Do: explore which cruise line best suits your entire family.
Each cruise line offers a little something different for your vacation. Some are family oriented, while others cater to honeymooners or a more seasoned traveler. Choose carefully so that you get the most out of your trip.
Hint: A cruise is a great vacation to take with an extended family, but make sure the cruise line you select will entertain every generation. And remember that fun has no age limit.
Don’t: forget to check the type of local weather you should expect.
While Bermuda and the Bahamas both sound like hot weather destinations, there are times during the year when the weather there may not be what you would expect. While the cost may be right, the weather might not be.
Hint: Before you book, check the average temperature and rainfall for the time you are planning to travel.
Do: study the ship’s layout before you book your cabin and understand how the cabins are categorized.
Not all cabins are alike, even within the same category. Before booking a cabin make sure you know its proximity to the areas of the ship that are important to you. Reserving a cabin close to the kid’s club, the dining area or even the elevators might make your vacation go even smoother.
Hint: When studying the ship’s layout, locate the nightlife areas and make sure your cabin is not located underneath it. You do not want your vacation interrupted by loud music at 2:00 am.
Don’t: book the cabins closet to the bow or nearest to the stern of the ship.
The bow of the ship contains the anchors and when coming into port early in the morning you will hear them being lowered. The stern of the ship is where the thrusters are located and the vibrations can be felt when steering the ship and pulling into port.
Hint: Many people like to book a cabin in the middle of the ship. While this is good for some passengers, you just might find a bargain on a cabin forward or aft.
Do: book early/book late/buy insurance.
Cruise lines love having half their available cabins booked a year in advance and because of this they usually offer discounts to encourage passengers to make reservations that far out. On the other hand, cruise lines also love having all their cabins filled at the time of departure and as such they will also offer discounts on upcoming sailings in which they need help filling. Another thing to keep in mind is the importance of buying travel insurance. Travel insurance plans offer coverage for vacation and trip cancellation, travel interruptions and delays, emergency medical and health expenses, lost baggage and more.
Hint: When traveling in foreign countries or while out to sea, your regular health insurance might not cover all emergency costs. Purchasing travel insurance that will cover health related matters, including emergency medical evacuation will give you some peace of mind and will hopefully never have to be used.
Don’t: travel alone if you are looking for the cheapest fare.
Unfortunately for those of you traveling alone, cruise lines base the cost of each cabin on double occupancy. Unlike most hotel rooms, if you are traveling as a single in a cabin you will probably have to pay almost the same amount as 2 passengers traveling together minus the extra port charges, fuel surcharges and government taxes.
Hint: Ask your friends or family members if they are interested in sharing a cabin. Also, you might try a few websites that offer posts to help find a cruise companion.
Do: choose a repositioning cruise.
A repositioning cruise is when a ship departs from one port and ends its trip in another one. These cruises are normally a good value, but be aware that there are usually a few more days at sea on a repositioning cruise.
Hint: Check airfare first. Since these cruises begin and end in different cities, the airfare to and from your home city may not make this a good deal for everyone.
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