Jan115

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

To save money and enjoy a more relaxing cruise experience, try a repositioning cruise. Cruise lines will typically have their ships spend a season cruising the same itinerary. During, say, the spring or fall, these ships will be relocated – or repositioned – to a new geographical area of the world to begin a new cruise season and new itinerary. Rather than have these ships sail empty, cabins are sold, usually at a reduced rate. For passengers who like lots of peaceful days at sea, this can be a wonderful way to spend a vacation. Instead of a hectic port schedule, the ship will spend many, many days at sea with a brief stop or two in interesting ports. Of course, a repositioning cruise doesn’t come without its disadvantages. Because the sailing involves leaving one port and arriving at another – sometimes half a world away, air travel can be complicated and expensive. Also, while retired folks and those with a flexible schedule can afford the time to be away at sea for an extended period of time, many are not so fortunate. Still, if you have the time and are creative with flight arrangements, a repositioning cruise can be a great cruise value.

[Thinking about getting married on a cruise ship? Here's a rundown of the cruise lines and what they offer in the way of cruise ship nuptials.] Couples looking to tie the knot will find cruise line wedding packages provide everything from the bridal bouquet to the champagne toast. Advance planning is required, and you should keep in mind that wedding package pricing doesn't include license/registration fees or cruise fares. But your cruise honeymoon is part of the deal — having your family and friends come along, optional. Check out these lines for a romantic cruise wedding: Carnival: Carnival does more than 2,600 weddings each year, with ceremonies held shipboard (including those held in the onboard wedding chapels on some ships) on embarkation day. The cruise line recently revamped and upgraded its options to include more beachside wedding venues in the Caribbean and more choices of wedding cakes. Princess Cruises: The "Love Boat" line has been doing weddings at sea since 1998, and was the first cruise line with romantic shipboard wedding chapels. "Tie the Knot" ceremonies at sea are officiated by the ship captain. Friends who can't attend can watch online via Princess's webcam. Shore-side wedding options are also available. Cunard: Cunard's wedding program includes at-sea ceremonies on the Queen Mary 2 in the middle of the Atlantic. Choose from ceremony venues including the lovely Winter Garden solarium. Packages include champagne breakfast in bed for the happy couple. Celebrity: Captains can perform wedding ceremonies on all the Celebrity ships, with the exception of the Celebrity Xpedition The best onboard option might be vows exchanged under a special wedding canopy on deck. Creative shore-side options include a cliff-top wedding in Greece. Special perk: Rose petals strewn on your bed at turn down. Holland America Line: Say "I do" at the lovely chapel on HAL's private Bahamas island, Half Moon Cay. Or go for adventure in Alaska — where HAL has a wedding package that involves taking a helicopter with an officiant to the top of a glacier. Many of the ships have wedding chapels for onboard, portside ceremonies in the Caribbean, U.S. or Canada. Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean only recently began offering weddings at sea, officiated by the ship's captain and including special nautical vows. You can also publically declare your love on shore during cruises to places as diverse as Alaska, Hawaii and Greece, and at the cruise line's private beach locations. Crystal: The luxury line recently updated its wedding options, working with event company Imagine VIP. Customized options ashore include an elegant ceremony in the hills of Tuscany. For shipboard weddings in port, the line provides such niceties as an 18-rose bouquet with hand-tied Swarovski crystal wrap for the bride. Norwegian: Norwegian's recently updated weddings program has three plans including symbolic weddings at sea performed by the captain and legal weddings held shipboard at Norwegian's embarkation ports (including Miami on the new Norwegian Getaway) and at destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Bermuda, Canada and Europe. Disney: Do a fairy tale wedding Disney style, shipboard on a cruise from Florida, or at Disney's beautiful private island, Castaway Cay, in the Bahamas. At embarkation day weddings you can have the captain or other officer presiding. Windstar Cruises: Get married under the billowing sails of a Windstar sailing ship during a dockside ceremony — as you cruise the Mediterranean or the hidden harbors of the Caribbean. The cruise line works with tour operators to coordinate the romantic experience. For help planning your romantic cruise wedding, contact a travel agent specialist. By Fran Golden (USA Today, "Say ‘I Do’ to These Cruise Ship Weddings") Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more. Please visit CruiseCrazies.com for more cruise news & articles. Featured photo credit: J. Neves View full article

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Nice review, Andi! I agree with you about the ship - Brilliance is beautiful, though the service and food were both below par for us. You are exactly right about the singers and dancers - best entertainment at sea, so far! My favorite place to grab a snack was the Park Cafe over in the Solarium (the second nicest place after the atrium). Too bad about your excursions. We did the trolley in Key West, but on our own, which was very easy, by the way.

[Here are some excellent ideas to help you find some alone on a cruise ship full of fellow passengers, some without spending an extra dime!] Cruising is by nature a group experience, but sometimes you want to get away and enjoy some down time. Here are some intimate shipboard places where you can be alone, either by yourself or just the two of you. Stateroom balconies: In balcony cabins you can catch views and feel the ocean breezes, and even pretend you're on your own private yacht. But some balconies are more private and more spacious than others; consult with your travel agent. Thermal Suites: These spa retreats have saunas and steam rooms, relaxation areas, sometimes even hydrotherapy pools. They are reserved for adults only. Because you have to pay a fee to use the facilities, these areas tend not to be crowded (though you may have to take turns on the heated ceramic loungers, a heavenly place to turn to mush). Luxury suite complexes: At The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Line ships, including the new Norwegian Getaway, your Haven suite comes with access to a private restaurant, pool and sun deck, reserved for passengers in top accommodations (you can't even get into the complex without a private keycard). The Yacht Club on MSC ships has a similar VIP setup. Adults-only sunning: Head to the adults-only open-deck space, called The Sanctuary on Princess ships (the largest being on Royal Princess), and hang out in plush loungers while your drinks are brought to you by attentive servers who may offer to mist you with cool water if you start to sweat. A fee is charged. Private cabanas: On ships such as Holland America Line's Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam you can pretend you're a sultan while sipping champagne behind the billowing curtains of your private poolside cabana. Look for cabanas, too, on the cruise line private islands. A fee applies (extra if you want in-cabana massage services). Daybeds: Covered daybeds on ships including Carnival Sunshine can be positioned on the rail of the deck, so you can watch the sea views without interruption. On SeaDream Yacht Club's luxury ships you can spend an overnight outdoors in a balinese daybed dressed with linens. In-cabin dining: On all-inclusive luxury lines such as Seabourn, Silversea, Crystal and Regent Seven Seas, enjoy a private meal, elegantly served in your cabin course-by-course. For a fee, Princess ships will prepare a lobster and champagne dinner served on your balcony. On Norwegian ships, order a pizza for a casual date night anywhere shipboard. Exclusive dining: Book dinner in an alternative restaurant (where tables for two are most plentiful), or splurge on a small group Chef's Table experience as offered on select Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Princess ships, among others. Do your own dinner party in a beautifully decorated private dining room onboard Oceania Cruises' Riviera or Marina. Private Porch: For an experience akin to sitting on your own front porch, book one of The Alcoves (a fee applies) on the Celebrity Reflection or Celebrity Silhouette. The covered retreats overlook the ship's real grass lawn where people play croquet, walk barefoot, watch concerts and picnic. Couples massage: For a romantic interlude, nothing beats a side-by-side massage in a spa villa. Some of the spaces, such as those on the Disney ships, are equipped with open-air tubs for a private bath. For help planning your next intimate cruise vacation, contact a travel agent specializing in cruise vacations. By Fran Golden (USA Today, "The 10 Most Intimate Spaces on Cruise Ships") For more cruise news & articles go to http://www.cruisecrazies.com/index.html Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more Featured photo credit: Norwegian Cruise Line View full article

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Thanks for joining us here at CruiseCrazies. We hope you'll be a frequent visitor to the site and join in the conversation!

Hi and welcome, Tigerlily! Hoping that the jury returns a verdict in your favor after your second cruise and that you will be forever hooked on cruising! Check out my blog "Tuesday Travel Tips" for tips and advice: http://www.cruisecrazies.com/forums/blog/18-tuesday-travel-tips/ Happy cruising!