How to book a cruise

How to Book a Cruise

1. Determine which area of the world you want to enjoy.  Are you looking for a sunny beach during the winter?  Ancient ruins over summer vacation? Off season bargains in top locations?  The hardest job is often to figure out what you want.
   
   
2. Do some research, go to the library, speak to friends who have visited the places you’re interested in.  Search the internet for reviews of destinations by past visitors and for tips on what to see and do, and what to avoid.
   
   
3. If your trip is important to you, see a professional cruise specialist.  If you don’t cut your own hair, do your own taxes and handle all your own legal work you shouldn’t book your own cruise.  Let a professional who is knowledgeable about the different ships, itineraries, decks, services and price strategies help you.  Even if they charge a small fee, it is well worth it – frequently an agent will get you better pricing than what you see on the internet, and they will back you up in the event of any problems.  They can recommend shore excursions, assist you with pre- and post-cruise planning, make sure your cabin is the best one on the ship to fit your individual needs, etc.  There’s a lot of value added in using a travel agent just as there is in using a realtor to buy or sell your home.
   
   
4. Once you’ve booked your cruise, read up on the countries you’re going to visit.  Not only will it help you gain a better understanding of the places you’ll visit; even historical novels or historical romances will help you understand the people and the customs of the countries you visit.
   
   
5.  Get your paperwork in order, keep it all in one envelope, put that envelope in the pocket of your carry-on luggage.  That way everything will be in one place when you’re running out the door and trying to remember if you shut off all the lights, discontinued the newspaper and put a hold on the mail.

Oasis of the Seas Score a Big Hit

Well the reviews are in on Oasis of the Seas and they are almost unanimously enthusiastic for this "new breed" of ship. You might think of it as a cruise ship on steroids based on it's pure size. And yes, size does have something to do with it, but there's so much that Royal Caribbean put in to fill all that new space! Friends just back from the inaugural couldn't say enough good things about this ship - from the Central Park area, to the boardwalk, ice shows, stores, aquatheater, zip line and more. According to my friend Staci (who is also with my parent company, Cruise Planners) it's kind of like a cross between Disney World and Las Vegas, with lots and lots to offer almost every age group.



To get an idea of the magnitude of this vessel, take a look at it coming into Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale) . Just its size in comparison to the tow boats saluting it is staggering. Kind of makes you think of King Kong and Fay Ray, huh?


The ship is 220,000 or so tons (twice the tonnage of most modern cruise ships) of innovation, engineering and creativity. Once you get over the sheer size and have been able to pick your jaw up off the floor, then you can spend an entire week just adding in the add ins - ice shows, merry-go-round, rising tide bar (it rises several decks as you sit and stir your mojito), water ballet shows, diving exhibitions, rock climbing wall, flow rider surfing, water park, ultra-chic restaurants (as per Staci "150 Central Park" rivals almost any New York eatery) and let's just say that the only thing it doesn't appear to have is its own zip code!

Pricing on the Oasis of the Seas is high for a mass market cruise line at an average of about $150per night - as it must be considering all that the ship has to offer. The selection of activities to participate in on any given day is enough to fill a combined issue of Martha Stewart and Health & Fitness magazines, the varieties of cuisine rival those of major metropolitan areas and the experience of sailing on the world's biggest ship will leave you searching for superlatives.

If you don't like big ships, this is definitely not the ship for you. If you have mobility issues, this may present an inordinate challenge. And as with anything that caters to thousands of people at one time you can expect that there will be lines at certain times and in certain venues.

But if you want to be absolutely bowled over, get on this ship, it definitely provides the WOW!