1) Cruise Vacations Are A Good Value

The price of your vacation includes all of your meals and in-between snacks on-board; your accommodation, activities, children programs and entertainment. Throw in the exciting journey to some of the most fascinating and charming places in the world and you have yourself a deal! You will also know what your vacation will end up costing you before you go. Typically, your only extra expenses are alcoholic drinks, specialty restaurants, optional shore excursions, and personal services such as a spa treatment.

2) Cruise Vacations Have Amazing Dining

You have so much choice and variety of cuisine on a cruise, you will not be disappointed. From gourmet meals that showcase renown chefs to pizza parlours and buffets. The choice is yours whether to sit down for an delectable five course feast or grab a hamburger at the bistro. The only thing that is guaranteed is that you will not go hungry on a cruise.

3) Cruise Vacations Will Pamper You

Regardless of which cruise you choose, all cruise lines pamper their guests with first-class service around the clock. Staff is there to make sure you needs are met. From chocolates on your pillow to your favourite drink waiting for you at your dinner table, you will feel like you are being spoiled day and night!

4) Cruise Vacations Have Tons of Variety

A cruise ship is a floating resort, with all the things a fine resort has to offer and more. You can go non-stop. Enjoy one great show after another, enjoy daily tour excursions, visit the spa, listen to a lecture, shop and then dance the night away. Or you can lie back and just read a book on deck and just let your cares float away…..do what you want to do.

5) Cruise Vacations Are For Everyone

There are over 150 different ships, dozens of cruise lines and over 1800 ports-of-call with hundreds of places to see and things to do. Small, large, formal, relaxed, budget, luxury, there is a perfect cruise out there for you.

6) Cruise Vacations Make Vacations Simple

The hassles of an ordinary vacation are completely eliminated because a cruise vacation is one convenient package. You don’t have to worry about making dinner or nightclub reservations, running to make flight connections as you travel from one destination to another, or packing and unpacking. Once you’re on board, nearly all expenses are pre-paid… it just does not get more carefree than that.

7) Cruise Vacations Are Great For Family Vacations

Families love cruising and often there is a reduced rate for children. Traveling with Grandparents? Even better, they will love it as much as the kids! With a variety of children’s programs geared from little ones to teens, kid-friendly menus, swimming, sports, games, movies, and exploring new places, your kids will not be bored for a second. The experienced child councillors will keep your children happy, while allowing you some time alone. And speaking of some adult alone time….

Cruise Vacations Are Great For Couples And Romance

During the day you can enjoy secluded beaches or romantic villages, enjoy en suite dining on a balcony overlooking the ocean or spa services for two. At night, enjoy dancing, musical shows, gaming or a quiet evening watching the moon bounce off the ocean as the warm breeze drifts over the two of you….do I need to say more?

9) Cruise Vacations Are The Most Satisfying

Cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied customers than any other vacation experience, once people try it, they come back again and again. It me 10 years to convince my brother and his wife to try a cruise vacation, they finally took one last year and they have already booked another one this year!

10) Cruise Vacations Are The Ultimate Vacations

You can see the world on a cruise. Feel free to completely unwind or take a walk on the wild side. If you want you can dance the night away or go up on deck and steal a kiss from your love. Make new friends, feast on sumptuous cuisine, learn something new, or just hang out and bond with your family.

Whatever your heart desires, it can be done on a cruise so be sure to ‘choose to cruise’ for your next vacation.

The Baltic Sea area

Starting in Northern Europe, do not miss the Medieval Baroque architecture of Norway and Finland and also its dramatic scenery and rich history. Visit St Petersburg, Russia s most beautiful city and a most in any tourists itinerary. Enjoy the wild night life of Hamburg or Copenhagen in Germany and Denmark respectively.  Explore one of the richest areas in the world and take advantage of the cruises’ facilities.

Europe

Departing from Southern England, visit the Atlantic ports of France and Spain –experience the world famous fine cuisine and wine culture!  Cruises sail through the Bay of Biscay and the Straits of Gibraltar, where tourist can also enjoy the most beautiful ports of Portugal and Southern Spain.  Finally some cruises also visit the well renowned Spanish islands including Mayorca and Ibiza.

The Mediterranean

Visit historic places, romantic cities and beautiful islands in the Mediterranean, but also enjoy the top quality resorts and sandy beaches. The Mediterranean has been divided into three main areas, as follows:  Western Mediterranean cruises include the French Riviera, la Costa Brava and volcanic Sicily. Southern Mediterranean sails through Northern Africa, including the most important ports in Egypt and Morocco. Eastern Mediterranean cruises travels along the Aegean Sea covering most of the Greek Islands, Turkey and Italy; expect to find amazing ruins from the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians

5) Be Generous: Most of the staff of cruise ships are low paid. The general idea is that the tips they receive from passengers will top up their income. So make sure that you’re generous with the tips that you give.

On many cruises, gratuities are automatically added to your on board account. But that doesn’t mean you can’t tip the people who have looked after you during your vacation. So if you get good service from certain memebers of staff make sure you show your appreciation

6) Be Discreet: So you’ve done well for yourself. You’ve got a diamond encrusted cufflinks and a wad of money to waste in the casino. Good for you, but the whole ship doesn’t need to know about it.

Not only does it make you seem like an obnoxious swine, but if people see that you’ve got valuable possessions, you’ll attract the wrong type of attention. Oh yes, crime is just the same at sea as it is on land. Human nature doesn’t change just because you step onto an ocean going hotel.

7) Be Patient: If you want to enjoy life on board most cruise ships, it’s important to be laid back and patient at all times.

For example, at certain times of the day, getting access to the lifts can be a potential flashpoint. You’d be amazed at the number of nasty scenes that arise out of people waiting to use the lifts, especially when they’re going to eat or see a show. So learn to enjoy waiting, or if you’re able, why not work off some of the gourmet food and take the stairs.

You’re on vacation, so what’s the great rush!

1) Be Quiet: These days, some of the largest cruise are home to as many as three or four thousand people at the same time. These people are in the vicinity. So, please do not  slam your door. This is completely unnecessary and will disturb hundreds of passangers.

2) Be Respectible: When you board the cruise ship, make sure you are good to wear at all times. This means dress smartly when in public places of the ships and don’t walk around wearing next to nothing.

As a general rule, imagine that you go home. If you would not wear in that manner such a restaurant or casino or pool, then don’t think that you can get away with it just because your on a cruise ship. Yes, I know it’s your temporary home, but it’s also the temporary home of two or three thousand others.

Also keep in mind that many different cultures and nationalities, it can be significantly different views on what is not respected. So make sure that you follow the on board dress code at all times.

3) Be Sensible: you’re on holiday, you wan to have a great vacation, but don’t go crazy with the amount of food or drink that you consume. Nobody likes a drunk and nobody wants to see someone vomiting because they’ve overeaten. And you’ll miss much of the enjoyment of your cruise if you spend your time feeling ill or in the ship hospital with an drink related injury.

4) Be Considerate: If you are dissatisfied with certain aspects of the cruise, take your complaint to the appropriate member of staff and leave it there. Don’t spoil everyone else’s vacation by going on and on about everything that irritates you.

So, your expectations are not met! That’s no excuse to bore everyone else with endless stories of how your toilet won’t flush and how your toast was cold three mornings ago and how the weather isn’t as good as it should be. Register your complaint and let everyone else enjoy their holiday.

Some cruise cabins have VCRs or DVD players, and some televisions also have radio/music channels. The cabins also usually have a night table, reading lamps, and a chair. Most modern cruise ships come with a hairdryer, so you won’t have to bring one from home. Some standard staterooms feature personal safes, table, desk with chair, convertible loveseat, mini-refrigerator, and even Internet access, although it is often much more costly than in the common Internet lounge. The cruise line brochure or Web site usually specifies what amenities are in each cabin.

The standard cruise cabin bathrooms are usually tiny and most only have a shower (no tub). The shower usually has good water pressure, with the only complaint being the small size. Don’t be surprised if the shower curtain keeps trying to attack you! The bathroom also has a sink, toiletry shelves, and a noisy vacuum toilet like on an airplane. Often there is a small step up between the bedroom and bathroom, perfect for stubbing your toe. The bathrooms also usually have a retractable clothesline for drying your swimsuit or hand laundry.

The next step above an outside cabin is one with a balcony (verandah). These cruise cabins have sliding glass doors, giving you access to the outside. The sliding doors also mean you can see outside from anywhere in the cabin, i.e. lie on the bed and still see the ocean outside. Usually the cruise balcony cabins are also larger than the standard cabins, and some qualify as mini-suites. Which means they have a small sitting area with a loveseat or convertible sofa. The cruise mini-suites also usually have a curtain that can be drawn to separate the sleeping and sitting areas. This feature is ideal for couples (or friends) that have different sleeping habits.

Perhaps it’s the price. Long cruises, especially, can be expensive, and port fees, cruise cancellation insurance, and airfare (if it’s not included in the price), not to mention pricey shore excursions, can destroy your vacation budget. Just like with air travel, however, significant discounts can be found online and through travel agents, and when travelers factor in the meals, accommodation, and shipboard entertainment that are included in the fare, cruises can actually be pretty reasonable. There’s also less room for the typical nasty surprises that accompany traveling to exotic locations on your own.

Unlike land tours, which offer a similar sense of security when traveling, cruises also allow passengers a great deal of personal freedom and the ability to set their own pace. If you don’t feel like getting up for breakfast, then you can stay in your cabin and make it down in time for lunch. On a tour, if you miss breakfast, you might have missed the bus for the entire day, and you’ll end up stuck in your hotel, while everyone else is seeing the sights. Cruises have a definite relaxation factor that accompanies the fact that you are, essentially, staying in a floating hotel, which is one reason why cruises attract passengers who are celebrating honeymoons, birthdays, anniversaries, and family reunions.

The fact that cruises are actually carrying passengers from one port of call to the next with a minimum of fuss or fanfare is another reason for their popularity. Unlike planes, trains, or, God forbid, automobiles, passenger can sleep, eat, exercise, and even party while the ship is transporting them from point A to point B. As mentioned earlier, the pace is slower, but for many, that’s a benefit rather than a drawback of cruise travel. Also, once you get to your port of call, you’ll be all rested up for duty-free shopping (in the Caribbean, at least) or scuba diving or whatever draws you to exotic locales in the first place.

Traveling also entails meeting a lot of new people—some of whom are nice and some of whom are not nice. Dealing with nasty flight attendants, shady cab drivers, and grouchy hotel clerks can add a level of stress to travel that detracts from the sense of excitement and adventure that should accompany any vacation. Perhaps it’s because everyone’s so relaxed or perhaps it’s because the staff is brainwashed (or desperate for a generous gratuity), but, in general, fellow travelers and staff on cruise ships seem to be a whole lot happier, nicer, and more accommodating than your average human being you encounter every day. Your fellow cruisers, who come from a variety of backgrounds, are not only happier but also more interesting to be around, and you’re actually encouraged and able to socialize on a cruise.

But let’s be honest. Nothing’s more important to you than your stomach. Airlines understand that. It seems like, on some long-haul flights, attendants are walking around every hour with another opportunity to stuff your face. Airline food, however, will never be able to compete with cruise ship food. Food is often the highlight of a cruise experience. Whether it’s at a buffet, in a dining room, or in your cabin, the food is delicious, and there’s plenty of it. In fact, you might find yourself gaining a few pounds if you’re not careful. Luckily, that’s what vacation is all about. If you are worried about your waistline, there are plenty of opportunities to exercise and stay fit onboard.

Finally, one of the major reasons why cruise travel is growing in popularity is the variety it offers. Over 200 cruise ships float in the world’s oceans and rivers today, and that number is growing by the year. Just like with air travel, there are the big names—Princess, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival—and they each have their own fleet of ships. There are also smaller cruise lines, tailored to a specific region or for a specific purpose. These days, if you do your research, you can find the perfect cruise ship to fit your needs, wants and interests.

Cruise ships are like floating resorts with all the choices fine resorts have to offer. You can be by yourself and lie back in a lounge chair, breathe in the sea air, soak up the sun, read good books, or watch the ever-changing view. Cruise ships are required to follow strict environmental regulations that ensure that treated sewage and wastewater from showers, sinks and kitchen galleys are discharged properly at designated offshore perimeters. In fact, cruise line waste management is so highly regarded that cruise lines are often consulted by state governments on pollution abatement and sewage control. Cruise ships are like floating resorts with all the amenities fine resorts have to offer.

Passengers are invariably assigned to lifeboats or similar survival craft. The total capacity of all the survival craft on board will exceed the total number of persons on the vessel. Passengers become friends; they are never just cabin numbers. Unlike other larger ships, they are proud of the intimate world they offer, where modern-day conveniences sail in harmony with traditional values.

Statistically, cruise ships are safer than hotels and resorts when it comes to fires and violent crime. However, it is in your best interest not to abandon common sense just because you board a cruise ship for a wonderful vacation. Staterooms will receive upgraded soft goods, Shear Butter bathroom amenities from L’Occitane, flat screen TVs and DVD/CD players, and Bose Sound Docks for use with iPods, which can be borrowed at no charge from reception. Wireless connectivity in public areas is promised for all three ships.

Staterooms on many ships are even equipped with televisions. While most ships now have telephones in passenger cabins, you can also call someone on shore through the ship’s radio operator while at sea. Staterooms on all of today’s modern cruise ships are equipped with satellite televisions and in some cases in-cabin internet connections. And, you can make phone calls from most ports.

Everything you’ve heard about cruise ship dining is true. At each meal, you’ll find a varied selection of appetizers, salads, soups, main courses and desserts. Everything you’ve heard about cruise ship dining is true. At each meal, you’ll find a varied selection of entrees (appetizers, salads, soups, vegetables, and desserts, too), and each day the selection will be different.