photo credit: rrreynoldshome

1. Britannia Restaurant: is the main dining room where the majority of passengers enjoy their meals. This beautiful multi-level room offered great service, selection, and presentation. Plus, Cunard does a great job with the variety of offerings.

2. Cabin Stewards: Excellent, friendly service including tidying up clothes along with keeping the cabin and bathroom very clean.

3. Buffet: Convenient with wide selections available when you are, and the wait staff buses your table while you are still seated.

4. Tender Service to Princess Cays (Private Island): very efficient service back and forth.

5. Britannia guest room toiletries are of superior quality. It really did enhance the experience.

6. Britannia bathrooms are well laid out and of a reasonable size.

7. Space: This ship has so much public space. The QM2 is designed for long voyages, and thus provides tremendous public space to sit, mingle, play games, etc. The corridors and public areas are very wide. You can always find space to sit alone or in a group. The top deck is huge with minimum obstructions, just wide open spaces.

8. Speed: it took a while to realize that this voyage from NYC to the Bahamas would be nearly impossible on most other ships. The QM2’s propulsion system is quite unique with four propellers and NO rudder!

9. The Queen’s Room: this room, in and of itself must be mentioned. The extravagant Queen’s Room focuses as a ballroom in the evening’s for Cunard’s renowned ballroom events. During the day, high tea is offered along with bingo.

10. The QM2 has a very non-commercial environment. Cunard makes future cruise sales, shopping, up-charge dining, art auctions, etc., available but does NOT advertise non-stop! There is a deliberate lack of both constant announcements on the PA and in-room flyers urging you to spend your money. Plenty of money spending options are available if you wish to avail yourself for those services. Further, production shows are not interrupted with commercials. This whole environment makes for a more elegant cruise experience.

10.5 Lectures: This particular voyage featured a PhD speaking on the Bermuda triangle and global climate change issues; Cunard caters to a clientèle that enjoys enrichment activities and the intellectual stimulation was most welcome.

Dave Rosenthal is a CLIA Accredited Cruise Counselor/travel planner. Would you like professional guidance? Want to make sure you’re getting a good deal on a great vacation, then please visit daydreamexcursions.com

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photo credit: Lauren Murphy

Since 9/11 the number of ships and passengers increased to the point that additional berthing facilities were opened in Red Hook, Brooklyn and Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey. Today every major cruise line has several ships that home port in New York for extended seasons of voyages ranging from a one-day party cruise to a 100+-day circumnavigation of the globe.

Four cruise lines (Cunard Line, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line) have year-round service from New York. Itineraries range from one-day party cruises to a 99-day full circumnavigation of the globe. Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 continues the tradition of regularly scheduled transatlantic service between New York and Southampton.

Picks for the Best Ships and Itineraries of 2008/09:

BEST CRUISE LINES AND SHIPS

The New York Star: Queen Mary 2. Ballroom dancing to a live orchestra, high tea perfectly served, scholarly guest lecturers, a dog kennel and the ultimate in creature comforts keep the British maritime heritage alive and well.

Best Ships for Families: Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas. A big kid pleaser due to her rock climbing wall, roller blading, ice-skating and private teen club, Explorer of the Seas is hugely popular with cruisers of all ages.

Top Luxury Ship: Crystal Symphony (Crystal Cruises) Boasting the top levels of food and service, penthouse suites with private butlers and onboard enrichment programs, Crystal Symphony steals the show in luxury cruising.

Best Itineraries: Princess Cruises’ Caribbean and Canada/New England cruises from Brooklyn.

Best Ships For Laid-back People: Norwegian Cruise Line. This cruise line’s popular “Freestyle Cruising” program means you may opt to dine in numerous restaurants when and with whom you please. And, no tuxes required.

Best Onboard Dining Program: Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess. Princess offers the choice of single open seating dining or traditional two seating dining plus a Lido Restaurant that serves great food 24 hours per day.

BEST ITINERARIES OF 2008/09

Caribbean: (Princess) Caribbean Princess sails on nine-day Eastern Caribbean voyages round-trip from Brooklyn to Bermuda, Grand Turk, San Juan and St. Thomas

Bermuda: (Royal Caribbean & NCL Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas sails on six-day Bermuda cruises from Cape Liberty (Bayonne), NJ and Norwegian Cruise Line’ Norwegian Dawn makes seven-day Bermuda voyages from Manhattan

Canada/New England: (Princess) Princess’s Sea Princess sails on ten-night cruises between Brooklyn and Quebec City (with an overnight stay aboard the ship). Ports of call are Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown

Europe: Six-night transatlantic crossings between New York and Southampton aboard Queen Mary 2

Short Cruise: Aug. 29, 2008 three-night cruise to nowhere aboard Holland America’s brand new Eurodam sailing from Manhattan.

Best Long Cruise: Sea Princess’ 14-day Iceland & Greenland voyage from Southampton, U.k., to Brooklyn Aug. 30, 2008. Bergen, Norway; Shetland Islands, Scotland; Faroe Islands, Denmark; Iceland; Nanortalik, Greenland; St. Johns, Nova Scotia.

World Cruise: Queen Victoria sails from New York to Barcelona on a 99-day World Cruise departing Jan. 10, 2009. The ship visits Curacao; Guatemala; Cabo San Lucas; Los Angeles; Honolulu; Tonga; New Zealand; Australia; New Guinea; Japan; China; Hong Kong; Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore; India; Dubai; Jordan; Egypt; Turkey; Greece; Rome; Barcelona.

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photo credit: bensonkua

The islands off Turkey’s coast are dotted all over the Gulf of Gokova, and a week will fly by as you try to explore all of them. The translucent water allows you to view the marine life beneath the water without difficulty. On Bodrum Gokova yacht cruises you can enjoy swimming, snorkeling, sightseeing, or just basking in the sun with your favorite drink.

Hire an entire yacht for yourself or reserve a cabin on a passenger boat on Bodrum Gokova yacht cruises. Perfect for first-timers to sailing, Bodrum mini cruises are usually between three and five days. With shipmates from all sorts of different countries, you’ll enjoy the voyage even more.

Among the wonders Bodrum Gokova yacht cruises take you to are ruins of ancient civilizations and treasures of natural beauty. You might want to spend some time touring the ruins of ancient empires that remain underwater as well as the charming town of Karacasogut and the ancient cities of Caunos and Telmessos. Your itinerary will be based upon the particular cruise you select but anywhere you travel with Bodrum Gokova yacht cruises promises to be spectacular.

Sedir Island, filled with history and known as Cleopatra Island, is another favored stop on Bodrum Gokova yacht cruises. The island’s legendary beaches are said to be covered with sand filled with gold dust, which was brought from Egypt by Mark Anthony as a gift for Cleopatra. The ancient Roman amphitheatre located on the island definitely warrants a visit.

The typical day aboard Bodrum Gokova yacht cruises begins with a few hours of sailing followed by a stop for lunch in a charming locale. After lunch, entertainment can be found in the gorgeous waters of the Gulf of Gokova where you can swim, dive or snorkel. Or you might go on a shore excursion to a Turkish village, or visit an ancient site. Bodrum mini cruises have various itineraries, so if there is a place you really want to visit make sure you ask about it before booking your trip.

Both longer and shorter Bodrum yacht cruises guarantee you a wonderful vacation. The Bodrum Peninsula and the Gulf of Gokova are truly unique destinations. Bodrum Gokova yacht cruises give you the best opportunity to experience this paradise.

We hope that you enjoyed reading this article. If you are looking for additional information on Bodrum Gokova Yacht Cruises or Bodrum mini cruises, please be sure to check out our website.

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What makes Disney cruising different from other cruise lines?  Well, in terms of the cruise itself, there are activities designed both for children and adults.  So, parents don’t have to feel like they have to sacrifice their own fun by going on a Disney cruise.  However, unlike other cruise line, Disney has brand that is specially focused on kids.  When children go off for their own activities, they do things with a Disney emphasis.  For example, they might get a chance to meet Mickey Mouse or travel through Captain Hook’s ship.  Or, maybe they will watch one of their favorite Disney stories become reenacted live on stage.  Whatever it is they do, parents can be assured they will enjoy it because it will associate them with the characters and stories children have loved basically ever since Disney was founded.

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Most Antarctic cruises can accommodate 48 to 250 passengers.  Additionally, they are much more quaint than traditional cruises.  There isn’t much when it comes to shows, as most of the entertainment is had through bars or libraries.  Food is served in a restaurant-style dining hall at certain times.

At some point in the journey, passengers will have to travel on a smaller boat to fully experience what Antarctica has to offer.  So, it’s very important that they dress well, since the continent has an extremely cold climate. 

Price-wise, expect to pay at least $5,000 per person for an Antarctic cruises.  This is several thousand more than what traditional cruises cost, but for many people that price is worth it.  Granted, you won’t have the amenities that are typical to larger cruises, but you still get the experience of a lifetime… the opportunity to explore a continent that only a select number of people have even seen in real life.

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With cruising, you get unlimited access to gourmet food. During specific times you can eat in a restaurant. At other times you can eat buffet food and pizza. This doesn’t include room service, which is often provided free of charge on cruises. Indeed, when you go on a cruise, you’ll never have to worry about your food budget.

Additionally, live entertainment is provided for free. In fact, during a cruise there is so much to do, you don’t even need to go on land to truly enjoy yourself. But when you travel by land, you have to pay separately for entertainment. If you don’t feel like doing that, you’ll have to just hang out at your hotel. Sure, there might be a pool or a spa, but that gets boring after awhile. With a cruise, one can never be bored because there are so many activities to choose from.

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Some of the on-board activities will include: watching classic Titanic movies, listening to the stories of undersea Titanic explorers, gala dinners, custom balls and much more. As far as land excursions, patrons can visit Titanic Museum in Branson, Missouri. They will also get a chance to visit tourist attractions in Southampton, England.

Planners are hoping that the event will provide for a major turn-out for both average people and celebrities. Currently, they are asking for suggestions from the general public on how they can make the cruise that successful.

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Weekend cruises can be really fun, despite how short they are.  You still get the same type of amenities as you would on a regular cruise, including restaurant dining, live shows, buffets, gambling, room service and even land excursions.  In fact, weekend cruises don’t differ in that arena.

The only downside is that when Sunday or Monday rolls around, you may feel like you didn’t get your money’s worth.  Weekend cruises go by very quickly, but what else can you expect?  At least during the time that you are on the cruise, you have an array of things to do.  That’s why for many weekend cruises are still a better choice than what they would normally do at home.

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For example, when you go on a freestyle cruise, you can eat at one of the restaurants any time you want.  On a traditional cruise, if you want to eat at a restaurant, you have to eat at designated times.  If you want to eat during off-hours, you have to go to a buffet or the pizzeria. 

Also, on a freestyle cruise you are not assigned dinner mates.  Additionally, you do not have to worry about dressing up.  With traditional cruises, while you can still be casual, you usually aren’t allowed to wear jeans or shorts.  As far as dinner mates, some traditional cruises offer options for people to sit alone, though many don’t.

Finally, when it comes to entertainment, freestyle cruisers have access to a variety of shows throughout the day.  Traditional cruisers only have two shows available each day.  Bars, lounges and gambling are the only forms of entertainment offered at any time. 

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There are also lower-income cruise line jobs, for individuals that don’t have much education or experience.  Some are not as stressful as others.  Examples of these types of jobs could be cashiers, casino operators or shampooers.  These jobs are more competitive, despite the pay. 

The hardest cruise line jobs are those related to cleaning, cooking food and serving travelers.  The pay is low and the work is hard, which is why these jobs are often given to young foreigners just starting out.  However, on the upside, some of these jobs offer an opportunity for acquiring enormous tips.  For example, maids and servers can get hundreds extra at the end of the cruise when their patrons tip them.  Granted, people may not want to stay at this level, but at least it gets their foot in the door of the cruise line industry.  As they work their way up, they can get higher positions where they won’t have to work as hard.

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