We love to cruise - and here's why!

Diverse Destinations

Your ship transports you from one exciting port to another, all without having to pack and unpack with each new destination. Forget about trains, planes, and automobiles - unless they are a part of your planned fun!

Convenient

No need to make separate reservations across several companies for hotels, restaurants, and vacation activities. Your cruise combines your lodging, meals, and entertainment all in one convenient package.

Affordable

A cruise vacation provides a whole range of fares that accommodate the budgets of families, couples and singles. From contemporary cruise lines to luxury ships, you will find a cruise that is perfect for your budget.

Helpful Tips for First Time Cruisers

Thinking about cruising? Or have you already booked your first voyage? This is the place to learn helpful tips before you go.

Included in Your Cruise Fare

Stateroom

Every cruise ship offers a diverse selection of staterooms, ranging from cozy inside cabins to expansive suites with balconies.

​The type and category of your stateroom will dictate the fare, ensuring there's a perfect option for every budget.

Dining Room Meals

Onboard dining is a highlight of cruising, with all meals included in the ship's main dining rooms. Guests staying in certain stateroom categories enjoy the privilege of exclusive dining venues that offer an elevated quality of food and service. For an additional fee, specialty restaurants provide an array of gourmet dining experiences.

Entertainment

Immerse yourself in Broadway-caliber shows at the main theatre, sharpen your culinary skills with a cooking class, select a novel from the library, or join in on an exciting contest.

The Cruise Director tirelessly ensures your entertainment is top-notch.​

Usually Extra to the Cruise Fare

Shore Excursions

Your cruise ship transports you between many interesting places. You may book shore excursions through the cruise line or companies that specialize in shore trips. Luxury cruise lines may include limited shore excursions in the fare.

Alcoholic Beverages

Every cruise line offers a beverage package that you can purchase. Some currently advertise a free* beverage package as an incentive to book with them. Luxury cruise lines usually include non-premium alcohol in their fares.
* Be sure to read the fine print!

Gratuities

Most cruise lines will add gratuities for your room steward and dining room wait staff to your onboard account, or you can prepay the gratuities with your cruise fare. Make sure you budget $14 to $20 per person, per day for gratuities.
Here is a good article about when not to tip.

Staying connected
One surprising charge when you board your ship may be WiFi. Most ships have it, and most charge for it unless they have offered free internet as a special promotion for booking. Cruise ship WiFi is notoriously slow - even for those cruise lines that promise the "fastest internet at sea." Internet at sea is expensive. If you can stay connected via your smart phone while at port, you'll save time and money if your phone carrier provides free international data. Some phone carriers will sell a reasonably priced international data package. Be sure to check with your carrier before you sail. 

Important Things to Know

Passports

When embarking on a cruise that takes you to foreign shores, you will need to present your passport. Ensure your passport's validity extends for at least six months past the conclusion of your travels, as this is a common requirement in many destinations. For most "closed-loop" cruises which begin and end at the same U.S. port, you may present a birth certificate and photo ID. Be sure to check the requirements for your particular cruise.

Arriving on Time

Arriving at the pier only to see the ship's stern is a traveler's nightmare. That's why we suggest arriving a day early before your cruise sets sail. This way, you have the opportunity to book an alternative flight if there are any unexpected delays. Take advantage of the evening before your cruise to explore the port city and start your journey stress-free and excited for the adventure ahead.

Travel Insurance

Life is full of surprises, and while you can't predict every twist and turn, you can certainly be ready for them. Chubb travel insurance offers comprehensive coverage for numerous unforeseen events. Just make sure to secure your insurance within fifteen days of your trip deposit to benefit from the Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver.

Delta Ranked Best Overall Airline by WalletHub

Most cruise passengers who live in the Midwest will need to take a flight to their embarkation port. Here is a interesting article that gives the good and the bad of various airlines.

"I book my air tickets and hotels online. I can do that with cruises, too."

There are many reasons why using a cruise specialist travel agent is the best way to book a cruise. Here's a great article that explains why.
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When you allow me to help with cruise vacation planning, these are the areas in which you will receive assistance that is not available by booking online or from a "big box" travel agency:
  1. Fitting the right cruise line and ship to your wants, needs, and budget.
  2. Determining the best time to travel. Sometimes you can save $100's by just shifting your vacation by a week or two.
  3. Reviewing all fare options that best fits your circumstances. 
  4. Finding the best stateroom for the best value. A typical cruise ship will have around 20 different cabin categories. I'll help you find the staterooms with the best location for you, and seek out "secret value" cabins that may have a bigger balcony, or other special attributes.
  5. Once you're booked, I'll monitor the cruise line's sales and if you can receive a lower price, or more amenities, I'll re-fare your booking, if possible.
  6. Providing advice and answer any questions you may have about cruising.
  7. Providing suggestions for flights, hotels, and shore excursions. I can also book these for you, if you wish.

The Best Cruise Lines in the World:
Condé Nast Traveler 2023 Readers' Choice Awards

Take a look at the most recent Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice awards. Readers ranked the best cruise lines in the world in their 2021 Readers' Choice Awards survey, including mega ships (which carry more than 4,000 passengers), large ships (which carry 2,500 to 4,000 passengers), medium ships (these carry 500 to 2,500 passengers), small ships (which take fewer than 500 passengers) and river cruises.

We Recommend These Cruise Lines for First-Time Cruisers

With so many choices, rely on us to guide you to the perfect cruise line for you.

    Let us help you plan your cruise!
We will research some options and get back to you soon. Please allow us one day to see what special values and experiences are available to you.

We love technology when it works, not so much when it doesn't. If you click on the submit button and nothing happens, please send your inquiry to sharon@savorthejourneytravel.host.

Cruising during the time of COVID-19

Preparing for your cruise

Most cruise lines have dropped the requirement for guests to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Those who are not fully vaccinated, sometimes must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken a few days before boarding. This may be a requirement of one of the countries you are visiting rather than the cruise line's requirement. 

Make sure to learn your cruise line's requirements. This information will be available online during your check in ad on the cruise line's website.

 Staying healthy on board

Taking steps to stay healthy is even more important now. While you cannot completely eliminate the possibility of catching a virus while traveling, you can take some steps to lessen the risk of getting sick:
  • Wash your hands!
  • Avoid crowded elevators. If there is a line at the elevator you want to use, just walk to another bank of elevators.​​

What happens if you have to isolate during or after your cruise?

Each cruise line handles positive cases of COVID-19 in their own way. Generally, each ship has a group of staterooms set aside for isolation. If you test positive during the cruise, you may be moved to one of those staterooms. If you test positive toward the end of your cruise, you may have to isolate at a hotel before returning home. Here is a detailed account from an experienced traveler.