Helpful Cruise Tips

These are some questions you should think about before going on/planning your cruise:

• Do you want to spend your cruise mostly at sea, or do you want to stop each day at a new port?

• How important is your cabin to you? Do you want a place for just you and your belongings, or do you want a gorgeous suite with a butler?

• Do you want to dress up formally or hang out and be casual?

• Do you want to dine alone or be assigned a table with others (up to 10-12 people)?

• What are your dining preferences? Great food or gourmet food – you have the choice.

• Do you want a ship with tons of activities, or just a ship focused on relaxation?

• Is your cruise line or your destination more important?

• Is your vacation focused around beaches, landscapes or top tourist spots?

• Would you rather travel in a smaller pleasure craft yacht or a huge floating city?

Tips:

• Some interior rooms on board have no windows. Interior rooms on some ships face a promenade, where you can see the hustle and bustle going on in the interior of the ship. If you are picky about what you want your room to be like, choose a room that best fits your needs, although it may be a bit pricier than planned.

• If you are very flexible with your schedule I would recommend trying to book about a week or two before the cruise. You will be very surprised at the prices and savings. Last minute deals can be a great bargain. Just be sure you can also get a bargain flight if you have to fly to the cruise port.

• If you are going to bring your kids or grandchildren along, make sure that the ship you choose has activities for them.

• Always compare your cruise to a regular or standard 7 day vacation. For instance, think about the cost of transportation, fuel, hotel, food and entertainment – then compare that to the all inclusive price of the cruise.

• There are about 150-200 cruise ships to choose from when planning your vacation. Deciding which cruise to go on is like choosing a place to eat dinner. Make sure the cruise line you pick matches your lifestyle and activity level. If you deal with a travel agent, they can help you decide by asking many questions to fine tune your likes and dislikes to find which cruise will be best for you.

• If you live more than 1 hour away, we suggest you leave the day before the cruise in case of problems with weather, car or traffic.

• I would suggest not traveling alone. Cabins are price as double occupancy, but on some newer ships they are starting to have single cabins.

• Make sure if you get a cabin with a window that it is a non obstructed view. Some cabin windows may face an obstruction, such as a life boat, or other blockage.