cheapcaribbean.com-shares everything you need to know before you hit the high seas.
10 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE YOU BOOK
1 Are there discounts for groups? Bottom line: Groups do have purchasing power. The standard discount is one free cruise fare for every 10 to 15 travelers, but sometimes cruise lines are willing to throw in perks such as a complimentary cocktail party or onboard credit.
2 Does the ship have traditional cruise dining, in which the passengers are told when, where, and with whom they'll be eating? If so, request your time slot when you book your cruise and specify that your group must dine together.
3 Are there specialty restaurants? If you would like to have a nice meal together one night, make a reservation as early as possible. Alternative restaurants are growing in popularity and tend to fill up quickly. Also: Find out in advance if a surcharge will be applied to the meal.
4 Do we need to worry about a dress code? Some cruise lines have a relaxed dress code during the day, some call for "country-club casual" throughout the cruise, and others have formal nights, when proper attire can range from fun cocktail dresses to full-length formal gowns.
5 What types of official ID should we bring? In addition to your passport, some destinations require visas. Find out what you'll need early, so you have time to apply for the proper documentation.
6 What organized tours does the cruise line offer at each port? Ships give passengers a range of onshore tour options, from leisurely bus tours to thrilling zip-line excursions. If your group wants to go on any of these, book early while there's still space for all of you. You can also book tours independently or explore on your own. Either of those options is usually cheaper, but know that getting back to the ship on time is your responsibility. The captain will almost always wait if you're on one of the tours the cruise line has arranged, but not necessarily if you're on your own.
7 Does the cruise line offer special rates for pre- and post-cruise hotel stays? Do these deals include transfers to and from the ship? Always find out the hotel's rates on your own to make sure you're actually getting a deal. Also, some hotels will let you park your car in their lots for the duration of the cruise, saving you the fees for parking at the port.
8 Can we book transportation to and from the departure port through the cruise line? Some cruise lines offer package fares that include airline tickets. Lines also have air/sea departments that will offer to book your tickets for you. The service is convenient, but the price isn't always the best; compare what it would cost if you bought the tickets on your own.
9 What's the policy on deposits and refunds? Policies depend on the cruise line and the trip length. A seven-night cruise usually requires a deposit of about $250; the full amount is usually due 70 to 90 days before departure. Refund rules vary, too, but most lines allow you to cancel with no penalty up to the time when your final payment is due.
10 What's a fuel surcharge, and how much will I pay? In response to the rising cost of fuel, cruise lines now tack on a fuel surcharge. It's usually per person, up to a certain number of people per cabin, and per day (with a maximum amount). You pay it on top of your cruise fare-and the cruise lines do reserve the right to increase it at any time.
later, kids!
"As a high school graduation gift for our sons, we treated them to a cruise," says Trudy Southe (center). "The moms had such a blast that we booked another one-this time without the boys!"
Janet Howard, Trudy Southe, Cindy Shivers, and Cathy Carpenter pose with their go-to deckhand, "Tiger"
Choosing Your Cruise
Once you've decided to sail, it's time to navigate your way to the best destinations-and deals.
You can find great values on cruises during shoulder seasons, which are just before and after high season. For the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera, this is post-spring break (usually late March) through May, and late fall. For Alaska, it's May and September. If you're bound for New England or Canada, go during the window of time after the leaves have changed but before they've fallen from the trees-think late October. No matter where you're heading, the best fares are between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and just after New Year's.
Feeling brave? You can find deals during hurricane season, especially mid-August through October. Just be sure to invest in travel insurance!
Another way to save is to book a trip on a repositioning liner, when cruise lines move ships from one region to another for a new season. Routes include transatlantic crossings, when lines transfer vessels between Europe and
, and coastal voyages, when ships travel from Alaska to the Mexican Riviera and from Canada and New England to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. There's one caveat to the great prices: These are one-way trips, so you'll embark in one city and depart in another-which means the airfare can be costly.
Beware of school-holiday periods: Presidents' Day weekend, spring break, Christmas, and New Year's are among the priciest sailings. They're also hugely popular with traveling families-and dodging other people's kids is no one's idea of a getaway.
waves of the future
Cruise lines are always coming up with fun ways to attract passengers. Here, the hottest new trends.
get fit while you float With rock-climbing walls, ice-skating rinks, and surfing simulators, Royal Caribbean pretty much has the lock on recreational innovation. But nearly all cruise lines have bulked up their fitness and spa offerings. You can take Pilâtes, ride an X-Bike (an indoor bike that mimics outdoor cycling), or book a session with a personal trainer. And improved spa options range from Thai massage to facials to acupuncture-all for a fee, of course.
enjoy fine dining On many ships, mealtimes no longer center on a formal restaurant or buffets. Celebrity and Costa have spa cafés with healthy cuisine. On many Royal Caribbean ships, you can eat at Johnny Rockets, a '50s-style diner, for an extra $4 per person. Norwegian Cruise Line serves French fare at Le Bistro, and Holland America Line's Pinnacle Grill focuses on cuisine inspired by the Pacific Northwest. Most of these options impose a surcharge.
off-road onshore Shore outings used to be limited to boring narrated bus tours of mainstream attractions, but in the past few years, cruise companies have been dreaming up far more thrilling options. Take advantage of the opportunity to try something new: dogsledding in Alaska, trekking through a rain forest in Puerto Rico, cycling through the jungle in Belize, or tubing through caves in Hawaii.
choose your own adventure Cruise concierges will arrange customized private outings, like cliff-top yoga sessions in Santorini or off-hours tours of St. Petersburg's Hermitage museum, which houses more than 3 million works of art. Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Circles of Interest program matches voyagers with experts in fields such as photography, history, and food and wine, and arranges theme-oriented onshore tours for groups.
STAYING ON A budget
IMBIBE WISELY Beverages aren't included in the price of most cruises. If you plan to order soft drinks or alcohol, ask about all-you-can-drink soda deals or cocktail specials.
EXERCISE CAUTION Spa treatments are offered at resort-price levels, and most fitness classes run about $7 to $10. (Note: Packages are often available.) Many ships now have thermal-treatment rooms and thalassotherapy (sea-water) pools, which start around $10 a day. Fitness facilities and locker-room steam rooms, however, should never cost extra. And there are often spatreatment deals when the ship is in port.
BEWARE FOOD FEES Alternative eateries can charge $10 to $30 per person for dinner. This covers a meal, but not drinks.
DONT GET PLAYED You have to pay between $5 and $20 to play bingo on board. There's no charge to enter the casinos, but gambling can wreak havoc on a wallet. Stick with free games like bridge and chess, or bring cards and play poker with your girls.
BE YOUR OWN GUIDE Cruise lines have increased the variety of shore excursions, but only a few cruises-mostly river and barge lines-include them in your ticket price. Research port cities before your cruise and organize your own outings.
FACTOR IN THE TIP Gratuities run from $8 per person per day and will be billed to your account. They're listed as voluntary, but you really should pay them-after all, the staff has spent days tending to you. You can ask that the amount be adjusted higher or lower at the purser's desk.
want more? visit girlgetaways.com for insider tips on scoring a great cabin-and advice on packing like a pro.
Which Cruise Is Right for You?
That depends on what you want to do-and how much you want to spend! Here are four types of seafaring getaways, with options to suit any budget.
health & fitness retreat
$ If you don't want to shell out for a fitness cruise, sail to the western Caribbean, where you can choose an adventure like snorkeling, scuba diving, horseback riding, or biking. Carnival offers the best options in this area, carnival.com.
$$ Royal Caribbean's Freedom, Liberty, and Independence of the Seas each have healthy menu options, a gym and spa, a surfing simulator, a jogging track, an ice-skating rink, a boxing ring, and a rock-climbing wall, royalcaribbean.com.
$$$ On Star Clippers' ships, you dock in small, exotic ports with recreational options that include hiking up volcanoes and cycling through vanilla plantations. Onboard fitness classes include yoga and aerobics, starclippers.com.
milestone celebration
$ Cruises to Alaska and British Columbia offer sophistication (Vancouver and Victoria) and nature (all around you). During shoulder season, you can nab a bargain for around $100 per person per day. Princess and Holland America have the best options, princess.com, hollandamerica.com.
$$ Big-time celebrations call for big-time ships: The Queen Mary 2, which crosses the Atlantic, has a planetarium, a pub, and Canyon Ranch's only cruise spa. cunard.com.
$$$ French Country Waterways and European Waterways offer trips on barges that meander along canals in France. Days revolve around meals, bike rides, winery visits, and watching the countryside go by. fcwl.com, gobarging.com.
single girls' get-together
$ Carnival Cruise Lines-known to many as the "party hearty" line-has a terrific selection of three- and four-night voyages to destinations like the Bahamas (from Florida ports) and Ensenada, Mexico (from Long Beach, Calif.), camival.com.
$$ Book a shorter cruise on a line that might otherwise be a budget buster. Celebrity Century sails four- and five-night trips in the Caribbean and has fully equipped fitness facilities and an elegant ambience, celebritycruises.com.
$$$ Mediterranean itineraries are popular with European travelers, so the onboard experience provides cultural immersion-and, potentially, cute men aplenty. MSC and Costa, lines that channel Carnival's celebratory mood, have ships that sail the Mediterranean, msccruisesusa.com, costacruises.com.
made-for-moms trip
$ No time? Norwegian Cruise Line offers one- and two-night voyages out of New York that don't have any port calls. They do have restaurants, spas, and entertainment (you can catch a second City comedy show on Norwegian Gem), ncl.com.
$$ Get a grand experience for less by taking a repositioning cruise (see "Choosing Your Cruise," p. 41). Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Carnival all offer these one-way trips. In October, for example, Carnival Splendor sails from Rome to Fort Lauderdale. carnival.com.
$$$ Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America sails round trip from Honolulu. The ship has spas, restaurants, and a Hawaiian cultural center, but the island stops-including Maui, the Big Island, and Kauai-are the real stars, ncl.com.
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