No Better Time Than Now For Your Next Motivational Cruise Ship Vacation
When you think about preparing for your cruise vacation you probably picture packing a swimsuit and sandals. However there are a few things that are often overlooked that can make a huge difference. f your trip takes you outside the country ensure your passport is valid. As soon as you receive your cruise documents make your reservations for on-board amenities and shore excursions. Assess your available credit and make sure you have plenty of cash. These small steps can greatly enhance your cruise vacation enjoyment.
If your cruise vacation takes you outside the borders of the US you should renew or get a passport as soon as possible. The new rules require a valid passport to reenter the country from Mexico Canada and the Caribbean. If you’ve traveled a lot you want to make sure you have blank pages in your passport and check the expiration date. A perfect cruise vacation can be ruined if you find your passport expired during your trip.
For some who don’t yet have a passport it’s worth the money to get it processed quicker so it arrives in time for your trip. It’s a great idea to make a few copies of it before leaving. If your passport is lost or stolen while you are gone these copies will come in handy. Make sure to give copies to your emergency contact in the states and put one in your suitcase.
Your company will send your documents for your cruise vacation a month or so before embarkation. They contain important information about ship activities and amenities as well as shore excursions. Many cruise lines allow you to make reservations online via their websites. While you could wait until you board your cruise ship to make these arrangements you’ll likely find a long line and inconvenient times available. Booking ahead allows you to begin enjoying yourself the minute you step on board knowing that you’ve got it all taken care of.
Many people book a cruise vacation to celebrate a milestone like a birthday honeymoon or anniversary. To make your festivities extraordinary check with your cruise line to see what kinds of special packages are available. It’s a great idea to do this well in advance of your trip so that there is plenty of time to make arrangements. It’s best not to risk disappointment by waiting until you are at sea to request twelve dozen orange roses.
A few months before your cruise vacation take a look at your amount of available credit. You’ll want to know as soon as possible if you must open another card pay down your balance or move money around. Upon check in you can expect a hold on your credit card for incidentals during your trip. Liners could set holds ranging $50-200 per day on your card.
It is a great idea to call ahead and find out your cruise line’s policy. This is especially important if you plan to stay in a hotel or rent a car since there will be multiple holds on your credit card. Even though your charges are adjusted to reflect the money you actually spent it can take several days for it all to catch up. You don’t want to find out that your card is declined during your trip because of holds.
A few days before leaving you’ll want to get some cash. Even though you’ll use your credit card a lot there are times when you’ll need cash. Because of the high rate of fraud traveler’s checks aren’t taken as often as they used to. Most ships these days have ATMs but you can count on a high fee and they sometimes run empty. When you’re on shore you’ll find that street vendors and smaller merchants will only accept cash. Recognize your cruise ship staff for all their great service with cash tips. To avoid a lot of inconvenience on your dream vacation pack some cash.
You don’t need to have a Type A personality to get organized for your cruise vacation. A little preparation will ensure that you are prepared to fully enjoy every minute of your vacation. Check your passport make your reservations and assess your credit and cash situation. These small but important steps will pay off in cruise vacation enjoyment. Of course pack your swimsuit and sandals and enjoy your trip!
Learn more about Your Next Vacation. Stop by Horatio Schnoddgrass’s site where you can find out all about Fun Vacations and what it can do for you.
Tags: cruise, Cruise Ship, Cruise Ship Vacation Planning, Cruise Ship Vacation Resources, Cruise Ship Vacations, Cruise Ship Vacations Deals, cruise vacation, Discount Cruise Ship Vacations, reservations, Ship, travel, trip, vacation, Vacations
Related posts
January 26 2010 06:30 am | Vacations
No Better Time Than Now For Your Next Motivational Cruise Ship … - Hotel Travel Vacations on 26 Jan 2010 at 4:54 am #
[...] Read the original post: No Better Time Than Now For Your Next Motivational Cruise Ship … [...]
» Blog Archive » No Better Time Than Now For Your Next Motivational Cruise Ship … on 26 Jan 2010 at 10:52 am #
[...] View post: No Better Time Than Now For Your Next Motivational Cruise Ship … [...]