Cruise Vacations Tips

Here are a few cruise tips for first time cruisers. You can have a wonderful cruise vacation if you apply these cruise tips to your cruise vacation. Avoid the headaches and ensure you have a fun, rewarding stress-free cruise vacation.

1. Packing Tips for First Time Cruise Vacationers

Include all your medications, a first aid kit, and sea sickness medications in your carry on bag to have on hand when you (or if) you need them. It is advisable to take only one credit card with you--you really only need one. Leave the rest at home. Pack with comfort in mind--casual clothes mostly (and don't forget your swimsuit). Your ship may also offer one or two formal nights so you should include at least one or two outfits for evening wear.

2. Essential Documents for Cruisers

You will need to take your passport so that you can visit the different ports your cruise itinaray includes. You may also need to have different visas, depending on the ports your ship stops at (check with your travel agent if you are not sure if a visa is needed). You also need your pre-boarding pass, which you should receive and complete to boarding the ship. A good tip for first time cruisers is to take along a photocopy of your passport and to leave copies of your passport, airline tickets, and credit card information with a friend or family member at home.

3. Choosing Your Shipboard Cabin

One of the best choices for cabins is always an outside cabin. Especially if you suffer from claustrophobia, it is wise to avoid an interior room as these have no windows and the room sizes are smaller. If you think you may get seasick easily then you should choose a lower cabin near the center of the ship because there is less rocking motion of the ship.

4. Airline Connections for Your Cruise

If at all possible, schedule your flight for a day earlier than your ship leaves. If that is not possible, you should schedule your flight to your embarking destination at least four hours before the ship leaves. You should arrive at your embarkation area at least two hours before the ship is due to depart. And when booking your return flight, avoid booking it before 2:00 p.m. to give yourself ample time to catch the plane home.

5. Cruising Embarkation Tips

NEVER place your documentation (Passport, visas, etc.) in your checked baggage. You will need it for check in. Your checked luggage will be transferred to the ship and placed outside your room. Remember that this sometimes takes a few hours. You can use the time to wander around and get to know the ship.

6. Essential Debarkation Tips

The night before your cruise ends, you will be supplied with custom forms left in your room for you to fill out, as well as color-coded tags. Pack your bags on the last night of your cruise and leave them outside your door. You will be called the next morning according to your color coded luggage tags. Remember to keep your carry-on luggage with you (with your medications and travel documents. You should also settle all your accounts before leaving the ship. This includes any expenses you put on your account (for liquor, drinks or other purchases).

The above are just a few tips for you to follow to make your cruise an enjoyable one. One last tip --> Most drinks on cruise ships are not included and you have to pay extra for them. These drinks are usually put on your tab and you must pay for them at the end of your cruise vacation. Remember when ordering that this tab can add up to quite a hefty bill if you are not careful. Be aware of this when you are drinking aboard ship.

Follow these tips and enjoy your cruise vacation!

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Choosing a Family Cruise

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Cruising doesn’t have to be just for singles or adults. There are many cruise lines that offer many amenities geared towards families with children, and even some cruise lines (like Disney) that are especially geared to children. In fact, most cruise lines welcome families with children. Cruise ships can be an ideal setting for a family vacation.

Be aware, however, in some cases, traveling with infants or pregnant women may be subject to some restrictions. Some cruise lines may require a physician’s letter to state that the mother-to-be or baby are in good health and fit to travel, or that the pregnancy is not high-risk. Other cruise lines may have age restrictions for infants, or restrictions on the mother’s gestation time. It is best to check the guidelines for the ship you wish to travel on before booking.

Cruising today can offer families a lot of bang for their buck while vacationing. Many ships are designed with kid-friendly facilities and services in mind. Many have supervised activities for children, dedicated children’s areas, children-only swimming pools, and special counselors and babysitting services that allow parents kid-free time for themselves. Some ships even have youth programs for older children, with planned activities to help them meet other children their own age. Some ships even have special age-appropriate discos for traveling youth.

The cruise ships of today have numerous activities aboard that children love. They have swimming pools and water slides, movie theatres, bowling alleys, skating rinks, rock climbing walls, etc. as well as games, craft lessons, and other activities for children. Parents will not find it difficult to keep their children happy and occupied on any cruise ship.

Food aboard a cruise ship is also family and kid-friendly. While parents can enjoy a gourmet filet mignon and a vintage glass of wine, it isn’t hard for a child to find a slice of pizza or a plate of French Fries to munch on. Food variety onboard a ship is indeed vast. And, children can eat as much or as little as they want—good news for a growing young teenager!

There are also special cruise lines that especially cater to children. Disney has a line that provides activities for kids from sun-up to sun-down, with everything to entertain them from craft lessons to magic shows and everything in between. They also offer adult only areas for parents to seek refuge. These areas have adult-only pools or include activities like wine-tasting sessions.

Things to look out for when planning a family cruise? You may need to do a little research, however, as not all ships offer programs for children and youth. Although they may still allow children to cruise, parents may need to be prepared to look after and entertain their own children. Also you should find out about children’s discounts, how many children are allowed in a room with the parents, extra beds, cribs or cots, adjoining cabins, safety and security issues, and ratio of staff members to children. All of these could affect the cruise line you choose.

There are so many activities that children can enjoy aboard ship, and parents can also enjoy their own relaxing kid-free times as well. On the whole, a cruise can be a great way for a family to enjoy their vacation time.

Advance Preparation for Your Cruise Vacation

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When it comes to vacationing aboard a cruise ship, many individuals consider preparation to be the luggage that they plan to bring with them. Packing for your cruise ship vacation is important; however, it is not the only preparations that you should make. Preparing for your cruise shouldn’t wait until the week before your trip either. Rather, it should begin as soon as you book your cruise ship reservation.

The type of cruise that you will be taking is vital to your preparations. A large number of cruise ships travel on international waters. In addition to being on international waters, many dock at international ports. Before you are able to board your ship, you will have to have the proper identification with you. With international cruises, this identification often includes a driver’s license and a passport.

Unfortunately, when it comes to obtaining a passport, there are many individuals who wait until the last minute. Last minute passports can be obtained in the event of an emergency, but most require at least a 10 days or more to process. You will not be automatically granted a passport; instead you are required to apply for one. Almost all individuals that apply for a passport are granted one, but planning ahead is the best option. If you allow extra time, then if an error is made on the information you supply, you will have enough time to fix it before your cruise ship departs.

As mentioned, proper identification is needed to board a cruise ship. But your passport and driver’s license are not the only forms of documentation that you should bring onboard. If you are covered under a health insurance plan, you are encouraged to bring your health insurance cards. In the event you fall ill while on vacation, your insurance cards will allow you to obtain the needed medical attention.

In addition to your medical insurance cards, it is advised that you bring along all of your needed medications. You may even want to consider bringing along extra medication as well. Many physicians will write extra prescriptions for their patients that are traveling abroad. Should your medication become lost or misplaced, the extra prescriptions can be filled on the ship and used until you return home. While requesting extra medication from your healthcare provider, you may want to question them on safety precautions aboard a cruise ship also.

To pay for onboard and port activities, you will need to bring along extra money. Although cruise ships are famous for their cuisine, there are sometimes extra charges for drinks, so you need to be prepared for this. Vacationing aboard a cruise ship is similar to vacationing anywhere else in the world. You are encouraged not to carry large sums of cash with you. If you must bring cash along, you are encouraged to divide your money up and place it in safe locations. Almost all cruise ships and popular cruise ship ports accept credit cards, cashiers checks, money orders, or traveler’s checks. These forms of payments are great alternatives to carrying cash.

When traveling aboard a cruise ship, you are urged to give a copy of the cruise ship’s itinerary to multiple friends and family members. This will make it possible for you to be contacted in the event of an emergency. When registering for a cruise ship, you may also be required to give the contact information of someone that should be contacted in an emergency. Your first thought may be to give the contact information of your spouse, children, or a close friend. When doing so, it is important to make sure that they will be on land and accessible.

Once you have made the above mentioned preparations, you can begin focusing on other preparations, such as packing your luggage. When packing, you are urged to keep the climate of your cruise in mind. Are you taking an Alaskan cruise, a Mediterranean cruise or a Caribbean cruise? Keeping these in mind, at the same time, you should be prepared for unexpected weather. You should also check with the cruise line or your travel agent for luggage weight restrictions. Making the proper cruise ship preparations will ensure that your vacation will be a success.

Choose a Theme Cruise

An interesting way to go when you are choosing to take a cruise is to look for a theme cruise. Theme cruises offer the vacationer the option of indulging in a favorite hobby or sport, or even offer cruises geared to singles or kids. The themes can range from art or cooking to golf, or even special singles cruises. There are many different theme cruises available and the choices are constantly changing.

The cruiser on a theme cruise will be able to increase their knowledge on the particular theme offered. There are usually celebrity or guest speakers that host seminars on the theme, and even sometimes performances by noted entertainers.

The cruise lines typically hold workshops related to the theme as well. For instance, on a photography themed cruise, seminars would be held to advance the photographers knowledge, and then perhaps a workshop on developing photographs may be offered. A music themed cruise could offer a lecture on the history of the style of music, with special performances by celebrity entertainers.

Other activities aboard the ship also deal with the theme offered. A food and wine themed cruise could offer a wine tasting event. An art themed cruise could hold an art auction, or a cruise theme of a noted author could host a book signing event.

Theme cruises often offer guests the chance to meet and interact with special guests or celebrities of the cruise’s theme. Not only would the special guest or celebrity hold lectures, performances or demonstrations, but may also be involved in special luncheons or cocktail parties where they would inter-mingle with the regular cruisers.

Theme cruises also gear shore excursions to the theme of the cruise. For example, an art themed cruise may have excursions to visit famous museums or the home cities of world renowned artists. As another example, a golf themed cruise could offer cruisers the option of golfing at the finest golf courses in the Caribbean. Or a wine themed cruise may offer excursions to visit various vineyards.

Singles theme based cruises offer single travelers the opportunity to meet other single vacationers. Old or young, there are no set age limits on these cruises. Many ships also offer a same-sex room-matching program so that singles can share accommodations (thus saving on the room rate) with like-minded individuals. On these cruises, there are many onboard events geared to help singles meet others, such as cocktail parties, mixers, group excursion, games, and single-mingle dining. Some ship lines even offer onboard single chat sites to help the mingling process.

Other theme cruises can include: Health & Well-Being, geared with physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle in mind; History & Culture, with lectures from historians and related shore excursions to visit historical sites; Music, from Big Band to Up-to-date Pop music—with entertainment to match; Hobby & Sports, which changes regularly and can include various sports, or from photography to doll collecting; or even special event cruises, with a holiday theme of Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc.

Going on a theme cruise and knowing that the topic presented is high on your interest list is a great way to enjoy a cruise. Theme cruises are very popular and usually sell out quickly.

If you would like a chance to learn a little more about various countries and their unique cuisines, why not try my new Ebook: Tastes and Travels Ebook It offers reviews on various travel destinations and has articles on the cuisine of each place (as well as recipes that you can try). Also included is information on cruising!!

Choosing a Family Cruise

Cruising doesn’t have to be just for singles or adults. There are many cruise lines that offer many amenities geared towards families with children, and even some cruise lines (like Disney) that are especially geared to children. In fact, most cruise lines welcome families with children. Cruise ships can be an ideal setting for a family vacation.

Be aware, however, in some cases, traveling with infants or pregnant women may be subject to some restrictions. Some cruise lines may require a physician’s letter to state that the mother-to-be or baby are in good health and fit to travel, or that the pregnancy is not high-risk. Other cruise lines may have age restrictions for infants, or restrictions on the mother’s gestation time. It is best to check the guidelines for the ship you wish to travel on before booking.

Cruising today can offer families a lot of bang for their buck while vacationing. Many ships are designed with kid-friendly facilities and services in mind. Many have supervised activities for children, dedicated children’s areas, children-only swimming pools, and special counselors and babysitting services that allow parents kid-free time for themselves. Some ships even have youth programs for older children, with planned activities to help them meet other children their own age. Some ships even have special age-appropriate discos for traveling youth.

The cruise ships of today have numerous activities aboard that children love. They have swimming pools and water slides, movie theatres, bowling alleys, skating rinks, rock climbing walls, etc. as well as games, craft lessons, and other activities for children. Parents will not find it difficult to keep their children happy and occupied on any cruise ship.

Food aboard a cruise ship is also family and kid-friendly. While parents can enjoy a gourmet filet mignon and a vintage glass of wine, it isn’t hard for a child to find a slice of pizza or a plate of French Fries to munch on. Food variety onboard a ship is indeed vast. And, children can eat as much or as little as they want—good news for a growing young teenager!

There are also special cruise lines that especially cater to children. Disney has a line that provides activities for kids from sun-up to sun-down, with everything to entertain them from craft lessons to magic shows and everything in between. They also offer adult only areas for parents to seek refuge. These areas have adult-only pools or include activities like wine-tasting sessions.

Things to look out for when planning a family cruise? You may need to do a little research, however, as not all ships offer programs for children and youth. Although they may still allow children to cruise, parents may need to be prepared to look after and entertain their own children. Also you should find out about children’s discounts, how many children are allowed in a room with the parents, extra beds, cribs or cots, adjoining cabins, safety and security issues, and ratio of staff members to children. All of these could affect the cruise line you choose.

There are so many activities that children can enjoy aboard ship, and parents can also enjoy their own relaxing kid-free times as well. On the whole, a cruise can be a great way for a family to enjoy their vacation time.

Tastes and Travels Ebook It offers reviews on various travel destinations and has articles on the cuisine of each place (as well as recipes that you can try). It even has a section on cruising!!!

Why Not Take a Cruise?

When you are tired of going simply to one place and lying on the beach in the sun (Heaven forbid!) you can take a different sort of vacation by cruising. Taking a cruise offers many advantages that going to a single spot doesn't. It can be a bit more of a hectic vacation, instead of be a relaxing one, but it can also be a lot of fun.

One of the main advantages of cruising is that you get to see different places. For instance, if you take an Eastern Carribean cruise you can see a few different islands, like the Cayman Islands or Turks & Caicos, or Jamaica, or even see some of Mexico all on the same trip. Then if you find you really like a certain place, that can be the goal for your next week-long vacation.

Cruising offers fine dining and a host of activities aboard ship. There are casinos, pools, nightly floor shows, theatres, night clubs, and so much more. Some cruise ships have rock climbing walls, skating rinks, skeet shooting, golf--you name it.

Many cruises are also theme-oriented. You can take a cruise where the theme is on French cuisine & cooking, and you can take chef training or cooking classes. There are cruise themes on almost anything you can think of--from improving your writing skills, to doll collecting or meeting celebrities, or even fine art based cruises.

There are cruises that are up-scale where you can 'dress' for dinner everynight in black tie and gowns, or casual cruises where anything goes. There are fun ships that include children's programs and cruises that are strictly for adults.

You can probably find a cruise to take you to any part of the world--Caribbean cruises, Mediterran cruises, Alaska cruises, cruises to the Hawaiian Islands, cruises around the coast of Africa, or even trans-Atlantic cruises. You only have to find a destination and the ports-of-call that interest you.

I would highly recommend cruising to anyone. And you don't have to be very concerned with sea-sickness either, as most ships have excellent stabalizers or there is sea-sickness pills which are readily available. Pick your favorite ports of call today and take a cruise for an exciting vacation adventure.

If you would like to read more about cruising and what you can really expect from a cruise, read about it in my new ebook Tastes and Travels Ebook (and get great ethnic recipes as well!)