Posts Tagged ‘Cruise’

What Can A Carnival Cruise Offer The Experienced Traveler?

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

If you’re considering a cruise, whether it’s to Alaska, the Caribbean or anywhere in between, sail on a Carnival cruise line. Carnival cruise lines know how to entertain, and work hard to provide activities and services that will keep young, old and in between happy while sailing.

A Carnival cruise ship is literally a floating resort with plush accommodations, first class restaurants, spas, and shopping experiences. Carnival cruise ‘Fun ships’ sail from many ports to over 60 destinations, including Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and New England, even to Europe. For those wanting to see Alaska, Carnival cruise lines sail to Glacier Bay and both Northbound and Southbound Alaska. For those wishing to hobnob with old tales of pirates and treasure in the blue Caribbean, ports in the Eastern, Southern and Western Caribbean are ripe for the plucking. Carnival cruise trips to Mexico sail to Baja and the Mexican Riviera and the Bermuda leg offers a Cruise to Nowhere, if you’re daring enough.

Carnival cruise lines offer both standard and luxury appointments, providing a first class sailing experience for budget travelers or those with bottomless pockets. The finest in dining, entertainment and travel ports of call are the best that a cruise line has to offer, and Carnival cruise vacations have one of the highest user ratings of major cruise lines. Carnival cruise lines don’t just offer great destinations however, but moderately priced cabins for singles or families. Don’t even think about having to sleep on an uncomfortable bunk or berth either, because Carnival cruise lines have installed ‘Carnival Comfort Bed’ sleep systems in all the ships in their globe-trotting fleet. The younger crowd is kept entertained with the new Carnival cruise ‘Club 02′, designed specifically for travelers between the ages of 15 and 17. It’s the new ‘hot spot’ on the ship for those who don’t want to hang out with the parents but want to make friends, dance to the latest music and play video games. The club is staffed with fun and energetic employees who know what your kids want and how to offer it to them.

Want to bring your golf clubs along? Carnival cruise lines offer a V1 Digital Coaching System that will help cure any ailment to your golf swing from the convenience of the ship deck so that you’ll be ready to play once you hit the ports. No matter what you like to do, Carnival cruise personnel will try to provide it for you. Day and night time entertainment keeps passengers enthralled and happy between ports of call, with dancing, singing, and other venues geared for all age groups and tastes.

A Carnival cruise adventure offers events and event planning help if you have special needs or larger groups of people in your traveling party. Online, Carnival cruise lines offer tips, suggestions, and messages posted from other Carnival cruise adventures. The Carnival cruise line’s official website is easy to navigate and offers answers to just abut any question that could possibly be asked about the Carnival cruise vacation experience.

Ready to discover the magic of a Carnival Cruise for yourself? Find out more about the fun of a Carnival Cruise at http://theCoolestCruises.com.

A Look at Carnival Cruise Lines

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

If you’re considering a cruise, whether it’s to Alaska, the Caribbean or anywhere in between, sail on a Carnival cruise line. Carnival cruise lines know how to entertain, and work hard to provide activities and services that will keep young, old and in between happy while sailing.

A Carnival cruise ship is literally a floating resort with plush accommodations, first class restaurants, spas, and shopping experiences. Carnival cruise ‘Fun ships’ sail from many ports to over 60 destinations, including Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and New England, even to Europe. For those wanting to see Alaska, Carnival cruise lines sail to Glacier Bay and both Northbound and Southbound Alaska. For those wishing to hobnob with old tales of pirates and treasure in the blue Caribbean, ports in the Eastern, Southern and Western Caribbean are ripe for the plucking. Carnival cruise trips to Mexico sail to Baja and the Mexican Riviera and the Bermuda leg offers a Cruise to Nowhere, if you’re daring enough.

Carnival cruise lines offer both standard and luxury appointments, providing a first class sailing experience for budget travelers or those with bottomless pockets. The finest in dining, entertainment and travel ports of call are the best that a cruise line has to offer, and Carnival cruise vacations have one of the highest user ratings of major cruise lines. Carnival cruise lines don’t just offer great destinations however, but moderately priced cabins for singles or families. Don’t even think about having to sleep on an uncomfortable bunk or berth either, because Carnival cruise lines have installed ‘Carnival Comfort Bed’ sleep systems in all the ships in their globe-trotting fleet. The younger crowd is kept entertained with the new Carnival cruise ‘Club 02′, designed specifically for travelers between the ages of 15 and 17. It’s the new ‘hot spot’ on the ship for those who don’t want to hang out with the parents but want to make friends, dance to the latest music and play video games. The club is staffed with fun and energetic employees who know what your kids want and how to offer it to them.

Want to bring your golf clubs along? Carnival cruise lines offer a V1 Digital Coaching System that will help cure any ailment to your golf swing from the convenience of the ship deck so that you’ll be ready to play once you hit the ports. No matter what you like to do, Carnival cruise personnel will try to provide it for you. Day and night time entertainment keeps passengers enthralled and happy between ports of call, with dancing, singing, and other venues geared for all age groups and tastes.

A Carnival cruise adventure offers events and event planning help if you have special needs or larger groups of people in your traveling party. Online, Carnival cruise lines offer tips, suggestions, and messages posted from other Carnival cruise adventures. The Carnival cruise line’s official website is easy to navigate and offers answers to just abut any question that could possibly be asked about the Carnival cruise vacation experience.

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Cruise Deals: Now You Can Take Your Family on the Trip of a Lifetime

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Sometimes taking a family vacation is more trouble than it is worth. This is something that most people have to learn the hard way.

Taking the family on a road trip across the country might seem like a good idea, but hour after hour in the cramped car will cause tensions to quickly rise and brother will turn against brother in a backseat version of the Civil War.

National Lampoon tried to warn us of this with its tragic portrayal of the Griswald family. America thought it was a joke. How naïve we were.

Today, more and more families are finally discovering the advantages of a cruise vacation. They have all the benefits of a road trip and none of the drawbacks. You get to see multiple locations but you don’t have to worry about booking a hotel. Dad isn’t getting stressed about driving and the kids won’t get cabin fever because they have the whole boat to explore!

Cruise lines are finally figuring out that there are lots of families out there interested in a cruise vacation, and there are more affordable family packages and destinations out there today than there ever were before. Here are a few great ideas for cruises that will be fun for the whole family.

Royal Caribbean runs a three-night cruise of the Bahamas so even if you can’t get a whole week of work off, you and the family can still get away for a nice long weekend. This trip leaves from Miami, Florida and has stops in CocoCay and Nassau. What’s more, they also offer a reduced rate for the third and fourth passenger so it is even easier to bring the whole family along!

If you want a slightly longer stay, Royal Caribbean also has a four-night cruise that leaves from Fort Lauderdale and sails around the southern tip of Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico. The ship makes a day stop in Key West before hitting the seas overnight on its way to Cozumel, Mexico for a full day of exploring. After that it is another day or cruising the high seas before docking back in Fort Lauderdale.

For East Coasters who don’t want to make the plane trip down south, Norwegian Cruise lines runs a seven-night trip that sails out of New York City and on to the Bahamas. This also features a stop at Norwegian’s own private island!

For the kids, this cruise ship also features the Splashdown Kid’s Club, Sapphire Kid’s Pool, and Underground Teen’s Club. While they are busy the adults can sneak off to the Relaxation Room at the Bora Bora Health Spa or have a cocktail at the martini bar!

Of course some families don’t like all of the running around and might prefer a vacation where they get to their destination and spend a few days just relaxing. Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Summit sets sail out of Bayonne, New Jersey and after two long days at sea it docks for three whole days at beautiful King’s Wharf, Bermuda. This locale is known for its gorgeous and convenient beaches and palm tree-lined streets.

While you are docked at King’s Wharf you will still be able to enjoy the ship’s many amenities. The Summit features basketball courts, a golf simulator, and shuffleboard. And don’t forget to check out the swimming pool or any of the four whirlpools!

As for wining and dining, Master Chef Michel Roux presides over the kitchen of the two-story main restaurant. There is also a dine-in wine cellar and the Mast Bar, which overlooks the pool. You’ll have so much fun on the Summit you won’t want to leave the boat!

Still, there are surely families out there who have experienced the pleasures of the Bahamas and the relaxing waters of the Caribbean. They are ready to sail new and uncharted territory!

For these adventurous families MSC Cruises offers a seven-night cruise of the Western Mediterranean. This once-in-a-lifetime trip leaves from Genoa and explores the cities of Ajaccio, Civitavecchia, Salerno, Tunis, Palma De Mallorca, and Toulon.

It should be noted that there are advantages and disadvantages for a family when on a port-heavy trip like this. Some younger kids might not be as into touring the cities of the Mediterranean as the adults are. That being said, if your kids are in fact up for a little multi-cultural exploring, it is important to note that all children who are 17 and younger sail FREE when they are staying in the same room as two full fare paying passengers!

Family vacations are an important part of childhood and they strengthen bonds between family members more than they may initially realize. Spending a whole week crammed into a hotel room or in a rental car can sometimes cause more stress between family members than is being let off.

A family trip on a cruise ship gives everyone a chance to have a little bit of breathing room. There is still plenty of opportunity for the family to hang out for some quality time, but there is so much to do on a cruise ship that people can take a break from each other if they need it. This will keep everybody happy and relaxed for the entire trip.

Geoff Eriksson is a freelance writer who writes about several topics including cruise deals.

Know the Ins and Outs of a Cruise Vacation, Part 5, Kid Friendly

Monday, July 5th, 2010

Although my wife and I have not traveled with children on cruises, we were very fortunate to meet and talk to a number of parents who did bring their children on the cruise with them as well as go on kid friendly cruises, the most notable one offered by Disney.

What we learned was that there are a number of activities for children of all ages. I will do my best to cover all the basis here on what exactly there is to do for your children, including those hard to keep satisfied teenagers.

The cruise ships I have been on have a nice selection of kid friendly programs. For the younger children, you can enroll them in a kids clubs (they are called different things on different ships, but for our purposes here, I will call them a kids clubs). These are more for the younger, 5 to 10 crowd. These clubs are supervised by extremely friendly, polite and courteous hosts. They take good care of the children, making sure they are occupied with a lot of arts and crafts and from what I have been told, a lot of educational programs.

They do a good job of mixing education and fun, a nice combination that you want to hear about, especially if you are parent that worries about what they are doing when you are not around.

One of the most fun surprises was when the children, who were enrolled in the kids program throughout the week, dressed up as pirates and put on a small show for the adults during dinner. It was very enjoyable, and the cruise crew did a great job getting the kids ready in such a short period of time.

So what about those teenagers? Well for starters, most cruise ships have arcade style game rooms. Most are equipped with everything from air hockey to pool tables (on some ships), to a wide variety of video games and other electronic gadgets and gizmo`s. If you are a parent (or a teenager) who may not like the electronic options, most cruise ships have rooms where you will find all sorts of board games, chess boards, checkers, puzzles and literally hundreds of other items to stay occupied.

If you (are lucky enough) have a child that loves to read, no problem with that either. Most cruise ships have wonderful libraries, with a lot of books to choose from.

Even with all the games, electronics and books, if you still have a child that wants more, that is not a problem. On the top deck, you will find miniature golf, volleyball, basketball courts, and some cruise lines offer rock climbing walls, with the newer mega ships offering body surfing on-board! How cool is that!

Other activities for kids include, on some ships, an ice-skating rink, scuba and swimming lessons, bingo for kids and of course, the pool.

Needless to say if you have children and still want to go on a cruise, there is plenty for you and your children to do. At the beginning of every cruise, the cruise director will tell everybody, one of the best things you can do on a cruise, is “to get involved.” If you want to have a great time, you and your kids need to get involved with these activities. It will make the cruise vacation more enjoyable for both you and your children.

By: Bruce A. Tucker

About the Author:

Bruce A. Tucker is the Associate Director of Indocquent.com, an online resource that allows travel agents, cruise lines, and vacation desitnation businesses to post their products and services for sale and in 20,000 cities throughout 200 countries around the world.