Cruise rates, particularly for Alaska and the Caribbean, are a great value this year. Considering the fact that the cruise fare includes accommodations, meals, several on board activities and entertainment, if you plan ahead, you can have very little out of pocket expenses.

For those of you who have never been on a cruise, we now want to share more details on the different types of onboard activities that are available. Plenty of things to do on a cruise ship are free, like using the pool, library, game room, basketball courts, fitness center or catching live entertainment…you’ll find everything from Reggae Bands by the pool, to Comedians, Magicians and Broadway style performances throughout your cruise. Children’s programs are free, and the activities cater to several age groups. If you are interested, you can also dance the night away at various lounges, or the night club. Check your daily planner (or “compass” as it is called on many ships,) that is left in your cabin each day, so that you don’t miss out on the activities.

Activities vary by ship and cruise line, but in general you can expect to see the following:

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When I use the phrase “Best European Cruise” I am not referring to the very best vacation money can buy, but rather the greatest amount of luxury and adventure to be found without slipping the restraints of your budget. As much as we’d like to be able to ignore our accountants and max out our credit cards it is an unrealistic dream, particularly in these difficult financial times. That being said, there is nothing stopping you from finding the best European cruise deal you can with the money you have available to you. Here are a few tips to going about that:

1 – Determine which ports of call you would like to visit. Though the bulk of your time will be spent aboard the ship the highlights of your trip will be the time you spend visiting Europe’s amazing historic cities. If you’ve always wanted to see Rome, or Athens, or Barcelona then you need to plan your itinerary around one or many such destinations. Visiting the Sistine Chapel or St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome might bring you more joy than the rest of your journey combined, so you really need to focus in one this one aspect of your cruise planning more than any other. Don’t just concentrate on the cities in the Mediterranean basin. You can also enjoy wonderful cruises in the Baltic, Black or Caspian Seas. European river cruises are also immensely popular and are a fabulous way to explore inland Europe.

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I will never forget visiting Strahan and taking a Gordon River Cruise. Strahan is situated on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia’s beautiful island state.

For a town with a population of around 700, I was surprised to find that the town centre was very touristy. The upside is that you do not need to search too far for information on attractions. It’s readily available right along the main street.

We boarded the Gordon River cruise boat around 9am. From Strahan, the boat travelled at high speed to the harbour entrance, known as Hells Gates. Where did this name come from? Well convicts heading for the Sarah Island penal settlement had to pass this way. And this was the name they came up with, in anticipation of what life was going to be like for them. Sounded pretty grim all right…

At Hells Gates our cruise boat left the safety of the harbour and travelled out into open sea for a little while. This allowed us a brief taste of the Roaring Forties, the notoriously powerful westerly winds found between 40 and 50 degrees latitude. And this is exactly where Tasmania is located.

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