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Posts Tagged ‘cruise vacation’

A longed for retreat is shared in the bright days of Caribbean. The beaches, the foods and all! What more would you ask?

The Caribbean is among the most in demand tourist spots in the world. So it is not surprising to see millions of vacationers flocking the Caribbean Islands.

Caribbean cruises are very popular as well. Cruising along the islands give vacationers the rare chance of exploring the entire wonders of this top class destination. Added to it are the fun that cruising entails; leisure at ones fingertips and luxury on the other.

Planning to go aboard a Caribbean Cruise is much easier compared to the hassles back then. Most Caribbean cruises have online portals, which make them easier to reach. Tour planners are sure to help you in your schemes with just a click of the button. They provide help that would be more than welcome especially on vacation periods when tourists abound.

While there may be a number of Caribbean cruises available at any time of the year, vacation periods are expected to be booked much earlier than normal. This then can make accommodations a challenge. You can access their web portals online and book instantly. However, you also must be choosy in the Caribbean cruise that you would want to book into.

The competition for taking the most number of passengers seems to be the ultimate motto for all cruise liners. In here, don’t get trapped with the confusion of the game. Evaluate your purpose.

First, are you traveling with the family? Then it wise that you take a Caribbean cruise that will accommodate the youngest member up to the oldest of your party.

Check the facilities available. There are cruises that have equipments for childcare while there are those that does not have any.

Check also their programs for young adults and elders. With this, it would be a great idea to go on deck a Disney Cruise line where especially designed activities are made for both toddlers and teenagers. There are also themed presentations that focus on family.

Traveling on a budget? Caribbean cruises can also accommodate you with lines of medium-priced ships. However for those traveling without their minds on spending money, you will be amazed by the selections of cruises that will give you the best of everything, except only the entire sea! Take note of liners, which give high-end accommodations like the Queen Mary II or the Silversea.

Yet, prior to any decision it is wise to get as much information as you would prefer to really know the differences of each cruise.

Each one in the lines of Caribbean cruises are made to cater individual needs while providing you options for ideal combinations of activities and prices and destination stops. Whether you are traveling on extravagance, touring with your family or simply would want to get away with the one you love, Caribbean cruises are sure to provide you with whatever you require. Read the rest of this entry »

At some point in our life, we owe it to ourselves to take a well-deserved vacation. Maybe you have thought about a Caribbean cruise but just do not know what to expect. A cruise ship has all the amenities of a five star hotel with more! In addition, you can enjoy a back to nature vacation and a vacation with nightlife and fine dining all on the same trip.

So, what is your idea of a perfect vacation? Is it getting back to nature and enjoying clear water, enchanting waterfalls, and exhilarating wildlife? Alternatively, do you prefer shopping and a more industrialized area with nightlife and fine dining? Whatever your interest, a Caribbean cruise offers all of the above.

Caribbean cruises are normally divided into three categories: Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, or Southern Caribbean. Shorter trips to the Southern Caribbean will typically depart from Puerto Rico, Aruba, or Barbados, while longer journeys may depart from the mainland of the United States. Western cruises will depart from the Gulf of Mexico for the most part: Florida, Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana. However, Eastern cruises may depart from the Gulf of Mexico, usually Florida, or New York, for slightly longer journeys.
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Miami-based Royal Caribbean International, the world’s second-largest cruise line, announced on February 6, 2006 that it had ordered the largest and most expensive cruise ship in the world, a $1.24 billion vessel which can hold up to 6,400 passengers. It is to be named Project Genesis.

This ship, which is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2009 by shipbuilder Aker Yards of Oslo, will be 220,000 gross register tons. A gross register ton, a standard measure of a ship’s size, is a unit of volume equal to about 100 cubic feet. It is to be built at a Finnish shipyard.

Aker is to be paid 900 million euros ($1 billion) to build the ship, making Project Genesis the most expensive ship ever ordered in the history of commercial shipbuilding. The $1.24 billion figure includes all expenses required for interior finishing of the ship. Royal Caribbean contract with Aker includes an option for a second ship.

Richard Fain, the chairman and chief executive of Royal Caribbean said of Project Genesis, “It is exhilarating to take such a giant step into the future. Project Genesis truly is a remarkable ship. Its bold design, daring innovation and technological advancements will delight our existing customers and help us draw in new ones.”

Aker Yards Finland currently builds Royal Caribbean’s “Freedom” class vessels. However, the Project Genesis ship will be 43 percent larger than the present recordholder, “Freedom of the Seas”, which is currently under construction and scheduled to be finished by April 2006.

The biggest ship currently in operation is the Queen Mary 2, at 151,400 gross register tons. It is owned by the Cunard Line, a unit of the Carnival Corporation, which is the world’s largest cruise ship company. The British-registered liner is 1,132 feet long, more than 236 feet high, and can hold 2,620 passengers. The QM2 is capable of crossing the North Atlantic at a speed of 30 knots. The 14-day 2004 maiden voyage from Southampton, in southern England, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 12, 2004, was completely sold out months before departure.

The QM2 has 17 decks which hold five swimming-pools, sweeping staircases, a grand ballroom, a 360-degree promenade deck and many luxury shops. Cunard Line built the ship in hope of reviving the glamour of ocean liners, whose mystique has largely been dispelled since jet travel made trips across the Atlantic routine.

A one-way passage from Southampton to New York ranges from $1,817 to $28,000 per person, depending on the type of cabin selected, as well as a daily service charge.
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If you are a veteran cruiser or just curious about cruising, the year 2006 will be introducing many new cruise ships for you to consider when planning a cruise vacation. Call your travel agent and ask about the cruise lines and their new cruise ships and then book a cruise vacation. Here is a cruise review of the new cruise line additions.

Holland America is introducing the Noordam. This new cruise ship was launched on February 22 and has been getting very good cruise reviews. It will be the last cruise ship of Holland America’s Vista-class series.

However, it is the first to be designed for the cruise line’s “Signature of Excellence program.”

The Noordam can accommodate 1,848 passengers. For this new cruise ship, there have been some design changes to enhance the cruise vacation. The new designs were focused mainly on the public areas and staterooms, the meeting point of many cruise travelers.

They have made additions to the very popular Explorations Cafe. As veteran cruise travelers are well aware, it is a coffee bar/Internet cafe, game room, and library.

NCL America’s Pride of Hawaii is the newest cruise ship for 2006 by NCL America. It is the sister vessel of the Norwegian Jewel and offers an excellent cruise vacation.

For the cruise line, Pride of Hawaii marks the first new build from the hull up.

It launched was in June. This cruise ship will accommodate 2,224 passengers. It will be another cruise ship in NCL America’s “Freestyle Cruising” concept being offered for your cruise vacation.

The Pride of Hawaii’s interior decor will be, of course, Hawaiian.

This cruise ship will be departing weekly on Mondays for your cruise vacation and travel the islands, calling Honolulu home.

In December the Norwegian Pearl is set to sail in the Caribbean in the winter months and Alaska in the summer months for your cruise vacations. One of their innovations is the Bar Central concept. It features a martini bar, a champagne bar, wine bar, and a beer and whiskey pub all connected.

The Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas was launched in May in time for summer cruise vacations. Cruise reviews call it the most innovative cruise ship for RCCL so far.

This 158,000-ton cruise ship has a capacity of 3,600 passengers. It will actually be 10,000 tons larger than Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. It will be the largest cruise ship to be built so far.
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