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Inexpensive
Cruising for the Novice Cruiser
Most of us work hard
for our vacation dollars and don't want to waste them. If you're not sure
you even want to go cruising, then it's even more important to make sure
that you don't spend money unnecessarily. One way to avoid paying too much
for your first cruise is to bargain-hunt in newspapers or surf the net. Also,
try to book early if you can because this will not only ensure a cheaper
fare, but will also help you get cabin upgrades—-more value for your
cruising dollar! Experienced, budget-conscious cruisers know that they can
get a real bargain by cruising during the low season. However, in the
Caribbean low season just happens to be hurricane season. Consequently, if
you are a novice (and skeptical) cruiser, I would recommend that you avoid
hurricane season. Instead, consider one of many repositioning cruises
because these also offer considerable savings over peak-season rates.
Are You An "Innie"
or and "Outie"?
One of the (few?)
mistakes I made on my first cruise was to allow myself to be swept away by
the romance of the sea. I was convinced that I would spend a lot of time
gazing out to see from behind my cabin window. I guess I would have done so
if I had spent some time in my outside cabin! However, as it turned out, the
only time I was in there was to sleep, wash, and change clothes. The rest of
the time, I was enjoying the many amenities offered by the ship—definitely
NOT in my cabin! The bottom line is this: if you're not sure about cruising
AND you're on a budget, skip the outside cabin, book the inside
one and SAVE your money!
Dining at Sea for
the Novice Cruiser
In my opinion, one of
the best things about cruising is that you can choose to be as active or as
inactive as you want. No one forces you to do anything. YOU set your own
itinerary by participating in as many (or as few) of the onboard activities
as you wish.
One of those
activities is—eating! You can eat from morning until night if you wish. The
midnight buffet is not to be missed. However, if you're a novice cruiser, I
would suggest being a little cautious about how much (and what) you eat. For
the whole cruise? No way! Just wait and see how your body reacts to the
motion of the sea. If you have no adverse reactions—then dive in and eat
your fill! On the other hand...
Seasickness and
the Novice Cruiser
Even though modern
cruise ships are equipped with stabilizers that minimize the motions of
ships, there are people who still do get seasick. What if you are one of
them? Here's what happened to me and what I did about it.
I'm the sort of
person who sometimes feels a little queasy while riding in cars or in
certain types of seas. On the first night of my first cruise, the seas were
rather rough and the motion of the ship made me feel a little uncomfortable
but I took one my motion sickness pills and put on my special wrist-bands (designed
to combat sea and air sickness). Another precaution I took was to stay on
deck and be as active as possible. Most important of all, I avoided looking
down and reading. Also, I kept my eyes on the horizon. Consequently, the
feeling soon subsided and I was fine. By the next day, I had my sea legs and
never had to worry about it again. If you find yourself getting seasick, try
doing what I did and see if it doesn't help you.
Medical Care,
Travel Insurance, and Novice Cruisers
Seasickness isn't the
only malady that can befall the cruiser. Sometimes novice cruisers are
reassured to know that onboard medical care is available if illness or
injury strikes. However, many people don't realize that the medical care
available on a ship is NOT free. It is NOT part of your fare.
If you need medical care while on board ship, you will have to pay extra for
it. If your own medical plan doesn't provide coverage for you while you're
on your cruise, you will have to pay for your own medical care from your own
pocket. OUCH!!! The alternative is to have good quality travel insurance
that will cover your medical, dental and other expenses in the event of
illness or accident.
If you're not sure
where you can get reliable, quality travel insurance, pay a visit to Travel
Insurance Central (http://www.travel-insurance-central.com). That site is a
source of information about travel insurance, including cruise insurance,
and shows where you can get multiple quotes from a variety of reliable
travel insurance companies. Once you've invested in a good travel insurance
policy, you can relax on your cruise knowing that any accident or illness,
rather than being a trip-ruining financial disaster, will instead just be an
unpleasant glitch in an otherwise marvelous experience.
Visiting Foreign
Ports for the Novice Cruiser
It is easy to get
caught up in cruising the seas and visiting different ports of call. However,
novice cruisers sometimes are not aware of this important point: while at
sea, you are subject to the rules and regulations of your cruise line, but
when you hit port and go ashore, the ship has no jurisdiction over you.
Neither can it offer you any protection while you're ashore. Nor can your
own government! You are now in a foreign country and are subject to the laws
of that nation. Consequently, it's essential to be familiar with the laws of
the country you're visiting AND to respect them.
A few years ago, the
son of a friend of mine was not aware of that fact, and while visiting a
Mexican port on a family cruise, he decided that it would be a good idea to
urinate in public. Unfortunately for him, the police officers observing him
didn't agree, and the chase was on!!! Since the boy was in good physical
condition, he was able to outrun the cops and make it back onboard ship a
few steps ahead of them and "disappear". This was lucky for him AND his
parents, who would have had to choose between sailing away on the departing
cruise liner and staying in port to bail their son out of jail! This could
have been the end of a dream vacation and the beginning of a real nightmare!
Cruising is a great
way to spend a vacation because once you're onboard, you only need to focus
on one thing: having as much fun as possible. Your floating hotel takes you
from one exotic destination to another, and all you have to do is be on
board and leave the driving to the captain and crew! By following the
suggestions I've mentioned you should enjoy a great trip, come home
refreshed and relaxed, and wonder what took you so long to finally take your
first cruise!
John M. Bartanus is
a regular contributor to
http://www.travel-insurance-central.com and to
http://www.best-tea-4u.com has written other articles on travel
insurance, cruise insurance, and tea.
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