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Money Saving Travel Tips
Notable United States Travel Destinations
Packing Tips For Women
Plan Ahead For The Best Rates On Cruises
Planning A Cruise
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Road Trip Preparation Tips
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What Are Fjords?

A fjord is a long, narrow sea inlet or channel carved out of the coastline by glaciers. Fjords have steep sides, sometimes as steep as a cliff, and in Norway many of the narrow channels are deep enough to be navigated by the biggest of modern cruise liners.

The scenery of fjords is spectacular. On a cruise, your ship can sail into the channel so that you are surrounded by beautiful slopes, like sailing through mountains. Bergen is often the first port of call, and Geirangerfjord is the most popular fjord that cruise liners visit because of the stunning beauty of its coastline, including the Seven Sisters waterfall.

Fjords occur mostly in cold countries where glacier action was able to take place during the ice age. The classic example is Norway, which has hundreds of miles of fjords along its long coastline. However, fjords are also found in Iceland, Alaska, Canada (west coast and Labrador) and also in the southern hemisphere, in southern Chile and New Zealand.

Technically, there are inlets in other countries that are classified as fjords, such as the Hudson river, the coast of Greenland and the firths of Scotland. However, the formation of these inlets is less steep. This means that they are more likely to be inhabited areas and the scenery is not so spectacular.

Fjord Cruises: When To Go

The best time to take Norwegian fjord cruises is in the summer and early fall, from June to mid-October. This is partly for your comfort (the milder temperatures in this season allow you to spend more time on deck to experience the full wonder of the fjords). It is also a better time for ships to navigate these waters, when storms are less likely.

Norway has very long days around midsummer (June 21st) when there may be some visibility for 24 hours a day, depending on your latitude. The short night-time is more like dusk than full night. To appreciate this, book fjord cruises in June or July. Later in the summer the days will begin to shorten noticeably, and after the autumn equinox (September 21st) the nights will begin to grow long.

Cruise Lines Offering Deals On Fjord Cruises

Most of the major cruise lines offer fjord cruises. You may immediately think of Norwegian Cruise Lines or NCL, but there are many other choices. In fact, NCL offer many other destinations worldwide and are not such specialists in fjord cruises these days. Other lines offering fjord cruises include P&O, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and many more.

Disney Cruise Deals: The Ships

Disney cruise deals are operated by the Walt Disney Company so you can be sure of a genuine Disney experience. The Disney cruise line has a fleet of four ships. The sister ships Disney Magic and Disney Wonder were joined in 2011 by Disney Dream and in March 2012 by Disney Fantasy.

Disney Magic and Disney Wonder carry around 1.750 passengers each. The new ships, Dream and Fantasy, are larger, with a capacity of 2,500 passengers.

The ships are fitted to resemble bygone luxury ocean liners of the early 20th century, with art deco and art nouveau themes. There are Disney character themes in some areas but they are not too obtrusive. Going on a Disney cruise is not like going to Disney World. You will not find Mickey Mouse around every corner. That could quickly become tired in the confines of a cruise ship.

Since the Walt Disney Company’s main activity is making movies, you will not be surprised to learn that there are top class cinemas on board including 3D and other special effects. Most of the movies shown are Disney favorites for all the family.

There are some adults-only areas on board where parents or childless passengers can escape the kids for a while. Many families use the opportunity of Disney cruise deals to take a vacation with grandparents or other extended family members. For grandparents in particular, the adults-only areas can offer a welcome break!

Disney Cruise Deals: Destinations

Most of the Disney cruises operate from US departure ports although there are some European cruises where you would fly to a port in Europe and cruise from there.

Disney Wonder operates out of west coast ports offering cruises from Vancouver or Seattle to Alaska and from Los Angeles to Mexico, Hawaii and the US Pacific Coast.

Disney Magic offers Mediterranean cruises out of Barcelona and cruises to Canada and the Bahamas from New York. You can also take a 14-day transatlantic cruise when Disney Magic travels from Galveston, Texas to Barcelona, Spain. The trip includes stops in the Bahamas, Portugal and Gibraltar. From Barcelona you could either spend time on vacation in Europe or fly straight home.

The newest additions to the fleet, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, operate out of Florida (Port Canaveral), sailing to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

The Disney Cruise Line is a very popular choice for thousands of families. Cruises are often fully booked a year ahead or more. Early booking is recommended to secure your chosen vacation with Disney cruise deals.

First, if you are planning to take up one of the cruise wedding packages that are offered by cruise lines these days, keep in mind that it will probably limit the options for your guests. If you are holding your wedding at sea, guests who want to be there will have to take the whole cruise.

That may be difficult for them, either for financial reasons or because they may not be able to take their vacation at that time. It may also be difficult for you – do you really want to spend the rest of the cruise (your honeymoon) with both sets of parents, for example?

There are also risks involved in booking cruise wedding packages. Consider what you might do if the cruise is canceled for any reason. This can happen and while the cruise line will usually offer you an alternative, it may not be the same dates. That can cause problems for your guests.

But before you write off the whole idea of cruise wedding packages, there are ways around this. Let’s look at some of the options.

For many couples, the solution is to hold the wedding in one of the cruise’s ports of call. This is a popular choice on Caribbean cruises. Some of your guests could fly there for the wedding and fly home afterward, just like a beach wedding.

Of course, you will need to check the requirements for getting married in a port that is not in your home country. Some jurisdictions require an overnight stay, which may not be possible if you are on a cruise. You should also have a backup in case something happens to prevent the ship calling at that port – either be sure that you can be married in another port, or ask if the captain would be able to marry you on board in those circumstances.

Some cruise lines have wedding coordinators who will help you plan your shipboard or port wedding. Pick your cruise line carefully if you want to be married at sea by the captain: whether they can do this depends on the country where the ships are registered. At the time of writing, shipboard cruise wedding packages were offered by Celebrity, Azamara and Princess. Cunard will join them as soon as its registration changes from the UK to Bermuda – planned during 2012.

Another option is to hold the wedding in the port that you leave from, before the cruise starts. Of course if you do this it is not exactly a cruise wedding, but a regular wedding followed by a honeymoon cruise.

However, most couples who book cruise wedding packages prefer to hold their wedding at sea. In many cases, they will invite along a small number of guests or even none.

Cruise wedding packages can be a great option for couples who want to have a romantic wedding without the stress and inconvenience of a large wedding party with a lot of guests. They are also perfect for older couples who want a quiet wedding or couples with difficult family circumstances who want to get away from the fights for their wedding.

The Caribbean is a large group of islands, islets and reefs. It comprises over 7000 land masses of different sizes making up 30 countries or territories. All of the islands together cover an area that is over 2000 miles long.

In view of this you will understand that you cannot visit all of the Caribbean islands on one cruise. There are hundreds of different Caribbean cruises available but in most cases they focus on one particular section of the Caribbean, e.g. the eastern, western or southern Caribbean. From Galveston, the most common destinations are the southern Caribbean and ports in Mexico.

Galveston is the home port for either all or part of the year for four Carnival cruise ships, two Royal Caribbean cruise ships, one Princess cruise ship and one Disney Cruise Line ship. This gives you a wide choice when you are booking cruises from Galveston.

Royal Caribbean International specializes in Caribbean and Mexican cruises from Galveston. They visit Jamaica, Honduras, Belize, Grand Cayman and Mexico, with other ports of call along the way.

Carnival sail to Key West and the Bahamas, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Belize and Mexico. Princess offer a cruise that calls at Mexico, Honduras and Belize.

Carnival and Princess cruise lines also offer transatlantic cruises from Galveston. With Carnival, you can take a 16-day transatlantic cruise. According to your preferred departure date you can either sail from Galveston to Barcelona in Spain, or take the cruise in the other direction. A lot of people prefer to fly out and cruise home, but you can do it either way.

Princess go further with a 21-day transatlantic cruise from Venice, Italy, visiting Rome, Florence and Cannes as well as Portugal and Barcelona before crossing the Atlantic to call at Fort Lauderdale and finally, Galveston.

There are also family-friendly Disney cruises from Galveston. The Disney Cruise Line operates its 14-day transatlantic cruise out of Galveston, calling at ports in Bermuda, Portugal and Gibraltar before reaching its destination at Barcelona in Spain.

Of course, these companies also operate cruise ships from other ports. However, one of the best things about taking one of the many options for cruises from Galveston is that you can combine your cruise with a vacation in this historic part of Texas. Galveston is located on Galveston Island, around 50 miles from Houston. It offers over 30 miles of beaches and many other tourist amenities. It is also steeped in history.

The city of Galveston was founded around 1815. It was part of Mexico until the Republic of Texas was established, then became part of the US with the annexation of Texas in 1845. Galveston contains one of the biggest and best collections of 19th-century architecture in the country. Buildings to see include the Opera House, the Bishop’s Palace, the Michel B. Menard House and the Galvez Hotel. So when you are picking out one of the many available cruises from Galveston, plan yourselves a few days on Galveston Island at the same time.

Outdoor Dress Code

Most cruises allow very informal clothing such as swimwear and bare feet or flip-flops on the open decks. It’s like being outdoors or on the beach. People want to sunbathe and there is usually a pool. On some ships there is even an outdoor bar and/or buffet where this type of clothing is acceptable.

However, most cruise dress codes are more formal when you are inside in the public areas such as bars, cinemas and restaurants, especially when dining in the evening.

Dressing For Dinner

Until the 1960s most cruise dress codes followed the standards set for first class passengers on ocean liners, requiring formal evening dress at dinner: tuxedos or dinner jackets for men and full-length evening gowns for women (or ‘ladies’, as they would have been called at the time).

In recent times, however, this custom has changed on cruise ships, just as it has changed in most theaters and wealthy homes. Most of the cruise lines now accept smart casual clothes at dinner. Some allow even more casual clothing including jeans or even shorts in the dining rooms on most evenings, but others don’t: you will need to check the cruise dress codes for your ship.

Most cruise lines offer one or two ‘formal nights’ per cruise where passengers either can or should dress up in more formal attire. This may mean tuxedos or dark suits for men and evening gowns for women, or sports jackets for men and cocktail dresses or dress pants for women: again, it depends on the line and you will need to check when you reserve. If tuxedos are required, it is usually possible to rent one on board.

If you are looking for a line that allows casual dress, try the Norwegian Cruise Line or Azamara Club Cruises. Azamara have one of the most informal policies in the upper price bracket with no formal nights and a buffet where very casual dress is allowed, although no jeans, shorts or swimwear are permitted in the main dining room. Norwegian Cruise Line has an even more informal dress code, allowing jeans in the dining room as long as they are not torn or faded.

Alternatively, if the cruise that you want to take has a formal night but you hate dressing up, you can usually avoid the occasion by eating in the buffet or asking for room service that evening.

If you enjoy making your cruise into a special occasion in the evenings, on the other hand, try one of the lines that have black-tie or tuxedo formal nights such as P&O, Silversea or Cunard. These lines have cruise dress codes that are closer to the traditional European ocean liner pattern.

Warm cruise clothing is essential if you are cruising to a northern country such as Alaska or Norway. You don’t need us to tell you that. However, you may be surprised how much of it you will want.

It is not only while visiting the ports and the land-based attractions of your destination that you will want to keep warm. On this type of cruise, most passengers enjoy spending a lot of time on the decks, looking at the scenery that the ship is traveling through. You will want several layers including warm hats and boots, and you will not want to wear the same clothes every day.

Furthermore, it is not only on trips to the frozen north that you will want warm cruise clothing. In the Mediterranean or even in the Caribbean you may have an unseasonally cold day in port or evening on board where you will wish you had brought a sweatshirt. So it’s worth packing one item of warm clothing even for a hotter climate.

Swimwear and Casual Clothing

On most cruise ships you will find a pool and a sun deck, where swimwear is not only permitted but ‘de rigeur’. For the young and fit this is not usually a problem. If you prefer to cover up, consider bringing along some light beach clothing such as a sarong so that you can enjoy these areas without feeling over-exposed.

Depending on your cruise, most of the ports that you will visit will be used to tourists in shorts and T-shirts and often the climate means that heavier clothes, like jeans, would make you very uncomfortable. If you don’t like to wear shorts or if you are visiting countries where shorts are not acceptable, including some Asian countries, you could pack some lightweight cotton pants for these excursions.

Bermuda and most European resorts and ports are a little more formal than North America, Mexico and the Caribbean generally.

Evening Dress

Smarter dress is often required in the dining room in the evening. This can mean no jeans, so be sure to take along some smart pants. A jacket and tie may be required on some lines. In addition, most (but not all) cruise lines offer at least one ‘formal night’ per cruise when you can dress up in a tuxedo (rented on board if necessary) or an evening gown, cocktail dress or pants suit for the ladies.

Bathrobes

Most cruise lines provide bathrobes in cabins, so you don’t need to take one unless you prefer to use your own. Of course, the provided bathrobes are not yours to take home.

Shoes

You may need three types of footwear: flip-flops for beach stops and the sun deck; something to wear with your formal evening attire; and good, comfortable shoes with socks for walking around ports and on sightseeing excursions. A lot of people forget the third option and end up suffering on those excursions, so don’t forget your walking shoes when you are packing your cruise clothing.

A cruise and stay program, on the other hand, gives you overnight stays in one or more ports so that you visit different hotels, sample more of the on-shore cuisine and see more of the life in the countries that your cruise is visiting.

Of course you can plan your own cruise and stay itinerary. Depending on the destinations that interest you, this can be a great choice. It offers you the opportunity to go where you want and perhaps even mix and match cruises.

So for example if you are based in the USA, you could take a transatlantic cruise to Barcelona, spend some time traveling around Europe, maybe take in a cruise around the Mediterranean too, then fly home. You are free to make your own plans every step of the way.

The downside of planning your own cruise and stay itinerary is that it is likely to be an expensive way to do things. It is also very time consuming, both in terms of the time you have to spend figuring out all of your reservations ahead of time, and when it comes to the actual vacation. You have to organize all of your own transfers, checkins, etc.

Fortunately, some cruise lines offer cruise and stay packages. With these, you will usually remain on the same cruise ship throughout your vacation. It simply waits overnight in the port while all of the passengers are transferred to a hotel for one or more nights. In some cases, you can even take trips inland to other cities in the region.

The luxury cruise operator Azamara Club Cruises is one company that offers this type of package. Depending on the destination that you choose, you might have two or three days’ stay in some countries with tours provided. For example on their Asian cruises you may take a two-night trip on land from Bangkok to Laos, and a three-night stop in India allows you time to visit the Taj Mahal.

Cruise and stay packages are still likely to be more expensive than a regular cruise, but if you can afford it you will almost certainly not regret the extra cost. Cruise and stay options just add so much to your cruise vacation.

Cruises that are truly all inclusive are rare. Only the most expensive luxury lines are likely to offer them. The attraction for most people is that you know exactly what you are paying. It can be a good option, too, for individuals or companies who want to offer a vacation to others (either family members or the year’s top sales representative, for example). The main downside is the cost.

The reason for this is that when you buy into all inclusive cruises you are likely to be paying for things that you do not want, or things that you would not use so much if you were paying separately.

For example, consider alcohol. Some people do not drink alcohol at all, so they are likely to be missing out on a lot of the cash value of all inclusive cruises. On the other hand, people who do drink are likely to drink more if it is ‘free’. So, while you might only have spent a hundred dollars on alcohol if you were paying for each glass, you will probably drink twice that if it’s already paid for – and the company has to pass on that cost in the price of the all inclusive package.

The same is true with other items that are optional on most cruises, such as massage services. If you have to pay for each session, you might only choose to have one on the whole cruise. If it’s included, you might have massage every day. The company has to employ more masseurs and pass that cost on to the passengers in the price of the cruise.

Semi-inclusive cruises can be a great option if you want the freedom of having most things paid for without paying a huge premium. For example, Azamara Club Cruises include wine with lunch and dinner, but not drinks from the bar or any hard liquor. With other companies such as Celebrity you can have drinks included in an optional extra package which you pay for at the time of booking.

All of these options can make it hard to choose between cruise lines. If you are in the market for a very high priced luxury cruise then you can go for all inclusive and have a wonderful time. But in the low to mid range price brackets, all inclusive cruises may not be available and you will probably find that other options give you more value for money.

While any Alaskan vacation can give you the chance to view the beauty of the landscape, a cruise offers unparalleled opportunities to see the unmissable glaciers and fjords that make the coastline of the far north-west so breathtaking. You are also likely to see hump-backed whales and perhaps orcas playing around your ship, especially in June and July.

Alaskan Cruises: Three Variations

Alaska is a huge state with a long coastline, so there are many possibilities for cruise itineraries. Making the decision to take an Alaskan cruise is only the first step. There are three main areas that Alaskan cruises can focus on, and choosing between these will be your next aim.

1. Inside Passage

Inside Passage Alaskan cruises are normally set up as a round trip leaving from Vancouver or possibly Seattle and stopping at several destinations in the route through the south-east panhandle of Alaska which is known as the ‘inside passage’. These ports of call are likely to include Ketchikan and Juneau. You can also expect to visit the magnificent Glacier Bay National Park.

2. Gulf of Alaska

Gulf of Alaska cruises are the name given to one-way voyages from Vancouver or Seattle up the coast to the port nearest to Anchorage. You then fly home from there. You will still go through the Inside Passage but instead of turning around and covering the same coastline to head south again, you continue north, so you get to see a lot more of the coast of Alaska.

3. Bering Sea

The Bering Sea is the sea between Alaska and Asia. Cruising here is a very different experience from the relatively sheltered Gulf of Alaska. Starting from Anchorage, you can visit some of the most remote islands in the world, see isolated Aleut and Eskimo settlements and visit the Arctic Circle and the volcanic Kamchatka Peninsula in the far east of Russia. You may see puffins, seals and reindeer as well as whales. This is a dream cruise for the more adventurous traveler.

Price and Other Information

Be prepared for Alaskan cruises to be a little more expensive than the Caribbean. The cruise companies’ costs are higher, the season is shorter (May to September) and there is very high demand.

To make your visit to Alaska the trip of a lifetime, you may want to extend your cruise by adding a land tour. Some of the cruise lines offer this as an optional extra. For example, Celebrity offer ‘cruisetours’, typically combining 7-day Alaskan cruises with a 5-day tour before or after the cruise to inland destinations including Mount McKinley and Fairbanks.