Not all that long ago, a 3-night sailing on any given cruise line could aptly be called a ‘booze cruise’ and the clientele on board were there to drink, perhaps to excess. This was not the cruise experience of choice for families with small children. But part of what seems to be an industry-wide effort to draw mom, dad and the kids, things are changing.

Safety First
With safety at sea still solidly in the spotlight, cruise lines are taking another look at all aspects of what they do. Exceeding requirements of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), that already made safety instruction mandatory, cruise lines have added more. Now, in addition to the legal requirements, Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) members have adopted a policy that standardizes safety procedures.

Not all that long ago, a $20 bill/bribe to a cabin steward would allow skipping muster drills so the non-stop party that began when passengers first arrived on the ship could continue. That won’t happen today as crew members and supervisors check each and every cabin carefully.

No More Over-Serving
In addition, look for cruise lines to serve their alcohol-consuming passengers responsibly, focusing on families and multi-generational families rather than swinging singles. Along the same lines, we’re seeing cruise lines focus on culinary events with a focus on celebrity chefs, cooking classes and shore excursions offering a food element.

On longer sailings, we’re more apt to find connoisseurs-in-training exploring wines of the world than Joe Six Pack, anxiously awaiting the belly-flop contest.

More Than Mindless Entertainment
Entertainment on many cruise lines now includes more of a family-friendly element, starting with children’s programming. Each major cruise line has added household name family elements ranging from entertainingDreamworks characters on Royal Caribbean ships to edufun Dr Seuss on Carnival Cruise Lines. But it does not end there.

Would being tucked in at night by Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob Squarepants be appealing to your child or grandchild? You can do that on Norwegian Cruise Line. How about immersing that child in the world of Barbie? Royal Caribbean’s Barbie Premium Experience has girls age 4 to 11 set to sail on a Barbie dream cruise complete with fun, fashion and runway moments.

Call it a natural evolution of what cruise lines are offering, a reaction to safety-related issues in the news lately or just the right thing to do; the onboard experience at sea is changing. There is still plenty of liquor, more than enough diversion and ample opportunity to relax, rejuvenate and go back to real life refreshed. Fans of the ‘booze cruise’ can still craft one with the elements in place on most major cruise lines; they won’t be in the majority though.

If it seems that there are always cruise sales, bonus bargains, special offers and past-guest only programs available when booking a cruise vacation, there is a good reason. There are. Cruise lines constantly bombard us with discounts and reduced price offers ranging from 25 to 50% or more off regular pricing. Knowing how to weave our way through the complex matrix of pricing options requires a little work but can reap huge rewards and ultimately the very best cruise value.

The first trick to making it all work is to get our heads in the right place. Thinking about just the lowest price, like we might when looking for the best rate from point A to point B for an airfare purchase can be dangerous business. Unlike airfares where we have a pretty good idea what the experience will be like, cruise vacations can differ greatly depending on how they are booked. Booking airfare we go into the search thinking “I need the least expensive flight from New York to Los Angeles on October 12″. If we belong to a frequent-flyer club on certain airlines, prefer a certain seating location or flight times, we weigh those variables as well but there are few other factors to consider.

Booking a cruise vacation we really can’t say “I need the least expensive ride around the Caribbean around October 12.” Well, we could but cruise lines have ongoing offers, discounts, promotions and deals that we may not know about. Going directly to the cruise line website may or may not reveal the best value. And value is the key, not low price. Often, value trumps low price with a cruise vacation and by paying slightly more, huge gains can be had. That said, the best place for serious travelers to find the best value for a cruise vacation is with a travel agent specializing in cruise vacations.
But where to find one? That is often the big question

“A competent travel adviser can be your greatest asset when you’re planning a trip” says consumer advocate Chris Elliott. “Good travel agents have an edge over almost any other seller of travel. They know what you want. They speak your language.”

But how to go about finding one of these good agents is the trick. Consider these suggestions to help with the hunt:

Attitude check

Start by getting your head in the right place. To get the most out of a travel agent, you and that agent need to be working on a long-term business relationship that will benefit you far into the future. If you think along those critical lines, you already eliminate a whole lot of travel agents who are just in it for the commission.

Make a list and check it twice

Asking friends and family, maybe business associates, who they use is a great way to find a potential candidate. If you work for a large company that has a travel desk or uses one exclusive agency, that might be a good place to start also.

Engage

Start by asking questions of potential agents. “Are you certified?”, “How long have you been selling cruises? and other revealing questions are a must.

Test the waters

One of the big advantages of using a travel agent is saving time but a spending a little time up front locating that good agent is worth it.

At some point, you have to take the leap to using a travel agent. Try it on a simple booking you might have done online by yourself in the past. See first-hand if that agent comes through with a better value and overall better travel experience.

If they do, you have found your agent. If not, keep looking. The benefits of finding an agent right for you that produces good results is worth the investment of your time.