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I have a small "go bag" of over-the-counter medicines that I throw into my suitcase for every cruise that contains everything from cold medicine to seasickness pills. As the head of The Points Guy's cruise content team, I get these sorts of questions all the time. With Flights by Celebrity, we’ll get you from the tarmac to the top deck. Our dedicated Flights by Celebrity specialists find the best available rates for flights to your departure port and back, and are available 24/7 to assist you with any help you may need along the way. Although all three Cunard Queens are impressive vessels, there's something special about getting behind the scenes on Queen Mary 2, given its global fame and enormous size.
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There usually are a bunch just steps away from your cabin with tables waiting for you. Just refurbished, the 165-cabin Paul Gauguin will be exploring the Pacific in 2023, with trips to the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Marquesas, and the Society Islands. The single-vessel brand was voted the very best small-ship cruise line in the World’s Best Awards 2022, as T+L readers gave particularly high marks to the Paul Gauguin’s on-board staff.
Solo Cruising With a New Line
You'll find thousands of cruise fans at these pages who often are more than willing to answer questions about their favorite line, its ships, its itineraries and the destinations on the itineraries. I've met some wonderful people in these groups, some of whom have become my longtime friends on Facebook. If you've ever wondered what goes on below decks, cruise ship tours offer an interesting peek behind the curtain. “Sakara” is a Sanskrit word meaning “thoughts become things” – a fitting name, given the thought that went into the ship’s chic design. And our itinerary for the week couldn’t be more yacht-like – an island-hopping experience in the West Indies, stopping in out-of-the-way ports that larger cruise ships can’t manage. And while some smaller boats can feel rocky, the Sakara’s stabilizers keep the ship on an even keel.
Music cruises set sail on the high seas in 2024 and 2025 - The Points Guy
Music cruises set sail on the high seas in 2024 and 2025.
Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 13:01:26 GMT [source]
Cobranded Cards
You want to have a plan for what to do in these ports or you'll miss out on a big part of the cruising experience. If you're traveling overseas for a cruise, we recommend traveling to the port two or even three days in advance. European cruises, in particular, can be port-intensive, with lots of touring, so you want to be refreshed and ready to hit the ground running right after the cruise begins. The best way to experience our port destinations is by signing up for one of our shore excursions, which vary from cultural tours and activities to exciting outdoor adventures and water sports. Spectacular suites, an exclusive restaurant, and a private lounge are all a part of the all-inclusive cruise package when you book a stay at The Retreat, our luxury vacation experience.
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Planning ahead is a great way to score big savings, as Royal Caribbean often runs early saver deals to guests booking well in advance. It’s also pretty safe to assume prices usually go up as availability goes down the closer you get to your sail date, so booking ahead is a surefire way to lock in a great rate. That said, booking a cruise at the last minute can also yield some unexpected savings — but only if the itinerary you’re interested in hasn’t sold out yet. Given the complexity of booking a cruise — there are a lot of decisions to make during the booking process, trust us — we recommend that you use a seasoned travel agent who specializes in cruises to help you arrange things. A good travel agent will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you.
Or simply take some much needed time off on one of our award-winning cruises, where you’ll find it impossible not to relax and unwind. American Queen Voyages will offer the longest trips in the line’s history in 2023, with two 23-day river itineraries on the Mississippi and Ohio aboard the 123-stateroom American Countess. “The ship will sail more than 1,700 miles from Minnesota down the Ohio River and Upper Mississippi River, calling on more ports and offering more guided tours than ever before,” as T+L reported in August. Windstar has a series of 2023 itineraries on the 156-cabin Star Pride and 171-suite Wind Surf that hit yachty Caribbean ports like Jost Van Dyke, in the British Virgin Islands, and Anguilla. The small-ship line, which is known for both its sleek “Star Plus Class” ships and its classic vessels with their dramatic sails, also has an array of itineraries along the coast of Australia and in the South Pacific.
There were jeeps or ATVs available to rent for those who wanted to beach-hop, but we settled into the sand at Sun Bay. Virgin Island of St. John the following day, there were yachts and catamarans everywhere – and the Sakara fit right in. Some phone companies have cruise-specific plans you can buy in advance of a voyage. I just put my phone in airplane mode the moment I step on board a ship and never switch it back on. I then turn on the phone's Wi-Fi, buy a Wi-Fi package and do all my calling, texting and internet surfing over Wi-Fi.
Mystery Cruising With Uniworld
You might meet the captain, chief engineer and/or the chef de cuisine. Star Princess is being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, which has a long history of building cruise ships for Princess, Cunard, MSC Cruises and several other brands. After departing from San Juan, the Sakara reached the Puerto Rican island of Culebra in a few hours, just 20 miles off the coast. We hopped in a taxi van at the port to reach the pristine waters of Flamenco Beach, which consistently makes the world’s top 10 lists.
Relive your cruise vacation
What's more, the tour may not include the bridge, so check first if that's your main objective; in these times of heightened security, some lines have stopped all passenger visits to the bridge. Don't expect to hang out in the crew bar or see the crew cabins; some areas are sacred and crew privacy and peace need to be respected. It's important to be organized -- some cruise lines hold only one behind-the-scenes event per sailing, usually on a sea day, so they do tend to book up, despite the relatively high cost. If you want to register an interest, head for Guest Relations as soon as you board.
Once you know what ports you'll be visiting, research them as much as you can at travel sites such as The Points Guy. Here at TPG, we're starting to build out a series of home port and destination port guides for everywhere from PortMiami to Bora Bora. Some cruisers also swear by bringing magnets to ships to affix dinner invitations, excursion tickets and other important papers to their cabin walls. Walls on ships often are made with metal (even if they look like wood, thanks to faux wood veneers) and will hold a magnet. Some cruisers even bring magnets with hooks so they can hang up clothes and other items on their walls. If you've read this far, you are likely a first-time cruiser looking for advice for an upcoming trip, and that's exactly what this story is meant to offer.
Such automatic gratuities also are becoming more common in ship spas. But many first-time cruisers don't know this and write in a hefty tip at the "additional tip" line on bills at cruise ship bars and spas. Be sure to ask if a gratuity already has been included before adding another 15% or 20% to the total. If you don't sign up for activities in advance, a backup strategy is to do so just after you board a vessel. That said, whether you need to race to sign up for activities at the start of a voyage depends a lot on which ship you are on. I am, of course, too cool to ever put a key card lanyard around my neck, which means I lose my card once or twice on every trip.
Book one of our all-inclusive cruise deals, and take the guesswork out of your next getaway. Plan your next vacation aboard one of our all-inclusive cruises. Take the entire family on a cruise of a lifetime, where they’ll enjoy world-class dining, unparalleled entertainment, and impeccable service. Celebrate a special occasion and escape on a romantic getaway at sea.
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