Going on the Right Cruises For You and Your Travel Budget
Posted on | December 10, 2009 | 9 Comments
Going on cruises as a travel option will be more enjoyable when you design your cruise travel according to your budget, time and desired destination. Not only that, a cruise trip can reflect your lifestyle accurately so that you will be a truly happy cruiser.
Cruises are much like other travel alternatives because that with good planning, you can create great memories for when you come home from your vacation. The difference between cruise travel and other forms of travel is that cruise travel offers a huge variety of themes for cruise vacations. You can choose a destination or specialty cruise that reflects your life.
If you have children, you will want the family friendly cruise package. There are singles cruises, weight loss cruises and other health themed cruises. You can choose cruises that explore natural areas or you can choose celebrity cruises. These are just some examples of the many cruise themes that are available. The point is that there are so many specialty cruises that you will be able to match the cruise to your personal style. With the right theme, the destination may not be as important in comparison to the theme.
You can find different pricing options for cruise vacations. There are many fun trips for under $500. You can find different packages for a range of prices that go up to $3000 and over. Luxury cruises are in their own class of pricing and well worth the money for those who can afford the extra expense. Cruise travelers can be very loyal to cruise as a travel favorite. Some cruise travel fans will take any suitable available cruise trip as long as it fits their budget if it can be taken right away. That is how enchanted with cruise travel, that these travelers can be.
Customer service and special features will make or break your cruise vacation. When you are choosing a cruise vacation, consider the services that you will get from the cruise line. Find out about a company’s reputation before you choose that company. Compare the different cruise lines to decide which company suits your budget and needs.
Another important consideration is the length of the cruise vacation. For short getaways, travelers can take a cruise trip for one day or less. You can also book a cruise for much longer vacations. Trips are categorized though not restricted to groups of up to one week and under, two weeks, three weeks and longer.
You will also have to consider the location of your departure port. You will need to find a port that is closest to your location. A great deal of coordination may be done to match the departure location and your desired cruise destination. It is best to make reservations well in advance.
You should consider making your reservation for cruises a year ahead for popular cruises. Some popular cruises are booked solid for more than a year in advance. You will not be disappointed if you plan for your cruises and have realistic expectations on your departure date for some cruises.
By weighing all the factors carefully that are a part of planning for cruise travel, you will be able to find the cruise vacation that will be worth your time and money. When you find that specialty cruise vacation that matches your personality and lifestyle, when you get back home, you will not be able to wait until your next cruise vacation.
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9 Responses to “Going on the Right Cruises For You and Your Travel Budget”
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January 30th, 2010 @ 10:19 am
Alot depends on which cruise line you are sailing.
Sodas are around $1.50 each (for a can), and mixed drinks can run from $5 to $9 each. If you get a frozen-type drink, tell them you don't want the souvenier glass and it's usually a couple of bucks less.
Remember that an automatic tip is added to each drink purchase, soda included – I think it's around 15%
Alcoholic drinks are not free on the mainstream lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, HAL, etc. I can't speak for the more upscale lines.
Most cruise lines have a soda card, where you pay one price and can get unlimited sodas for the cruise. The price for that is around $8 per day. But… it only covers fountain drinks (and possibly juices), not the cans of soda in your stateroom. But if the kids drink alot of soda, it's worth it.
On Royal Caribbean you can get iced tea, lemonade, coffee and glasses (not bottles) of water free.
If you want to take the powdered ice tea, your own soda, coffee or water on board, it is allowed. I have heard of people taking cases of water or soda. Alcohol is another subject. It depends on which cruise line you are taking – some have a stricter alcohol policy than others.
January 30th, 2010 @ 10:42 am
If you are on a budget and you are from the states, why not stay in the states, do a train trip across the states stopping off at highlights for example – you have sooo many beautiful parts of the country it baffles me that you are all so much in a hurry to check out the 3rd world countries next door
That aside, you have the exotic central america to the south, the caribbean to the south east, canada to the north (i would stick to the west coast personally or newfoundland to the very east)
then there is alaska – obviously NOT at this time of year….ok while technically part of the states i see it as a different nation all together – incredibly beautiful!
the only place id strongly reccommend you DONT go is Scandinavia (sweden, norway, finland)…I'm British so am used to being ripped off but OMG that place is expensive… if you like paying over 16 bucks for a burger king meal thats the place for you…..
January 30th, 2010 @ 11:17 am
Gosh, what a wide open question! Road trips are fun, but best taken with your buddy from College. Beaches are great and romantic, but getting to a nice one can be expensive. I think your cruise idea is the best. Research the ones that have something for both of you. That way, if one of you wants to chill by the pool and read a book, the other can go climb the rock wall, or hit golf balls if they are not in the mood to relax. Also, you get to visit more than one place, and cruises are generally all inclusive, so there are no "expensive nights out."
January 31st, 2010 @ 9:27 am
The only cruise line that does regularly scheduled cruises between NY and Europe is Cunard Cruise line. http://www.cunard.com/
But I don't think you will find anything with them or any other cruise line for $500 transatlantic. You can maybe do a 3 to 5 day cruise to Bermuda for that amount. Cruises typically cost about $100 to $125 per day per person AND ALL cabins on ships are sold based on two people going in them. So you would have to have a roommate/friend/parent go along with you to pay the other fare.
January 31st, 2010 @ 7:23 pm
yes you better go to Sabah and Sarawak ,Malaysia.
there are many exotic things you will see
culture,people, green earth,hi view if you climb mount Kinabalu
and many other …….
February 2nd, 2010 @ 3:37 am
this is highly dependent on gas prices, but you might try taking a trip to Helen, GA. It's in the Northwest corner, pretty much no where near an interstate, but it's a town themed after the Bavarian Alps. It kind of has the "Europe" feel to it without being in Europe. You can either go budget friendly or you can go expensive, just depends on what you want to do. The biggest concern I have is the 2.5 year old as far as recommendations, because I know it's hardest to plan a vacation around the little ones. I'm also trying to think "tourist friendly" because though you're okay with mountain cabins, I'd imagine you're not really up for the "mountain experience." If you want a little more "big city" to it, maybe Chattanooga? They have enough to do to stay busy on vacation, and there's some other stuff within an hours drive or so that is kind of nice.
February 2nd, 2010 @ 8:52 am
I was looking for a vacation package to Italy the other day and I came across this site:
http://www.pinpointtravel.com/deals-vacation-europe?ncid=AOLCOMMptrvdynlprim0001
I havent booked or anything, but you might want to check it out. They had good prices for trips to Italy.
Hope you get what you want!! I would also looove a honeymoon in Italy, or France!
February 2nd, 2010 @ 9:13 pm
London eye = £14.50 per ticket
tower of London = £16.00 per ticket
River cruise from Westminster to the tower of london = £6.20 single / £7.40 return per ticket
Travelcard Zones 1-2 £5.10 per ticket
Train cheap day return £13 per ticket / Coach day return £10.80 per ticket
February 2nd, 2010 @ 9:24 pm
I cruise quite a bit, usually 2 or 3 times a year and I also watch closely my budget and what I spend. So here's my list of what charges to expect and how to control your spending.
Regardless of the cruise line the price of your cruise includes your cabin, all meals including breakfast, lunch dinner, snacks and free room service, free admissions to the disco, all shows and entertainment, and free kids programs, use of all facilities on ship like the pools, hot tubs, gym, and recreation activities. The things that you will have to pay for are:
GRATUITIES: They will amount to about $10 to $11.50 per person in your cabin per day, depending upon the cruise line. When you check in at the pier they will set up an on-board charge account for you to cover any and everything you may buy on ship. They will issue you a "cruise card" which will also serve as your room key and pass to get on and off the ship. At the end of the cruise they will add the gratuity to your tab and you can pay with a credit card or cash, your choice. So everything on ship except the casino is cashless; everything you buy goes on your account.
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND SOFT DRINKS: Coffee, tea (hot and cold), milk, juice, and lemonade and punch will be provided FREE but you must pay for soft drinks and alcoholic beverages and they will add a 15 percent gratuity to each alcoholic drink and soft drink order. Drinks of cruise ships are generally in the range of $7 to $9 including the 15 percent gratuity that is included in each tab. Beer and wine are slightly less, maybe $6 to $7. The cruise line does sell a soft drink card that allow you unlimited soft drinks for the duration of your cruise. These you must buy the first day of the cruise and they generally cost about $6.00 a day for adults; $4.00 a day for kids. The cost of the soft drink card also goes on your on-board tab. But if you want you can take on board with you a six pack of soft drinks and/or bottle water to help cut your costs; take them in your carry-on bags. Also, if you buy drinks ask for them in a plain glass rather than the souvenir glasses because they cost about $1.50 more in the souvenir glass. Also, buy the daily drink special which is generally about $1.00 less than other drinks.
PHOTOGRAPHS: Cruise ship employees will take plenty of photographs of you all over the ship, in the dining room, and as you exit the ship in ports. These will cost a lot, like $15 to $25 for most and the cost of them goes on your on-board tab. Take your own photos and ask other passengers to take photos of you rather than buying the ship's photos. Other passengers will always help you with this if you ask; or ask the wait staff also.
TOURS/EXCURSIONS: You are not required to book any tours and you can get off and on in the ports as much as you want. But the cruise line will offer a lot of tours and these are NOT included and are expensive. In Cozumel you can get off the ship and shop oir take a taxi to a beach rather than buying a tour. If you are also going to Grand Cayman you can get a taxi to 7-mile beach right on the pier; $4. per person each way.
SOUVENIRS: Anything you buy on ship from a gift shop or duty free shop goes on your on board account. Things that you buy on shore you pay cash or credit card for.
CASINO: If you plan to gamble on ship you will need cash for that.
OTHER: All ships have what they call "specialty" restaurants where there IS a gratuity/service charge of between about $5. and $25. All other food on board is free and its not really necessary to budget for food; you cannot eat all of the FREE FOOD that will be available so skip the specialty places.
SPA SERVICES: If you want/need to have your hair done, get a massage or wrap, or any services from the spa, you will have to pay for them. Spa fees start at about $70 to $80 and they go on your on-board tab if you use the spa services. You can use the gym free but the spa stuff cost big bucks.
INTERNET SVCS: Ships now have internet cafe and some have WiFi but the there is a fee for internet access and it is very expensive (like about $50 an hour). I always recommend that you skip the high priced internet on ship and wait for port stops where you can usually find an internet cafe where the charges are about $5. to $7 an hour. Just ask the cabin steward and/or your wait staff where the internet is at the port. They know because they use them when they can get off the ship.
ROOM SERVICE/MINI-BAR: You cabin will likely have a minibar with soft drinks and munchies; you have to pay for anything you take out of the mini-bar. But the room service (24/7) is always free. However, you should tip the person who brings your order at least a couple dollars, more if you order a full meal for several people.
These are the charges that you may have but the only one of these that is pretty much mandatory is the gratuities. All of the others are optional and completely under your control. Whenever I cruise