The Best Cruise Line for YOU!

I am often asked the question "which cruise line is BEST?"  I always have to laugh, because this is a tough question to answer--I always answer back--define BEST.  Best price? itinerary? entertainment? food? accessibility? casinos? what is BEST?


Accessing your cruise needs are similar to writing a good news article.  There's the who, what, when, and how of it all.  Let's take them one at a time.  


WHO is sailing?  You and your hubby? You and your family? Family reunion? Gaggle of gal pals? WHO is sailing makes a lot of difference.  The who involves your interests, hobbies, and activity levels.  Will you be happy swimming with the dolphins, ice skating at sea, or just lounging by the pool?  Are you an experienced cruiser or a first timer?

WHAT do you want to, see, visit, and explore?  Do you have a special place or climate in mind?  On one cruise, I knew without a doubt I wanted to see a particular beach in St. Thomas as a shore excursion.  What do you want to do on board?  If you have your heart set on a surfing simulator or rock climbing at sea, you  are limited to the number of ships you can choose.  You need to think about WHAT you want to experience.


WHERE are you willing to go to board your ship?  Depending on your location, you may have to drive a long distance or fly to make your cruise happen.  If you choose not to travel, you could be limited by where you live.  Ships are traditionally stationed in certain ports and stay their until the season changes or larger/smaller ships are brought in.

WHEN do you want to sail?  The time of the year, season, or even holiday makes a big difference.  Going during spring break season?  Expect to see a lot of college students on board.  Think it would be cool to spend Thanksgiving on board?  Yes, it would, but you can expect to pay more.  Remember too, that certain itineraries like Alaska and New England are only available during certain seasons and fill up quickly.

Lastly, after deciding on all of the above--HOW much is your budget?  Do you have a realistic idea of what a cruise will cost?  With prices averaging $100-300 a night for accommodations, gourmet food, and entertainment galore--cruise prices are great vacation values. How much are you willing and able to spend?


When you talk with me, I will ask you all of these questions.  I try to match the client with the best fit of all of the above criteria.  By thinking on these questions and making a list of anything else that might be important to you--we can find the perfect fit just for you!


Call me and let's talk about your who, when, where, and how.  I will do my best  to match you as much as possible with the best cruise line and sailing to fit your needs.


Happy sailing!


Sandy


Sandy, thedivacruiser, is actually Sandy Wheeler, independent contractor for Connie George Travel Associates.  Follow her adventures on Twitter @thedivacruiser and on her web site www.SandyWheelerTravel.com.  Questions are always welcome click here to contact Sandy.


Photos are #1 Me onboard Celebrity. #2 Clients swimming with the dolphins onboard Royal Caribbean; #3 Line dancing on board Princess; #4 Hubby and I on pink sand beaches onboard NCL; #5 Hubby and I swimming with the stingrays onboard Carnival.

The Airport Shuffle

I love to line dance--it's super fun and good exercise.  The exception maybe what I call the "airport shuffle" --when you ride an escalator to get to another escalator to get to a monorail to get to an elevator and on and on.  But such is the reality of modern day airports, it's part of the dance.  The bigger the airport, the longer the dance, and like a line dance, it's easy to get out of breath.

Another modern day reality that makes the trip longer is, of course, the security check in, which seems to get more elaborate every time I fly.  I laughed out loud when the TSA took my rolledup tube of toothpaste.  As a travel advisor, I spend a good bit of time reminding people what to pack.  I keep a cosmetic case packed so I can grab and go, but my last trip was to a resort and didn't involve flying.  OOPS! note to self!  never assume!

But in the few seconds (which stretched out a l---o----n----g time) when I realized my bin of stuff was being pulled aside and I was being called over-- my thought was OH NO, SOMEONE PUT SOMETHING IN MY BAG!  I had never let my bag out of my sight, but still eek!  I wasn't exactly sure what would happen in this situation but I was pretty sure I wouldn't make my flight, among other things too scary to mention.  When she held up my toothpaste and said she would have to keep it, well as I said, I laughed. 


So to recap, just a couple of points that might be of interest.

• Keep your eyes and hands on your bag at all times.  Don't trust anyone you don't know, no matter how innocent they seem.  Check out reruns of NCIS or rewatch the Mission Impossible movies for examples.  Plus, hey, it's Mark Harmon and Tom Cruise-never time wasted!
• The 3 ounce carry on rule applies to liquids AND gels.  Toothpaste IS a gel dear readers!
• Don't argue with the nice TSA's.  They are there for your protection and just doing their jobs!

Happy and safe travels, Sandy



Sandy, the diva crusiser, is actually Sandy Wheeler, and Independent agent of Connie George Travel Associates.  Follow her adventures on Twitter @thedivacruiser or on her website http://www.sandywheelertravel.com/.  Email questions about this or any of her blogs, she loves to hear from readers.