Luxury Cruising Made Easy

Luxury cruising is an incredible all-inclusive experience for any traveler who seeks to ride the seas. There are several luxury cruise companies with many enticing destinations, so how do you know which locations and cruise lines best fit your needs?

Maximize your sea-faring experience with our guide to the top luxury cruise lines and the world's best cruising destinations

Top Cruise Lines

Silversea Cruises – Experience luxury on the seas with their ocean-view suites, all-inclusive lifestyle, and distinct European style of design and dining.

Seabourn Cruise Line – With incredible space-to-guest ratios and ships with all-suite accommodations, this cruise line dwells in luxury living and hospitality.

Oceania Cruises – This upper premium cruise line travels to more than 330 ports around the world, including off-the-beaten path ports, and offers fine dining and luxury cruising aboard all ships.

Top Cruise Destinations

The Panama Canal - This is a must because the Canal is perhaps the world's most amazing engineering project. You will witness man's colossal fingerprints on nature as the canal links two oceans and separates continents.

Norway - You will take an immediate liking to the amazing geographical traits of Norway: the dramatic coastline, the sky-high rocky cliffs and the fjords. Add to that the picturesque world heritage towns and fishing villages. Norway boasts the third largest glacier in the Folgefonna glacier, which fills over 200 square kilometers.

Alaska - Most of us know little about the 50th State other than Northern Exposure. The tranquil, unspoiled waters, the mountains and glaciers filled in snow and the steep mountains will take your breath away. Try to get on land and head off through the continent's highest peak, Mt. McKinley, to see how far ahead you can look out.

Be Prepared for your Cruise

Taking a cruise is great. Being prepared for your cruise is better. If you are better prepared for your cruise, it will be much more enjoyable. Here are some guidelines to help you be better prepared:

Passports - If you don't have a passport, if your existing passport expires soon, or if you don't have enough pages left in your passport, it's time to get a new one. The passport office can be quite busy, so plan ahead and allow time to receive yours. Check with your travel specialist or cruise line about whether any visas are required for your cruise.

Shore Excursions - When you receive your cruise documents (your papers for boarding the ship), you usually will receive a shore excursion booklet describing the line's tour options in exotic ports of call. Read the booklet right away and make decisions as soon as possible if you plan to take any of the line's shore trips. By pre-reserving shore trips, you'll have a good shot at getting the ones you want. This is particularly important for popular activities with limited space, like swimming with the dolphins in the Caribbean or going dog-sledding in Alaska.

Credit Card Planning - Depending on the line's policy, length of cruise and type of journey, the line might get authorization for $50 to $200 in daily charges towards your credit card. That preliminary credit authorization will apply to your card until the end of the trip, perhaps leaving you with little usable credit on that card, at least temporarily. Savvy cruisers take along two credit cards: one for incidentals onboard and another for purchases they make ashore.

Luxury Cruises Make Vacation Planning Simpler and More Relaxing

If you're ready to experience true luxury over the seven seas, click here to find out more about luxury cruising aboard top cruise lines to endless exciting destinations.