Bob Hett

A cruise is considered the ultimate in luxury vacations. For many people, the idea of sailing on a ship to a wonderful and exotic destination is their perfect vacation. Cruise lines offer a variety of cruises for the average consumer. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines is one of many cruise lines that offer great vacations and lots of options. Their reputation is very good and the amenities onboard the ships are first-rate.

With a name like Royal Caribbean, you might think that this cruise line sails only to the Caribbean. This could not be further from the truth. Royal Caribbean cruises to many different locations. They sail to Alaska, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Canada and New England, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, the Panama Canal, and transatlantic cruises, as well. They also have some great cruise tours that consist of an escorted land tour that occurs either before or after your cruise. The escorted land tour is done by deluxe motor coach or train, and is a great option for those wanting to see more of the country to which they have traveled.

Cruises are actually very budget-friendly. This is because nearly everything onboard the ship is included in the price of the cruise. The accommodations, all meals, snacks activities, entertainment and even 24-hour room service are all part of the package. For those that want to save money, they can book an inside room and choose one of the less expensive meal plans. This does not mean that their food will be inferior, however. Cruises price themselves on providing sumptuous gourmet meals to all their customers. They also give you guidelines for gratuities so that you know how much to tip the various staff members that serve you during your cruise.

The things that are not included in the package price are things like alcoholic beverages, shore excursions, phone calls, and both onboard and off-board purchases. These are things that a person needs to plan to have extra money for. Even then, the shore excursions can be booked in advance to get a better price and to make sure that the consumer gets the shore excursions they want, as the good ones fill up quickly.

Booking a cruise is also simple. It can be done online through one of the many travel sites, or it can be done at the official Royal Caribbean Cruise Line site. A travel agent can also be another alternative, and sometimes they are able to get very good cruise deals for their customers. Even if you decide to go on a cruise at the last minute, there are often cheap deals and amazing specials designed to fill up empty spaces on the ship. So whether a person decides to book early or book late, great deals on cruises to a variety of locations are always available. About the Author

Bob Hett offers great tips and advice regarding all aspects of Cruise Lines. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting http://www.caribbeancruisescenter.info

John Metcalfe

A tropical cruise in the Caribbean or in the Gulf of Mexico is an ideal choice of vacation for couples of all ages. Whether you’re looking for a short romantic break or if you’d like a longer voyage with more time to explore tropical islands and soak up the Caribbean sunshine, then a tropical cruise is for you.

A tropical cruise can be embarked upon from many ports around the U.S. In Florida, the ports of Canaveral, Miami and Fort Lauderdale all offer excellent choices of tropical cruises, with itineraries varying from two and three night cruises to the Bahamas, to 14-day cruises around the more exotic parts of the Caribbean.

Seaports in the States of Louisiana and Texas also cater for tropical cruises, with destinations often including port stops at Mexico and parts of Central America. A tropical cruise can also be commenced from more northern ports in the U.S. You need to be prepared to spend more time at sea and to take a longer vacation though should you choose to depart from somewhere like New York.

There are essentially four tropical cruise routes around the Caribbean - the Western Caribbean route, Eastern Caribbean route, Southern Caribbean route and an exotic Caribbean route that is a combination of ports stops taken from the other three routes.

In the Western Caribbean, a tropical cruise will take you as far east into the Caribbean as Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Grand Cayman in particular has many delights, including white sandy beaches and first-class watersports activities. It’s a true tropical paradise.

A tropical cruise to the Eastern Caribbean introduces you to the exquisite beaches of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Many cruise itineraries incorporate a stop on the island of St Maarten too, where you can bask on one of 37 white-sand beaches and be served with cocktails all day long!

Tropical cruises around the Southern Caribbean are often of a longer duration, and take in many of the islands of the Lesser Antilles and Netherlands Antilles. The Grenadines and the island of Aruba, the latter having 365 beaches, are ‘must sees’ on a tropical cruise of the Southern Caribbean.

For short duration tropical cruises, the Bahamas are an excellent choice of destination. Departing from Florida, a tropical cruise to the Bahamas can be as short as just two nights. Stops at Nassau on the island of New Providence and Freeport on Grand Bahama offer a tropical paradise that is only some 75kms away from the U.S. mainland - perfect if you’re looking for a romantic weekend away!

John Metcalfe is the webmaster for A to Z Cruises which is the No1 resource for Tropical Cruise related Information on the Internet. Be sure to visit his site here:http://www.azcruises.com/tropicalcruise/

Copyright John Metcalfe - www.azcruises.com

John Metcalfe

Situated in the country of Panama in Central America is the Panama Canal - a manmade waterway connecting the great oceans of the Pacific and the Atlantic together. It is 80 kilometers in length and is wide enough to accommodate a whole host of ocean-going vessels, including Panama cruise ships. The Panama canal marks the only point at which the landmass of the North American continent and South American continent are physically separated from each other - a fact that distinguishes the canal as a true wonder of the 20th century engineering world.

The Panama Canal was initially designed to cut travel time for vessels that needed to cross between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. It first opened its commercial doors on 15 August, 1914 and is now used by more than thirteen thousand vessels each year. Along the canal’s length are three sets of locks. The locks act as water elevators, enabling vessels to traverse upslope/downslope across the canal terrain.

A Panama cruise takes in the full length of this magnificent canal, revealing some awe-inspiring views of an incredible feat of engineering, as well as offering a tantalizing selection of tour options along the canal. These include sailing or kayaking on Gatun Lake, through which the canal passes. Visitors can also book a tour of the Panama Canal railroad, which takes in dramatic views of the canal itself and the Central American rainforests.

Vibrant Panama City with its eclectic mix of architecture, people and culture is an essential excursion to take while on a Panama cruise. The historical district of Casco Viejo is well worth a visit, if only to see the remnants of the 17th century Spanish fortifications there. For sports-minded cruisers there is a world-class golf course located just 20-minutes away from Panama City.

Panama cruises depart from many of the coastal seaports around the U.S. The most popular cruise routes are one-way cruises departing from one port on the Atlantic or Pacific side and ending at a U.S. port on the opposite coast. Round-trip cruises are available too. These provide passengers with more ‘at sea’ time, and use the Panama Canal as the furthest destination point on the cruise.

Whether one-way or round-trip, Panama cruises incorporate other stops en-route to the Panama Canal and are often of between 10-20 nights in duration. A typical 12-night round-trip Panama cruise itinerary departing from Florida includes calls at Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Columbia as well as taking in the entire length of the Panama Canal. With so much variety on offer, its no wonder a Panama Cruise is top of the vacation wish list of many an American!

John Metcalfe is the webmaster for A to Z Cruises which is the No1 resource for Panama Cruise related Information on the Internet. Be sure to visit his site here:http://www.azcruises.com/panamacanalcruise/

Copyright John Metcalfe - www.azcruises.com

John Metcalfe

Being our next door neighbor, Mexico can sometimes be forgotten about when it comes to choosing a cruising vacation. After all, why go to Mexico when the tropical paradise of the Caribbean is right on our doorstep? If these are your very thoughts, then why not take some time out to uncover the delights that await you on a Mexico cruise. What you discover will surprise and fascinate you…I guarantee it!

The majority of cruise lines operate Mexico cruise round-trips from the ports of Los Angeles and San Diego. The main points of interest (cruise-wise) in Mexico are to be found down the western coastline. Mexican cruise destinations on the Gulf of Mexico side are catered for by Caribbean-oriented cruise vacations departing from Galveston, New Orleans and some ports in Florida.

From the Californian ports a wide choice of Mexico cruises are available through several different cruise lines. These vary from a short 3-night cruise that takes in one Mexican port of call - Ensenada - before heading back, to 14-night cruises down to Acapulco and back.

Ensenada is in Baja California. It is less than 100kms from San Diego and is the third largest city on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. The city is a tourist hotspot, attracting many people from all over the world to its shops, restaurants, beaches and wineries. One ‘must-see’ attraction here is the La Bufadora natural blowhole, which spouts ocean water a full 35ft into the air!

Further down the coast on the Mexican mainland is Mazatlan. Miles of beautiful golden sands lined with palm trees await at this port of call, aptly named as the Pearl of the Pacific. Fine restaurants, nightlife and shopping can be enjoyed in Mazatlan, as well as a whole host of watersports and land-based sports activities.

Puerto Vallarta is another popular port of call on a Mexico cruise, where more excellent beaches and fine restaurants await. From this port, shore excursions up into the spectacular mountains behind the city can be taken. The city of Guadalajara and its fine Mexican heritage can easily be reached from Puerto Vallarta.

The furthest point that most cruise lines will sail to on a round-trip is the dream destination of Acapulco. Known as the ‘Hollywood’ of Mexico, Acapulco has everything from water parks and balloon rides over the city, to rock diving and a complete raft of watersports activities. There are excellent restaurants, great shopping opportunities and a buzzing nightlife to enjoy too. Be warned though, once you’ve visited Acapulco you may become addicted to the place!

With all this to enjoy, and much more besides, Mexico really is a top cruise destination that should be on everyone’s travel itinerary. Just kick off those work shoes and enjoy the good life!

John Metcalfe is the webmaster for A to Z Cruises which is the No1 resource for Mexico Cruise related Information on the Internet. Be sure to visit his site here:http://www.azcruises.com/mexicocruise/

Copyright John Metcalfe - www.azcruises.com