Perfect Entertainment by World-Famous Cruise Line

When you think of extravagant traveling then several specific destinations come up in the mind. Those destinations consist of New York City, Australia, New Zealand, London and other famous cities of the world. These cities provide epic entertainment and opportunities to everyone. It does not matter if you're a man, woman, married, single, corporate or leisure traveler. That is because Norwegian Cruise Lines offers the most famous entertainment to every passenger on-board. Discrimination is totally not our way with dealing things. Everyone on board is equal and, thus, the treatment provided is at par with excellence and consideration. Your trip will be taken as a special chance to provide you with all the attention and care you deserve. Norwegian Cruise Lines almost turns your cruise into a home-away-from-home experience. You will never feel alienated here. The staff is friendly and the food is delicious.

When you think of cruise ships and incredible deals then what cruise line comes up in your mind? Now here is the problem with travelers. They do not know which cruise line to contact. For this purpose, we offer you the best and most honest information regarding the world's most respect and famous cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line. What if you are looking for the same kind of excitement offered by hotels on-shore on the sea? Would it be impractical to ask for such a thing? Absolutely not! Why? That is because Norwegian Cruise Line offers top-caliber entertainment and excitement on the sea. It continues to fascinate its passengers with amenities and facilities. We advise you to book yourself a ticket with Norwegian Cruise Lines and get ready for a lifetime experience of comfort and convenience. The Norwegian Cruise Lines promises to offer the best of provisions and programs.

'Howl at the Moon' is a Rock 'n' Roll dueling piano bar for all kinds of passengers. It offered the best kind of socializing and unwinding opportunities. It is already aired in fourteen cities of the United States of America. Now it is being showed by Norwegian Cruise Lines on the ship. How amazing could it get? It is a high energy show and offers the audience to participate as well. The audience is encouraged to take part in the show by singing, dancing and clapping to the songs of the eras of 60's, 70's and up till now. It begins during the evening and lasts in the wee hours of the morning. You can sit back and listen to good music while the sun sets in the west and rises in the east before you very own eyes. The show plays absolutely lovely songs and brings back nostalgic beauty for the audience to experience. The ambience of the ship adds to the beauty of the show.

The entertainment offered by Norwegian Cruise Lines also includes Legends in Concert. It is a show that pays tribute to legendary songs and, as time passes by, gets the audience worked up enough to sing and, in some cases, even howl along. It is fun, to say the least. It has gained numerous entertainment industry awards. Well deserved on its receiving end, the show also airs songs by Cher, Madonna, Tina Turner and other singers like Rod Stewart. These singers remain on-board for the passengers. They are changed every four months to keep the passengers refreshed and entertainment. Extravagant entertainment is literally at your service. The concert comprises of forty five minutes and is held six times per cruise in the Epic Theater. The lineup of the entertainment offered by Norwegian Cruise Lines is definitely impressive. New additions are being made for the sake of the travelers' excitement and amusement. Blues and jazz along with metal and other genres of music are played by the concert center on the ship. Throw your hair back and get ready for hip-shaking fun!

How To Find A Cheap Cruise On A Budget

Today, taking a cheap cruise doesn't mean having to do without certain luxuries associated with cruise ship travel. In fact, these days, the term cheap basically means getting all the optional extras at a bargain price.

The good news for prospective cruise travellers is these bargain holiday deals are happening all the time and if you follow some basic guidelines, then your next high seas adventure could be just around the corner.

Finding Cheap Cruise Deals

If you are working on a budget then consider travelling during off peak times. These are the high demand periods when cruise lines don't have any problems filling their passenger quotas and are less inclined to "slash" prices. Summer is a season when people are very much in holiday mode and more likely to want to travel. Concentrating on periods such as the end of summer and beginning of fall will more likely get you a cheap cruise deal that fits well within your budget.

It's these times when companies are keen to fill their cabins so they offer incentives such as lower prices. The good news for you is that despite the cheaper fares, the quality of the cruise holiday is in no way diminished.

Planning Your Cheap Cruise

Some careful planning is required when looking for a cheap cruise. Obviously, consulting a travel expert is the natural inclination for most people and always a good option. However, more experienced travellers have used the internet to great effect in recent years.

There are no shortage of cruising websites to sift through online, all with the aim of providing you with as much information as possible to make an informed decision. One of the best features online is the alert features offered by some of these sites. Look for newsletter offers; you sign up for a regular newsletter at varying intervals and receive the latest bargain offers. Some sites even provide price alert features which means you enter details such as how much you want to spend, where you want to go and when you want to travel.

Cruise Line Updates

Cruise companies also offer services such as regular updates. As with third party websites, companies also provide information services which will keep you updated about impending offers. The point to remember is cruise lines in most cases will do their best, within reason, to get you on their ships because setting off from port with many empty cabins simply doesn't make good business sense.

There are more cruise ships on the water today therefore more cabins to fill. Bigger ships and more competition for passengers among companies means better deals for you. Just remember, create a budget, sign up for price alerts, avoid high season travel and be flexible with your travel schedule and you'll be surprised at the number of cheap cruise deals you'll have to choose from.

The Incredible Experience of a Freestyle Cruise With Norwegian Cruise Lines

The first company to offer regular cruises from Miami to the Caribbean, NCL is rapidly developing its fleet during the 1970s and the early 1980s with the commissioning of the old s / s France under the name s / s Norway. Present in many oceans, the fleet of NCL is revitalized in 2000 through the introduction of the innovative "Freestyle Concept. NCL is now one of the cruise the most dynamic, and its fleet one of the most modern.

With the "Freestyle" concept, freedom is a keyword!

At any point of view, you can enjoy the luxury of these cruises, but with one difference: you determine the full day program!

- At the board of Freestyle Cruising ships, there is no dress code. Sporty, casual or elegant, you choose freely according to your own style that you wear during your vacation.

- Take your time, because at Norwegian Cruise Lines there are no tight schedules to meet or strict schedules for meals: where, when and with whom you eat is up to you.

- On land or on board, you discover the world's cultural diversity. NCL passengers come from all parts of the globe, creating an international atmosphere.

The Freestyle Experience

You can decide for yourself what will make your day at sea a perfect day! With NCL Freestyle, let you organize your mood from morning until evening the ideal holiday.

- You can start a perfect day for sport in the gym or a relaxing time in the "Wellness".

- An excursion program offers you countless opportunities to explore different regions and their inhabitants.

- Tell your relatives back to earth all that you have lived aboard and during excursions from the ship's Internet café.

- Up to 10 restaurants you can enjoy from early morning until late evening of culinary delights from around the world.

- Whether attending a Broadway show or you go to the casino, the perfect day to board ends as it began, according to your desires.

The Freestyle Service

The staff will spoil you at any time. As if by magic, the international crew is there every day to meet your new desires.

- With up to a crewmember per cabin, we offer an escort service and discreet luxury to satisfy all your requirements.

- Even at the time of landing, you decide the pace of your day. At dawn or later, the Freestyle landed allows you to complete your holiday with a nice breakfast and then leave the ship comfortably up to 10 hours to put you on the way home.

The Freestyle Food

The NCL's freestyle cuisine is a culinary journey around the world to discover each day in one of the many restaurants. You have the complete choice of it!

- On the board of the NCL ships, you will find 10 restaurants, each offering specific environment, a service of the highest quality and specialties from all regions of the globe.

- You are free to prefer dinner in early evening or on the contrary, according to the habits of the South, you enjoy late at night. The restaurants are open for you from 17:30 to midnight and one of them is open continuously.

- In at least one evening during your cruise you will be invited to an evening gala. But this invitation is not an obligation and of countless other opportunities to spend unforgettable hours and no constraints are offered on board.

- Contrary to what is practiced on other cruises, there are no specific seating plans. As a group, with new friends you just get to know or face-to-head for a candlelight dinner, the restaurant, on deck or sitting comfortably in the cabin, with a menu or a la carte - how do you prefer take your breakfast, lunch or dinner today?

- A free cab service is available at any time of day and night to satisfy big and small appetites directly in your cabin.

- On board the new ships, a computer display tells you in real-time attendance at various restaurants. You can flat screens on modern knowledge in a glance what restaurant you will find the table that suits you.

A cruise with one of the Norwegian Cruise Lines can be an unforgettable experience that will offer you visual joy and pure entertainment day and night during the journey days.

Cruise Travel Business Opportunities

The increased use of computers and e-commerce are changing business operations. This is mainly true within the travel industry. The travel industry encompasses several different businesses. These include travel agencies and franchises, online travel agent franchises and cruise franchises.

In the cruise travel market, cruise lines are launching expansion ventures to new places. This makes it very difficult to operate numerous centers simultaneously. Cruise travel business opportunities are comprised of a variety of concepts that prove to be feasible and profitable business opportunities for many. Advertisements are placed in newspapers, the yellow pages and on the Internet. They include vending offerings, home-based opportunities, cruise franchises and other travel business services.

It is very profitable to be a cruise travel agent. People can earn money by working from home or from their present place of business. Many home-based travel agents offer the same perks and benefits as store- front travel agencies. There are a number of companies who offer training seminars on cruise ships and vacation resorts all over the world, at reasonable costs. It is also possible for people to obtain training online. The companies provide comprehensive programs with the know-how, training and the tools that are required by a potential agent to succeed in the industry. Parent cruise companies offer first hand training, to uphold an already established business pattern and maintain uniformity in various smaller centers.

Cruise travel business opportunities offer the means to earn without managing any stock or personal selling. They do not involve learning complicated technical information and require a small upfront investment. Regardless of whether individuals are looking for a way to increase their income on a part-time basis, or hoping for a full-time business opportunity, cruise travel helps individuals to build an independent business under the guidance of the parent cruise travel group.

How to Get the Best Deal on a Disney Cruise

Disney cruises are some of the best and most sought after cruises in the world. There is a reason that they call their theme park The Magic Kingdom - they truly put give their guests a magical experience that they will never forget.

Unfortunately, the one thing that isn't quite so magical about Disney's cruises in the price. They can often cost as much as $1200 per person. Luckily, there are a few ways that you can save money on one of these cruises.

1. Use a Disney Rewards Visa credit card. If you make your purchase with this card, you'll automatically receive a credit for $50 to spend on your cruise. Since you're going to have to pay for the trip somehow, why not get a little bonus?

2. Work with an authorized Disney travel agent. Disney's travel agents have access to special deals and discounts that aren't available to other travel agents. All Season Travel is one such agency that you might try.

3. Buy Online. If you book your cruise online, you can get a $25 credit to use on your cruise. If you go through a travel agent, you can still request that they place the final order online.

4. Book two cruises. If you book two cruises at once, you will get 10% off the second cruise. You can also receive up to $200 onboard credit. This is an obvious option if you're planning on taking more than one Disney cruise, but what if you're not? Find someone who is. If you can find a friend, neighbor, or relative who is also planning on taking a Disney cruise - even at a different time - you could buy your cruises together and split the bonuses.

5. Find last minute deals. Sometimes people cancel their plans, and that leaves open spots on a cruise. Rather than leaving port with empty beds, Disney would rather sell them at a discounted rate. You might try checking sites like Expedia a month or two ahead of time to see if there are any last minute deals.

6. Combine them all! For maximum savings, you should combine all these methods. That would mean waiting for a last minute deal, calling up the authorized travel agent, buying 2 cruises at once, using your Disney Rewards card, and making sure your agent places the order online. Whew!

QM2 Transatlantic-Eastbound or Westbound?

The pre-eminent long-distance ocean route is the Transatlantic Crossing. Today, the Queen Mary 2 is the only ship that has a regular summer schedule on this route, and many travelers are eager to take it. Years ago, when ship travel was the only way to go (actually, it still is!) people would logically take a round trip, but today, although some still do that, it's more likely people would sail one way and fly the other. The question is, is sailing eastbound or westbound preferable? How could it really make any difference? Well there is a difference. Let me explain the trip, and then the reasons for my answer.

Let's first make clear the difference between a cruise and a crossing. Cruises include stops in a number of ports, sometimes almost daily. I've even heard people express their preference for the stops, complaining that if an "at sea" day interrupts that shore routine, there's nothing to do. Of course, some ships do offer precious little to do on at sea days. In any case, on a cruise you divide your time between two experiences, visiting ports and enjoying life on board.

A crossing is different in that there are no stops. The QM2 connects Southampton and New York in six days. The occasional other ship doing a Transatlantic Crossing might connect other ports in a similar time frame. In any case this sort of trip consists of nothing other than sea days, and one's whole concentration is centered on life on board. How boring can that be? Not in the slightest. As a matter of fact, there's not enough time to do everything you'd like.

First there's the dining. Some go to the restaurant for all three meals, but I prefer to have breakfast and lunch in the self-serve restaurants because it's quicker, and I want to do other things. It's the evening meal that for me embodies the pleasure of dress-up dining in the formal restaurant, where you get to meet interesting people, possibly including ship's officers. (Tip: request a large table, for eight, to meet the greatest variety of people; these tables are also more likely to be "hosted" by an officer.) Jacket-and-tie suffices most nights, and a tux CAN be used on the more formal nights.

On the QM2 the day is filled with interesting lectures in at least two venues. Most lecturers are part of an Oxford University program. There are planetarum shows, performances by representatives of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a spa, swimming pool, games all day long, a floor show after dinner, dancing in two venues after that. Or, you could just sit in a deck chair reading and watching the sea. Better yet, a walk on deck will get you to experience the uniqueness in the middle of the ocean of having a 360° horizon surrounding you.

I often ask people on board why they chose a given direction for their crossing, and they say it was by chance, then usually agree with my opinion as to the preferable direction. Of course shipping companies will never tell you which direction is preferable, since they have to fill the ship both ways, but, assuming your travel schedule is flexible enough to choose either eastbound or westbound, here is my answer.

In another context, Horace Greeley famously said "Go West, young man!", and that answer applies here. But why?

The answer lies in the time zones. In the six days the QM2 takes to cross the Atlantic, it crosses five time zones. Picture this. You've just had an enjoyable dinner, and may have gone to see the show. It's about 11:00 and you look at your watch. Is there time to go dancing, especially considering that early lecture tomorrow? If you're going eastbound, you know there'll be a reminder in your room to advance your clocks by an hour, so it's virtually midnight. This is the experience we all have when daylight savings starts and you "spring ahead". It's not much fun.

But on the other hand, if you're sailing westbound and see it's 11:00, you know it's really only 10:00. The evening is still young. How about a dance? This is the same fun we have when daylight savings time ends and we "fall behind".

A westbound Transatlantic Crossing is therefore not only five hours longer than otherwise expected, which is close to half of a waking day, but each of these five hours is spread out, coming just at the right time, improving five separate days. Also note that any world cruise always, always, goes westbound, adding a full 24 hours to that sort of trip. To my mind, it's a no-brainer. Westward ho!

© 2007 by Dr Vincent DiNapoli

An Overview of the Norwegian Cruise Line Ships

The Norwegian Cruise Lines ships will offer a quite different perspective on the world. Each vessel has a wide range of conveniences, activities and world-class entertainment. You can choose between villas with gardens, luxury cabins connected together, private balconies, diverse and exciting restaurants, Broadway style theaters, fitness centers, world-class resorts, non stop casinos and internet cafe equipped with the latest machines and tables.

Norwegian Cruise Lines is proud of the purchase in November 2005 of two ships: the beautiful Pride of America, scheduled for 7 days in Honolulu trips and cruises of 3 and 4 days between the islands of Honolulu and Maui, and the brilliant Norwegian Jewel, scheduled for cruises of 7 days in Eastern and Western Caribbean from Miami and 11 days, Canada and New England in New York. In 2006 it joined the fleet the new ship called Pride of Hawaii.

A real beauty, the ship Norwegian Dawn is recognizable after the Statue of Liberty that decorate the outside of the vessel after the onset of New York in 2003. Norwegian Dawn has on board 13 different restaurants, 9 bars and saloons, fitness center and SPA, Broadway Theater, a casino, 3 pools and other amenities that will not let you get bored. You can embark on the cruise Norwegian Dawn to go to Bahamas, Caribbean or Canada and New England.

Norwegian Dream is your ticket to a full of adventure and freedom cruise, in the most amazing places in Northern Europe or South America. On board you will find six international restaurants, bars and salons 9 exciting, plus accommodations that fit everyone. Every night you can choose between the Broadway-style shows and Las Vegas ones. At any step, you will find music with freedom of choice.

When it comes to cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line Freestyle, novelty is always a good thing. The Norwegian Gem is a fresh acquisition of the NCL. This new vessel will offer all the things people love about Norwegian Cruise Line - all the restaurants, bars and lounges, plus the lack of strictness in terms of timetable. The Norwegian Gem ship attractions are the 15 bars and exhibitions, 10 restaurants, a bowling track, villas with gardens, exclusively interconnected cabins and it is perfect for families and groups of friends.

The Norwegian Jewel is especially built for cruises in freestyle offered by Norwegian Cruise Line. The 10 restaurants include favorites such as Blue Lagoon, Cagney `s Steak House, and Le Bistro. At the new concept of "center-bar", you will find in champagne, martini bars, and wine, beer and whiskey, connected together, but each of the three with their own personality. The luxury cabins are made on the model of the Norwegian Star and Norwegian Dawn, and most include 10 suites that share a private courtyard, complete with pool, Jacuzzi and a small gym. There are a large number of cabins interconnected, which makes the Norwegian Jewel ship ideal for families. The board facilities include the Bora Bora leisure center Health Spa, children's pool a Splashdown club for children, and Sapphire Teenager Underground club.

Norwegian Spirit is a modern vessel of exceptional quality, built especially for Norwegian Cruise Line, in vibrant colors, exceptional public areas and cabins equipped with everything necessary. Norwegian Spirit is the first container ship family which culminated in the spectacular Norwegian Dawn ship. Norwegian Spirit is an imposing array of distraction venues, including a 1,000-seat theater, a cinema, a discotheque, salons several bars, and a world-class casino. The ship also has, decks of sports, meeting rooms and fitness center and spa novel.

If you want to explore Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island, it would be suggested to try the largest and most opulent ship in the islands - Pride of Hawaii. Almost an island itself, with 12 international restaurants and 10 bars and saloons where you can serve dinner or a drink when and with whom you want, this the most innovative accommodation at sea and you will find unlimited cruises on board the ship Pride of Hawaii.

Free Cruise Vacations

A cruise vacation is one of the convenient and affordable vacation options available today in the travel industry. Regarded as the most exciting vacation option, a cruise vacation offers a wide range of benefits over other vacation options. Recent studies conducted by the AARP reveals that cruise vacations have become one of the most popular travel options for a majority of Americans.

Free cruise vacations are considered one of the most inexpensive ways to enjoy vacations. Even though there are different options for enjoying cruise vacations, a free cruise vacation is a great idea to explore the most amazing places on earth. Nowadays, there are several sources for getting free cruise vacations.

Free cruises include everything that a paid cruise offers. Normally, they provide free accommodation, complimentary 24-hour room service, on-board meals and snacks, onboard entertainment, and a wide range of entertainment destinations. Certain cruise lines also cover your round-trip transfers between the airport and the ship, all government fees and taxes, and gratuities.

One of the easiest ways to get a free cruise vacations is to organize a group cruise. Group cruises are great for family, various fan clubs, church groups, senior citizens, and non-profit organizations. If you have enough people who are interested in taking a cruise together, then as a group leader you may probably earn a free cruise. Free cruises are also offered to more than one, if there are many people involved in organizing a large cruise group. Certain cruise lines offer you a free berth or cabin depending on the number of cabins that you book for the group.

Free cruise vacations are also offered as incentives. Today, many companies and travel agencies offer lucky draws for cruises. Those who win the lucky draw can enjoy a free cruise vacation. Certain websites offer free cruise vacations as a part of contests they organize for those who register with their websites.

Simple Tips Regarding Caribbean Cruises

So, you have at last decided you desire to take a cruise for the forthcoming vacation. The problem is that you cannot afford to spend too much on your holiday, so you must find a cheap cruise. Fortunately for you, nowadays is simple to discover cheap cruises, and not only that, by keeping some tips in mind, you can save a lot of money on your travel.

Here are a few tips & information that will offer you and benefit when saving for your cruise holiday:

- Search for an Off Season Cruise. It depends on your destination. Be certain to verify what are the off season months for a given cruise destination. Price during those times fall significantly to attract more people.
- Make a Web Search. Yes, this may sound apparent to some of you, but it is very imperative. The net provides an enormous selection of packages & proffer not only for cruise holiday, but for the whole thing! Don't stick with identical search term; add difference to your search. Advertisers will utilize dissimilar target search terms for their packages.
- Relocation Cruises. These are cruises that are sending to a different spot to cover demand (for instance Hawaii cruises that are sent to the Caribbean's). Cruise lines will attempt to cover their operating expense of doing that voyage by charging low prices.
- Opening Cruises. When cruises lines begin a latest cruise ship, they create offers & incentives to acquire people to endeavor the ship.
- If you belong to the army, try going by the Tickets and Tours agency on the base/post. They allow populace makes interest-free payments, & that assist when you are on a fixed budget!
- verify big holiday suppliers. Big dealer have low prices. Make sure to check with Travelocity & online cruise dealer as they can make modified packages.
- Follow the too early or too late regulation i.e. reserve early or late. Prices fall on these extremely booking conditions.

Lastly, for eternity keep in mind to decide on the right cruises line & ship. Make sure you are going to be contented by it, & do not get wedged in gorgeous brochures & pictures. At times a cheap cruise holiday can turn out to be a pretty luxurious one at the end, because of unpredicted expenses. There is abundance of sites on net that can assist you review cruises. & always keep in mind to have enjoyable holiday.

Your First Cruise - What to Wear What To Pack

Actually what to pack and what to wear are two separate articles but for the sake of keeping you from a state of overwhelm, we are going to categorize and organize everything you need to know in one article so you won't need a vacation before you take your vacation!

First let's talk about what to wear. Count. How many days will you be gone? Where are you going? Will you be mostly on the ship or will you be getting off in every port with scheduled excursions? Then know this. Please don't over do it. How many times have you over packed in the past, just not needing a quarter of the things you dragged around? Not too long ago, one of the first things people thought of when they thought about a cruise was formal attire. Not anymore. You choose. If you want to "dress" for dinner even the term has lightened up considerably. Men who used to feel compelled to wear a tux, simply don't have to. A suit and tie are fine. And women can easily wear something bordering on a cocktail dress but more relaxed, perhaps strapless soft linens or flowing cotton silks.

Forget the dripping jewels even if they are faux! It's just not done that much anymore; with rare exceptions. Yes, there ARE exceptions. If you really want to dress to the inth degree then, Cruise lines like Crystal, Princess'Grand-class ships, Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and some of Regent Seven Seas Cruises; the Seven Seas Mariner and the Seven Seas Voyager are the cruises for you!

Most cruises are casual like Carnival, Norwegian and Disney.. These cruise lines like others offer a more formal dining room if you wish.

Most of the time while cruising and even when you get off to explore you will want to be comfortable packing walking shorts, comfortable shoes and one or two lights sweaters just in case. As you count your days and nights think of underwear! Pack plenty of socks, panties, boxers or briefs. It's amazing how important this becomes when you are far from home. Organize and economize. How many tops will go with how many bottoms. Can you get away with just taking four tee shirts versus 12? And think about laundry. The upper scaled Cruises offer laundry service with no charge but most Cruises charge and that can become expensive.

To summarize: For men: Think, khakis, navy sport coat, nice polo shirt or Oxford. Nice jeans. Dark suit if very formal. No bare chests any other place but the pool. Bathing suits should be of the boxer type.

For women: Walking shorts, nice tee's or blouses, nice jeans, sundresses, sun visors or hats.
And for the evening if formal ... upscaled casual chic, flowing cottons, linens, tencile, cotton-silk, faux suede, cocktail length. For non-formal everything from nice jeans to resort pant suits, casual skirts, walking shorts. Do not run around in your bathing suit or short, shorts! Bathing suit cover-ups can be very tasteful and attractive so if you want to keep your bathing suit on while running around, that's a good idea.

When visiting a port you can wear pretty much what we've talked about while onboard. Do know though if you are going to be going to a yacht club or golf resort, check specifically as often there is some sort of dress code even today.

What to pack. It's amazing how important your favorite emery-board becomes when you don't have it not to mention your razor which will shave you like none other. So let's categorize and organize. Think: bathroom stuff. Then think, hair stuff, medicine cabinet things, cosmetics. Stand in the bathroom and focus on each drawer and shelf. Take the things you can't live without and leave the rest. Not all Cruise ships provide hairdryers. Here are just a few things that may be VERY important to not forget, tweezers, ear plugs, hand lotion, lens cleaner, band aids, germicidal handy wipes, bug spray. When you've covered the bathroom then move on to electronics.

Laptop? Battery charger, adaptors and converters, PDA, digital camera, and the batteries. Memory cards, night light, flash light, travel clock, walkman plus tapes. Cell phone and don't forget the charger. If you focus on specific topics like this you'll most likely remember everything. Then think
documents:

All tickets, passports, visas (if needed) driver's license, insurance papers (travel and car when you rent a car) medical history or prescription proof, printed emergency contacts back home, ATM card other credit cards, some cash, Picture ID, phone card. With really important documents, have copies stashed back home to be faxed to you. Put even more copies in your luggage, purse, tote bag .. you'd be surprised how this will keep the peace between loved ones. Where there's a document, there are three more just like it in case something gets misplaced, which it usually does. Keep thinking of each person you're traveling with including yourself, one at a time and what specific documents each needs. This will keep you on track. Then thing miscellaneous:

Miscellaneous things would be like duct tape! We're serious. There otta be a book written just about duct tape and all that situations that have been saved from this resourceful tape. Other things you might miss are; extra reading glasses, crazy glue, deck of cards, wine bottle opener,
zip loc bags for dirty clothes, maps, clothes pins,a sewing kit, extra buttons, small bottle of woolite in case your favorite sweater gets sloshed by something, fold-up umbrellas ( it rains a lot unexpectedly in some areas) and extra contact lenses. Keep thinking out of the box like this and you'll love yourself for being so brilliant when far away from home.

Don't let packing at all overwhelm you, remember the Cruise Lines live to please you and most likely if you have left that cherished personal something behind one of the staff will go to great lengths to solve your problem. Make lists! Just making the lists before you pack a sock will make you feel superbly in charge. Happy sailing!!!

Know About the Job Satisfaction Concerned With Cruise Ship Jobs

Most of the folks assume that working on cruise is all about traveling to exotic places all around the world. You'll be happy to know that is surely one in every of the perquisites of the work, but it is not at all that. In this article we tend to recognize more about job satisfaction concerned in cruise jobs.

When it comes to the pursuit of finding a job most individuals are focused on 2 things, finding a footing that they fancy and second finding employment that provides them the greatest money reward. When placed in writing the pursuit of cash might seem like an avenue of greed, however the a lot of cash a personal will make in their position, the happier they will be to perform their duties and the better it can be to take care of themselves and their families.

A field that more individuals are beginning to appear towards as an chance of career pursuit is found with cruise careers. Cruise ship jobs offers a personal several advantages and the various positions offered provide the prospect to satisfy both of the most common demands associated with finding a job.

Finding a rewarding position that a person will fancy on a daily basis is usually one in every of the foremost tough satisfactions to search out when looking in the work market. The sector of tourism is all about entertainment and cruise ship careers opens that opportunity up both to the individual and to the guests they service. When someone has one among the various cruise ship careers on the market onboard they have the opportunity to travel the planet and the many locations that some individuals solely dream of traveling to.

In addition these same people have the prospect to fulfill new and interesting folks with each guest they assist and every new associate that they meet. The cruise line trade includes a high level of interest from each shoppers who are wanting to travel in comfort and potential employees who are traveling from across the world to pursue these cruise ship careers. As a seasonal business the cruise line market is usually open but its travel opportunities shift from one hemisphere to the other as seasons change.

Together with your job satisfaction being met by cruise ship jobs the subsequent concern falls with money. All cruise ship jobs provide competitive salaries and long run contracts that last from six months to at least one year, serving to to make sure job security. Then the reduction in expenses related to cruise ship jobs is revealed as people not should purchase rent, utilities or groceries after they live onboard.

Cruise Deals - How to Get the Best Cruise Deal and Save Money Too

Going on a cruise was once an easy thing to arrange. All you had to do was go to your travel agent and look at a few brochures. But as the industry has grown it has become an overwhelming mix of itineraries, cruise packages, choices add-ons and prices. So how do you look through and search for all the available information to find the best cruise deal? The following tips will help you find the best cruise and save you money.

1. The busiest season has always been January through March. This is when the cruise industry books the most cruises. Cruise lines usually make about 38 percent of their yearly sales at this time. This is the best time to find many hot or last minute deals because they offer a lot of incentives.

2. Make sure to start well ahead of your vacation or holiday time if you can unless you want a last minute cruise deal. First of all you should call the cruise line you are most interested in and ask for the cruise line rep about any of their cruises and the staterooms. You can ask about handicapped-equipped staterooms then if this is a special need. You can always do this later after you do some research too.

Find out what specials they have running and make sure to tell them how old you are and what state you live in or if you're traveling with a group of people or another couple or have cruised with their cruise line in the past. Does it include your airfare? Do you need a family deal? This is because your specific situation may entitle you for big discounts. Take whatever the quote given to you by the cruise line rep as your starting price point.

3. Next check out the Sunday newspaper ads in the travel section and look for cruise bargains. The bigger city newspapers and the newspapers located in or near cruise embarkation cities are great for finding good or cheap cruise deals. You can go to your local library to view the ads if they carry those news papers. Some daily newspapers even have there travel ads online.

4. Take a look at the cruise booking Web sites. There are cruise discount agencies that may have the cheapest cruise rates to be found anywhere, whether you want a luxury cruise or budget cruise. Huge travel Web sites such as Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity usually have great deals too. You can also find last-minute cruise deals too. The cruise Web sites' prices are usually fairly similar. And the travel sites are usually similar but somewhat higher. Make sure to ask about any additional, secret or hidden fees, such as cancellation penalties. These can cost between $40 and $85.

5. Make sure to check with your cruise travel agent. Some people prefer to work with a travel agent or are not savvy about researching online. Find out if they charge a consulting fee before you meet. Some fees are usually refundable if they book your cruise. When you get together with the travel agent, say exactly what you want and that you're comparing prices. Your local travel agent can be very helpful if you have disabilities, health problems, special needs or need visas or other documents.

6. Think about placing a "cruise wanted" ad on Craigslist online. Be specific and detailed about what you want. Then sit back and wait for replies.

7. Once you have a number of cruise line or cruise package quotes compare them and try to negotiate a lower price, extra discounts or some onboard extras.

Note that if you're getting the same quote from your travel agent that you're getting from the cruise line then you need to continue shopping for the best quote - your travel agent isn't saving you any money. The best cruise deal is out there that is just right for you and will save you money on your vacation too regardless if you're going to Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii, the Bahamas, or Bermuda. You just need to do a little research and don't take the first deal you see.

Cruise Travel Tips: Don't Travel Without Them

You've seen the commercials, vast blue oceans, beautiful white ship, and people laughing. What a wonderful vacation, sailing the deep blue sea and visiting exciting ports of call. This is certainly a dream vacation, especially as you sit in your office cubical in the dead of winter and shiver while you answer complaint calls from clients.

Cruise ships are a means of travel with some substantial benefits. The key advantage of a cruise ship is that it does the "getting around" for you. They make it easy to visit several places in a single trip without the need to pack your belongings and sit in a car/train/bus/plane to travel to each one; your hotel room comes along with you, and even provides the transportation. Additionally, most meals are usually included in the price of the cruise.

Timing is Everything

The most important cruise line tip is to ensure that you get to the dock on time. Although cruise ships sail from an increasing number of cities, most people still have to fly to get to and from their port of departure. If you are flying from another city into the location of your cruise line, make absolutely sure that your flight lands with enough time for you to disembark, travel to baggage claim, find your luggage and then locate a shuttle or taxi to the dock of departure. The cruise line will not wait for passengers. They are on a strict schedule of departure and arrival; the boat waits for no one. If you miss the boat, you miss your vacation.

Another important and valuable cruise line travel tip is to read all documents provided by the cruise line and your travel agent. Unless your ship's itinerary is confined to a single country, you need to prepare for a cruise like you would any other international trip, including passports. Prior to booking flights or making any other travel plans, thoroughly read all documentation provided in regards to your cruise.

There are important contracts, guidelines, requirements and procedures that must be followed prior to boarding, and during the cruise. Again, the cruise line does not care if you didn't read your documents and forgot your passport or Visa. They only care that your travel documents are in order, you've taken the time to comply with their travel requirements and that you enjoy your stay once on board.

Safeguard your Luggage

Nothing could be worse than going on a cruise and losing your luggage, before or after the cruise. What a nightmare! It is essential to do everything possible to ensure that your luggage does not get lost. At the cruise terminal, baggage is given to the porters for loading to the ship Make sure that your suitcase is uniquely marked so that someone does not take your luggage by mistake. Identification tags are a must, so even if your luggage ends up in the "wrong" hands, it can easily find its way back to you.

Similar preparations are essential when leaving the cruise ship. On large ships you put a colored tag on your luggage and place it outside the cabin the night before you reach your final port, and pick it up ashore in the terminal. Some cruise lines are now offering an option where passengers can be first off the ship if they carry all their luggage off with them.

What about Motion Sickness?

Some people experience queasiness on cruise ships. Many people find relief from special wristbands that stimulate pressure points that are believed to counteract the nausea of motion sickness. You can also get pills that will alleviate any discomforts caused by motion sickness. Make sure to get your supply in advance and don't forget to pack them in your hand baggage. You may never need them, but it is best to have them available just in case.

Don't Overlook the Details

It is especially important to review the cruise summary and travel itinerary to ensure that no errors exist. This cruise line travel tip is the one that will insure you get to spend your actual vacation time doing what you planned rather than sorting out a mistake and wasting valuable time. Most of the excursion arrangements are made through your travel or booking agent prior to your arrival at the boarding gate. As you prepare to board the ship, you will be given an outline of your activities to review as you wait in line. An essential cruise line travel tip is to take the time to scrutinize these items now, as they are the outline for your entire vacation. It is easier to correct any mistakes that might have been made now, while standing in line rather than once you are one board the boat. If you wait, you will lose precious hours of you vacation.

Cruise vacations are fabulous, but this type of vacation takes a considerable amount of preparation. If you heed the advice of these cruise line tips, you will not only get onboard, but you will also have the vacation of a lifetime!

More Greek Cruise Lines to Choose From

If you like small ships then the Tauck Tours offer a perfect Greek cruise. Do visit their website you will see that their cruises are well designed and all inclusive. You just have to sit back and enjoy. Their Ancient Seacoasts Cruise is truly amazing - which will take you from Corfu, to Olympia and then Santorini.

The Trafalgar Tours offers you your perfect Greek cruise - there are combination trips to choose from. One of the options you will choose from will be Greece. These trips will include Israel and Turkey besides other destinations. This will be a land and air trip and will cost $1310/person. a good option for the budget traveller.

Though, you will have to compromise on the offered amenities. But there is an option of choosing the best hotels it will add about $600 to your bill. Then there is the Tifys Yachting which keeps you in the lap of luxury with their customized ships. The ships are loaded with all the comforts. There is wine on the deck and all your heart desires, all desires met.

This would be an amazing Aegean experience. The next option - a Greek cruise by the Zeus Cruise Collection will be a short cruise through the Islands of Greece. There are not large ships like most cruise lines. These cruises also offer you more for a lesser price than the usual commercial airlines. Their Cycladic Pearls Cruise sails for 7 days at sea taking you to many islands and their packages start at $990/person.

Cruising with the Mouse - Disney Cruise Line

There's magic in everything that team Disney touches and their cruise line is no exception. Michael Eisner himself commissioned a talented group of ship designers, cruise experts and Disney creators to produce cruise ships that would appeal to adults and children of all ages. The result was two nearly-identical ships, Disney Wonder and Disney Magic.

The ships are distinctively Disney, with the famous mouse silhouette prominently placed on the smokestacks and appearing frequently throughout the ships. That's not all; a fifteen-foot statue of Goofy is the figurehead on Disney Magic while Donald Duck adorns the front of Disney Wonder. Of course, cast members masquerade through the ship in costumes of the famous Disney characters. Disney art is featured on the walls and images of Disney characters appear everywhere. Disney excels at promoting everything Disney so expect onboard shops to be full of Disney memorabilia.

Disney Cruise Line offers three, four, seven and ten day cruises that sail from Disney's own Port Canaveral near Orlando to popular spots in the Caribbean, including St. Maarten, Nassau, Antigua, Cozumel, St. Thomas, Grand Cayman Island, St. Lucia, and Key West. All cruises stop at for a day at Castaway Cay, a private island developed by Disney solely for the enjoyment of Disney Cruise Line passengers.

The cruise can easily be combined with a stay at Walt Disney World; passengers can stay at Disney World for several days before or after a cruise for one price that includes transportation on, what else, a Disney bus to or from Port Canaveral. And with the latest technology, tourists check in only once and the key card issued to them unlocks both their hotel and stateroom doors.

As expected, Disney Cruise Line caters to children with activities for all age groups all day long. In fact, more than 15,000 square feet of ship's real estate is devoted to children. Teens have a private area of the ship dedicated to their interests that offers video games, movies, and a place to listen to CD's. Supervised teen sports are also available.

Disney Cruise Lines provides quality nighttime entertainment in a 977-seat theatre each evening with, of course, a family orientation. While other cruise lines mimic Las Vegas entertainment, Disney entertainment is similar to shows at Disney World. As might be expected, there is no casino on board the Disney ships. However, adults can find evening entertainment in a number of lounges and nightclubs.

A special feature of the Disney cruises is the dining arrangement. Dinners are served at 6:30 and 8:30 pm in one of three family dining areas. Over a three day period, a passenger will have dinner in a different restaurant each night, thus getting to experience the unique ambiance of each one. For a $10 cover charge, those wishing to avoid family dining can opt to eat at the upscale adult-only restaurant, but only after gaining sought-after advance reservations.

If you or your children adore everything Disney, you will certainly enjoy a Disney cruise.

Finding Low Priced Cruise Deals

All my life I resisted taking a cruise for vacation because I imagined it was for the rich and famous. I couldn't guess that I would ever be able to afford or even enjoy such a thing. But, our friends invited us once to take a cruise with them and the price was much lower than the cost of taking a vacation in Hawaii had been the previous year. We went and we loved it.

It has not been difficult to find other cruises since that first one with our friends. We basically take these steps:

Decide that we want to take a cruise within a certain time frame.
Look for cruises on line for that time frame and decide on a destination.
Find a good price for the time frame and destination we decided on.
Invite our friends to join us.
We all book at the same time so that we are considered by the cruise line to be together.
Ask the cruise line that we dine together in the evenings.

Taking these steps in pretty much this order has resulted in very pleasant and relatively inexpensive cruise vacations to different locations, and for various time lengths.

I say that they are relatively inexpensive because the cost changes with the length of the cruise and the location on the ship where you are bunking. So, a cruise for four nights at $199.00 per person is $50.00 a night per person and includes:

All meals.
Entertainment.
Room.
Transportation to the destinations targeted by the particular cruise.

But a cruise for ten nights to Hawaii for $350.00 is $35.00 a night per person. The cost is nearly doubled when you consider you will have to purchase air tickets as well. But, it is still relatively inexpensive. If you keep in mind a range of $35.00 - $50.00 a night per person, you can easily find cruises to fit your budget. There are even two and one night cruises available.

As you consider all these things together along with the price, it would be difficult to enjoy a comparable vacation for the same price. There is no hotel or resort where you would fall asleep in one city and wake up in another. Consider eating out for three or more meals a day while paying for professional transportation to several vacation spots. You would have to do the traveling by car, bus, etc..., while lounging by the pool or snorkeling off some luxurious beach. That would be impressive. And, you would still have to buy the air tickets to and from your vacation spot.

In my opinion, these cruise vacations simply cannot be beat.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines - Another World

You will take back many memorable onshore and onboard experiences from your Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines offers swimming, climbing, ice-skating, playing golf, etc a part of the cruising with them. Each day of your cruise will being new destinations and ports to visit - a list of 128 places to see, enjoy and absorb.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines offers such experiences and activities onboard that it's like many vacations in one. Explore the destinations of your choice from the quaint little towns in Europe to the vast glaciers of Alaska. The destinations that unfold in front of you will be the Caribbean's, Alaska, Canada, Panama Canal, the Bahamas and Mexico.

We will make your dreams come true of flying over peaks and seas, surfing over the sea and snow, sailing by mountains and fjords come true. The ship brings to your the best of both worlds where they combine the cruise with land tours which will complete your amazing vacation. Here is the list of destinations we take you to - cruises with us are unforgettable experience as we have years of experience in entertaining our guests.

The Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines will take you to see the wilderness, glaciers and wildlife of Alaska. The culture and energy of Asia, take you down under to New Zealand and Australia and swimming in warm waters of Bahamas. Sail to Bermudas to see pastel colour houses and pink beaches and then to the ultimate playground called the Caribbean Islands.

Explore the Best With Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) are a Miami-based cruise company that has introduced one of the best revolutionary ideas into the field of sea-travelling. The philosophy that NCL supports is called Freestyle Cruising. You don't have to worry about the boring and stuffy way cruising used to be; Bland uniformed waiters and tiny little rooms connected to each other. NCL offers an experience that you will never ever forget. The cruise lifts you off your feet and takes you away for a heavenly experience. Now dress codes for waiters, dining options along with entertainment offerings have been given a complete makeover by NCL. It is has inspired other lines to not only envy but, in many cases, copy their trademark style of absolutely relaxing travel.

Introducing a completely novel yet lovely concept of taking passengers away from the heart and other places of USA, the NCL offer to take travelers away from the continental parts of Northern America. These places include New York City, Seattle, Charleston, New Orleans, Boston, Houston and Philadelphia, etc. With operating the youngest fleet of the cruise, it is sincerely focused on selling off pre-Freestyle designed ships. That means you are in for some newly-introduced fun and extravagant traveling. These newly-introduced ships include Norwegian Majesty, Pride of Aloha and Norwegian Dream. These ships are being constructed in such a way that, within two years, you will be experiencing a completely new way of traveling.

All of these ships will depart off to destinations in accordance with their names. Pride of Aloha is primarily related to Hawaii while its departure point is Miami. Along with that Norwegian Sky will sail three and four night Bahamas cruises from the heart of Miami. These ships are solely based on the construction that is not only convenient but also very comfortable for those within them. NCL is proudly testing land-based amenities on all of these ships. It is, in child-like terms, like a hotel on the sea. But don't worry: No one's drowning. NCL promises every one of its guests a safe and sound journey. All you have to do is sit back and relax. The rest is NCL' job.

Now you must be wondering what exactly could extravagant traveling be like with NCL. Here's your answer: Epic entertainment and body-relaxing comfort. Luxury villas, opulent suites, martini and champagne bars along with interconnecting cabins and onboard bowling alleys are only several entertainment programs NCL offers. Electronic restaurant reservation systems have been installed for your convenience. All you have to do is connect to the main port and book yourself a nice spot in a lovely restaurant for the evening. Don't forget to bring your special partner along. NCL also offers romantic getaway programs for couples.

With all of the resort-like luxury options, it is hard to believe that NCL is a cruise-line. Sometimes it is like a sailing hotel full of the best five-star amenities available. It also happens to be the only cruise-line that offers year-round Hawaiian itineraries. The history of NCL remains an intriguing and inspiring one. Starting with only one ship in 1966, it was established by Oslo-based Klosters Rederi. It happens to be one of Norway's best and oldest shipping firms. The first very ship of this firm headed off to the-then obscure and less-known Miami port. It added four more vessels by the time of 1971 to 1979. No one really knew that NCL would, then, turn into the one of the world's biggest and most respected cruise companies.

The fleet, on-board atmosphere, itineraries, amenities, opportunities, programs and even passengers of NCL remain one of the best people to travel with. If you are tired of the winter blahs or summer heat, all you have to do is book yourself a nice seat in NCL and get ready for an experience of a lifetime.

Do You Have What it Takes to Get Hired and Stay Hired on a Cruise Ship?

If you have decided to give up your great job on land and follow your dream of landing a job on a cruise ship, you may already have experienced how tough the industry truly is, plus you may have friends and family quietly questioning your sanity.

Instead you'd probably be working on a cruise ship right now... perhaps getting paid to travel around exciting places like the Caribbean, the Med or the Far East!

Throwing in your job can be very risky, but it does have enormous rewards - the opportunity to travel being one of the greatest.

Sure, some people send off ONE job application, land an interview and then get hired right away. But I can assure you this is definitely not the norm!

For everybody it takes a lot of persistence, effort and determination. It takes the ability to shrug-off rejection and to pick yourself up from disappointment...and to carry on regardless until you are offered that dream job.

My own experience of landing my first cruise ship job was FULL of rejections and lots of frustration. And I have a ton of rejection letters I could show you from lots of cruise companies, including Disney, Carnival, RCCL and a LOT of agencies and concessionary companies.

Did I let it affect me? YES, it hurt like hell! Did I give up? Never.

The dream I had of getting paid to travel the world, visiting exotic destinations, making lots of new friends... and just plain getting out of the rut I was in was just too strong a dream to give up on.

Giving up would have also meant that I was admitting failure and giving up on myself... and I was FAR too proud to allow that. Besides, I had already told my family and friends that I was going to work on a cruise ship... and I wasn't going to allow them the satisfaction of laughing when I fell flat on my face!

(There was very little ridicule when they received postcards from me with stamps on them from Barbados, Aruba, St. Lucia, the Bahamas, Costa Rica and Mexico to name but a few)... or phoned them from a beach in Hawaii!)

Unfortunately, MOST people do not show the level of determination that's needed to get hired in the cruise industry and that's simply why they don't get the job.

In our experience, MOST people's feeble attempts at getting hired involve nothing more than firing off a few random, un-targeted resumes by email. When they don't hear anything back within a week, they give up on the whole idea of working on a cruise ship and move onto something else.

(Perhaps in 10 or 20 years time they'll look back on what might have been an amazing adventure in their lives, had they taken it seriously?)

As I'm sure you can imagine, careers at sea are unique in many aspects. Beginning with a seven day working week, combined with the knowledge that you might have to share a cabin with another person are just a few of the truths that go along with working on cruise ships.

Could you cope with the stringent safety regulations on board? And what about the close living quarters for 6 to 8 months at a time?

But once you understand what you are getting yourself into, then you must decide what cruise job will best fit your resume. You might not be adapting your career entirely, but instead choosing a position that fits well with your current skills and experience.

You've read thus far into this article which means that you are better than "most" people and already have a good understanding of what is involved in a cruise ship career. So, if you pick anything up from this message it's this:

If you REALLY want to get a job on a cruise ship, then you need to take it SERIOUSLY and pursue it with passion, determination and persistence. Of course, just those three attributes won't necessarily guarantee you the job... but they'll certainly put you ahead of 97% of the competition out there and I think you'll find the end rewards worthwhile.

Cruise Ships and the Solent

Solent in Southampton is one of the busiest ports and is able to accommodate the biggest and most prestigious cruise ships. There are several vantage points if you wish to watch the busy harbor in motion, or plan on taking a cruise on one of the many liners that use the port to visit the Isle of Wight and other destinations.

The world's biggest, newest, and most expensive cruise ship stops at the Solent before disembarking on transatlantic cruises. The $1 billion ship is 361m long, 66m wide, and 72m above sea level. The 16 decks are packed with wealthy passengers, entertainment, and classy restaurants. The ship made her maiden voyage to Ft. Lauderdale in America in December 2009. Expect more sightings of the Oasis in the Solent.

Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is a regular sight in the Solent. Since her first voyage five years ago, the Queen Mary 2 has traveled over 750,000 nautical miles, completed 120 transatlantic crossings, and made calls to 115 ports in 45 countries. To mark the 170th anniversary of the Cunard line, the Queen Mary 2 made her first round-Britain voyage departing from Southampton.

Once a regular sight on Southampton waters, the iconic Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship retired in November 2008 after 40 years of service. Thousands of people lined the Southampton shores to say farewell to the ship. The Queen Elizabeth 2 set sail to Dubai where she will be used as a floating hotel, so at least she will keep her sea legs. The Queen Elizabeth 2 now has plans to move to South Africa in 2010 to become a hotel for the football World Cup.

Since 1843, Southampton has been a prosperous port for cruise ships, and ships of all kinds. The Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton. The Eastern dock opened in 1843, the Western dock opened in 1932 as the largest expansion of its kind. Throughout the 1930's, Southampton handled nearly half of all Britain's ocean-going passengers and millions of tons of cargo. The South Coast dock continues to be one of the busiest for cruise ships, with P & O and Cunard calling Southampton home port. Cruise ships are worth $202 million to the local economy.

How to Plan the Perfect Cruise - 6 Secrets For Making Your First Cruise Exceptional

Want to take a cruise? You're in for something special. But in order to get the very most out of it you'll want to prepare as much as possible before you leave the pier. That way, when you come aboard, you can forget all your cares and woes and just have the time of your life.

Where do you want to go?

The first thing to consider is where you want to go. There are so many fantastic and exotic locations and ports that await you. Perhaps one of these adventures will light your fire.

Cruises to AlaskaCruises to the BahamasCruises to BermudaCruises to the CaribbeanCruises in EuropeCruises to HawaiiCruises to the Mexican Riviera

What cruise line is for you?

Next you'll have to decide on a cruise line. This is one of the most challenging parts of the process.
Cruise lines today offer almost countless choices. There are cruises for every budget and lifestyle. It's not so hard to figure out what's right for you, though, if you know how to break down your options.

How much does it cost?

Some cruise lines are more luxurious and more expensive than others. So figure out your budget. If the sky's the limit you're going to be blown away by what's available. On the other hand, if you're on a more limited budget and you're looking to conserve money, you will want to choose one of the cheaper options. There are great cruises available to fit almost every pocketbook.

What's the theme of the cruise?

Nowadays most cruises have themes, so you'll want to choose a cruise where you can meet people with similar interests and lifestyles as yours. Here are some of your choices.

Singles cruisesFamily cruisesGay and lesbian cruisesSeniors cruisesHoneymoon cruises

What cruise lines to consider

These are some of the especially popular cruise lines. If you haven't gone on a cruise before you'll want to look at these first.

Celebrity CruisesCosta CruisesCrystal CruisesCunard LineDisney CruisesHolland America LineMSC CruisesNorwegian Cruise LinesOrient LinesPrincess CruisesRegent Seven Seas CruisesSilverseaWindstar Cruises

What to bring

You're also going to have to figure out what you're going to do aboard the ship and bring the appropriate apparel. Will you work out, go skating, hang around the swimming pool or just stroll around the decks and take in the nightlife?

Don't worry too much about doing this yourself because most cruise lines will be happy to help.

They want to make sure that you have the best possible cruising experience when you're on their ships.

Setting out a cruise budget

Now you're going to have to consider the extra money you'll bring along for entertainment, excursions, food, drinks and purchases at stops along the way. Try to have a decent sized cushion because somehow whatever you bring often doesn't seem like it will be enough and you don't want to be caught short of cash at any point of your trip.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Review - What To Expect From A Royal Caribbean Cruise

You can find a Royal Caribbean cruise review to help you make a decision on your vacation. There are hundreds of reviews available to look at online, as well as reviews in magazines such as Travel and Leisure. Travel guide websites offer interesting personal reviews.

Sovereign of the Seas

The Royal Caribbean ship the Sovereign of the Seas was recently written up with fairly favorable reviews. The food on the ship was touted to be delicious and varied. Choices ranged from prime rib to escargot to pizza. If you like to eat, it seems that the Sovereign of the Seas is a wonderful place to spend a week or two. The only problem you might have is gaining a little weight.

There were some crowding issues expressed by the reviewers. The cabins, it seems, were too small. The ship's cinema was also fitted with a small screen, and the seating was limited. However, these are not major inconveniences on a cruise, because you do not ordinarily go on one to hide in your cabin or in a theater watching movies.

Activities are well-represented with art auctions, Broadway shows, casinos, and comedy clubs. There is also rock climbing, ping-pong, and basketball for those who want to move around a bit. Group activities such as bingo and organized games are also popular. You can relax in one of the two pools or in a hot tub.

A Caribbean cruise that ended up in the Bahamas had its first stop at Royal Caribbean's private island, CocoCay. You could take excursions to the island from the ship, reaching the island from the ship's anchoring point by way of small boats called tenders. There were all kinds of beach activities on the island, such as parasailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, or just sunbathing.

On this island and the other small islands where the ship made stops, vendors were aggressive in trying to get you to buy their goods and services. One of the common services offered was for the locals to braid your hair.

A Royal Caribbean cruise review telling about a Bahamas cruise is not complete without information about the stop in Nassau. The ship had all kinds of shore excursions available for those who wanted to take tours of the city and see the sights. The cruise line discouraged people from taking local tours, but some of the local tours were worth taking. The only thing to remember is that you have to get back to the ship in time.

Read a Royal Caribbean cruise review or more if you are interested in taking this cruise. You can find reviews on the particular ship you want to sail on, and even cruises with similar itineraries. It is well worth the time spent.

The Freestyle Facilities Offered by the Norwegian Cruise Lines

The freestyle facilities by the Norwegian Cruise Lines offers freestyle accommodations - to live your way, freestyle dining - to dine the way you want to eat whatever time you wish, whenever and wherever; play your days and nights away with the activities of your choice. Your vacation with the Norwegian Cruise Lines will truly be a happy holiday to enjoy your heart's content!

The freestyle accommodations allow you to choose you accommodations - flexible staterooms, suites and exclusive ship-within-ship complex of villas and Deluxe Owner's Suites are available with every personal touch and dedicated butlers.

There is a range of large suites and staterooms which are interconnected to fit the largest families. You get you room made your way - there are well-stocked mini-bars with all your favourites, the room service menu which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner exactly the way you like it - in bed, on the balcony, wherever you like it.

We promise a completely at-home experience in the Suites and Penthouses - you get a key card which will open up the exclusive areas of the ship only to you. We offer our exclusive and beautiful fruit basket menu to you which will be replenished throughout the cruise. Just let your butler know the fruits of your choice. The bathrooms on board the Norwegian Cruise Lines are lavish. Loaded with luxury and indulgences like five and seven star hotels and a beautiful view of the ocean from a floor to ceiling window while you soak in the tub!

How to Plan Your Cruise Vacation

Cruising offers so many different options. Here is how to plan your cruise for maximum fun with the least amount of stress. Vacationing by sea is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable ways to travel, if you give it just a bit of forethought.

You must know the type of cruise that you want. For example is this a family vacation, a singles experience or a couples retreat? Are you looking for a lively crowd or something more deserved? Do you want to experience several shore excursions or do you just want to lay out by the pool? Do you want a cheap vacation or a top notch luxury one.

All of these things will factor into which cruise line to choose, which destination and which activities you will set up.

Here is a breakdown of a few cruise lines:

Disney - this is perfect for families, if you do not have any intention of gambling. There are a ton of activities for the kids and yet there is also an adult area. There are shows, different dining options, excursions and more. Primarily this is a great vacation option if you want your kids to stay occupied while you have some alone time to pamper yourself in a spa or just hang out by the pool.

Carnival cruise line - draws a younger crowd, think singles and young couples. This is a party atmosphere that travels to locations like the bahamas. If you like to party and don't mind loud music and lots of drinking this may be the cruise line for you. There are tons of activities, a spa, sure excursions and more plus shows and nightclubs. It is a twenty something paradise.

Royal Carribean is geared to those of us in our thirties and forties. It is less hectic than Carnival while still giving you nightly shows, first class food, a spa area, shore excursions, pool side movies, and the ability to just sit back and relax.

Princess cruise lines is for a slightly older crowd. It is very quiet and relaxing. There is a spa area plus an area where you can go if you want complete serenity. The food is out of this world, especially at Sabatinis. You can choose to eat in one of the regular dining areas or the buffet for all inclusive meals, except for the wine, or you can pay an extra $25 in one of the upscale dining restaurants like Sabatinis and get unlimited portions of everything from pasta to Lobster. Seriously do not eat during the day if you are going to dine in Sabatinis you will not believe the amount of amazing food that they will serve you. The shows are splashy, and there is an onboard casino, I prefer to sit in the cafe area and watch the amazing performances of their pianist and jazz singers. They are phenomenal.

Crystal Cruise lines - this is where you go if you have a bit more money to spend and you want to visit exotic locations while being thoroughly pampered. This luxury cruise line has a higher staff to passenger ratio and they are dedicated to making sure that your requests and preferences are taken care of posthaste. The food is prepared by award winning chefs, the spa has treatments from around the world and the excursions are over the top, like hot air ballooning and horse drawn carraiges. This is one of the cruise lines that you would take if being absolutely pampered is at the top of your list.

So which cruise line should you take when you plan your cruise? Look at the features of each of the above lines, to start, and choose one that meets your personal criteria for the perfect vacation.

The Royal Caribbean Cruise Deal

Cruising has become a very popular way to take a vacation in the recent years and that is due to the fact that the number of cruise ships companies has grown considerably. Nevertheless, choosing the right cruise ship company for your cruise can make all the difference in the world between having a good vacation and having the vacation of a lifetime. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is consider as one of the leading cruise ship companies in the world with 20 operational cruise ships of different sizes offering cruises to most of all the famous and desired destinations in the world. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has their ships divided by family groups so as to mark their capacity and destinations: the smallest of the family is the Empress of the Seas with a passenger capacity of 2,020 guests followed by the Sovereign Family, which has three ships, the Majesty of the Seas, Monarch of the Seas and the Sovereign of the Seas, these ships hold approximately 2,700 guests.

The subsequently Royal Caribbean Cruise Line family is the Vision Family, which consists of six ships namely: Enchantment of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, Legend of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Splendor of the Seas and Vision of the Seas. After which is the Radiance family with four ships, they are, Brilliance, Jewel, Radiance and Serenade of the Seas; Voyager family ships is next with five ships to boats, which are Adventure, Explorer, Mariner, Navigator and last but not the least Voyager of the seas.

Lastly, in the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line fleet is the Freedom family, which for the present has only one ship, the Freedom of the Seas, which is also known as the largest ship in the world with a capacity of 3,664 guests. The Freedom class family ships are due to make another addition in May of 2007 with a sister ships of the same capacity of the Freedom of the Seas, which will be called Liberty of the Seas.

Caribbean holiday cruises are usually conducted on the eastern and western and southern Caribbean and each itinerary will differ very much in prices depending on the ports of call and the amount spent at sea. Caribbean holiday cruises are normally for three, five, seven and sometimes even up to ten days; the most popular Caribbean holiday cruise consist of seven days because it is made of the right amount of days in port and at sea in order for you to explore and have fun as well as to relax and rejuvenate before getting back at work.

You can make an effort to do some research online and read through some passengers reviews and comments before picking a Caribbean holiday cruise in order to find out which one will suit you and your requirements best or on the particular cruise liner's website. Nevertheless it is recommended to book your Caribbean holiday cruise through your travel agent as that is the only way to get the best deals for any cruise at any time of the year.

Sequentially to fill the ships up there are Caribbean cruise deals that are available until the last moment and some of them can be as low as $99 for a length of seven days cruise with everything included; what more can you ask for. But of course, this is not a deal that you may get everyday but a good Caribbean cruise deal will easily be available from $199 and above depending on the length on the cruise and the cruise liner.

There are generally two ways to go about getting a good Caribbean cruise deal: one way is to try and approach your travel agent who will be able to track down the best deals on the market at any given time and the other way is to make your booking directly with the cruise lines online. There is yet another way to get a good Caribbean cruise deal but, this only applies if you happen to live in Florida and that is to try and get a cruise on the day the ship sails out as they almost always have vacancies and almost always they will sell it for some unbelievable deals. It is on the other hand not recommended to travel all the way to Florida hoping to get a great deal in the last minute as you can get disappointed.

Each cruise ship company caters for a particular type of guests for example; Disney cruises mainly cater for young families, which usually will make the ships activities, food and entertainment around those requirements. It is suggested that you check the cruise liner targeted guest types before you make your booking for a cruise so you don't get stuck on what seemed like a great Caribbean cruise deal with the wrong crowd.

Kids at Sea

Water slides, magic shows, pizza parties, scavenger hunts, karaoke, kids-only shore excursions, and disco parties. Who said parents get to have all the fun on a cruise? Well-trained staff, extensive facilities, and coordinated activities, mean cruising with kids can be smooth sailing for the whole family.

Most cruise lines offer private and group babysitting options from around 9am until the wee hours of the morning. They also provide age-specific, organized programs run by trained professionals. Although there are slight variations by cruise line, age categories for organized programs are generally geared to 3-6, 7-9, 10-12, and 13-17 year olds.

100,000 kids were kept entertained last year on Carnival Cruise Lines with 114-foot water slides, video tournaments, talent and puppet shows, ping-pong, and scavenger hunts.

Celebrity Cruises features a full children's program during the summer and on holidays. All other times of the year, they offer a reduced program.

The Princess kids' program on Princess Cruises offers young cruisers their own deck space complete with the whale tail splash pool. Teens get their very own jacuzzi and sunning area. There's also the video arcade, computer games, and other activities such as bingo, name that Disney tune, ring toss, and mini-Olympics.

Club HAL on the Holland America Line provides fun and games for cruisers ages 5-17 and serves up movies, putt-putt golf, late-night pizza, and disco parties.

Royal Caribbean's Adventure Youth program offers its unique brand of Edu-tainment where participants enjoy educational and culture-based activities blended with the daily itineraries, ports of call, games, and team sports.

With Norwegian Cruise Lines, your kids can be circus trained and present a show for the proud parents. Other activities range from magic shows and poolside, root beer float parties to wacky cooking classes, pajama parties, line dancing, and volleyball.

Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, and Holland America Line also offer supervised shore excursions ranging from an afternoon on the beach to gold panning to canoe trips in Alaska.

Whether you are cruising with your toddler, tween, or teens, your Cruise Consultant can help you select the perfect family vacation. Best of all, you'll never hear the phrase "I'm bored" while you're away!

Carnival

Carnival Cruise Lines' award-winning children's program is called Camp Carnival. Available year-round, the program provides elaborate facilities, age-specific programs/activities, youth playrooms with computers, children's water slides and wading pools, as well as special dining menus. The counselor-guided programs are divided into four categories, Toddlers (2-5), Juniors (6-8), Intermediate (9-11), and Teens (12-15). There is also a playroom for children under three.

The Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise house is a 2,500 square-foot children's world giving them the largest children's facilities in the Carnival fleet. Divided into three sections, the facilities offer educational computer labs and computer games, an arts and crafts section, and an indoor play area complete with a climbing maze and video wall where kids can watch movies, music videos, and cartoons. An outdoor play area has a schooner-shaped playhouse and wading pool for toddlers. The Carnival Spirit, Pride, Legend, and Miracle also offer Real Virtuality - a high-tech, game room housing video and arcade games.

Age-Specific Programs

Toddlers (2-5)

Fun Ship Bingo

Sega and Nintendo

Cartoon Time

Sponge Painting

Sing-Alongs

Face Painting

Arts and Crafts

Drawing Contests

Juniors (6-8)

Puppet Shows

Cookie Decorating

Beach Party

Disney Trivia

T-Shirt Painting

Sega and Nintendo

Outdoor Games

Sea Animals

Intermediate (9-11)

Ping-Pong, Foosball, Basketball, Air Hockey

Dance Class

Jewelry Making

Scavenger Hunts

Backstage Tours

Photography Workshops

Talent Shows Teens (12-15)

Pool Parties

Volleyball

Pizza Pig-Out

Hairdressing

Talent Shows

Slide and Sun

Ping-Pong Tournaments, Ping-Pong, Foosball, Basketball, Air Hockey

Photography Workshops

Babysitting

Babysitting is also available on Carnival's ships for children of any age for around $6/hour for the first child and $4/hour for each additional child.

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises features a full children's program during the summer and on holidays. All other times of the year they offer a reduced program. The full program is offered for four age-specific groups: Ship Mates (3-6), Cadets (7-9), Ensigns (10-12), and Admiral Ts (13 - 15 and 16-17). Children under three years of age are not allowed in counselor-guided programs. They are, however, welcome in the playroom if accompanied and supervised by a parent at all times. All of the program's counselors are specially-trained in fields of child psychology, child development, education, or recreation.

Programs are offered 9am-noon, 2-5pm, and 7-10pm. There is also an optional slumber party from 10pm-1am. On port days, there is an afternoon party from 12-2pm. On formal evenings, the program offers a complimentary slumber party and counselors take the children to a pizza party for dinner.

Age-Specific Activities

Ship Mates and Cadets

Painting

Drawing

Songs

Dances

Movies

Other Age-Appropriate Activities.

Ensigns and Admiral Ts

Theatrical Shows with Dances and Costumes (during the summer season)

Water Volleyball

Basketball

Golf Putting

Ping-Pong

All children have an opportunity to meet the captain and learn how to navigate a ship by the stars. At meals, kids can get together for the Celebrity Breakfast club, or eat dinner with the family and order off a special kids menu. Finally, all kids can participate in a masquerade parade.

Babysitting

In-stateroom babysitting is available on all Celebrity ships on a request basis. Requests must be made at least 24 hours in advance and the charge is $8/hour for two children. Children must be at least six months old.

Disney

Disney Cruise Line has some of the most extensive children's facilities sea. Both Disney Magic and Disney Wonder offer an elaborate Walt Disney Theater that resembles a plush, Broadway house. Buena Vista Cinema features Disney flicks. Studio Sea is styled like a television sound stage and offers a forum for G-rated floor shows. These ships also offer a children's program called Oceaneer Adventure for children aged 3-17 and a nursery facility, Flounder's Reef, for children age three and under. All onboard programs are organized and run by caring youth counselors and have both scheduled and surprise visits by Disney characters every day.

Age-Specific Programs

Oceaneer Adventure is divided into three age-specific categories: Oceaneer Club (3-7), Lab (8-12), and Teen (13-17). The Club program is further divided into ages 3-4 and 5-7, while the Lab program is divided into 8-10 and 11-12. Oceaneer Club facilities resemble Captain Hook's pirate ship with plenty of places for activity. Oceaneer Lab allows participants to experience high-tech interactive programs, hands-on science experiments, and ship-wide treasure hunts. Kids 11-12 can compete in a marine biology, knowledge-quest game show and send digital post cards to friends. Teens (13-17) have their own private club, occupying a large portion of deck nine, called Common Grounds - a New York-style coffee house complete with game arcade and Internet Cafe.

In Port Activities

Every cruise with Disney stops at the 1,000-acre private island, Castaway Cay. Here, parents can relax under a palm tree on a white sand beach while their children play in a supervised area or wade in a protected lagoon. The adventuresome can go snorkeling on a course littered with tropical fish, treasure chests and faux shipwrecks (one with Mickey Mouse riding on the bow). Children are automatically enrolled in the island's activities of volleyball, biking, nature hikes, etc. once signed in on the ship.

Babysitting

Children's facilities are open from 9am to 1am. Flounder's Reef nursery has afternoon and nightly hours available on a first-come, first-served basis according to babysitter availability. Rates are $6/hour for the first child and $5/hour for additional children.

Holland America

Holland America offers families a year-round program called Club HAL with counselors and age-specific activities for three age groups (5-8, 9-12, 13-17). Holland America also administers Just for Kids adventure and learning shore excursions while in port. While the largest facilities can be found on Maasdam, Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, and Westerdam, kids will be fully-entertained on all ships in Holland America's fleet.

Age-Specific Programs

All children are treated to pizza and cocktail parties, ship tours, special menus, activities rooms with video games, and wading pools. Children aged 5-8 years can participate in storytelling, candy bar bingo games, arts and crafts, charades, and ice cream parties. The 9-12 year age group is entertained with golf putting lessons, dance lessons, deck sports, scavenger hunts, ping-pong, and karaoke. Teenagers have a teen disco, dance lessons, arcade games, sports, card games, and trivia contests.

In Port Activities

Just For Kids offers supervised shore excursions for kids while in port. While in port on Holland America's private island Half Moon Cay, kids can join a real island treasure hunt while teens participate in their own beach party and volleyball game.

Babysitting

In-stateroom babysitting is available on a request basis. Requests must be made 24 hours in advance and the charge is $7/hour for the first child and $5/hour for additional children from the same family.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Along with providing an unlimited Kids Soda Package and various activity rooms for children, Norwegian Cruise Lines offers a program called Kid's Crew that is divided into four, age-specific categories: Junior Sailors (2-5), First Mates (6-8), Navigators (9-12), and Teens (13-17). The programs and facilities vary from ship to ship, with the broadest programs found on the Star, Sun, and Dawn. Every cruise treats children to a Coke-tail party with the Captain. Norwegian also publishes Kids' Cruise News and Teen Cruise News daily, outlining the activities available to them on the ship. All of NCL's kid counselors attend a training course prior to coming on board that features team and confidence building, safety, communication skills, and working with children who have special needs.

Age-Specific Program

All Kids Crew kids get to meet the ship's captain at a special Coke-tail party, participate in treasure hunts and sand castle building competitions while docked in Great Stirrup Cay, and enjoy the ice-cream bar, chocolate buffet, and children's menu. There are a host of other activities arranged for kids based on their age. Below is a list of some of those activities:

Junior Sailors (ages 2-5)

Activities include: storytelling, t-shirt painting, arts and crafts, face painting, magic shows, Circus at Sea, and numerous other indoor and outdoor activities.

First Mates (ages 6-8)

Activities include: wacky cooking classes, decorative t-shirt painting, sing-alongs, and poolside, root beer float parties.

Navigators (ages 9-12)

Activities include: Sega and other video games, treasure and scavenger hunts, pajama parties, movies, and camp-outs with flashlights and tents.

Teens (ages 13-17)

Activities include: pool parties, volleyball and basketball, The Newlymet Game, and trivia contests, line dancing, teen disco, and special theme parties.

Every ship also publishes Kid's Cruise News and Teen Cruise News daily, so parents, kids, and teens know the activities planned for each day.

In Port Activities

While docked at Norwegian's private island, Great Stirrup Cay, children are entertained with supervised activities ranging from water sports to volleyball matches to treasure hunts.

Babysitting

Group babysitting is offered for kids ages 2-12 years in the evenings from 10pm-1am and in port from 9am-5pm. Cost is $5/hour for the first child and $3/hour for each additional child. Private babysitting is not available.

Other

Norwegian Cruises also sells Kids Crew souvenir packages including a cup, soda pass, t-shirt, luggage tags, baseball cap, and sunglasses. For teenagers, the package is Teen Passport and includes 20 non-alcoholic specialty drinks, dance and pizza parties, and a farewell bash!

Princess

Princess Kids, Princess Cruise's fleetwide, youth program provides age-specific activities for children aged 3-17 years. The program is divided into three categories: Princess Pelicans (3-7), Princess Pirateers (8-12), and Off Limits (13-17). Princess partners with the California Science Center and uses National Wildlife Federation educational materials on wildlife and conservation with the children. Their Mexican Riviera program includes studies of the stars, ocean, and coral reef as well as building and racing sailboats, marine biology studies, and squid dissection. In Alaska, the Save our Seas environmental program teaches participants about endangered species like white pelicans, manatees, and sea turtles.

Princess offers extensive children's facilities on all vessels except the Royal, Tahitian, and Pacific. The Sun, Dawn, Grand, Golden, Coral, Island, Diamond, and Star Princess offer a toddler's play area. And Princess Kids programs on the Royal, Tahitian, and Pacific only operate when 20 or more children ages 3-17 are on board.

Age-Specific Activities

Princess Pelicans and Pirateers (3-12)

Arts and Crafts

Movies and Cartoons

Video Games

Scavenger Hunts

Afternoon Ice Cream Parties

Backstage and Galley Tours

Hall of Fame Tournaments

Discos

Exclusive Kids-Only Dining

Edu-tainment Programs

Karaoke and Lip-Sync Shows

Pizza Parties

Shipboard Olympics

Pajama Parties

T-Shirt Coloring Off Limits (13-17)

Nintendo

Movies on a Giant Screen TV

Karaoke and Lip-Sync Shows

Casino Night

Card and Board games

Shipboard Olympics

Ping-Pong Tables

Jukeboxes

Pizza Parties

Separate Jacuzzi and Sun Deck (on Grand and Golden Princess)

Babysitting

Group babysitting is available 10pm-1am for children ages 3-12 years old on all vessels except the Royal, Tahitian, and Pacific Princess. The cost is around $5/hour.

Other

Youth and Teen Centers on the Grand, Golden, Star, Sea, Ocean, Dawn, Sun, Coral, Island, Diamond, and Regal Princess offer complimentary scheduled activities to youth passengers ages 3-17 from 8am-5pm while in port. A special, supervised, complimentary lunch service is also available with parental consent.

Royal Caribbean

Adventure Ocean, Royal Caribbean's kids' program, offers activities in-port, at sea, and in the evening. There are five categories to Adventure Ocean: Aquanauts (3-5), Explorers (6-8), Voyagers (9-11), Navigators (12-14), and Guests (15-17). Using edu-tainment, Royal Caribbean blends educational activities, daily itineraries, ports of call, games, individual and team sports, art, performance, and a general good time into a unique, onboard experience for children, teens, and parents. There are kids-only activities as well as those for the whole family. And Royal Caribbean also offers kids a special menu of hamburgers, pizzas, and other kid-friendly meals.

Age-Specific Activities

Aquanauts: Ages 3-5

Science Experiments

Art Classes and Projects

Un-Birthday Parties

Cookie Creations

Ice Cream and Rock-N-Roll Parties

Talent Show

Pajama and Carnival Parties

Explorers: Ages 6-8

Science Experiments

Art classes and Projects

Wacky Olympics

Name That Tune

Pirate and County Western Night

Movie Mania

Voyagers: Ages 9-11

Science Experiments

Art Classes and Projects

X-Games

Rockin' Through the Decades

Reggae Beach Party

Scavenger Hunts

Backstage Tour

Sports Tournaments Navigators (12-14) and Guests (15-17)

Pool Party, Toga Party

Mix and Mingle

Sports Tournament

Scavenger Hunts

Prom and College Night

Battle of the Sexes

Dancing Under the Stars

Tae Bo

Talent Show

In Port Activities

Aquanauts, Explorers and Voyagers can participate in sandcastle building, family water-balloon toss, relays, parachute games, and tug of war.

Babysitting

Group babysitting is offered at a cost is $5/hour. In-cabin sitting can be booked through Guest Relations and fees start at $8/hour and children must be at least six months old. Children must be potty trained (no diapers, no pull-ups).

Other

On a Royal Caribbean Cruise, cruisers 18 years and younger can have as many fountain soft drinks as they like for a fixed price with an Ocean Potion Card. This card is available for purchase in the ship's lounges and beverage service counters. Kids-only dinners hosted by expert youth staff give children the opportunity to meet and mingle while parents enjoy a quiet dinner alone.