Category: River Cruising

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Great Places to Cruise

Great Places to Cruise

The top place to go on a cruise is the Caribbean. Especially for Americans since we can get there from most cruise ports. You can go to the Eastern Caribbean which includes Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Martinique, St Kitts, US Virgin Islands, Puerto, and others. Western including the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Belize and Mexico. Or Southern which includes Aruba, Trinidad, Tobago, and more. As with any cruise, you unpack once and get to see different places with your floating inclusive hotel along with you.

Breathtaking scenery, wildlife and spectacular glaciers are part of Alaska cruises. Our largest state has spectacular fjords and glaciers as well as beautiful bays and inlets. Bald eagles, bears, caribou, moose, mountain goats, bison, Dall sheep and whales are just a few of the animals you might spot on your cruise.

A cruise on the Mediterranean Sea will stop by multiple countries. Eastern Mediterranean could include  the Greek islands of Santorini, Mykonos and Crete, Greece and Turkey. The Western Mediterranean might include Venice, Rome, Sicily, Monte Carlo, Tropez and Barcelona. There is a lot of natural beauty and diverse cultures in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea.

Hawaii is another great cruise choice with all of it’s famous sights and fantastic caring people. Most cruises visit the islands of Maui, Oahu, Kauai and The Big Island. Each island has something unique to offer – from cascading waterfalls to National Parks, volcanos and beautiful beaches. You can also go on a Hawaiian Luau.

Australia and New Zealand are also among the best places to go on a cruise. They usually cover Sydney, Queensland, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and maybe even Tasmania. Australia is famous for its surfing, beaches and of course, The Great Barrier Reef. New Zealand mainly cruises in South Island, North Island and some small islets. The racing capital of the world is Auckland.

So, start checking off your bucket list and get cruising!

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Get busy on your Bucket List

What is a bucket list? It is a list of all the things you want to try, goals you want to achieve and life experiences you want to have before you die. Have you always wanted to go to Hawaii or Alaska? How about Iceland and see the Northern Lights or Australia and see kangaroos in the wild? Or maybe you have wanted to see all 47 State Parks in SC? Do you want to learn how to grow tomatoes, make a table, sew a dress or cross stitch a picture? Whatever you have always wanted to do, you should make plans to do it.

We all say “Someday.” But if you don’t plan for it or even schedule it – it will always be “Someday”. Make a list of all the things you would like to see and do. Include everything – from the River Cruise in Europe to going to see the Braves play baseball or zip lining. Then look at all the things on the list. Mark off everything that isn’t really important to you. Put your list in order of priority. You can break that down into whatever you can do this year, next year or if you need to save money for it, can you achieve it in two or three years? If you save towards a goal, you are more likely to do it. 

Or pick out the top three things. What excites you the most? What has to be done in during certain times? (An Alaska cruise can only be April until September.) Then start planning the three things. What do you need to do to make that happen? How much does it cost and how long will it take you to save for that? What is the first step? – then do it! Be as specific as possible and anticipate potential problems so when the time comes to make your memories you can focus on enjoying the moment without facing last-minute issues.

One suggestion is to discuss what is on your bucket list with a travel agent. When they know the things you want to do, they can watch for the best deals to help you attain the things on your list.

Your bucket list should be a changing list. As you do things, you might add something else or take something off. Or even better, you have just done it!

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Eating on Cruise Ships

Eating on Cruise Ships

Gone are the days of huge piles of food at the buffet line and the midnight buffet. But that doesn’t mean you will go hungry on a cruise ship! There are lots of choices and you can get as much as you want most of the time. For example, in the main dining rooms, you can order whatever you would like. You can order two appetizers, two main entrees, and three desserts if you want – you aren’t limited to one. And there are venues open except for the wee hours of the morning. It may be pizza or a grill, but you can eat almost anytime.

Most lines still offer free room service. Some have a service charge for the service. Check your daily newsletter or in room menu for pricing and/or service charge. Having breakfast in your room sitting on your balcony is a nice way to start the day!

Speaking of breakfast, you can get lots of choices on the buffet, but all the cruise lines also have at least one restaurant open for breakfast for a nice sit down meal. Some of them have two or three other venues open for breakfast. That is also in your daily newsletter

Specialty dining is a good option for the first night on the cruise. It is easier to get the time you want and some cruise lines give discounts or wine for the first night diners. 

Do you like ice cream? Most cruise lines have soft serve ice cream on the Lido Deck or the buffet lines. Speciality ice cream often comes with a charge, but soft serve is free. Check each area that serves soft serve, there are often different flavors at different locations.

A sit down restaurant is a good alternative the day of embarkation. Instead of braving the mob, ask a crew member or check the daily newsletter to find out which restaurants are open. Then sit and enjoy having someone bring you your choices.

The main dining room menus are planned out for a week and you can look at them in advance. Visit the front desk and ask to see the menus. You can pick which meals you want to eat in the main dining room and which meals you want to go to an alternate dining venue.

Alert: gaining weight on a seven day cruise is normal. Don’t be surprised if you do!

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Christmas Markets River Cruise

European Christmas Markets are amazing!! The decorations, ornaments, presents, food, gluhwein, and more are in almost every town in Europe! What an awesome way to get in the Christmas spirit. This is one of our many pictures. Call us to book your fabulous Christmas Market Cruise today!

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Packing for a Cruise

Packing For a Cruise

You are going on a cruise. What a great vacation!! These are a few tips about packing enough but not too much.

Color coordinate your clothes. Mix and match neutrals with a color or two and you will have lots of outfits. You will need shorts, slacks, jeans, nice shirts, T-shirts and sport shirts. For the formal nights, a long dress or skirt, suit and tie and shoes you can wear with other outfits. Several bathing suits with cover ups, sandals or flip-flops. You can wear sneakers or shoes around the ship or on excursions.

You will need a sweatshirt, sweater, or windbreaker for layering on the days it is cool and breezy on deck. A hat or scarf would be good. Small backpacks or totes are good for excursions and around the ship. They can hold your camera, water bottle, sunscreen, etc.

A small powerstrip is a necessity if you have more than two things that need to be charged. Cruise ships typically only have one outlet in a cabin. Binoculars will be welcome for viewing sights on board. An over the door shoe bag is useful for corralling bathroom supplies and small items. A foldable duffel bag carries souvenirs or dirty clothes home.

You should carry a change of clothes, important medications, camera, jewelry, necessary IDs, cruise documents, and electronics in a carryon bag you keep with you. It is also a good idea if you are traveling with family to split your belongings on more than one bag. Both tips will be worth it if your luggage doesn’t arrive in your room when you do. Remember camera memory cards, batteries, ear plugs (in case of noisy neighbors).

Ships provide shampoo, soap, and hair dryer so you don’t need to carry those.

Pack about half of what you think you will need. And have a great time!