Cruise Tips To Maximize Your Cruise Vacation
By:
Mary Hanna
You are getting ready for your much anticipated
cruise vacation. The best way to maximize your cruise travel is
to have some of these cruise tips about the little things you should
know. Many cruisers have questions about phoning home, seasickness,
laundry facilities, and photography while on their cruise vacation.
These are not big items that should concern you during your cruise
travel but helpful hints nonetheless.
Phoning home always gives one peace of mind when they are on vacation.
It is natural to want to check on your children, or check into the
office, just remember that ship to shore phone costs can be very
hefty. They can cost up to $15 minute, so I if you must, keep it
brief. You can use your cell phone but be aware that in some areas
roaming charges will apply. Your cell phone will not work in Europe
unless you have universal service.
It is very important that you leave the information on how to contact
you at home in case of an emergency. When you receive your cruise
packet there will be contact information included. Make sure you
leave the name of the ship, the cruise line you are traveling with,
and the itinerary that you plan to follow. Make it very clear that
it is for emergencies only.
There is a way to get around this expense and that is to buy a phone
card and call home from your ports of call. The connection will
be far greater and your savings too. Be aware that this is where
the crew members make their calls home so you may want to venture
further from the dock to find a not so busy public phone.
All of the modern ships are wired for the internet so you can stay
in touch with email. This is a much easier and cheaper way to but
your mind at ease. On some ships if you are a frequent cruiser the
internet time is free. If you are not, connections can run from
fifty cents to a dollar a minute. Just keep in mind that they are
not high speed hook ups so they will be slow. Compose offline and
then send your message. Some ships will offer you package deals
to save a little money. Here again, if you can wait until you get
to port, internet cafes ashore are relatively inexpensive.
Seasickness is almost a moot point on today's cruise ships. They
are so large that you don't even know you are moving unless you
look out the window or you are up on deck. With today's technology
for weather tracking the cruise lines know in advance if any storms
are approaching and therefore can avoid the area. Earlier cruise
ships had stabilizers but nothing compared fo today's technology
which enables them to counter act any motion the sea has to offer.
If that doesn't calm your fears about seasickness and cruise travel
there are a number of ways to ensure a very comfortable cruise.
Take a cruise vacation in an area of the world that has calm waters
on a modern ship with the aforementioned stabilizers. It is best
to book a cabin in the middle of the ship on one of the lower levels.
If just looking at a horizon that is moving sends you into a tizzy,
book an inside cabin. A little known cruise tip is to arrange your
beds in alignment with the ship, bow to stern. Rocking is always
easier to handle than a rolling motion. Once, you've got yourself
situated on board go up on deck and stare at a fixed position on
the horizon to get your body use to the motion.
Your doctor may have some medication you can take, or try the acupuncture
bracelets that go around your wrists. If you do feel queasy eat
crackers and green apples to settle your stomach. Ginger capsules
have been said to work wonders and are available in your health
food store. By all means avoid any alcoholic beverages which will
only make your symptoms worse.
On board laundry services are very expensive. Book a ship that has
an onboard laundry room for passengers so you can do your own. These
laundry rooms will be equipped with an iron and an ironing board.
An alternative is to pack a small bottle of laundry liquid and a
few clothes pins in you luggage, hand wash them in your stateroom
and hang them from the shower line provided.
Photography is always a big question. Should
you bring a camera or rely on the ships photographer? The answer
is to bring your own. If you don't want to worry about your expensive
digital camera, buy a lot of the throw away types. Pick up a few
waterproof ones too for when you take you snorkel adventure. Take
twice as many as you think you need. If you don't use them on this
cruise vacation you can always use them at the next holiday or birthday
celebration.
You could also opt to pick up a cheap digital. You can buy them
for about $20.00 and you won't have to worry about losing it since
your expensive one is at home. These are usually smaller than the
pricey ones so they are easier to carry around.
On formal nights you will want to get your picture taken by the
ships photographer. These pictures are wonderful memories of your
cruise but they are expensive. The ships photographer will take
pictures of you all through the cruise. Getting on and off the ship,
on deck, in the dining room at your table and when you enter the
dining room on some nights. Although these pictures are fun, you
are not obligated to buy them. If you are on a cruise vacation for
a special occasion like a honeymoon or an anniversary, splurge and
buy them, they will be more than just memories.
These are just a few cruise tips for the little things you should
know about cruise travel. Having this knowledge before your cruise
vacation will help you on the way to clear sailing.
Copyright Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved. Mary
Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks,
Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising,
Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: www.CruiseGold.com
www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com
and www.CruisingTips.com
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Golf Vacations - thinking of a cruise vacation around the Carribean. How
about joining a bit of golf into the program.
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