Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Q:  I’ve never taken a cruise before.  How do I know I’ll like it and what will it be like?

A:  “Cruising” has gained enormous popularity recently, because of the reasonable costs as well as the convenience, not to mention the FUN of it all!  

Economy:  If you look at your final destination, and figure it out completely, adding in ALL of your costs…that is, fuel, auto depreciation etc., OR air fare, and hotels, food, and entertainment, the comparison would be a REAL eye-opener. 

 Convenience:  Driving, hotel, unpack, out to dinner, back to hotel, reorganize, sleep, repack, back in the car, drive on and do it again in order to see more sites.  On the ship, you get on, unpack, put the suitcases under the bed, and RELAX, go eat, go to the pool and/or hot tub, go to the casino, take a nap, play BINGO, shop, get a massage, catch a show, climb the wall, go to the fitness center or walk/run the track, play golf, send the kids to their activities, the list goes on and on!  

Q:  What’s good way to save money on cruise vacations when I have to fly to the port?

A:  Do NOT purchase the air inclusive with the cruise (UNLESS YOU CHECK THE AIR FARE SEPARATELY AND WHEN YOU ADD IT UP IT'S TRULY A DEAL) .  Book the cruise, then book the flight that gets you there in PLENTY of time.  If you are leaving from abroad, arrive at least one day early.  This gives you time in case you are delayed by the airport.  If you are not delayed, then you have time to get your internal time clock “reset” and a little time to tour the city!  You’ll be glad you did!   

Q:  If I’ve never cruised before, how do I know the “great” places to go?

A:  There aren’t any “bad” places to cruise!  It just all depends on your interest and the time of year that you go.  If you are mainly looking to relax on the ship and aren’t looking to tour anywhere special, just do the length of cruise that you wish, and only go out in the Caribbean where it’s beautiful most of the year!  You don’t even have to get off the ship when you are in port, if you don’t want to!  There’s still plenty to do on board the ship! 

 If you do sail the Caribbean, there are wonderful places to tour and activities such as snorkeling, etc.,  if you wish to get off the ship at such islands as St. Maarten or St. Thomas.     

If you are looking to tour Europe, there’s no cheaper, easier, or more secure way to do it.  I personally recommend flying to Barcelona (book the flight separate from the cruise on this site—MUCH cheaper) and spending a day or two touring there before boarding a ship that includes Livorno (Italy) so that you can go and see the Cinque Terre.  I have more information on this in my blogs (dated end of October, 2008).  It is the most beautiful place that I have ever been!  The entire cruise was fabulous, but this was the highlight of this trip!  

 Q:  On your website, you have an area that says, “Worldwide Vacation Rentals”.  What is that and how do you use it?

A:   We have partnered with Villas International, the most trusted name in international rentals.  You can choose a villa vacation in Europe, Mexico or the Caribbean, as well as other remote islands.  This lets you experience another country “from the inside”.  Go to the tab, “Worldwide Vacation Rentals”, find the area that you want to visit abroad and click on it.  Look through the rentals that are listed in those areas.  You will also see apartments, cottages, mansions and castles—they are in cities, islands, idyllic rural settings, or mountaintop retreats.  When you see something that you want, based on how many people it sleeps and pictures, you can submit your information.  International Villas will work with you to set up just the right vacation place for you.  They are wonderful to work with, and it’s a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture to visit for just a short time or have an extended stay.  A vacation rental is an affordable luxury.  With cottages and apartments starting at $25 per person per night, you will often save on hotel bills.  We find that many people like to do family reunions this way.  They get their families together and figure out how many they need to sleep, and lease a property based on that.  When you arrive, you go to the address and unpack, then head to the local markets to stock your kitchen! 

Q:  Trip (Travel) Insurance—Do I need it?

A:  That’s a personal choice.  It’s different for everyone, depending on your circumstances.  If you are concerned about not being able to make your trip for one reason or another or illness or injury interfering with your trip and/or incurring costs, then you may want to purchase some peace of mind.  We have partnered with Travel Guard, the most trusted name in travel insurance, to provide you with only what you feel you need to cover.  Go to our tab, “Trip Insurance” and you can pick and choose from a very flexible plan to meet your needs. 

 Q:  What’s the best way to save on air fare?

 A:  Let our “shopper” do the work for you.  Our system goes out and shops all of the markets in just seconds, once you put in your travel request.  It responds with all of the available information so that you can choose the very best deal, knowing that all the shopping has been done! 

 Frequently we're asked, "Do you REALLY have cheap flights?  Yes, we REALLY do, if they exist.  The shopper goes out and gets THE best deal that's out there!