A luxury cruise voyage can truly enrich your life.  Not only will you be traveling with like-minded people who love to cruise, you will develop great, lasting friendships among your many cruising companions.

When you cruise you can travel to fabulous ports of call anywhere that cruise ships sail.  Not only are there mega cruise liners which everyone is familiar with, there are a number of different sizes and types of ships.  The medium, and particularly the smaller size cruise ships can navigate further up inland waterways to cities and historic landmarks where larger ships could never go.

The larger cruise ships usually have one or two organized shore excursions at each port of call.  If there are two sightseeing excursion events scheduled the same day, one may take place early in the morning and the second one in the afternoon.  Most morning shore excursions normally get back to the ship in time for the people to feast on a fantastic lunch buffet.

Sometimes, on a second excursion, you could arrive back at the cruise ship late in the afternoon or early evening.  This may make you a bit late for dinner if you have opted for the first sitting.

It is also your prerogative to explore the city, town, island, or tourist attractions and landmarks on your own.  Just remember that you are responsible to get back on time or your cruise ship could sail without you.  However, if you book a shore excursion through the cruise ship, they will not depart the port until everyone is back on board.

Take full advantage of the time you have in port by using it wisely.  Some vacationers decide to disembark and go it alone by hiring a car and driver to take them to see and explore the sights.  Usually taxi drivers charge by the carload and not per person so if you want to save some money you can split the cost with a few other fellow passengers.  If you leave early in the morning you may be able to get back in time to enjoy the lunch buffet.

When you cruise you should bring a detailed guide book or books that cover each of the destinations you know that you will be visiting.  Even if the weather is less than optimal for your shore excursion, always take your camera as the weather, if inclement, can improve very quickly.

And don’t judge a port by the dock and its surrounding area.  It is usually a freighter loading and unloading area and the major warehouse and industrial district of a city or town.  You may have to travel out of the port area and into the city or town to really see the unique tourist attractions and historical sites as well as experience the local culture.

What is the difference between a river cruise and a barge tour?

Although they have similarities, there are major differences between these two types of sightseeing tours.  Firstly, the ships that sail the rivers can accommodate approximately up to one hundred and eighty people, while barges usually only can accommodate five to twenty-five people.

The second big difference is that the river cruises can visit a number of countries and cities in a week, while barges travel on man-made canals from town to town moving at a much slower, walking pace, and can only cover approximately fifty miles in a week.  Thirdly, river cruise ships have a restaurant, lounge, and entertainment, while barges are essentially first-class, floating hotels, and have a dining room and lounge as well as a sun deck.  The most popular river cruises and barging tours are located in Europe.

What is a luxury cruise tour package?

A cruise tour package is similar to a regular cruise that stops for half-day or full day shore excursions but gives you the best of both a luxury cruise and a land holiday all wrapped up in one.  The main differences between the two is that the land part of your vacation includes transportation by train or luxury motor coach travel to a centrally located quality hotel accommodation at your inland destination.  You will be chaperoned by an expert tour guide for the land portion of your itinerary.  These combo packages are generally longer, lasting from ten days to three weeks or even a month or more.  On most cruise tours you can decide to take the land segment of your vacation either before or after your cruise.

If you would like to enjoy the best of both worlds – an incredible dream cruise holiday and a land tour adventure – a luxury cruise tour is the ultimate vacation experience.

]]> http://www.guppys.biz/a-luxury-cruise-voyage.html/feed/ 0 http://www.guppys.biz/travel-tips-deals-and-destinations.html http://www.guppys.biz/travel-tips-deals-and-destinations.html#comments Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:58:39 +0000 mbotee http://www.guppys.biz/?p=1745

For some people, taking city tours, visiting breweries, and lying out on the beach just isn’t enough. These tourists want a trip filled with adventure; one that’s off the beaten path. Adventure travel is a specialized type of travel that isn’t filled with the typical tour buses and bed-and-breakfasts. Adventure travel engulfs a more exploratory sense of the word “travel”. Adventure travelers would rather hike up a mountain, trek through a jungle, or ride white water rapids than sit in an air conditioned bus and be chauffeured from place to place.

However, although adventure travelers don’t partake in all-inclusive resort stays, adventure travel can still be quite expensive. That’s because the destinations adventure travelers travel to (and the activities they do) often require special guides, groups, and sometimes equipment.

If you want a change of scenery and want to experience adventure travel, here are some tips on how to make it more affordable. Follow these tips and save a few bucks for when you’re in-country.

Adventure Travel Tips and Deals

Tip #1: Find Affordable Airfare to Your Adventure Travel Destination

Regardless of what you do when you arrive at your destination, getting there can be costly. Airfare will always be a factor in your travel budget, regardless of if you’re traveling to go on a safari, hike the Himalayas, or lay on a beach. Flying is an expensive way to travel; however, thanks to the Internet, it doesn’t have to be. The Internet is filled with deals on airfare to destinations all over the world. If you’re planning an adventure travel trip, search the web for airfare and budget travel deals. The web is jam packed with travel web sites offering amazing rates on airfare to many travel destinations. So if you’re planning an adventure travel trip, find airfare deals online.

Tip #2: Book Your Adventure Travel Adventures When You Get There

Since adventure travel takes you off the beaten path, it’s fairly simple to find great deals on rooms, materials, and tours in the outskirts of town. However, if you try to book a room or find a tour guide before you leave, you’ll probably have to deal with a middleman to book your accommodations; and anytime you deal with a middleman, the more it’s going to cost you. The middleman will most likely charge you some sort of service or finders fee. By waiting until you are in-country to book your accommodations and materials, you’ll be able to cut out the middleman and save some money on your adventure travel.

However, before you jump on the plane, it’s a good idea to check out adventure travel blogs and websites online. They’ll help you get in touch with other adventure travelers who can give you advice on who you should contact when in-country to make the necessary arrangements. You don’t want to journey to a foreign land completely blind.

Tip #3: Find an Adventure Travel Group to Travel With

Believe it or not, there are travel groups out there that specialize in adventure travel. These groups are experienced in adventure travel and have the right connections to get you deals on your trip. Adventure travel groups normally travel as a group and benefit from group rates. They also have connections with people in other countries to plan the best and most affordable activities. Planning an adventure travel trip on your own can be complicated and very costly. By finding an adventure travel group and going with them on their adventures, you’ll be able to cut down the cost of your trip and also meet some new people along the way.

Top Adventure Travel Destinations

Africa
Africa is referred to as the cradle of human life as we know it, being the oldest inhabited territory in the world. Travel through Africa will reveal the modern dilemma of a region pushing forward with globalization and technology at the same time that many cultures and tribes are striving to protect their traditional way of life. In addition to human life, Africa supports the world’s most spectacular collection of rare species and biodiversity. Encountering Africa’s wilderness firsthand is not only a radically unique experience, but also a once-in-a-lifetime privilege that future generations may not have the opportunity to share.

Thailand offers the diversity of a society running in parallel: booming city life and leisurely beach escapes, thickly canopied jungles and white sand islands, indulgent cuisine, clubs and cocktails and the sanctuary of Buddhist lifestyle. Thailand has come of age as a traveler’s dream destination, an affordable gateway to paradise with adventure at your fingertips.

The idea of golfing holidays is not a new one and in fact many destinations have built a healthy tourist trade providing for the needs of the golfer on vacation. Typically it was the resorts of southern Spain and Portugal that held all the cards when it came to attracting golfers but that may be changing with alternative destinations working hard to catch up.

Although still technically part of Spain, the island of Majorca has been slow to provide facilities for the golfer. Perhaps it was the original lack of golf courses on the island, the lack of the timeshare investment revenue that built many of the original Spanish resorts or the perceived lack of transport links to bring in the visitors. Whatever the real reason for Majorca’s barren past as a golfing destination that is all changing rapidly.

The island now has several top quality golf courses with more being built all the time. It even has a multi-course complex with is something golfers on holiday appreciate. Having the opportunity to conveniently play more than one course during a stay is a huge advantage, as is the provision of top quality hotel accommodation and accompanying leisure facilities like swimming pools or spas. One of the biggest golf complexes on Mallorca is the Santa Ponsa Golf Club which has three courses, two 18 hole courses and one 9 hole course. Only one of the 18 hole courses is open to the public. It is accepted that the courses here are the best maintained in Mallorca. Another growing golf club is the complex at Sa Vida on the outskirts of Palma, with three courses here owned by Arabella Golf. There are now 20 courses on Mallorca, all within an hour’s drive of each other, making the island a perfect destination for a golfing holiday.

Another country working hard to attract the holiday golfer is Egypt. The resorts in Sharm el Sheikh are already well known for their luxury hotels and their mild weather which makes them an ideal year-round holiday destination. Travellers from the UK have been visiting this part of Egypt for a winter sun break for many years and, despite the desert conditions inland from the coast, developers are now starting to add golf as an option to the other attractions already provided for visitors. The Jolie Ville Golf Club and Resort has been the only 18 hole course in Sharm el Sheikh for many years. Lying just south of Hurghada is the holiday resort of Soma Bay which also has an interesting 18 hole golf course at The Cascades Golf Resort to add to the sailing and diving that visitors also enjoy there.

As far as tourism is concerned the resorts on the East Mediterranean coast of Southern Turkey are certainly on the fast track. The assets of the region as far as holidaymakers are concerned are obviously the weather, the attractive coastline and the abundance of history and culture. As the local authorities have slowly got themselves organised and now recognise the potential of tourism for the area, controlled developments are now planned all along the coast and golf resorts are part of those plans.

There are already some courses in the area and there are new hotel complexes that have courses in construction. The area of Belek to the east of Antalya has been recognised as a location for specific development in terms of tourism and new infrastructure, hotels, golf courses and other projects are planned. Other sports like diving, sailing, windsurfing, mountain biking and horse riding are already popular. There are already at least 10 golf courses in the Belek area including the 27 hole championship course at the Cornelia Golf Club which was designed by Nick Faldo. Another British golfer, Colin Montgomerie, was involved in the design of the course at the Papillon Golf Club. Currently the only links course is at the Lykia Links Golf Club. Here there is a 18 hole Championship course and a 9 hole Academy course. Currently more than half of Turkey’s gold courses are in the Belek area, but the Turkish Golf Federation has announced that a further 100 courses are planned across the country.

The aim is to promote the Vietnamese tourism product in the luxury segment, which is addressed to people who want to live a unique experience, with personalized service, privacy, tranquility and simplicity. All this in a different destination combining history, culture and cuisine or an exotic destination with an excellent service.

Ha Pham, founder and CEO of the Luxury Travel Company believes the time is ripe for high-end travelers worldwide and luxury german tourists. Vietnam has world class properties to compete with other destinations in the region.

These German luxury travelers are keen to visit and discover the country in lap of luxury. “luxury adventures, golf, spas, beaches, family travel, junks cruises, honeymoon and romance packages have moved up in terms of favorites for upscale travelers to Vietnam including German travelers. In addition to comfort and security, Vietnam offers warm weather year round, stunning scenery, world class cuisine and luxury shopping. However, many travel companies in Vietnam still sell the same tourism products since 10 years ago, and there are no niche products for this upscale market,” says Ha.

According to VNAT statistics, most foreign luxury travelers come from Western European countries. 170,000 French tourists from the UK (100,000) and Germany (100,000). The upscale German market has potential for Vietnam tourism, but has not been fully tapped.

Vietnam’s first luxury tour operator is founded in 2004 to catch this new trend and promote niche tourism products to high end travelers. The company’s depth of experience and large infrastructure enable it to create unique itineraries with the operational confidence to fulfill client expectations.

Last year, Luxury Travel Vietnam company served 10,000 satisfied customers. Among Luxury Travel’s clients are ambassadors, senators, Russian millionaires, CEOs and presidents of Oman Oil Company, royalty and Oman Royal Government ministers, French ministers, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada…and others.

VNAT targets to lure 6 millions in 2010, the company targets only at 3% of these figures. For further business discussion with Luxury Travel check the company website www.luxurytravelvietnam.com, visit the company booth at ITB Berlin.