10 tips for Smooth Sailing

Spending a vacation at a cruise is perhaps the best way to visit many places together. Whether you are traveling solo, or with family or looking for a place to spend a romantic getaway, cruising can meet your travel taste. With so many cruise lines, it becomes difficult for you to decide which one most suits your style? Evaluate your options using these simple guidelines:
1 Where to go: The first step of your trip planning procedure is to decide that where you want to go on your next cruise trip. Then, decide on the cruise line with whom you are going to travel.

2 When to go: Each destination has ”prime” weeks that are most popular and therefore most expensive. Shoulder seasons can offer bargains, and may be even more appealing than high season: a mild fall day can be more enjoyable than baking under the August sun in the Mediterranean.

3 Which line to book: Select the cruise line, and the fellow passengers, that best match your personality. “This is crucial for the first time,” advises Anne Halsey-Smith of Gayle Gillies Travel in Rancho Santa Fe, California.

4 What it costs: Don’t just look at the daily rate for a stateroom and then simply multiply by the number of nights you’ll be at sea. There are various factors affecting the fares.

5 Beat the rush (advance booking): Major cruise line give out early bird discounts to people who book a cruise three to twelve months in advance.

6 Ship tips: Size matters. Smaller ships can dock at smaller ports and offer a more personalized experience.

7 Cabin splurge: Consider your itinerary when deciding whether to reserve a balcony stateroom.

8 Arrive early—and stay on after your cruise: First, if you don’t book your flight through the cruise line, your ship won’t wait if it’s delayed.

9 Before you board: Don’t waste time waiting in line after you’ve pulled out of port. There are plenty of activities that will keep you occupied.

10 Turn to an Expert: Cruise lines can offer their rates only while travel agents have more information on various cruise lines.

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Beware of The Five Worst Clauses in Your Travel Contract

Before you begin your next trip just have a look at your travel contract. It is really fascinating, isn’t it. But, have you ever bothered about the cleverly crafted clauses in contracts of carriage? At times they can be deeply troubling. Gone are the days when the airlines, cruise lines, hotel owners were responsible for any losses to the passengers. In fact in the recent past travel companies have become more brazen in their efforts to embed customer-hostile provisions in their fine print.

You can take example of Hotels who state clearly that: “Hotel is not responsible for lost or stolen items”, this will definitely make you think again to leave any valuable item in the room, in spite of the fact that you have booked most expensive room in the Hotel. Or you can take an instance of a Celebrity Cruise contract that stated: “No undertaking or warranty shall be given or shall be implied as to the seaworthiness, fitness or condition of the Vessel or any food or drink supplied on board”. So, if a ship sinks, it can say, “well, we told you it might”. There are other such instances to tell you about the truths underlying the travel contracts…read them here