A Cruise Vacation Offers Great Deals and Much, Much More

With the economy the way it has been going, sluggish at best lately, many avid tourists have been seeking out that special vacation that won't break the bank, yet, offers an all-inclusive means of experiencing fun, entertainment and shall I say...that Kodak moment...priceless! What better way of getting away from it all, than on a cruise ship. You can experience so much on a cruise from historical locals, unique cultures and customs, breathtaking scenery, gamut of entertainment choices, relaxation, ethnic foods and drinks and that represents just a sampling of what you can experience on a cruise dream vacation.

The cruising industry has come along way over the past century or so. Back in 1840 Cunard Lines launched the first luxurious cruise ship. Next, came the historic maiden voyage of the R.M.S Titanic. Though succumbing to that lurid chain of events that unfolded while embarking from Southampton, England to New York City, on 10 April, 1912, the beauty, glam our and high tech sophistication employed on a boat her size was captivating to say the least. Switching gears, I am sure many of you are familiar with the somewhat capricious and cheesy show entitled "The Love Boat" from the mind of executive producer Aaron Spelling. From the late 1970's to mid 1980's, The Love Boat (Pacific Princess) sitcom captivated audiences and enticed would be vacationers to set their sails to various ports of call, while experiencing charm, luxury and beauty aboard this luxury liner. This takes us up to the present day cruise ship. Much more sophisticated, luxurious, glamorous and mammoth in terms of shear size, weight and speed.

Cruise ships of today are colossal! Gross tonnage of 225,000 plus, upwards of 1,100 feet long cruising along at 22 knots carrying a maximum occupancy well over 6,000 passengers!!!! That is truly amazing and a big difference between Cruise lines of today and yesteryear.

Now, for some fun features and alluring charm. Many cruise lines feature various sized ships in terms of weight class, length and so on. Royal Caribbean, Princess, Norwegian, Cunard, Carnival and Disney reflect just a small sampling of cruise lines available. All of the ships have a unique name that differentiates one liner from the next in each companies arsenal of ships. Cruise ships are stationed at various ports of departure, from New York City, to Fort Lauderdale,Florida, from Genoa, Italy to Sydney, Australia and many other ports in between. Depending on your itinerary (where you would like to travel IE. islands, countries, cities, historic significance etc.) and/or the ship and what it has to offer, these two components create the foundation of your cruise and decidedly, what port you will depart from.

Some of the exclusive features accessible while on board a luxurious cruise ship include, numerous fresh and salt water pools, casino, shopping mall, skating rink, rock climbing, dance clubs and bars, auditorium for viewing comedy acts and musical/dance shows, numerous restaurants that include both formal and casual dinning ambiance, cafes, mini golf, basketball hoops, jogging track, fitness room and spas, skeet shoot, child and teen zone designated areas, unique atrium, decorations and architecture to be explored and much more depending on the ship and company. Relaxation is also a nice concept incorporated into the cruising experience. Multiple decks supplying chairs and lounge chairs will allow you to soak up the suns rays, or salty air. Adding to this are the glamorous views ever changing with the hint of music played by the band that is characteristic of the ports of call you are visiting. Their is literally so much to see and do on the ship that it will take you days just to see the inside of the ship and I haven't mentioned anything about your excursions and tours. Getting lost on one of these gigantic ships is the norm and should be expected, however, this enables you to explore the many aspects of the ship including food and beverage options at the moment or in the near future. This can also represent a convenient form of exercise, at least you can continually think that while getting lost going from your state room to the formal dinning area, especially since their is more than one!

The availability of numerous ethnic foods, drinks and snacks is incredible with access to food is literally 24/7 while on a cruise. Because of this, your mind set should be based on calories consumed over the course of each hour. This is all good though since the food is so fresh, flavorful delicious, plentiful and INCLUDED in the price of admission on the ship...so, you will want to take full advantage of this amenity!

The various ports of call that are associated with the itinerary for the particular ship vary depending on the ship, calendar week, number of cruise days and departing port. Because of this when planning your cruise vacation, you will want to explore all your options to best suit your wants and needs. Obviously, depending on your itinerary, you will experience a small taste of the culture, people, customs, foods, heritage and beauty that is unique to that particular part of the world. What better way to experience other parts of the world than on a cruise. The ability to experience more than one destination in a week is another benefit of cruising.. A potpourri or sampling of multiple destinations to allow you to experience more in a shorter period of time than you would otherwise is a great selling point of cruising. Instead of flying to a destination and staying there for the duration of your stay may not be what you want to do so cruising offers you the flexibility to, not only, explore more but incorporate the many unique and fascinating facets associated with a luxury liner while on a cruise vacation.

Being able to explore more than one destination is ideal since each destination offers its own charm, history, culture, excursions, shopping and exploring. A diverse array of choices to fancy yourself with duty free shopping, awesome discounts on liquor, jewelery, clothing and other goods and services just makes it that much more exciting.

So, step up to the plate, literally and set sail for a vacation of a lifetime on a cruise ship. The possibilities are endless and the deals are hot...

One nice tip...The sooner you book a cruise, often times, the more you can save. Periodically, various cruise lines will offer promotional upgrades as well like a standard outside stateroom for a balcony, so be aware!

Happy Sailing...