Petra Kralic Kova Travel Site

Posts Tagged ‘cruise travel’

Money matters can be confusing when traveling but maybe this article will help you out.
We always take lots of single and five dollar bills with us on every cruise. They come in handy for taxis, tips for tour guides, tips for the staff, and little souvenirs at craft shops. They are handy if you run across a bartender on the ship that is really treating you well.

Europe has now changed to the Euro in many countries making it easier to travel from country to country. The countries that are now using that currency are: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, The Vatican, Martinique, Guadalupe, Montenegro, and Kosovo.

Thanks to the miracle of the ATM machine, it is now easier that ever to get money in foreign countries. Use your ATM card in the machine to get the appropriate amount of money for the days you will be in each country. This eliminates carrying lots of Traveler’s Checks but take a few in case of emergencies. Never carry big wads of money no matter where you travel. It makes you an instant target.

Always keep in mind that you will be unable to reconvert coins so spend them liberally. It will be necessary to know the exchange rate so you can figure out how much you will need. If you are doing a cruise in the British Isles you may make three stops in Ireland so plan for three days of the local currency if you don’t want to keep finding an ATM machine.

If you are cruising around the Caribbean, every merchant takes dollars and credit cards, I recommend using Credit Cards. If you don’t use the above suggestion about using the ATM’s the ship will provide a service to change dollars into Euros or any other currency necessary. You should have some of the local money for buying small items such as soft drinks or a snacks, tips or local craft items. Any other purchases should be charged to your credit card because this protects you if there is something wrong with the item or it is not what it is purported to be.
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We all travel a lot more now than our ancestors did. We travel all over the world and only think of the jet lag, and not the vast distances we cover. Our world has become smaller and more reachable. And this is a good thing. It helps us to understand different cultures, different people with different ways of living and working. But there are a few essentials you should always check before setting off.

1. It may seem obvious, but many people don’t bother to find out the most basic things about the country they will travel to. You should do this to avoid surprise or disappointment.

2. Check on the kind of weather you will find where you are going. If you live in Florida and travel to northern Greenland, you will be in for a shock unless you know that much colder weather is normal there.

3. Be sure that the medical and general insurance coverage you have (you do have, don’t you?) is adequate for your destination.
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There are many vacation choices but for one with great options why not consider cruise travel. Read this cruise review to envision the cruise ship experience.

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If you want to go on a vacation with great options, you might consider taking a cruise. If you have never been a cruise ship before and you are not sure whether it would be perfect for you, read on. The cruise ship experience will be much clearer after you read this cruise review.

This article will not be endorsing or promoting a particular cruise line, but will just give you some glimpses of what cruise lines are offering to cruise passengers. This includes cruise destinations, various ranges of prices and amenities available.

In some cases cruise lines will proved an option of a pre or post-cruise stay at a hotel in the town where you embark or disembark. This is especially beneficial when you travel great distances to board your cruise ship. By using this option it actually affords you the ability to add on an extra port to explore before your cruise ship experience is over.

For instance, if your departure point is at Los Angeles, and you choose this option you will have time to visit famous places there such as Hollywood (the famous walk of stars) or Venice Beach (a funky hip beach town).

On the day of the cruise departure, you will be brought to the pier where your cruise ship is waiting for you. It will take about 45 minutes to an hour to check in your luggage, get your boarding pass and board the ship. Your room steward will meet you and this is when you should tell the steward if you have any special needs or requests. For instance, I like two bath towels and a bucket of ice each afternoon. They want to make you happy so don’t be shy.

It may take a couple of hours for your luggage to arrive so grab some lunch and then tour your cruise ship. Make any beauty and spa appointments now, on some days, like formal nights appointments sell out. Consider making these appointments on port days, especially if you have been to that port before. The salon/spa offer discounts if you book on those days. Roam around the first afternoon to see what delights are in store for you during your cruise ship experience.

You can enjoy several relaxing moments in the spa. Celebrity has what they call a Thalassotherapy pool, Princess has a swim against the current pool and Carnival has the giant slide into the outside pool. If you feel that you want to burn up some calories after all the wonderful meals, go to the fitness center which is equipped with modern state of the art equipment. Or you may feel like strolling around the promenade in that fresh salt air.

There are swimming pools aboard, both for adults and kids. Deck chairs and benches are also provided if you just want to watch your children enjoying the water in the pool.

Entertainment is also present in your cruising vacation. A state-of-the-art theater is provided for on-board entertainment. There will be Broadway like productions and children-oriented programs that are new and different everyday..

In case you are looking for a different entertainment, you can go to several theme bars or disco with live music open until the wee hours of the morning.

If you want to try your luck during your cruise travel, then there is an on-board casino where it features different games similar to what you see in Las Vegas.

There is a shopping center where you can find personal items and other things that you need while you are on-board. Here’s one cruise tip, try to pack things like Rolaids, bandages and toothpaste from home; they are expensive on the cruise ship
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