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Test the waters. If you're new to cruising, try booking a short trip-maybe a three- or four-day sail to the Bahamas out of Florida, or to Cozumel out of New Orleans or Mobile, or even a four-day cruise down the Southern California coast to Baja. Short itineraries may include stops at one or two ports of call, or none at all.
Consider a cruise to nowhere. If you're a first-time cruiser unsure about committing to a longer trip, ask your travel agent about a short "cruise to nowhere." There are no ports of call and no real itinerary. You set sail, float at sea, and return home. That's it. These cruises last between two and four days, usually over a weekend, and they cost just a few hundred dollars. If you are concerned about seasickness, look for a single-night cruise from New York, Miami, or Fort Lauderdale so you can test your sea legs.
To save money, arrange your own flight to your port of embarkation. If you are going on a round-trip cruise, you may be able to find a better airfare than that offered by your cruise line's air-sea department. Just be certain to book an early enough flight to ensure that you'll have ample time to get from the airport to the ship, and keep in mind that you'll be responsible for your own transportation between the airport and the cruise terminal.
For peace of mind, book your flight to your embarkation point through the cruise line. There's a chance you'll pay more for a flight arranged through your cruise line's air-sea department, but you'll also be guaranteed to make your cruise. If your flight is canceled or delayed, the cruise line will make the necessary arrangements to get you to the ship as soon as possible, even if it means flying you to the next port of call.
Know the single-supplement charge to go it alone. Some ships are better geared toward single travelers than others, but almost all ships charge single supplements-a higher surcharge for a single traveler who books one cabin. The single supplement will have you paying anywhere from 125% to 200% of the published cabin rate based on double occupancy. On request, some lines will pair a single traveler with another, so that you can each avoid the single supplement, and if there's no one to pair you with, you get the double cabin to yourself for no additional charge.
Cruise through your honeymoon. Most cruise lines offer specialperks for honeymooning couples, from breakfast in bed to a special cake to free champagne. You may also be given a credit for dinner in an extra-charge specialty restaurant, a complimentary massage in the ship's spa, or some other upgrade or perk. Always let your cruise line or agent know that this will be a honeymoon cruise (or even a major anniversary or other important celebration).
Expedition-style cruises are all the rage these days as every body turn out in full force for these high-energy sailings, cruise ships are organized much like floating hotel, which include activities such as kayaking, beach landings and up-close-andpersonal whale-wtaching opportunities. The first journeys across the Caribbean Sea were made by Amerindian canoeists who “settled the island chains, paddling north from the river systems of the Orinoco and the Amazon”. It looks like 2009 will be one of the most significant years in cruise ship history. I guess it all started with the introduction of the Royal Promenade, ice rink and rock climbing wall on Royal Caribbean's Voyager-class ships. Other cruise lines started to follow and came up with bowling alleys, water works, adult-only areas and terms like anytime, your time, personal choice and freestyle. Most expedition cruises require more physical activity tha the average graze-and-guzzle cruise.
Created by: Journey Discount 2008 | www.journeydiscount.com