I know a fancy Italian who tried to pooh-pooh cruising as something that’s not for him. I asked what his favorite leisure activities are, and he replied “golf, basketball and fine dining.”
It was a cinch: I pointed out that nearly all cruise lines offer golf packages in any port where golf is an option, [...]

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Seasickness does exist and is probably the primary reason people avoid cruises.   The best definition of what mal de mer is comes from the U.S. Coast Guard:  “Motion sickness occurs when the brain receives conflicting signals from the areas of the body that detect motion. This conflict typically results in motion sickness.” 
It’s important to keep [...]

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With rising fuel and food costs coupled with a volatile economy,  many of us are cutting back expenditures in order to to stretch budgets further.  And in order to afford a vacation, it may  be tempting to pick a ship because it has the cheapest price.  
What we tend to forget is that our time is the most precious commodity of all.  To spend precious [...]

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Last weekend, Wendy Perrin, Conde Nast Traveler’s consumer news editor, wrote an interesting article on her blog: “Cruises Are NOT the Best Way to Stretch Your Dollar in Europe”.   Wendy is one of the most highly respected travel  journalists in the industry so her opinion matters.  I suggest clicking on the title and reading her comments.
First of [...]

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Alaska cruises are among the most memorable sea-going vacations you’ll take but planning for one is a bit different from preparing for a cruise to typical warm-weather destinations.  There’s the weather, but also budgeting for more expensive shore excursions, clothing and the perils of traveling by air.  Here are a few tips to help make it easier. 
The Weather [...]

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and why do all his friends go on cruises?”  
This was a question asked by a cruiser who had sailed on many ships and noticed that, in every instance, the ship’s daily program had the same event listed:  Friends of Bill W.  
Bill W is Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the 12 Step program for recovering alcoholics.  [...]

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If you can collect a group of friends, family, colleagues or even people you’ve never met but with whom you share a common interest, hobby, lifestyle, sport or passion to go on a cruise, you can cruise free.  I think a 100% discount trumps a 50% discount any day of the week.  
Arranging a group cruise is surprisingly easy to do [...]

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Almost every day, I see ads from travel agents touting ”free upgrades” as a terrific deal.   This is obviously an effective lure, because cruisers are always eager to get the reward of a better cabin than they’re paying for. “How do I get upgraded?” is one of the most frequent questions I’m asked.
During the past 15 [...]

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In a New York Times article about cutting back during the economic downturn, one woman said she’d probably stop getting her sheets dry cleaned.  Well, sure, I guess that’s one way.  My ideas of cutting back are a bit more down to earth: take mass transit instead of taxis, cook more and eat out less, etc. 
So many of [...]

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A while back, a wealthy friend decided to take a one-month vacation with Seabourn Cruises and knew the ship, itinerary, departure date and stateroom she wanted.  She decided to conduct an experiment in cruise bargain hunting by calling three travel agents and, after relaying the specifics of her desired voyage, advised each agent that whoever gave her the best price would get her business.   She [...]

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