Archive for September, 2009
So, you want to go on a cruise! It’s exciting, it’s fun and it’s your way of enjoying the great life. But how do you make the choice of where to go, when and with whom? There are so many choices with respect to cruising nowadays that it can be very confusing. Here are a few tips to consider helping you decide which cruise is right for you.
Listed below are few examples of the types of cruise you may wish to take:
1. Mediterranean cruise
2. Caribbean cruise
3. an Alaskan cruise,
4. a cruise down the Amazon or Panama Canal
5. a Transatlantic ocean crossing
6. South Pacific or Hawaiian Island cruise
7. River cruises (the fjords in Norway, the Danube in Europe, the Nile in Egypt, the Mississippi in United States)
8. Polar cruises to see the penguins in the Antarctic
9. Russian waterways cruises
10. Galapagos Island cruises
11. New Zealand or Australia
Each can be very appealing but are also very different.
1. The first thing to consider in taking one of these cruises is when you want to go—the time of the year can dictate the type of cruise. Some cruise ship lines do not offer cruises to the Mediterranean in the winter months, but transfer their ships to the warmer waters of the Caribbean. Alaskan cruises only run in certain months also due to weather conditions. Ocean crossing cruises (Transatlantic) take place only as the seasons change so that cruise ship companies can reposition their ships to match the high seasons’ tourist industry.
2. You also have to decide on the length of your cruise. A typical choice is a 7-night cruise, but you can take cruises from 3-4 nights to over a month in length, or more. The length of your vacation time available may limit you, but taking a cruise for the first time may also be a consideration. Limiting your cruise to a manageable shorter cruise may help you decide whether a longer cruise at another time may be more advisable. In other words, do you get seasick? Do you like the variety of visiting different ports? Do you wish to simply stay at one destination and relax? Do you like the busy atmosphere of the many activities on a ship?
3. Next, the ports that you wish to visit can be a great part of which cruise is the right choice for you. Have you always wanted to visit Tortugas, the Bahamas or Cayman Islands? Here is your chance to get a taste of it. Make sure that one of your chosen destinations is on your cruise itinerary, and there are endless choices of various itineraries available. Cruises are great ways to experience various places. Then you can decide which destination you would like to see more of on a future vacation.
4. Another consideration in choosing a cruise is the amount of time you wish to be “At Sea”. For a Transatlantic voyage you are at sea for many days at a time, which limits you to being within the confines of the ship at all times. This can be a bonus if you don’t want the hustle and bustle of visiting different ports, but it can also be a downside if you want a lot of variety on your vacation. Some cruises offer very little time at sea, being in a different port every day, and this flurry of activity can be too overwhelming for some vacationers. I would recommend a bit of both—for a 7-night cruise a good happy medium would be 2 days at sea with the other days stopping at various ports of call.
5. Once you have narrowed down your choice of cruise to when and where you wish to visit, the next hardest choice is the cruise line and size of ship you want to use. The size of ship can dictate the cruise line, as some cruise lines offer significantly larger ships than others. Some cruise lines only use smaller, more intimate ships for smaller groups of people. Other cruise lines offer huge ships with passengers in the thousands. You must decide whether you like a small personal touch or like the larger groups. (We found that even on a larger ship, there were still areas where we could go to get away from the crowds. Crowding on the huge ships was not a problem at all.)
6. Fitting the cruise line to your individual personality is perhaps the most important factor in determining your cruise enjoyment. There are many different types of ship lines that cater to varying personalities. Of course, the Disney Cruise Line caters to families, but others such as Carnival Cruises cater to more of a party atmosphere for adults, or Norwegian focuses on a more conservative group. Discuss with your travel agent which cruise line fits you best. Cruise lines also offer themed or special interest cruises, such as an art collectors cruise, golfer’s cruises or culinary class cruises. These may be great to fit in with the interests in your life-style.
7. Once you have found the best itinerary for you on the cruise line that suits your personality, at the best time of year for you, there are still other choices you need to make. Some cruise lines offer “freestyle cruising”, which simply put means that you don’t have a set dinner time at a set table, but you can choose to eat whenever you wish. On most cruises, however, you have a preset dinner time at an assigned table. You can choose an early dinner (usually around 6-6:30) or a later dinner time (7:30-8:00). In choosing your dinner time, take into consideration your off-ship excursions. You don’t want to have to rush back from your shore excursion just to get back in time for dinner. You also usually have a choice of how many people you wish to sit with (usually from 4 to 8 -10 people at a table.) Our travel agent suggested a table of 8 on our cruise—she stated that if you were at a table for 4 and you didn’t get along with the other couple you were stuck, but a table for 8 offered more chance of finding congenial soul-mates.
8. Shore excursions can also be a major part of your cruise experience. There are many different shore excursion packages available, from visiting butterfly farms, swimming with dolphins, exploring ancient ruins, to snorkelling or scuba diving. Of course, if you wish you do not need to go on any shore excursions. You can simply choose to stay on-board and take advantage of the ship’s amenities, or you can simply walk around and visit or shop in the port-of-call.
Choosing a cruise can seem overwhelming, but the main point is to suit the cruise to what you want to get out of the experience. If you want a whirlwind of activity choose a party cruise line with that in mind. If you want a more relaxed atmosphere, choose more time at sea. If you want to sample various cultures, choose a destination-rich cruise. Different types of cruises offer at of those things, and more. Hopefully the above has given you an idea in the choices you need to make to get the most enjoyment out of your cruise. Happy cruising!
Denny Phillips
http://www.articlesbase.com/cruising-articles/choosing-a-cruise-183063.html
A Disney vacation aboard a Disney cruise ship has the potential of being one of the most memorable moments of your life. Almost nothing can compare to it in terms of non stop enjoyment and sheer fun. You will be amazed by the magic of the high seas and of exotic destinations and you will make a voyage that is going to stay in your memory forever.
A Disney cruise is not really dependant on your image of the dream vacation because if you go on a Disney cruise everything that you could wish for is available for you aboard the ships. So you make it yourself a dream vacation, because you have all the necessary means. You can be a child or an adult, it doesn’t really matter. You are guaranteed to find whatever you’re looking for onboard the Disney Cruise ships.
The oceanliners are nothing short of world class and they will provide you with very spacious staterooms, which are among the largest you’ll ever come across in this industry. The Disney touch is very obvious on the decor. This is the room which will be your home for the number of days in which the cruise takes place, so make sure you choose the one which suits you best, whether it’s an inside cabin or a room with a verandah.
The dining rooms are very original also, like anything that Disney represents. Three original themed restaurants wait you on each of the Disney cruise ships. If you choose the 7-days cruise, you will have the opportunity of dining in each one of those three restaurants at least once during your vacation. If you choose a 3-days cruise, you will dine in each restaurant once. If you want to go on a 4-days cruise you are going for, then you are going to do a repeat.
The age specific activities present on board of the Disney cruise ships are many and attractive. The children activities are everything a child could dream of, because after all making children happy is one of the things that Disney does best.
For children, there’s The Oceaneer club which is always a very good option. Also, they can choose to participate in different activities that are being held each day. A child can choose slipping and sliding down the chute into the Mickey’s Pool, splashing in Goofy’s Family Pool, or stretching for a good morning’s workout at Goofy’s Family Fitness.
Adult activities are plentiful, as well. The Cove Cafe is a good option for people aged 18+ to start their day with a specialty coffee. You can also swim in the adults’ pool, go to the Spa and end your day in a night club.
The itineraries for Disney cruises are varied. From the Eastern Caribbean to the Western Caribbean, from the Disney private paradise to the highly anticipated European itinerary, the offers list and is especially designed to please everyone.
You will have the pleasure of finding everything else you could wish for aboard these ships: cinemas, basketball courts, shuffleboard or ping pong playing places, Internet access for people who want to stay in touch with friends and family, everything is available.
As a conclusion, it doesn’t really matter what age, sex, ethnic group you are, there are no restrictions when it comes down to Disney vacation, and you will remember the voyage for the rest of your life.
Ben Franklin
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/vacation-with-disney-for-worldclass-family-fun-133060.html
Alaska is one of the world’s great cruise destinations, particularly for those with an interest in world class fishing. Alaska is arguably the most beautiful of the American states, and cruise ships offer a unique way of seeing Alaska’s beauty. In addition, Alaskan cruises yield an abundance of opportunities for anglers. The combination of these attractions makes Alaska the ultimate cruise destination for many.
Cruising in Alaska is mostly seasonal, with the primary months running from May through September. The prices in May and September are generally a bit cheaper since these months are at the edges of acceptable climate conditions.
There are many things to see and do on Alaska cruises. Glacier Bay is one of the most popular destinations for cruise ships in Alaska. Glacier Bay is abundant in wildlife, and you are likely to see seals, Dall sheep, bears, and perhaps even Humpback whales. Trolling around in a massive ship through iceberg infested waters to see some of the most majestic views of glaciers and arctic scenery in the world is a thrill that should not be missed.
Misty Fjords is another great destination for Alaska cruises. The majestic tree covered mountains, trickling waterfalls and unique climactic conditions make this a must see destination. In addition to seeing the beautiful fjords from the cruise ship, excursions include the ability to take a float plane to a remote wilderness lake to truly appreciate the remote Alaskan wilderness.
Besides spectacular scenery in remote places like Glacier Bay, and Misty Fjords, Alaska cruises allow tourists to see many of Alaska’s ports of call such as Juneau, Anchorage and Ketchikan. Further, areas like Sitka teach the vacationers more about native Alaska inhabitants and the wilderness in which they live.
In addition to the unique opportunities an Alaskan cruise provides, the world class fishing in Alaska must be experienced by all serious anglers. You can take sport fishing excursions in places like Anchorage (on the Kenai River), Seward, Ketchikan and Juneau. Fishing for Halibut, Salmon, Trout, Char, Pike, and many other species are available in the off shore excursions. Best of all, these fishing excursions occur out of ports where there is plenty to do for those who aren’t interested in the fishing.
Cruising in Alaska is a unique experience that offers joys not found in any other type of cruise vacation. Unlike typical tropical cruises where much time is spent in open water between occasional stops at tropical islands, cruising in Alaska takes tourists to some of the most spectacular and remote corners of the world where nature’s spectacular and awesome beauty is on full display. Cruises in Alaska allow vacationers to learn about native cultures that have inhabited the region for thousands of years. They show the beauty of the untamed wilderness that Alaska remains. And they allow for world class fishing on trips that aren’t focused solely on the angler. Because of all these benefits, cruising in Alaska offers a far more varied, unique and awe inspiring vacation than more typical cruise destinations.
John Pawlett
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/alaska-cruise-ship-vacations-90746.html