Contemplating Taking a Cruise? Here are Some Myths and Facts.Written by Susan Dunn, author of "How to Get to Present on a Cruise"
“A cruise has been proven to be good for your health,” announces captain on RCI at end of cruise.” I am nodding my happy and relaxed head in agreement.Many of us who take cruises think that’s true. I haven’t been able to find any documentation, but ocean passage has long been considered traditional cure for anything from heartbreak to consumption. There’s something about staring at ocean, and being rocked to sleep at night (barely noticeable with today’s stabilizers, but it’s happening), and xtreme quietude of well-chosen inside cabin. If you’ve never cruised, you’ve probably heard lots of rumors. Here are some myths about cruising, and facts. 1. It's too expensive. How about 4 days from Galveston to Caribbean for $299? And because it's a package, you can budget. Included in base price are all meals, your room, and all activities on board, and you can calculate tips (and to me, recommended gratuity is at least half what they should get). It is NOT cheap to drink and gamble (that's how they make their money - doh) and expenditures on shore excursion and personal services such as massages can mount. You can find cheaper shore excursions negotiating yourself with cab drivers who line ports waiting to offer you a better deal. There are also “serendipities” such as massages for $20 an hour on a Russian River Cruise (Uniworld). Cheapest rates BTW are between end of August and up to Christmas, but also many “last minute” deals. Get your passport ready so you can take dvantage of these specials. 2. Takes too long. Cruises come in all lengths, frm 2 days (the Cruise to Nowhere) to months. 3. They don't go anywhere I'd want to go. That's hard to believe. According to ACLI, cruises visit 1,800 ports worldwide and go practically everywhere accessible by water. The Caribbean, Bahamas, Alaska, Bermuda, Europe, Hawaii, Tahiti, Orient and more. And don’t forget River cruises – Volga, Danube, Mississippi… 4. I'm not free during month of ____. Cruises go out all time! The Caribbean is wonderful year ‘round, but some locations have restrictions. According to Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), you can only cruise Alaska between May and September; to Europe between April and November; to Bermuda between April and October; Panama Canal, between September and April. Don't miss local specialties such as famous White Nights in Russia - end of summer. 5. It's too risky because of hurricanes. Official Hurricane Season is June 1 – November 31st. That’s half year. The CLIA states that “ships are equipped with state-of-the-art weather equipment that keeps crew fully aware of a storm’s position and if there’s any danger, they simply change course.” Personally, I cruised during Isabel, and it was safer than being anywhere on land in vicinity. We changed course and outran it.
| | New Jersey Resident Wins $500 National SweepstakesWritten by Katie Glaser
December 17, 2003, Virginia Beach, Va. – RoomSaver.com (www.RoomSaver.com) is pleased to announce winner of their second national Visitor Sweepstakes drawing. Ms. Laurie Couri of East Rutherford, New Jersey is recipient of a $500 cash prize from RoomSaver.com.“I am thrilled to have won this sweepstakes,” said Couri. “I have passed along your Web site to my family and friends for information and services your site can provide. My family will be using your site in future, as we are in beginning stages of planning a trip to Orlando.” Couri, who is shopping for hotel discounts, entered sweepstakes during a recent visit to RoomSaver.com. RoomSaver.com has held one previous Visitor Sweepstakes contest, which was launched in June 2003. The most recent sweepstakes ran through November, a time period when site visitors were given unlimited entry opportunities. A random drawing was held on November 26, during which Laurie Couri’s name was chosen. RoomSaver.com created Visitor Sweepstakes as an added value for users of Web site. The contest was designed not only to drive traffic to RoomSaver.com, but also to give potential visitors an incentive to visit site, and a reward for doing so.
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