Cruising With The Family - Cruise Holidays From P&O Cruises

If you still think cruises are for the very rich or the very old then think again. Cruising is one of the fastest growing and fastest changing areas of the travel industry. One of the most major changes at sea has been the increasing popularity of family cruising. To be honest it's not difficult to see why when you take a look at some of the state of the art and incredibly innovative super-liners around.

A cruise is a perfect holiday for a family. Unlike self catering holidays no one has to prepare food, cook or clean up and if you decide to go for a no-fly cruise then there is no struggling through airports weighed down with luggage and pushchairs. Plus you only have to unpack once but with an amazing array of shore excursions you can visit as many or as little exciting ports of call as you like.

A cruise offers something for everyone, days on the beach or watching the world go by at a harbor side café, adrenalin filled fun or cultural explorations. Families will find there are some great options for memorable days out, from hours splashing around at a water-park, to nature trails, pizza making in Naples, whale or dolphin watching or high speed boat rides.

Onboard family friendly cruise ships there is a wide range of activities for children. Some ships have highly imaginative programs of activities, including specially formulated children's shore excursions. Some of the new cruise ships have waterpark areas, rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, mini golf, roller blading...

Nowadays cruises are styled around the needs of a modern family; some provide discounted child fares and real value for money. Accommodation on P&O Cruises is tailored for family requirements, ranging from cabins with upper berths (a little like bunk beds), to interlinking cabins or even a large suite suitable for families. Family meals are made easy too with a special children's tea around 5pm which features all the children's favorites, from fish fingers and baked beans, to salads, pasta and pizza, allowing you time to get ready for the evening ahead.

Most parents find that once they are on board the cruise ship they barely see their children. This can mean that Mum can savor some well earned relaxation time perhaps with a beautifying facial whilst Dad heads for a solitary jog on the deck. Both parents can be secure in the knowledge that their children are happy and well cared for.

Family friendly cruise lines often have age appropriate activity groups supervised by qualified and enthusiastic youth crews. Some lines such as P&O Cruises have excellent children facilities, with scheduled ashore tours and family friendly dining options. They even have a Circus skills training school to keep them amused for hours.

Family holidays will never be the same again after you have discovered the joys of cruising.

To experience everything a cruise has to offer P&O Cruises is an amazing choice. You could be having the time of your life glacier trekking, swimming with dolphins or zip wiring through a rain forest - the list is endless. Or even chilling with a glass of wine, reading a book and watching the sun dip beneath the horizon. http://www.jetlinecruise.com

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Top Ten Favorites Aboard the Queen Mary 2

There were eight of us enjoying the Cunard Queen Mary 2's 4D Presidents Weekend sailing to the Bahamas on 15-19 February . Here's the list of favorite things:

1. Britannia Restaurant is the main dining room where the majority of passengers enjoy their meals. This beautiful multi-level room offered great service, selection, and presentation. Plus, Cunard does a great job with the variety of offerings.

2. Cabin Stewards - Excellent, friendly service including tidying up clothes along with keeping the cabin and bathroom very clean.

3. Buffet - Convenient with wide selections available when you are, and the wait staff buses your table while you are still seated.

4. Tender Service to Princess Cays (Private Island) - very efficient service back and forth.

5. Britannia guest room toiletries are of superior quality. It really did enhance the experience.

6. Britannia bathrooms are well laid out and of a reasonable size.

7. Space - This ship has so much public space. The QM2 is designed for long voyages, and thus provides tremendous public space to sit, mingle, play games, etc. The corridors and public areas are very wide. You can always find space to sit alone or in a group. The top deck is huge with minimum obstructions, just wide open spaces.

8. Speed; it took a while to realize that this voyage from NYC to the Bahamas would be nearly impossible on most other ships. The QM2's propulsion system is quite unique with four propellers and NO rudder!

9. The Queen's Room; this room, in and of itself must be mentioned. The extravagant Queen's Room focuses as a ballroom in the evening's for Cunard's renowned ballroom events. During the day, high tea is offered along with bingo.

10. The QM2 has a very non-commercial environment. Cunard makes future cruise sales, shopping, up-charge dining, art auctions, etc., available but does NOT advertise non-stop! There is a deliberate lack of both constant announcements on the PA and in-room flyers urging you to spend your money. Plenty of money spending options are available if you wish to avail yourself for those services. Further, production shows are not interrupted with commercials. This whole environment makes for a more elegant cruise experience.

10.5 Lectures; This particular voyage featured a PhD speaking on the Bermuda triangle and global climate change issues; Cunard caters to a clientèle that enjoys enrichment activities and the intellectual stimulation was most welcome.

Dave Rosenthal is a CLIA Accredited Cruise Counselor/travel planner. Would you like professional guidance? Want to make sure you're getting a good deal on a great vacation, then please visit daydreamexcursions.com

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New York Cruises - Best Ships & Itineraries of 2008 - 2009

Over one million people sailed from New York's three ports (Manhattan, Brooklyn and Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ) in 2007, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and that number is expected to increase in 2008.

Since 9/11 the number of ships and passengers increased to the point that additional berthing facilities were opened in Red Hook, Brooklyn and Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey. Today every major cruise line has several ships that home port in New York for extended seasons of voyages ranging from a one-day party cruise to a 100+-day circumnavigation of the globe.

Four cruise lines (Cunard Line, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line) have year-round service from New York. Itineraries range from one-day party cruises to a 99-day full circumnavigation of the globe. Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 continues the tradition of regularly scheduled transatlantic service between New York and Southampton.

Picks for the Best Ships and Itineraries of 2008/09:

BEST CRUISE LINES AND SHIPS

The New York Star: Queen Mary 2. Ballroom dancing to a live orchestra, high tea perfectly served, scholarly guest lecturers, a dog kennel and the ultimate in creature comforts keep the British maritime heritage alive and well.

Best Ships for Families: Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas. A big kid pleaser due to her rock climbing wall, roller blading, ice-skating and private teen club, Explorer of the Seas is hugely popular with cruisers of all ages.

Top Luxury Ship: Crystal Symphony (Crystal Cruises) Boasting the top levels of food and service, penthouse suites with private butlers and onboard enrichment programs, Crystal Symphony steals the show in luxury cruising.

Best Itineraries: Princess Cruises' Caribbean and Canada/New England cruises from Brooklyn.

Best Ships For Laid-back People: Norwegian Cruise Line. This cruise line's popular "Freestyle Cruising" program means you may opt to dine in numerous restaurants when and with whom you please. And, no tuxes required.

Best Onboard Dining Program: Princess Cruises' Caribbean Princess. Princess offers the choice of single open seating dining or traditional two seating dining plus a Lido Restaurant that serves great food 24 hours per day.

BEST ITINERARIES OF 2008/09

Caribbean: (Princess) Caribbean Princess sails on nine-day Eastern Caribbean voyages round-trip from Brooklyn to Bermuda, Grand Turk, San Juan and St. Thomas

Bermuda: (Royal Caribbean & NCL Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas sails on six-day Bermuda cruises from Cape Liberty (Bayonne), NJ and Norwegian Cruise Line' Norwegian Dawn makes seven-day Bermuda voyages from Manhattan

Canada/New England: (Princess) Princess's Sea Princess sails on ten-night cruises between Brooklyn and Quebec City (with an overnight stay aboard the ship). Ports of call are Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown

Europe: Six-night transatlantic crossings between New York and Southampton aboard Queen Mary 2

Short Cruise: Aug. 29, 2008 three-night cruise to nowhere aboard Holland America's brand new Eurodam sailing from Manhattan.

Best Long Cruise: Sea Princess' 14-day Iceland & Greenland voyage from Southampton, U.k., to Brooklyn Aug. 30, 2008. Bergen, Norway; Shetland Islands, Scotland; Faroe Islands, Denmark; Iceland; Nanortalik, Greenland; St. Johns, Nova Scotia.

World Cruise: Queen Victoria sails from New York to Barcelona on a 99-day World Cruise departing Jan. 10, 2009. The ship visits Curacao; Guatemala; Cabo San Lucas; Los Angeles; Honolulu; Tonga; New Zealand; Australia; New Guinea; Japan; China; Hong Kong; Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore; India; Dubai; Jordan; Egypt; Turkey; Greece; Rome; Barcelona.

Copyright Anne Campbell, 2008

Anne Campbell, a journalist who has been covering the cruise industry for 15 years, is editor-in-chief of Cruising From New York (http://www.cruisingfromnewyork.com) Visit this new web site for reviews of all ships sailing from New York, 2008/09 itineraries, cruise deals, in-depth information on the ports of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Cape Liberty (Bayonne) NJ.

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Princess Cruise Lines

Princess Cruise Lines are part of the biggest cruising companies in the world, although they are still probably best known for the TV series "The Love Boat" from the 1970s.

Princess Cruise Lines began in 1966 when the "Princess Patricia" was chartered by Stanley MacDonald to undertake cruises from Los Angeles to the Mexican coastline. The ship though had been designed for Arctic cruising, and came without any of the necessary features of an equatorial cruise. The "Princess Patricia" was then replaced by the "Princess Italia" a ship designed for the warmer climes, and was truly modern in every aspect. The "Princess Italia" ended up doing Alaskan and European cruises as well. A third ship, the "Princess Carla", was quickly added to the growing company.

Princess Cruise Lines was going from strength to strength and in 1974 the company was purchased by P&O (the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company), who assed the "Sun Princess" to the fleet. The "Island Princess" and "Pacific Princess" were also built new fro P&O, it was on these two cruise liners that "The Love Boat" was set. P&O already had a large fleet and ships would be transferred between brand names, and the "Sea Princess" sailed for both brands from 1978. It wasn't until 1984 that the first ship, the "Royal Princess", was the first liner specifically built for the Princess Cruise Lines Company.

P&O continued to buy other cruise companies and with the purchase of Tour Alaska and Sitmar Line, further ships were acquired and new cruise routes were added to the company. Many ships and routes were added to the Princess Cruise Lines brand. Princess Cruise Lines ended up being separated from P&O in 2000, before Carnival Corporation merged with P&O and all of its separate companies, to incorporate twelve cruising brands.

Princess Cruise Lines is now marketed as Princess Cruises and runs seventeen cruise lines, which include three small ships. All of the liners are designed to provide all of the experiences of a five star hotel, but with what feels like a personal service. Depending on which ship you are on you can expect casinos, theatres and swimming pools. The liners also sail on a wide range of destinations, including world cruises, Alaska, Hawaii, South America, Europe, in fact pretty much anywhere around the world. Cruises from Princess Cruise Lines may not be cheap but they are an unforgettable experience.

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author.
To learn more about Princess cruise lines visit Fun and Sun Cruises for current articles and discussions.

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Disney Cruises

It is vacation time. Many families are set to plan a best holidaying. They look for fun filled, rejuvenating and memorable vacation. There can be many ideas; one can see numerous options passing through their mind. What is the best option? Especially if you are planning to spend couple days with family and kids, which best suit you can select? Disney cruises, is a simple answer to this. There are many reasons to say Disney cruise is the best bet for you to have a enjoyable holiday tour.

From 1998 onwards, from its inception Disney cruise has attracted many and continue to attract more and more. This is a spectacular ship, a very popular choice of families to spend their leisure time. The ship is designed thematically, with imposing animated cartoon characters. Do you feel that the holidaying with the animated cartoons will impress only young ones? No, the luxurious facilities and fun filled activities in the Disney cruise are very attractive to people of all ages. Whatever be the age, you will have the choice of variety of activities to forget about your hectic day-to-day activities. Kids fun games and video shows are added to the other facilities.

There are two ships, Disney magic and Disney wonder. Both are made keeping in mind the comforts of the travelers. Disney cruises offer 24-hour room services, and the crews are ready to serve you the way you like. It has got very spacious rooms, furnished completely and neatly. These are decorated uniquely and marvelously. The ship offers variety of eatables, deliciously made. Sea fishes, prawns and many nice options are there in different restaurants aboard. There are many good options of delicious food on the shores as well.

There are special regions uniquely and imposingly designed for the children. They can spend many hours enjoying the Disney world magic. These theme parks have all types of facilities. Video shows, cartoon stories, wonderful games and many such facilities. It is really an entertainment for the kids. The amusing world of cartoons and stories will be a memorable experience for the children.

There are other amnesties also. These include space for dances and music, bar facility, gambling facilities for the elder, spaciously made open area aboard and many such nice facilities. Also one can keep their privacy in the cabins and make the time in seclusion. To relax and to rejuvenate Disney cruise are the best option. There are many online sites offering the booking facility with affordable rates. You can select the proper route and travel plans by consulting the agents prior to the booking.

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author.
To learn more about Disney cruises visit Fun Cruises Site for current articles and discussions.

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Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines

Many people are interested in taking up vacation tours in cruise lines. Vacation holidays are meant for enjoyment, relaxation and exploring the unseen nature and environment. It is very important to select the proper cruise lines for a comfortable and memorable journey. Royal Caribbean cruise lines are one among the best, which can be opted for a vacation tour without much worry. The travel in a Royal Caribbean cruise will assure an exciting and fun filled vacation. This articles reviews the benefits of taking a decision in favor of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

The growth of number of people selecting cruise ships for spending holidays aboard is note worthy, especially the increase in the number of travelers opting for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. These cruise lines offer all types of amnesties and enjoyment facilities for a family holidaying their vacation. All cruises offer usual amnesties such as on board eating facilities, bars, fun filled activities for children, dance halls and day care centers. Royal Caribbean cruise lines are also not exceptions for these facilities. Actually they offer much more luxurious facilities.

Many reviews regarding the Sovereign of the Seas, the Royal Caribbean ship, was amply presented the high standards of the amenities in the ship. The food items serve in the ship are very delicious and healthy. They are made in very hygienic environment. Special items are made for the esteemed travelers as per the request. Many varieties of tasty pizza, escargot and prime rib are all made available aboard of the ship. Many sea fish items are prepared deliciously and served hot for the enthusiastic travelers.

The spacious cabins, movie halls and dance floors are the specialties of the Royal Caribbean cruises. There are many gambling options, casinos and fun filled activities suited for any age. Activities including Broadway shows, art auctions and comedy clubs are all added advantages interior to the cruise line. If you like to make a try in adventurous sports, you have the provision for rock climbing and aquatic exercises in the pools in the ship. If you want just spend time you have the option for meditation and relaxation by sitting idle. You can merge with the nature and sea, looking beyond zenith and enjoying the lifetime seclusion in the serene atmosphere. There are many sports activities one can try out. These include ping pone, basketball and baseball.

A Caribbean cruise will have its first stop in Royal Caribbean's private island, which is very attractive. There will be well-planned excursions in to the Island. One can enjoy all the facilities provided by the island. Beaches in the island provide many facilities for scuba diving, swimming and sun bathing.

The travels in Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines are extremely vibrant and dynamic. The price tags are very reasonable and worth to spend. Spending vacation aboard the cruise line is really marvelous and nobody can forget the experience for a lifetime.

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about Royal Caribbean cruise lines visit Cruise Vacation Specials for current articles and discussions.

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Romance On The High Seas - Cruise Ship Weddings

In the past few years, cruise ships have begun to up the ante with the services they provide. With this, couples that want to get married can now do so on board. A cruise ship wedding is great because you can plan your wedding and at the same time plan your honeymoon.

When searching for this kind of service, you need to call all the cruise lines that offer in-house weddings. Coordinators can arrange the ceremony, the cake, menu, flowers and the music. What you want is a cruise ship that can provide a wedding license plus help with all the extras like spa appointments and tuxedo rentals, this will ensure that the wedding goes smoothly and very little stress in getting it organized.

They can be very good value for money. The usual price is about $800 on top of the cost of the cruise. Commonly, on board weddings are done in the ships' chapel or either in the lounge, the boardroom or in a library. The couples need to be passengers on the cruise, liners offer full packages and a service that includes the option for land-side guests to come aboard for a few hours during the ceremony.

Bigger cruise lines give better service. This is great especially for romantic passengers and think about where you are going to celebrate your anniversaries in the future! Cruise ship weddings have grown at a high rate in the past years. There were very few on board weddings five years ago. This year there will be thousands of ceremonies celebrated on board cruise ships. Carnival cruise lines alone will cater for 200 weddings just this year. Those weddings will also have their honeymoon included.

The other benefit is that there is not actually a moment wasted in between the "I do's" and all the fun. Most cruise ship weddings are on major cruise lines, there are available packages from Royal Caribbean international, princess Regal, Norwegian, Premier, Holland America, Costa, Celebrity, Carnival, Cape Canaveral, and American Hawaii. With only the exception of the Grand Princess where you need to bring your own priest or similar official in order to carry out the service

Cruise ship weddings only occur when the cruise liner is docked in port. Couples can then choose to have their weddings on board or on land. You can then choose get married in the ships chapel while the ship is anchored in the port of Malabo, St. Kits or on a rooftop garden in Italy. For the really adventurous you can even fly on a helicopter and get married on a Glacier in Alaska.

All cruise lines give you the freedom to invite your guests and even have them join the cruise. Alternatively they can be invited on board for the day of your wedding celebration only. With packages having over a hundred destinations to choose from to have the service, more couple are choosing cruises compared to traditional hometown weddings. Ultimately, Cruise ship weddings and even vow renewals, on the high seas, can be a fun experience as well as deeply romantic.

Gordon Banks is a cruise liner enthusiast and has been writing many cruise ship related articles to help you find the best cruises and the best deals.

Learn about the Carnival Cruise Line Ship and discover all the fun you can have, exotic locations you can visit and the relaxing time which can be had aboard one of the Carnival Cruise Ships

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