Fishing Frenzy

Do you know all the information you need to know to plan your next cruise vacation? Here are some things you might have overlooked and must know before booking your vacation. These additional cost can creep up on you if you're not prepared when cruising.

First, plan ahead and make sure to book your reservations for your cruise as soon as possible. When you and your family have decided what dates you want, go ahead and start the booking process with your travel agent. Remember that there is a deposit that is required when booking and you will typically have to pay around 10% of the total cruise package when going on a long duration cruise.

Do you have medical insurance? If you're traveling overseas and your current insurance does not cover you, you probably should look into getting some insurance coverage for your cruise. Sometimes cruise ships have passenger protection coverage which is cheaper than getting insurance. It is recommended that you purchase this and your final bill will include this charge if you choose to do so.

There are additional port taxes and handling charges that may or may not be charged at each individual port. You can ask your travel agent or look at your travel brochure for more information. Remember that port charges are added to your final bill and your final bill might be higher than expected.

Another incentive to book ahead is to get incentives and discounts. You will have a higher chance of purchasing a cruise package at a discount if you purchase 2 to 3 months in advance. Discounts decrease exponentially as the departure nears. Also, you might be able to reserve a cabin grade and some lines might even upgrade you.