© 2007 cynth’ya lewis reed
all rights reserv’d


Hot lovers topic down below: "Q & A. . . for a cruise
(Gotcha!). . .see article attached at "Cruise for Cash" article here on Cynth'ya's website. Perfect to make every day like Valentine's day. . . you only live on this earth. . . once. . . .so go ahead. . . DO IT!

Q & A

Can I afford a cruise?
If you can afford to take a hotel-based vacation, you can afford to take a cruise vacation.

There are cruises available at all price ranges - from budget to luxury - and all represent perhaps the best value for your vacation dollar.

What do I get for my money?
Your cruise price includes your cabin, all meals (including the midnight buffet!), entertainment, parties and, of course, all transportation between all the ports on your itinerary. On most ships, alcoholic beverages and optional shore excursions are not included in the basic price.

Will I feel bored or confined on board?
Never! Think of a cruise ship as a floating resort on par with any Las Vegas megahotel. On-board activities begin at dawn and go into the wee hours of the night. The scenery is constantly changing, and every port is filled with new and exciting opportunities for exploration.

What can I do on a ship?
That depends on the ship, but generally the larger ships will have the most activities. You may wish to lounge on deck by the pool with a good book, sign up for exercise or cooking classes, swim, play bingo or bridge, gamble in the casino, take in a Broadway-style floor show or a magician's act, enter a talent show or a putting contest, take a dance class, have a church retreat, a family reunion, birthday bash, or a university lecture.

How long do cruises last?
YTB offers cruises that are as competitive as they come. . . and Travelocity is partnered with YTB. Just like Hotels.com,  and Priceline, and Apple Vacations, Sandals, Breezes, you name it, we got it. . . as well as nearly 30 different national cruise lines. What you see is what you get, and what you want is what YTB delivers all around the world!

Is airfare included in my cruise price?
Cruise lines usually offer both a cruise-only price and a combine air/sail quote that includes connecting airfare, transfers between the airport and ship and baggage handling.

What's a shore excursion?
That's a term that refers to anything you do off the ship, in port. At every stop, you'll have the option of exploring the area on your own or as part of a group with a planned itinerary. You might hike a tropical rain forest in the Caribbean, fish for king salmon in Alaska, tour Mayan ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, or sightseeing.

Are all cruise ships the same?
Does a fish prefer air over water? Cruiseships are as different as the people who sail on them. They range from yacht-like vessels with 100 passengers to towering megaships with huge atriums and a maximum capacity of over 3,000 people. Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas as about the length of the Eiffel Tower, horizontal-wise. 

Will I need a passport? Download form D-11 at www.travel.state.gov or dial The National Passport Information Center toll free 1-877-487-2778. (TDD 1-888-874-7793, or email: NPIC.state.gov)
All cruises now require proof of citizenship. On some itineraries, a certified copy of your birth certificate and a driver's license or government-issued photo I.D. are sufficient, on others a passport is required. Visas may also be required on the more exotic itineraries. YTB has over 1,200 travel counselors at your beacon call 24/7 at a convenient 800 number to serve you, and they serve you well. (All people who are part of YTB Travel do as RTAs (referring travel agents) is point people to our engine and make money while we sleep, not to mention cruising for as little as $40/day. . .sometimes less. . . at a tax write off.) And by referring others, we make a full 60% of the cruise commission. That can be anywhere from hundreds of dollars to thousands. The biggest one-time cruise commission paid out was a teacher: over $34,000, just for doing ONE group Alaskan cruise for 164 teachers. . .every single year. (Not bad for a teacher’s raise on one single referral. Not bad if that was used for a fundraiser for some organization either!)

Is a cruise suitable for families with kids?
More than suitable, Babycakes they are pu-r-r-r-r-r-r-fect! Large cruise ships are now designed with kids-only facilities, counselors, daytime activities and nighttime baby-sitting. Children of all ages are welcome on most ships. Your cruise counselor can advise you of the dwindling number of ships that are not kid-friendly.

Are cruises suitable for single travelers?
Cruising is very popular with single travelers, and cruise lines go out of their way to make it easy for singles to meet and mingle with other passengers. Some cruise ships offer single cabins, and most offer a single supplement rate for double staterooms. In fact, on select sailings we offer singles cruises with our own onboard host to organize exclusive singles cocktail parties, mixers, games, group excursions, single-mingle dining and more! You'll never have to feel alone on a cruise... unless that's what you're looking for! Click www.therandlgroup.com and click “Book Travel”.

Are cruises really that popular?
Do people still claim to see Elvis?
More than ten million people will cruise in the next year, and cruising routinely earns the highest ratings in customer satisfaction among all vacation categories. Once you try it, you'll be hooked.

What is a Day at Sea?
A Day at Sea is a full day spent sailing between two ports. Most cruises include one or more Days at Sea.

Tipping. . .to do it or not to do it?

Some cruise lines nix tipping; for instance the Regent (Radisson) Seven Seas, the Seabourn, the Silversea and the Windstar. Crew members are reportedly higher paid and not tip-dependent. But follow the golden rule. Cruise staffers do their level best to make your stay as comfy as possible. Put yourself in their place, and offer them a blessing of a little extra cash for excellent performance service or special favors within reason.

Tips on Tipping

Cabin steward
$3.00 to $3.50 per person per day

Waiter
$3.00 to $3.50 per person per day

Assistant waiter
$1.50 to $2.00 per person per day

Bartender, wine and deck stewards
10-15% of the bill

Maitre d'
$5.00 to $10.00 tip for each special service

What’s better than a vacation?

Learning to take “PAYCATION!”and write it all off on your taxes…by promoting more sensible travel with options of 100% full coverage health insurance for life, regardless of pre-existing conditions.

Learn more by visiting www.presentingytb.com  or dial and listen to405-244-4085, the YTB Information Hotline.

More info in the Success From Home Magazine, January 2007 issue. Available at Barnes and Noble, Borders, and several Staples Office Centers in the magazine section all over the country. Why live hand to mouth unless you are used to living that way?