January 6, 2007
Cruises and Cruise Lines - Important Questions and Answers
Planning your dream cruise vacation starts by asking these questions and getting the right answers.
Title: Cruises and Cruise Lines - Important Questions and Answers
Author: Darren Takenaga
At first glance, it would seem that someone planning a cruise vacation could simply make a phone call and book a cruise line package. However, after a few minutes, one will come to realize that there are numerous cruise lines, destinations, and packages.
Important questions that need to be answered about cruises and
cruise lines include -
1) Destination - Do you want to go to the Panama Canal, Alaska,
Caribbean, South Pacific, South America, Europe, and
Mediterranean? Basically, if a cruise line can reach a
destination via water, then there is probably a cruise package
to fit.
2) Food quality and dining experience. Cruise travelers have
cited this factor as one of the primary factors in deciding on a
cruise.
3) Do you have special interests? If you are a bargain shopper,
you might want to consider a cruise that travels to destinations
with bargain shopping. If you like the sun, you might want to
consider cruises going to Hawaii or Mexico. Do you like history?
Perhaps the Greece and old world destinations will interest you.
4) Would you like to visit many ports or are you interested more
in shipboard activities?
5) How much can you afford to pay? Different cruise lines offer
many different packages and pricing.
6) How long can you travel? Cruise lines offer packages that
start at weekend excursions all the way to months or more.
7) Do you prefer ocean cruises or river cruises? Does the Nile,
Amazon, Mississippi, or Danube peak your interest?
8 When do you want to go? Depending on the destination, the time of year does matter. Remember that some parts of the world get very hot or very cold certain times of the year.
9) What sort of people are you comfortable with? More and more
cruise lines are catering to demographics. Some packages offer
activities and destinations that may interest the retired
tourist. Other cruise lines may cater to the young partying
crowd. And yet, other cruise lines wish to attract and entertain
the family vacationers.
One of the more important choices is the type of cruise lines.
Ships vary in style and amenities and can be compared to the
range and class of hotels. For example, hotels are commonly
rated as a "one star" (typically a basic budget) all the way to
"five star" (luxury high class and expensive)
Size of Cruise Lines
Yes, size does matter. Small ships are able to travel to
destinations that the big ships cannot. Small ships can be more
intimate with small crowds, lines, and activity. However, the
big ships are floating resorts. One can find activities and
services to pamper and luxuriate without leaving the ship.
Below are some of the common terms that describe the various
sizes of ships.
Megaliner - more than 2,000 passengers
Superliner - between 1,000 to 2,000
Midsize - passenger capacity of 400 to 1,000
Small Ship - passenger capacity under 400
Boutique Ship - passenger capacity under 300 and popular for
luxury cruise
A good place to start when investigating the choices among the cruise lines is to request a brochure from each [tag-tec]cruise line[/
tag-tec]. It may not be very detailed. However, the brochure will inform the cruise traveler the important facts and information needed to choose a cruise line.
I realize that this information on cruises and cruise line is very brief. However, I have tried to present the important questions the beginner and even the advanced cruise traveler should answer if they want to experience a hassle-free and memorable cruise.
Darren Takenaga is a serious international traveler and is
always on the lookout for tips and information to help his
fellow travelers make their next vacation a lifelong, happy,
memory. Visit Cruise Ship Travel Vacations to discover various cruisepackages, itineraries, and tips for a wonderful cruise vacation.Email: darren.takenaga@gmail.com
Feel free to share your comments with us.
Cruise lines cruise passengers cruise ships cruises Uncategorized
Comments
January 7, 2007
valerie said:
I like the sound of taking a cruise with less than 400 people. I did not know these kinds of options were available. I have recently heard that one of the cruise lines, and I can't remember which, offers a guarantee that you will not be seasick on your cruise with them. This is an interesting and appealing offer in my opinion. Not really about the refunding of the money, but them being so assuring is what satisfies me the most.
January 18, 2007
Ashelia said:
Great set of questions, especially for someone like me who has never been on a cruise, but is interested in it nonetheless. I'm going to have to go through these and figure out what my answers are so that I can start looking into packages. Thanks for the list, I think it will help a lot.