What are World Cruises?

World cruises are just that, cruises that travel to different parts of the world, or around the world.  The length of world cruises typically vary between 90-120 days but there are also longer and shorter options available, depending on where you wish to go and how many places you desire to visit.  Some world cruises only do a partial cruise around the world but are still considered world cruises because of the amount of countries traveled to.

Traveling on the water can be a very relaxing and hassle free form of travel.  Sometimes a bit of ground travel is necessary since some cruises do not begin and end at the same location, but there are some options that do.  Either way, world cruises offer a pretty simple way of travel as you never have to worry about hotels, passing through customs in every country, or getting lost along your way. (more…)

Cruise vacations are fun and for the most part safe, but like any other situation where many people are involved, following a few safety rules can keep the fun from turning sour.

First: personal safety. The old saying goes that there is safety in numbers, and this is true when cruising. Always cruise with someone you know, and when ashore always be in the company of the other persons in your party. Also, when ashore don’t split up unless the original group is large enough to allow smaller groups of more than one person.

Avoid getting overly involved with the locals, and never, ever leave your party to go with a local. The rule is no one leaves unless everyone goes together. Don’t walk on shore at night. When on shore, try to stay in busy, touristy areas and at night stay to well lighted areas. The idea is not to get caught in a situation that someone else may control. Separating from your party and walking alone day or night can quickly result in tragedy. (more…)

Vacations, holiday getaways, casino nights etc. have been the new age stress busters for those tied with their office cubicles for months together. Added to that illustrious list, is that of Ship Cruises, which have caught the eye of the vacationer now. Now, one might have queries as to how to choose the right Cruise? What if the one you choose is not all that good? So many questions pop up when the planning begins. To avoid the experience of a disappointing vacation, one needs to list down his expectations from the cruise.

For example, if you are a newly wed couple going on a honeymoon and decide to choose a Cruise. However, on boarding it, you find out that it has a majority population of senior citizens aboard on a group trip., you will get disappointed. Likewise, if you are on the lookout for a peaceful weekend on a cruise, to get away from the noisy daily life, you might not prefer a Cruise which has a large contingent of wild partying teenagers. Hence, to avoid such problems, you need identify yourself in one of the categories listed below:-

i) Frugal/Economical cruiser – If you are not willing to shell out a whole deal for luxury such as a private verandah and so on, choose those smaller cabins. Paying less, you will still enjoy the facilities such as the meal and entertainment as those having a suite!

ii) A Relaxed Cruiser – If you are more of the relaxing types, who keeps confined to his room, his novels or even, just staring at the serene ocean, you might want to splurge a bit on getting an outside cabin having big windows, or those with a sitting area/ balcony. (more…)

Many people taking cruises for the first time, and even some who have cruised many times, seem perplexed about how to tip the stewards and other cruise line staff. What is the proper thing to do? Tip? Don’t tip? For that matter, how much extra money should cruisers bring for tips?

The answer varies depending on the cruise line and the type of cruise. Many of the larger cruise lines that run longer luxury cruises will place tips on the passenger’s account to be settled at the end of the voyage, allowing all tips to be paid at once and eliminating the need to carry a bunch of extra cash to hand out. Sometimes these cruise lines will even allow adjustments to the amount of the tip for individual crew members that the passengers believe have served them better rather than passing out a equal share. This enables the passengers themselves to determine which servers have provided the best service and therefore merit the most reward.

Another tactic when traveling on a cruise line that places tips on an account is to carry a little extra cash to hand to those people who provide good service. An extra twenty dollars or so given to the room steward at the start of the cruise can go a long way to helping ensure good service. (more…)

One of the marvels that you may see on a Great Lakes Cruise are the famous locks as Sault Ste. Marie. These locks join Lakes Superior and Huron by way of the St. Mary’s river which naturally connects the two lakes.

There is a 21 foot difference in height between the two lakes and because of a stretch of rapids, the river has never been navigable even by canoes. The first lock was originally constructed in 1797 on the Canadian side of the St. Mary’s River to allow small vessels to pass from lake to lake without the need to portage around the rapids. That lock was destroyed in the war of 1812. The United States built a lock of its own in 1855.

Once the economic value of the Soo Locks was discovered, they were rebuilt to allow much larger ships to pass. Today, ships of 1000 feet can pass through these world renowned locks these are ships so large that they cannot ever leave the Great Lakes because the locks located in the Welland Canal, which a ship would have to pass to reach the ocean, are only capable of handling ships roughly 3/4s the size of those at the Soo. (more…)

Hey, I understand. In these economic times, most people don’t cruise-shop for the most extravagant cruise, the one that hits the most ports, or the one with the biggest liners. They go for the one that offers good quality at the lowest prices. And no one can blame the public for this. So who offers the best overall prices?

As recently as the early 1990s, Premier Cruise Line offered some of the most reasonable cruise prices available. They’d specialized in purchasing older ocean liners and converting them into cruise ships, primarily around the tropics. Premier began transporting scads of people to Disney World and was raking in money like autumn leaves. Disney even allowed them to bring Mickey and Goofy on board as guests to charm the families. But then, alas, Disney initiated its own cruise line and yanked the cartoon characters. Then, to make things worse for Premier, Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Royal Caribbean began a massive building program of new liners. They grew so large that they could undercut almost any discount cruises Premier put out there. The company finally folded in September of 2000.

There’s one small cruise line left and, at the time of this writing, it still offers the lowest priced package, all things considered. It is the Imperial Majesty Line with its two ships: the Regal Empress and the Ocean Breeze. The prices start at $39 per person per day in the lowest category cabin, and the two-day cruise starts at $45 per day. The ships sail primarily to the Bahamas. (more…)

Going for a family cruise is one of the healthiest entertaining paths to enjoy your holiday with your folks and love the memories forever. You may find selective activities and customized services for all of you.

You simply need to have some correct planning. Start by outlining your position. When you know your finance position look for cruises that fit into your financial position. This avoids having to make a hole in your pocket when you come back.

There’s something for everybody on a cruise families, couples, singles and youngsters can all find activities to fill there time on the ship with fun. Many first time cruisers don’t appreciate that it’s not nearly the ports you visit but the numerous fun filled hours you spend at sea. There are three major classes of cruise lines and they are Luxury Cruises, Premium Cruises which would be considered your mid level cruise and Main line Cruises which that are most cheap and favored. Cruises are available for all taste and pocket books. And if you’re a food lover a cruise is for you. (more…)

When most people think of luxury vacations, cruises rank high on the list, but until you’ve experienced one yourself, it’s tough to know exactly what to expect. This brief overview will fill you in on what the average 7-day cruise has to offer, from your cabin to time spent on the sea to day-tripping at foreign ports.

Accommodations

Cabin sizes vary greatly from ship to ship, and different cruise lines offer a whole range of cabin categories from inside cabins, with no windows at all, to rooms with balconies to suites. Your choice of cabin is an important personal choice, as it will serve as your “home-base” while aboard the ship. Cabin rates can range anywhere from $400 to $3000 per passenger.

Inside cabins are the cheapest type and lack the added space, windows and balconies of more expensive rooms. Inside cabins are good choices for passengers with a tight budget or for those who will likely be spending little time in their rooms. Window and balcony cabins may be well worth the extra cost if you tend to desire a peaceful place to relax in privacy. (more…)

The amazing choice of different activities available in Bali means that there is indeed something for everyone. Whether you want to throw your self from high altitudes, hurtle down frothing rapids, explore the wonders of the deep or just lie back and take it easy, Bali has perfected the art of keeping its guests happy. The beach is a major factor in any island holiday and Bali has coastline which offers every possible water activity including surfing some of the best waves in the world, swimming with dolphins, cruises, snorkeling, diving, sailing and parasailing.

1. Visit the temple on Lake Beratan. Breathtaking sceneries. Located in the northern part of the island, this important Hindu-Buddhist temple was founded in the 17th century and is actually built on small islands. Cool temperature always covers the area of the temple since it is located around the mountainous area at the altitude of some 1400 meters above sea level.

2. Relax in a hot spring-There are several hot springs on Bali and they are a great way to relax after a long day of surfing.

3. Pamper yourself at a spa- Bali is paradise for spa lovers and all sorts of treatments are widely available, but the Balinese lulur body scrub with herbs and spices is particularly popular.

4. Get married- Balinese wedding have been getting increasingly popular in recent years. The exotic tradition, ceremonies, music customers, and the tropical settings are very appealing. Full wedding services are widely available in Bali and there are about ten wedding chapels in Bali if you want a tropical wedding.

(more…)