Posts Tagged ‘family vacations’

Cruise Packages – Affordable Best Family Holidays

Cruise Packages – Most Versatile of Vacations

It’s a great way to bring the whole family together and have the best family holidays and yet still have time alone with your spouse while the kids-only activity coordinators take charge of your children’s fun.

The first step to putting together great cruise packages is to find a reputable travel agency that specializes in cruises, or a similar cruise vacation internet site. Before making contact with either, you should make note of a few things before-hand.

For example, when you would like to leave, where you would like to travel to and from what port would you like to embark and disembark from. Putting together cruise holidays can be made much easier providing this information when contacting a travel provider.

Unique Cruise Packages Vary Depending On the Time of Year.

If you’re limited in the time of year you can get away then you’re also somewhat limited in your destination. You can’t, for instance, take a cruise on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska any time during the year.

Europe has about the same seasonal restrictions as well. If you’re planning on heading out in the spring or fall you might want to consider an excursion up and down the Panama Canal.

Just about any time of year, including the winter, you can cruise to Asia or the Caribbean. You should determine exactly what members of your family are going when selecting cruise deals.

Knowing if children or seniors will be a part of your vacation group will help determine what cruise will offer the best choices that suit all members of your party. In fact, it’s best to gather everyone together and or conduct a phone or e-mail discussion of what everyone would like to do and where they would like to go.

For example;

• Is on board entertainment and activities a priority?
• How many in your party would like to lounge by the pool?
• Who wants to get off the ship and explore at the first land stop?
• Who prefers exotic locations and who would rather just play shuffleboard?

All things to consider beforehand when booking cruise packages. The size of the ship can be important as well. Larger ships have a vast variety of entertainment options, such as dancing, stage shows, activities and more. Smaller ships may provide a lower guest to staff ratio, and thus more personal attention to your needs.

There Are Endless Cruise Packages to Choose From – Any Time of Year.

Budget for your holiday and prepare for just how much you and the others can spend. If money is a critical factor look for discount cruise incentives for booking early, or starting out on a different day or different week from your original request. Staying flexible can save you a considerable amount of money.

Be sure to ask about additional port fees and taxes as well. Depending on who you are dealing with, these additional costs may not be included in the quoted cruise cost and may cost you dearly.

The majority of cruise packages do not include additional gratuities for staff. It is customary to tip room stewards and wait staff, normally automatically debited from your shipboard account.

 

If you’re not going as a large group and you might be interested in getting to know your fellow passengers, then be sure and inquire about the usual demographics of these travelers.

If you’re 20 something and it’s a baby boomer cruise that you are booking, then you may become bored. If you bring your grade school and most of the other kids are in their teens, they won’t have enough playmates and you’ll be their entertainment for the extent of the cruise.

Narrowing down your search for that perfect cruise for you and your family will save you a great deal of time. Formal cruise packages to informal, cruises are designed today to suit any individuals taste and or budget. So what are you waiting for, start searching for cruise specials today and have yourself the best family holidays!

 

Family Travel on a Budget

Who says that you can not travel with a family on a tight budget? All it takes is it a little creativity and a lot of planning and that family vacation can happen for under five hundred dollars. Yes, I said it FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Okay, so you may have to be willing to sleep under the stars and pack a lunch but the time that you will spend with the ones that you love will be worth it.


Our first vacation experience will be the Great Smoky Mountains with all of its magnificent views, abundant wildlife, and endless tourist stops. The Smoky Mountains’ are home to numerous camp sites, hotels, and other forms of lodging. A campsite in the Great Smoky Mountains’ National Park is $14-$23 per night according to the official website. There are approximately 20 campsites within 20 miles of the national park. As for hotel rooms, there are thousands. The cheapest hotels are to be found in Pigeon Forge, the new found tourist Mecca of the Smokey’s. Out of season rooms can be commonly found for $19.99 a night so sleeping under the stars does not have to be the only option.


Hint, if you do splurge for a hotel look for one that offers a complementary breakfast or in the least has a mini fridge and microwave. This will save tremendously on the food budget. And while we are on that subject, remember restaurants are usually cheaper at lunch then dinner. So, opt to eat lunch as you main meal and eat at the hotel out of the cooler or the mini fridge for dinner.


Now, you have to keep the natives active because we all know that kids will not be content with just sitting back and enjoying the fresh mountain air and some quality time. So, what do we do now that most of the budget is gone for gas, lodging, and food? Free entertainment of course. And yes, it is out there. You just have to know where to look and how to find it.


Travel Insurance – Family Travel

When preparing to travel with a family, there can be a multitude of different things to sort out – from tickets to taxis to the airport, as well as packing clothes, equipment and toys in between.


In amongst all the hassle of packing, arranging and ensuring your young ones will have enough to keep them occupied until you get to the hotel or resort at your destination, the thought of arranging insurance for your holiday might slip to the back of your mind.


Checking that you have adequate travel insurance before your trip is essential in order to ensure that you and your group are covered in the event of accidents and theft during your holiday.


Annual travel insurance policies can be purchased for longer periods of time, should you be making multiple trips during a short period of time.


Such deals can often work out cheaper than single-trip travel insurance and can help cover all members of your group during your holiday your family from a range of factors.


When searching for cover it is important to shop around, research different policies and the type of cover that they offer and, most importantly, to read the small print to check for any snags which could affect any claims.


Factors will depend on location and any planned activities during the holiday. Whilst activity holidays can be fun for all, but it is important to make sure you’re covered for sports such as jet-skiing and other activities that have an increased risk of injury.


It is also essential to ensure that your possessions are covered for the duration of your trip in order to protect against any financial loss as a result of theft, luggage and passport loss, travel delays and any other legal expenses.


There are also a wide range of companies that specialise in and offer family travel insurance. These policies can be catered to meet the needs of your holiday and help to cover costs should you or your children require any medical assistance during your trip.


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