Entry bubble Need a Vacation? Consider a Cruise

By: Jim | April 09, 2008 | Category: Travel

I caught the cruise bug a few years ago. And no, I don’t mean the norovirus. Some friends talked me into joining them on an all-inclusive Caribbean cruise. It didn’t take much arm-twisting since the idea of seeing a nearly-new cruise ship capable of holding nearly 5,000 passengers and crew sounded interesting. So did the chance to take a vacation where the hardest decision of the day was whether to wear SPF 30 or 45.

cruise shipCruiseCritic.com has a lot of good information for beginners. Like me at first, some of your questions might be: What about my claustrophobia? Try an overnight cruise to nowhere for a test run. What if I get sick while at sea? There’s a ship’s doctor. Will I be the youngest one on board? Only if you book the wrong theme cruise. You also can visit USA.gov’s FAQ for cruise ship and other helpful information. If you’re worried about catching the norovirus, you can check out your ship’s sanitation inspection record with the CDC.

You can do just about all your research and make arrangements online, but I still like to check in with my travel agent for personal questions. One time I needed help on some travel insurance questions, something you may consider for yourself. Depending on terms of purchase, cruise deposits and airline tickets generally are nonrefundable. I had some schedule concerns, so I knew I wanted cancellation coverage if I couldn’t go due to an emergency. Travel insurance also has an option to handle medical expenses, too, which can be a little steep if the ship doctor provides them.

USA.gov’s International Travel page is a good place to learn about passports and foreign travel requirements. I just learned a hard lesson. Some countries and airlines require that your passport’s expiration date must be at least 6 months beyond the travel date. Big uh-oh! Luckily my new one arrived really fast. I paid the extra fee for expedited passport renewal processing because I didn’t want to risk having to cancel my plans. Foreign travel requirements are evolving, so it’s a good idea to check out the page periodically.

Finally, don’t forget the Dramamine! Take it from me, no matter how big and stable the ship is—you just can’t be too prepared.

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