Which is better… traveling on land or cruising? Well, having done both I would have to say that cruising is better. With land travel you have to pay separately for your lodging, transportation and food. Of these expenses food can add up, especially if you like eating at fancy restaurants. For this reason during our land trips we decided to eat very light for breakfast and lunch, while eating more lavishly at dinner.

[Read more →]

If you are a single man between the ages of 40 and 70, and you have a talent for dancing, you may want to consider signing up to be a gentleman host on a luxury cruise ship. What is a gentleman host? They teach dance classes and agree to be dance partners for single women. In return for their services, they will receive free room and board during the time they are on the cruise. They may also get a small stipend.

[Read more →]

When most people prepare for their cruise trip, they have to place their pets in a kennel. This is because the majority of commercial cruise ships won’t allow pets, for two reasons. The first is due to health concerns, since it can be difficult getting an animal to relieve itself on a cruise ship in a sanitary manner. The second is in regards to the legalities that arise in allowing animals to enter the ports at which a cruise ship docks.

[Read more →]

Being in the military can earn you a lot of perks, but few are aware that some cruise lines are offering free cruises for military personnel. Discovery Cruise Line is an example. Since 2003 Discovery Cruise Line has given hundreds of free cruises for military personnel. The only requirement is that the person must have served in Iraq or Afghanistan during the year in which the free cruise is being offered.

[Read more →]

Some people believe that cruises and kids don’t mix. They may think that a cruise is too boring for a child or that cruises are intended for more romantic, adult getaways. Well, while parents are entitled to have a private vacation every now and then, cruises can still be an excellent alternative when they are planning a more family-oriented vacation. And the notion that a cruise would be boring for a child is far from the case. This is because most cruise ships offer a wealth of activities specially geared for children and teenagers.

[Read more →]

Imagine gathering your favorite eleven people together, and taking a private tour of the Amazon, the Caribbean, or the Arctic in a 5-star expedition yacht. Now, you can do just that with the German-made Hanse Explorer.

Though pricey (the lowest quoted price is £1,999 per person sharing a twin cabin for 9 nights - around $4,000), the private voyages promise to be the height of exploration experience.

The cabins are state-of-the art, and come equipped with lots of electronic goodies, from flat screen televisions and satellite phones to rain shower systems for the luxury of the inhabitant.

[Read more →]

Stock up on vitamins before going on your next cruise - apparently the stomach flu that attacked 220 passengers on a recent Hawaiian cruise is one of the most common illnesses to attack cruisers.

Janice Okubo, the spokeswoman for the Hawaii Department of Health is reported to have said that, “Most of the time, people recover.” We assume she means that they recover onboard. We hope so, anyway.

Passengers aboard this particular ill-fated voyage were asked to remain in their rooms for 24 hours while the ship was sanitized, and were given $200 worth of on-ship credit for their inconvenience.

[Read more →]

I suppose this could be included with that classic debate about American tourism and adhering to foreign laws.  

 Apparently, in Grenada, an island sustained in large part by its tourist draw, it is illegal for same sex couples to display affection toward one another.  A law apparently never crossed until a recent gaggle of tourists offended local sensibilities by being gay and on vacation.

  I’d imagine there was some serious hand holding going on in the streets of Grenada.  Perhaps a kiss or two over a golden sunset, because hey, that’s what happens in the Caribbean.  And that’s fine, as long as you’re a heterosexual couple. 

[Read more →]

Coca Cola and Carnival Cruise Lines have teamed up to create an environment especially for teens aboard their “Fun Ships,” with Club 02 (think member’s club, not night club).

Club 02 focuses on cruisers between 15 and 17, and provides them with age appropriate onboard events (like a karaoke lounge and reality show-esque challenges), and off board excursions under a teen group leader where they can experience the ports of the trip with their own age group.

[Read more →]

Cruises often have at least three dining options: the multi star restaurant on the top deck, the common area restaurant that most patrons frequent, and the International buffet usually full of high schoolers and older folks who want an easy meal.

I’m here to tell you the international buffet should not be ignored, avoided, or even treated as a last-stop. Here is part of your cruising experience. A chance make your mom try sushi for the first time, or have baklava on the same plate as your pizza. It can be part of your storytelling experience to tell your friends you tried kangaroo.

[Read more →]