Travel Guides

More people than ever are taking advantage of the popular “fly out – cruise – fly back” package deals that are proliferating the travel industry. A cruise is no longer confined to the super-rich, but falling more and more into the income bracket of ordinary working people. This is for two reasons, the first of which is the competition amongst the air carriers that has resulted in lower cost fares, and the ease of obtaining deferred payments through the travel agent.

With this increase in cruise popularity comes the choice of more destinations and a change from a sea cruise to a river cruise can be a real uplifting and enjoyable experience. Why not cruise the historic rivers and canals of Europe and lap up the cultural atmosphere of bygone ages? Better still, why not get closer to nature and take a cruise on the river Amazon? Spend a night in a first class hotel when you arrive in Brazil !

When you think of a cruise vacation, your mind naturally assumes a tropical cruise. There are, however other equally rewarding area that is famous for their scenery, shore excursions and cultural heritage. What about Norway, summer or winter, cruising the fjords, the many islands and visiting the harbour towns? Some cruises even go up into artic waters where, in winter, you can come surprising close to the sheer ice faces of magnificent icebergs, while others visit Baltic city destinations. Even in winter the Gulf Stream warms the coast and produces a mild climate.

It is well known that cruise prices are governed by the law of supply and demand however, since Norwegian cruises take place all year round, there is no real “off-peak” season that the operators need to balance. This means that unfortunately there are fewer deals available for bargain hunting consumers.

One of the principle reasons for taking a cruise is the opportunity to relax, but can you? What is something does go wrong? Can you get your money back or get a replacement cruise? Peace of mind when going on a cruise should something disastrous occur, no matter how small, is one of the most important things to consider before you set off, and this means insurance!

Let’s face it, when you think about it, no end of situations could occur that will cost you a great deal of money, so bypassing travel insurance it could be an expensive mistake! Travel insurance provides cover for just about everything you can think of and a few more besides, but check out the exclusions in the small print as they may not apply if you take part in so-called dangerous sports, acts of terrorism, “acts of God”, under the influence of alcohol or if you have a previous health problem.