From what to start with ? It is a common rule that every trip starts with going to an airport and wait for the flight. As for all cruises – it is all the same, you just go to the pier. If you go by car, it will be parked by the parking attendant, the same person will care about your luggage – the bags will be brought to the cabin. Starts nice, does not it? Like if you arrived to a hotel. Do you know that you can take as much bags as you want? Great travel way for women!

Cruises from Southampton. Cruise ships take their trips from Southampton to the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean, the Baltic and the Norwegian Fjords.

Cruises from Dover. Dover sea port is one of the most modern ones in the UK. There are two terminals and a plenty of facilities that make your trip comfortable from the beginning.  Dover is famous for White Cliffs and the city itself, have a small tour before of after cruising.

Cruises from Edinburgh. Port of Leith is one of the largest sea ports of Scotland. Where to go from Edinburgh? Scandinavia cruises start their trips from the Port of Leigh and is very popular nowadays.

Cruises from Greenock. This sea port is also situated in Scotland and they do all the best for comfortable holiday departs. It is an ocean terminal and is often a gateway for foreigners.

 Cruises from Harwich. Harwich is not only a major port but also a main car ferry for the North Sea. What to see in Harwich? Redoubt Fort and Mayflower exhibition in the lighthouse museum. Who knows if you will visit Harwich again. Why not to see it’s sights and attractions?

Cruises from Hull. The port of Hull is situated on the Humber River. Cruises to Rotterdam  ( Holland ) and Helsinki ( Finland ) start there.

Cruises from Liverpool. Cruise destination from Liverpool start with British Isles and end with Canary Islands! As you know Liverpool is a city of great attractions so it is a must to leave some spare time for travel sites. Liverpool is famous for its architecture and Beatles of course.

Cruises from Newcastle. The Port of Tyne is situated between Leith and Harwich and has cruises to Scandinavia and Baltic. Waterfront is famous for it’s restaurant so keep in mind to have some meal over there.

Cruises from Portsmouth. This port is situated on the south of England and for those who live in the north it will take some time to get there. Train or car, both is ok. Fred Olsen Cruises is departing from the Portsmouth and has a lot of destinations to offer.

Transatlantic or a Mediterranean cruises. If you choose one of this cruises from the United Kingdom be sure that the cruise line offer good entertainment and feeding. It may be really a long trip so be sure you will not be bored but will really enjoy your holiday!

Royal Caribbean Cruises . As you know Royal Caribbean is one of the best cruise lines to travel with .Royal Caribbean offers really great vacations to Hawaii. When you stop in  Kauai, Oahu and Maui you can understand how wonderful the island is and how unique it is. Be sure, Royal Caribbean Cruises chose the best ports for you.

Hawaii island has a lot of to offer. Tourist activities, attractions, local cuisine, beaches and beautiful views. Every year a lot of tourists from all over the world come to visit Hawaii by air and by ship. It is worth visiting Hawaii in any way. Culture, history and native people, traditions – all this make Hawaii islands so different from the other parts of the USA. You can feel how different it is just after you enter the port. Let me tell you more about the main islands of visiting buy Royal Caribbean ship. Kauai – this a a very green island with amazing nature. Discovering Kauai can be really breathtaking. the second largest island of Hawaii – Maui is famous for it’s beaches, eucalyptus groves and rain forests to walk through. If you want to explore the island, take a tour or excursions that are widely provided. Restaurants on Maui offer great meals of authentic cuisines. Oahu island has the largest population. Cheap restaurants and shops are ready to meet a lot of tourists every day.

Hawaiian cruise is always a mix of enjoying a luxury ship and beach travelling. Always choose the best weather conditions to enjoy Hawaii. Do not forget your suncream, sunglasses and camera. Enjoy it as if you travel to one of the most exotic places on the world. There is no need to go far away from the US, many tourists prefer this destination and trust them, they know where they go.

Crystal Cruises! This so popular cruise line offers cruising to these 3 countries with great program of visiting ports and sight seeings. What will you be lucky to see? Rose City of Petra, Egypt tombs and pyramids, Dead sea, and other historical and religious sights.

 Itinerary. This cruise starts in Athens, Greece and ends in Venice, Italy. Includes 12 days and visits to Rhodes ( Greece ), Santorini ( Greece ), Dubrovnik ( Croatia ) and Corfu ( Greece ). Egypt tour includes Alexandria, Mount of Olives, Church of Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem’s Time Elevator, Sphinx, Cairo’s Egyptian Museum and Great Pyramid of Giza. As you can understand it is totally a historical trip and your aim must be visiting historical sights and getting to know culture and traditions of these countries. It is not a lazy sun bathing tourism, though Greek island are perfect for swimming and snorkeling. This tour will be interesting for those who want to visit religious places and to touch the history of religion. Do visit museums and do visit all the excursions offered. This is a great opportunity to visit the countries without buying a flight ticket. Guest archaeologists and other experts will help you to get more information.

Even if you are late for this cruise that takes place in October with Crystal Cruises, take a note, to have it next time. I like to write in my articles about interesting and breathtaking destinations more that usual sandy beaches that you can reach easily by plane. If I make a list of “must” cruises, this one will be included too. I love cruising, and hope you too!

What is cancellation protection plan? You can cancel your trip for any reason! There are 2 variations of this plan allow to receive up to 90% of your cruise price.

 Standard cancellation protection plan:

Up to 76 days before departure date you can cancel your trip without any penalties. Up to 24 hours before departure you can cancel you trip and get 80% money back. As an extra option you are provided 500 dollars liability in case of delayed, damaged or lost baggage.

Platinum cancellation protection plan:

If you by platinum plan insurance it lets you cancel your trip up to departure and pays 90% of the cost of your trip! As for liability- payment for damaged baggage  was increased up to 1600 dollars, payment for delayed baggage was increased up to 1100 dollars, also this plan includes trip interruption and trip delay cover.

Both plans include medical protection: illness or injury medical expenses, emergency evacuation and 24 hours support for documents, transfer and any other medical assistance.

How to get this type of insurance?

This insurance plans should be purchased when paying deposit and can be bought only by the US and Canadian residents. Price as usually depends on the cost of the cruise trip. Well, I can say for sure that I am of those tourists who certainly take travel insurance during any trip. Especially if it is a cruise. There can be a lot of reasons for cancelling my trip. I prefer to plan my trips in advance, and if you too, this article can be really useful for you. Holland America has really great cruise itineraries and if you are fond of cruising, i am sure that one day you will be their customer.

Dining time. Counselors wait for children at the entrance of the restaurant and pick them up after their meal is finished. Parents can continue dining and enjoying the evening while the kids are already taken to the children’s area. Nice, isn’t it? Believe me, it is hard to finish your meal even in a restaurant not far from you house and I think that this is a great idea, I think other parents will agree with me.

Lunch with friends. Those children who doesn’t want to part from their friends during lunch time can eat their meal all together for some small extra change. Why not? It will be nice both for parents and children. They will continue playing after lunch and if you have some other plans for this time, you can be sure that your child eat and happy.

Baby time. Now it is much easier to travel with infants. No need to bring baby food from home, organic food and diapers will be brought to your room. Baby sitters are charchable and payed 10 dolalrs per hour. Maybe not everybody can leave it’s baby with a baby sitter, and even it is not that difficuld to bring baby food from home, but sometimes you just forget something and then think where to get it. So this service is great to my mind. I think I am not the only one who can forget something at home.

Teen disco and living room. Teens alsways are looking for some place, hidden from parents. Let them feel themselves like us, independent and with their own program. They will love cruises if they didn’t before!

Library for kids. Well, thanks to Royal Caribbean children will enjoy cruise as wll as we do it. Cookies, milk and a story every evening- all of us need some rest, it is great that Royal Caribbean cares about children so much. When children are busy with something you can relax and enjoy your holiday. Isn’t it? Sometimes when I go to some 5 stars hotel for a holiday, on my way back I feel myself like if I worked hard during this one or 2 weeks. And for me such a program can really be a good chance to enjoy vacations and to come back with unforgettable memories.

What to do in Caribbean cruise? Standard things like shopping, lounging and swimming are replaced now with amazing excursions and golf. Despite of bad situation with economy people do not travel less than before, and what is more, they want rich programs and entertainment. Most cruise lines provide it and cruises nowadays become really unforgettable. Bacardirum factory, Bioluminescence Bay Kayak, El Yunque, tours by cars and hiking are offered for tourists of all ages. Each port that you visit will offer something interesting and breathtaking.

Golf courses. Doesn’t matter if you can play golf or not, there are golf courses and may be it is time to start learning it? By the way, golf if offered as a program not only in Caribbean cruises, many other cruise lines, especially on luxury ships offer this option as a part of entertainment during your staying in the port.

Diving and snorkeling. As well as golf courses you can take scuba lessons or just snorkel around for beautiful underwater life by the shore. Or, maybe if you fed up with sea have a white water rafting to feel some adventure during your vacations. Kayaking, jet boat ride – a lot of much more activities than you could imaging!

Caribbean islands are famous for it’s beautiful beaches, nature, forests and wild life. It is a must to find some time for getting around and taking some pictures. Caribbean islands have their own history, culture and folklore. Be ready to explore the area, then your holiday will be unforgettable.

Doesn’t matter if you are travelling by a luxury ship or maybe found the cheapest deal. Remember, that cruising is not only shipping, but visiting islands, countries as if you would travel by air. Use this great opportunity to enjoy your vacations in any way.

 Turkey and Greece. Turkey and Greece have very very small and beautiful islands to visit. Plus add to this great historical sights and ancient ruins that are easy to reach from the ports. Probably Turkey and Greece cruises are ideal for those who is looking for history and breathtaking views. In Turkey you will visit Ephesus ( though I have already been there, want to visit it once again, and highly recommend this site ). Myconos, Santorini, Thira and other islands of Aegean and Mediterranean. This is one of my favourite destinations.

The Baltic. The Baltic cruises also are famous for history, traditions, magnificent buildings and nature. From St. Petersburg ( Russia ) to Stockholm ( Sweden ) you will watch and walk the harbors, historical buildings and museums, in Copenhagen ( Denmark ) it is Tivoli Gardens and other beautiful sight seeings. Actually it is a good variant of visiting north countries. When you go to Europe and Russia it is difficult to make such a journey all in one, you have to choose. But really if you are going to St. Petersburg it is not a must to buy tickets to it’s or Moscow’s airport. Just take a cruise and visit all northern countries. Just be sure to check the list of shore excursions to get enough impression of this great “cold” countries.

Antarctica. One more cold place for cruising. If you have already had a cruise to Alaska you know what to expect: ice and it’s wild life. Cruising to Antarctica is a must for those who really loves cruises and want to see all by travelling by ship. Some advanced cruise travellers even call it the best cruise in the world! Yes,  a lot of us some day feed up with hot sunny countries with sand and sea, if you too, then next your destination must be Antarctica! Whales, albatross, penguins, elephant seals and of course icebergs! You will be very lucky if you have experts on the ship who will give some scientific information on nature and wild life in general.

 Asia cruises. What comes to your mind when you hear word Asia? Spicy food and overcrowded streets? have you ever been to Singapore and Hong Kong? Temples and the highest buildings will impress anybody who visit those Asian countries that develop so quickly today. The other Asian destinations are: Thailand, Vietnam, Burma and Malaysia. Nature of this countries is so different from the one you used to see in the US!

Hawaii islands. Hawaii islands also can be called a tropical paradise as well as Asian countries. On Hawaii it is recommended to spend more time on the shore and even to hire a car. Shore activities are much wider that you can imaging: hiking, watching dolphins, exploring caves and cliffs. There are a lot of national parks and beaches to spend a one week holiday.

Of course, I will mention one more time all this destinations in other articles in details. And sure there are much more cruise itineraries worth visiting. I just had to start with with something and I chose the ones that maybe both interesting for first time  and experienced cruisers. have a nice trip, wherever you go!

Weather during cruising. You can not really know if it will be cold or warm, so in any season it is advices to take warm clothes and rain coat. Summer is usually warm and pleasant for cruising, but at the same time very expensive. If you are looking for cheap Alaska cruise deals it is better to travel in May and September. Weather maybe colder than in summer, but if you have enough warm clothes be sure you will enjoy the cruising! So what to wear? Even ıf you travel in summer, take waterproof clothes with you. Sweaters, t-shirts and a hat is a must. It maybe to hot in sweater under the sun and too cold in the evenings without it.

What to take ? Well, sun protection oil, camera, comfortable footwear are a must like in any other trips, but I also would recommend to take insect repellent, especially in hot months. Binoculars will be very useful for wanting wildlife on the shore and in the sea.

Alaska shore excursions. Shore excursions is a must for a good Alaska cruise, that is why read excursions list before you buy a cruise package. On the shore you may find some small agency offering excursions even for cheaper price, but will it be good? Buying a cruise tour is preferable.

Travel insurance. Travel insurance is important for airline or train cancellations and delays. Though Alaska in not a hot country with it’s own local diseases, still I always recommend  taking medical travel insurance, especially if you travel with children.

Vancouver and Seattle. Do not forget to spend sometime in these beautiful cities if your cruise start or end with them. Most cruises do it, so you have a chance to enjoy also city sightseeing and walks. You can arrange your booking according to it.

1. Read your holiday package carefully. What will be included in the trip? What places will be visited? What shore excursions will be provided? What countries or cities will be visited?

2. What facilities the ship has? How big is the ship? How luxury the ship is? Is luxury important for you or you are looking for adventures more than for lazy sunbathing by a pool? Do not be surprised, some cruise packages include even golf, of course not on the ship but in the ports. For example, such cruise destinations like Europe, Caribbean and Hawaii include them.

3. Clothes. What are you looking for? For swimming, sunbathing and breathtaking pictures of ports? Then short, t- shirt and a hat will be enough for you. And you can travel with “Freestyle Cruising” for that. If you can not live without evening dresses, then some very luxury ship that provides nightlife  will be great for you.

4. Type of dining programs. Different cruise lines offer different types of dining, for example I can recommend Crystal Cruises and Celebrity Cruises for traditional, two seating dining. If you are looking for something flexible you can check the dining programs at the other cruise lines. Cuisine is very important. Just think, you are in the middle of the ocean, it is not just like visiting different restaurants everyday on some sunny riviera. Of course, big ships provide good choice of food and sometimes several restaurants but before you buy you cruise asking about meal is important. Especially if you travel by a small ship and with children.

4. Active or lazy? Nightlife or sightseeing? I can recommend Carnival Cruise Lines for those, who is looking for great nightlife with bars, disco and shows. If you are looking for a calm holiday at least be sure that your room will be far away from loud music. 

5. Children. If you travel by ship with children, ask if the cruise line provides children programs and activities. The best cruise lines for family cruising are: Norwegian Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean. Children always need time and place for playing, otherwise they would never want to cruise any more. Make sure that they also enjoy the holiday.

Really, the list is much shorter that I planned from the beginning. There are much more important moments when choosing a cruise for the first time. In another articles I will give more information that maybe you should know. Believe me, cruise travel maybe really interesting and very different than you used to see when travelling by air or by car.