The holiday season is the perfect time to enjoy a cruise. As families get together to celebrate the holiday season, being on a cruise is a perfect setting to spend time together, get away from the cold weather, explore new destinations and experiences, and avoid the stress of cooking and cleaning. In addition, it makes a great holiday gift for your spouse or your entire family. Also, most schools have extended holidays so it allows you more time to travel without taking your kids out of school. The most popular destination would be the Caribbean because of the warm weather. Numerous ports offer Caribbean sailings with a variety of ports of call during the voyage. From New Jersey to New Orleans and all of the cruise ports in Florida, a lot of variety exists both in departure city and cruise length.

I’ve been doing some research on Holiday cruising and below are some great tips and answers to frequently asked questions regarding what you can expect and making the most of this wonderful holiday adventure.

What should interested passengers look for in a Christmas cruise?
There are several factors in deciding on the right cruise. Working with a travel expert can prove to be extremely beneficial in this instance in choosing the right cruise for you and your family.  If you are traveling with your family be sure to consider on board activities for everyone. Most of the cruise lines
decorate their ships for the holidays and they all have special events on board. When considering the destination and itinerary it is important to consider the travel arrangements to and from the port. Flying during holiday season can be a challenge, so we always suggest a departure port that has direct flights or
  have your travel professional schedule you to arrive a day prior to the cruise so you won't miss your cruise if there are flight delays.

How can passengers bring holiday celebrations with them on board?
One of the nice things about taking a cruise is that they don't have limitations on how much luggage you bring on board. You can bring your holiday gifts on board and have your own celebration. Of course, if you are flying to the cruise you need to consider airline restrictions on how much luggage you are allowed.

Do cruise lines offer holiday celebrations on board?
Yes! You will find the majority of the cruise lines do a wonderful job in decorating the entire ship for the holidays. According to a Silversea spokesperson, for the holiday
sailings, Silversea ships are outfitted with imaginative decorations that echo the spirit of the season. Many of the artful displays are created aboard ship by Silversea master chefs. Whimsical gingerbread cottages and festive cookies often adorn lounges and add a touch of old-fashioned holiday charm throughout the ship. In addition, there will be special activities planned throughout holiday cruises including religious observances.

What is the best way to coordinate airfare and cruise travel for a Christmas voyage?
This is where you need to work with your travel professional. The worst scenario is having your flight delayed so you miss the ship's departure. We always suggest flying to your cruise departure city a day prior to departure. If there are any delays you will still have time to take another flight. You don't want your
holiday dream trip ruined from the start.

What won't passengers find on a Christmas cruise?
Most passengers will find very little missing on a holiday cruise! Today's modern ships provide all the comforts of home, 24/7 food, entertainment, shopping, and time together. Many of the ships offer satellite television where the family can still enjoy the college bowl games and the NFL during their cruise. What they won't find is traffic, stress of preparing meals for the entire family and especially the clean up after everyone goes home!

Are holiday cruises right for everyone?
If you enjoy cruising you will definitely enjoy a holiday cruise! The festive atmosphere adds to the holiday spirit and even if it is your first cruise you will find it hard to not have a memorable experience. Cruising over the holidays creates or continues a family tradition.

When should passengers make reservations for the best holiday sailing deals?
Most holiday itineraries sell out 4 to 6 months prior to the sale date. As this is a popular time to cruise, making your reservations early will ensure your space on board. The days of waiting to the last minute for cruise deals have disappeared, especially during the holidays. In addition, airline tickets for holiday travel
get more expensive the longer you wait.

What other tips would you offer for passengers interested in Christmas cruises?
Plan ahead. Get with your travel professional early in the year and get your reservation secured. Be sure to discuss your itinerary with everyone in the family. If you're not traveling with children you may want to consider a luxury cruise on a smaller ship or an exotic destination.

Tips to getting the best Holiday Cruise Deals:
1. If you have to fly to the cruise port, then you need to book now because any savings you may get in
cruise price drops you’ll lose in the airfare going up.
 2. If you need a cabin that holds 3 or 4 passengers then I recommend booking now.  If there are significant price drops, they are much more likely to be for double or single occupancy cabins.
3.  ‘Last-minute’ in the cruise industry is typically 5 – 8 weeks out from the cruise.  If the cruise lines are going to make a move in price to sell excess inventory, it is usually 5 – 8 weeks out from the cruise.  [Just note, with holiday cruises there is a big risk price goes up instead of down]
4. When you see the alert that the price dropped, act quickly. If the cruise line drops the price, it is to sell the space fast so they can increase the price again.   After the final payment date, price drops are for new bookings only.  The cruise lines do not want to upset already booked passengers with rate drops, so they will increase the rates quickly after selling a set amount of inventory.

If you have questions about a specific 2013 Holiday Cruise, please add it to the comments and I’ll look to see what the best deal is and let you know if I think it will go up or down from here.

Christmas and New Year are truly special times of year, particularly for families with children. Experiencing these festivities in a stunning mountain setting makes memories that can last a lifetime.
 
New Year is also naturally a great time to celebrate and welcome in the New Year with style. The ski resorts love having visitors at this magical time of year, and work hard to make sure that their guests have a wonderful time and want to come back year after year.

Here are some of the events you can expect if you decide to spend Christmas or New Year in the Colorado ski resorts, USA:

Pre-Christmas
A tree lighting ceremony kicks off the festive season in many ski resorts, including Vail and Breckenridge, and tends to take place early to mid-Dec, complete with hot cocoa and carolers.

From then on, the ski resorts burst with action: Vail hands out candy canes at its base areas and shows movies suitable for all the family. Family Christmas themed activities occur in both Lionshead and Vail Villages, including concerts and the famous "Winter Solstice on Ice" ice skating show.

Beaver Creek has "Winterfest", which lasts until New Year's Day, and you can help Santa out in his cottage, create your own personalized elf hat, and gawp at the characters meandering around Beaver Creek base village. There are also ice skating shows, a skate night for teens, kid's games for all ages, and winter wonderland parades.

In Aspen, visiting Father Christmas' real live reindeer can be a highlight of your trip, plus you'll listen to Christmas carolers and can decorate cookies.

Most ski resorts have evening celebrations leading up to the big day for all the
family, so you can keep the kids occupied. Winter Park ski resort, for example, has Santa strolling around the Village, sometimes even on skis, and you can pat his reindeer.

The Christmas Eve party is fabulous for families. Pop home, put on your warm evening gear and comfortable boots, and then go to the bottom of the mountain to check out the dancing Christmas trees and Christmas carolers around the bonfire. Before long, the torch-lit descent will begin with the ski patrol and ski instructors skiing or boarding down the main slope, Hughes, with their flaming torches. Santa can usually be seen coming down the mountain too, complete with his sleigh. The finale is the dancing snowcats lit up with fairy lights, marching down the slopes and doing some twirls before slowly disappearing.

Christmas Day

Christmas morning can be a fantastic time to ski if you happen to be up early or the kids have woken you
up. Slopes are relatively un-crowded until lunchtime, while others are opening their gifts. Or perhaps you prefer to relax over breakfast or brunch, and then stroll around the resort at your leisure. You may see Father Christmas on skis on Christmas Day, so watch out for the traditional red and white  suit.

New Year's Eve

New Year's parties abound in the ski resort of Colorado.

Aspen has legendary parties and nightlife all year, but for New Year's Eve, they pull out all the stops and the bubbly is free flowing. Pick one of Aspen's many restaurants – there are many to choose from,
both fine dining and the more affordable. Then head to see the fireworks from the park in the center of Aspen. This family friendly event has a bonfire to keep you warm and a DJ to keep you entertained. A little later, check out one of the many hot spots in Aspen – Belly Up nightclub provides live music, Eric's
often has a DJ, and the Regal Watering Hole has a New Year's Eve gala and dancing.

Vail is another focal point for New Year's Eve celebrations, and this year, the Dobson Ice arena will be transformed into Vail's largest nightclub. Celebrations at midnight include champagne, traditional ball drop,
and confetti snowstorm.

In many ways destination honeymoons and weddings are the ultimate travel experience. Destination weddings and all inclusive resorts are actually a match made in heaven and definitely a huge benefit to newlyweds and those seeking that perfect place for their destination wedding.  

The all inclusive resorts’ pay-one-price system is an ideal stress reducer for couples. Instead of spending hours upon hours hashing out details and adding up costs as they go, with all inclusive couples know what exactly the costs are ahead of time.

Another huge advantage is every one of these resorts offer a dedicated on site wedding planner to handle all of the wedding details. They provide couples with convenience and peace of mind allowing them to focus more on the big day and less on the details. Resort wedding planners coordinate all of the
related tasks, from arranging the ideal location for the ceremony to coordinating the wedding theme, music, video and photography. They also provide the wedding officiant and all of the relevant documents.

Still undecided on whether or not you should plan a destination wedding? Here are 10 reasons to take the
plunge from the editors of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons magazine.

1. You can say "I do" anywhere! A destination wedding is defined as marrying at least 100 miles from where the bride currently lives. So imagine the options that definition opens up for you -- the world really is your playground.

2. You'll stand out from the pack. More than 2 million American couples wed every year -- and fewer than 25 percent of them have destination dos. Bonus: Wed away, and you won't have to choose from the
same old hometown spots all your friends have booked.

3. It's easier. Many wedding-worthy resorts offer free planning help to couples, whether the event is for two or 200, and an abundance of packages keep things simple while still giving options to customize. Want something more involved? Turn to an independent planner who specializes in more elaborate events.

4. You can save on decor. With a destination wedding in a stunning setting, your location of choice supplies the theme, from castle fairytale, to sea-inspired soiree. And when you choose an amazing backdrop, it doesn't take much to dress it up. Opt for a pristine beach, a tidy vineyard, a blooming garden or a historic plantation house furnished with graceful antiques, and you'll be more than covered with a few simple florals and other modest accents.

5. Enjoy quality time with loved ones. The standard wedding lasts for five hours, and the bride and groom spend most of that time running from table to table, trying to say hello to everyone. A destination do
spans a minimum of three days -- which means, now that you've finally gotten your nearest and dearest together, you can actually spend quality time with them! Hooray!

6. It's a great excuse to limit the guest list. The very nature of destination weddings -- they require
travel, a longer time commitment and hotel stays -- gives you the perfect excuse to cut down on an often unmanageable number of invitees. Think the second cousins and office mates will be miffed? You can always throw a post wedding party -- complete with plenty of photos -- when you get back home.

7. Guests can save on a vacation. Your travel agent will negotiate discounted room rates and airfare for your guests; most resorts are more than willing to bargain in exchange for group business. Some airlines, such as United and American, offer discounted airfares for groups of 10 of more -- on the latter, this is true even if your guests are departing from different gateways. And ultimately, your friends will have a blast! Destination weddings give friends and family that most valuable commodity: downtime -- to kick back,
connect and celebrate. And what's more fun than that?

8. You'll share a locale you love. Part of the joy of a destination wedding is showing off a place that has special meaning to you, be it bringing friends and family back to a beloved college campus, sharing where
you took your first vacation as a couple or finally going to a locale you've always dreamed of visiting.

9. Flexible timing helps with budgeting. You'll be at your destination for a few days, so work with your vendors to see how timing can trim costs. After all, if everyone is already there, you can wed on a Friday, a
Sunday or even a Tuesday -- what does the day of the week matter in paradise? Look at seasonality too. Many Caribbean hotels drop their prices dramatically in mid-April; by planning your wedding for May, you can get the same great digs for a fraction of the price paid by visitors a few weeks earlier. Likewise, mountain resort towns offer big savings in spring and fall.

10. You can start the honeymoon early. Just arriving at your destination is sure to put you in a relaxed mood as the pre-wedding festivities begin. Many hotels offer automatic upgrades to the bride and groom
on their wedding night, and you may be able to negotiate an extended minimoon at a reduced rate after the guests have gone home.

 Future blog posts will be covering the actual resorts themselves all
over the world and what they have to offer the newlyweds when they choose them
for their special day.

Here are a few travel tips about unusual ways to use common household items. This article also mentions some inexpensive products that can help you make the most of your next vacation or business trip.

Wine corks, cardboard drink coasters, and plastic bread bag ties have something in common: You can utilize them in innovative ways while you travel. Read on for more information.

Cardboard Drink Coasters
Save the drink coasters provided by bars and restaurants.

• They make great Frisbees, small enough for the hands of
young children, and they actually go quite far when thrown.

• Turned over, they make good drawing surfaces. During a long car ride or plane trip,
coasters and crayons can keep your children occupied for a considerable length
of time.

• You can use coasters as luggage tags. Record your information
on each coaster with a permanent marker. Then punch a hole through the top of
the coaster, and attach it to your suitcase with a small zip tie or ribbon.
Remember to trim loose ends from ties or ribbons to prevent them from catching
on handling equipment or other luggage.

Demand Double Duty from Some
of Your Suitcase Contents

• Push cufflinks or earrings through the holes in belts or wristwatch bands. Snap the backs on to keep them attached.

• You can do the same with an old tie, sock, sash, or piece of ribbon.

Alcohol-Based, Sugar-Free, Color-Free Mouthwash

• Refill your hand sanitizer bottle with mouthwash if you run out.

• Use it to disinfect small insect bites, cuts, and scrapes.

• Mouthwash will help to calm inflammation and itchiness from things like poison ivy.

• In a pinch, it can be used to remove minor stains from clothing.

• Out of facial astringent? Mouthwash to the rescue! Just be sure to wash it off
afterwards.

Runner's Wrist Wallet

• Purchase a runner's wrist wallet before you travel. Try to find one that has pockets large enough for credit cards, cash, and small valuables. Women will be able to leave their heavy purses behind, and men won't have to worry about their regular wallets
being removed by pickpockets.

• Some runner's wallets will even accommodate smartphones.

• If you plan to be out after dark, look for a product with a reflective stripe.

Wine Bottle Cork Sewing Kit

• About 1/4 inch from the wide end, use a small knife to make a cut about 1/3 of the way through the cork.

• Push straight pins and threaded needles into the narrow end, then wrap the thread around the cork, and anchor it in the cut.

Lighten Your Load and Conserve Space with Paper Shampoo

• Frequent flyers, campers, and backpackers will love paper
shampoo. Several companies make packs of dissolvable sheets.

• Manufacturers such as Travelon and Soap2Go also offer products like shaving
cream, body wash, and laundry soap.

Save Your Plastic Bread Bag Tags

• Use them to keep pairs of socks together.

• Scrape price labels off souvenirs before sending gifts home.

• Keep your hair ties organized.

• Use them for hanging light laundry to dry on wire hangers. Tags take up very little room in your suitcase, and they weigh much less than clothespins.

• Draw a checkerboard on a piece of paper, and use two different colors of tags to create a makeshift checkers game.

• Instead of packing spools of thread, wrap strands of varying colors around
several different tags.

Now that you have read these tips, look around your home with an appraising eye. You might be able to find other common items that you can press into service for your next holiday.

(c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann:
About the Author:

If you liked
what you read here, be sure to have a look at Kathy's two helpful e-books:
"Top Tips for Packing Your
Suitcase" and "Top Tips for Travel by
Air". Article source: 111 Travel
Directory: Triple1.com (triple one dot com)