Background Research
When it comes to finding a cruise, the potential passenger
will be presented with a vast range of options and the list
on this page is just a very small handful of the cruise lines
operating around the globe. You can take a cruise at any time
of the year and many ships operate in a number of regions,
according to their seasonal itinerary. The small selection
of cruise lines listed on this page operate a large number
of ships between them and include all types of cruise lines,
from small one ship budget operators to large operators, dominant
in the market.
If you take a look through the sites and offline brochures
and other literature from the various lines, you will be able
to check the ships and styles of cruises on offer. Luxurious
sailing ship cruises, budget vacations and adventures with
the world's best known cartoon characters can all be found.
This diversity goes to show how the market has evolved over
the years.
Budget
You must set yourself an overall budget for your vacation
and all other expenses that you will incur. The booking price
is only part of the total cost and you should remember that
everyday items purchased onboard the ship will probably be
more expensive than at your local supermarket. Once you have
deducted anticipated costs, gratuities, a few luxuries and
a contingency fund, you will know how much you can spend on
the actual booking.
Search and Compare Cruises
You now need to get down to the dollars, pounds or euros
and find out some prices for a cruise vacation that's available
for your desired dates. It is possible to book directly with
many of the cruise lines themselves but remember to shop around
a little because there are often some great deals available
through the various booking channels. With some of the smaller
operators, such as the single riverboat company, it may be
possible to contact them directly and negotiate a bespoke
package or special rate. For the larger international operators,
some people will have a preferred local travel agent that
is able to book cruises with many of the word's cruise lines.
Others will have a favourite holiday booking portal, where
they have found travel bargains in the past, and these may
also be a familiar and useful place to start. If you find
the choice at either of these to be limited, and the lines
and cruises that you had shortlisted to be unavailable through
them, then you will need to try another route. Try a chain
with greater reach or another site. If in doubt, check the
cruise line's own website for details of any special offers
and their network of booking agents.
Booking
When you have decided on a cruise, where and how to book
it, it's time to make it official and reserve your berth.
If you are going through your local travel agent, remember
to take with you all the details you will need, identification
and means of payment. If you are booking online, make sure
that you do so via a reputable and trustworthy site and are
connected to it via a reliable and secure connection. Give
yourself enough time to complete the process; rushing through
the ofrms and payment just causes errors and frustration,
that could ultimately prove to be expensive.
Confirmation
Your booking will be confirmed and payments taken according
to your payment plan. Double check all the embarkation / disembarkation
dates, ship's name, itinerary, passenger names, ages and other
details that it contains. It goes without saying that your
cruise is a large financial outlay and you want everything
to go off without a hitch. For these reasons it is imperative
to print out all emails, recipts, confirmation codes etc and
keep safe all the documentation that is provided to you. You
will receive regular correspondence from the company regarding
your cruise, according to their particular process, and if
you feel that a message has gone astray in the post or email
then you must follow up on it. It could contain important
changes and you should contact your agent or the cruise line
as appropriate.
Look forward to your holiday
You've chosen a cruise, your booking's been made and everything's
confirmed. Now what do you need to do? The answer is simply
to enjoy the necessary preparations and look forward to a
fantastic time.
Cruise Line and Ship Links
Carnival Cruise Lines
Celebrity Cruises
Cunard
Disney Cruise
Line
easyCruise
Holland America
MSC Cruises
Norwegian Cruise Lines
P&O Cruises
Princess Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Royal Caribbean
Windstar Cruises
Links above are shown alphabetically and listing does not
indicate endorsement or recommendation from 77Cruises.com.
Similarly, exclusion from this list should in no way be taken
as any reflection on or opinion of a particular cruise line.
Links are to external third party sites and we cannot be held
responsible for the content of external pages, offers or other
communications.
