CRUISES

2. Choose to cruise for ROMANCE. Secluded beaches, en suite dining on a balcony overlooking the ocean and spa services for two are just some of the romantic pursuits available.

3. Choose to cruise for CUISINE. Tantalize your taste buds with gourmet fare that showcases exotic ingredients, old standbys like pizza and ice cream or spa cuisine for a healthy alternative. Depending on your mood, dine in a traditional ballroom setting, a small bistro or a casual eatery.

4. Choose to cruise for VARIETY. With over 200 distinctive ships, 2000 ports-of-call and an unbelievable array of places to see and things to do, there is a perfect cruise for you. For even more choice, consider a pre- or post-land tour.

5. Choose to cruise for ACTIVITIES. Fill your days with sightseeing, sports activities, cultural lectures, educational tours led by naturalists and historians or simply lounge by the pool and relax. At night, enjoy dance extravaganzas, musical revues, gaming or a quiet evening gazing at the stars.

6. Choose to cruise for SIMPLICITY. Don't come back from your vacation needing a vacation. Planning a cruise is simple; KVI can handle all of the details. Once you're on board, nearly all expenses are pre-paid... talk about hassle-free.

7. Choose to cruise for NEW HORIZONS. Fall asleep in one destination and awake to a new horizon... and you only have to pack and unpack once!

8. Choose to cruise for FAMILY. Families love cruising. Children's programs, kid-friendly menus and tours of the ship will keep your children happy, while affording you some time alone.

9. Choose to cruise for PAMPERING. Regardless of your budget, all cruise lines pamper their guests with first-class service around the clock.

10. Choose to cruise for SATISFACTION. It's a fact that cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied customers than any other vacation experience.

Choose to cruise for YOU. You can have the vacation of a lifetime, see the world, completely unwind, take a walk on the wild side, dance the night away, feast on fabulous cuisine, learn something new, make friends, bond with your family, steal quiet moments with your spouse. Whatever your heart desires, is yours, when you choose to cruise.

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Cruise Ship Ratings:

It is never possible to definitively assign a rating to any cruise ship as one person's experience can vary greatly from another's. For most major lines, it's not only the line's reputation that you have to think about, but that of the individual ship. Several lines have ships ranging from the smaller, older "classic" ships to the brand-new mega ships. So within the same line, you will generally find lower prices on the older ships. If the dollar is your bottom line, then consider one of these; the ship may be smaller and not as glamorous, but the quality of service and food should be the same on all ships within a line. This is why it's very important that you find an agent who is knowledgeable about cruising when you plan your vacation. Some travel agents sell only a few cruises a year and may have only cruised on 1 or 2 cruise lines. Some 800 number outlets may have order takers that have never cruised. A cruise travel specialist is your best assurance of having the best cruise vacation and getting the best value.

The old adage "you get what you pay for" is true of cruise lines and ships as well. Yes, there is a difference between budget and premium - in the quality of the ship, service, entertainment, and food. If those things and the little things - getting great service the first time you ask, consistent quality food, great entertainment, etc. - are important to you, then don't go for the lowest price. Sometimes an extra $50 or $100 will let you move up from a 3 or 4-star ship to a 5-star ship – now that is true value.

The best way to ensure a great cruise is to leave your cares behind and just enjoy yourself. That being said, several different organizations and groups have tried to put together ratings for the cruise lines in order to help people decide what cruise will suit them best. The information given here is a compilation of the experiences of ourselves, our clients, and our ongoing research, but it is not meant to be a definitive guide. The ratings are general guidelines based on a scale of 1-6 stars. The higher the rating, the better the overall quality of service, dining, and amenities...

Click the button below for an overview of all the major ships currently in operation:

FOR CRUISE SHIP INFO CLICK HERE

Carnival (3-4 stars) www.carnival.com
Carnival is a good all-around cruise line that is best known for being fun. They cater to all ages and have excellent children's programs. Carnival has a reputation in some circles for being a low-budget ‘party' line for young people, but it does not deserve that title as it has improved in quality and sophistication a great deal in the past several years.

Celebrity (5+ stars) www.celebritycruises.com
Celebrity stands at the top of the major cruise lines with excellent marks in service, dining, and amenities. A Celebrity cruise is always a great choice.

Crystal (6 stars) www.crystalcruises.com
Crystal is the only ‘big ship' luxury cruise line which makes it the easy choice for those who want a big ship experience and the very finest dining, service, and amenities.

Cunard (5-6 stars) www.cunard.co.uk
The most famous shipping line in the world, featuring legendary ocean liners (as opposed to cruise ships) built to withstand the rigors of the North Atlantic. Quintessentially British (but aimed mainly at the American market) and impeccable service.

Disney (5 stars) www.disneycruise.com
Disney's reputation for premium quality at a premium price holds true on their cruises as well. They offer the best kid's programs at sea, bar none. They also offer a great deal of choices for adults too.

Holland America (5 stars) www.hollandamerica.com
Holland America stands beside Celebrity at the top of the major cruise line ratings. Holland America has been known to cater to an older crowd, but that is an image they are working on changing and they do have programs for all ages. Their ships are typically somewhat smaller than the other major lines, giving them a bit more of an intimate atmosphere.

MSC Italian (3-4 stars) www.msccruises.com
As the name states, MSC is a very Italian cruise line. Overall quality is good and so are the itineraries, but you may find that English is not the language of choice onboard.

Norwegian (3-4 stars) www.ncl.com
Norwegian's newer ships offer good all-around cruise experiences. They are quickly becoming known for their ‘homeland' cruises and offer a wide variety cruises from home ports all over the United States, including the only year-round cruises in Hawaii.

Oceania (5 stars) www.oceaniacruises.com
Oceania is 'the new kid on the block', having only come into existence in 2002. Reviews so far have been outstanding, placing it in the 5 star range for dining, amenities, and service.

Princess (4-5 stars) www.princess.com
Princess offers a wide variety of cruise options in the good to excellent range. They often offer some of the more exotic itineraries in Asia & Australia. Princess is the home of the original ‘Love Boat’.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (6 stars) www.rssc.com
Radisson's philosophy of ‘casually elegant' cruising puts them in a class of their own. Less formal, but just as high quality as other six-star lines, Radisson is also known for offering the most romantic cruises in the world. Most notably so are the Tahitian sailings aboard the Paul Gauguin.

Royal Caribbean (4-5 stars) www.royalcaribbean.com
Royal Caribbean is the standard by which all other lines measure themselves. They are simply the best all-around cruise in so many areas including overall value and choices for families and cruisers of all ages.

Seabourn (6 stars) www.seabourn.com
Seabourn is at or near the very top when it comes to the world's best luxury cruise lines. Along with Silversea, they are more formal than Radisson and offer all-inclusive rates (alcohol, gratuities, etc. included).

Silversea (6 stars) www.silversea.com
Silversea usually wins the awards for ‘best of the best' when it comes to cruising. They spare no expense when it comes to pampering their guests with everything the heart desires.

Windstar (5 stars) www.windstar.com
Windstar offers a unique, high-quality experience aboard their beautiful sailing ships. They travel to many of the more exclusive, ‘out-of-the-way' ports that the larger ships can't get to.

Viking River Cruises (not rated) www.vikingrivers.com

Viking offers excellent river cruises in Europe and China. These cruises allow excursion-rich itineraries to fascinating historical areas not accessible by cruise ships. Guided shore excursions are included in cruise fares. Reviews from Viking passengers are always very positive.

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Rates,Categories & Definitions:

What does the cruise fare include?

Your accommodation in whatever grade of cabin you have chosen, your meals and all the entertainment on board. You do, of course, have to pay for alcoholic drinks, shopping, shore excursions, the spa, gratuities, the casino and bingo etc. Many ships have special restaurants serving haute cuisine food and there is normally a service charge of around $20 pp for these but it’s well worth the extra! Some luxury cruise lines include alcohol, gratuities, excursions and other special amenities.

Here are some convenient definitions to help you understand the 'lingo' of cruise rates & categories:

Interline Rates

Interline rates were initially introduced to help the cruise lines fill ships that were selling too softly in the retail market. The idea is to offer drastically reduced rates to airline employees in order to recover as much revenue as possible with onboard spending. The necessity for interline rate programs will always be there as long as the cruise lines have ships sailing at less than full capacity. Most major cruise lines have embraced the interline concept and offer special interline rates even on cruises that are selling well on the retail end.

Rates

Unless otherwise stated, rates offered are in US dollars, per person, based on double occupancy, and include port charges. Taxes can not legally be included in a rate quote, so they are additional (and usually quite a small amount). The first and second passengers in any given cabin pay the posted rate, regardless of age.

3^rd/4^th (and sometimes 5^th) Rates

These are the rates that apply to additional guests sharing the same cabin with the first two people who paid the regular (1^st/2^nd) rate. In most cases, these guests will sleep on a sofa bed, a rollaway or a Pullman (a bunk bed that folds out of the wall).

Children’s Rates

Most cruise lines do not have children’s rates at all. Children are simply given the 3^rd/4^th rate if sharing a room with adults. Exceptions to this rule include Disney cruises and a few Carnival & Norwegian sailings. In all cases, children staying in their own room (e.g. next door to parents) pay the full rate, be it interline or retail.

Cabin/Stateroom

These words are used interchangeably and simply refer to your accommodation onboard.

Inside Cabin

A cabin located in the interior of the ship which does not have any view.

Outside Cabin

A cabin facing the exterior of the ship with a window or porthole. Sometimes the word ‘oceanview’ is used to describe an outside cabin with a full window and no obstructed view.

Obstructed Cabin

An outside cabin that looks out on some kind of obstruction – usually a lifeboat just outside the window.

Atrium Cabin

On some ships (notably the Voyager- and Freedom-class ships with Royal Caribbean) these special cabins have windows that overlook the interior atrium of the ship.

Balcony (Standard) Cabin

Similar to outside cabins but with a private balcony.

Concierge Class Balcony Cabin

Celebrity’s term for a special balcony cabin with numerous additional features like complementary champagne, personalized stationary, and concierge service.

Balcony Suite

A general term referring to a much larger version of a standard balcony cabin

Junior/Mini Suite with Balcony

A cabin about 50% larger than a standard balcony cabin

Deluxe/Superior/Grand/Large Suite with Balcony

A cabin about double the size of a standard balcony cabin

Royal/Owner’s/Penthouse Suites

The largest accommodations on a cruise ship, which usually include multiple rooms and numerous additional features.

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Gratuities:

There are three different ways tipping is handled on cruise lines:

Gratuities to be paid directly to ship staff:

In these cases the cruise lines will place tipping guidelines and tip envelopes in your room to be given to ship staff on the final night of your cruise. Lines that follow this procedure include Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Disney.

Gratuities added to your onboard account automatically:

These can be settled at the end of your cruise and can be increased or decreased at your discretion. Lines that follow this procedure include Carnival, Cunard, Holland America, Norwegian, and Princess.

No tipping required / tipping included in cruise fare:

This is how some luxury (six-star) cruise lines operate. Cruise lines that follow this procedure include Silversea, Seabourn, Radisson and Windstar.

In general, most guidelines for tipping suggest a total of about $10 per passenger per day, split between key ship staff. This breaks down to about $3.50 each for your dining room waiter and your stateroom attendant, $2.00 for your assistant waiter, and discretionary amounts for the head waiter and any other helpful staff you wish to reward.

Of course, tipping is never required on any cruise, but I'm sure you'll be convinced that cruise staff are more than deserving, as they almost always provide a level of service that far surpasses all expectations!

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Passports & Visas:

PASSPORTS REQUIRED TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES

All U.S. citizens returning to the United States by Air are now required to have a valid U.S. Passport. Going forward, a Passport will be required for U.S. Citizens who travel by sea to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America, Canada and Mexico. Subsequently, Passports or other accepted travel documents will also be required for U.S. land border crossings to and from Canada or Mexico. Without a Passport, you will not be able to travel outside of the U.S. - including cruise travel. In addition, after the implementation date, cruise vacationers who arrive at the Port to embark on a cruise without a valid Passport, will not be permitted to board the ship.

Important reasons to get your Passport now:

Avoid the rush and the possibility of not being able to travel where and when you wish without a passport.
Future travel to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America, Canada and Mexico will require a passport to re-enter the U.S.
A Passport can open the doors to travel you may not have considered before, such as cruising in Europe, Australia and Asia. And a Passport will also be required to visit our neighbor countries of Canada and Mexico.
Considering that a Passport is valid for ten years, the cost is minimal ($97 for a new Passport and $67 for a renewal). If you take two vacations per year, the initial cost of your passport per vacation is less than a frozen drink with an umbrella at the pool.
Even with a confirmed booking for travel abroad, you will be denied boarding if you do not possess a valid Passport.
And finally, a U.S. Passport is easy to obtain by visiting one of the 6,000 Passport acceptance facilities across the U.S.

For more information about applying for a Passport, U.S. Citizens may visit http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html or call the National Passport Information Center toll free at 1-877-487-2778 or TDD/TYY: 1-888-874-7793. Foreign Nationals should contact their respective governments to obtain details regarding current Passports requirements and application procedures.

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Online Pre-Registration:

You can save yourself time in line at embarkation by completing the pre-cruise registration online. Here are the links for the online registration pages of the major cruise lines which offer this service:
* Carnival

* Celebrity

* Crystal
* Cunard
* Disney
* Holland America
* Norwegian

* Orient Lines
* Princess
* Regent

* Royal Caribbean
* Seabourn
* Windstar

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Pre Trip Checklist:

So you've booked and now the only thing standing between you and your cruise holiday are months of dreary weather, an endless stack of work at the office and that feeling of "I wish....if only this time I could get myself organized beforehand....where do I start?"

Try this for size!

Six months before you cruise:

Ensure that your passport has plenty of time left before its expiry date. Some countries require a period of up to six months unexpired on your passport.

Do you need any visas for the countries that you'll be visiting? If so and if the cruise line is not taking care of this for you, find out lead times and make arrangements as necessary.

Make independent flight arrangements if you have booked a "cruise-only" fare. Try to plan to fly to your departure port the day before you sail. If you are a member of a frequent flyer club, provide this information when booking.

Make your pre and post cruise hotel arrangements if you have booked a "cruise-only" fare. If you are in a hotel's frequent-guest programme, provide this information when booking.

Are you a member of your cruise line's past passenger programme? Ensure that your travel agent and/or the cruise line have your membership number and that you enter it on your pre-cruise registration forms.

Three months before you cruise:

Check out the cruise line's shore excursion programme and look at the internet, in bookshops and at the library for information on independent tours. If there is a ship's sponsored excursion that you fee is a "must", book it now as it may become oversubscribed if you wait until you're on board.

Do you need any vaccinations for the areas of the world that you'll be visiting? If so, see your GP or a travel clinic. Some vaccinations take several months to become "effective".

Ensure that you have travel insurance is in place, if you did not purchase this in conjunction with your cruise. If you travel several times a year, consider taking out an annual travel insurance policy.

Two months before you cruise:

Have you made your final payment on your cruise? Liaise with your travel agent and/or the cruise line on this as sometimes they don't sent you a reminder! Depending on the cruise line, you can expect to receive your cruise tickets around three weeks before your cruise.

Are you sailing or flying from a UK port or airport? If you are driving to the port or airport, check out port/airport parking facilities and make your booking if required.

Do you require a coach transfer or train ticket to your departure port or airport? Check it out and buy your ticket.

One month before you cruise:

Watch out for your cruise tickets in the post. Depending on the cruise line, they should be with you around three weeks before your departure date. Check them to make sure that you have been assigned the cabin that you booked, the dinner seating you requested, that you have enough luggage labels and if the cruise line is making any air or hotel arrangements for you, that these are correct and that the flight tickets and hotel vouchers are enclosed.

If you haven't already, enjoy your holiday clothes shopping. Have you got your swimsuit, "cover-up", shorts, t-shirts, sun hat, sandals and your casual/informal/formal evening wear?

Do your "sundries" shopping:

Some suggestions:

· Film

· Flash cards/Digital camera accessories

· Batteries

· Sun lotion

· After sun lotion

· Insect repellent

· Mini bottles of: shower gel, shampoo, conditioner

· Mini empty bottles/jars from Boots or Muji to decant cosmetics, face creams into

· Plasters/band aids

· Sun hat

· Ear plugs

· Paperback books

· Tapes/cds

· Water wallet/wet and dry case

· Small bottle laundry detergent

· Boiled sweets/mints

If you are planning to take a significant amount of currency, consider purchasing and using a "safe wallet"/money belt, until you are able to access your in-cabin safe.

Make your home/pet/children/parent-sitting/newspaper-picking up and houseplant watering arrangements. Arrange to have newspaper/milk stopped if appropriate.

Ensure that loved ones at home know how to contact you on the ship (the ship's telephone, fax number) in case of emergencies.

Are you driving to your departure port? Get your car serviced.

Complete any pre-boarding Passenger Information forms that the cruise line requires. If possible, do this "on-line" rather than "hard-copy".

Two weeks before you cruise:

Pick out your cruise clothes, try them on in "fashion show" and do a dry run of your packing to see if it all will fit in your suitcase.

Get your dry cleaning done.

Polish/clean shoes.

Ensure you have adequate supplies of any vitamins, over-the-counter and prescription medicines that you require.

If you are taking spectacles or contact lenses make sure you have a "back-up" pair and adequate contact lens solutions.

Get your hair cut/coloured/permed.

One week before you cruise:

Do your laundry.

Get your foreign currency/travellers cheques. Think about whether you will want extra currency for tipping and get enough accordingly.

If flying, re-check your flight times and check-in times via the phone or internet.

Phone your credit card company and tell them where you'll be visiting and that you may be using your credit cards there.

Make a separate note of your credit card numbers and their issuers' emergency phone numbers (in case of loss or theft) and keep this in a separate place from your credit cards. Leave a copy of this as well as a photocopy of your passport at home with someone you trust.

Three days before you cruise:

Do your ironing.

Luggage labels 1: complete the cruise line-supplied luggage labels with your name and cabin number. However, unless you've been instructed otherwise (that is, if you have been told by the cruise line that your luggage is going "bonded" on the flight and that you will next see it in your cabin on-board the ship), do not put the cruise line labels on your luggage until you are pier-side and ready to hand over your luggage to the porters who will convey it onto the ship.

Luggage labels 2: make sure your cases have a separate personal luggage label on them with your home contact details.

Two days before you cruise:

Book your taxi to the airport/pier/train station.

Do your final packing.

If you are taking more than one suitcase, try to "cross-pack". This means putting a little sports wear, a little casual wear, a little semi-formal wear and a little formal wear in each suitcase, in case one suitcase gets lost or delayed.

Add some empty carrier bags to your suitcase to bring soiled clothes back in.

Pack a flashlight, particularly if you will be in an inside cabin (no windows, no natural light).

If you have extra room in your suitcases, take a few wire coat hangers (which you'll leave on the ship).

Place a sheet of paper with your name, flight and cruise details and travel dates and your home/mobile telephone number and address into your suitcase before you close it. This is in case your luggage labels or other external identifiers are torn off.