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Planning and Booking a Holiday Cruise from South Africa

February 21, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Article by Bobby Buys

When it’s time for a vacation, almost every member in your group will have very strong ideas on what constitutes the perfect holiday. Given the rather mind-boggling range of choices, deciding upon the best destination will be far from easy.

A cruise holiday offers distinct advantages over traditional forms of travel, and allows you to avoid all the stress and hassle of planning a memorable vacation.

Advantages of Cruising

Cruises allow you to visit many ports of call. Depending on your preference, you can visit many different destinations or spend time on-board.

Most cruise ships afford a variety of on-board entertainment facilities, allowing you to interact with people from different cultures and catering to the tastes of each member in your group.

A cruise saves you time. Also, since everything will be taken care of by the cruise-liner, you can spare yourself the agony of having to make travel arrangements, pack suitcases or plan meals.

Most cruise holidays offer great value for money and are inclusive of food and on-board activities. Some services could cost extra, but since you’ll know this beforehand, you’re in control of your budget.

The Biggest Cruise Ships

There are a large number of cruise liners with state-of-the-art facilities. According to the Travel+Lesiure Magazine, the most enviable cruises to be on this year are:

A Mexican Riviera cruise on the Splendor with the Carnival Line.

The Caribbean, Mediterranean, and a journey from Southampton, England to Rome on the Solstice or the Equinox with the Celebrity Line.

Northern Europe, Mediterranean from December, Dubai, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Oman on the Costa Luminosa;

Rome, Savona, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Tunis, Malta and Palermo on the Costa Pacifica, with the Costa Cruises Line; and

The Baltic region, Canada, New England and the Caribbean on the Eurodam with the Holland America Line.

Most Popular Cruise Destinations

Some of the tried and tested cruises include: Caribbean Cruise; South Pacific or Hawaiian Island Cruise; Alaskan Cruise; Polar Cruises; Transatlantic Ocean Cruise; River Cruises (the Danube in Europe, the fjords in Norway, the Mississippi in United States, the Nile in Egypt); Galapagos Island Cruises; European Cruises: Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Baltic, Greek and Canary Islands; Mexican Riviera Cruise.

South African Cruises: Best Times for a Cruise

While the following months offer the most favourable weather conditions, prices could prove to be steep. If you want cheaper options, travel during the off-season months. Peak season itineraries are as follows: Alaskan Cruise: June to August; Bermuda Cruise: April through Mid-November; Caribbean Cruise: Year round; December through April are particularly good; Mediterranean Cruise: April through November; Northern Europe and Baltic cruises: May to October; Greek and Canary Islands: March to December; Hawaiian Islands: November through February; Mexican Cruise: Year round.

Cruises in South Africa

South Africa is becoming a popular cruising destination and is also a departure point for some lovely cruises. Some of the more popular South African cruises are:

The Barra Lodge Cruise: Spend time on one of Mozambique’s most unspoiled beaches. The Indian Ocean offers great bathing possibilities all year round.

The Christmas Cruise: Enjoy delicious seafood, bask on the sun-kissed beaches, bathe in the turquoise blue waters and consort with the seagulls! Barra Lodge, Maputo and Portuguese Island are covered on this exciting cruise.

Island Discovery Cruise: Stops at Durban, Pointe des Galets, Port Louis, Mayotte Is, Nosy Be, Maputo and Portuguese Island.

Other popular ports are Richards Bay, Cape Town and/or Port Elizabeth.

About the Author

bidorbuy.co.za is South Africa’s largest online marketplace. Buyers and sellers come to bidorbuy to buy and sell virtually anything in auction format or at fixed prices. Contact details: bidorbuy Marketing Department; email promotion@bidorbuy.co.za, web site www.bidorbuy.co.za

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What to look for on Singles Cruises

February 21, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Article by Alex Stapledon

Cruises have a a picking of different activities and environments for assorted age groups, created for the assorted holiday needs of a collection of passengers. Choosing the right cruise can be based on the activities offered, or you can look through the different cruises targeting different demographics.

One such sort of cruise is the singles cruise, which has arrived as perhaps a leading choice of cruise and occupies a large section of the international cruises market. It should be noted, a singles cruise can either be a cruise that is only allowing singles to travel or a cruise within a larger cruise ship with special events aside from the usual cruises activities.

Singles cruises are available on many of the main cruise lines including P&O cruises.

Singles cruises are target singles travelling alone that are wanting to meet and holiday with people in similar situations, with the aim of sharing experiences and group activities. Unlike from cruises that mix families, groups and couples, a single cruise tries to focus on social interaction between the different passengers with the activities all designed to support this.

Cruises activities vary in their picks, depending on passenger demographics and the destination. When considering the different age brackets of passengers on cruises, statistics show that the larger part lie within the 30-50 year old bracket while there are cruises aiming for a singles market of the open age range, 20 to 30-year-old age range and an over 50 age range. The variety of activities linked with these various age brackets can adapt a bit depending on the favoured selections by the age groups. For example, 20-something singles are usually more inclined for dancing and party events although those over 50 are offered a range of choices of dinners and day time activities.

So what should you look out for on acustomary singles cruises when it comes to these the applied policies, amenities and associated activities? While like any form of leave, there are differences depending on the destination, travel company and cruise liner restrictions, yet you should find that there are a number of characteristic themes across singles cruises.

Some of the most accepted and standard activities found on a general singles cruise include speed dating events, parties, sport activities, game nights, on-shore tours and cocktail events. What’s more, some singles cruises offer a type of “pre-cruise meeting” meaning introductions can be made prior to the departure date.

Simply by keeping an open mind and maintaining a social attitude, you can get the most out of a singles cruise. Cruises industry experts celebrate a few rules to live by when on a singles cruise that should make the most of the holiday. Including attending all organised functions, from the dinners, parties, day events and pre-departure date events, and meeting and getting to know as many people on your cruise as possible.

Largely, picking cruises as a holiday preference can be an excellent way to capitalise on your holiday for less money while making certain you do not miss out on any of the perks and spoils.

About the Author

Alex Stapledon is a writer for Antiques, Australia’s leading Antiques directory.

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China Regal Cruises Cruise Highlights

February 21, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Article by China Odyssey Tours

Regal China Cruises has three ships cruising the Yangtze River; the Princess Sheena, Princess Elaine, and Princess Jeannie. It is the only Yangtze River cruise company to have been recognized with an award from Travel Weekly due to its high standard. The three sister ships were all built in Germany and are the only foreign built ships that cruise the Yangtze River. The ships are very sleek in design and feature state of the art engineering and stabilizers making each cruise quiet and virtually motionless.The ship’s interior is very nicely designed and decorated. Each staircase has a map of the entire ship making navigating it very simple. Each ship has two dining rooms. Both feature similar cuisine served in a buffet style. The buffet is a mix of Western and Chinese dishes. The ship has a bar and an observation lounge /library. Both are located in the bow of the ship and have windows on three sides which gave excellent views of the Three Gorges scenery, while sitting in comfort out of the weather. The bar features a large selection of western alcohol and wine, as well as China’s famous Moutai Alcohol. The ballroom located on the top deck is where all of the performances and parties are held. It features a state of the art sound and lighting system. The performances themselves are excellent. They are performed by the ship’s crew and they are extremely talented. Each deck has its own exterior walkway that encircles the ship, so that visitors wanting a little exercise can walk around the ship. Most ships cruising on the Yangtze to not have this feature and visitors are only able to walk back and forth on each deck. Each ship has three types of rooms; Single, Standard Twin, and Suites. The Single and Standard Twin are small, but very well laid out. Each cabin has all of the amenities found in a 5 star hotel. The Single and Standard Twin each have private bathroom with Western style toilet, air conditioner, refrigerator, television, telephone, large windows, and plenty of storage space. The Suite is much larger, and has a kitchenette, a sitting room, and a bathroom with bathtub.

The crew on each ship is carefully picked. They are chosen not only for their ability to speak excellent English, but also for their enthusiasm and friendly nature. The crew words very hard to make a cruise an unforgettable experience.

The excursions are each carefully chosen to show off China’s rich culture and history. Each excursion has an English speaking guide to allow guests to get the most of their experiences. When applicable, private air-conditioned busses will escort passengers from their ship, to their destination. Each cruise will have its own excursions. Excursions include Shennong Stream, Fengdu Ghost City, the Three Gorges Dam, Shibaozhai (Stone Treasure Fortress), and White Emperor City. Each of these excursions takes two to three hours.

The scenery of the three gorges is one of the biggest draw for visitors to the Yangtze River for good reason. The Three Gorges is one of the earliest tourist destinations in China. It is famous not only for its stunning landscapes, but for the history, and culture. The myriad of ancient temples, villages, and paths add to the splendor of the Three Gorges. Visitors cruising down the Yangtze River can witness life as it has been for centuries by people living on and around the river.

About the Author

China Odyssey Tours offer your discount Yangtze river cruise with other Chinese tours packages.

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