| KEY PLUS POINTS FOR A CRUISE HOLIDAY |
| WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE CABINS? |
| TYPES OF CRUISE OFFERED |
| Repackaged Cruises
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| First time Cruisers |
| So, you have never sailed the High Seas but want to know what all the fuss is about cruising. You are not alone! Word of mouth is spreading fast as people young and old from all walks of life are finding out that a cruise holiday can be anything you want it to be whilst offering phenomenal value for money.
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| Maybe you are sceptical and have preconceived ideas of what a cruise is all about. Truth is the world of cruising offers a VAST array of choice and provided you find the right one to suit your own requirements we know that you will have a great time and will wonder why it took you so long to discover the fastest growing sector of the travel industry. Of course sound advice from seasoned travel professionals will help you to decide on the right option for you. That's where we come in!
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| Let's deal with the common misconceptions first of all and maybe allay some of your fears.
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| 1) Cruising is for the wealthy - I don't want to feel out of place |
| Cruising is now very much a mainstream product, there is such a wide range of ship out there to suit all budgets. The huge choice also leads to some amazing offers even up to the 5* market. Prices can start from as little as £250 for a mini cruise and the package tour operators here in the UK have a range of great ships and itineraries to choose from. You can even combine a cruise with a traditional hotel stay and air travel is based primarily on charter flights.
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| Why not have a look at our cruise ready reckoner or better still call our team for a competitive quote? Remember we specialise on promotion of discounted stock so you are sure to find a bargain. Of more importance than price is however that we find the right cruise ship, itinerary and duration based on your requirements. Let us take out the mystique of cruising.
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| 2) I don't want to feel trapped on board a ship with people I don't like.
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| Again this is a throwback to the old days when ships embarked on point to point voyages rather than the short 7 day itinerary where ship time is relegated to the evenings and night time. Every day you can wake up in a different port and you are therefore free to explore your new surroundings. Ships too now are more like floating resorts accommodating upwards of 3,000 passengers so you will have no problems meeting new friends. Add to this the casual go as you please dining options available on certain lines and this myth can be firmly consigned to the history books.
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| 3) I get sea sick!
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| Modern ships are fitted with the most sophisticated stabilisers which pretty much prevent any movement on board. There are some itineraries which operate more in protected waters however, and are therefore less likely to be rough. Obviously the time of year can come into the equation here too. Let our team of experienced travel professionals help you out here.
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| 4) Cruising is too formal for my liking
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| This too is another myth which is still a throwback to the byegone age of the Titanic. Again we have to stress that some ships are more formal than others but you can now do away with the dinner jacket and ball gown on most cruises. Even if you are on one of the more formal cruises you now have so many dining options open to you that you can eat in one of the other restaurants on the formal nights. As a rule of thumb you will have 2 "formal" nights on a 4* ship. This now means that a dark suit is perfectly acceptable and on the American cruise lines even a tie is an optional extra. On the higher standard of ship you should look on the dining experience to be like eating out at a top quality restaurant back home and dress accordingly.
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| 5) I don't want to feel part of a crowd.
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| People who have never cruised have mentioned this issue to us. Being with another 2,000 passengers or more on a small ship must be murder. The truth is somewhat different however and you can easily get away from the crowds if you wish even on "sea days" as there is usually masses of deckspace. Add the myriad options available to you on board from ice skating to golf, luxurious aqua spas to computer courses to say nothing of the numerous activities on land when the ship docks and you can see how you don't have to feel part of the herd.
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| KEY PLUS POINTS FOR A CRUISE HOLIDAY
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| Cruising offers excellent value for money. ALL your meals are included - up to seven a day in fact, so don't go expecting to starve! Add to this your entertainment in the form of excellent evening shows, free nightclub and casino entrance and a range of onboard activities.
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| Cruising is convenient.Do you like city breaks? Imagine visiting 6 separate destinations maybe in several countries within one week and only needing to unpack once!
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| Cruising is great for families.Modern cruise liners have excellent facilities to keep the younger family members amused, leaving mum and dad to relax and recharge those batteries.
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| Cruising is great for singles.Where else will you have the opportunity to meet so many different people from different parts of the world.
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| There is a cruise out there for everyone.If you are young or old, have expensive tastes or are on a budget there is a cruise out there for you. Short on time? Then a shorter duration is for you. If you want to splash out on a holiday of a lifetime you can even circumnavigate the globe. The world is your oyster.
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| WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE CABINS? |
| There are effectively 3 types of cabin: |
| Inside or Interior cabins.These cabins have no view. Like all cabins they are equipped with full ensuite facilities however and are usually able to be converted from twin to double bed configuration. It is now very rare for ships to have bunks - there are only a couple of them, though some ships do have set configurations due to their cabin layout.
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| On some class of ship you can also have inside cabin with a view of the central promenade - certainly different and an interesting diversion from the usual!
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| Outside or Oceanview. As the name implies this cabin has a view. Size of window varies between cabins though we are usually in a position to give you the dimentions of these. Cabins located towards the front of the ship tend to have smaller round windows (portholes) which can not be opened ( in fact no windows can be opened!) Generally speaking there is no difference in size between inside and outside cabins ( unless of course you opt for a superior cabin which will be larger though in most cases not by much). Some outside cabins may feature an obstructed view. This might be because a stairwell or maybe even a lifeboat is directly in front of the window. Details of and the extent of obstruction which might pertain to a given cabin would be given by the cruise line at the time of booking, however such information will not be known if your cabin has been booked as a guarantee ( See below). |
| Balcony cabins. Again these are pretty self explanatory. These cabins enjoy the benefit of a balcony with a patio door leading out to a small private balcony. Do not expect these to be large or particularly roomy unless to move up to a superior suite. Balcony cabins are located on the higher decks which is logical as they have an open aspect! |
| Do we go for a low deck or a high deck? It is traditionally said that the higher up the ship you are the more expensive the cabin. Whilst this is true to an extent, there is in fact little to tell a lower deck cabin from a higher deck in terms of size - unless of course you opt for a superior grade. One popular misconception which we are happy to address is that no cabins are located below the water line be they inside or outside! In fact on some ships the cabins are located above the communal entertainment decks (with MSC cruises in particular). If you are a very sensitive sailor you might like to consider a bit of physics. The lower down you are and the closer to the fulcrum ( middle of the ship ) the less you will feel any movement. Think of a child's see-saw and you will know what I mean. |
| What is the "best" location for the cabin? To the front, in the middle or towards the back? |
| Cruise price lists show a differential between cabins depending on their grading. Generally speaking cabins towards the middle ( midships ) of the ship are graded higher than those located towards the front (forward) or rear (aft ) of the ship. As with the low deck / high deck argument any movement is minimised in the centre and you are by implication closer to all the amenities if you are in the middle. |
| It is true that you may encounter some noise from the anchor being raised or lowered if you are in cabins located at the front of the ship whereas people often associate cabins toward the rear of the ship with noise from the engines - though this is more usually only associated with lower deck cabins. To be fair this was more the case with older ships however modern vessels, certainly those built say since 1997 have modern gas turbine propulsion systems which minimise noise and vibration. Moving up the ship, balcony cabins at the rear of the ship are uniquely prized and are amongst the first to get snapped up when the booking season opens. |
| Essentially the choice is yours. Cruise lines do some strange things with their pricing regimes however and may choose to discount one particular cabin grade over another which might distort the perceived wisdom of cabin location. |
| "Guarantee" offers. |
| If the cruise line has a number of cabins left to sell it may choose to offer these on a "guaranteed" basis. This effectively gives them the chance to offer reduced pricing on sailings without causing undue offence to early bookers as these cabins are sold on an unallocated basis at the point of sale. You will be offered a MINIMUM grade of cabin and may end up with a higher grade than you originally had offered. The cabin is then allocated by the cruise line at a later date. |
| If you are relaxed about where you end up and just want a good deal this is often an excellent way of bagging a bargain. There are some times however when this is NOT to be recommended. If you want a certain location or deck DO NOT book this type of deal as you may get disappointed. We can exert NO control over the cruiseline over where you end up. Bear in mind also that a category "upgrade" may mean a lower deck or "worse" location, and an outside cabin ( wherever it is located ) is viewed as being an upgrade over an inside cabin. It could therefore transpire that you end up with an outside cabin on deck two even when the grade offered for sale was a "guarantee" deck nine inside cabin. Caveat emptor! |
| TYPES OF CRUISE OFFERED |
| Cruise only from the UK |
| These cruises are becoming more and more popular as cruise lines base more liners in UK waters. You can visit a range of destinations with a wide variety of durations on offer in a range of ships. The main advantage of this type of cruise is that you can take as much luggage as you want on board (provided you don't need to fly to the port of departure). The main disadvantage is that the UK does not enjoy the same climate as Miami and sunbathing might not be quite the option that it might be in the Caribbean! |
| Package cruise with charter flights |
| This is the closest arrangement to a traditional UK tour operator package holiday. A charter flight will take you from the UK airport to the overseas port of departure and you will be taken directly to the ship. The cruise line look after you throughout and may well transport your luggage directly to the ship. You may even be able to relax on board before your return transfer to the airport on your return. This is a convenient option however some people find that the luggage allowance is limiting however you may be able to purchase " business class" type upgrades which allow you more luggage. |
| Package cruise with scheduled flights |
| This means that the cruise line looks after you throughout. Such arrangements will include flights, transfers ( though not necessarily if you choose to add additional hotel nights to their standard arrangements ) and the cruise. In case of US based home ports usually a night in a hotel is included before you depart on the cruise on room only basis as you will usually arrive in the US too late to board the ship on the same day. You may or may not get a room for day use before your return overnight flight back home as well. Bear in mind that such cruises will operate on a strict rotation and you will be asked to disembark early in the morning. As a rule transatlantic return flights depart in the late afternoon and evening so you will need to consider how you approach this if the cruise line does not include a courtesy room as standard. You are however under the control of the cruiseline at all times. |
| Plus points with this method of cruising is that scheduled flights generally enjoy greater leg room and on transatlantic legs provide you with considerably more luggage allowance than on a charter. (Usually the airline allows 2 pieces of luggage per person each weighing up to 32Kg!) |
| Repackaged Cruises |
| This is becoming an increasingly popular option for customers looking to save significant sums of money over brochured cruise line prices. |
| Travel companies holding an ATOL licence, like Global Professionals, who are legally allowed to repackage cruises save money by buying in the individual components at cheaper prices than those offered by the cruise lines and pass on this saving in lower prices. We offer this type of arrangement regularly as it allows us to not only save you money but also tailor your holiday to your exact requirements. |
| In this case we are the tour operator and use the cruise as just one of several components offered within our package. In these instances you might be asked to transfer yourself from the airport to the hotel or cruise ship however transfers can be costed in to your price in most cases if required. Where this is the case you will invariably pay more than you would locally for a cab transfer but we are happy to arrange this where required. |
| Experienced travellers know this to be a very easy process as it offers the chance to save hundreds of pounds just for the sake of catching a cab or two! In all cases we will detail and agree with you those services which are included in our offer. If you are ever making a comparison between prices, be absolutely certain you are sure what is included in each offer so you can make a valid comparison. |
| Bear in mind that bookings taken under our own licence will be bound by different booking conditions to those where we act as agent for the cruise line. Click here to view our Tour Operator Booking Conditions. |
| Where can you go? |
| As the world is covered 2/3 by water there is a vast array of possible destinations. We detail here the main areas which come into the broad range of cruise areas. |
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Cruise
Area
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Seasonality
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Cruise
from
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Durations
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Mediterranean
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April
- October
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UK
or various med ports
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7,10,14
nights
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Caribbean
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Year
round
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Various
US based ports or Caribbean ports
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3,4,5,7,8,10,12,14
and more
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Alaska
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May
– Sept
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Vancouver,
Seattle, Los Angeles, Anchorage
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Mostly
7 nights
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Baltic
states
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May
– Sep
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UK,
Amsterdam, Copenhagen
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10,
12, 14 nights
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Norwegian
Fjords
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High
Summer
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UK,
Amsterdam, Copenhagen
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7,10
nights
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Transatlantic
– repositioning
One
way cruises
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Spring
– Autumn only
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UK
or various Med ports or various US/ Carib ports
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Generally
14 nights
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Transatlantic
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UK
to US shuttles
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UK
to New York
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Generally
6 nights
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Pacific
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Year round
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Various
Asian ports
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5
– 14 nights plus
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South
America
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Jan
– Mar
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Either
US or S. American ports
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14
nights or more
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Round
the World
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Jan
– Mar
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UK
– but possible to take sectors
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14
-110 days
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Antartica
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Our
Winter
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Various
South American ports
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14
nights plus
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| This list is not exhaustive, our website does list ships departing from each port worldwide |
