*** Your Title Here ***
THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A CRUISE SHIP - PART TWO
As you learned in 'Things to look for in a cruise ship - part one', you have
a number of options for choosing ships and saving money. In this part two
article, we want to provide you with some more tips when it comes time to
choose your cruise. All cruise ships are unique while sharing several
common denominators. The two things cruise lines go overboard on
include meals and activity.
Regarding meals, until you have been on a cruise ship, you have never
seen such a spread in your life. Every meal is a sensational event. Since
the price of the cruise includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks,
special parties, midnight buffets, and more, you can be sure you will
never run out of food. Not only are you fed often but the food is prepared
to excellence. For this reason, most travel agents will tell you to
expect to gain between five and fifteen pounds while on a cruise, which
means dieting is not allowed.
However, some people do have special food needs. Therefore, when
looking into all your cruise options, be sure to ask if the cruise line
can prepare kosher, diabetic, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, or
other special needs meals. Most cruise lines today understand that
special diet needs are all part of satisfying customers so they go out of
their way to ensure every passenger is a happy passenger.
Secondly, if you think you will simply go onboard, look out over the sea,
and have fun at ports of call, you are in for a huge and pleasant surprise.
Cruise ships include Vegas-like shows, magic shows, casinos, karaoke
night, theater, shopping, bowling, swimming, trap shooting,
rollerblading, and much more. The great thing is that you can get
involved with all types of activities and events or sit back and relax.
If you want to stay active, then keep in mind that afternoon naps are a
must since most things happen at night. If you have specific activities
or events you find more interesting, ask the cruise line about the
specific schedule so you have a good idea of how you will spend your time
while on the ship.
If you have an upcoming anniversary or family reunion, consider a
cruise. Since you can put two to four people to a cabin, enjoy such
diversity regardless of age, and often enjoy discounts for larger
parties, this makes an excellent option. Therefore, if you have some
type of special event to plan for contact the various cruise lines to see
what great prices they can provide. Just remember that in this case, you
want to plan about a year out if at all possible. In addition, cruises
make great options for holiday get-togethers.
Although todays cruise industry is much larger than a few years ago,
remember that the more reputable cruise lines such as Carnival and
Royal Caribbean offer better service. In fact, one of Royal
Caribbeanís ships, the 'Explorer of the Seas' is so huge that it actually
features an ice-skating rink, a shopping mall, unbelievable
restaurants, and more. Although you might pay around $200 more to take
a trip on these two cruise lines, you will not be disappointed.
Finally, ask about the check-in time. Sometimes, you will arrive at the
Cruise ship, stand in line, go through the check-in process, and not get
to your room for an hour whereas other ships such as Royal Caribbean will
have you checked in and ready to go in 15 minutes. If you are not one to
stand in long lines, the check-in and check-out processes should also
be questioned. Just remember, this is your hard-earned money, which
gives you the right to ask all the questions you want.
