Friday, April 9, 2010

Where to Go for the Best Cruise Vacation

When folks find out that I have been on more than 30 cruises they always ask, “What’s your favorite cruise?” I always tell them—“My next one!”


Over the years Linda and I have cruised in Tahitian waters, through the Mediterranean, down the coast of South America, and nearly everywhere in the Caribbean and Mexico. We’ve taken a group of friends to the Holy Land, and our extended family to the Western Med. And, oh yes we’ve escorted cruises to Alaska and in the Caribbean. And in almost every instance, each cruise experience had something completely unique and exciting.

Now that more and more folks have cruised on the more “traditional” routes in the Caribbean, Mexico or Alaska, they’re starting to look at expanding their cruising world to nearly every horizon. The expansion of river cruises in Europe and China have created an entirely new group of cruises who enjoy the small ship ambiance and the ability to inter-react with the cultures where they visit. New Mega-ships like the Oasis of the Seas are making the ship the destination, with port calls as only a mild diversion from the enjoyment of the world’s largest floating resort. In short, the world of cruising has undergone an explosion of different options almost everywhere in the world.

Nearly everybody we know agrees that a benefit of a cruise vacation is the anticipation of a great new travel adventure. Some people become scholars and do graduate level research to be armed with knowledge about where they are going on their cruise, and what they want to see. Others are more content with adding just the right resort clothes to their wardrobes so they can “look sharp” in their shipboard attire. Everyone has just a little different take on their own personal approach to a cruise.

The key to maximizing that next great cruise adventure is to take advantage of the resources available through companies like Cruise Holidays of Woodinville. Certainly, it’s possible to book a cruise online—but is that the best way? Often if a consumer is booking directly with a cruise line, that cruise line is only interested in selling their own products and the best interest of the consumer is often secondary. Our cruise and vacation counselors offer much more in the way of choice and options, looking for the perfect fit and best value for our valued customers. I’ve always said, “the cheapest cruise price often isn’t the best value, but it takes expert assistance to know the difference.”

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Holidays at Sea. Great Family Experiences

The trend of extended families taking cruise vacations over holiday periods continues to gain strength. And the cruise lines are doing their best to make holiday cruise experiences a special time for their guests.


At Christmas time the ships will be decorated in holiday garb, with special concerts, the appearance of Santa Claus (or one of his international versions—like Sinter Claus on Holland America Line) --a special event for children both large and small. Even during minor holidays like Halloween, special candy gathering trick or treating if offered onboard.

What makes a holiday cruise getaway even better is that it often takes away the pressures of holiday entertaining for those families who elect a ship instead of home. Special foods, parties and events are completely taken care of by the cruise line. They do all of the cooking, cleaning, and preparation, and all the guests have to do is show up and enjoy.

This year we even had a couple who decided last minute they wanted to get away for an Easter break on Wednesday the week prior. We found them a nice balcony stateroom on Princess sailing to the deep Caribbean from San Juan—and our couple used frequent flyer miles to get them from Seattle to Puerto Rico and back.

We have one group of family and friends sailing over Christmas on Royal Caribbean’s new mega-ship the Allure of the Seas. They’re planning on having a great cruise on a brand new ship making its first Christmas sailing in the Caribbean. By booking this cruise early, they’ve been able to select the kinds of exact staterooms they want, including several which have interconnecting doors, so the can keep tabs on their older children.

So, no matter what the weather might be at home, it’s certain that during holiday times, fair and warm weather is usually the norm on a cruise. These special cruises are a treat and it’s easy to see why they are becoming ever more popular.