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Cruise travel is one of the best
vacations you can take. During your
cruise vacation you will visit
several different ports of call.
Your cruise ship will dock at exotic
islands or new countries almost on a
daily basis. Check out the cruise
reviews on line for cruise tips
before you visit your destinations
to find out what fantastic
experience each port has to offer.
During your cruise vacation you will
visit ports to shop, explore, beach,
sightsee or hike. There are a wide
variety of activities in each cruise
destination. Or you could just
depart the ship for a chance to walk
around for a change of pace.
Although this is a great cruise
adventure, you should realize that
you will only get a small sample of
what each port of call has to offer.
And be forewarned, as you step of
your majestic cruise ship there will
be hordes of natives trying to sell
you a trinket or a tour around the
city. If you take the advice above
and search the cruise reviews, you
should have a pretty good idea what
each destination has to offer.
Choose the one that has the most
encompassing tour of your port. In
exotic ports they have full day
tours, including lunch that will
take you to the highlights of the
place you are visiting. This is an
ideal way to sample the city or
island getting ideas for what you
may want to come back for at a later
date. On island tours you may want
to take an organized tour in the
morning, go back to the ship for
lunch, then light out on your own to
explore more fully, shop or just go
to the beach. If you are more
adventuresome, skip the lunch on
board and dine in the city. You get
to experience the local cuisine and
soak up the native culture. This is
your vacation, learn new and
different things. If you chose to do
this check with the cruise director
for the best places to dine and make
sure you know the exchange rate. On
of the cruise tips are to put your
meal on a charge card so you will be
charged the exchange rate on the day
the bill hits the credit card
company. A cruise tip that is very
useful is to use the brochure that
the ship gives you for their
organized tour and follow it on your
own. Only do this if you are
comfortable with the country you are
visiting. If it is your first time
overseas to a port of call, it is
best to stick with the organized
tour for safety and convenience.
Other cruise tips can be found
online about some of the wonderful
things to see and do in various
ports of call. Be conscious of one
thing, if you chose to explore on
your own, know what time the ship
leaves and how long it will take you
to get back on board. If you are not
on an organized tour it is your
responsibility to get back on time
or the ship will leave without you.
You then have to meet the ship at
the next port of call at your own
expense. If you opt for an organized
tour sponsored by the cruise ship,
it should cost you anywhere from
$20.00 to over $200.00 depending on
what you choose to do. It could be
just a simple bus ride around town
for two hours or a two day trip from
St. Petersburg, Russia to Moscow.
The options are endless. Most cruise
lines will let you book in advance
on their websites. This is very
convenient and helpful with tours
that sell out quickly. For
instances, in the Cayman Islands the
Stingray City tour is very popular
and will sell out. If you book it in
advance you guarantee your spot. The
more inexpensive tours also tend to
sell out because of some cruisers
watching their budgets. So, don't
miss out, check out the cruise lines
website to see if you can book your
ticket in advance. It is good to
know the game plan that the tour
offers. Things you should be aware
of are how much the guide will be
with you and do they speak English
clearly. Mostly the cruise lines
have very competent tour guides, but
better safe than sorry. Will have
any time on your like for shopping
or stopping in a café? It is very
important to find out how much
physical activity is required before
you sign on for any tour. If you
have limited mobility you don't want
to go on a tour that climbs the
Acropolis in Athens or Dunns River
Falls in Jamaica. Find out if a
snack or lunch is provided, so if it
isn't you can bring along adequate
funds to get your own.
There are private touring companies
that you can contact on your own if
you wish to tour in a more private
fashion. Another alternative is to
buddy up with some fellow cruisers
and share taxi tours to cut your
expense in half. Many times you will
meet people on a cruise that have
similar interests and you will spend
a lot of time together on the cruise
ship, why not touring also? It's a
way to save money and enjoy other
passengers company. Only hire
licensed taxi drivers. Their
credentials should be prominently
displayed in the front of the cab.
With a licensed driver you are
ensured a safe trip and a guide who
is knowledgeable about the islands
or cities background, where to shop,
eat or gamble. And of course they
will know the best beaches
available. Negotiate the price of
your tour up front. If you chose to
go to a destination where you will
be dropped off for a couple of
hours, negotiate with the driver to
come back and pick you up. Settle on
a price and pay half up front and
half on the way back. If the driver
has been helpful and friendly,
please tip him or her. Some cruisers
like to rent cars in their ports of
call. It is recommended that you
only do this in destinations that
you are familiar with and have a
good knowledge of where you are
going. Be careful when renting a
car. Be sure to check out the entire
car for any damages that may already
be there and note them on your
rental contract. If you fail to do
this you may be charged for damage
that was already done. Lastly, use
common sense when touring. Don't
travel in dark tight alleys, put
your money under your clothes, don't
wear expensive jewelry and don't let
yourself be surrounded, especially
by children. Always carry
identification and the name of the
cruise lines agents in the port of
call in case you get in trouble. You
are on a cruise vacation make the
best of it. Get off the ship at all
of your ports of call whether you
are touring or are just poking
around. Be sure to take lots of
pictures so you will have years of
beautiful cruise travel memories.
TOP 100 CAYMAN ISLANDS ARTICLES ON
THE WEB
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