•    Age at time of travel.
•    Pre-existing medical conditions.
•    Cruise destination.
•    Length of cruise.

Travel insurance can protect your investment if:

•    You become ill and have to cancel your holiday.
•    The cruise operator cancels or delays the cruise, or goes out of business.
•    You fail to board your ship due to airline delays or cancellations.
•    Political unrest or natural disaster results in cancellation.
•    You injure yourself while on board or at a port destination.
•    You must evacuate the ship during an emergency.
•    You experience a medical emergency requiring transportation back home.
•    Travel advisories issued after you book necessitate cancellation of trip.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles European nationals to free or reduced cost healthcare in participating member countries.  Ordinary medical insurance may not cover expenses incurred during holidays.  Medicare coverage for United States citizens does not cover expenses incurred outside the United States.   Finally, if a passenger should die during a cruise holiday, a comprehensive travel insurance plan will cover expenses to transport the remains back to their home.

Planning your cruise means dealing with practical matters, like protecting your investment by purchasing the right travel insurance.

Whether you are travelling a long distance to board a cruise ship or simply want to holiday an extra day or two before or after the cruise, cruise and stay packages provide discounts on hotel accommodation, all bundled into the price of the holiday. Buying a cruise and stay package rather than paying for a hotel room separately from the cruise tickets will earn you a nice discount.

When you arrive at your destination, you can spend as many nights as you wish in the hotel. Explore the city, see the sights and take time to relax from a long drive or flight. When the cruise leaves, you will be refreshed and ready to board.

Once the cruise has ended and you have disembarked, you can choose to stay at the same hotel or a different resort in the area. See an entirely new set of sights and relax for an extra day or so before heading back home. Cruise and stay packages offer the best of both worlds, land and sea, for a bargain price.

Top on the list of benefits is the convenience of location.  You can access the port easily by taxi, car, bus or train. Furthermore, a wide selection of cruises is available.  Famous cruise lines from around the world also dock their ships in Southampton, with a wide range of Mediterranean cruises and European destinations.

The other advantage is from the fact that it is easy to find last minute cruises from this port enabling you to cut on your budget. Most cruises do not leave this port until they are full.

Prior to your cruise departure, you may unwind by visiting the various attractions in the town. These include museums and art galleries, which provide you with the history of Southampton.

Southampton also has many shops where various items are sold.  This gives you a chance to get any last minute items you may have forgotten to pack.  On the other hand, if you would rather relax and enjoy a meal or drink before cruising, Southampton has wonderful pubs and restaurants.

Starting a cruise in high spirits is what you need in order to take in every minute of your voyage. Booking a cruise in Southampton will guarantee this, saving you the hassle of dealing with any jet lag and the cost of airplane tickets.

Above all, have a great trip and bon voyage!

Royal Caribbean is especially famous for its incredible onboard entertainment for kids of all ages from young primary school kids on up to teenagers, and even very active adults. There are game shows and fun things planned throughout the day every day. Best of all on a Royal Caribbean cruise is the ship’s features themselves. Some of the ships have things like the amazing FlowRider, which is basically a standing wave right on the ship where kids or adults can take their turns trying to stay standing on a surfboard. There is also an ice rink on the ship. That’s right, a real ice rink. Not only is it a lot of fun to go ice skating in the middle of the ocean, but by night it turns into the venue for some truly amazing ice shows by the ship’s entertainers.

There are karaoke booths where you can have a great time with your friends or family or even record a DVD of your singing that you can take home with you. There are full size basketball courts and even a rock climbing wall. And of course swimming pools and hot tubs, gyms, saunas, and plenty of stuff to keep everyone very entertained and happy, even the kids.

For as little as a few hundred pounds you can easily be on your way to an exotic destination or Caribbean island of your choice.  These excellent deals can be found with a quick search on the internet or by speaking with your local travel agent.

There are a few matters to keep in mind when choosing a cruise.  A cruise can last anywhere from a few nights to a few weeks depending on the chosen destination.  If this is your first time taking a cruise, book a shorter trip.  A three-day cruise is a great way to sample what cruising is all about.  If you enjoy it, book another cruise for a longer duration of time.  Cruise deals can be picked up on a daily basis.

Do not be shy when it comes to participating in on-ship activities.  There are endless entertainment options, from lavish Broadway shows, to games for children.  Off-ship, take part in some of the exciting excursions your cruise company has to offer.  There is no better way to enjoy a new town or city than a day of first-hand exploring.

One of the biggest selling points of last minute cruises is the sheer variety that can be experienced in a relatively short space of time.  Going for a week or fortnight long trip around Scandinavia, Spain and France, or the Mediterranean, allows you to see a wide range of culture, beaches and incredible natural surroundings, as there are only short distances between each port.

Not having to travel a long distance to the departure port can be another major benefit.  A long flight to a far off destination can cause jet lag and tiredness for the first few days of a cruise, but if you embark in the UK then you will be able to enjoy your entire holiday.  You may also find that it reduces your costs considerably, as travelling to a British port is likely to be much cheaper and easier than an international journey. 

Going on cruises from the UK to European destinations also means that you do not have to worry about luggage restrictions or weight limits when you are packing.  As there is no need to fly to your initial departure port or stay in hotel before you leave, you can pack whatever you like and will only have to unpack once during your entire holiday. 

 Cruises are a great way to enjoy a holiday while allowing someone else to take care of the details. However, when it comes to land excursions you might want to take care of arranging them yourself. Certain ports have certain sights that should definitely be seen.  

If your cruise includes docking at St. John’s, the capital of Antigua, this is one of the best stops in this area for exploring. Leave the ship and pass through the Heritage Quay area to get to Redcliffe Quay. Here you will enjoy a more authentic and rustic experience that is less commercialised and is much quieter.  

Any stop at St. Lucia should include a visit to Pigeon Point. It is also easy enough to take a taxi to Reduit Beach. This has been proven to be much more interesting for cruise passengers than the capital city, Castries, where the ship makes port.  

For Caribbean cruises that make port in St Thomas, take a guided catamaran trip for something different. If you can’t get enough shopping, opt to spend a half-day cruising the open waters on a catamaran where you can enjoy the local islands and see the marine life. 

The canal took more than ten years to complete, using about 75,000 workers at the peak of construction.  Located about 80 kilometres northwest of the capital of Panama, the canal is a popular cruising route between December and April each year, though it is open all year round. 

Traversing the locks of the canal is an exciting experience that passengers will remember for a lifetime, but of course there is a great deal more to the canal zone than the science and technology that makes this journey possible.  The jungle surrounds the ship on both sides and passengers have literally hours in which they can admire the passing shoreline and marvel at the tropical rain forest on display.

Since the canal links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, it is a great way for travellers from Europe to reach destinations such as the famed Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta and the port city of San Diego, California.  A Panama Canal cruise truly will be a voyage to remember. 

A good place to start may be with your travel agent. Travel agents are usually informed of deals and specials that may not be publicly advertised. Speaking with a travel agent face-to-face is also the best way to get any questions that you may have, answered properly. Not all travel agents offer the same prices so if you are serious about getting a good deal, then shop around between travel agents. There are times when the larger companies will be able to pass along better cruise deals than a smaller travel agency.  

While you are visiting your travel agent, collect a few brochures and see what catches your eye. These brochures are a great way to get a feel for the different cruise companies as well as what they have to offer in the way of packages, entertainment, itineraries, prices and other options. There are more and more websites each month dedicated to ensuring you get the best deal when it comes to booking your holiday. If you are not comfortable booking online then use the sites as guidelines for any deals that may be available. You can take this information with you to your travel agent.  

If you are completely open to going any place as long as you get a good deal, then leave your holiday fate in the hands of the tourist season. Traditionally the months of January to March are the busiest for the cruise industry. This can often be the best time to try and land a great deal. 

Of course, cruising gives you the opportunity to see many more places and it may surprise you to discover how much there is to do on board the ship itself. In addition to the desk games and swimming pools there are also sport and gym activities, spa treatments and daily workshops. On offer is a range of fascinating activities you have always wanted to try – everything from tai chi to scuba diving – and the range of children’s activities and crèche facilities are second to none. With a shopping mall, theatre and shows, bars and restaurants, the cruise ship’s facilities and entertainment can rival that of any 5-star hotel. 

For those who enjoy holidays on land and at sea, the cruise and stay is the perfect way to experience the ultimate holiday. Enjoy cruising for the first seven days and then spend seven days in a luxury hotel or, if you prefer, hit the hotel first and then cruise.  Check out great 2012 cruise and stay deals now.