Ask your CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) member travel agent about cruising. They can recommend a cruise vacation from personal experience and will offer their perspective on a particular destination or ship. The information you can get from a veteran cruiser will help you plan your cruise and is especially valuable to first- time cruisers.

When contemplating a major remodel for your home, a referral from a neighbor who was pleased with the job their contractor did is worth it's weight in gold. Same thing with a cruise. A referral for a cruise vacation by a cruise expert who has been on the cruise you are considering will save you time, money and headaches, especially for the first-time cruiser.  You can rely on the cruise agent to arm you with all the small details that can mean the difference between a good cruise vacation and a memorable one – a cruise vacation that will have you wanting to cruise again and again.

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Cruise Vacations Rule!

You will find that today's mega-cruise ships are so grand in scope and construction that they resemble floating resorts, offering all the amenities a world-class resort does but with a bonus -  the "grounds" of this particular type of resort are hard to beat, the ocean itself! Right outside your stateroom window!

After experiencing several cruises you may find that you prefer one style of ship over another. Maybe your preference is a smaller ship, cruising in a more intimate setting and able to go where the big ships can't. The smaller cruise ships offer unique destinations but are no less equipped than their big sisters.

You may decide that you enjoy the more festive, carnival-like atmosphere and the amenities that the bigger ships offer, things such as a glitzy casino or an immense ballroom with Las Vegas style reviews. Your chances of making new friends are better on a big ship, people that share the same interests as you and with whom you will want to socialize with during your cruise or accompany on a shore excursion.

The style of cruise ship that you choose and the destinations available today can confuse even the most seasoned traveler. Consult a CLIA Cruise Specialist today!

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Cruise Packages

All-inclusive cruises offer cruise packages where the price of your cruise vacation includes your accommodations on board, most activities, port charges, parties and entertainment; most meals and snacks; and of course, an exciting voyage to some of the most enchanting and culturally enriching places in the world.

Cruise travel deals or packages offer the convenience of unpacking once, and where your floating resort takes you where you want to go.

Talk to your CLIA approved cruise agent about the kinds of things that may NOT be included with your cruise vacation package so that there are no surprises on your bill when you leave the ship. Things such as shore excursions, airfares, some shipboard activities, alcoholic beverages,  soft drinks, daycare and the occasional special show may require additional funds.

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If you have ever been to a foreign country, one where the language was totally alien to you, you will appreciate how knowing just a few words about ships and cruising will have you speaking like a cruise veteran in no time – without having to consult a language dictionary!

Here are some of the basic terms of cruising:

Berth: A fancy word for where the ship parks/It's fascinating to watch a cruise ship maneuver in and out of a harbor from the top deck.

Bow/Stern: Front and rear of the ship, respectively/You want to visit both ends while at sea, porpoise love to race and frolic off the bow and at night the ship's wake churns up luminescent plankton, leaving a turquoise trail in the ocean.

Gangway: The passageway where you board/Here is where the excitement really mounts after months of anticipation – you can feel the buzz of excitement in the air.

Stateroom: Your accommodations onboard – just like a resort hotel, but afloat/And so cozy!

Tender: A small vessel that transports people from ship to shore/It's sometimes difficult to leave the comfort of the ship when in port but the crew makes it easy, so get out and absorb some of the local culture – besides, the shopping is great!

Cruise Ship: A large, seaworthy… just kidding! You already knew that one.

More About Cruising

Embark: To get on the ship. Getting off is called disembarking/You will be amazed at how efficiently the crew organizes both.

Excursion: Activities, tours or entertainment offered in each port/Again, your cruise staff will look after you to make sure you enjoy each port of call.

Knot: A unit of speed that equals one nautical mile an hour/Sometimes at sea it seems like you are flying, it's so smooth and you hear nothing but the ocean breezes, but in reality you are cruising at a modest 15-20 knots.

Mustering: The safety drill conducted before every cruise/It's a mandatory drill that is about safety and it's over quickly.

Ports: The cities, towns and islands the ship (and you) will be visiting/Some so beautiful as seen from your ship that it's hard to believe that you are really there!

Cruisetour: A combination cruise vacation and land tour/One way to extend your cruise vacation is by combining land excursions with your cruise package. The cruise lines organize these with local ground operators and can run from two hours to all day.

Cruise Lingo 101 Courtesy of: Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines

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Look for the blue and teal CLIA Seal which designates an "Official Travel Agency of the Cruise Industry" featuring  "Master" and "Elite" Cruise Counselors on staff to serve you and with tons of cruise experience among them.

Within these pages and with help from CLIA's publication, Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Cruising, our mission is to keep the prospective cruise vacationer abreast of the things they need to know to fully enjoy any cruise.  But we won't stop with just general knowledge. We have expanded each answer within a Cruise Q & A category to include an expert and honest assessment of a particular cruise feature. We owe no allegiance to any one cruise company nor do we accept any "freebies" from cruise lines.

We have included much more information than you can find on any one cruise line's website so that the cruise client is armed with knowledge and can ask the right questions when booking a cruise. We happen to believe that cruises offer some of the best vacation packages, all-around value, and convenience of the many vacation options there are to choose from.

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