family cruise vacation ideas

Santiago de Cuba Club Bucanero

Filed under: Blog — Tags: Bucanero, Club, Cuba, Santiago — @ 12:12 am December 20, 2010

Is Cuba at the ready for the hordes of Americans that will make it when the travel ban is lifted? And what will happen to travel and tourism to other Caribbean destinations? Mexico could be arduous struck as Cuba will be foreign and less expensive. This is Santiago de Cuba Club Bucanero.

Las Americas, Las Disco, Las Show, Las Santiago de Cuba

Filed under: Blog — Tags: Americas, Cuba, Disco, Santiago, Show — @ 5:15 am December 15, 2010

The show is typical tourist fare, but the music is good, dancers are good…so who cares, we basked and had an acceptable time. YOLO
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Planning A Cruise Vacation For The Perfect Cruise Experience

Filed under: cruise — Tags: activities, advice, agent, air, airfare, alaska, anna, anywhere, art, ask, away, bay, beautiful, best, better, between, board, book, Books, Border, boutiques, built, but, call, car, caribbean, Casino, center, Check, children, choice, choose, choosing, consider, cooking, could, cruise, cruisers, cruises, cruising, Cuba, culture, da, day, days, destination, destinations, different, direct, Diving, Eastern, embark, end, enjoy, europe, eve, exciting, excursion, Excursions, expect, Expense, experience, explore, facilities, family, fare, Following, fort, four, free, fun, getaway, going, great, guide, has, heat, here, home, honeymoon, honeymooners, hopping, hot, hotel, hotels, ice, idea, ideas, inc, individual, Internet, island, islands, jersey, Just, kaya, kids, la, land, las, last, lauderdale, le, like, line, lines, live, long, lose, low, Major, making, many, Marketing, markets, married, may, Mean, men, Miami, money, moon, my, nation, near, need, needs, new, night, not, ny, ocean, offer, offered, offers, old, onboard, only, Order, pa, pack, package, packages, part, Pays, perfect, person, personal, plan, plane, planning, Port, ports, Practical, reach, red, rent, reserve, Review, Reviews, rica, ride, right, roman, romantic, sail, save, Scuba, sea, Seattle, see, service, seven, ship, Shop, shopping, Shore, should, site, sites, Size, Software, Source, south, spa, Speak, spend, Star, Start, Still, style, summer, sure, taking, than, think, three, through, time, tip, tips, travel, travelers, two, type, types, up, vacation, vacations, visit, Want, war, Washington, way, website, wedding, weekend, Western, where, while, will, win, winter, world — libertees @ 5:01 pm June 15, 2010

Cruise vacations are one of the most exciting and fun vacations you and your family will ever have. Planning your cruise vacation is the key to making the most of the cruise experience.

Cruise ships are floating hotels that sail through ocean while you enjoy all the hotel’s amenities provided. They have casinos, swimming pools, theaters, restaurants, shopping centers or boutiques, spas, gyms and more.

As great as taking a vacation on cruise ships may seem, you still need to know how to plan a cruise ship vacation properly so you have the perfect cruise experience. You need to know about the different types of packages the cruise lines offer.

When planning a cruise ship vacation you need to know how to choose one that will meet your expectation or tailor to your needs. Here are some guidelines that you can follow to plan your cruise travel and enjoy the perfect cruise experience:

Think of who you want to take with you on your cruise vacation. There are many different packages offered by cruise lines. There are packages for the whole family and there are packages for single travelers.

Will you be taking the cruise vacation with children? Maybe you will take your significant other for a romantic getaway. There are cruise ships that are tailored for children and there are cruise lines that cater to single cruisers and honeymooners. There are even some ships that offer wedding services. What could be better than to get married on the ship and have your honeymoon built in?

Decide how long you want to cruise. If you just want to try it out, opt for a three day cruise. Normally, cruises start at three nights and can go anywhere from seven to fourteen days. But there are also world cruises that can last as long as three months. My advice is if you are going to cruise in Europe you should pick a fourteen day cruise because of the expense and long plane rides to get to your port of embarkation. If you live near a port and you just want to take a long weekend choose of three or four day cruise. Decide what cruise travel is best for you.

Choose the perfect destination for you and your family. Alaska is beautiful but can only be cruised in the summer months. If you live in the colder climes you may want to take a mid winter cruise to the Caribbean or even South America. If you want your cruise travel to be in the Caribbean and you want to spend two weeks on your cruise vacation, choose a line that alternates between the Eastern and Western Caribbean. This cruise vacation takes you to many different islands.

The cruise lines have a variety of destinations to choose from. Visit your cruise travel agent to go over the different itineraries or check out the individual websites of the cruise lines.

Consider the port of departure. Since 9/11 cruises have been emphasizing home port cruising. Now there are many cruises that depart from Bayonne, New Jersey, Galveston, Texas, or Seattle, Washington, not just Miami and Fort Lauderdale.. Depart from the one closest to you and you will save money on expensive airfare.

Speak to a knowledgeable cruise travel agent. Make sure they have personally sailed on many different cruise ships so they can give you an honest opinion on what each cruise line has to offer and which would give you the perfect cruise experience.
A cruise travel agent will also be able to supply you with cruise tips. Scour the cruise reviews for additional cruise tips.

Large cruise lines have a variety of activities and facilities that you can use on the ship. If you like to gamble then choosing a cruise ship with casinos is probably right for you. Or if you are taking your kids with you, a cruise ship that offers activities and facilities for children would be the best choice for your cruise travel. For instance, Disney is, of course, geared toward children but they do not have casinos. So if you are taking the family but you want to gamble steer away from Disney and choose one of the other major cruise lines. Almost all of them have children’s programs. If you don’t want to be on a ship with children sail on one of the fancier lines that don’t cater to children. Here, again, it pays to read as many cruise reviews as you can to pick up additional cruise tips.

Cruise vacations do not necessarily mean that you have to spend all your vacation time onboard. All the cruise ships offer land and shore excursions. The cruise lines offer pre and post cruise land vacations usually for two or three days.

Land excursions are a great way to explore different cultures and destinations when taking a cruise vacation. You can choose from many activities once you reach a port of call. You can go kayaking, scuba diving or go shopping in the markets of the ports of call.

Following these guidelines will give you some ideas on planning your cruise vacation properly. Proper planning will give you a more exciting cruise experience.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.CruisingTips.com

Important Facts About Taxis and Rental Cars in Cuba

Filed under: travel — Tags: Cars, Cuba, facts, important, rental, Taxis — libertees @ 10:06 pm March 31, 2010


For vacationers traveling abroad, if you are in a tourist section, taxis and rental cars are generally very safe. The tropical paradise of Cuba is no different. Taxi and rental car services are most times reliable, however if you find yourself trying to use these services outside of population centers caution needs to be taken. There are nuances to utilizing both taxis and rental cars in Cuba.


Rental cars can be found most commonly in or close to hotels. Other major locations for rental dealerships can be found near drop-off points of cruise ships and at airports. Finding locations from which to rent vehicles can be simple, however finding a reliable service can be a challenge. Situations have occurred in which patrons have had difficulty receiving the same vehicle that they reserved ahead of time. In many cases the rental company will try to give any car available to the renter, not just the one which was preferred.


Another issue which can arise with the rental car system involves traveling with young children. Many vacationers have found that it can be difficult to find a reliable source of children’s seats. It is recommended to bring your own booster seat for the car if it is at all possible.


Beyond these situations, the system of car rental is very good in Cuba. The taxi system works similarly well. The most significant threat can come from unregistered taxis. In many instances the travelers may have to negotiate price, and price negotiations can be tricky. Care should be taken, because the traveler has a significant risk of being ripped off. It is also possible to end up with rather uncomfortable travel situations if one tries too hard to find the more economic rates. However, as mentioned before, these flaws are limited, and easily overcome by the positive aspects of Cuba’s taxi system.


One primary upside of the rental and taxi systems comes as a result of the overall infrastructure of the nation. Cuba has a system of highways that are well paved, at least in relation to other Caribbean countries, and relatively safe for travel. Speed limits are kept well in check allowing for easy travel. Traffic issues can be present in major cities as tourists and citizens crowd to make their way through the streets. While this problem is consistent, the overriding theme in transportation is comparative ease, when compared to other tropical vacation destinations.


Another advantage of using taxis in Cuba comes is the variety of options available. This aspect is especially present in Varadero and Havana. The main alternative to a traditional taxi comes in the form of Coco-taxis. These vehicles are small, three wheeled cabs. These egg shaped vehicles are generally orange or yellow and make basic commutes a unique experience. At first glance they appear slow and insufficient to meet most travel needs, but on the road these cabs move swiftly through the streets. Coco-taxis offer services for a lower price then most taxi companies. The cost is negotiable and paid in advance, and is not a set fare for services.


Other varieties of taxis can be found around Cuba. The most common of these is horse drawn cabs. This rustic means of travel is often accompanied by lanterns after dark, and can provide a very relaxing commute. Many vacationers to Cuba wind up not relying on any transportation service by spending the entirety of their vacation at their resort. Cuba has many modern resorts in which visitors find that they have everything they need in or close by to their hotel.


However, if visitors to Cuba want to soak up the country’s distinct culture and history, they must venture out of the confines of their resort. The taxi and rental car market in Cuba provides a steady service to tourists. All things considered, vacationers can count on these services to get them where they’re going. The variety of ways to get around the tropical island coupled with the overall reliability of the roads makes travelling around Cuba an experience that can be quite rewarding. There are limitations, of course, but these are easily overshadowed by what the Cuban system of rental cars and taxis has to offer.

Nick Kakolowski is a freelance writer who writes about topics pertaining to vacations and the travel industry such as Cuba Travel

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