World Cruises

We sailed from Marseille on a Mediterranean cruise with Celebrity, on the Millennium. A business meeting in Dublin caused us to miss the first day of the cruise from Barcelona, but since that was also where the cruise ended, we knew we would see it anyway. Marseille - taxi from airport 40 euros. Arrived in the rain, so tired that we decided to sleep the day away rather than visit Marseilles or nearby Provence.

Dinner companions included a couple from Northern Ireland, a couple from Holland Park in London and another from Miami. Traveling with my best friend was an asset as we moved around the table nightly to talk to the others at the table.

Food. The first night, I was disappointed by the food. Celebrity has such a fine reputation for food that I was expecting more. My cruising experience is not vast to this point, but I was expecting it to be better than Holland America, and it was not. On our first formal night there were only 6 of us rather than 8, and the food was excellent. After a LONG day in Rome, we opted for the buffet dinner, which was fine and filling, but not memorable by any stretch of the imagination. Lunches on board were the usual salads, hot meals, hamburgers and pizza, which the very popular ice cream bar.

Spa: The first day on board, we signed up for everything for our day at sea - classes, lectures, and a pedicure. It was excellent. However, being a day at sea, the only spa appointment to be had was at 8AM, and that early start required that I take a nap (oh the luxury of cruises) late morning to recoup. Our day at sea was event filled, from pedicures to a shopping lecture to an art auction, ribbon rose making, lunch, spa lectures, history lectures and more. We had so many things on our agenda that we missed our Cruise Critic meeting and a few other things as well. Simply too much to do.

Our ports: Villefranche, the port for Nice was alluring, with its typical Cote d Azur landscape of seafront restaurants with their awnings blowing in the breeze, ochre and saffron colored houses stretching up the hillside, citadel and gardens. The charming small town of Villefranche easily occupied us for an afternoon, but fellow travelers marveled at the beautiful hilltop village of Eze, and the ease of taking the train to Monaco or to Nice and Cannes. In half an hour and only for a few euros, you are in the center of Cannes or Monaco.

For Rome, our port was Civitavecchia, well worth a miss on a Sunday. The train to Rome is about an hour and a half from there, but the infrequent train schedule on a Sunday (check Trentitalia before you leave), caused us to wait an hour for the train, and arrive in Rome too late for our appointment at the Villa Borghese, which has Rome's premier collection of masterpieces, including works by Titian, Caravaggio and Raphael.. In any event, by friend was able to talk our way into the fabulous art collection at that late hour, and for free as well. It was raining when we came out, a reason to stay in the museum café and have an overpriced (though typical for Rome) lunch before making our way to St. Peter's. We had both visited previously, so ours was just a quick visit to oogle some of the things we had missed on other occasions.

Afterwards, a taxi to the train station had us arrive, panting, just in time for our train back to the port. A misunderstanding meant that we did not have tickets, and were fined for not having a ticket when boarding, but the whole trip was worth the expense.

Mykonos We docked at 1PM, and took the shuttle to the town for $10 each. We walked around the harbor, mainly browsing the shops, but also seeing the local church and the Catholic church, the windmills, Little Venice, and walking the winding alleyways with the whitewashed houses, agean blue doors and purple bouganvilla. Back on board, the Greek dancers brought on board made the atmosphere more special. We took a shore excursion.

Ephesus - the highlight of the trip. An unusually early departure 715Am for a full day tour that included Mary's House, Ephesus, a museum, and St John's Church. Marys houses was the most solemn and serene place of the day. In the cool air of morning scented by what I believe were laurel trees, it was wonderful. The trek through Ephesus, by contrast was out in the blazing sun (even in May), but was the highlight of our cruise. It was most impressive - from the men's latrine, the library, to the amphitheatre, and more. The museum had many mosaics and statues from the area. St. John's church was interesting as well. I did not care for the rug store we were shown at the end. The vendors in all shops were TOO aggressive.

A lazy day at sea followed, with lectures, art auction, theater, films and more. Palermo. My choice was to give it a miss, and none of the shore excursions sounded interesting. We did explore on pour own, during siesta, when the shops were closed. It was a mistake - I have never seen a dirtier, less friendly city. We walked to the cathedral and the opera house. I should have stayed on board.

Barcelona: Our cruise ended in Barcelona. We chose a late departure from the ship, and took a taxi to the train station. We were able to store our luggage in lockers, and then take a hop on hop off tour of the city right outside the station. The train to the airport was simple and inexpensive, and easy walk to the terminals. The RENFE train service runs approximately every 30 mins to and from Barcelona airport to the city centre. Travel time approximately 25 minutes. You can catch the train from Estacio de Franca, Passeig de Gracia, or Barcelona Sants (otherwise known as Sants Estacion) The name of the stop you want for the airport is Aeropuerto.

Ellen Mc Nulty can be found on line at http://www.cruisetourplanners.com

Our Carnival cruise review of the Miracle from our sailing to the Eastern Caribbean. The Miracle is one of the Spirit class of Carnival ships. We simply love this line of ships as they are very modern in appearance and not too gaudy. The artwork appeared as if it was museum quality. You will also see a lot of movie and novel themed areas such as Robison Crusoe, The Great Gatsby and Gotham. When first boarding the ship you will notice that the atrium is in the mold of the Metropolis of Superman fame.

The Miracle is a medium size ship at 88,500 tons and 2,124 passengers. The ship is large enough that no areas seemed to be overcrowded on our sold out cruise. I always recommend going to a dining room for breakfast as there can be lines on the lido for the buffet breakfast. It is always quicker and there are many more menu choices. This will also be a help on days at port as you can get ready for your excursion quicker.

The food on this ship is outstanding. There are too many choices to list them all in the Carnival Cruise review. One of our favorite things about dining on this ship is the any time dining option. With this option you can have dinner in the main dining room anytime they like between 5:45 and 9:30 p.m. They do have a reservations only steak house for a nominal fee, but the other food was so good we saved our money.

The shows in the main lounge were decent and I have seen most of them on the other ships, such as the Beatles themed production. The entertainment in the bars was very good. We particularly enjoyed the jazz music at the Gotham lounge.

The pools and waterslide were the norm for most Carnival ships. The twister waterslide is a blast at three stories high, but this ship does not have the waterworks park for children. Another thing my wife and I miss is that this ship did not have the serenity deck.

We had a balcony cabin and it was very clean and up to date. The beds were extremely comfortable and the service was five stars as usual. We always get room service nightly for a snack. Take advantage of this as it is free.

There you have our Carnival cruise review of the Miracle. Hope you enjoy your time on her as much as we did.

My wife and I are avid cruisers. Come visit our latest site at http://www.thecarnivalcruiseships.com You can read all of our Carnival Cruise Review there.

On a normal four-month trip, you may go to over 50 seaports in many places.

Crystal is sailing a 106-day world cruise that is in port almost every day of the voyage. It might cost more, yet it's the same price as the private jet option and you stop in far more places. Not merely will you go to 65 various ports, the days you would spend on the ship basically offer spectacular cruising through Glacier Bay in Alaska or Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, for example. This is the far better cruise. In reality, when it comes to similar accommodations you're paying approximately the same cost on the Crystal voyage as you would on Cunard. The lowest category inside cabin is $54,135 per person. Among the best cruise good deals you see will be the premium cruise ship Holland America Rotterdam offering forty-nine port stops over a 114-day voyage. A verandah suite will be $42,000 per person for a very comfortable way to view the entire world with a balcony view. The lowest category inside cabin will be $19,434 per person, which for a 114-day cruise, averages about $170/day, which includes meals, transportation around the globe and amusement.

But the finest around the world cruise bargains are on Princess Cruises with three different itineraries. You have your choice of the smaller Royal Princess or Tahitian Princess, each at 30,000-tons as well as 700 people, or you can take the slightly larger Dawn Princess at 77,000-tons and 1950 people. The prices for the Tahitian Princess around the world cruise are extraordinary. Offering a 117-day itinerary including fifty-four port stops, a balcony cabin is just $31,135 per individual. A mini-suite is $42,135. The 107-day Royal Princess around the world cruise will start at just $21,495 and balcony staterooms are only $28,495. These cruises last for over ninety days.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises, a different luxury cruise line on par with Crystal yet having an all-inclusive scheme for liquor and gratuities, is providing an around the world cruise on Seven Seas Mariner beginning at $64,000. If you think that you could drink plenty of wine beverages over the course of 121 dinners you might be saving as much as $10,000 on that expense alone. Included gratuities may help you save around $2000 per individual. Silversea Silver Shadow, likewise boasting an all-inclusive policy for liquor as well as gratuities, has its around the world cruise starting at only $55,000 for a 92-night voyage. This unusual itinerary focuses primarily on Australia and the South Pacific, through Asia to Japan and then back towards Alaska and down the West Coast to Los Angeles.

For price updates, you must research around the world cruise fees every year, yet previously they could average $1000 a day. But annually there are incredible good deals. Take an around the world cruise, and you could make the most of their great fees.

Around The World Cruises from different cruise lines have their own specific style and can offer features that are unique to them. Whatever criteria exist, how you choose your Around The World Cruise means making decisions that will provide you with your vacation of a lifetime.

If you're thinking of going on a vacation you may want to consider a cruise. There are a variety of different cruise lines to choose from, each with special destinations and packages. A cruise offers travelers a chance to see the world while enjoying absolute luxury.

Cruises are known for their excellent hospitality, great food and special amenities. They are a chance to have fun while pampering yourself. You can feel safe traveling to unknown countries because they have the best in security and services.

You'll find that many cruise lines offer a variety of detailed and complete vacation packages to travelers. Cruise lines know how to provide complete satisfaction to their customers. It can be hard to decide on which cruise line and what travel package to select. Here is some information to help you make that decision.

One major consideration is price. If you have to stay at a set price point, be sure to look at cruises that are only at that price. You don't want to fall in love with a travel package out of your price range. There are many factors that make up the price of a cruise, such as the cruise length, cruise route and the ports along the journey. Additional fees may be added on for special luxury amenities during the cruise, such as spa treatments.

If you are set on visiting a special location you can go online and find cruise lines that sail there. They will have details about the cruise to help you decide if it's right for you. It will include the ports of a call and the route the cruise ship will sail.

Those looking for family vacations can book a cruise on ships that cater to kids. By contrast, if you are looking to avoid children, there are adults-only cruises available. Cruisers for seniors have also become popular.

Yoga blankets and NFL blankets are not only comfortable, they are fashionable too.

Gone are the days when cold-weather months were relegated to indoor activities. The recent trend for vacationers is to take off and go cruising during this particular season to experience milder climates. Companies are quick to take advantage of this by offering some of their best cruise deals during winter. With so many packages available, it is easy for a first-time traveler to get overwhelmed. Even those who have plenty of experience under their belts can be confused by the different options offered by travel companies. Fortunately, there is an easy method to finding the best winter cruise deals for a particular lifestyle.

Finalize your destination:
The first thing that you need to do is to figure out where you want to go. By simply answering this particular question, you immediately narrow down your choices to the ones that are most appealing for you. After all, it is your vacation so you should be given the privilege to pick which destinations you want to experience.

Aim for the tropics:
For most people, they want to escape the chill of the winter months by visiting beaches in a tropical area. Thus, the Bahamas and the Caribbean are ideal places to go during the winter months. Most companies recognize this trend and are very accommodating in offering cruise deals to these areas.

... but remember that the cheaper rates are found elsewhere:
Booking your vacation during the winter months can give you access to price rates that are not available at any other time of the year. A nine-day tour to the Caribbean can go for around 700 dollars. This is definitely a bargain for those who are looking for the best cruise deals during winter. On the other hand, you can forego the tropics and head to colder places like Alaska or Canada. They can be just as beautiful as the tropics and you can enjoy the sights are a cheaper rate. During winter, tours that pass thorough cold-weather countries are cheaper than those that head for the tropics.

Book very early or very late:
Another way to lower the price of your destination is to check the flexibility of your schedule. Most companies offer discounts for those who book early and even for those who book too late. By making your reservations during odd times, you can take advantage of early-bird discounts as well as slashed prices to fill out last-minute cancellations in a particular tour.

Choose a trip that gives you the freedom to choose:
Another option for winter travelers is the concept of freestyle cruising. As the name suggests, people are given the choice to choose their own adventure during their vacation. You can fix your own itinerary to cater to what you want to do. Meals can be served whenever you want and you can ever choose where to dine. Even the schedule of the disembarkation can be adjusted to your preference.

Most people who are looking for the best cruise deals prefer this option because as they can adjust the itinerary to suit a particular budget. But more than the price, what makes this a good bargain is that you are guaranteed that you will be able to do everything that you want and that there are no dead spots during your vacation. Ensuring that every moment is enjoyable is the key to having true value for your money.

You should check with companies that specialize in assembling vacation packages. There is no shortage of online sites that offer tours for those who are planning to take off for the winter. These industry experts often have access to the best rates in the market so it is a good idea to seek their counsel when looking for the best winter cruise deals.

Great cruise deals at: Cruise-Tips.com Almost all of the major cruise lines can give you a great cruise. However, to get great Celebrity cruise deals check out Celebrity... because they provide exceptional quality and a variety of itineraries. If you're going for the first time, never forget to read cruise deals Carnival at Cruise-Tips.com, as we have a lot of information that are essential for choosing the greatest vacation you possibly can.