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Cruising can provide a wonderful, relaxing, even exotic vacation, but a little forethought and advanced planning is required to assure that you squeeze the most of your cruise adventure.

The cruise experience can be broken down into three basic categories: the at-sea experience; the on-board experience; and the ports. The on-board experience will depend primarily on the ship you select, though most cruise lines offer similar ship amenities and activities. The at-sea and port experiences, however, are dependent upon your cruise destination.

Therefore, be thoughtful in selecting a cruise destination, as not all cruises are necessarily alike. A Caribbean cruise, for example, includes long stretches of "at-sea" miles, and the ocean you travel during this time holds little of interest and affords practically no sight-seeing. It is during these hours that you will rely upon the on-board ship activities to stave off boredom.

An Alaskan cruise, on the other hand, provides plenty of shore excursions and even the at-sea time will award the traveler with ever-changing scenes of nature, as well as a parade of wildlife to watch or photograph. Pods of dolphins and porpoises will often swim right beside the ship. Eagles often soar the skies within mere yards of the decks, and whales are frequently spotted in the distance, seemingly greeting passengers with a flip of their tales.

Thus, it is important to consider in advance how valuable nature-watching is to you in your adventure.

The number of port stops will depend upon your destination and the length of your cruise. Obviously, the longer your cruise, the more ports you will visit and, possibly, the longer your stay at each port. It is important to plan ahead as to which ports you want to see, and what activities you would like to engage in during those stops. Another factor to consider is the nature and cost of available shore excursions.

When shopping for your cruise, the cruise line will provide a list of ports, and the days and times the ship will arrive and depart from each port. This list does NOT, however, include excursions.

Shore excursions, which are really the life-blood of the cruise itself, are not included in the price of the cruise. Typically, each port will offer several different excursion packages. The excursion is a way to add a bit more adventure to your cruising experience. For example, one can take a snorkeling excursion on a Caribbean cruise, or book a fishing trip on an Alaskan cruise. Each of these adventures

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