Recently, I sat down to plan a cruise to Europe this summer. After staring at the computer for a few minutes, the first thing that came to mind was to check out kayak.com and see what airfare looked like. Well, there is a small problem – there are a lot of airports in Europe and many possible destinations.
I was clueless and enlisted some help. An avid traveler and cruiser, Sarah Phillips is joining us to share her planning knowledge. As her family’s vacation planner, one of her many planned trips was to Europe in May 2011 on the Carnival Magic inaugural sailing. She was thrilled with the thought of helping anyone plan a trip – in her eyes, planning is part of the adventure.
Her first advice to me is to know what you want to accomplish.
Ask Yourself These Questions:
- Where do I want to go?
- How much do I want to spend – what’s my budget?
- What do I want to see?
- When is the best time to go?
- How long do I want to go for?
- Who do I want to travel with (think about the demographic of people and the cruise ship)?
- What kind of ship do I want? Newer? Upgrades?
- Is trip location or ship more important to me?
- What kind of accommodations do I want to have?
- What documents will I need? Will I need a Visa in addition to my passport?
- What’s the most important part of this trip?
- What am I most looking forward to with this trip?
Once you’ve answered the questions, you should be prepared to decide where and when you’re going on vacation.
You’re ready to read through each post to make your cruise planning flawless.
The European Cruise Series:
- Get There – Airfare and Transportation
- Play There – Excursions Guide
- Eat There – Restaurants and other tips on food
Featured photo: Flickr
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