The Cruise vacation you have been planning for a year is now a reality. You’ve packed your bags with the appropriate clothes for cruise travel. You have filled out all of the cruise documentation, do this at home, don’t wait to get to your cruise ship, and now you are ready for this highly anticipated cruise. There are a few cruises tips about embarkation day that you should know before you head for your cruise vacation.
Keep all of your documents with you, that includes tickets for the cruise, any vouchers, passport and any immigration forms that the cruise line has sent you. That includes bus vouchers from the cruise line that will deliver you to the ship from the airport. In is wise to pack a change of clothes in your carry on in case your baggage gets delayed. If you have purchased the vouchers from the cruise line, a cruise line representative will meet you at baggage claim and take you to the bus or van that will transport you to your cruise ship.
If you decided to handle the transfer on your own, check ahead of time to find out how much a taxi will cost from the airport to the pier. It is good to know how long it will take to make the transfer so you have timed your flights accordingly. Make sure you have attached your cruise line tags with ship name, cruising date, and stateroom number. When you arrive at the pier a porter will relieve of your bags. He will expect to be tipped. The going fare is one dollar per bag.
Cruise tips are always helpful so pay attention to this one. Let the cruise line make your airline reservations. The reason for this is that if your flight is delayed the cruise line will handle it. If there are several other passengers on the same flight the cruise line will delay the departure of the ship. If it’s just you and your traveling companion they will probably put you up in a hotel in the town of your embarkation and get you on the ship at the next port of call. If you opted to do it on your own, you will have to make all those arrangements. So, for safety and peace of mind let the cruise lines do it.
If you have decided to go to the town of embarkation a few days before the cruise, that will not be a problem, so make your own reservations. Some travel insurance companies will pick up these expenses but make sure you read the fine print on the policy BEFORE your cruise vacation.
When you get to your cruise ship, embarkation could be a little chaotic. There will be lines, especially early in the check in process. There will be a lot of stressed out people so just relax and take it in stride. After you have gone through the check in process you will be aboard and your cruise vacations begins. Here is where it pays to have all of your documentation completely filled out. Many of the cruise lines have loyalty programs so if you are a repeat cruiser many times they have preferred check in areas. Many of the cruise lines will have preferred check in for cruisers who have booked suites or mini suites. Check this out with your cruise travel agent.
This is a little off topic but it’s one of the best cruise tips you will hear. Use a cruise travel agent for all of your cruise travel. It is important to deal with an agent that has sailed on many different cruise lines so they can give you an honest opinion on the difference between cruise lines. Check and see if they are CLIA certified cruise lines organization. Be careful they don’t push you onto cruise ships where they have preferred status which means they get a higher commission. Scour the internet for cruise reviews on cruise travel to back up what your travel agent is telling you.
Now back to the pier. While you are checking in you will have to give the cruise line a credit card for any on board charges. Most times your room card is also your credit card and identification for getting on and off at ports while on the cruise ship. If you can get on the ship early in the process you get two benefits. One you get to have lunch and two you get the first shot at spa and beauty appointments. It will also give you time to peruse your cruise ship and then head for the pool. Having been a savvy cruise traveler you knew to bag a bathing suit into your carry on luggage.
Just before you get to the gangway you will be stopped by the ships photographer and a picture will be taken to commemorate your cruise vacation. It will be on display in the ships photo gallery but you are under no obligation to purchase it. Check in procedures will be different from ship to ship even within the same cruise lines. It depends on the experience of the staff and the cooperation of the passengers. Remember that these folks that are checking you in have been working since seven o’clock in the morning off loading the people from last weeks cruise vacation. Then they turn around and start putting on a whole new set of passengers for the next cruise.
The most important advice is to try to keep a cool head. You are headed for the best thing you can imagine, a cruise vacation.
Happy Cruising!
Mary Hanna
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/your-cruise-vacation-cruise-ship-embarkation-procedures-53800.html
Have you and your betrothed given any thought to getting married on a cruise?
It can, and does, happen. In fact, one of the Princess Lines ships, the Grand Princess (and the folks that brought you the Love Boat) even has a wedding chapel.
Most cruises, however, while they may offer a wedding cruise, are actually going to perform the ceremony on land. You may marry at the port from which you are leaving or a port of call along the way.
Your cruise line wedding can cost anywhere from a low $300 to $75 for each guest attending. The $300 budget wedding provides the ceremony itself, the services of a notary, witnesses to the event, as well as cake and champagne. The upper end of the spectrum includes a bountiful buffet as well as open bar for your guests and yourself and spouse.
Once you book a wedding cruise you’ll be assigned a ship wedding consultant who will help with all arrangements. As part of your wedding package you’ll be able to choose wedding flowers and music. You’ll also have your own choice of photographer.
Wedding cruises are very popular. To book yours you’ll need to give your travel agent and the cruise line of your choice at least a year’s notice, and 18 months would be preferable.
One thing you’ll have to be aware of is that taking part in shipboard nuptials necessitates your being issued a marriage certificate of the home port of the ship line. If married aboard the Grand Princess, for example, your marriage license will be from Liberia. Make sure that your home state will accept this as a valid certificate.
There are so many cruise lines from which to choose – the most prominent being the aforementioned Princess Lines, Carnival Cruise Ships, Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean.
Carnival Cruise Lines, for example, offers two types of packages for your dream wedding. You can choose a shipboard wedding, either small or for up to 100 guests, in the area of your choice, from a vast array of luxurious ship lounges. Besides the ceremony, this package includes boutonniere for the groom, bouquet for the bride, cake cutting and wedding topper, champagne toast, wedding march, sparkling wine served in beautiful keepsake champagne flutes, and photographer. These packages are $750 and up. You can also add an open bar and reception with hors d’oeuvres, as well as a magnificently sumptuous sit down lunch for you and your wedding guests. The ports of call you can choose from for your wedding ceremony include Montego Bay, Tampa, Vancouver, Catalina, Grand Cayman, San Juan and several other beautiful romantic sites.
A Carnival Island Destination Wedding, in contrast, includes transport to and from the wedding site of your choice – fantastic exotic places like Barbados, Montego Bay, Cozumel, San Juan, the island of Saint Thomas and Nassau. These romantic island nuptials start at just under $1000.
Jason Roberts
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/wedding-crusies-how-good-are-they-54770.html
5 Tips For Taking a Vacation For Less
Many of us think of vacations as an expensive escape, but you can vacation for less and still have a really good time. You can stay at the nice hotels, eat delicious cuisine, see many different sites, and enjoy your vacation while savings hundreds and thousands of dollars. Vacations don’t have to be expensive anymore, so here are five tips to help you save money on your next vacation.
Vacation during off peak seasons
First, you can save money by scheduling your vacation during an off peak season. However, you don’t have to sweat in Mexico during the mid summer or freeze in Alaska during the harsh winters. You can find a time when the weather is nice, which helps to avoid the crowds. One of the best times to go is during the transitions of April to Early May or mid September. The rates are much lower during these times and the weather is just as nice.
Stay in hotels in non tourist areas
You don’t have to sleep in a gritty and dirty hotel room to save a few dollars. You can find the best deals by not staying in tourist infested areas. If you are staying near a beach, look for hotels that are a few blocks further away. You will be surprised how nice the hotels are and how much money you will save.
You can also look for hotels that are closer to public transportation such as buses or train stations. This way, you can always take the bus or train to visit the areas of interest and no longer have to worry about spending money on renting a car.
Look for tasty cuisine by asking the locals
When selecting places to eat, you should avoid the tourist areas. Not only are the tourist restaurants too expensive, the cuisine served there is below average and is usually not authentic. Instead, ask the locals for the best and cheap restaurants, so they can point you in the right direction. Usually the restaurants that the locals dine at provide tasty meals and are much cheaper. Who would know the best places to eat than the people that live there? However if you are too shy, you should look for restaurants with cars parked around it and lots of people inside. This is a good indication that these restaurants generate good business.
Find free and low cost activities
Before you go on your trip, you should research through the internet to find cheap and free activities to enjoy during your stay. Many places around the world and in the United States have fun free and low cost entertainment such as concerts, museums, outdoor movies, and shows. It only takes a few minutes of research.
Use Priceline.com
You can plan your trip and save money at the same time through Priceline.com. Priceline.com has partners with all of the major airlines, cruise ships, hotels, and car rentals, and thus, passes the savings along to you. You can also use the TripFilterT, at Priceline.com, which uses its advance technology to create vacation packages to save you money. As an added bonus, Priceline.com has Priceline coupons and Priceline coupon codes, so you can save even more money on top of the already discounted vacations and the “TripFilterT” vacation packages. By visiting the link below, you can save money with Priceline coupons and Priceline coupon codes immediately.
Priceline Coupons & Priceline Coupon Codes
Priceline is a leading travel comparison website that is dedicated to giving you cheap prices on your next vacation. By using Priceline coupons and Priceline coupon codes, you can save money.
Victoria
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/5-tips-for-taking-a-vacation-for-less-129445.html