Planning a cruise is like planning any other type of travel, for a number of reasons. The need to get away ranks high as does the good value provided by a cruise vacation. That gets travelers interested. But how they get from ‘interested’ to ‘booked’ varies widely and some ways to buy a cruise are more appropriate than others, depending on each traveler’s situation.

There are basically four kinds of travelers when it comes to cruise travel. Knowing which one we are gives us a starting place from which to work. First time cruise traveler or seasoned cruiser, everyone seems to fit into one of these broad, general categories:

Those who choose to do it all on their own

These are people that commonly book their own airfare and consider online buying their number one source for any purchase, not just travel. These people may have had good luck planning in the past with online booking so they see no reason to contact either the cruise lines directly or a travel agent.

This way goes well when booking last-minute sailings where there is not a lot of time to work with the booking, waiting for a better deal or lower price comes along. Those who book far in advance usually come out with a better value by using a good travel agent.

Those who choose to let a travel agent handle everything for them

These people probably have the best time of all on a vacation because they don’t get involved in any of the planning details and fully relax. They don’t bring cell phones or computers along, never think about work or land-based concerns and generally have a great time and are willing to pay more for that luxury.

This is a safe way to go when matched with an efficient travel agent that ‘gets it’ about cruises. That good travel agent knows that the act of making the booking is just the first step in a long process that may see several rate changes or be moved from one deal to another.

Those who choose to share the responsibility with a travel agent

Most travelers probably fall into this group one way or another. They may have started out choosing to do planning on their own then quickly realized that way was not for them. They may have learned from experience that there are advantages to using an agent vs. directly with the cruise lines or are just savvy enough to know that having an advocate on their side to handle and watch over bookings is a good idea.

Again, the quality of that agent is going to make a big difference.

Those who will never sail- To some travelers the idea of travel via any cruise ship on any of the cruise lines is just a bad way to go. They fail to see the distinct advantages that cruise travel offers over many options. They are commonly younger, more mobile, and enjoy traveling by themselves. Camping, hiking, backpacking, skiing, snowboarding, and other activities not possible via cruise ship are common interests and for those people we can only say “Hey, enjoy what it is you do” and “If things change, keep cruise travel in mind”.

It’s this last bunch that we worry most about. Most travelers who have sailed much at all know that there truly is a cruise for everyone. They might not like that the cruise which best fits them is premium priced, does not go where they want to go or sells out too far in advance to be a viable option. But looking around, with the guidance of an experienced cruise traveler they know and trust or an agent they think they can trust, the possibilities are nearly unlimited and getting more diverse all the time.

New cruise travelers just have to know what kind of buyer they are first, so they can go about it all in an efficient, fun manner.

Photo- Viking Cruises

Compared to other travel options, cruise vacations can offer great value due to their more inclusive nature. Visiting a land resort or hotel, travelers pay for the room and often the price turns out to be more than they anticipated, once taxes and fees are added. Once there, visitors have to eat, find things to do and get around the city they are visiting too. On most cruise vacations, all that is included in the price. Still, there are other parts of the cruise experience not mentioned in advertising that while desirable, cost more and can add up fast.

Here are the most common optional expenses that indeed do need to be considered when calculating the total price of cruise travel:

Gratuities- In the early days of cruising, this was done on the last night of the cruise when passengers would show their appreciation for a job well done, handing appropriate crew members envelopes with cash inside. Today, cruise lines break this down for passengers in advance adding between $10 and $12 or more per person, per day on to their onboard charge account. On a seven-day sailing for a family of four, that’s about $300 more to the total price of the cruise.

Easy Control Tip: Pay these in advance and consider gratuities just part of the price paid for the cruise.

Shore Excursions- Most major ocean cruise lines charge extra for shore excursions; the organized tours that go ashore. The cost per person on these can vary widely from $30 per person for a quick bus tour of a port of call in the Caribbean to $hundreds for flightseeing in Alaska. The good news is that most cruise line websites have detailed information and pricing on these shore excursions available in advance, to help budget what can be a big ticket item, not included in the price.

Easy Control Tip: Make a list of two or three excursions at each port as well as any ‘just walk off the ship and enjoy the beach’ options along with pricing and let those going vote for which one they find the most interesting at each port with the total for all equalling or less than the budget you set.

Spa Treatments– Every ocean cruise line has a spa, usually connected to their exercise center. Onboard treatments can include everything from a haircut to a manicure or a variety of massages, skin treatments and lifestyle classes. All cost extra and often up to twice the price that the same service might be offered for on land. On a recent sailing we saw a manicure and pedicure combination advertised for $95. That was a sale price available only when the ship was in port. On land, we pay between $20 and $40 for the same treatment. Still, there’s something to be said for a massage the first day on the ship, just to get that cruise vacation off on the right track.

Easy Control Tip: Do spa treatments on days when the ship is docked and most passengers are off the ship on excursions. Early in the morning or late in the afternoon are the best times so you can enjoy going ashore also.

Casino Action- On cruise ships with casinos on board, like casinos on land, this is an item that can add up fast too. Savvy cruise travelers budget a certain amount to play with for each day of the sailing. Gaming lessons, available on board most cruise ships, as well as other complementary casino events can help lower this extra expense.

Easy Control Tip/Cruise Gambling System: Have an envelope for each day of the cruise to put budgeted casino funds in. At the end of the day, cash out and put (hopefully a lot of) winnings in that same envelope. Run out during the day? You’re done. No borrowing from other days.

Alcoholic Beverages and Soft Drinks– Many cruise lines charge extra for soft drinks and alcoholic beverages but pricing is available online that can help with budgeting. Premium cruise lines like Azamara Club Cruises, Viking River Cruises and others, include soft drinks and paired wines with meals as part of the deal. Many other lines have all-you-can-drink packages that can add up to considerable savings for those that drink a lot.

Easy Control Tip:Take advantage of all opportunities to reduce the onboard expense of drinking like bringing bottles of wine, soft drinks and/or bottled on board during embarkation. Champagne Art Auctions = free champagne for those in attendance.

Travel Insurance– An optional charge on any cruise vacation, travel insurance of some kind is always a good idea. Where we buy it is another matter altogether. Cruise lines all have their versions, which can be added to the cruise fare and paid along with the price of the cruise. Third-party sources like TravelGuard, recommended by experts as the way to go, can be both cost efficient and provide customizable coverage. Comparing cruise line coverage to third-party sources on a cost and coverage basis, older travelers often come out ahead buying via the cruise line while younger travelers get a better value with third-party sources.

Easy Control Tip:Always check with your personal insurance agent first, the person who might handle your auto, home, health or life insurance. That trusted source will have guidance for you.

Spending Off The Ship- Other than the price of Shore Excursions, cruise travelers often choose to go ashore for shopping which is often duty-free and can offer some good savings compared to U.S. land-based shopping options. A stop by a sidewalk cafe for coffee, a drink or two or maybe lunch should also be considered.

Easy Control Tip: “Duty-Free” is not what it once was. Take a good hard look at that bottle of liquor in the duty-free store and be sure it is worth the savings compared to the local liquor store at home.

Optional Dining Venues-Generally included in the price of the cruise is an upscale main dining room experience, a buffet of some kind and 24-hour room service. In addition, some optional dining venues, called “alternative dining,” are available for a nominal charge for those who want something different. Those can run anywhere from $5 per person to $50 or more but, to many cruise travelers, offer one of the best values of all the optional charges. All can be researched in advance and many can be reserved in advance too. Royal Caribbean, for example, has 150 Central Park on their Oasis-class vessels that offers one of the best dining experiences ever on land or sea for $40 per person additional.

Easy Control Tip: All alternative dining venues are priced and described on the individual cruise line web site. See what they cost and build that amount into your onboard budget

Parking- Cruise lines have made it easy to sail, deploying ships at home ports scattered around the United States. In the olden days of cruise travel, most ships sailed from a Florida port, making airfare a serious consideration in the total cost of a cruise vacation. Driving to the port eliminates that cost but parking can add up too. Storing your car in a secured, covered lot at the cruise port can cost between $15 and $20 per day, an extra $100 to $150 on top of the fare paid. Satellite lots at most cruise ports with a shuttle to and from the ship are available at reduced prices.

Pre-Cruise Hotel Stays– Experienced cruise travelers know that coming in to the embarkation port where the sailing begins a day early is a good idea. This is especially true when flying from a northern U.S. location to a southern U.S. embarkation port in the winter, when flight delays due to weather are a real possibility. As airfare prices rise and more cruise travelers look for ways to save, flying stand-by is becoming more popular too, demanding travel a day or two in advance of sailing, just so they don’t “miss the boat.”

Easy Control Tip:Most cruise port-oriented hotels have Cruise and Snooze, Fly and Cruise, or Drive and Cruise specials that include transfer to and from the cruise port.

InternetFees– This one can add up really fast. Internet access on cruise ships can cost up to $.75 per minute. The best value will be on the largest packages available and can cut that cost in half on a per-minute basis. Equally important to consider when budgeting for Internet access at sea is the reliability and speed of the ship’s Internet system. In other words, it is often not how much you pay but what you get out of it that counts.

Easy Control Tip: To get the most out of your Internet access dollars, pick a new ship or recently remodeled ship with the latest satellite system installed. Also, stop by the ship’s Internet cafe and ask the crew members working there one simple question: “What do I need to do on this ship to get the most out of your Internet connection?” A frank answer will greatly maximize your online experience.

After two trips out of the country, luggage lost on both, I swore to never check a bag ever again. The recent video of baggage being mishandled, validated that choice. But neither the details of a blogger’s luggage woes or a clip from a popular video are the focus here. My story is not unique and odds are other airlines are just happy it was not them caught on tape. Instead, we look to viable sources of good information for recommendations, guidance, lucky charms and voodoo spells that might make a difference.

Other than strapping belongings to bodies before boarding aircraft, travelers have few other choices…or so they think. When luggage is lost and they arrive at a destination with far less than they started out with, they cope.

Taking a ‘good defense is your best offense’ position,TravelPulse‘s Mark Murphy suggests investing in well-made luggage, not packing breakables and packing lightly to carry on rather than checking, among other tips.

Indeed, keeping everything we need to travel within overhead storage reach virtually eliminates lost, stolen or damaged luggage. But what about a long trip? Most travelers can probably pack just enough for a couple days in a carry-on but what about a week-long (or longer) cruise vacation? What to do on safari? How do we make carrying everything on work when traveling from warm weather to cold?

Travelers Today admits that packing is “one of the hardest life skills to master”, in a recent article that provides a guide “to get your mountain of luggage into a standard carry-on.”

Start by considering the destination and what you will be doing there says Travelers Today. Then, packing that one carry-on that is going to hold it all, start with heavy items on the bottom and build up. Roll wrinkle-free clothing, carefully fold starched shirts and pants, making your suitcase “more of a closet than a jungle”, among other great tips.

Save the lucky charms and voodoo spells for something else. Making carry-on luggage your only luggage simply takes some thought and planning.

Florida’s Port Canaveral is becoming more popular all the time, and for good reason. Cruise lines are positioning more ships at the Space Coast port than ever, bringing more choices to more destinations. New facilities at the port, along with value-priced pre and post-cruise hotel options, an easy drive from Orlando and more make sailing from Port Canaveral a wise choice. Lets take a closer look:

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Regardless of how we plan and book cruise travel, making a booking and paying a deposit is just the beginning of the process. There are many other ways to save money and stretch the travel budget after booking, most of which are not given a second thought by most travelers.

By big ship or small ship, river or ocean, cruise vacations done right pack a lot of value for today’s traveler. Once the domain of ‘the newly-wed or nearly-dead’ as the old saying goes, travel via cruise ship has some distinct advantages over other options. One of those advantages is making enduring travel memories.

A decade from now, those who chose cruise travel over other ways to go won’t remember how much it cost, the number of hotels they did not have to check in and out of or maybe even the outstanding value they enjoyed. They sure will remember the experience though; in ever increasing detail.

Enabling travelers to unpack once then see multiple destinations, the nature of a cruise directs more time to being there rather than getting there. The inclusive element of a cruise vacation gives travelers a good idea of what they will spend, right up front. But those qualities, while important, are little more than selling points that make a logical argument to choose travel by ship.

Breaking down the overall cruise experience, we can divide it up into several topics. Getting There, would tell us all about air travel to get to the embarkation port along with tips on making the best of it. Being There could give a rundown on what we are apt to experience on the ship itself. Best Value could outline ways of saving money, getting more out of what we spend and more. All are viable topics that deserve our attention. Still, back home after the trip, remembering the lovely sidewalk cafe you had coffee at in Venice, the bar on the way back to the ship that held your attention for hours in the Caribbean or those people from Ohio met on the bus from the airport to the ship are the golden moments that will endure time.

Do you believe that? Does that make sense?

If so, read on as we share some ideas for creating your own Best Moments on any cruise vacation, if not any sort of travel at all.

Don’t Be Afraid To Stop When You Want To

Many travelers choose shore tours to satisfy the need to see places when traveling and make memories. Local guides provide intense information about a destination, place or iconic landmark. On a walking tour in Germany with Viking River Cruises, we took note of places we would like to spend some time at after the tour. Free time provided for lingering at a new favorite place was highly regarded as the sailing proceeded too.

Don’t Think Long Tours = Boring Tours

On a recent sailing with Holland America Line, I did the Chichen Itza Ruins tour when calling in Cozumel. The 11 hour tour was the longest I had ever attempted but truly time well-spent. Driving 3.5 hours there and 3.5 hours back made for a lot of time with other passengers. We all agreed it was well worth the time to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site but probably would not do it again.

Bring Your Camera But Don’t Let It Be In Charge

One of the reasons why we will have quick recall on our travel memories is electronic. A decade ago we could barely get a signal to communicate on a cruise ship. Today, we can surf for free on an ever-increasing number of cruise lines at faster speeds. Soon, land-like connections will make it possible to upload photos fast and bring those on shore along for the ride. Still, there are times when we just need to set the camera down and enjoy the moment. Knowing when to do that becomes a priority.

Share It With Someone, A Stranger Will Do

One of the big advantages of cruise line organized tours is the shared experience they offer. Seeing a UNESCO World Heritage Site can be interesting and meaningful. Sharing it with someone else makes the experience even better. On a cruise, odds are we will see those people from that excursion later on in the sailing. We may choose to do something with them again before the end of the sailing or plan other sailings with them in the future.

The point of all this is simple: It is your travel experience and you have more control over it than you might imagine.