Cruises are romantic, relatively all-inclusive and a wonderful way to see a variety of ports on board a glamorous ship – making them a premier choice for honeymooners. If you’re planning on booking a honeymoon cruise, keep reading for great tips on how to book a beautifully romantic honeymoon cruise vacation.

Check the Ship’s Age Restrictions

Because your honeymoon is a romantic time away, you may want to opt for a cruise that is geared specifically toward couples and adults rather than families with children.

Most cruise lines offer sailings and ships that have age restrictions. These boats are typically restricted to unmarried individuals over the age of 25 and married individuals over the age of 21. Before you book an age-restricted cruise, make sure you meet the ship’s requirements.

Splurge on Something

Either book a small, inside cabin on a luxurious ship or a larger cabin on a smaller ship, but try to splurge on something. You’re supposed to be saving for your new life, but you don’t want to remember your honeymoon as being cramped inside a sardine tin. Remember to call ahead to have a bottle of champagne waiting for you when you arrive.

Read Traveler Reviews

Before you book a romantic honeymoon cruise, read through online traveler reviews. By reading other honeymooners’ and vacationers’ notes about their experiences, you’ll get an accurate idea about the ambience of the ship, the quality of its facilities, food and accommodations.

Book for Your Interests

If you plan on actually leaving your cabin, book a cruise and destination that appeals to your interests. If you both love wine tasting, then opt for a cruise that includes shore-side wine tours and nightly wine tasting. If you’re into adventure travel, look for something that offers scuba diving alongside rock climbing and spelunking.

Remember, for almost every interest, there’s a cruise that caters to it, so you should be able to find just about any specialty you desire.

Get Married On Board

Many ships offer wedding packages that allow couples to even get married on board. Fully catered and officiated by the ship’s captain, cruise ship marriages are easy to organize and legal.

If you’re looking for a “destination wedding” that includes a honeymoon, a cruise wedding is simple and definitely doable. Typically, cruise lines (like Carnival Cruises) offer wedding packages that range from a simple ceremony with cake and decorations to fully catered events that include an open bar, entertainment and shore-side activities.

Taking A Paddleboat Cruise

In May my husband and I took a wonderful steamboat trip on the Colombia River, 1,240 miles long, and Snake River, 1,038 miles long, aboard the American West’s Empress of the North. This is the first time we had ever done a “niche” type cruise and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Yes, the clientele tends to be older, but, what a shame that the younger mature adults are missing out on all this fun. It is steam boating in the true sense of the word. The paddlewheel turns as you leisurely make your way up and down the rivers and through the many dams that have been erected since the time of Lewis and Clarke. The ship is patterned after the river boats that plied the waters of Alaska, Oregon and Washington over 100 years ago and has a distinctly Russian flavor.

On the particular adventure that we took it was to follow the path of the Lewis and Clarke expedition so it was historical as well as fun. We boarded the Empress of the North in Portland, Oregon with no mishaps just a bit of a long wait. However, they did supply entertainment and refreshments while they prepared the ship for us. Once aboard we were escorted to a lovely stateroom that was right out of the riverboat era. It was roomy, beautifully decorated and had a balcony with two chairs and a table. There was a TV but we never used it since the real entertainment was the trip and the excursions which were included in the price of the cruise. The rooms reminded you of the river boat era but were very much up to modern standards.

Just a little tidbit: The “Portland Penny” is how Portland got its name narrowly missing being called Boston. The partners Lovejoy and Pettygrove who had filed the claim staking the territory needed to come up with a name for the quickly expanding territory. Lovejoy being from Boston, Massachusetts was adamant that this would be the name, while Pettygrove equally adamant wanted it to be called Portland after his beloved Portland, Maine. Hence the “Portland Penny” when Pettygrove won two out of the three tosses.

The artwork on the Empress was truly impressive. There were beautiful Russian artifacts and amazing pictures of the gold rush and life in the Northwest during the 1800’s. I spent a lot of time just going up and down the four hallways perusing the artwork. (Every floor has a different theme). Our first night out of Portland we were invited to cocktails and hors d’oeurves at the Paddlewheel lounge which is in the back of the boat and has windows overlooking the paddle wheel. We were still busy getting situated so we grabbed a cocktail and took it back to our room to get organized. Dinner was in the Romanov Dining room and the atmosphere really was one of a riverboat. The food was very good served by a courteous and fun American crew. Dinner lasted about an hour to an hour and a half and then it was off to the Golden Nugget showroom to watch the Pat O’Neal and the River Boat Jazz band play great Dixieland Music. Well, if you weren’t into it by then you never were going to be. What fun and you are sharing it with only 200 other passengers. After the show you could stay in the Showroom for dancing or go to the Paddlewheel Lounge for the duo of Kari & Jerry who were not only very good but extremely friendly.

Of course, you are in a new place everyday and everyday brings a new exciting, educational and different excursion. Our first day out we where cruising the Columbia River Gorge taking in the breathtaking vistas, granite cliffs and waterfalls from which the Cascade Mountains takes it’s name.

We thoroughly enjoyed this trip and would recommend to other adults, this not a ship for children.

For extra tips about patients, business and yoga for stress management read the quoted resources.

If you’re planning a cruise vacation, there are eight key questions you need to ask yourself before you even begin to book. Keep reading to learn what these eight questions are and how to research and book the best cruise vacation for you.

1. Who’s Going?

Depending on the age of your travelers and whether you’re planning a romantic getaway or a family fun free-for-all is going to have a defining impact on the type of cruise you choose.

By determining well in advance who will be going, you can really narrow down the choices.

2. What’s Your Budget?

Setting a budget in advance will help you plan how much you spend and the type of cruise vacation that you can afford. A typical cruise vacation costs about $100-$300 per day per person, excluding airfare.

Booking early, booking last minute or being willing to take an inside cabin are ways you can save money on your cruise. Inside cabins do not have a window view of the ocean.

3. How Much Time do You Have?

Knowing how much vacation you have will help you narrow down your cruise choices. For example, if you only have 5 vacation days available, you won’t be indulging in that 3-week adventure up the coast of East Africa.

Typically, a week’s vacation allows for a solid 5-7 day cruise in the Caribbean. It can also work depending where you are in North America, Hawaii, Alaska, Europe and even the South Pacific.

4. When Do You Want to Travel?

Having a rough idea of when you want to go will help you focus on specific sailing times and even destinations. For example, Alaska cruises only operate during the five summer months.

5. Where Do You Want to Go?

From Africa to the Caribbean to the South Pacific, cruises travel all over the world. If you know, for example, you want to explore the cities of the Mediterranean, you’ll be able to focus your search on Mediterranean cruises.

6. What Activities Do You Like?

For every taste, there’s a cruise line that caters to it. From wine tasters to extreme athletes, there are cruises designed specifically for you – you just have to determine your interest.

7. Do You Like Structure?

Some cruise ships have set dining times, ranging from as early as 6:00 p.m. to as late as 9:00 p.m. Others offer freestyle service which allows you to eat when you please.

8. Do You Enjoy Formal Wear?

Before you book a luxury cruise that offers formal dining every night, ask yourself if you’re ready to pack your tuxedo. Whether you want to dress up for dinner every night, just a few nights or not at all, there’s a cruise for you. Just be sure to research your options before you purchase.

Cruising, A Wonderful Vacation

You haven’t lived until you’ve gone cruising – cliche’ you might think. Regardless of what you might think (with all due respect).

Remember that you’ll find all the things included in the cruise package are listed in the travel agency brochure. If you are not sure, ask the agent beforehand so you know exactly what to expect. You can start searching for the next available discount cruise package for your family!.

You may ask, what makes a great cruise vacation? Well, the answer is very simple, first-class accommodation, exotic locations, sumptuous meals, world-class entertainment, and top-notch facilities, to name but a few. All these features are included in a cruise package. You can relax, get pampered, and discover new countries without the stress and jet lag as the result of a 17 hour flight!

When it comes to vacations, it has been proven that people search for something that is drastically different from their everyday life. They want to change their way of living and relax. That’s exactly why people go to African safari’s, a hike in a Guatemalan jungle, rent boats in Normandy, or stay on a small island in the Caribbean’s and needless to say – go cruising!

Because life on a cruise ship is completely different to the way most people live, you are able to do just what your heart desires, whether that may be sunbathing all day long or spending time in the gym. This is why discount cruises are great, because they offer all the same features as a luxury cruise vacation. Cruise ships today offer the tourists the best of the traveling industry, which includes spas, gyms and restaurants, facilities for kids with professional personnel, lots of sports activities from skating to tennis, casinos and even theatres.

When planning to go on a cruise, you should always make sure to check what is included in the package. These tips with the packing checklist for vacation will help a lot. A discount cruise package normally includes the cruise ship transportation, meals and snacks, accommodation, access to the gym and other sport facilities plus, nightly entertainment. What is probably excluded is the gambling and spa visits.

In most cases you would have to pay for your flight to the port from where the cruise departs, as well as for medical services if these are not covered by your medical plan.

You would also have to pay for bar beverages, except for those that come with meals. Always be prepared to pay extra money for any visas that you need, and especially don’t forget about travel insurance.

Remember that you’ll find all the things included in the cruise package are listed in the travel agency brochure. If you are not sure, ask the agent beforehand so you know exactly what to expect. Don’t delay, having all the necessary information, you can start searching for the next available discount cruise package for your family!

Each year, more than half a million tourists go on trips to Bermuda to enjoy its exotic pink beaches, lush vegetation and perfect climate. For such a small island, this is really quite a large number of regular visitors. However, with the striking beauty of the island, it’s really not surprising that Bermuda vacations rank among the most preferred getaways of people all around the world. You can visit Bermuda through a direct plane flight, or through one of the hundreds of cruise ships that dock on its ports. Either way, once you get a taste of this Caribbean island, you will surely want to keep going back to experience it again and again.

Heading into the winter months, the chances of grabbing cheap cruise holiday deal increases significantly and the trend in recent years seems to be strengthening in favor of many holiday seekers looking at this time of the year to head out into the open oceans for their vacation fun.

We are not going to spend time telling you where you can go to get a cheap cruise deal because the chances are that they will find you. This article is more about alerting you to the fact that much of the promotion is centered around making it attractive enough to take the plunge in the first place. However, it’s the on board costs that many may not be aware of and unless you take into account that there will be expenses to take care of during a cruise then your cheap cruise deal may not be so attractive after all.

6 Cruise Expenses You Need To Be Aware Of

Just be aware, while you may pay under $500 for that super Caribbean cruise experience, the cost may not be all inclusive which many believe could be the case.

In other words, while your initial cost will include some onboard privileges, the cost of staying on a ship for any length of time can be expensive. That’s not detracting at all from the experience because there is little to compare with a cruise but many holidaymakers will have suffered temporary high blood pressure levels when it comes time to squaring up at the end of the trip.

Let’s take a look at some of the expenses you could be faced with which can blow your cheap cruise holiday experience into an expensive one:

1. Drinking is one of the biggest expenses on a cruise ship. Just be aware, if you like a drink then be prepared to pay for it. Souvenir drinks are attractive; that is, drinks which come in specially designed glasses which you get to keep afterwards but how many souvenir glasses do you want to end up with?

2. Photos can be a brutal expense. Photographs are a great way to savor wonderful memories and there will be on board photographic services which will be happy to snap your picture everyday. But be warned they are not cheap. If you have your own camera then make sure you pack it.

3. Many inexperienced travelers will often think on shore excursions which are organized are part of the cruise experience but this is not usually the case. This is something you need to check with your travel professional before making your booking.

4. Entertainment is great on board a ship and most of it is free however, if you like to indulge in a little gambling and have a “soft spot” for slot machines be prepared to play the larger denomination machines because the smaller 1 and 2 cent machines can be hard to find.

5. On board staff and generally fantastic and it’s hard to beat the service you get on a ship. Again, it can come at a cost via gratuities and this is fair enough however, if you are from a place where tipping is foreign, just be prepared.

6. Some on board services are not included as part of the initial cheap cruise holiday price. These include grooming and beauty services. Meanwhile, medical services will cost you extra should you need attention on your trip.

You might have been knocking around the thought of taking a cruise vacation for a number of years and finally you have come to the point where you need to take care of booking the trip. However, before you take that step, you should be aware of the numerous options in available cruises, so that you can make an informed decision.

Many decisions, both large and small will need to be made, including deciding about the kind of ship, the type of cabin, the duration of the voyage and ultimately, how it all works into your travel budget. The major cruise lines visit about 1,800 different ports that span the globe, and not all of these ports will be places that you’ll be interested in visiting.

Because there are so many destinations, the first thing to do is decide which ones hold the most interest. For instance, you can focus on Caribbean or Mexican cruises if you are looking for warmth and sunshine, or you can go for the scenery and whale watching possibilities of an Alaskan or Antarctic cruise or even a cruise around the Canary Islands.

Once you have narrowed down the general area that you want to cruise to, then you can more easily make your final decision. The cruise lines have a wide variety of offers for different lengths of cruises. You can get away for a long weekend for a 3- or 4-day voyage, for a week, or choose an itinerary of ten days that usually encompasses two weekends. Read more »

Ready to take off on your first cruise? Here are some tips about what to expect.

Since a modern cruise ship is so large and complex – with many levels, dozens of public rooms (the gym, several restaurants, bowling alley, shopping mall, etc), you can easily get lost. Don’t worry! There’s nowhere to go that you can’t easily find your way from. After all, if you don’t jump overboard, eventually you’ll run out of places to be lost from.

Take the map with you and stroll casually around the behemoth. Visit the dining area and locate a public restroom. Saunter through the shops. Find the Internet cafe, if you just have to check your email and didn’t bring your own laptop. There’s always an information office on board ready to help you with maps, event announcements and brochures of things to do.

Sooner or later, you’ll probably wind up in some area and have no idea where your cabin or the restaurant is. Don’t feel embarrassed. You’re not the first to have that problem on a ship that’s almost 900 feet long and has enough levels to equal a 10-story building.

Read the ship’s newsletter and you’ll start to feel like an experienced cruiser. You’ll find fun gossip, helpful event information and lots of other useful tidbits. Take advantage of one of the many offers of a drink, but keep in mind that these are rarely free. Know what things cost before you get too big a shock.

If you have time, and hopefully you booked a cruise longer than a day, check out some of the places that will have evening events. That way you can arrive in plenty of time when the entertainment starts, since you’ll already know the way.

Enjoy the mandatory lifeboat drill. The odds of having to abandon ship these days are very close to zero, but all ships are legally required to hold them. With radar, sonar, computer warning systems, GPS and decades of careful mapping of the oceans, plus all the experience gained, it’s very rare for any serious problem to occur.

But it can be fun to practice anyway. You’ll feel better, too, knowing you know how to operate a life vest. And, remember, you are much safer on a ship even when it’s sinking than on a plane in trouble.

Now, you’re ready to shove off. Stand at the rail and wave, even if there’s no one you know. Pretend it’s 1949 and you are about to set off on a glamorous, romantic adventure. Imagine that you might meet Cary Grant on board. Hey, it could happen!