How to Book a Cruise Vacation Online

If you have never booked a cruise vacation before, or if you have always made your cruise arrangements through a travel agent, the process of booking a cruise vacation online may seem a bit daunting, if not downright confusing. Booking a cruise vacation online is pretty simple and straightforward once you have decided on the cruise that you want to take. The steps discussed below can help you find and book a cruise vacation online with ease.

Where Do You Want to Go?

The first step in booking a cruise vacation is deciding on a destination. While most people might think of the warm tropical islands as ideal cruise spots, there are cruise vacations that can take you all over the world. Whether you want to spend five days in the Caribbean or three weeks traveling through the Norwegian waters, there is a cruise line for you. From Africa to Alaska, you will find amazing cruises that will take you wherever you want to go.

Choose a Cruise Line

Once you have decided where you want to go on your cruise, you need to find out which cruise lines offer trips in that area at the time that you want to travel. You will also want to narrow your search by choosing a cruise line that offers the kind of cruise that you want to take. Carnival Cruise line, for example, tends to cater to the high energy, party-loving younger crowd. They offer great family vacations, honeymoon packages and swinging singles cruises. Royal Caribbean, Princess and Disney cruise lines are great choices for families with young children while Crystal Cruises puts together theme cruises and family cruise get-togethers.

Pick a Ship or a Cruise

Once you have decided on a destination and a cruise line, check into the cruises and ships available. Each ship on a cruise line offers different amenities, so it is important that you know which ship, or at least which class ship, that you want to sail on. You can find all of the information you need on the cruise line’s website. Once you have got all of the details organized, you can start shopping for the best price for your cruise.

Find the Best Prices for Your Cruise Vacation

Start with the web site of the cruise line that you have chosen to get a base price for the vacation that you want. From there, make the rounds of travel discount web sites to see if you can score a better deal anywhere else. Sometimes the deal is not with the price alone, you may find free cabin upgrades or on board credits that you can use toward purchasing extras.

Choose Your Cabin

Another detail to consider when booking your cruise vacation is the cabin location and style. These options can make a difference of several hundred dollars in the overall price of your vacation. A small cabin would be less expensive, but if you like to spend time in your room, you may be happier to spend the extra money to get a larger room where you can relax. In addition, keep in mind that certain locations are kinder to those who do not deal well with motion. If you get seasick, opt for a room near the middle of the ship on a higher deck, where you will feel the boat rocking less.

Book Your Cruise Following the Directions

Once you have found the best deal on your cruise, follow the directions to book your cruise. Most travel websites have come a very long way in user friendliness. These days it is just a matter of filling in details in the forms and clicking next until you get to the end. You will need to use a credit card to make your deposit, and a representative of the cruise line may contact you to confirm details and finalize your reservations.

Confirm your Booking and Register for Your Cruise

After you have filled out all of your details and booked your cruise, you will receive a confirmation email with all of the details of your upcoming vacation. The email will also contain a link for you to follow to register for your cruise. The link usually leads to pages of tips and instructions to help you prepare for your trip, and a link to a printable itinerary and boarding passes. You will be able to print out your boarding passes, luggage tags, itinerary and all other necessary paperwork so that you can bring it with you on the day your cruise sails. If you have all of your paperwork printed out and ready, you will get through check-in and registration more quickly.

These days, booking a cruise vacation online is easier than ever, and could save you quite a bit of money over booking through a travel agent. If you have never booked a cruise online before, it is easy to follow the simple directions above to find your best cruise vacation deals and book your own cruise online.

A Cruise Ship Review Of The New 2006 Cruise Line Offerings For Your Cruise Vacation

If you are a veteran cruiser or just curious about cruising, the year 2006 will be introducing many new cruise ships for you to consider when planning a cruise vacation. Call your travel agent and ask about the cruise lines and their new cruise ships and then book a cruise vacation. Here is a cruise review of the new cruise line additions.

Holland America is introducing the Noordam. This new cruise ship was launched on February 22 and has been getting very good cruise reviews. It will be the last cruise ship of Holland America's Vista-class series.

However, it is the first to be designed for the cruise line's "Signature of Excellence program."

The Noordam can accommodate 1,848 passengers. For this new cruise ship, there have been some design changes to enhance the cruise vacation. The new designs were focused mainly on the public areas and staterooms, the meeting point of many cruise travelers.

They have made additions to the very popular Explorations Cafe. As veteran cruise travelers are well aware, it is a coffee bar/Internet cafe, game room, and library.

NCL America's Pride of Hawaii is the newest cruise ship for 2006 by NCL America. It is the sister vessel of the Norwegian Jewel and offers an excellent cruise vacation.

For the cruise line, Pride of Hawaii marks the first new build from the hull up.

It launched was in June. This cruise ship will accommodate 2,224 passengers. It will be another cruise ship in NCL America's "Freestyle Cruising" concept being offered for your cruise vacation.

The Pride of Hawaii's interior decor will be, of course, Hawaiian.

This cruise ship will be departing weekly on Mondays for your cruise vacation and travel the islands, calling Honolulu home.

In December the Norwegian Pearl is set to sail in the Caribbean in the winter months and Alaska in the summer months for your cruise vacations. One of their innovations is the Bar Central concept. It features a martini bar, a champagne bar, wine bar, and a beer and whiskey pub all connected.

The Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas was launched in May in time for summer cruise vacations. Cruise reviews call it the most innovative cruise ship for RCCL so far.

This 158,000-ton cruise ship has a capacity of 3,600 passengers. It will actually be 10,000 tons larger than Cunard's Queen Mary 2. It will be the largest cruise ship to be built so far.

The Freedom of the Seas has an added feature that other cruise ships do not. It actually has a place to surf on the top cruise deck. This is a new and unique amenity for RCCL's Freedom of the Seas cruise ship. Other cruise lines have virtual golf or movies under the stars but no one has a surf park. The cruise line has built the largest rock climbing wall ever.

Following its launching, the Freedom of the Seas will sail seven-day cruise vacations to the Caribbean from Miami.

The Crown Princess, Princess Cruises christened in June. The Crown Princess is expected to accommodate 3,110 cruise travel passengers with 1200 crew.

Princess Cruises lines redesigned the Skywalker's Disco, which gained popularity from cruise passengers on their cruise vacations. They also have the Lotus Spa which has been expanded on the Crown Princess.

New pastries and snacks will adorn the International Cafe. Crown Princess will have the first ever wine and seafood bar of the entire cruise line.

Expansions were made to other popular features like the Wheelhouse Bar, Sabatini's Trattoria, and the Sterling Steakhouse.

Crown Princess cruise vacations will sail roundtrip from the Red Hook terminal in New York. This cruise vacation will make stops in the Eastern Caribbean, Bermuda and Turks and Caicos.

MSC will launched their new cruise ship MSC Musica on July 01. Musica is an Italian ship that will bring MSC into the ranks of big cruise ships. It is expected to accommodate 2,550 passengers.

One of its outstanding features will be that a full 80% of its 1,275 staterooms will be outside rooms. In addition, 65% of these staterooms will have verandas.

It will also feature a large spa area. The Musica's cruise passengers will also have several dining options. They will enjoy a three deck high waterfall and many different entertainment venues.

Musica will sail the eastern Mediterranean from Venice.

The Costa Cruises' new ship the Costa Concordia is owned by Carnival Corporation based in Miami, while Costa cruise lines is based in Italy.

This will be the largest cruise ship to join the Costa Cruises' fleet. It will be launched late this year on July 14. It is expected to accommodate 3,000 passengers.

The Costa Concordia will have an European theme for its interior decor. All the room's names will be European inspired. They will have the Grand Bar Berlin, Cafeteria Helsinki, and the Milan and Rome dining rooms.

A unique amenity to the Costa Concordia is a Formula 1 driving simulator for cruise passengers to enjoy on their cruise vacation.

This new cruise ship will sail year round in the Western Mediterranean. For those taking their cruise vacation on this ship, they will make ports of call in Spain, France, Italy, Gibraltar, and Malta.

So much to choose from! Check out other cruise reviews of these new cruise ships to find out on which cruise ship you will spend your 2006 cruise vacation.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

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

Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.com
http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com
and http://www.CruisingTips.com

How to Take a Caribbean Cruise Vacation Completely Free

Taking Caribbean Cruise vacations every year may be considered a luxury that only the rich and famous can afford. However, there are those that are lucky enough to have discovered one of the best-kept travel secrets that would allow themselves not only to take a cruise vacation every year at a very cheap rate; there are those that take these cruises for free.

A cruise vacation is one of the most convenient and easiest affordable vacation options available today in the travel industry. Because it offers a wide variety of benefits and activities over other vacation tours, Caribbean cruise vacations are regarded as most exciting options available and this is the reason why a majority of Americans choose this option than other vacation packages.  Because of its popularity, a lot of travel companies that are offering packages to the Caribbean have become competitive with each other and as such, are offering very competitive prices.

Since different cruise lines and other travel agencies have offered competitive packages, a cruise vacation is now considered one of the most inexpensive vacation options available. However, those who are on the knowhow of the different travel secrets kept be seasoned travelers can even take their cruises for free. Nowadays, one can get a free cruise through a number of ways and some of these ways are not even considered as travel secrets.

A free cruise vacation will usually include everything that a paid cruise will usually offer. These include the accommodation, the on-board meals and snacks, and on-board entertainment. Most cruise lines will also include the entertainment on the shores of the different destinations and may as well cover the transfer trips from airport to seaport. A free cruise vacation however is not likely to be given away to anybody by a travel agency or a cruise line.

One easy way of getting free Caribbean cruise vacations is to organize a cruise for a group. If you are a member of a club or a group, then you can convince them to go on a cruise together. If you organize the booking then the cruise line that will accommodate your group will most likely give you a free cruise as an incentive. Most cruise lines will give you a free cabin or a free cruise package for a number of cruise packages booked. You do not need to be a travel agent to get that incentive; you just have to how to negotiate a free cruise vacation for yourself. Some cruise lines require as little as 8 cabins in your group and you can receive a free cruise yourself.

Another easy way of getting free Caribbean cruise vacations is to organize a cruise for a group. If you are a member of a club or a group, then you can convince them to go on a cruise together. If you organize the booking then the cruise line that will accommodate your group will most likely give you a free cruise as an incentive. Most cruise lines will give you a free cabin or a free cruise package for a number of cruise packages booked. You do not need to be a travel agent to get that incentive; you just have to have a good negotiating skill in order for you to get a free cruise vacation for yourself.

The easiest way to receive a free cruise is to join a travel membership club.  Travel membership clubs are amongst the fastest growing business opportunities in the world today.  Most importantly, travel is fun and not an oversaturated industry.  Some travel clubs offer free cruises or vacations for joining.

Why join a travel membership club?  Think of travel like health insurance.  Do you think that you can get the absolute best deal available with health insurance on your own?  Group health insurance is much more inexpensive for entire membership because of the buying volume to the members.  Travel is no different.  Regardless of what we have been told by travel agents, TV advertising, or on the Internet, travel membership clubs are the most cost effective ways to travel.

Question by mjesecus: What is so good about cruise vacation that makes people coming back to cruise over and over again?
Why should I choose a cruise vacation?

Best answer:

Answer by Time travler
It is actually cheaper then going somewhere on your own.
The food is great and available 24 hours a day.
You have no worries such as where to eat.
You pack once and unpack once.
No flying around here and there
You also have lots of entertainment every day, all day long.
Far less stressful then regular resort vacations.
You have different views constantly

What do you think? Answer below!

Have You Ever Tried A Cruise Vacation? 10 Reasons Why You Should

I will admit it, I love cruise vacations. I have been on several cruises including a cruise for my honeymoon, for New Years, and for multi-generational family vacations and I have loved each one.

More and more people are finding out about the pleasures of cruise vacations including singles, families, couples, honeymooners, second honeymooners and groups of friends or families. Last year alone approximately seven million people enjoyed a cruise vacation and here are some reasons why:

1) Cruise Vacations Are A Good Value

The price of your vacation includes all of your meals and in-between snacks on-board; your accommodation, activities, children programs and entertainment. Throw in the exciting journey to some of the most fascinating and charming places in the world and you have yourself a deal! You will also know what your vacation will end up costing you before you go. Typically, your only extra expenses are alcoholic drinks, specialty restaurants, optional shore excursions, and personal services such as a spa treatment.

2) Cruise Vacations Have Amazing Dining

You have so much choice and variety of cuisine on a cruise, you will not be disappointed. From gourmet meals that showcase renown chefs to pizza parlours and buffets. The choice is yours whether to sit down for an delectable five course feast or grab a hamburger at the bistro. The only thing that is guaranteed is that you will not go hungry on a cruise.

3) Cruise Vacations Will Pamper You

Regardless of which cruise you choose, all cruise lines pamper their guests with first-class service around the clock. Staff is there to make sure you needs are met. From chocolates on your pillow to your favourite drink waiting for you at your dinner table, you will feel like you are being spoiled day and night!

4) Cruise Vacations Have Tons of Variety

A cruise ship is a floating resort, with all the things a fine resort has to offer and more. You can go non-stop. Enjoy one great show after another, enjoy daily tour excursions, visit the spa, listen to a lecture, shop and then dance the night away. Or you can lie back and just read a book on deck and just let your cares float away.....do what you want to do.

5) Cruise Vacations Are For Everyone

There are over 150 different ships, dozens of cruise lines and over 1800 ports-of-call with hundreds of places to see and things to do. Small, large, formal, relaxed, budget, luxury, there is a perfect cruise out there for you.

6) Cruise Vacations Make Vacations Simple

The hassles of an ordinary vacation are completely eliminated because a cruise vacation is one convenient package. You don't have to worry about making dinner or nightclub reservations, running to make flight connections as you travel from one destination to another, or packing and unpacking. Once you're on board, nearly all expenses are pre-paid... it just does not get more carefree than that.

7) Cruise Vacations Are Great For Family Vacations

Families love cruising and often there is a reduced rate for children. Traveling with Grandparents? Even better, they will love it as much as the kids! With a variety of children's programs geared from little ones to teens, kid-friendly menus, swimming, sports, games, movies, and exploring new places, your kids will not be bored for a second. The experienced child councillors will keep your children happy, while allowing you some time alone. And speaking of some adult alone time....

Cruise Vacations Are Great For Couples And Romance

During the day you can enjoy secluded beaches or romantic villages, enjoy en suite dining on a balcony overlooking the ocean or spa services for two. At night, enjoy dancing, musical shows, gaming or a quiet evening watching the moon bounce off the ocean as the warm breeze drifts over the two of you....do I need to say more?

9) Cruise Vacations Are The Most Satisfying

Cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied customers than any other vacation experience, once people try it, they come back again and again. It me 10 years to convince my brother and his wife to try a cruise vacation, they finally took one last year and they have already booked another one this year!

10) Cruise Vacations Are The Ultimate Vacations

You can see the world on a cruise. Feel free to completely unwind or take a walk on the wild side. If you want you can dance the night away or go up on deck and steal a kiss from your love. Make new friends, feast on sumptuous cuisine, learn something new, or just hang out and bond with your family.

Whatever your heart desires, it can be done on a cruise so be sure to "choose to cruise" for your next vacation.

Question by smiles: Has anyone gone on a complimentary short cruise vacation offered to you by simply completing a survey?
I just participated on an automated 10 question phone survey where after completion they offered a complimentary cruise vacation for 2 days/2 nights to Nassau/Bahamas leaving from Ft Lauderdale. The cruise ship is the Regal Empress from Imperial Majesty Cruise Lines.
Has anyone been on this ship?
Has anyone ever participated in a deal like this?

I don't believe this to be anything relating to time-share or anything where I would need to participate in a 90 min program. However, I'm not sure.

The survey just asked very generic questions, and did not ask for anything personal or any credit card information. Someone from the cruise line is supposed to call me to finalize all the accomodations in a few days.

It just sounds a little too good to be true.

((and I know it's not going to be a large new ship and that's ok, as this will be my first cruise))

Best answer:

Answer by nisajoyj
If it sounds too good to be true ,it probably is. I would be very leery of this. They may ask for a credit card for incidental expenses or to guarantee your trip and then use it fraudulently. I would stay away from this.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Planning A Cruise Vacation For The Perfect Cruise Experience

Cruise vacations are one of the most exciting and fun vacations you and your family will ever have. Planning your cruise vacation is the key to making the most of the cruise experience.

Cruise ships are floating hotels that sail through ocean while you enjoy all the hotel's amenities provided. They have casinos, swimming pools, theaters, restaurants, shopping centers or boutiques, spas, gyms and more.

As great as taking a vacation on cruise ships may seem, you still need to know how to plan a cruise ship vacation properly so you have the perfect cruise experience. You need to know about the different types of packages the cruise lines offer.

When planning a cruise ship vacation you need to know how to choose one that will meet your expectation or tailor to your needs. Here are some guidelines that you can follow to plan your cruise travel and enjoy the perfect cruise experience:

Think of who you want to take with you on your cruise vacation. There are many different packages offered by cruise lines. There are packages for the whole family and there are packages for single travelers.

Will you be taking the cruise vacation with children? Maybe you will take your significant other for a romantic getaway. There are cruise ships that are tailored for children and there are cruise lines that cater to single cruisers and honeymooners. There are even some ships that offer wedding services. What could be better than to get married on the ship and have your honeymoon built in?

Decide how long you want to cruise. If you just want to try it out, opt for a three day cruise. Normally, cruises start at three nights and can go anywhere from seven to fourteen days. But there are also world cruises that can last as long as three months. My advice is if you are going to cruise in Europe you should pick a fourteen day cruise because of the expense and long plane rides to get to your port of embarkation. If you live near a port and you just want to take a long weekend choose of three or four day cruise. Decide what cruise travel is best for you.

Choose the perfect destination for you and your family. Alaska is beautiful but can only be cruised in the summer months. If you live in the colder climes you may want to take a mid winter cruise to the Caribbean or even South America. If you want your cruise travel to be in the Caribbean and you want to spend two weeks on your cruise vacation, choose a line that alternates between the Eastern and Western Caribbean. This cruise vacation takes you to many different islands.

The cruise lines have a variety of destinations to choose from. Visit your cruise travel agent to go over the different itineraries or check out the individual websites of the cruise lines.

Consider the port of departure. Since 9/11 cruises have been emphasizing home port cruising. Now there are many cruises that depart from Bayonne, New Jersey, Galveston, Texas, or Seattle, Washington, not just Miami and Fort Lauderdale.. Depart from the one closest to you and you will save money on expensive airfare.

Speak to a knowledgeable cruise travel agent. Make sure they have personally sailed on many different cruise ships so they can give you an honest opinion on what each cruise line has to offer and which would give you the perfect cruise experience.
A cruise travel agent will also be able to supply you with cruise tips. Scour the cruise reviews for additional cruise tips.

Large cruise lines have a variety of activities and facilities that you can use on the ship. If you like to gamble then choosing a cruise ship with casinos is probably right for you. Or if you are taking your kids with you, a cruise ship that offers activities and facilities for children would be the best choice for your cruise travel. For instance, Disney is, of course, geared toward children but they do not have casinos. So if you are taking the family but you want to gamble steer away from Disney and choose one of the other major cruise lines. Almost all of them have children's programs. If you don't want to be on a ship with children sail on one of the fancier lines that don't cater to children. Here, again, it pays to read as many cruise reviews as you can to pick up additional cruise tips.

Cruise vacations do not necessarily mean that you have to spend all your vacation time onboard. All the cruise ships offer land and shore excursions. The cruise lines offer pre and post cruise land vacations usually for two or three days.

Land excursions are a great way to explore different cultures and destinations when taking a cruise vacation. You can choose from many activities once you reach a port of call. You can go kayaking, scuba diving or go shopping in the markets of the ports of call.

Following these guidelines will give you some ideas on planning your cruise vacation properly. Proper planning will give you a more exciting cruise experience.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

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

Question by chickensuit21: Cruise Vacation?
I am trying to plan a 7 day cruise vacation, for more than 25 people, do you know a website or business that can help me access the information i would need.
Preferably a port out of Texas, in June/July of 2009

Best answer:

Answer by alex
www.bestfares.com I think they are great, hope this helps

What do you think? Answer below!

April 2006