Tips For A Better Cruise
One of the principal reasons for taking a cruise is the opportunity to relax, but can you? What if something does go wrong? Can you get your money back or get a replacement cruise? Peace of mind when going on a cruise should something disastrous occur, no matter how small, is one of the most important things to consider before you set off, and this means insurance!
Let’s face it, when you think about it, no end of situations could occur that will cost you a great deal of money, so bypassing travel insurance could be an expensive mistake! Travel insurance provides cover for just about everything you can think of and a few more besides, but check out the exclusions in the small print as they may not apply if you take part in so-called dangerous sports, acts of terrorism, “acts of God”, under the influence of alcohol or if you have a previous health problem.
The risks that travel insurance normally cover are: – cancellation, delay, and interruption, medical situations such as evacuation, general illness, family travel to your, accidental death, and last but not least, loss of baggage, money or passport. If you foresee the chance to cruise more than just once a year, there are multiple trip policies available at a good price.
What of the cruise itself? In a package deal, the price of the ticket should include accommodation, entertainment, all activities, meals, use of onboard amenities, specified shore excursions, the airfare to and from the embarkation point with transport and baggage handling between airport and ship. What are not normally included are alcoholic drinks, massage, spa treatment, photographs, access to the Internet, all of which you must budget for as extras. Watch out for price clarification as most cruise prices are based on double cabin occupancy and single supplements can be quite expensive.
If you are really hooked on the cruise lifestyle there are ways you can go for free! As the inter-company competition within the cruise industry gets more intense, many of the cruise lines and travel agents run competitions in the travel and lifestyle magazines. With the advent of the Internet, the opportunities to win a cruise increase tremendously.
Should you have any form of organising ability, check the cruise lines for details of their Group Leader or Tour Conductor opportunities. Why? Because some cruise operators give a great discount on the rates for group bookings give a free berth for every 16th passenger of a group. When you think about it, there are many local organisations in your area who are just waiting for you to organise a cruise for them.
Other ways are to get an onboard job and get paid to cruise. Since everything is all free this is a great way to save money as well as enjoy the cruise lifestyle and is extremely popular with students. Entertainers are especially welcome as are presenters of interest subjects.
The best tip of all for a better cruise is to take your time in making your selection, persevere, pre-plan and research diligently.