Five Cant- Do -Without Tips For virgin Cruisers

Taking a cruise for the first time? Here's five tips that will help make your first cruise a memorable one.

1. Want a better deal? book early or late - Advance booking can save you al least 15 percent to up to 50 percent. This will also give you a grand choice of cabin category. If you book on the last minute you may get an even better discount on an unsold cabin (ships hate to cruise with empty cabins) - the downside is you have to settle for the cabin that's left.

2. Take the road not the air - save more by driving to the nearest port in the city. There are a lot more cruises departing from ports (close at home as they're called) such as Boston, Bayonne, NY, LA , SF and Seattle

3. Be a "Short-time first-time cruiser" - take a short cruise - like a 3 to 4 days on the weekend. This will enable you to get a "feel" of what a real cruise is like. lots of short cruises are available in the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera.

4. Travel smart - beware of added costs. From photos snapped up by a "crew member" to casinos, and alcoholic beverages -These hidden charges abound all around the ship. Cover these charges with a 20% addendum to your original budget. If you want to buy a souvenir on a ship you may want to wait till the last day of the cruise -that's when the sales happen.

5. The Biggest additional costs are the shore escorted excursions - as much as $25 per person for a tour by by coach and as much as $300 for a helicopter ride. If you don't want to go -the upside is you'll have most of the ship to yourself -more room to relax and lounge as most of the cruisers are in the port sight-seeing.

Hope this saves you more than a buck or two! Here's to a memorable first cruise

Franz von Muhlfeld and his father have been in the travel industry for a combined 70 years http://www.deluxecruisenews.com

30 YEARS IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY