Planning Your Dream Caribbean Cruise

Posted by SharonM on Jun 7, 2011 in Dream Travel Destinations | 0 comments

For many planning a cruise vacation can be an extremely stressful undertaking. There are many things to consider, which ship to travel on, where to travel, how long, which room to book, what’s the best time of the year to travel and on and on and on. We simplify the cruise planning process with our simple guide to dream cruise vacation planning.

1. What is the Dream Destination?
You’re first order of business is to decide where you want to go? Why is this important, well first you have to consider where the ship leaves from, you will have to find travel to this port and probably accommodation. Your next order of business are which ports does the ship stop at over the course of the cruise. Depending on the cruise length the ship could make a number of stops at various ports allowing you to visit many different cities on your trip. Another important factor to consider is how much time you are at sea versus how much time you are docked at port. Many want to explore the many ports of call on a cruise while others just want to coast along in the ship. Finding the right balance of ports versus time at sea could also be frustrating.

2. When to Cruise
If the Caribbean is your choice you can travel all year round but may want to avoid the hurricane season between July and November. Many cruise lines reduce the number of trips they offer during this time and choose other destinations like Hawaii or Alaska. Fall and Winter months may be cheaper than travelling in high season, but you may be able to score some last minute deals on some left over rooms in high season as well. Pick the time that is right for you, check the rates often and look for those deals!

3. Which Cruise Line and Which Ship
You will have to do a lot of research to discover the different features of the many different ships each cruise line offers. All companies are reputable and have lots to offer. Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean are the most popular. They have a large number of different cruise ships, a varied assortment of length of cruises from 3-day mini trips, 4-5 day trips, one week or 2 week vacations.