Cruise Travel Magazines - Your Guide to Floating Holidays

Ever dreamed of taking a luxury cruise across the ocean to far-off destinations? Are you planning a holiday of a lifetime on board a magnificent mega ship equipped with leisure facilities, on-board entertainment and offering world-class cuisine? Or perhaps you're a seasoned cruiser who loves floating holidays on board the world's best cruise liners?

The best source of up-to-date information for anyone planning a floating holiday are cruise travel magazines, packed with tips to make the most of your time both on-board and at your ports of call throughout the trip. The last thing you want to do is turn up without the appropriate dress code for dinner or without knowing how to keep yourself entertained during the long days at sea. Here is a selection of the best travel magazines catered to cruise travelers:

Cruise Travel
A colorful easy-to-read magazine, packed with entertaining features, reviews, tips and advice to plan your next trip as well as the best places to access cruise bargains. Features include ship, port and cruise of the month, alongside seasonal calendars detailed with ports, itineraries and prices of the major cruise ships floating around the globe. Cruise Travel magazine covers every aspect of your holiday, from planning, dress codes, shore excursions, shopping as well as advice for wheelchair users and those with special needs.

Porthole
An in-depth cruise travel magazine which features reports on industry news, destinations and special features for first-time cruisers. Stories, tips and articles are designed not just for those wanting to climb aboard luxury mega ships, it also contains detailed advice on trips aboard river cruisers and skippered sailing vessels.

Orient-Express Magazine
Covering a world of luxury travel on board Orient-Express trains, cruises or staying in their exquisite hotels, this magazine provides information on exciting destinations as well as tips on restaurants, shopping and cultural experiences worldwide. Prepare to be amazed by the incredible photos of wonderful exotic locations and sumptuous travel machines and hotels.

Caribbean Travel and Life
The Caribbean is the most popular cruise destination worldwide, and this travel magazine dedicated to the beautiful islands of the Caribbean, Bahamas and Barbados provides a wealth of information on the highlights each island has to offer. It provides excellent advice on the best islands to visit and things to do once you arrive into port. A wonderful read to take on board any Caribbean cruise, to make sure you get the best out of the islands you're about to visit.

Taking a Cruise on Your Next Vacation Will Help You Relax and Enjoy

All the information regarding the Alaskan Cruise Line companies, their special offers the schedules and prices are mentioned on the websites. They sail to Alaska have been in the following list mentioned in an alphabetical order. The Safari Quest, Safari Spirit, Safari Explorer, and Safari Escape are the American Safari Cruises ships which will take you for a cruise to Alaska.

Seven days of natural retreat to the beautiful wilderness of Alaska onboard the Carnival for 7-days -embarkation from Seward and Vancouver. Sail for 7-days to the Gulf of Alaska and Inside Passage of Alaska onboard the Celebrity Cruises - an Alaskan Cruiser - Infinity, Summit and Mercury. Cruising and extended land tours are also offered by the Royal Caribbean.

There are varied itineraries offered by the Cruise West to Alaska, these are 3 to 12 days cruises on board their small ships. The Holland America, an Alaskan Cruise Line offers combined cruises and hundred shore excursions to Alaska on board their ships the Ryndam, the Zaandam, the Amsterdam, the Zuiderdam, the Westerdam and Volendam.

The Norwegian Cruises offer their Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Star and Norwegian Sun - which will set sail from Vancouver and Seattle and sail to the Glacier Bay and Sawyer Glacier.

The Lindblad Expeditions is another Alaskan Cruise Line with the ships - the Sea Bird and Sea Lion will take you on an 8 - 12 day cruise to Alaska - with the ship board Naturalists who will lead the shore and Zodiac excursions and answer all your questions.

Travel Job Openings - Take Advantage of Job Openings in the Travel Industry

Do you want a well compensated job that is also filled with worthwhile encounters? Try finding travel jobs that suit your skills. The pay is great and the experience is worthwhile.

These types of jobs are everywhere and lucky for you, the industry just keeps on growing to unimaginable proportions. Jobs are just around the corner and if you have the attitude and aptitude, you can have them quite easily!

Travel Nurses Job Openings

If you are a graduate of an accredited health care professional program, you are eligible to work as a travel nurse. You can work even with lack of experience but the experienced applicant is heavily preferred.

Find a travel health care company and inquire about the assignments they offer. Also take note of the benefits and services it provides such as, housing, health insurance, loyalty programs and clinical support. These are normally given to you. If not, it is imperative to inquire about them.

If you are a qualified and like to work in different places and meet different people, this job is perfect for you.

English Teacher Travel Job Openings

Teaching overseas can be exciting and rewarding especially if you like to learn different cultures in non-English speaking countries. Teachers are still revered highly especially among the third-world. You are paid well and treated with adoration by your learners.

The first thing you should do is to get TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification. Then find agencies to hire you and you are on your way!

Travel Sales Representative Travel Job Openings

Some people are truly gifted with persuasion and convincing abilities. If you are one, you can be a sales representative.

Sales Representatives are expected to travel to promote a company service or product. Sometimes the products can be directly acquired from them. Some representatives work on leads only. These leads are those people or companies who express interest in their products. They may not buy instantly but the possibilities of being clients are enough for the company.

Although a degree in business can be helpful, non degree holders are very much welcome to get the job.

Cruise Line Workers Travel Job Openings

Working on cruise ships is fun and the job is not that difficult. Well, it may depend on your position but the more difficult the work the better the compensation. You can't really complain.

You travel for free to the most beautiful places and meet the most beautiful people from all walks of life. Furthermore, there are plenty of jobs available in cruise ships; Janitorial staff, bell hops, musicians, engineers, coordinators, fitness instructors, even odd jobs like puppeteers and psychics. Consider the cruise ship as a world of its own where anything is possible. Understandably, the competition for available positions is very high because of the perks involved.

To get a job in cruise liners, apply in cruising companies. Show off your skills in whatever service you can provide. Remember to be personable because the work in cruise ships constantly involves interpersonal exchanges.

Last Minute Travel Cruise Deals

There are many online travel and cruise only sites that offer great last minute travel cruise deals. The prices are slashed and they are often available within the next few weeks. The best way to find the lowest prices for the cruise destinations you want is to browse through the sites frequently. Be prepared to book the reservation as soon as you see what you have been looking for, though. The quantities are limited and the lower the price, the faster it sells. Most sites update their inventory on specific days. Browsing the sites on those days will save time and provide the largest selection.

If you don't have the time to continuously browse the various sites and you don't want your email cluttered with notifications about last minute travel cruise deals, there are other options. Travel clubs often purchase cabins for specific cruises in bulk and offer it to their members at a discount. Depending on the level of membership you have, there may also be exclusive pricing. These rates often include extra discounts or free upgrades that are not offered to other members. Before signing up for a club, find out what your options are. Taking advantage of these discounts will quickly pay for the annual membership fee.

The pricing is usually for the cruise only, so ask if there are discounts available on airfare as well. There may be last minute travel cruise deals for members specifically from your area. Before booking a cruise, make sure you ask about the options. It may require flexibility on your part, as the dates or destination may not be what you originally had in mind, but the savings will be worth it. If you own a time-share, consider using your points for a last minute cruise. Since the time is already paid for, there is usually only a small per day fee associated with the cruise.

You will be able to take a long weekend cruise for less than two nights at your favorite hotel. Often last minute travel cruise deals are available within three weeks of departure. The cruise line wants to ensure cabins are filled, so additional discounts or upgrades are available. These cruises usually include familiar destinations, such as Panama, Mexico and the Caribbean. However, this may be the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the more exotic destinations such as the Greek Islands, the Far East or South Pacific.

Talk to A Cruise Travel Agent to Plan A Family Cruise Vacation

A family cruise vacation is a great way to get away and spend time with your children. Almost of the cruise lines offer packages that cater to families. Surf the web for the right family cruise vacation that will cater to all of your needs. Better yet, talk to a cruise travel agent. Make sure they are a member of CLIA (the industries organization) and have taken many cruise vacations on several cruise lines. The cruise travel agent will be able to steer you to the cruise lines that have children's programs that are age specific, have trained youth counselors and will fulfill your desires on your family cruise vacation.

The great thing about these programs on the cruise lines is that your children will be with qualified people all day, doing all kinds of activities and you are free to do your own thing with no worries.

A family cruise vacation takes you to many destinations without the rigors of packing and unpacking. A cruise vacation will also alleviate the stress of airport security. You might have to fly to your port of embarkation but after that there will be no more checking in and long security lines.

The cruise ship will take you to many ports where you get off the ship and enjoy your day on shore. Before you leave on your family cruise vacation research the ports you will be visiting. Plan what you want to do in each port ahead of time. Since it is a family cruise vacation, discuss this with all your family members. You can find out what the cruise lines offer in the way of tours on their website. In many cases the cruise lines let you book tours online or by fax.

Here are some guidelines to help you choose the perfect family cruise vacation.

First find out if they allow kids in your children's age group. Cruise lines may limit the amount of children in certain age groups. This applies especially at times like Easter or spring break

Do some digging to find out what kind of children's facility the cruise line has. You will want to check what the activities will be, are there play areas, and baby sitting available. Find out the rules for placing your children in the child care center. Most times you must sign your child into the play areas and the kids will not be allowed to leave until you sign them out.

It is important to know the ratio of counselors to children. You want to know that there are adequate supervisors for your kids. Know the qualifications of the care giver. For instance, on the Queen Mary II they have licensed nannies.

If you will need a cot or crib find out if they are available and if there is a fee. Sometimes these need to be reserved in advance of the family cruise vacation. The size of the cabin should be noted. If the cabin is too small, you will be cramped. If you are not taking toddlers it is best to book cabins across from each other. You and your spouse take the outside cabin and give the one across the hall from it to your children. This not only affords you privacy but the kids will feel "grown up" with their own cabin.

Check to see if they have a kids menu. A lot of kids don't eat a variety of foods. If they are particularly picky it is nice to know that the cruise lines offer food for kids, like hamburgers and hot dogs. Almost all cruise lines offer hamburgers and hot dogs at lunch around the pool but what about dinner? Find out in advance of your family cruise vacation so you know everyone will be happy.

If anyone in your family has special needs make sure your cruise travel agent asks the ship if they will provide for them. There may be two or three formal nights. If you do not feel comfortable participating in them with little children, find out what kind of alternative dining the cruise line offers. Many ships have alterative dining rooms for just this purpose. Some of the cruise lines have kid's dinners where only the children and the caregivers can attend. If this coincides with a formal night it would be nice to know.

Some of the children's activity that are offered on cruise lines are scavenger hunts, pizza parties, disco parties for teens, arts and crafts and pool parties. The cruise line will bend over backwards to keep your children entertained. They want you to come back.

So call your cruise travel agent and start planning the perfect family cruise vacation. It will be one vacation that you and your kids won't forget.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Coastal Vacation Club and the Benefits of Travel Club Membership

The Internet consists of an affiliation of businesses and individuals who work together for the profit and benefit of all parties involved. Such is the case with the online travel industry and wholesale travel clubs like the Coastal Vacation Club.

Groups of individuals running their own travel businesses work together as part of a consortium or club that uses a variety of vendors or sources for information and online bookings.

These online travel clubs are your best source for discount week long condo stays, Carnival & Royal Caribbean Cruises, airfare specials, hotels,and Golf packages.

Though the individual sites are not connected, and independently owned they use the same strategies and often go through common vendors to obtain discounts and other benefits.

Each person who runs their own business was trained by the central agency and a team of directors.

Club Benefits

This results in three benefits for the business owners. First, it obviously generates income. Each time they sell a discount vacation membership, they earn money. Considering the boom and appeal of discount travel, income potential in this industry can be quite high. Some business owners use it as a source of a little extra money, others find that they can earn a very nice living with minimal effort.

The second benefit to business owners is discount travel rewards. Members can take advantage of the club's discounts on their own travels. Since most people who go into this line of work are already passionate about travel, this is a very nice bonus. People are typically able to save up to 75 percent off their own vacations.

The third benefit to business owners is that they can offer travel rewards and incentives to their best customers and employees. Retail business owners love to give away 2 night 3 day get-a-ways, plus cruises on Carnival or Royal Caribbean, or week long condo stays.

The Best Cruise Ship Travel Destinations

The main thing that people seem to think about when they book their cruise vacation is the actual cruise itself. Now whilst this is completely understandable; after all, a cruise is a once in a lifetime experience, you will also need to consider how you will actually get to and from the cruise ship.

Why Planning Your Travel Is Important

One thing that people do tend to forget with their cruise vacation is that they will first need to find their way to the cruise ship. This may sound obvious, but it is amazing how many people get carried away booking their trip, that they completely disregard how easy it is to actually get there.

It is generally a good idea to choose a departure point as close to where you live as possible. If you don't you will have to consider extra travel expenses and also you need to think about what could happen if things went wrong. For example, what would happen if you were running late? If you lived close to the departure point then it wouldn't be as much of a problem as if you lived miles away. Also if you have to rely upon public transport to get to the departure point then that could also present you with a problem.

If you do have to travel quite a distance to get to the cruise ship departure point then think carefully about your options. Would it be better to take your own car? Would going by train or bus be a better option? Generally the cost of each option should be taken into account as the more expensive the travel; the more you could go over your expected budget.

Every type of travel has its advantages and disadvantages. The train will be cheaper than traveling by aeroplane. However, traveling by aeroplane will be quicker. Traveling by car gives you more freedom to set off when you like and to go at your own speed. However, it could be quite expensive and you could become stressed if you have to drive quite a long distance.

Overall you really do need to think about how you will get to the cruise ships departure point and buy property for your vacations. It is an essential part of your vacation and it is one of the most overlooked points that you really should think about. So if you want to have an excellent vacation then you really do need to think about everything. Look at all possible departure destinations and whenever possible book the nearest point available to you.