Category: Vacation

The sun-kissed sands, the turquoise blue waters, greenery all around, vast areas of virgin land waiting to be explored and a vibrant culture-that is the Caribbean for you. Cruising the Caribbean is such an exciting prospect, for at each turn lies the joy of discovering, the joy of experiencing unsurpassed beauty. When you’re cruising the Caribbean, you will be touring the little islands and countries that dot the Caribbean Sea. They cover an area from the southeastern fringes of Mexico to the northwestern part of Venezuela.

Usually the cruises are undertaken in two kinds of packages: one tour that covers the eastern Caribbean and another that covers the southern Caribbean. Generally, the eastern Caribbean packages will have the British and the American Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St. Martin and St. Maarten on their tour schedule. The southern Caribbean cruises will cover tropical paradises like Aruba, Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada and St. Kitts.

The seven-night packages are a popular lot. But if you can, opt for the weekend getaway of three nights, or the longer duration ten-eleven night and even fourteen-night tours. The best aspect of such cruises is that there’s one to suit every pocket. You have the very luxurious and very expensive Royal Caribbean cruises. Royal Caribbean International has some of the world’s finest luxury liners in its fleet. Their ships, like the Empress of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas, are known for their evening entertainment choices.

On the other hand you have the budget tours such as those offered by the online travel agents like Sherman.com and expedia.com. The budget tours may not be exactly rolling in luxury, but they are definitely worth the money, in that they cover the same places as the luxury liners do.

Given the choice of cruises, the choice of destinations and the different budget options available, the Caribbean cruises surely gives one the feeling of “cruise control”.

Given the air scare in the post 9/11 period, cruises are gradually becoming the most popular mode of traveling these days. And the cruise operators are busy making hay while the sun is shining. They are introducing new and lucrative Caribbean Cruise Packages to lure the cruising public. The best thing about these packages is that you have a host of activities packed into one package.

Be it a luxury package or an economy one, there are some offers which are included in both. For instance, meals and room service are the common features in both types of cruises. The only difference in this aspect is that in a luxury cruise, you will have the choice of gourmet cuisine at every meal and you have your own butler to tend to you.

Shore excursions and certain onboard social activities are included for both types of cruises. The luxury class passengers may enjoy the additional benefits of lavishly decorated suites with their own private balconies, well-stocked bars and state-of-the-art entertainment systems in their suites. They would have access to the multiplexes and discotheques, and are entitled to pickup and drop-off facilities to and fro from the embarkation and disembarkation points.

However, the budget itineraries usually do not pack exotic locales in their schedules. It is usually the luxury voyages that cater to the niche traveler, willing to venture into the unknown and the uncharted. During the lean season, these luxury liners offer heavy discounts on these same luxury packages. During this time, one can hope to save hundreds of dollars per person on these packages and enjoy the amenities of a luxury package. This policy to attract tourists is pursued by even the giant cruise operators, like the Royal Caribbean International and The Yachts of Seabourn.

The Caribbean Cruise Packages are winning favors from tourists all around the globe, and the cruise operators are leaving no stone unturned to lure them.

With the manifold increase in the volume of sea travel these days, shipping companies are attracting tourists with newer kinds of cruise lines. And the best thing about this is that there’s a cruise line for every pocket and taste. Thus, for the high fliers, there’s the luxury line; for the ones who just want to have a taste of cruise life, there’s the budget line; for the daredevils there’s the adventure line; there’s the honeymoon cruise for the lovebirds; and the family cruise for a fun-filled family outing.

In the Caribbean, there are many specialty cruise lines. These lines cater to a varied palette and are rapidly gaining in popularity. The luxury lines are the Royal Caribbean International and the Yachts of Seabourn. These ships are the ultimate in luxury, with plush suites and private balconies, spas and beauty salons, a choice of gourmet cuisine, on-board shopping, an enviable array of entertainment options, and other social activities. But the biggest draw of luxury cruise lines is the intimate atmosphere they provide, where you enjoy exclusive attention. A few luxury liners, like Windstar’s Wind Spirit and a few ships from Seadream Yacht Club, offer cruises to off-the-beaten-track places such as British Virgin Island’s Jost Van Dyke and St. John in the eastern Caribbean. Windjammer Barefoot Cruises has trips to Water Island, Norman Island and Jost Van Dyke for adventurous souls.

Families would definitely prefer the trips that take them to St. Maarten, San Juan, Tortola and St. Thomas. What with snorkeling, the underwater observatory tower at St. Thomas, swimming and the Butterfly Farm at St. Maarten, these are trips which will be ideal for the little ones. The honeymooners need not mope, for amidst the numerous Caribbean cruise lines, there are the sunset tours that are offered by almost every cruise company. These are intimate little packages with very few crowds and loads of privacy. Amidst the other special Caribbean cruise lines, the Wedding Cruises are another popular lot. Here you get to celebrate the special day in your life onboard with your fellow travelers, the setting sun and the glimmering waters as the backdrop.

The Caribbean cruise lines come in all sizes, styles and budgets. This is the main reason why they have been able garner such a sizeable seafaring clientele.

The Caribbean is that part of the world where diversity rules. You have miles of sandy beaches and crystal clear waters on one hand, and mountains, volcanoes and tropical forests on the other. There are quaint little towns and villages dotting the countryside, and along with them there are bustling metropolises. What better way to sample such varied fare than on a cruise? And the Caribbean Cruise Deals are just as tempting.

The main attraction lies in the fact that there’s a cruise to suit every pocket. You have the budget tours and you have the luxury voyages. The itineraries are more or less the same in both; what they differ in are the amenities being offered. So in a budget tour you may be covering the Bahamas in a medium-sized suite, while in a luxury cruise, it is most likely that you would be watching the sun set over the Bahamas from the privacy of your own private balcony while being tended to by your personal butler.

The best Caribbean Deals are to be had when luxury comes at a reasonable price. The off peak season in the Caribbean is from June to November, and it is during this time that almost every cruise line offers heavy discounts. Part of the lean season, September to November to be precise, is the time when hurricanes and tropical storms are in rage. One can save hundreds of dollar per person on the cruise. It is just a matter of being on the alert, keeping abreast of the latest in the cruising world and booking a seat at the very start of the lean season.

For those looking for a few days of luxury at the sea, there are many offers. It is just a matter of checking the cruise profile and the ship profile, and ensuring that you are getting your money’s worth. Say you have two cruises offering the same amenities at more or less the same price. You can always settle for the one which will ferry the least number of persons, so that you have a cozy intimate atmosphere on the ship, or the one that’s taking you to offbeat places. This is how it will be easier to decide whether to go for Royal Caribbean International or Windjammer or The Yachts of Seabourn., when all offers look alluring.

A trip to the Caribbean is always an inviting one. Coupled with a chance good deal, a Caribbean cruise has all the potential of becoming an event of a lifetime.

Cancun is a beautiful place situated in the heart of Mayan Mexico. It was in the 1970s that Mexico’s tourism planners decided that a beach on the Yucatan Peninsula close to the fishing village of Puerto Juarez would be an ideal location for a major tourist Mecca. Keeping this in mind, they set about building one of a world-class resort.

Today with a population of 500,000, Cancun attracts about 2.7 million visitors from around the world every year. It is hard to believe that thirty years ago the island had a population of only three workers attending to a coconut plantation. The Cancun Hotel Zone is an island of luxurious hotels that provides a great base for daytime activities like snorkeling, to an unsurpassed night filled with some of the best nightlife in the world. This Hotel Zone is joined to the mainland at the western end by a bridge that leads to Ciudad Cancun, and at the southern end, by a bridge that leads to the international airport. A Cancun vacation brings to the mind long stretches of white beaches that lead to the bluest waters of the Caribbean Sea, thus making this a top destination for beach lovers. For food lovers, downtown Cancun is the place for Mexican food with a glimpse of real Mexico. Spring break is one of the favorite times to visit Cancun. Cancun spring breaks take place from late February to late April.

On October 21 and 22, Hurricane Wilma, a category 4 hurricane, made a direct strike on Cancun, causing severe damage. However, despite initial reports, all is not lost and extensive clean-up work and renovations have taken place. To clear any doubts on this fact, there are many photos taken since Wilma struck Cancun found on the Internet, to see how remarkable the beach recovery has been.

Cancun is one of the most well known tropical destinations in the world. Because Cancun is located just below the Tropic of Cancer, it is blessed with warm and pleasant weather all year long. The average temperature in Cancun and its environs is about 27xb0C, or 80xb0F. Cancun residents and tourists enjoy almost 240 sunny days a year. In the summer months, it usually becomes warmer by a few degrees. The summer temperature can go up as high as 32xb0C, or 90xb0F, and as low as 24xb0C, or 70xb0F.

As a tropical destination, Cancun experiences some rainy days all year round. The highest temperatures are recorded in April and May and from September to January. But these months also see the rainiest days, with occasional storms and hurricanes. Rains usually come in the late afternoon, especially during the summer in the month of June. Rains can last from a few hours to all night long.

Because of the tropical weather, nearly anytime is the best time to visit Cancun. The best parties happen in the spring break months of February and March. You can also try the off-peak seasons to take advantage of affordable rates. Generally, the months of September and October are to be avoided because of the windy weather and the occasional storm or wayward hurricane. In 2005, Cancun bore the brunt of Hurricane Wilma, which left considerable damage to the area.

Due to the warm climate, visitors are recommended to wear suitable clothing and footwear. Cancun offers exceptional destinations and activities under the sun, but it also offers great indoor malls to spend the hours in if it rains. Before you visit Cancun, you can check out the weather in the area through many different weather services available on the Internet. Some even offer real-time satellite photos of Cancun.

Nearly 100,000 American teenagers and young adults travel to Cancun for the Cancun spring break every year. This is a huge destination for college-aged spring breakers, and this package begins around February 19 to end around March 26. So if you are in the mood to relax in Cancun, you will either have to book a more expensive hotel, or completely avoid this season. This is because in these 6 weeks, there is an enormous influx of party-going college kids flooding the beaches, clubs and bars to have as much fun as possible.

Cancun is an ideal locale for students looking to unwind from the long winter semester. As long as there is sun, sand and a drinking age of 18, Cancun spring break is considered a hot spot. There are tons of travel agencies and websites that offer cheap tickets and party packages to Cancun. Sometimes, a roundtrip, five-night hotel stay, with two meals per day and a party pass to all nightclubs, costs as little as a thousand dollars. This is the reason most of the students save money the whole year for spring break, so that they can really enjoy themselves in Cancun. Coming to Cancun, they enjoy drinking, lazing on the beach, snorkeling, diving, dancing and eating.

Although the Cancun spring break usually goes about without an incident, sometimes these students may be caught off-guard by the unfamiliar surroundings and local practices. They just have to remember to be careful with the money they take along on the spring break, and maybe hand over the money to the hotel safe to prevent from any thefts. As the Cancun spring break is a time for drinking, there should be some control here, as most of the crimes that take place are committed under the influence of alcohol, and in the discotheque environment. Just keep these points in mind to have an enjoyable Cancun spring break.