Category Archives: Cruising Tips

Cruising Tips

Healthy Cruise Travel Tips

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Healthy Cruise Travel Tips

Taking the advice of well-traveled cruisers is the best thing for first time cruise passengers to do. After all, why not learn from someone else’s mistakes or mishaps? Of course, you will still have a few of your own, but that is what makes your first cruising experience memorable.

You’ve got your cruise booked and are counting the days until you set sail. However, there are a few things for you to do before you even start to think about packing. Check with the cruise line to see what vaccinations, if any, are needed for your journey. You’ll have to make a trip to your doctor to get current on any shots.

While you are at the doctor, ask them about tips on staying healthy and avoiding the flu or colds before you depart for your cruise. It is no fun having to travel sick or canceling all together. Also ask about seasickness remedies. Some of these medications are prescription only.

Stock up on any other prescription medications just in case they are scheduled to run out during your trip. Often, insurance companies will make exceptions and allow a prescription to be refilled early if you are traveling with no access to a chain pharmacy. One last thing – get a letter from your doctor on official letterhead listing your prescriptions and stating that they were all legitimately prescribed for you. If you have to go through customs, a letter will sometimes keep you from being detained while your medication is inspected.

If you are on a special diet, let the cruise line be aware of this fact when you book your cruise. Most diets are easily accommodated, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. A few weeks before you depart, check in with the cruise line again to go over your reservations and special needs diet.

Pack a small first aid kit for those “just in case” emergencies. Include antacids and anti-diarrhea medications for those episodes of “Montezuma’s Revenge” that seem to strike no matter where you travel. Aspirin, antibiotic cream and aloe vera gel for sunburns also come in handy.

Stow away sunscreen, moisturizer and lip balm in your luggage too. When you are having too much fun outdoors, you tend to forget things like sunburn. Be sure to apply the sunscreen lotion before heading outdoors. Moisturizer and lip balm keep your skin soft. Sometimes the temperature changes from the cold air conditioner to the heat outside can wreak havoc on the skin and dry it out.

In addition to the sunscreen, protect your skin by wearing hats and sunglasses. When you are on the ship’s deck gazing at the waves, the sun’s reflection off the water can be pretty bright. The sunglasses will protect you from harmful UV rays from the sun. Of course, the hats will shield you from the sun’s rays and possible sunburn on your ears and face, two places that people sometimes forget to apply sunscreen lotion.

With the right preparation and precautions, you are well on your way to a healthy and happy first cruise. And when in doubt about something, ask your cruise line. They want to make sure your cruising experience is trouble-free. After all, they want you to sail with them again.

Find your dream cruise at TopCruiseFinder.com.

Cruising Tips

Tips For Choosing The Right Cruise Ship For You

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Tips For Choosing The Right Cruise Ship For You

Cruise ships inspire images of glitz and glamour; grandiose décor, gourmet cuisine and an uber-luxurious cruising lifestyle. While all these images hold true of cruise ships, it is also true that each cruise ship has its own distinctive characteristic and flair. Cruise ships come in different shapes, sizes and designs and offer different forms of entertainment to suit individual interests, personalities and budgets.

Which cruise ship is best for you would depend on what you are looking for. Are you looking for adventure, romance or peace and quiet? Is it a family vacation that you are going on or is it your honeymoon? Would you prefer to experience the buzz of different ports or are you looking forward to drifting along the high seas marveling at the vastness of the ocean?

Almost all cruise ships offer you a wide choice of entertainment, including gambling, shopping, different sporting activities and exclusive live shows. However, if you are looking for something more specific, here a few options that you could choose from.

Luxury cruise ships: Indulge in the luxurious plush accommodation, sophisticated ambience and the elegance of black-tie dining.

Exploration-based cruise ships: Feel the thrill of excitement as you set sail on an exciting expedition to the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica or the Amazon.

Alaskan cruises ships: Sail past mountainous glaciers and gigantic humpback whales. With careful planning and the right timing you could even experience the Aurora Borealis, that spectacular show of lights that others have only heard about but never seen.

Disney theme cruises: Very popular for family holidays, this cruise offers different entertainment options for people of all ages.

Gambling cruise ships: Watch your winnings match the rhythm of the ship as it rides the troughs and crests of the waves and feel like a pirate as you gather up all the bounty you’ve won.

Barefoot cruises: Enjoy the out-of-the-ordinary experience of cruising in a sailboat and revel with the other sea lovers and sun bathers as you go island-hopping and beach-bumming all along the voyage.

Book your next cruise at TopCruiseFinder.com.

Cruising Tips

What Can A Carnival Cruise Offer The Experienced Traveler?

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What Can A Carnival Cruise Offer The Experienced Traveler?

If you’re considering a cruise, whether it’s to Alaska, the Caribbean or anywhere in between, sail on a Carnival cruise line. Carnival cruise lines know how to entertain, and work hard to provide activities and services that will keep young, old and in between happy while sailing.

A Carnival cruise ship is literally a floating resort with plush accommodations, first class restaurants, spas, and shopping experiences. Carnival cruise ‘Fun ships’ sail from many ports to over 60 destinations, including Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and New England, even to Europe. For those wanting to see Alaska, Carnival cruise lines sail to Glacier Bay and both Northbound and Southbound Alaska. For those wishing to hobnob with old tales of pirates and treasure in the blue Caribbean, ports in the Eastern, Southern and Western Caribbean are ripe for the plucking. Carnival cruise trips to Mexico sail to Baja and the Mexican Riviera and the Bermuda leg offers a Cruise to Nowhere, if you’re daring enough.

Carnival cruise lines offer both standard and luxury appointments, providing a first class sailing experience for budget travelers or those with bottomless pockets. The finest in dining, entertainment and travel ports of call are the best that a cruise line has to offer, and Carnival cruise vacations have one of the highest user ratings of major cruise lines. Carnival cruise lines don’t just offer great destinations however, but moderately priced cabins for singles or families. Don’t even think about having to sleep on an uncomfortable bunk or berth either, because Carnival cruise lines have installed ‘Carnival Comfort Bed’ sleep systems in all the ships in their globe-trotting fleet. The younger crowd is kept entertained with the new Carnival cruise ‘Club 02’, designed specifically for travelers between the ages of 15 and 17. It’s the new ‘hot spot’ on the ship for those who don’t want to hang out with the parents but want to make friends, dance to the latest music and play video games. The club is staffed with fun and energetic employees who know what your kids want and how to offer it to them.

Want to bring your golf clubs along? Carnival cruise lines offer a V1 Digital Coaching System that will help cure any ailment to your golf swing from the convenience of the ship deck so that you’ll be ready to play once you hit the ports. No matter what you like to do, Carnival cruise personnel will try to provide it for you. Day and night time entertainment keeps passengers enthralled and happy between ports of call, with dancing, singing, and other venues geared for all age groups and tastes.

A Carnival cruise adventure offers events and event planning help if you have special needs or larger groups of people in your traveling party. Online, Carnival cruise lines offer tips, suggestions, and messages posted from other Carnival cruise adventures. The Carnival cruise line’s official website is easy to navigate and offers answers to just abut any question that could possibly be asked about the Carnival cruise vacation experience.

Book your dream cruise at TopCruiseFinder.com.

Cruising Tips

Why Not Consider A Caribbean Cruise Special?

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Why Not Consider A Caribbean Cruise Special?

Come winter and your mind wanders to the lovely cruise ship sailing on the idle waters in your Caribbean cruise special. Why not make that dream come true? You may have the time of your life and the kids will love it as well. The best part of a cruise, as you would know, is a hassle-free trip where you are greeted with a fresh new panorama every morning and you unpack only once. Besides, your accommodation, food, entertainment, etc all are paid for in one price. However, if you decide on a Caribbean cruise this winter then choose a Caribbean cruise special. It is simply great.

A Caribbean cruise special often comes in several versions like a choice between a three, five or seven-day cruise, though people mostly prefer the latter as that offers four different destinations yet provides a couple of days cruising the calm seas with nothing to do but relax with a capital R.

Though a Caribbean cruise special comes “all inclusive”, i.e. your food, sleeping quarters and everything else paid for in one price, you may have to pay for alcoholic drinks as most of the cruise companies keep the bar apart from their usual fare. In some cases, even the tips are well looked after but here again, decency demands a generous tip to cabin and dining room stewards/stewardess.

Caribbean Cruise Special – How To Look For And Book A Cruise

Most travel agents offer a wide variety of choices in regard to a Caribbean cruise special. As a matter of fact, all cruise companies look forward to the winter season when they customarily offer their best ships for these specials. Here are some cruise lines to narrow down your choice – take the Royal Caribbean cruise or Celebrity cruise or Holland America Line, Carnival Cruise and of course, the Norwegian cruise Line. You are advised to carry out an online search to find out more about the various cruise companies, options and their specials.

Consider a Caribbean Cruise Special – If you are cruising for the first time

You want to find out whether a cruise is for you so do some research before deciding on a particular Caribbean cruise, otherwise you could be disappointed if it does not meet your expectations. Don’t forget you cannot leave the ship once you are aboard. For example, if you are a happy jovial young family, you will surely like Carnival cruises which are popularly called “Fun Cruises” as they cater for younger families and are always jam packed with parties and revelry. You may, on the other hand, prefer Holland America Line for the peace and tranquility aboard the ship if you prefer the quieter life, looking for peace and serenity on the high seas.

A Caribbean cruise special could be just the ticket for your winter vacation but choose carefully and I am sure you will have the time of your life.

Book your dream cruise at TopCruiseFinder.com.

Cruising Tips

Making the Most of Your Cruise

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Cruise Ship
Image by King Brian

Making the Most of Your Cruise

Advance Planning Common Sense = Great Cruise!
Cruises are a wonderful respite from the cares of the world. Twenty-four hours a day you are pampered with seemingly endless food, a wide variety of entertainment, opportunities for adventure, and social events galore! In fact, there is so much to choose from that most of us ask ourselves, “How on earth do I plan for this?”
Whatever your reason for cruising, whatever the size of your cruise party, whatever the destination of your cruise, and whatever the duration of your time at sea, how you plan is dictated by what you want to get out of your cruise.
1. Packing: Keep packing as light as possible. Take only what you absolutely need. While most people’s image of cruising is everybody decked out in seersucker and linen by day and dressed to the nines at night, the reality is usually quite different for most. Most people will pack a couple of active-wear or beach-wear outfits for daytime wear on ship and on land, a dressy casual outfit or two for most evenings, and informal wear for the couple of “dress-up” nights most ships have.
2. Tipping: The service staff, those who serve you your food and clean up your cabin, relies on tips for most of their wages. Often, the men and women occupying those positions are supporting entire families in Third World countries with those tips. Yes, tipping is optional, but my advice to you is to share a portion of the good fortune that allows you to take this cruise with those who are working actively to meet your every need.
3. Plan your expenses: There are activities for almost every conceivable budget and interest on every cruise. It’s unnecessary to exceed your financial limitations during a cruise. If there’s something you want to do on this cruise that’s out-of-reach financially, start planning for your next cruise when you get home and include that particular item as a central part of that plan!
4. Time, like money, is a finite commodity that must be wisely budgeted, too. Prioritize, then stick to your priorities. By limiting your activity choices during the cruise, you’ll be able to invest more of your energy into the things you do choose, feel good about doing so, and end your cruise ready to come back for more as soon as you possibly can!
5. You probably don’t associate getting sick with taking a cruise, with the possible exception of seasickness, but it happens more often than most people realize. Much shipboard illness is avoidable simply by practicing the same healthy choices on the ship that you do at home. Yes, you do want to play hard, but not so hard that you endanger your health and well-being.
I’m convinced that there’s no better vacation in the world than a great cruise. If you take time beforehand to anticipate those needs you have that ship’s personnel aren’t likely to be able to meet, I believe you’ll likely come away from your cruise experience with the same opinion!

Find your next cruise at TopCruiseFinder.com.