European Cruise Advisor

With so many other things that involved in planning your cruise, there is one thing that you might just overlook, but can in fact be very important to making the cruise that you choose more enjoyable. This thing of course is the cabin and as with most things when picking out a cruise package, you will have the opportunity to select the kind of cabin or staterooms that you most want.

If you are taking a European river cruise, for example, there are so many wonder sights to see as you pass through the capitals of Europe such as London’s River Thames or the Seine River in Paris, France. To this end you may want to make sure that you get a room with a view, in this case a wonderful balcony stateroom that will let you take in the majestic countryside and townscapes on a London river cruise.

You may think that having a cabin with views isn’t all that important because you will hardly be spending any time there at all, but in fact you might prefer to relax on your own so this should be part of the considerations when choosing a room.

Outside Cabins
The ships cabins that on the outside of this ship will all have windows, you should however take into consideration what kind they are. This will of course largely depending the type of cruise ship that you are on, if it’s a large cruise liner travelling the Mediterranean, then you will most likely have balcony areas, if however, it’s a smaller vessel traversing the waterways of the Rhine or Danube in Germany, then you might in fact have a smaller port hole window. The other thing to consideration is the location of the cabin, you might have a window but it may well be facing some superstructure of the ship that blocks the view. All this can be found out by examining the plans of the ship which you will be presented with in the cruise brochure whilst you are choosing which cabins and their locations when you buy you cruise package.

Inside Cabins
An inside cabin is just this; it is usually entered from a corridor on the inside of the ship, as most rooms are. In this case there are no windows in this type of cabin. This doesn’t mean that it will be any less luxurious and well fitted out with all the modern amenities expected from a modern cruise ship, but not having a window may be important to you so it’s good to remember this if you decide to opt for an inner cabin.

If you are looking for real luxury then you can get a suite. Here you will get separate bedrooms and living accommodation, some even have private deck space.

In general the price difference between inner cabins, cabins with windows and balconies or suite rooms are as to be expected incremental, it’s worth noting however, that you may initially choose an inside cabin without a view and as the time for the cruise departure closes in, the cruise operator may actually contact you, in fact this is usual practice for most, to see if you will be interested in upgrading to an outside cabin for a small cost that will quite often be a good bargain. This is due to the companies finding it easier to sell the inner cheaper cabins and also means if you want a room with a view you can.

When you have finally decided that you will be taking a cruise vacation and may have been watching the cruise channels on Sky TV or taking more notice of advertisements and stories about cruises in your favourite magazine, you are probably thinking to yourself, “How do I go about getting the best cruise deal available?”

In an ideal world I would probably describe the idle bargain cruise as one which ticks these boxes.

1. Visit the destinations and places you want to see
2. Has all the luxury facilities on board that you expect
3. The cruise is good value for money and a reasonable price.
4. The voyage takes place at the time of year and season of choice.

You might think that this is surely unobtainable especially if you are working to a budget and are really looking for a discounted cruise package. Not so however, with the right kind or research and preparation it possible to arrange a fantastic European cruise that meets mostly all the above criteria. Of course you may need to compromise a bit, but this should be limited if you do things right.

Occasionally you may well get lucky and with exactly the right cruise for you, what you might describe as a perfect cruise, straight away from a travel or tour operator, this isn’t all that likely but it worth having an initial look just in case.

Waiting until the last minute before booking anything is a way to get a discounted cruise, since the cruise line will be trying to fill all the available passenger space. You will usually be able to get a discount here, but make sure you check what’s included in the price, some meals and entertainment may be extra, you need to watch out for hidden costs since we are looking for bargains not nasty surprises.

If you can compromise a bit on the season, then this can make a big difference to the costs, sometimes its difficult especially if you are looking for a family European cruise, taking the kids out of school outside of term-time is usually frowned upon but if you can make arrangement with their schools this can be a great way to get a cheap cruise holiday.

Other ways to get a better package deal are to perhaps forgo some ship board amenities that you think you might not use much or even at all, this can save some money, also perhaps avoid some shore excursions if possible, perhaps even arrange your own this can turn a discounted cruise into an even cheaper bargain.

If you are new to cruising, there are lots of things that you will want to take into consideration.  These things will include, when you want to travel, what kind of money do you want to spend as well as what destinations.

Although not just limited as a European cruise operator, Royal Caribbean is none the less an extremely high quality cruise line operator that is very competitive price-wise that have many European destinations in their itinerary.

A popular cruise choice from Royal Caribbean is the 14 night “Mediterranean Treasures cruise”. if you are wanting to visit the ‘Cradle of Civilization’ than what better way to do this that with a Royal Caribbean liner The Independence of the Seas. With an atmosphere that has been described as different, where the sun is warmer and colors more vibrant. Voyaging with  the med with Royal Caribbean will let you experience that warm friendly people who know the secret to living life to the full, something which you will reap the benefits from on this vacation.

Calling at popular destinations such as Gibraltar, Cagliari in Sardinia, Barcelona, Florence and Cannes this tour of the Mediterranean is highly recommended.

If you are new to cruising, royal Caribbean have much to offer. For example they have 21 magnificent ships in one of the imaginative cruise fleets in the world. With unique facilities on board ship such as their Flow rider surf simulator and relaxing on-board spas there are also lots of bars and restaurants you can catch up with new friends or take in the latest movie at the ships movie theatre.

As far as dining options go, Royal Caribbean is second to none. You can get a five course dinner from the main dining rooms, however if you prefer something more casual they have family friend cafes and restaurants too. Also, you may also order food to your staterooms for a relaxing quiet night in
.
Included in the Royal Caribbean cruises is the accommodation, with TV, telephones hair dryers as well as a dedicated stateroom attendant. If you have a Royal Caribbean Fly/Cruise package then all flights and transfers are included with various departure points meaning that you get great value and flexibility.
There are plenty of on-board family friendly facilities for ages ranging from toddlers to teenagers. They run separate programs for different age grouping and all ships offer sports tournaments and themes parties to mention a few things.

Other facilities include, as mentioned, the Flow rider surfing simulator, rock climbing, ice skating rink, H20 Water Park, swimming pools and sports courts. There are also mini golf and in line skating tracks. So as you can see there plenty to no matter what you like doing; something for everyone you might say.
With organized shore excursion
that you can opt into you can get the most out of every destination you visit.

In Summary Royal Caribbean cruise lines can offer a fantastic European cruise vacation at a great price. Highly Recommended.