Choose Your Cruise Tip #1 - Your Destination

With so many ships, cruise lines, and destinations out there, how do you choose a cruise? How do you evaluate your options and find the trip that best suits your style? Well, let’s start investigating some of the steps involved in finding and booking a cruise that you will remember for a lifetime!

Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll explore, one tip at a time, how to navigate your way through all of the fantastic, exotic and exciting cruise offerings that are out there for travelers today.

When you are thinking of embarking upon a cruise vacation, the most important thing to do first is establish where you want to go. Alaskan and Caribbean cruises have long been mainstay destinations; however, many cruise lines are adding itineraries to other exciting places such Asia, the Indian Ocean, South America, Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa.

Once you have found the destination/geographic area that piques your interest, it’s important to begin looking at the specifics. For example, with most Alaskan cruises, ships tend to follow two routes. Inside Passage itineraries run round-trip from Seattle or Vancouver and call in southern Alaskan ports like Juneau and Skagway whereas Gulf of Alaska itineraries sail farther north and are typically one-way trips from Vancouver to Whittier or Seward, or the reverse.

One of the best ways to narrow down specific itineraries after you have found a destination or geographic area that you wish to explore on a cruise is to use the expertise of a qualified travel planner. A travel agent will be able to supply you with in-depth information about cruise offerings for the area that interests you.

By planning ahead and doing a little bit of research, you will ensure that your vacation destination fully satisfies your needs and desires.

Next tip – choosing the time of year for your cruise vacation.