Cruise-Cruises: July 2010

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Amenities in a Luxury Cruise

Other amenities like films and videos, evening entertainment, snacks during cocktail hour and activities like lavish gym and spa treatments are included in cruises of luxury packages. Luxury vacation cruises sometimes include overnight stays at luxury hotels in one or all ports. Several cruises of luxury packages have come up offering many amenities to its travelers.

With exciting casinos, rich interiors, sky bars, spa treatments and world renowned chefs, traveling on luxury cruises becomes a life time experience. Now one can travel on a cruises of luxury to the remote and beautiful destinations in the world in a graceful and elegant way. A cruise vacation is a wonderful experience that everyone wants to have. The breathtaking interiors and special amenities provided in luxury cruise lines make them an utmost popular choice for a comforting holiday.

Designed by the world's top architects, luxury cruise ships are incredible. Modern day luxury cruises are like ostentatiously luxurious floating palaces edging with rich and spacious accommodation, excellent service, five star restaurants and a wild globe of entertainment. Earlier the sailing on seas was an awful experience with undesirable conditions, unreliable maps, mediocre food and poor service.

Luxury Cruise Deals For the Ideal Destination

The Arctic has the best vantage point from which There are a range of tranquil coasts, rivers and rainforests which surrounds the North Pole and passes through the Arctic Ocean to touch upon parts of the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Russia, Norway, Finland and Sweden. Alaska is the hub of ideal cruising destinations, clustered with icebergs, continental glaciers with snow-capped mountains. A small island south of Île Sainte-Marie represents the crème de la crème of idyllic destinations, with picture postcard palms, white sands and sparkling waters.

Africa and the Indian Ocean are now home to a lot of prized selection of the luscious, untouched beaches. For cruising on these, however, passengers will only have a limited number of cities/towns to choose from since not all places can accommodate these giants. In most of the luxury cruise deals, passengers prefer something larger, maybe a cruise liner, just to experience the beautiful views around, as well as the beauty of the ship itself. Even if you aren't that adventurous, you can just choose to have dinner at any location of your choice! You may even get to see penguins on icy terrain if you choose to visit Antarctica or any other country in the North Pole by choosing one of the available luxury cruise deals.

With luxury cruise deals, even hard to reach destinations can be reached or visited anywhere between the North Pole and the South Pole by use of smaller ships. There aren't too many places in the world that really cannot be reached by ship or a boat.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Magnifico Mediterranean Costa Cruises

19 years leading groups, this experience trumped all other moments of stress combined. This was a miracle as most ships don't wait and I had no plan B on how to get us from this port in northern Africa to Balearic Islands of Spain. With the ship blaring, the last one in our group made it within seconds to the rising of the gangway at 1:33pm. When our coach stopped outside the parking gates, we ran as if we were on fire.

Impossible. We were to board our ship at 1pm. En route back, heavy traffic delayed us, which put me on the verge of a nervous breakdown. We visited ancient Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, a mountain village by the sea and in the crowded souks of the Medina we bargained for treasures.

In Tunisia I arranged a private tour with a passionate guide named Amel who had just 5 hours to show us her beloved Tunis. Least favorite, Palermo Sicily. I heard the favorites however to be the Isle of Capri, ruins of Pompeii, glamorous Monte Carlo, charming Portofino and exotic Tunis. Most enjoyed Barcelona, Marseilles, Avignon, Sorrento and Mallorca.

Your Cruise Vacation From Los Angeles

Adjacent to the terminal sits the historic Queen Mary ocean liner. The terminal offers all the basic services, such as check in, shops, parking zones, cab ranks, cafes and bars. Long Beach cruise terminal possesses one 1100ft pier able to handle one full size cruise liner. The terminal is inside the round dome that was formerly home to Spruce Goose, now located in Evergreen museum, Oregon.

Long Beach Cruise Terminal The Long Beach Cruise Terminal was constructed by Carnival Cruiselines, and opened in 2003. Each cruise terminal has the basic amenities, such as eateries, parking areas, cab ranks, shops, bars and check in desks. Capacity is two to three big cruise ships. World Cruise Center Cruise Terminals There are 2 cruise ship terminals at the World Cruise Center, Terminal 91-92 and Terminal 93.

A Honeymoon Cruise Vacation

A travel agent that specialises in cruises Other cruise companies, if you tell them you are planning a honeymoon cruise, will most probably arrange a tailor made honeymoon cruise package to suit your wallet. Generally the more that is offered within the package the more expensive it will be, but it will be worth it. Some cruise lines offer a complete honeymoon cruise vacation package which may include a bottle of champagne, a silver photo frame and room service. Honeymoon packages come in many different forms.

Imagine waking up to the view of a tropical island, rising and having breakfast served on your own private balcony then spending a lazy morning watching the activity on shore or lazing by the pool whilst everyone has gone ashore. One of the advantages of going on a honeymoon cruise vacation is that you will, if you select the right cruise, visit a number of exotic and romantic locations. They may be very similar but a cruise may be more expensive overall due to the fact that all meals may be included in the honeymoon package price. When considering a honeymoon cruise vacation against staying in a luxury vacation resort compare the prices per night for each of them.

You only have to surf the net to discover some great deals, but be careful and do a thorough research of all the available honeymoon cruise offers. They offer some fantastic honeymoon cruise packages. Cruising is becoming more and more popular and this has been extended to the honeymoon vacation market by the cruise lines.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Questions About Cruise Ship Vacations

However, if the cruise ship is operating within one's home country, one can do away with it. One can travel overseas only with a valid passport. First and foremost thing to be kept in mind for a cruise ship travelling to foreign shores is a passport.

There are some things to keep handy. There are a lot of things that one must take note of before setting sail. Thus almost anyone can enjoy a cruise ship vacation. Various other cruises are family oriented and some are oriented towards senior citizens. Some cruise lines offer exclusive ocean sails, whereas some of them have romantic themes.

The theme of each and every cruise ship might differ with that of the others. One can enjoy the sail and along with that, visit exotic destinations around the globe. Travel to various destinations around the world is one such feature. There are many interesting and exciting features of the cruise line ships that make them one of the most popular trips.

Cruise Ship Itinerary

Part of the reason people go on holiday is to kick back and relax, and this is not something that can readily be done on a day trip. It may well be that some of these excursions, while likely very interesting, are not something you would choose to pay for under everyday circumstances. If you look at the brochure, or the online rundown of what your holiday entails, you will be able to check the planned excursion for each port of call.

It is therefore worth picking and choosing which excursions you plan to go on. The thing to remember, though, is that these excursions are added on to the cost of your cruise, and unless bought as part of an all-inclusive package may well have to be paid for either at the time or at the end of the cruise. Depending on how large an area of the planet your cruise takes in, this could mean you have the opportunity to see greatly varying attractions in different countries - something that any traveller would be extremely keen to experience. On a typical cruise, with as many as ten to fifteen ports of call, there will be as many, if not more, excursions for you and your fellow travellers to enjoy. One of the major attractions for anyone going on a cruise ship holiday is the wide range of excursions that take place while the ship is docked.

On a Cruise Ship Vacation

There Such packages include facilities and entertainment for the complete family. Further, some ships provide complete family packages. There are cruise lines which provide an option of romantic holiday for couples.

However, the cruise ships come in a range of sizes that provide a variety of services. There are some basic differences between cruise ships and big passenger ships. One can get pampered by visiting the spas and saloons. The facility of gyms is available on some of the cruise ships, having such equipments which might not be present in best quality gyms that are around.

Some cruise ships might have an onboard pool as well, while others may not. To become aware of all the available offers and activities onboard, one needs to make lot of research. One can visit a variety of locations on different types of ships that are available. There are different types of offers that vary with cruise lines.

There are trips available for singles and seniors also. There are exotic offers which are available for a romantic trip. There are activities that would amuse everyone including adults and kids. If one is looking for an amusing vacation with family, a cruise line offers everything that one needs. Many available packages provide variety of destinations with plenty of services and amenities.

One can find every luxury onboard which is available elsewhere. There are loads of cruise ships and destinations that are available, thus ensuring to find a best fit cruise deal. Cruise travel has become one of the most popular ways of having a vacation.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Avoid These Cruise Pitfalls For Your Best Cruise

From my own experience and those of other cruise-haters I know, here are seven ways to be sure you hate your cruise vacation. What transpired in-between is that I learned that there are things you can do to "set yourself up" for a great vacation or an absolutely miserable time. It took years before I ventured on a cruise again, and today I'm a wild-eyed enthusiast.

My first cruise was, surprisingly, one of the disaster voyages. A lot has to do with how you "set yourself up" before the trip. Why are some people so crazy about cruises but similar people you might know hate to cruise? Cruises have never been more popular, but every now and then you'll run into people who dislike cruises.

Ask in Selecting a Cruise Vacation

Star Cruises are known for their freestyle cruising, which means that you can go "sports casual" instead of formal, and have dinner in the dining hall anytime in the evening. Many people do see formality of dress as an essential part of the cruise experience, but if you are not into that, then simply find a cruise that does not have such requirements. Certain cruises maintain formal dress standards at dinner time and other set occasions. Will I need to dress formally?

That is why certain cruises may set age limits on their passengers. Some cruises are oriented towards families with young children, others are targeted at singles who want to party with other singles. Is there an age limit? Even if the ship does not experience overcrowding on board, a lot of passengers may mean long waits in line when you are embarking or disembarking the ship, and that could affect your overall cruise experience.

Check with the cruise line to find out how many passengers they are likely to have aboard. Concerned about overcrowding? There are a number of questions that you should be asking, such as: How many passengers will be on board? If you are going on a cruise, you should make sure that it will be a great vacation experience by finding out about the conditions on board the ship you will be taking.

Mediterranean Cruise to Haifa and Ashdod

Among its unique exhibits are the Byzantine mosaics and material from Caesarea. If you're interested in art, both ancient and modern, and your cruise gives you enough time, you should look at the Haifa museum. You can see where the prophet Elijah hid from wicked kings. Opposite the Carmelite Monastery, there is a small path leading to Elijah's Cave.

Haifa is the home of the world-famous Technion University, which has a beautiful campus. In winter, however, the weather is often quite mild, and there is plenty to do in Haifa even in the rain. The gardens are absolutely stunning, especially in summer. One of the most popular tourist sites is the lovely Bahai Gardens, complete with the most famous Bahai temple in the world. There is a lot to see in Haifa, making it the primary option in Israel for most cruises.

While the news talks about violence in Israel, the reality is that Israel is very secure and the port towns of Ashdod and Haifa are safe and lovely. A great place to visit on your next cruise is Israel. Mediterranean cruises are loads of fun.

Friday, July 2, 2010

All Inclusive Caribbean Cruises

The Typical ports of call on this route are Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Cancun (Calica), Belize, and Key West. Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, or Port Canaveral and going on to New Orleans or Galveston, and sometimes Baltimore and Charleston. Your all inclusive Caribbean cruises could be a Western Caribbean cruise starting from Ft.

Once this is done one can just sit back and relax, without having to worry about paying for each and every thing. All inclusive is a concept that refers to all the expenses of the vacation paid in a lump sum usually upfront. All inclusive Caribbean cruises are a wonderful way to unwind and relax. The general forecast for the Caribbean is that the most likely time for hurricanes is in the month of September. February is the month for the roughest seas and is best avoided.

If you want a smooth sailing experience, then June is the month to plan your vacation in as the Caribbean sees the smoothest seas in June. Cruise liners offer their best rates during the months of January, May, September, October, November and first two weeks of December. It is always good to gather some general information about a proposed vacation destination. Early bookings often get competitive rates.

Planning a vacation several months ahead and getting suitable bookings done early enough would be a wise move. The most popular cruise times are Christmas, just after Easter, and the summertime. The Caribbean is one of the world's favorite cruise destinations and there is always a rush to book suitable vacation packages.