Cruise Travel Budgeting Advice

If you think you won’t be paying extra for anything during your cruise vacation, think again. With most cruises, you’ll have to budget carefully in order to keep your on-board spending low. Here are some simple tips and things to watch out for when budgeting for your cruise.

Also in Your Affordable Holiday

Cruise Travel Discounts Through Last Minute Booking

Weigh The Advantages Of All-Inclusive Cruise Travel

Discount Cruise Travel Through Early Booking

Cruise Travel Packages With Airline Reservations

Cheap Cruise Travel Deals – 5 Easy Ways To Save Money

Online Cruise Travel Deals From Canadian Sites?

Technorati Tags: advice, budget, budgeting, cruise travel, onboard spending

Cruise travel offers some of the best vacations you can take. During your cruise 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…

There are a wide variety of activities in each cruise destination. As part of your cruise travel experience, you will visit ports to shop, explore, hang out on the beach, sight-see or hike. Or you could just depart the ship to walk around for a change of pace. Although this is a great 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 off your majestic cruise ship there will be hordes of locals 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 excursion 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, so learn some new things! If you choose to do this, check with the cruise director for the best places to dine and make sure you know the exchange rate.

One good cruise travel tip is 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. Another 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, you must 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 (excursion) 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 could 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 ship lines will let you book excursions in advance on their websites. This is very convenient and helpful with the most popular tours that sell out quickly. The most inexpensive tours also tend to sell out because of some cruisers watching their budgets. So don’t miss out, check out the cruise line’s website to see if you can book your ticket in advance.

Something else you should be aware of is how much the guide will be with you and do they speak English clearly. Mostly the cruise ship lines have very competent tour guides, but better safe than sorry. Will you have any time on your like for shopping or stopping in a café?

It is also 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 too, 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, carry 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 line’s agents in the port of call in case you get in trouble. You are on a cruise vacation, so  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.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved. This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/cruise-tips-for-cruise-travel-at-your-ports-of-call-61868.html

Also in Your Affordable Holiday

New To Cruise Vacations… Help?

Technorati Tags: activities, advice, brochure, cruise, cruise ship, cruise ship lines, cruise travel, destinations, excursions, guides, organized, overseas, ports, private touring companies, reviews, tips, tour, vacation

In this modern world of blurring geographical boundaries, people are traveling like never before. With the rapidly changing face of travel and tourism, everyone is eager to explore the world. This changing trend has resulted in a major boom in tourism for all sorts of people.

Women from over the world are traveling to more places more often. Although the notions are changing with time, many women still feel unsafe unless they are traveling in groups or with family. Women travelers often become, or feel like, an easy target…

Some handy tips and really useful advice can help women a lot. Women need to be very cautious while traveling to unknown and far off places. There are some basic tips that can be easily implemented to make the tour safer.

As for the basics, one thing that you must keep in mind while commuting in an unknown place is to avoid the lonely and deserted areas. Always aim for a well trafficked street that has the best of transportation, ample restaurants and crowds. It’s a good idea to ask your hotel’s female employees if there are any areas in town they’d stay away from.

Take care not to mention your personal details like name, room number etc. loudly so as not to make yourself heard to anyone. Never write down your room number or any details on any envelopes or public documents that can be accessed by anyone.

Try to stay away from people who seem to be hanging around the elevator area. Another most important thing that you must keep in mind is to look for a parking place that is well lit and guarded. Always take along a security doorstop for extra protection while staying in hotels.

While roaming around a foreign place, always study the road map beforehand. Carry just one or two credit cards while shopping around. Another thing that women travelers need to remember is to carry larger and smaller currency in different pockets to avoid exhibiting wads of currency at public places. If you wish to ask for direction, then, approach women for safer information as you would not be unnecessarily misled.

While walking on sidewalks, keep your handbags and other valuables away from the street side. If you are in for an overnight flight, it is best to stack all your valuables in a waist pouch. Try to be close to your valuables during airport security checks. Always use legitimate taxi services. Always use prepaid cards and save local police contact number in the speed dial.

If you feel like someone is chasing you, do not stop until you reach some well lit and crowded area. If possible, park in a way that you do not need to back out to make way for a speedy departure.

Always carry a small, durable flashlight and extra batteries with you while traveling. Avoid any sort of ‘bling’… do not wear flashy or expensive jewelry. In case someone tries to snatch your handbag or any valuables, it is best to let go and then cry out for help. Do not attempt to take on a mugger single handedly.

Another thing that women traveler need to understand is to gain knowledge of dressing etiquettes of the place. Try to be in sync with the local dressing sense to avoid attention. One more important thing is to stay alert even in public places as pickpockets often chose their targets at such places.

All in all, caution and staying alert is the key to safer travel. Do not let the dangers dampen your travel spirits as the beauty of the world will calm away the feelings of danger. Go, explore the world but be on the safer side.

Sumit Mishra

http://www.articlesbase.com/flights-articles/international-travel-tips-for-women-702485.html

Technorati Tags: advice, international, precautions, safety, tips, travel, women