Port Location: Livorno is found on the western coast of Italy just north of the capital Rome. It serves as a useful port to the more tourist orientated areas such as Florence and Pisa that are located nearby.

Transport: When your arrive in the port you will usually find that your ship docks a fair bit away from the main terminal building. However, taxi’s are readily available to take you to the nearest train station (Livorno Centrale) if your cruise liner hasn’t already organized a shuttle. In fact, the port itself is around 2 km away with the city center.

Description: The port of Livorno has a long history in servicing cruises and, as mentioned, is a popular gateway to the region of Tuscany. It acts as a midpoint between the port of Genoa in the north and the more centrally located port of Civitavecchia near Rome.

Sightseeing and Excursions: If you are going on a cruise that leaves or docks from the port of Livorno then there are some sights in the city itself that act as very interesting and beautiful excursions. While many tourists tend to go further afield to Florence (which is around 50km away), the city of Livorno features the old Venice District that has much of the original medieval architecture complete with narrow rustic lanes and canals.

If you are a classical music fan then The Museo Mascagnano is home to artifacts belonging to Pietro Mascagni including original compositions and documents. For a more religious excursion then consider the Sanctuary of Montenero that is found in the hills surrounding the city; it dates back to the early 17th century and is a popular destination for pilgrims.

Beaches: Visiting the port of Livorno means that you can take advantage of some of the beaches available between the city and the town of Piombino to the North. Castiglioncello offers some of the best beaches in Italy and is located just 16 km away. Similarly, Vada is another town close to the port city that has a good record of beautiful beaches.

Shopping: Livorno has a decent reputation (like many Italian cities) for its shopping experiences. The Via Grande is the main shopping street in the city and here you can find all the main designer boutiques and outlets. If department stores are more your thing then the largest in Livorno is ‘Coin’ and this is to be found on the Piazza Attias and offers your usual array of chain stores and designer shops.

With the emergence of air travel and the convenience that road travelling has brought into our lives, people have moved away from voyages. Sea travel has declined in its importance. Although lengthy, lavish cruises nowadays offer you great facilities to make you forget about the travelling hours. They just do not make your sea voyages bearable, they make them memorable. Spanish cruises are no exception.

When it comes to Spanish cruises, they boast of a huge variety. Whether you want an extravagant cruise or the just a short sailing one, you will always find them. Cruises entertain you with the most memorable and unforgettable experiences as they completely differ from other journeys or tours.

When you decide to go for the Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona, you are provided with two options; Barcelona will be in your list of arrival ports or it will be the departure port. Barcelona is located near France at the Mediterranean coast of Northern Spain. Spanish cruises or the overnight boats provide the voyage from Algeciras which is a port in Southeastern Spain to the bay from Gibraltar. Even for the further journey, boats and short sailing cruises are available.

In order to get a satisfying experience you need to know the actual length of your journey. Once you come up with the correct length you will then be able to decide about which cruise line or cruise should you go for. You should know the list of ports the cruise will pass through because different Spanish cruises provide different routes depending upon the choices of the passengers. These cruises have a specific number of days they would take to complete the voyage for example 2 days cruise, 7 days cruise or you may even have to spend a month on the cruise. With the varying time, they have varying routes.

There is also a seven day cruise route. It starts off in Barcelona and will pass through Nice, Pisa, Rome, Naples, Sicily, stopping for a day at Mediterranean Sea and then comes back to Barcelona.

There are several Spanish cruises but what passengers mainly look for is the length of time each cruise would require to reach the destination. One thing about these cruise companies is that they effort at selling all rooms to the passengers. Thus, even if it is the last minute, reservations should be made. A pleasing environment with outstanding facilities and numerous options of fun to choose from, journeying on a Spanish cruise is looked forward to by tourists.

Our family travels a lot for the average person. People frequently ask us for advice on how they could travel more. When they ask seriously, they should be prepared for a conversation that may last hours. One day on our November 13th cruise aboard the Disney Dream, we met a great family from Houston sitting at the table next to us for High Tea in Palo. Not only did we outlast the serving staff, we moved to the Meridian Lounge for a couple more hours. We take our travel seriously.

For those traveling on a Disney Cruise, there are a few things that are important to know. Most important, for those that love cruising like we do is to never leave the ship without booking your next cruise. The deals offered on the ship are nearly unbeatable. Either the down payments are cheaper or the price is reduced or both.

Now, many people we talk to reply with is, “I don’t know if I can afford to cruise that much or that soon!” Well, the date of the cruise is unimportant. Disney Cruise Lines is great about moving your cruise to another date and you still get the same savings and shipboard deals. This means, as you get closer to the time you board and realize you are not going to make it, change the dates. Note: There is a time after which you cannot move a cruise, don’t wait that late! Over the years we have moved our departure dates up and back a number of times.

One year, we were booked on a big cruise in the summer. Because we cruised with Disney before we were sent an offer for ‘Kids 17 and under Cruise Free’. That was unusual. Normally their offer was for ’12 and under cruise free’. With the money we saved for our teenage boys sailing free and all that we paid ahead, we moved that trip up to spring break, months earlier.

Did you catch that next point? Pay ahead! If you charge your trip to a credit card and pay it out over time after the trip, your vacation will cost a lot more than you thought and all your savings is out the door! Two to three times more is just the beginning and most people pay up to ten times more! Do not charge your cruise to any interest bearing credit cards or accounts.

‘Pay ahead’ is even more important. Book your cruise far enough out (we generally book a year or more ahead) so that you can make payments on that cruise ahead. Make a concerted effort to pay a few hundred or more on the cruise each month. Because it is not a loan or charge account you can skip a month if the bills pile up unexpectedly one month. If you need more time, move your sail date out farther and better yet, if you find you can pay more than you thought, move your cruise closer. Paying ahead is nothing short of liberating!

Another one of the benefits of booking on board, you get a shipboard credit for doing so. An extra $200-400 on your account when you arrive is nothing to scoff at. That can cover tips and/or various expenses to which you look forward. Just think, a guilt free trip to the Rainforest Room or extra visits to Palo or Remy are more fun when they really did not cost you any extra!

‘Pay ahead’ on everything you can. Disney (and other cruise lines) allow you to even pay ahead on tips and account credit. The goal is to board and disembark from the cruise with no debt from that trip!

A Caribbean Cruise is a trip of a life time, but done smartly it can be much more. Boarding that luxury ship knowing you will not have any debt for the trip and everything is payed in advance will make it so much better. You will not worry about, ‘How are we ever going to pay for this!’ and think more about, ‘What does a Cruise Ship have to offer to make the next one that much better!’

For an idea about getting to your cruise, see http://www.tiggertravels.com/pl_281_Getting_to_and_Paying_for_Your_Florida_Cruise.htm.

For most of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the days are shorter and it’s cold and will get colder and many of us just don’t appreciate this! We long for the lazy days of summer and not having to bundle ourselves up with clothes to keep ourselves warm, eating outdoors. Yes summer is great and often winter just sucks.

Right now Christmas is around the corner and for many of us this means enormous stress – getting the absolutely perfect present for everyone in your family, for your friends, work colleagues and for your partner and don’t forget all the children. Then there’s the wrapping, the countless hours spent shopping in the cold, the stress of spending money you might not be able to afford and you won’t know if the presents are great until the 25th! Up until then you have to clean your house from top to bottom, bake cookies and other festive fare. Make sure there’s enough eggnog and/or alcoholic drinks at home for people who pop by. Putting out the lights outside, decorating the inside and putting up the tree. Writing all those Christmas cards. If you are hosting the Christmas dinner, you go through all of the above for food and then hope the turkey won’t be overdone/underdone and that everyone has enough to eat, etc. etc. Enough.

Wouldn’t it be just great to be able to get away from Christmas for just one year? A cruise is the perfect Christmas vacation. You even get to go somewhere nice and warm. You stay in a lovely room with its own bathroom (many of us don’t have this luxury at home), enjoy great meals you don’t have to prepare, party, dance, swim, enjoy cocktails, etc. etc. Not only that you get to visit faraway places (usually islands in the Tropics). Yes, it can be a completely different world.

Some families actually spend their Christmas holidays together cruising. Yes it’s expensive but it is a vacation and if you are smart, you have missed out on all the other activities to prepare for Christmas mentioned above. Your friends and other loved ones understand instinctively that this year there’s no exchange of gifts as you will be away. How cool is that? If you do decide to go shopping – how much nicer is it to check out local stores on a Caribbean island for small gifts or souvenirs to bring home and share with loved ones? Then your friends and family might be lucky and get a ‘sunshine’ gift which will make them think of summer, sun and vacations too.

If this is your plan, then there is a way to get the very best out of your cruise – really whatever time of year you choose to sail. It’s an e-book called the Intelligent Cruiser and is written by a former cruise ship’s officer. In it you will find lots of tips and tricks to help you enjoy your vacation.

All meals, onboard entertainment, movies, gym, pool area activities, accommodations, room service and the view, are all included in the basic cost of the cruise. You only have to pay for your cabin (double occupancy) in order to enjoy a budget, yet luxury vacation. Unpack once, bring alone some movies that you might want to watch on your laptop and a good book, and you have the makings of a five, star luxury vacation, on a three star budget.

Choice of a five course dinner every night, or pizza, whatever you like. Dress up for dinner, or wear jeans to the pizza bar. Go to the disco, (drinks cost extra) or sit in the lounge and sip on a glass of wine.

Regardless of how you spend your time, your biggest expense will be offshore tours, when the ship docks. You can pay for these tours in advance, before your vacation begins. In fact, signing up and paying for your offshore excursions before you depart is a good idea, because once aboard ship, the tours sell out really fast.

You will need money for extras such as tips, which is added on to your bill. Be sure to find out what the tip amount is per day, you don’t want any surprises at the end of the cruise when you settle your bill.

Ladies, can start to purchase outfits for the cruise months before the cruise date, and this plan works well for men as well. You will need after-five attire as well as dressy casual and pool side attire. If you spread out the cost for the cruise over a six to eight month period of time, the financial cost of the vacation will be more manageable.

Cruise companies, usually will allow you to pay for your cruise in installments. In almost all cases, you will need to pay the full cost of the cruise at least 60 days prior to departure.

Booking early has its advantages. You can get real bargains when you book early. If you book online with one of the major consolidated travel web sites, you have to pay the full price when you book. However, if you book your cruise with a cruise agent, he or she will initiate the installment agreement with the cruise company.

A cruise travel agent can also help you select a cabin, which will fit your budget, and can often times get you a free upgrade and, or onboard credits when you book early.

Port Location: Genoa – one of the three cities that makes up the industrial triangle in Northern Italy with Turin and Milan – is located on the north-west coast of the country. Indeed, it acts to service the most northerly parts of Italy in the same way the Rome does to the central regions.

Transport: When you get to the city, for cruises from Genoa, you will find that the transportation network is fairly easy to navigate and use. In fact, the main train station for the city – the Stazione Principe – is located a short distance from the port itself and serves the whole city as well as destinations further afield. Ask your cruise liner about a shuttle service and be warned that getting a taxi can be rather difficult from the port due to passenger congestion however it will cost less than 20 Euro’s to get to the city centre.

Description: Cruises from Genoa will depart from the port located in the west of the city and an estimated 58 million tonne’s annually pass through the busy system. Indeed, it is a massive complex that spans some 20 kilometers up the coast and over 4 millions passengers pass through its waters every year.

Sightseeing and Excursions: Genoa is sometimes overlooked as a tourist destination in favor of more popular locations such as Rome and Milan. However, cruises from Genoa allow visitors to see some truly brilliant sights. The San Lorenzo Cathedral is a 13th century building that boasts a black and white marble facade while the Aquarium in the city is the 2nd largest in the whole of Europe.

The Old Town is a beautiful rustic feel to it however it can be easy to get lost in the many narrow passages and streets and The Renaissance and Baroque Rolli Palaces are now UNESCO World Heritage Site’s and date as far back as the 16th century.

Beaches: Genoa is not a natural beach city however it does feature some decent beaches including the Bagni Maddalena however your best bet is to travel up the coast to the likes of Camogli or Rapollo and they can be reached easily by train.

Shopping: Again, the city is not renowned for its shopping experiences however that does not mean that there isn’t any shopping to be done and Genoa is considered by some to be the best shopping city in the Liguria region. It is famous for its specialty goods including silvers and ceramic pottery and these types of items can be found on the Via Soziglia. Like any Italian city it features some designer and high end boutiques (although not as frequent as Rome or Milan) and they can be located on the Via Luccoli and Via XX Settembre.

Discover a land of sun, sea and sand, and of course, an exciting treasure trove of things to see and do in the Mediterranean.

A popular cruise destination with many, the Mediterranean boasts year round sunshine, mouth-watering cuisine and a refreshing laid-back lifestyle.

Many cruise lines – like Royal Caribbean – offer fabulous itineraries to the Mediterranean. Choose from Western Mediterranean or the Eastern Mediterranean. When it comes to deciding, you’ve got to ask yourself what you want from your cruise…

A glimpse into the Western Mediterranean

In the Western Mediterranean you’ll discover beaches, bustling cities and island resorts. When setting sail on a Western Mediterranean adventure, cruise ships usually leave from awe inspiring places like Barcelona, Palma, Genoa or Rome.

Mainly bordering Italy, France, and Spain, on a Western Mediterranean cruise you’ll sail to ports of call like the Balearic Islands (including Majorca, Ibiza, and Menorca Formentera). Italy is another destination – it is here you can explore fascinating historical destinations including Pompeii, Rome Pisa. Western Mediterranean cruises also can include stops in Portugal, Morocco, Monte Carlo, Malta and Croatia and Dubrovnik.

Something for everyone, a Western Mediterranean is a firm holiday favourite with families and couples alike.

Example of Eastern Mediterranean itinerary

Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas has a 12 night cruise from Barcelona to Florence, Venice, Rome and Naples.

One of the top things to do:
Admire Gaudi’s architectural works of art in Barcelona, such as Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia Church.

The Eastern Mediterranean

An Eastern Mediterranean cruise calls at the ports that stretch from the Aegean Seas to the Adriatic. Main ports of embarkation and debarkation in the Eastern Mediterranean include Athens, Greece; Istanbul, Turkey and Venice. On your Eastern Mediterranean journey, you can explore the ancient cities like Olympia in Greece or Ephesus in Turkey. Other popular cruise destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean include Dubrovnik and Corfu – found on the Croatian coast. TheGreek Islands such as Mykonos, Rhodes and Santorini are sought after cruise destinations too.

Example of Western Mediterranean itinerary

Norwegian Cruise line’s Jade has a 7 night cruise from Venice, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos and Katakolon.

Which Ship?

Now you need to decide which ship you want to go on your Mediterranean voyage with. If it’s your first time visiting the Mediterranean, your best bet will be a larger ship as these cover more ‘major’ ports of call. There’s a good selection to choose from too, including Royal Caribbean, Costa, Carnival, Celebrity and Holland America. And, of course, going on a larger ship you have more to pick from when it comes to on-board facilities, entertainment, places to dine and so forth.

If you’ve travelled to the Mediterranean before, you may want to venture where the large ships aren’t able to go… The smaller ships – like Windstar, Silversea, SeaDream, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania – offer wonderful itineraries that will not only take you to the popular ports of call, but to off-the-beaten track ports of call too.

Eastern Caribbean weather matters a great deal to anyone planning a cruise in that region of the world.

Cruises generally are available for the eastern, western and southern areas of the Caribbean. Ports of call in the eastern region may include Antigua, the Bahamas, San Juan, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Turks and Caicos and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

But the weather can vary greatly from one island to another for one simple reason — the distance from the Bahamas in the north to St. Kitts in the south totals more than 1,000 miles. So anyone taking a cruise can see major changes in the weather during a single trip.

Average Temperatures
The average high temperature in the Bahamas ranges from the high 70s Fahrenheit in December through February to the high 80s and sometimes above 90 during the summer months.

Rainfall is moderate during most of the year, but it hits a high point during a brief rainy season in June and again during a longer rainy season in September and October, which are the peak months of the annual Caribbean hurricane season.

Turks and Caicos Islands lie southeast of the Bahamas and as a result have slightly warmer temperatures. Like the Bahamas, winter months still have highs in the upper 70s.

Even more southeast lie the bigger cluster of islands — Antigua, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and the Virgin Islands. The average highs for these islands stay in the 80s even during the winter months, which make them more popular for long-term stays during those months than for cruise visits.

Annual Hurricane Season
Time of year is a much bigger factor in dealing with eastern Caribbean weather.

The annual hurricane season officially runs from June 1 until Nov. 30. On average, about 12 to 15 storms move through the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico each year. But individual destinations may avoid most of them because they lie outside of the storms’ paths.

June and November see the fewest storms and hurricanes. On average, there are three storms with two becoming hurricanes in July and August, four storms with two becoming hurricanes in September, and four storms with very few becoming hurricanes in October. The most rain falls in the eastern Caribbean in September and October.

Best Times to Go
Anyone planning to take an eastern Caribbean cruise that includes the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos would best go from early spring to late summer and avoid the winter months because of cooler nighttime temperatures and chilly seawater.

Vacations who plan to stay on an island will find that November through July are good months for the southernmost islands in the eastern region.

Any vacation in the Caribbean during the fall months has a high risk of rain from storms or hurricanes. Prices for cruises, resorts and hotels are lower during those months as a result. If lower prices are appealing, consider buying travel insurance.

Weather Forecasts
See eastern Caribbean weather forecasts and current conditions for all of the islands mentioned in this article.

It is sometimes difficult to determine what time of year to plan a cruise. Lifestyle and careers are often the largest things to consider when picking your time of travel. Weather can also be a factor. With the ever warm Caribbean, weather is of little concern outside of hurricane season. Alaskan cruises are probably the most reliant on what time of year you can actually book your trip. The Ships are often moved to warmer climates during the colder months and back to more northern ports for the summer. These warmer months are your only option.

During the summer months you are very likely to meet a teacher or two onboard. Again these are the only months available for them to travel. You will also find more children cruising with their parents during this time. The boost in potential cruisers increases the cost of these dates but if it’s the only time you can go, don’t let it stop you. When you consider the overall experience you are about to embark on, it’s still a deal.

Spring and early fall have proven to be the favorite time of year for my wife and I to leave reality for a week and head straight to port for our Caribbean dream vacation. There are always going to be children sailing with you but this time of year the majority are in school. For the most relaxing experience, this is our recommended time of year to sail. If you do have children, have no fear. There will still be plenty of kids running around for yours to hang out with and give you the much needed break you deserve. Plus, most cruise lines have youth programs available year round and plenty of staff to keep them occupied while you enjoy your time away.

Hurricane season begins June 1st and lasts until November 30th. Luckily most of a seasons activity is condensed into a much shorter time period right in the middle with most hurricanes forming in September and very rarely in June or July. With recent technological advances in weather tracking aboard ships you are not likely to get caught in the middle of a major storm anyway. The Captain may reroute your itinerary and either stop at an alternative port or simply skip a port he feels too dangerous or uncomfortable for the majority of passengers traveling with you. This may be disappointing to miss one of the highly anticipated stops along your journey but the safety of crew and passengers has to remain the top priority of every captain in the industry. Having said all this, my wife and I cruise every hurricane season. The deals are just too good to pass up. We have cruised 5 hurricane seasons so far without incident or ever being rerouted.

Holidays can be a great time to cruise. People don’t want to leave their holiday celebrations at home when they get away. A cruise is a great place for a Halloween costume contest. Where do you think you can find a larger costume party than a ship with 2000 or more passengers. Dressing in costume is not required but it’s still fun to see what others come up with. Imagine a Caribbean Christmas or a New Years Eve partying with so many friendly strangers. Who will you kiss at midnight?

Where to Start?

The most obvious answer to that question is “At the beginning”. But what is the beginning?

First let me say that there is no way to advise you on what to pack for EVERY cruise. There are just too many itineraries and climates. And for each of you there will be incidentals that are of importance to only you. So we will deal here with the topic in a somewhat general way.

Start with choosing luggage that is suitable for your needs. The luggage that you choose should be lightweight and durable – especially if you require a flight to get you to the port of departure.

You can easily be overweight which can cost you more than adding another piece of luggage. Luggage handlers, whether at the cruise port or at the airport are not the most gentle of characters. Your luggage may get tossed, dropped, dragged or otherwise abused long before you even get on board the ship. Expensive designer luggage that is designed for looks more than utility may not be the answer here.

It is always wise if you are taking a flight to check the airline’s website for maximum luggage weight and size and make sure that you are not over their limits.

Enough said about luggage.

Formal Wear – Get the Tough Part Over With First

So let’s get on to the task of picking out your vacation cruise wear.

What you should pack will be determined by the type of cruise and the itinerary. For example, a cruise aboard one of the upscale cruise lines like Regent Seven Seas will have a much more formal dining room and dress code.

While cruise lines such as Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean are less formal you will still want to pack some formal attire to take part in the formal night. (Guys, I know that some of you dread that thought but think instead of strolling through the ship with you darling “dressed to the nines” while every other guy is watching with envy!)

So… you will want to check on how many formal nights there are so that you can pack the appropriate attire for those occasions. Men in most cases will wear a tuxedo, suit or sports jacket preferable with tie. And ladies – well I don’t need to go far here. You know what you look great in – be it a gown, dress or pant suit. (And if you don’t have what you want you now have an excuse to go on-line and buy one!)

Day Time on Board the Ship

What are your preferences for your days on board? Will you spend much of the time by the pool? Swim wear and cover-ups are the order of these days.

If you will be spending time attending the events, trainings, tastings, crafts… etc. you will want comfortable clothes. On some cruises this may mean shorts or skirts and tops or on cooler climate cruises maybe slacks, sweats and the like.

On many cruises including warm climate cruises it can be quite breezy on the decks. You may require something a little warmer including a light jacket. (This will come in handy in the evenings on deck as well).

Day Time in Port

Here again what you pack will largely be dependant on your personality and activities. If you are a “beach bum” like me you will already have your swim wear packed.

On some of the tours, your attire is recommended so you might want to check the itinerary on you cruise line’s website. They most often have the ship’s tours identified and you can even pre-book them in many cases.

Do not wear high fashions in an area where you would stand out or look out-of place. That could make you a target of less than law abiding individuals and groups.

Generally, you will want to be respectful of the customs of the place that you are visiting. Remember, you are a visitor to their country, island, village or community.

Evenings – Let the Entertainment Begin!

Evenings on board ship can be as quiet and relaxing as you would want. Or… you can party all night!

Of course the attire for each of these can be very different.

In most cases the formal dining rooms prefer dress casual attire on the nights that there is no formal event. That means slacks and shirts for men, and a dress or slacks for the ladies. (I have personally not seen anyone thrown out or barred from entering the dining room because of their attire.)

Most often the buffet is operating during dinner as well for those of you that would prefer to remain in more casual attire. Dress for dinner is the same here as it is for breakfast and lunch. (Cover-ups are requested over swimwear.)

Many of the evening events have no particular dress code although some of the night clubs and lounges may have one. The theatre on board will have great shows and entertainment – again with no particular dress code but in most cases you will find yourself looking out of place in say swimwear at these events.

Strolling on the decks in the evenings can be a little cool with the ocean breezes and the speed of the ship. You may find that a light jacket or sweater is required to remain comfortable.

Summing It Up

In general make sure that you have comfortable clothing. Remember. You are on vacation. You should feel comfortable and relaxed.

On the topic of comfortable, PLEASE make sure that you have comfortable footwear. You will be amazed at how much walking that you will do in a day on board ship or in port.

One more thing… Don’t over pack. It amazes me that after all of the cruises that we have taken that I still come home with one quarter of the clothes that I took untouched. Why drag around your whole wardrobe when a couple of outfits will be all that you wear?

If you really need something while away, you can always find something in the ship’s shops or in one of the ports-of-call. (And souvenirs are always good, right?)

So don’t get all uptight packing for your cruise. Relax. Think about what you would like to do while away and the wardrobe that you will pack will present itself to you. (But don’t forget that you have an excuse to buy that new “killer” outfit!)