Cruises

Honeymoons too often take a backseat to the arrangements and plans of the actual wedding, but you owe it to yourself to give honeymoon planning greater and more careful attention. After all, while the wedding is mainly for your family and friends, the once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon that follows is a private getaway for you and your new spouse to celebrate your marriage. Though you may spend a portion of your vacation relaxing and reflecting on this major life change, the honeymoon is most of all an opportunity to enjoy being a newlywed, spending quality time with your new spouse, and experiencing a romantic and exciting getaway.
Honeymooners have endless options. Following months of wedding planning, couples often retreat to a luxurious resort that caters to their every need, while others trek to an adventurous escape from their day-to-day lives. Whether a beach vacation, a safari, or a ski trip, the honeymoon should reflect your joint personality and wishes.
Keep in mind that perfect honeymoons don't just happen, and planning requires thoughtfulness, patience, careful attention to details, and a lot of decision-making along the way. The more homework you do before leaving for your honeymoon, the more you will enjoy your special vacation.
Top Honeymoon Hotspots
Your honeymoon can be the most romantic trip you'll ever take, and it can also be a lot of fun. Look for a destination that offers everything you want. Remember that there is no "ideal" destination - the personality of you and your partner will determine where on the planet your honeymoon should be. However, the following locations traditionally are considered the greatest spots to honeymoon and top many newlyweds' travel wish-lists.

Hawaii - Hawaii remains the number one destination for honeymoons year after year because of its romantic sunsets, magnificent beaches, and luxurious hotels. Visitors to Hawaii can also conveniently hop from island to island to experience just about any climate and adventure under the sun, including kayaking, mountain climbing, surfing, scuba, and even hiking in a rainforest.
Mexico - From the Yucatan peninsula to the Pacific Coast, Mexico is all at once romantic, adventurous, and laidback. A collection of spectacular land- and seascapes larger than almost anywhere else in the world, reasonably priced attractions and an easy-to-reach location make a Mexico vacation hard to beat. Honeymooners can enjoy a wide variety of activities, including eco-tourism, water sports, horseback riding, diving, and touring ancient Mexican ruins.
The Caribbean - The islands of the Caribbean have long been favorites for honeymooners. While we mention a few below by name, your travel consultant can assist you with destination materials that provide a wealth of information for helping you choose the perfect spot.
Bahamas - With over 700 separate islands, you'll find numerous resorts with all the water sports, pampering, night clubs, fine dining, casinos, and beaches you could possibly want. Many amazing islands in the Bahamas can also be visited easily in one trip by booking a cruise. If you're seeking a truly romantic paradise for your upcoming honeymoon, look closely at the Bahamas.
Jamaica - If you're eager to just get away and relax after hectic wedding planning, Jamaica is the place to be. From the famous reggae music festivals to the beautiful shorelines, it's easy to get into the Jamaican state of mind. Whether you stay on the island in a luxurious resort or simply visit for a couple of hours on a cruise ship stop, Jamaica's culture of fun, sun, and romance will make you feel welcome.
Bermuda - Bermuda is a truly s sightseer's delight, and couples are encouraged to rent a moped or take public transportation to see all the sights. Offering an array of ocean activities and charming historic towns, Bermuda provides a romantic and mysterious escape to an era of class and grace.
U.S. Virgin Islands - Replete with sailing, snorkeling, sports fishing, and tons of shopping, honeymooners have long been attracted to the Virgin Islands for an active escape.
Tahiti and the South Pacific - These islands are becoming an increasingly popular destination for couples (including celebrities) seeking an exclusive honeymoon experience and are the closest most ever get to a private island retreat. The sheer beauty and history of the land and the people allows couples to participate in awe-inspiring eco-tourism and cultural activities. Many also opt to stay in traditional style burés, some of which are directly over the water, to take advantage of the unparalleled views.
Continental U.S. - Many couples are drawn to distinctive locations throughout the United States. California, one of the most popular, offers marvels ranging from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge to the glamour of Hollywood. Las Vegas, Nevada, always draws a lively crowd. Its incredible range of world-class hotels, casinos, entertainment, and shopping venues gives honeymooners an exciting vacation from home. New York, Florida, and Colorado are also very popular destinations for honeymooners, as they offer fun and romantic tourist attractions that welcome visitors year-round. Traveling within the U.S. is an excellent opportunity to experience the unique diversity for which America is world-renowned.
Europe - Europe has always been high on honeymooners' lists, in part because of the distinctiveness of each country and the many destinations couples can visit during their trip. From the majestic views of the snow-covered Alps to the Eiffel tower in Paris, Europe is filled with unforgettable history and romance.
Australia and New Zealand - If you're looking for outdoor adventure both above and below the ocean bed, you'll love the exceptional beauty of these lands. From snorkeling and scuba diving to bush treks and mountain climbing, honeymooners won't find any more high-energy activities than these locations offer.
Planning a Hassle-Free Honeymoon
If you and your fiancé are just beginning to think about your honeymoon plans, a good place to start is agreeing on a specific destination. A recommended way to do this is to sit down together and compile a list of your top dream vacations. Choosing a destination and an itinerary that really works for your personality is also key. It's easy to get overwhelmed at this stage, since you have so many possibilities, but you can narrow down the options by deciding if you'd prefer a tropical beach, big city, or a place known for adventure travel. Also consider if you want warm or cool weather, a distant land or someplace closer to home, a vibrant location with people to meet, or seclusion, where it will just be the two of you. Speak with your travel consultant about all of your honeymoon ideas, and consider including adventurous and unusual travel themes along with more popular options like mass market cruises and all-inclusive resorts.

Also remember that you may need to psychologically accommodate to your new status as a partner and a spouse, and with proper planning and smart travel choices, you can enhance your opportunity to bond without undue stress over logistics or other complications. Your travel consultant can always develop a customized honeymoon that provides not just a vacation experience, but a real journey for the two of you set in a locale that reflects your personalities and values.
Once you've decided where you want to go, your next step is to make a budget. Find out if you have any frequent flier miles or hotel discounts you can use towards your trip. Also think about putting all the wedding expenses on a single credit card that accumulates frequent flier miles for the honeymoon. The cost of your honeymoon will, of course, be the sum total of the accommodations, activities, transportation, meals, tips, souvenirs and other travel costs. Be candid with your travel consultant to make your honeymoon economically comfortable.
When considering your budget, know that all-inclusive resorts take care of most of your meals, athletic equipment, and tips. Some also include liquor and bar costs as well as resort-specific activities. These arrangements vary widely, however, with some including roundtrip airfare, so find out exactly what is and is not included in the price.
Also note that honeymoon packages offered by hotels, airlines, and wholesalers typically include special perks for newlyweds that you can't get with standard packages. Your travel consultant will know to ask your hotel if special honeymoon packages are available.
Once you have a budget, decide when to go and for how long. Figure out how many vacation days you have and how many you'll need before the wedding to take care of odds and ends at the last minute. Decide whether you want to leave immediately after your wedding, or wait a few days or weeks to give yourself more time to focus on the trip. If you don't have very many vacation days, you may want to take a "mini-moon" the weekend of the wedding and then a longer, second honeymoon on your first anniversary. It's usually a good idea to give yourself at least a day or two to continue the honeymoon after returning home, before you head back to work and settle into your everyday life.
Don't forget to research the travel documents you might need for your honeymoon as well. U.S. citizens need valid passports for all air and sea travel to and from Europe, Asia, and Australia. As of January 8, 2007, passports are also required for travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Your travel consultant will assist with all of the necessary documentation, including documentation of your recent name change!
Be diligent about keeping copies of all correspondence, confirmation numbers, and invoices given to you by your travel consultant. Double- and triple-check all the plans to be sure that your departure and return dates are correct. Inform everyone along the way that you're traveling on your honeymoon, so you don't miss out on complimentary perks. Stay organized by creating a folder or notebook where you can keep all this information.
One last bit of advice: Have realistic expectations throughout the course of planning and taking your honeymoon trip. While it's only natural for you to want your honeymoon to be perfect, bear in mind that travel is inherently an adventure. Approach your honeymoon with an open mind, and prepare to have plenty of laughs along the way.
There really are endless possibilities for honeymooners. Whether you decide to go on an exotic foreign expedition or visit a nearby luxurious resort, start planning early to make sure you're right where you want to be... and then Bon Voyage!
The Bridal Registry -
Instead of that traditional toaster, towels or crystal bowl, why not invite your weddings guests, friends and family to contribute to your Honeymoon trip? Once you book your Honeymoon with us, your guests will call to contribute to the balance of your Honeymoon trip. We keep a registry of whom has contributed and provide to you upon your return so that you may send thank you cards.
Destination Weddings -
Destination weddings are becoming very popular these days. Have us help you plan your destination wedding and provide accommodations for all your guests. The Honeymoon couple may wish to stay at an all adult luxury resort on the beach while friends and family stay at one of the popular family resorts close to you. Our Wedding Planners on site can help you coordinate your Dream Wedding while your guests enjoy activities before and after your wedding combining a picture perfect vacation of their own, while the happy couple enjoys their own Honeymoon. Or, let's arrange a before wedding ceremony dinner for you and your guests and perhaps some excursions for you all to enjoy together.

The rivers and canals of Europe are open for travel. As many as 20,000 total miles of inland waterways let travelers absorb European culture at a relaxed, leisurely and up-close pace. The waterways of Austria, The Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Russia and others now have many options to meet the growing demand for river cruising.

No longer an obscure way to see old Europe, travel by river is one of the best ways to venture out and take in the heart of the continent. This guide looks at the options available to travelers wishing to take a trip through Europe from a river's perspective, easing through the countryside at a pace that permits all of the culture's best possibilities to unfold. Travelers who return from river cruises carry memories of very intimate encounters with the countryside, local people, and fellow passengers. River cruise and barging travelers inevitably become true enthusiasts for the experience.

A traveler can journey Europe's waterways in a variety of ways. River cruising most often refers to river going cruise ships typically carrying fewer than 250 passengers. As such, river cruising ships are much smaller than mass-market, ocean-going vessels, but as river boats go, are on the larger end of the scale. Western and Central Europe have many river routes to offer the larger cruise boats. Popular itineraries include the Danube visiting Hungary, Austria and Germany and the Elbe River through Germany and the Czech Republic. In France, the Rhone and the Soane meander through Provence and Burgundy, while the Seine takes passengers through Paris and Giverny. In Northern Italy, the Po offers exciting opportunities with a variety of river cruise companies. Finally, the Volga, connecting St. Petersburg and Moscow provides a decidedly different way to port between these two magnificent cities. River cruises tend to be affairs of luxury, with an emphasis on informal, but upscale travel. Relaxation and intensive sightseeing are the main activities, as organized entertainment is somewhat limited on most river cruises, except for the occasional lecture or sing-along. Mostly, the crew allows passengers to enjoy their time as they see fit.

Cabins on larger river vessels vary in size from 90 square feet on older ships to over 200 square feet on newer. Most rooms are outside cabins, meaning they have windows for optimal sightseeing. The least expensive cabins are lower in the boat, while passengers pay more for higher rooms with better views. Cabins come with basic amenities, such as hair dryers and televisions, and are often very nicely furnished. The larger river cruise vessels have telephones and even Internet service.

Many first time river cruisers are delighted to discover that, unlike ocean cruising, there is very little boat motion. The mandated slow speeds and flat waters of the rivers ensure a quiet, placid voyage. It is often difficult when not on deck to even know the vessel is underway!

On longer trips, 10 days or more, the typical river cruise passenger is a well-traveled individual often over the age of 60. Shorter cruises typically attract a younger crowd. River cruises on the larger vessels do not always allow children under 12 as passengers, so make sure to check on any restrictions for families. The passenger manifest will be a mix of European and North American travelers, but most crews speak at least some English, and many are fluent. Individuals who require physical assistance when traveling should check with their travel consultant to determine the accessibility of any particular vessel for disabled passengers.

Meals have always been a special part of cruising, and river cruises have maintained that tradition. On river cruise vessels, food is a key part of the experience, prepared by a dedicated chef, the ship's captain, or a restaurateur in a small village. Europeans take great pride in their culinary skills, and practically everyone who has ever cruised along the rivers and canals of Europe has at least one story about an unforgettable meal or food experience. Special dietary considerations can often be accommodated if requested early in the booking process. On self-drive barges, travelers can stock up on provisions from the villages and cook on board, or splurge at dining opportunities along the way.

Crewed barges with meal service and more amenities are sometimes referred to as "Hotel Barges": smaller vessels with a passenger capacity of as few as six to as many as 50. Hotel barges tend to be much slower than river cruisers, and due to their smaller size, can enter more narrow waterways like canals, in addition to the larger rivers. Hotel barges range from Spartan accommodations to luxurious rooms with gourmet meals, fine wines, and bicycles for self-guided shore excursions. Cabins vary in size and most often have private baths with showers. Many barges have saunas and hot tubs on deck. Most are without telephones or Internet service, though, as such modernity is typically absent in the barge market.

Travelers can also book a "self-drive" barge and be their own crew. The smallest of the vessels, the "narrow boats" are often seen on the small canals of the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as Holland. These boats are very easy to handle and seldom are capable of exceeding 5 miles per hour. Without a crew, passengers are required to work with the canal lock systems on their own, a simple but time consuming task that consists of turning a crank manually or waiting while a lock attendant, if available, takes care of it. If self-drive is your choice, it's worthwhile to discuss the number of locks along your itinerary with the boat owner/operator to ensure you are comfortable with the physical labor and time required to negotiate the lock systems.

Passengers on self-drive barges provision the galleys themselves and travel their own itinerary. Bathroom facilities are similar to those found on bareboat charters with chemical toilets and potable water. No special licensing is required to pilot a barge, and while it is a very simple exercise, most wise self-drive veterans purchase optional boat insurance to cover any accidental damage to the vessel.

The differences between a river cruise experience on the one hand and a self-drive barge on the other are matters of personal taste and preference. The larger river cruise vessels and the luxury barges are akin to the best cruising experiences anywhere. Smaller crewed or self-drive barging is an outing, something more like a bareboat charter or renting a recreational vehicle on land - an adventurer's way of crossing the terrain. In either instance, however, it is the close connectedness of the traveler to the landscape that's key to the experience. The often ancient cities and villages that have grown up on the banks of the old rivers are artifacts in their own right. River travel affords the opportunity to savor history and culture as it was meant to be experienced: not as an observer, but as a participant.

The peak season for river cruising is much the same as European travel in general, late spring through mid-fall and early November. The shoulder season, a real value, ranges from early March through mid-May. The autumn months coincide with grape season, and several cruise lines are fully booked during this time by wine connoisseurs. Finally, April is tulip season and cruises in and around the Netherlands are particularly popular then.

As always, pack as lightly as possible, as space on the smaller barges can be at a premium. Your cruise operator will no doubt provide you with a list of recommended items to bring, but the usual recommendations of hats, sunscreen and sunglasses are often overlooked but very important, because so much of your time will be spent outdoors. The smaller barges and self-drive options require good deck shoes and weather gear.

Regarding travel budgets... amenities offered by the cruise and barge operators and the travel season determine costs. For high-end river cruises and hotel barges, $2,100 per person, double occupancy and cruise only, is a common brochure cost for a seven day cruise. 12 day cruises often range from $2,800 upwards, but discounts are usually available for most itineraries through your travel agent. Other cruises may be had for as little as $800.00 for a seven day itinerary. Costs typically include all meals, tour excursions, and accommodations. Tips and gratuities are expected, ranging from $10 - $35 dollars per day. Self-drive options cost approximately $700 - $1000 per week for the barge alone, with all provisioning, fuel and other charges as additional costs. Your travel consultant will have many resources on hand for finding the best possible values.

Europe and its waterways await you!