When you plan to get yourself and your family a cruise vacation, where you get quotes that you use in comparing different cruise packages available? Whom are the ones arranging your pre-departure tours?
Whom you deal with when you are already on-board, providing all of your needs and ensuring your safety for the rest of your vacation?
It is all about cruise lines.
What is a Cruise Line?
A company or corporation operates the cruise ships. Cruise lines are considered to carry two purposes. First is for transportation business, and second, in the leisure entertainment business.
Aside from the administration officers and headquartered employees, cruise line personnel extends on the cruise ship, which is headed by the ship’s captain and his crew, and a hospitality staff, which is headed by the equivalent of a hotel manager.
Among the cruise lines presently operating, some of them are direct descendants of the traditional passenger shipping lines. Others were among the original cruising companies established in the early 1960’s.
Having a cruising business before is just like placing your investment on a great risk. A slight dip in cruise bookings can cause the loss of your business, since you need to recover all the expenses you have incurred from building the cruise ship.
List of Popular Cruise Lines
Currently, there are 52 cruise lines operating in the United States, Europe, Asia, and other places. Most of these cruise lines have headquarters based at the United States, and the rest to different European countries.
The following are the list of some of the cruise lines
Birka Line
An Aldanian cruise line concentrates on cruising activities at the Baltic Sea with Stockholm as the starting point. It was founded in 1971 after the acquisition of the ship M/S Princessan which is turned later to Prinsessan. It made its first cruise between Stockholm and Mariehamn.
In 1972, the Birka Line bought the M/S Olav and renamed her Baronessan. The preceding years, they have acquired few more ships. They have also car and passenger ferries on the Stockholm-Helsinki route. One of the additions is the M/S Drottningen, which is a train ferry servicing the Stockholm-Helsinki/Leningrad route.
Carnival Cruise Lines
It is now one of the subsidiaries of the Carnival Corporation, which operates different cruise lines and has become the largest corporation in the cruise industry.
Carnival Cruise Lines were the pioneer of the cheaper and shorter cruise concept. They have been able to produce larger ships, one of which is the Carnival Destiny, which is 101,000 tons and became the largest passenger ship in the world.
Currently, the company announced in the first quarter of 2006 the latest two new ships to be incorporated in their fleet. These are the carnival Freedom, which sets its debut in 2007, and the Carnival Splendor, to be launched in the spring of 2008.
Crystal Cruise Lines
Most commonly known as Crystal Cruises, Crystal Cruise Lines debuted in 1988 with its three medium-sized, high-end ships. A large Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kaisha Line owns it. Their ships are regularly placed in the list of Conde Nast Traveler magazine as one of the best cruise liners. Most guidebooks also score the three ships among the top 20 of all cruise ships presently running.
Disney Cruise Lines
As the name suggests, it is owned by the famous Walt Disney Company and headquartered in Celebration, Florida. It operates two cruise ships: the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, along with Castaway Cay, an island in the Bahamas designed as an exclusive port of call for Disney’s ships.
The first ship, the Disney Magic, started its operation on July 30, 1998. The other one, the Disney Wonder, debuted in August 15, 1999. Each of the ship has 875 staterooms and a crew of 945.
It is relatively identical in their design, with some variations in restaurants and in entertainment sections. Both ships have areas designed for different group ages, which include toddlers, young children, teens, and adults.
Norwegian Cruise Lines
The company is based in Miami, Florida and founded as the Norwegian Caribbean Lines in 1966. It started offering cruises in the Caribbean at a low cost.
The acquisition of the cruise ship France in 1979 that is later rebuilt and named Norway, paved the way for the new era of giant cruise ships.
There are other cruise lines out there, offering different travel packages to make your cruise vacation an experience to remember.
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Camouflaged images of Mickey Mouse are hidden all over the Disney Cruise Line ships, just as they are in the Disney theme parks and resorts. Searching for them adds extra fun to any Disney voyage. So author Steve Barrett, whose Hidden Mickeys field guides to Walt Disney World and Disneyland have been helping delighted theme-park visitors hunt Mickey for years, now offers cruise goers a guide to embarking on similar sleuthing at sea. Arranged as scavenger hunts to add to the fun, with clues, hints, and points to be scored.
Our Voyager adventure begins! The kids say “Awesome!” and “Looks more like a mall than a ship.” Welcome to the Royal Suite! Real People having Real Fun! You can view travel videos in full screen
Expect to see a new trend in Caribbean cruises over the next few years as cruise lines develop new ports of call. After years following the same itineraries, cruise lines are seeking out newer, less crowded destinations.
“Most Caribbean cruises follow one of two routes,” says Paul Motter, editor of CruiseMates, “The typical Western Caribbean itinerary goes to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel; the standard Eastern Caribbean sojourn stops in St Thomas, St Martin and a Bahamian island.”
These itineraries lead to a hoard of travelers descending on the same islands.
“Bigger and bigger ships frequently arrive in the same ports on the same day as they service the same itineraries,” says Motter.
For major stops like Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas, it is not unusual to have five ships arriving each day during high season, each dropping up to 3,000 passengers on the town.
“Does this make sense?” asks Motter, “Absolutely not.”
To avoid the crowds some cruise lines are seeking out quieter ports of call.
Carnival Cruise Lines recently announced a new itinerary for its ship Carnival Destiny featuring stops at less-visited ports in the Southern Caribbean, including St. Kitts and St. Lucia.
In the Western Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Holland American feature stops at the Guatemalan port of Santo Tomas, which began receiving cruise ships only four years ago.
But travel experts predict that the next major cruise destination will be the Honduran island of Roatan.
“Roatan is beautiful and unspoiled,” says local travel agent Gary Miller of TropicalRez, “It’s what the rest of the Caribbean was like 20 or 30 years ago.”
In many ways Roatan is an ideal destination for American travelers. The island features tropical scenery, sugar white beaches without the crowds and first rate scuba diving.
Already over a third of visitors to Roatan come via cruise ship. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland American and Norwegian Cruises currently stop at the island as part of their Western Caribbean cruise routes.
But ship traffic is still light by Caribbean standards. Only nineteen cruise ships stopped at the island during January 2008. That may change in the next few years.
Royal Caribbean has just signed a deal to build a $30 million extension to the island’s cruise terminal.
Carnival Cruise Lines is spending $50 million on its own port of call. To be called Mahogany Bay, the new port will feature shops, restaurants and bars and have the capacity to handle up to 7,000 visitors per day.
All of which begs the question, as the cruise lines seek to get away from the crowds, will they spoil paradise?
“I’m not too worried about that,” says Miller, “Right now we’re so much less developed than the better-known Caribbean islands, it will take a long time for us to get where they are today.”
John Anton is a freelance writer specializing in the travel industry.
Who are Royal Caribbean Cruise lines?
The next time you’re looking to book a cruise vacation, consider Royal Caribbean lines as your choice. They are considered one of the best floating hotel companies on the water today. You’ll love your holiday vacation with this premier company.
As well, you should know they don’t just go to the Caribbean, as the name “Royal Caribbean Cruise lines” might imply. They go all over the world! With Royal Caribbean, you can enjoy an Alaskan, European, Hawaiian, a Panama cruise, a Mexico… and, of course, going to the Caribbean. So you need ask yourself…, where do you want to go?
Why are they so good?
Check out their website and you’ll see right away that they have professional planners available online or through their toll free number who can help you plan the perfect vacation… and make a reservation.
It is very evident that this “top of the line” company works hard to make sure that your next vacation is a trip you’ll never forget!
Once you’ve booked your holiday, all you have to do is start counting down the days until you board your “floating hotel” and set sail for your destination – wherever that may be. Once aboard the ship, you’ll find your room – there is always one for every budget and taste. Be warned however, you’d better just leave your bags because there’s so much to do and see on these water cities!
What you’ll do on a Royal Caribbean vacation:
Ship liners are designed for your comfort and enjoyment. Royal is no different! Each one has great shopping in its shopping plaza, enjoyable gambling in the casino, entertainment for the kids, Broadway-style shows in a theater, and hit movies in the cinema.
Periodically, the boat will dock and you’ll enjoy a well-planned shore excursion. You can view the historical sites, shop at a local market, wander the streets or take a pre-planned tour. Then, it’s back to your cruise ship to set sail again!
Now let’s talk about the meals: What do you eat? Royal Caribbean lines takes great care of its guests and that includes the meal service available on each and every boat in its fleet! There are several themed restaurants on each ship serving a variety of foods throughout the day so you’ll always have something you want to eat. There are dinners that are more or less formal – all suited to your style and preference.
So, if you’re looking for fun… and who isn’t… check out this “fun” company and discover all of the things you can do… lounging at the pool, eating, casino quality time, dancing… and no evening would be complete without visiting one of the boats nightclubs to dance the night away! Remember your bags in your cruise ship room? They’re still there, waiting for you to return after a full day of fun.
Discover which cruise line to go on and why! To discover Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, be sure to visit a highly rated cruise website with the cruise answers to your questions at: the Royal Caribbean website.” This website has cruise information on all the major ship lines, including how to have holiday vacation fun, save cruising money and much more!
Music video I made of Come Sail Away by Styx. It was taken during a trip I took in 2003 aboard the Royal Carriban Grandeur of the Seas. Some say it looks like a decent promo video for the company. Let me know what you think. On this cruise, we visted Cozumel, Belize, and Costa Maya. Plans were to visit Cancun, but the ship’s route was changed and we went to Cozumel instead.
Cruising can be an exciting and affordable rest selection. Of course, it’s important to find the right cruise for your depart. Nevertheless selecting the right liner, cruise line, and destination can be a bit of a challenge. After all, there are more than 160 ships in the fleets of the 24 chief cruise position and thousands of itineraries worldwide. Here’s what to believe when looking for the complete cruise rest.
Style of send and cruise line
Cruise outline have their own manifest personalities and ships that suggest them. The range of a vessel does very question. Large boat cruise defenses present an outfit atmosphere with glitz and high energy. Small transport operators focus on subdued luxury and a more refined experience. Of course there are numerous cruise defenses with a mix of big and small ships in their fleets.
So, how to decide? There are some questions to ask manually: Do you like configure or do you recoil at too the policy? Do you should a lot of elite freedom? Are you more interested in picture dinners and theatrical shows or nature? Another thing to believe is that dining policy differ on different lines. On some, you’re essential to eat dinner at a set time every day at the same place; others tolerate you to dine around, and make your own restaurant reservations.
Your goal is to find a send and cruise line that is comfortable to you. To make surefire a line’s habitual clientele, vessel, and activities are a good contest for you, stopover the line’s leaflets and Web spot, and ask a knowledgeable journey agent for advice.
Where to cruise
Cruise ships can take you almost wherever on the globe, from the Caribbean or Europe to Asia or Antarctica, so explore a range of possibilities before settling on a favorite transmit. When you’ve found an excursion you fancy, go over the schedule sensibly. If wandering internationally, make surely you have valid passports, visas, and any necessary immunizations.
If you indigence to fly to your cruise docks make convinced you tolerate enough time to get to the craft. Ideally you should try to get to the haven at least a day in loan; this added cushion allows you to leave off your hard-earned cruise holiday with less stress.
When to cruise
The holidays, helix beat and summer are high term and that generally means higher prices. The shoulder seasons of mid-collapse and early spiral bargain great cruise deals, and may be even more appealing than high period. Alaska, European or Caribbean cruise in May or September, when the kids in instruct, translates into fewer people in port.
Just before, and after shoulder time, cruise lines move their ships from one home port to another in a strategic fleet transfer that’s called “repositioning.” Of course, those ships don’t move around pointless; instead, what you get is a “repositioning cruise” – a rare, one-way route that is presented only once a year. Repositioning cruises are regularly decidedly discounted cherish they are a great value.
Lastly, some of the best standards come during the Caribbean’s typhoon time, particularly in September and October. The charge could come at a loss though – your schedule may be changed and your cruise could be shortened or prolonged.
Choosing the right stateroom
Consider your circuit when reserving a stateroom. If you can provide to splurge, a terrace stateroom provides you an exclusive cosmos to relax and get away from the crowded decks. The demand of a terrace on alaska, Caribbean, European or South American cruise offers amazing scenery that should not be missed. Smaller inside staterooms are adequate for account-minded cruisers who appear more apt to fritter most of their time using the boat’s public spaces.
It’s important to learn the send’s deck propose to find the right stateroom setting for your needs. Passengers with disabilities might want to book near elevators. Watch out for staterooms with obstructed views – commonly the lifeboat deck and those with close proximity to more active areas like lounges, discos, theaters, kitty areas, area check and steward rite areas. Staterooms midship on decrease decks are best for those flat to seasickness.
Cruise costs
Cruise lines propose travelers a multitude of discounts, so believe every cause when looking for a contract. Check out your honor license as many recommend discounts or points towards cruises. Look at all the clubs you belong with, from AAA, airline normal effort programs and school graduates associations, to union memberships – see if they tender any deals or special rates for members. Also, if you’ve previously cruised with a cruise line you may be in for a recur cruiser discount.
The maturity of journey agents booked cruises. Big online agencies may suggest competitive prices on several cruises. Still, many cruisers wish to use a native voyage agent, but make surefire you shop around. Visit Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) at Cruising.org and explore by ZIP system. When you dialogue to an agent, ask about last minute specials and if they are properties any group space on diverse cruises. Nevertheless keep in view for accepted itineraries the best prices are often booked months in expansion.
Finding and comparing cruise vacation doesn’t want to be an annoying manner. If you do a little seek you can timber the ship without an anxiety in the world. And that’s the only way to cruise.
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