the Italian-theme restaurant for adults only has an extra service charge). Just the same, it is families with young children who are most likely to select Disney cruises.
All About Family Discount Cruises
Finding the perfect cruise that fits both your family’s interests and budget can be a daunting task, but with a little information on what to look for, you can arrange a cruise you’ll remember for a lifetime. This general overview on family discount cruises will get you put you on the right track to planning your next getaway.
What Makes it a Family Cruise?
While cruises were once purely the domain of couples and honeymooners, today they cater even more so to families. Family Cruises are on the informal end of the spectrum and offer something to passengers with age-specific activities and amenities. They also offer rates and accommodations designed specifically so that parents and kids can share the same cabin space. Even more appealing, these cruises feature a safe environment where kids can have fun on their own in guided events while the deserving parents take some time to themselves.
Activities Just for Kids
Several of the most popular cruise lines offer a plethora of fun, supervised activities for kids of all ages — from babies and toddlers right up to teens. While younger kids will enjoy the hands-on approach of finger painting, play-dough sculpting and face painting, older kids can keep busy with video games, all sorts of sports, scavenger hunts and more. While kids are away from their parents, they will usually have a designated part of the ship all to themselves and when under a certain age, can only be signed in or out by mom or dad. This lets the cruise staff make sure both that kids are safe and are having the most fun — without any grownups in the way.
Cruise holiday ideas for improving vacation enjoyment
Nothing is more luxurious than taking a cruise vacation? Traveling to fantastic destinations on a luxury ship, catching sunrays, and breathing in the fresh salty air can regenerate and energize anyone, no matter how tired from the worries of a job they are. However, a cruise vacation requires planning for it to be all that it can be. Check out these hints to have a cruise experience you will remember.
So how do you start planning a cruise holiday? Firstly, look into your budget. Do you need to watch the money? Then here are a few points for saving on your cruise holiday.
When planning your cruise vacation, you should be mindful that there are off season and on peak dates and seasons, and that you want to schedule your trip in the off peak to get the savings advantage. What is interesting to know however, is that cruise lines actually adjust prices several times throughout the year. Ask and find out when their absolute lowest season prices are. In addition, keep your plans reasonably flexible so that you can change ships at the last minute. Sometimes a ship is not filled to capacity, so the cruise line will sell the last few tickets at a good bargain. It is always to their advantage to sail filled to capacity because people on vacation spend money on souvenirs, drinks, etc. Use this knowledge to get a better reduced price deal.
The destination of your vacation can make a tremendous difference in your cost as well. If you choose a popular location, you can travel cheaper than if you choose a less popular spot. Another consideration is whether you really want to stop at ports of call. If you just want to stay on the ocean liner and savor the on board luxuries, reserve a cruise that doesn’t stop anywhere. These “cruises to nowhere” are just as luxurious as the others – but cost less.
You want to be safe on your cruise vacation, don’t carry a lot of expensive equipment or jewelry with you. Make sure your passport, health insurance, and other papers are up to date. Be sure to ask about laws you may inadvertently be violating when you get off the shore you are accustomed to or when taking onshore excursions. Laws in ports and even on the water can vary, and you don’t want a big hassle with a foreign law enforcement agency.
To travel lighter, find out what equipment is available on board ship. For example, if the cruise line offers irons and hair dryers, there’s no need to take yours. Pack your own sample size shampoo, toothpaste, and other toiletries because these items will cost more in the gift shop. You should have access to washing facilities on your cruise vacation, so no need to take a enormous amount of clothing. Pick a wrinkle proof lightweight outfit for each two or three days and pick combinations in colors that combine so you can get different appearances. Make sure to pack a formal and or semi-formal outfit if you will be taking part in this kind of activity on your cruise holiday.
About the Author:
Jos Marlin has travelled around the world several times and invites you to visit his travel site for interesting travel stories and tips to help you get the best out of your vacation.