...This is for people that have been on lots of cruises. What are your favorite destinations? What are your favorite cruise lines for the money? Any tips for saving money and having a good time?

"I have cruised on Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean and had cruises to South America, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Canada/New England, the Baltic countries, the Mediterranean, and all over the Caribbean including the Panama Canal. My favorite of all of these was the Mediterranean because of all of the fantastic and historical sights and cities to see, like Rome, Pisa, Pompeii, Spain, the Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Athens, and the Greek islands.

Cruising the Caribbean is great also and allows opportunity for great fun at the beaches, some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, except Hawaii is prettier. The Caribbean is really the best "fun" destinations for cruising.

My favorite cruise line is Royal Caribbean, but if you want just a little more upscale you may want to go with Princess or Celebrity. Royal Caribbean ships have the most activities on the ship for you and they do have great looking ships too. In my opinion Royal Caribbean also has the best and easiest web site to use and you can find deals on their site very easily compared to the others. But most do have specials listed on their web sites that will save you money.

The best way to save money is shop around and learn what a cruise should cost for the type cabin you want, the destination/itinerary you want and the number of days you want to cruise. So if you see an ad that says 40% off you will know whether that's a real deal or just a few dollars less than the normal prices for that type cruise on other cruise lines and ships. Booking early, up to a year or more in advance, can also save you money because as the cruise date approaches the prices generally increase. There are some exceptions to this where a "deal" or discount will be offered for a few days or week about 30 to 60 days before the cruise.

You don't have to worry about having a good time, you will, especially if you are on a Royal Caribbean ship."
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