In many cases, the dates you choose to go on vacation may have a bearing on how much you will spend.  For example, summer time is peak season and more popular than spring and fall months. 

Choosing to cruise during spring or fall may save you money on cruises, flights, hotels, rental cars and other ancillary expenses, but the weather is more uncertain.  The Mediterranean for example is a lovely place to visit during the summer and shoulder seasons, but can be very cold and windy during winter.  And because the seas are usually rough for this time of year there is an increased chance of missing one or two ports of call due to bad weather.  However, you may consider this to be a small price to pay for a cheaper cruise.

You can also get good deals by booking well in advance, or if you have the flexibility and don’t mind the limited cabin options, you can grab even better bargains by booking within a week or two of sailing.  This may be more challenging for a family with children, but if possible this can be a great way to get a fantastic discount; often up to half off the original price, and some times more.

Some destinations have limited seasons.  For example, the larger cruise lines only send their ships to Alaska and northern Europe between May and September, and the Mediterranean between April and November (Although becoming more popular year round).  South of the equator, like Australia, New Zealand, Asia and South America are popular November through March.

The Caribbean is a little easier to plan for, with ships going there all year round.  In fact it’s surprising to note that deciding when to cruise is one of the most overlooked areas of cruising… yet it can have the biggest impact.

For example, cruising in Alaska at the start of summer is very different to the end of summer.  There are more snow peaks, stronger waterfalls and a better chance of seeing wildlife at the start of the season. However, due to all the ice in the water your ship will have less chance of getting up close to the glaciers.

By the time summer finishes, more of the ice has melted and your ship can usually get closer to the glaciers for a spectacular view and a great once in a life time experience.

Cruising the Caribbean during Spring Break is often regrettably overlooked by first time cruisers.  Spring break is at different times from state to state within the US and Canada, and spans from the start of March to the end of April.

Hurricane season

There are two ways of looking at cruising during the Caribbean hurricane season from June 1st to November 30th.  On one hand, the ship can easily change its itinerary, and often does, if the destination port is in the path of a hurricane.  If this happens, your vacation continues as planned but with a change of itinerary, or an additional sea day. For some this is not a problem. But on the other hand, if you are really looking forward to swimming with dolphins in Cozumel, or scuba dive in Belize, a pending hurricane could see you miss this port altogether.

Additionally, if you are on a 3 day cruise, missing one or both of the port days can be very disappointing and poor value for money… an important point to keep in mind.

Another point to note is the possible disruption to getting to and from the ship.  It’s not the change in the ships’ itinerary but the flights in and out of Florida and surrounding states that often experience delays and/or cancellations.

Planning your perfect cruise continues finishes with Part 6.

To make the most of your cruise, read my book Cruise Ship Secrets.  It will help you with beating sea sickness, cruising with kids, saving money, what to expect onboard, what to pack, and a lot more.

Do you want a tropical setting? A European cruise for two? Or sightseeing with friends in Alaska? With so many wonderful destinations to choose from, you may already be planning your second, third or forth cruise.

To help you decide, look at the itinerary and shore excursions of each cruise line you are considering and make a list of sites and activities you would like to do. Then compare.

As mentioned earlier check the cruise ship’s itinerary carefully; especially the time spent in each port of call. Ships arrival and departure times can vary from ship to ship depending on its itinerary. If there is a certain place that you have your heart set on seeing, it would be a shame to only have a five hour visit because the ship arrives later in the day or departs early in the day.

When deciding where to go, keep in mind the weather or season for the part of the world you are interested in visiting. Which leads us to Part 5.

To make the most of your cruise, read my book Cruise Ship Secrets.  It will help you with beating sea sickness, cruising with kids, saving money, what to expect onboard, what to pack, and a lot more.

What type of cruise do you have in mind? What is your price range?  Do you have luxury in mind or something a bit more affordable?

There are many cruises to choose from; therefore it is best to determine our budget before planning your cruise.  A cruise can appear very cheap when looking at the advertised price, but after taxes, gratuities, travel arrangements and onboard expenses the final price tag might be more than you expected, therefore, budget accordingly.  After all, it’s important you have enough money to enjoy yourself while onboard.

With larger cruise lines, like Carnival and Royal Caribbean, the two biggest cruise lines in the world with a growing fleet of around 22 ships each; the newer the ship, the nicer the décor and amenities.  With these cruise lines, the service is pretty standard across the fleet but the amenities of the ship differ with the ships.  Going on a newer ship will be an entirely different experience than going on an older ship, even within the same cruise line.

This is very important when talking to previous cruisers and learning of their experiences.  If someone really liked their Costa cruise, it doesn’t guarantee they would like all Costa cruises.  The same goes for all large cruise lines.

However, with smaller cruise lines, the level of service and amenities depend on the star of service for the ship.  You can have an immaculate older ship that is Five Star, for example, Crystal, Holland America and Celebrity Cruises.  These companies also have newer ships, therefore you get Five Star service with ‘new ship’ amenities.

But remember, the higher Star of service doesn’t always mean you will have a better cruise.  For example, some people prefer Princess Cruises over the Five Star services of Celebrity.  Or prefer Royal Caribbean instead of the Six Star services of Azamara Cruises.  It all depends on your individual tastes and lifestyles.  Therefore don’t let the price tag be your only deciding factor.

Special Note: There are three things that can blow your budget out of the water:

• Shore excursions
• Spa treatments
• Alcoholic beverages

All three have the ability to tempt you in the heat of the moment.  Keep these three things in check and you will have enough money left over for your next cruise.

Planning your perfect cruise continues with Part 4.

To make the most of your cruise, read my book Cruise Ship Secrets.  It will help you with beating sea sickness, cruising with kids, saving money, what to expect onboard, what to pack, and a lot more.

Are you cruising with your significant other, alone, with friends, family, or a partner?  Either way, this will dictate the type of cruise you should be looking for.  Relaxing strolls on white sandy beaches is different from a weekend booze cruise to Mexico. 

We once shared a shuttle with a family en route to their first cruise. There were two ships leaving from the same port that day.  Considering the ages of the two children, we assumed they were going on the Disney ship, as the other ship in port was considered a ‘”Booze cruise” for spring-breaker types.  And guess what?  It was spring break and the ship was loaded down with party goers! 

Much to our surprise, the family boarded the ‘booze cruise’ and you can probably guess the rest.  This is the perfect example of not doing your home work.  Unfortunately, that family’s first time cruising was probably their last.

If you are taking your children, some cruise lines cater to children much better than others, with programs and activities specifically designed for kids.  Although nearly all ships can accommodate children; some ships rarely have children cruising and are short on amenities.  Find out in advance the general type of people cruising – families, retired, young singles etc.  This drastically changes the atmosphere of the ship and can determine how much enjoyment you and the young ones will have.

Some people discover family cruises turn out to be the best vacation they have ever had. Disney Cruises and some of the Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruises spring to mind. The largest cruise ships in the world come with a host of amazing amenities for children including: 

• A large video arcade
• Kid’s only areas
• Teen Disco’s
•  And a host of sporting facilities just to name a few.

Cruising Groups 

Groups are catered for and can be a great way to celebrate the end of year football trip, family reunion, or a business conference at sea… often at reduced  rates. 

We highly recommend using a travel agent if you are making a booking on behalf of a group.  Search online and read reviews.  Once you have found the one provide.  Or, if the cruise line has a group booking representative talk to them before booking.  When booking for a group, the chance of something going wrong increases, therefore use an experienced travel agent or the cruise line to prevent unwanted mistakes or surprises. 

To constitute a group and be eligible for group discounts there must be a minimum number of staterooms booked, and can be as low as 8 rooms, but check with your travel agent for exact details. 

In addition to cheaper cruises, groups can also take advantage of: 

• Liquor packages, 
• Special dining requests 
• Complimentary gifts and door decorations 
• A personalized cake 
•  A stateroom upgrade for the group leader 
• And other VIP activities and amenities

If you are arranging a reunion of sorts, there couldn’t be a better location than on a cruise.  Once onboard, there is something for everyone so your entire group can enjoy the combined vacation/reunion.  The ships will even help with private functions, cakes and photography.  Ask your travel agent about any ‘Reunion Packages’. 

Conference facilities on most ships include dedicated conference rooms including presentation equipment such as overhead projectors, slide projectors, TV and DVD players. Generally, the newer the ship, the better the facilities. 

Planning your perfect cruise continues with Part 3.

To make the most of your cruise, read my book Cruise Ship Secrets.  It will help you with beating sea sickness, cruising with kids, saving money, what to expect onboard, what to pack, and a lot more.

Why a cruise vacation? 

One of the best things about cruising is the wide variety of activities available.  You can do anything from relaxing on a deck chair with a good book, to enjoying more strenuous and exciting activities like golf, snorkeling, or helicopter rides. 

Destination Cruises – European cruises offer medieval tours and other opportunities. Imagine visiting the Coliseum, the French Riviera and the Greek Islands all in one week!  There is no place on earth where you will find this much culture and history so close together. Caribbean cruises offer beautiful beaches full of excitement and relaxation.  You could be snorkeling clear blue waters of Mexico, visiting beautiful Jamaican waterfalls, and lazing in a hammock on a stunning beach, all during the same vacation.  

Where ever you are cruising, ships usually dock early in the morning, giving you the opportunity to get off and explore the sights during the day. Later in the afternoon or evening, your ship sets sail to the next exciting destination.  In some destinations (commonly referred to as ports of call), the ship will arrive late, so check the voyage arrival and departure times prior to booking.  You don’t want to get to your favorite destination just to find out you’re there only for a few hours.  In some locations, the ship will stay for a night or two, giving you ample opportunity to explore longer.

If you are celebrating a special occasion, then it is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of some unique packages available.  Most Cruise Lines offer excellent romance packages including sparkling wine and chocolate strawberries waiting for you upon arrival, a selection of massages to chose from, roses in your room and even breakfast in bed.  Plan in advance and give the cruise line as much notice as possible.  It always pays to double check the arrangements prior to leaving home.

One of the great things about a cruise is, it’s a destination within itself that takes you to several other destinations while you sleep.  You wake up in the morning to a whole new adventure.  And with the most popular cities located on the water; a cruise ship can visit Barcelona, Venice, Monte Carlo, Cannes, Athens and the Greek Islands all in one cruise. 

To conclude part 1, a common mistake is relying too much on what other people recommend. The same ship can change from season to season and itinerary to itinerary. And what your friends or family liked on their cruise might not be what you have in mind.  To guarantee yourself a great vacation, do your research and make it your own decision.  The rest of planning your perfect cruise continues here.

To make the most of your cruise, read my book Cruise Ship Secrets.  It will help you with beating sea sickness, cruising with kids, saving money, what to expect onboard, what to pack, and a lot more.

Puerto Vallarta – I have never been here and it be cold.  It is always hot, but I love it.  The golf is good in PV and so too are the tours.  But if you don’t want the expense, grab a $3 shuttle or $10 taxi into downtown and walk along the boardwalk.  There are some good bars/restaurants to sit and relax on the second level overlooking the water.  If you miss out on the shipboard tour you wanted, there are private tour companies on the pier as you get off the ship.  They are used to catering with cruise passengers so they will make sure you are back at the ship in time.  Of course there are risks going with private tour companies as outlined in Cruise Ship Secrets, but what ever you chose to do, I hope you have a great time.

To make the most of your cruise, read my book Cruise Ship Secrets.  It will help you with beating sea sickness, cruising with kids, saving money, what to expect onboard, what to pack, and a lot more. 

Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day – If you’re new to exercise and feel inspired by your cruise to give it a try, you’re already half way there.  If you do not know how to put together an effective weight loss program on your own, or if you are a looking for a quality diet and exercise program you can follow, nearly all ships have fitness instructors to help you.  Most ships have fully equipped gymnasiums with weights, cardio machines and a host of exercise classes like Aerobics, Pilates, Yoga etc.

If you want a shortcut to burning fat fast, train in the morning before breakfast.  If you train when you first wake up, your body starts burning fat faster than it would after you eat.  The reason being is, your body has been fasting all night; hence it has less energy to use before it starts burning fat.  So if it normally takes your body 20 minutes of exercise before it starts burning fat, it may only take 10 minutes in the morning.  Therefore, a 30 minute workout becomes a lot more beneficial for burning fat in the morning than the afternoon or evening.  And considering your days will be filled with sightseeing, and your nights with eating, drinking and entertaining, the morning is also the most convenient time to train.

Keep busy - On cruises nowadays, there’s always something to do onboard, so it shouldn’t be too hard to keep yourself occupied.  This will keep you from getting bored and take your attention away from eating.  Depending on your ship, there could be fitness classes, dancing, rock climbing, ice skating, surfing, golf and miniature golf, inline skating, basketball, volleyball tournaments, dodge ball tournaments, and soccer just to name a few.  The ships daily planner will outline different fitness activities and wellness seminars you can do.  Take advantage of these to learn more about staying healthy.  This will not only keep you motivated but give you valuable education to serve you long after your cruise.  Want more cruise ship tips for staying healthy onboard.  Read my blog on what not to do while cruising.

To make the most of your cruise, read my book Cruise Ship Secrets.  It will help you with beating sea sickness, cruising with kids, saving money, what to expect onboard, what to pack, and a lot more.

WHAT NOT TO DO

Last minute panic dieting – To look good in bathers, most people submit themselves to last minute panic dieting just before going on vacation.  Now, anything I say here is probably not going to change that, so I will try and be realistic and say, don’t over do it to the point where it’s unhealthy.  When you’re cruising you generally stay up late, get up early and are running around all day sight seeing or doing other activities.  And within the close quarter’s environment of a cruise ship, you need your immune system to be functioning at its optimum level.  Running yourself down prior to even stepping onboard will leave you lethargic after the third day, running on empty toward the end of the cruise, and completely worn out, if not sick by the time you get home.  Healthy before, means healthy onboard!

Eating at every opportunity just because you can – Yes, there is always somewhere on a cruise ship to get food.  However, that’s so they can cater to all kinds of people who like to eat at different times.  Not people who like to eat all the time. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean you have to eat it.

Giving up on your regular exercise schedule - This is a sure fire way of going home heavier than when you came.  Not only are you reducing the calories you are used to burning at home, but more than likely, you will be eating and drinking more while onboard.  If you already have an exercise program, stick with it and use this opportunity to mix it up with some things you don’t normally do at home.  Things like morning stretch classes, yoga, running or walking out on deck, spinning classes, new exercise machines etc.

Ordering room service late at night – Most people order hamburgers, fries, hot dogs, cookies and sandwiches.  And let’s face it, whether it’s a romantic snack in bed while cuddling up to watch a movie, or a late night feast after a big night out, there’s just something appealing about ordering room service late at night while on vacation.  But if you must order the most fattening things on the menu, just don’t eat them all.  Or order a fruit platter and salad and eat them first.  Hopefully this will fill you up enough not to eat the bad food.  Ultimately though, order the fruit plate and salad only, and leave the hamburgers etc. well alone at night.

Skipping meals – Skipping meals only slows down your metabolism causing your body to burn less calories in its normal state.  Further more your body will store fat to keep in reserves, burning muscle for energy.

If you can’t avoid onboard weight gain perhaps knowing how to lose it will help.

To make the most of your cruise, read my book Cruise Ship Secrets.  It will help you with beating sea sickness, cruising with kids, saving money, what to expect onboard, what to pack, and a lot more.

Tips for getting it right.
To get married onboard a cruise ship you need to be cruising with them (although this may soon change, where they will offer non sailing packages).  They currently offer numerous cruise packages that are widely used and very convenient.  The list of packages can be found in each cruise lines website.  If you chose to marry on boarding day, I assume you will be checking luggage.  When you check your luggage out in the terminal, it won’t arrive to your stateroom until the afternoon or early evening, so make sure you have everything you need for the ceremony in a carry on bag.  Also include a change of clothes for the compulsory boat drill, unless of course you want to attend the drill wearing your wedding outfit, along with a bright orange life jacket.  If so, take the camera.
Since you don’t usually have access to your stateroom until after 1pm, the ship will have somewhere for you to get ready.  Check with your cruise wedding consultant beforehand to make sure you have compatible power sockets for your hair dryers/straighteners and the like.  Make sure you double check and triple check your wedding list before submitting it to the cruise line.  Anyone who turns up on the day and is not on the list will definitely not be permitted to board.  At the completion of the reception lunch or cocktail party, any of your guests that are not sailing will need to depart the ship, before you sail off in to the sunset on your honeymoon. Note: There are few ports in the world where your guests will be able to wave you off like you see in the movies.  The terminal building is usually in between your guests and the ship.  And once they leave the ship after the ceremony, they will not be aloud back inside the cruise terminal to wave you off. Similar to an airport, the front foyer is as far as they will get before security stops them.

Remember – The newer the ship, the better the amenities.  New ships are now being built to cater for the wedding market, therefore the chapel and ceremony locations are suitably designed areas instead of make shift locations made up for your wedding day and then turned back into a conference room after it’s over. 

Or get married in one of the ports of call, perhaps on a beach at one of the resorts… commonly called a destination wedding.

To make the most of your cruise, read my book Cruise Ship Secrets.  It will help you with beating sea sickness, cruising with kids, saving money, what to expect onboard, what to pack, and a lot more.

Things to consider.  Unfortunately, most of us need to consider a budget when planning any vacation… a honeymoon is no different.  Thinking about money while on your honeymoon does not set the mood for romance, which makes cruising a very attractive honeymoon option.  It’s more of an all inclusive type of vacation without unexpected costs of food, taxi’s and entertainment.  Variety is another good reason to pick a cruise for your honeymoon!  To visit the different locations you do on a cruise would cost twice as much any other way.   Would you rather say you went to Venice for your honeymoon, or Venice, Rome and the Greek Islands. Or instead of St Thomas, you could say St Thomas, St Maarten, St Lucia and Antigua.

Another point to consider when planning your honeymoon cruise is the time of year you want to go.  For most of you, this is easy.  Directly after your wedding of course.  Now I’m not saying to plan your wedding date around your honeymoon (although probably not a bad idea), however at least consider the following:

• Spring break (certain cruises are popular for spring breakers)
• Hurricane or typhoon season (depending on the location)
• And weather seasons (can impact your flights to and from the cruise)

I’ve seen countless honeymooners miss their cruise because they were stuck in Chicago or Frankfurt airport due to weather delays.  Therefore, factor in delays when planning your flights.  What ever you do, fly in a night or two before your cruise date and stay at a hotel, friends or relatives.  Having this extra time up your sleeve will relieve a lot of stress during flight delays and ensure you make your cruise on time.

I hope this gives you a head start in your honeymoon planning.  If you want to make the most of your honeymoon cruise, Cruise Ship Secrets will give you all you need to know.  Or for more help email me your questions here.  Until next time, my wife and I wish you the best for your big day, and we hope you enjoy your honeymoon.

To make the most of your cruise, read my book Cruise Ship Secrets.  It will help you with beating sea sickness, cruising with kids, saving money, what to expect onboard, what to pack, and a lot more.