Yes! Here is the complete list of ships sailing in Europe as of January 2018. Our website generates cabins for up to four people, so if you are interested in booking a cabin for 5 you will need to call us at 866-964-5482 or email us.

Cabins for 5 and connecting cabins sell out before anything else!

If a cabin for 5 is what you need, it is best to book at least a year in advance, otherwise, your only options will be the more expensive suites or getting two cabins. The most consistently inexpensive cabins for 5 in Europe can be found on Costa’s ships.

There are water-slides, shows, and kids clubs on all of these cruise lines. Kids 11 and under sail free as the 3-5th passenger on almost all MSC European sailings. Costa, Norwegian, Princess, Holland, and Royal Caribbean also occasionally have promotions where the 3rd and 4th passenger sail for free.

• Carnival
• Celebrity
• Costa
• Disney
• Holland
• MSC
• Norwegian
• Princess
• Royal Caribbean

 

Price Key:

$- prices are usually under $5,000 for 5 on a 7-day sailing – see Costa

$$- prices are usually under $7,000 for 5 on a 7-day sailing- see MSC, Holland, Royal, and Celebrity

$$$- prices are usually over $7,000 for 5 on a 7-day sailing – see Norwegian, Disney, and Princess

*Prices and availability are subject to change. While we can give you a range to help guide you, the cruise lines ultimately set the price and they may differ from what you see here.

Be sure to contact us if you’re looking for a cruise in which kids cruise for free – as new ships and dates are announced all the time, and often the website pricing will not reveal the correct kid-free price!

If you’re a military family in Europe you’re in luck, as kids age 11 and under cruise for free on almost all MSC CRUISES in Europe, (when they are the 3rd and 4th person in a cabin)!

Kids ages 12-17 pay a very reduced rate, sometimes as little as $99 each!!

MSC is top-tier, large Italian cruise line and most of their sailings are in Europe. So if you’re in Germany or Italy, it’s likely you won’t have to fly to an MSC cruise departure port.

MSC has a complimentary kids and teens program with all sorts of fully supervised activities in secured areas starting from early in the morning until late in the evening.

NOTE – there is an additional military discount available that is often NOT shown in pricing on the web site except on inside and oceanview cabins which are already discounted on our site.

So this is what you should do:

1. Go to the MSC cruises page,
2. CALL US to check for a lower rate applied to the cruise of your choice only if you want a balcony or suite – 866-964-5482.

Norwegian also has the 3rd/4th passenger free as one of it’s Free At Sea incentives on select sailings.

Costa has kids free as a capacity controlled promotion for select cabins on select sailings. Capacity controlled means that once they sell enough cabins, the promotion is over. Move quickly with this one!

Occasionally Kids are free as the 3rd/4th passenger in Holland’s flash fares.

For right now – that’s it! No other cruise lines are offering any kids cruise free deals. However, we know you want that. So we’re constantly on the lookout for it and all other great cruise deals and will let you know as soon as we know.

If it were up to us – that would be fine. But the cruise lines have very specific rules about that. They are:
Your deposit is fully refundable, up until the time of final payment (usually 75 days before sailing). Unless you used a non-refundable fare code, then you MAY get a future cruise credit but more likely, you will lose the deposit. (Only Carnival and Princess have non-refundable fare codes.) Some river cruise and luxury lines have $50 or $100 pp admin fees to cancel at anytime like Azamara for example.
To see the cancellation schedule for your cruise line click here.
Once you’re within 75 days before sailing, you can’t cancel your cruise without incurring penalties, somewhere between the deposit amount all the way up to 100% of the cost of your cruise, depending on how close it is to sailing.
The only way to get your money back, is if you purchased TRAVEL INSURANCE and you are cancelling FOR A COVERED REASON.
The most common covered reasons are illness, death or injury in the family, redeployment, and revocation of leave. Ask us for the complete list.

Yes, some cruise lines will let you leave your kids in the kids club while you are on an excursion booked through the cruise line. Do be aware that the hours of operation may be different on port days than on non-port days.
The cruise lines that will allow this for free are Carnival, Costa (space is limited), Disney , Holland, MSC, Princess and Royal Caribbean.
Norwegian and Celebrity charge a small fee for kids to stay behind port days, and space is limited. Cunard does not allow kids to stay in the kids club while parents are on excursions.

Each cruise line is different. The short answer to that question is:
Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Disney have a few cabins that will hold five – but very few. Princess, Celebrity, and Holland do not. Costa has the most cabins that can hold 5.
Carnival has many ships with cabins that hold five!
In order to get a cabin for 5 you will want to book your cruise as early as possible. Cabins for 5 and adjoining cabins are the first to sell out!

Most all of the other cruise lines require that the infant be at least 6 months old at the time of sailing for most sailings, and a year for certain sailings.
Expectant mothers must be 23 weeks or less at the time of embarkation which is 6 months and will need to provide a doctor’s note certifying good health.
The only exceptions to that 6-month infant rule is MSC!
Infants can travel at any age on MSC cruises!

On MSC Group babysitting is available at night, from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., for children ages 3 and older only. (Children must be potty trained to participate.) The cost is $6 per child for the first hour or $10 per child for the entire night.

For kids under 3, only day and evening group babysitting is available as part of the line’s complimentary MSC Babycare program. This service is for kids ages 1 year to 3 years old; hours are 9 to 11 a.m., 4 to 6 p.m. and 8 to 9 p.m. on port days and 8 to 10 a.m. and 8. to 9 p.m. on sea days. (Longer hours may be offered on MSC Meraviglia, MSC Seaside, MSC Opera, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Armonia, which all have larger nurseries.)

There is no in-cabin babysitting available.

Disney offers scheduled activities for kids 3 and older through midnight; as a result, the line does not offer any babysitting services for that age group. But Disney does offer nursery babysitting for babies and toddlers 6 months to 3 years old (or 1 to 3 years old on transatlantic and Panama Canal itineraries).

Daily operating hours vary but nighttime hours are usually 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations are required (with pre-cruise online reservations highly recommended) and the cost is $4.50 per half-hour for the first child and $4 per half-hour for any additional children in the same family.

There is no in-cabin babysitting available.

Carnival offers two types of cruise babysitting. The first is for kids under 2 years of age and is only available during select times. On sea days, the Under 2 program runs for a limited number of hours (which vary by sailing and demand) at a cost of $6.75 per hour, plus a 15 percent gratuity, per child. On port days, parents can leave their toddlers at the kids club throughout the day (same cost) but youth staff will not feed children.

For kids ages 2 to 11, group babysitting is available at night from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the kids club facility. The program, called Night Owls, also costs $6.75 plus a 15 percent gratuity per hour, per child. Kids do not need to be potty trained to participate in Night Owls.

There is no in-cabin babysitting.

On Royal Caribbean, there are two types of group babysitting available. From 10:15 p.m. to 2 a.m., kids ages 3 to 11 can attend the Late Night Party Zone at a cost of $7 per hour, per child.

Or, for kids under 3 (and at least 6 months old), there is a group nursery babysitting service available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (for $6 per child, per hour) and 6 p.m. to midnight (for $8 per child, per hour). Only 12 babies and toddlers can be in the nursery at once, so reservations are highly recommended.

Norwegian offers late-night group babysitting, as well as a mealtime babysitting service. The meal escort service is for kids ages 3 to 13 and costs $6 per child, per meal. (Breakfast meal escort service requires day-before registration, while lunch and dinner escort service can be signed up for that day.)

The Late Night Fun Zone group babysitting is offered every night from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Children must be between the ages of 3 and 12 years old (and be potty trained) and the cost is $6 per hour for the first child, plus $4 per hour for each additional sibling.

Norwegian also offers a Guppies nursery service for children 6 months to under 3 years old, but only on Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Bliss. Hours vary by itinerary; Guppies nursery babysitting costs $20 per time block session (a time block session is one hour and 50 minutes, with a 10-minute transitional window for pickup) for the first child and $16 per time block session for each additional sibling. Late-night fees (11 p.m. to 1:20 a.m.) are $24 per time block session for the first child and $20 per time block session for each additional sibling. Reservations for Guppies nursery babysitting is required.

There is no in-cabin babysitting.

On Cunard a nighttime babysitting nursery service is available at no extra cost for babies and toddlers, 6 months to 23 months, between 6 and 11 p.m. on all Cunard cruises. Parents will need to provide their own baby food or preorder, at no extra cost, ahead of their cruise.

There is no in-cabin babysitting available.

Costa offers late-night group babysitting for kids 3 to 11 years old, from 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. The service is free, but parents must sign up at least 24 hours in advance.

No in-cabin babysitting is available.

Celebrity offers both group and in-cabin babysitting on its cruise ships. The group sitting takes place in the Fun Factory facility and is only offered from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. This “slumber party” is open to kids ages 3 to 11 and the fee is $6 per hour, per child.

In-cabin babysitting is also available for up to three children from the same family. It’s available on a first-come, first-served basis costs $30 per hour and includes two babysitters. Bookings must be made 24 hours in advance and one parent or guardian must be onboard the ship during the entire length of the babysitting session. Children must be at least 12 months old to participate.

Holland’s nighttime group babysitting, called Club HAL After Hours, is available for kids ages 3 to 12 from 10 p.m. to midnight. The cost is $5 per hour, per child.

At other times, for children under 5, there is limited in-cabin babysitting available on a first-come, first-served basis, but only on sea days. The cost of in-cabin babysitting is $10 per hour for the first child and $7 per hour for each additional child.

Princess offers group babysitting nightly from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Kids must be between the ages of 3 and 12 and be potty trained to participate. The cost is $5 per hour, per child.

No in-cabin babysitting is available on any Princess ship.

You can book these once you are aboard the cruise ship. Simply press the ‘concierge or spa’ button on your room phone. Some cruise lines, Princess for example, will allow you to make reservations online in your trip planner before your cruise.
Spa treatments are usually very expensive aboard a cruise ship. Like, $120 per one-hour massage, plus you’ll need to tip on top of that.
There are usually several small restaurants on aboard your cruise ship that you can dine at for an extra fee, usually about $20 to $30 per person. You’ll have to book these in advance, by calling the concierge when you first get on the ship.
The food at these specialty restaurants is usually 4-star, so if you’re a big foodie it’s definitely worth it.

Carnival – 24 weeks or less at time of embarkation which is 6 months

Royal Caribbean – 23 weeks or less at time of embarkation with Dr. note.

Disney – 23 weeks or less at time of embarkation. Dr. note not required but helpful.

Norwegian – 23 weeks. Dr note required with estimated due date prior to the cruise.

MSC – 23 weeks – once she enters 24th, she can’t go. Must provide Dr. note.

Costa – 24 weeks or less at time of embarkation. Must provide dr. note

Holland – 24 weeks or less at time of disembarkation. Must provide dr. note

Princess – 24 weeks or less at time of disembarkation. Must provide dr. note

The most important detail to know about drink packages is that cruise lines require ALL folks in your party or who you’re cross-referenced to dine with to have the same package.

So if just one person in your party is a drinker, you have to pay for EVERYONE to be a drinker.

There are kiddy drink packages which include water and soft drinks, and kids too have to get the equivalent kid version of the drink package that the adults are getting.

The thing about most European cruises is that you will be in a port most days, and won’t return to the ship until late afternoon. So, you may not have a lot of time every day to drink enough to get the maximum value from your drink package.

Then again, prepaying for unlimited beverages does give you the peace of mind not to have a bill that catches you by surprise at the end of the cruise, when you have sobered up and reality sets in!.

Meanwhile, if you’re on a Caribbean cruise taking a relaxing, party vacation and you have three sea days, an investment in a drink package is easier to recoup.

We’ve found that drinks on cruise ships are not overly expensive. Most drinks average between $4 to $6 for beer, $6 to $8 for glasses of wine, and $6 to 9 for mixed drinks.

If you live in a big expensive city, you’ll find these prices to be relatively inexpensive. If you live in rural Oklahoma, this may be double what you pay at the local tavern.

We’ve gotten the most expensive premium drink package on cruises ourselves. At first it was fun trying a bunch of different mixed drinks and getting tipsy.

But after day four, we were kinda sick of drinking that much, and couldn’t put away the seven drinks necessary to make up for the $57 per person per day we were paying.

The other way we did extract full value from our expensive drink package is we drank bottled water like fishes. Fishes! Large 2-litre bottles of water are $5 to $6 each on most cruise lines.

You can’t get this wrong. Enjoy your cruise!

The price of a cruise could be anywhere between $200 and $20,000 per person!
Plus, the cruise lines change the price almost daily!
So there is no ONE price that we can tell you.
To determine the price we need to identify one specific ship and departure date. But then, we need to know what type of cabin you prefer (least expensive, ocean view, balcony, etc), the number of people in the cabin, and your state of residence, military status, senior and past guest status.
Whew – you see how getting a price on a cruise can be kind of complicated! But don’t worry, we’re experts and we can help.
There are over 300 cruise ships in the world cruising to hundreds of destinations.
Use the cruise search tool to select when you want to go, where to and where from.
It will reveal a list of all cruises which fit your criteria and give you live pricing and cabin availability.
We can tell you generally that holiday weeks and summer months are the most expensive time to cruise.
And some cruise lines are definitely more affordable than others.
But, you can use our search tool to list all cruises in order of least expensive to most, so you can easily see what your best deals are

The price of insurance is based on trip cost and age.
Here’s how you determine your trip cost.
Take the cabin total for your cruise, and divide that amount by the number of people in your cabin.
That gives you the per person trip cost of your cruise to use in the matrix below.
Go down the column for your age range until you get to the row that matches your trip cost in the far left column.
So, If you are 40 years old, and your per person trip cost is $485, your insurance cost is $38 per adult, and free for any kids in the cabin!

Book an inside, ocean view or balcony “guarantee”. A “guarantee” simply means the cruise line will assign you a cabin on the day of sailing, and that cabin is guaranteed to be an ocean view or better if you book an ocean view guarantee.
It will be a balcony or better (a suite) if you book a balcony guarantee. Or an inside or better if you book an inside guarantee.
Don’t worry – you are ‘guaranteed’ to get a cabin in the category you choose: inside, ocean view or balcony. There is no such thing as you arriving at the ship and the cruise line has no cabin for you. Promise!!
A ‘guarantee’ cabin is often $50 to $100 less per person than booking an assigned cabin.
Many people want to choose their cabin in order to make sure they’ll get a cabin on a certain deck, next to another cabin, or in the mid-section of the ship.
Thus, the only drawback to getting a guarantee cabin is you may not get a cabin assigned to you that has the most ideal location.
It’s your choice: cabin choice or price. Which is more important to you?
If it’s price – book an “guarantee” and roll the dice!

Imagine if your travel agent called you and said, I’ve been keeping an eye on your cruise. This morning the cruise line lowered the price of your cabin category by $200 per person, and I was able to refare it to that new lower rate. So, I just wanted to let you know that $400 has been refunded to your credit card. That’s all. Have a nice day.” Or, “I checked on your cruise status today and there was a free-upgrade offer available, so I can get you moved up from deck 6 to deck 10 if you’d like?” And, “Our agency has qualified for a $50 on-board credit for your cabin. Expect to see a $50 deduction off your bill for on-board expenditures. “ We make phone calls like that on a regular basis, because even after our clients book with us, we STILL are on the lookout for ways they can get more and pay less. When your final payment becomes due, we check the current rate for your cruise, and if it is less than what you paid, we contact the cruise line and request that they refare your cruise to the new lower rate, upgrade you to a higher category, or provide an on-board credit for the difference. We also welcome you to call us if you find the rate has gone down anytime after you book!

Each cruise line is different. The short answer to that question is:
Royal Caribbean and Disney have a few cabins that will hold five – but very few.
Princess, Celebrity, Holland – no.
Carnival has many ships with cabins that hold five!

Disney, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean, MSC and the Norwegian Escape have group babysitting for babies (at least one year old on Royal Caribbean) that costs money and is based on availability.
MSC is is the ONLY cruise line with babycare Service which does provide FREE babysitting for children between 1 and 3 years old during select hours.
On Royal Caribbean and Celebrity you can also pay for stateroom babysitting for kids ages one or older, along with Holland and Princess for kids ages three or older.
There is a nursery available on Norwegian, MSC, Carnival, Cunard and Celebrity with toys and games. Parents are required to be present in this nursery and to change their babies while they are playing in these nurseries.
Costa has group babysitting for kids 3 and up only.

Ask us for a quote. It pays 80% of your loss if you cancel for any reason at all.

We always recommend booking early in order to secure the rooms that you want at an early saver rate.
Cruise lines often raise prices closer to sailing as the demand for the few remaining rooms goes up.
PLUS we will monitor your rate until the time of final payment, so IF a better sale comes along that applies to you, we can refare you to the lower rate.
Every cruise line has incredible shows that kids will love!

Since most of you are in Kaiserslautern (K-town) or Stuttgart, we’ve prepared a detailed list of transportation options from southwestern Germany to cruise ports in the Southern Med.

1. Driving your own car

Rome and Barcelona are about a 12-13 hour drive from central Germany. Naples is 15, Marseille is 9. So for those ports, flying or training it may be easier for your family.

This is a good option if your cruise departure port is GENOA, VENICE, SAVONA or LA SPEZIA. Those ports are all around 8-9 hours by car from central Germany.

We used Google maps to see how far all Southern cruise ports are from Stuttgart.  If you’re not in Stuttgart, here’s a link to Google Maps, so you can get directions and travel times from wherever you are!

• Genoa is 6 hours and 45 minutes,
• Savona, 7 hours
• La Spezia 7 and ½
• Venice is about 7 hours.
• Trieste 7
• Rome 10 and ½
• Bari 13
• Barcelona 11
• Naples hours
• Messina, 18
• Palermo 19 and ½
• Valencia, 14 hours
• Malaga, 20 hours

There are convenient and affordable parking options at all those ports which costs anywhere from 65 to 95 Euros.

See our cruise port info and parking page for more details.

Train

Our recommendation for travel from Germany to Venice or Milan is the German train company, DB Bahn,

You can get an ICE (intercity express) train from Stuttgart to Venice Italy for as little as 79 Euro and the trip will take 9 hours.  These trains go up to 180 mph!

K-town to Marseille by train is only 7 hours and $124 pp (unless it’s a holiday or peak travel time).   This makes Marseille the fastest and most affordable port to access by train.

K-town to Milan takes 8-9 hours and costs 83 E on the Bahn.

Stuttgart to Milan takes only around 7 hours and costs 53 E.

(These were the prices for the second week in April when we checked in January, but of course, prices for other dates may differ.)

We recommend using Milan as a midpoint if you’re going to an Italian port.
From Milan, take the Italian train line, Italiarail, to your Italian cruise port.A ticket from Milan to Venice or Genoa is only $13!

Time by train  from Milan to port cities in Italy:

One and ½ hours to Genoa

Two hours to Savona

Only 2 and ½ hours to Venice.

Only 3 hours to Rome or Ancona.

Four hours and 40 minutes to Naples.

Seven hours and 45 minutes to Bari.\

Train from Venice to Genoa is 4 and ½ hours, and costs $80, for folks who did the open jaw cruise from Genoa to Venice.

3. BUS

European bus lines: Sena, Baltour or Eurolines

Search them all here: http://autolinee.baltour.it/Home/455-1-en.html

A bus from Stuttgart to Milan only takes 6 hours and 15 minutes and costs $65 or 45E.

Mannheim (near K-town) to Genoa takes 11 and ½ hours and only costs $83

Munich to Rome, by bus, departing at 4 a.m. arriving 18:45, only 110 Euros.

4. Flights

First, you’ll need to know which airports are within driving distance of you.

Below are listed driving distance from K-town to cities in Germany with airports.

Frankfurt Hahn – 1 hour and 15 minutes north

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT FRANKFURT AIRPORTS

There are TWO airports that have Frankfurt in their title, but the HAHN one is actually 1 and ½ hours west of Frankfurt, and it is the one used by Ryan Air.

Other main airlines will use the MAIN Frankfurt airport located in Frankfurt, about one and a half hours northeast of K-town.

Baden-Baden – 1 hour 40 minutes south

Strasbourg, France, 1 hour 50 minutes

Cologne – 2 and ½ hours north

Dusseldorf – 2 and ¾ hours north

Nuremberg – 3 hours east

Brussels, 3 hours and 20 minutes (same as airport near Munich)

Memmingen – toward Munich, southeast, 3 hours, 20 minutes

Dortmund – 3 hours and 15 minutes north

Munster, 3 hours and 45 minutes north

Leipzig, 4 and ½ hours northeast

Bremen – 5 hours due north

Hamburg, 5 and ½ hours north

Berlin, 6 hours

 Carnival – 6 months

Royal Caribbean – 6 months. If cruise has more than 3 consecutive days at sea, they will have to be 12 months.

Disney – 6 months. One year for Transatlantic and Panama Canal sailings.

Norwegian – 6 months at time of sailing. If cruise has more than 3 consecutive days at sea, they will have to be 12 months.

MSC – NEW RULE – infants of ANY AGE can cruise!

Costa – 6 months (won’t book infants up to 18 months in inside cabins)

Holland – 6 months or 12 months. Depends on the cruise. Most European cruises are going to be 12 months.

Princess – 6 months or 12 months. Depends on the cruise. Most European cruises are going to be 12 months.

All of the listed cruise lines have kids clubs for children ages 3-17.
Carnival allows potty trained kids as young as 2!
Kids will be grouped with other kids in their same age group.
These groups vary by cruise line, but generally there will be:
Teen group ages 13-17,
Older elementary ages 8-12,
And younger elementary ages 3-7

A major drawback to traveling alone is are the single-supplements that cruise lines typically charge.
These are the extra fees paid by one person who plans to stay in a cabin built for two.
Almost every cruise ship on every cruise line in the world is priced based on double occupancy.
This means that even if you are going alone, you pay the same price that a room for two people would minus the government fees for a second passenger.
A solo or single cruiser creates “spoilage” in cruise-speak. In other words, not only does it leave an empty bed that doesn’t add booking revenue, but it also means a missing body to add revenue from drink sales, casino use, shore excursions and spa treatments.
This is the principal hurdle for solo cruisers. Since most lines do not offer cabins for singles, or because the ships that do have them sell out rather quickly, the cruise line will charge an extra fee to a solo traveler wanting to reserve a double-occupancy stateroom unescorted.
HOWEVER, there is recent good news for solo cruisers!!
Certain cruise lines have noticed the need for solo cabins and have started introducing them on their newer ships.

Your room, meals, taxes and fees, and kids clubs, and entertainment IS included. However, shore excursions, alcohol, any babysitting, and gratuities for your waiter and room steward are not.

• Your room.

• All meals in either a large buffet that is open most of the day and evening and/or a formal dining room where a multi-course dinner is served by white-gloved waiters (it’s very fancy). You can eat at both places if you rush through the formal dinner.
• Coffee, tea, juice, ice tea and lemonade.
• Kids clubs (On almost every cruise line there are kids clubs for ages 3 to 17, with separate facilities, staffs and activities for each age group!).
• Nightly entertainment – big Broadway-type shows, comedy club.
• Activities on the ship – use of the pools, hot tubs, water slides, games, athletic facilities.

If the cruise you book has an onboard credit offer, that credit can be used for any purchases made WHILE YOU ARE ON THE SHIP only. You cannot apply it to the price of the cruise or to anything you add before the cruise.
You can apply it to any onboard purchase such as drinks, drink packages purchased ONBOARD, spa and salon treatments, excursions, gift shop items, photos, etc.

You can do a sunset cruise on a catamaran in many ports!
There will almost always be many shops and activities located very near the cruise terminal. So you can just walk (or tender) right off the ship and be surrounded with many options.
Or you can choose to take a SHORE EXCURSION that is offered by the cruise line or a company we can recommend to you.
The cruise lines offer many shore excursions in each port that range from $35 to $350 per person.
Once you have made your final payment on your cruise, you will register on the cruise line’s web site, do your online check in, and then have an opportunity to see all the shore excursions that are available and reserve your space for the ones you choose. After you book your cruise with us, we’ll send you a link for a company called SHORETRIPS, which is an alternative to booking your excursions with the cruise line. Prices on Shoretrips are usually less, and the group size is smaller.

While the answer varies depending on your tour, I would recommend toilet paper, walking shoes, and sunscreen. The toilets may not have toilet paper and sunscreen is ALWAYS a good idea.

Usually there are a couple formal nights, where everyone dresses up very nicely and photographers are everywhere taking pictures.
So you will want a couple of fancy outfits for those nights.
Also, there is a dress code for the formal dining room: no shorts, tank tops, flip flops allowed – that sort of thing.
So do bring some nice dress pants, shirts for men – not just shorts and tee shirts! Anything is fine on kids.
You will want comfortable shoes to walk around the ship and around the ports of call. And of course if your cruise is to a colder/cooler climate, you will want a rain jacket and layers.

• Gratuities.
• Alcohol, soft drinks and bottled water.
• Shore excursions.
• Spa treatments etc.

• There’s a ton of it, available almost 24 hours a day, and it’s all FREE! (Except the few specialty restaurants which charge a small surcharge, if you choose to dine there.)
• There’s always a huge buffet of amazing-looking desserts – so plan on gaining weight.
• There’s fancy dining rooms where you can sit down, order off a menu, and have your lunch or dinner served by white-gloved waiters.
• Or, you can peruse the endless options at a huge buffet that’s open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and just eat as much as you want there, whenever you want.
• Even at the buffet, there’s always a half dozen protein options, including meat carved off the bone to order. It’s quite nice. Vegan and gluten-free options are also available.
• There are always beautiful vegetable and salad bars available, so you can keep it clean and healthy if you want to.

 

US and International customs requires that you have either a passport or birth certificate.
A drivers license or military ID is not enough! If your cruise does NOT start AND end in the same US port, you MUST have a passport and it must be valid for at least 6 months AFTER your cruise ends.

Some other travel agencies try and fool cruise shoppers into thinking they have prices that are “discounted by 80%”. Sorry, but that’s a bunch of hooey.
The fact is, virtually all other travel agencies that you probably know by name (Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, VacationsToGo) don’t discount any cruise by a single penny! Their prices are always exactly the same as the rate anyone can get directly from the cruise line.
The simple truth is, we offer a discount off the cruise line’s lowest rate that comes out of our commission. None of those big boys listed above does that.
So there it is. Now you know everything there is to know about who’s giving out cruise discounts and how they’re doing it!

Off season is the best season – typically October, early November or early December (non-holiday weeks).

The cruise lines require a deposit to hold your cabin until 75 days before sailing, at which time final payment is due.
Most cruise lines require a deposit of $250 to $400 per person to hold a cabin until final payment.
MSC is different in that they only charge $200 per cabin!

The cruise industry has segregated all Southern Mediterranean cruises into four categories:

1. Eastern Mediterranean
2. Turkey, Greece and Black Sea
3. Western Mediterranean
4. Canary Islands

However, since the Canary Islands are near the Western edge of the Mediterranean, there are many cruises which include stops in the Canary Islands and Western Med.

And, most Eastern Mediterranean cruises stop at a ports in Turkey, Greece or the Black Sea.

If you want to go to places that are located on the LEFT or WESTERN side of the boot of Italy (Rome, Naples, Sicily, Tunisia, Palma de Mallorca, France, Spain, Portugal and Casablanca, then what you want is a WESTERN Mediterranean cruise.

Cruises that go to the Canary Islands also include the Western Caribbean ports of: Genoa, Savona, Rome, Naples, Naples, Palermo, Messina (Sicily), Livorno (Tuscany); Marseille and Toulon (South of France / Cote d’Azur/ Provence), Monte Carlo; Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, Tunis, Palma de Mallorca, Ajaccio (Corsica).

If you want to go to Venice, Croatia, Greece, Turkey or Israel, those destinations are Eastern Mediterranean and you should click on those links.

Cruises to the Eastern Caribbean and Turkey, Greece and the Black Sea include the ports of: Venice, Bari, Trieste (all in Italy), Dubrovnik, Split, Koper and Kotor (former Yugoslavia, now Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro), Katakolon, Corfu, Santorini and Mykonos (Greek Islands), Athens; Kusadasi, Izmir and Istanbul (Turkey).

Most cruises in the U.S. go to islands in the Caribbean Sea, or other islands like the Bahamas which are technically in the Atlantic. 
Cruises to the Caribbean usually go to either the Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, or Southern Caribbean.
To see map of where cruises depart from in the U.S., and go to in the Caribbean, click here! 
There are also cruises departing from California which go to Mexican ports like Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan. 
Cruises from Seattle and Vancouver go to Alaska. 
There are a few 15-day cruises which go from the West Coast of the U.S. to Hawaii, but most Hawaiian cruises begin and end in Hawaii. 
There are many cruises departing from southern Europe which cruise to other ports in the Mediterranean Sea, usually either on the Western side of Italy toward Spain, or on the Eastern side toward the Greek Isles. 
Cruises depart from Northern Europe cruise the North Sea to the Norwegian Fjords and cities in the Baltics and Russia. 
Cruises go everywhere in the world, including all over Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. 
There are also TransAtlantic and Repositioning cruises which cross the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.

 For U.S. cruise terminals Click Here

For European cruise terminals  Click Here.

Anchorage, Alaska

Terminal: Port of Anchorage
Physical address: 2000 Anchorage Port Road

Parking

$24 per day. There is an EasyPark Alaska long-term garage at 440 B Street.

Directions to Anchorage Terminal

Driving:  From downtown Anchorage head north on I street and turn right at W. 3rd Avenue

By air: From the Anchorage Airport, the terminal is an 8 mile, 20-minute taxi ride for $27.

By Train: Anchorage Historic Depot is a 49-minute drive from the Anchorage port.

Transfers:

• Holland $65
• Norwegian: $79

Hotels in Anchorage

 Anchorage Grand Hotel Nice hotel with free parking near the downtown train station.
 Duke’s 8th Avenue Hotel  Central Hotel in downtown Anchorage with free parking.
 Quality Suites Historic Downtown Less expensive downtown option with a free airport shuttle.

Baltimore, Maryland

Terminal:  Cruise Maryland Terminal at South Locust Point
Physical address: 2001 East McComas Street

Parking

$15 per night at the Port Authority

Directions to Baltimore Terminal

Driving: From I-95 South go through the Ft. McHenry Tunnel. Take exit 55 and turn at the traffic light onto East McComas Street.

By air: The nearest airport is Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI.) Once you arrive you can arrange a taxi to take you to the port for $27.

By Train: Nearest Amtrak station is at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI.)

Transfers:

• Carnival $25
• Royal Caribbean $37

Hotels in Baltimore

Iconic B and B Near the inner harbor that has a shuttle to the cruise port.
Inn at 2920 Up to 14 nights of free parking and a shuttle to the cruise terminal.
Best Western Plus (BWI)  This exceptional stay is right on the water near the cruise port.
The Inn at Henderson’s Wharf

Bayonne, New Jersey

Terminal: Cape Liberty Cruise Port
Physical address: 14 Port Terminal Boulevard

Parking

$19 per night parking sponsored by Central Parking.

Directions to Cape Liberty Terminal

Driving: Take the NJ Turnpike to exit 14A and continue onto Route 440. Turn left onto Port Terminal Blvd.

By air: The nearest airport is Newark International Airport which is 9 miles away. Once you arrive you can arrange a taxi to take you to the port for about $57.

By Train: Take the PATH Rapid Transit to Jersey City or Hoboken and then take the NJ Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to Bayonne.

Transfers:

• Celebrity $29
• Royal Caribbean $29

Hotels in Bayonne

Wyndham Hotel Nice hotel with 14-day parking a free airport shuttle from Newark.
Howard Johnson Budget hotel by the airport with free 10-day parking.
Ramada Plaza Hotel The luxury of the Ramada with an airport shuttle and free parking.

Boston, Massachusetts

Terminal: Black Falcon Terminal
Physical address: 1 Black Falcon Avenue

Parking

$16 per night parking is available in the city parking garage located across from Black Falcon Terminal.

Directions to terminal

Driving: From I 90 follow signs for the Ted Williams tunnel and take the 25/South Boston exit

By air: The nearest airport is Logan Airport which is 4 miles away. Once you arrive you can arrange a taxi to take you to the port for $21.

By Train: Take the Amtrak to South station.

Transfers:

• Holland $30
• Norwegian $30
• Royal Caribbean $27

Hotels in Boston

Holiday Inn Express Holiday Inn with free parking, airport shuttle, and cruise shuttle.
Best Western Round House Suites Best Western with free parking, airport and cruise shuttles.
Aisling Bed and Breakfast Charming bed and breakfast near the cruise port with free parking.

Charleston, South Carolina

Terminal: Union Pier Terminal
Physical address: 32 Washington Street

Parking

$17 per night parking is available on the port property with a complimentary shuttle bus to take you to your ship.

Directions to terminal

Driving: From I 26 East taken exit 219B and head town Union Pier Entry Gate #2

By air: The nearest airport is Charleston International Airport which is 10 miles away. Once you arrive you can arrange a taxi to take you there for $35.

By Train: Take the Amtrak to North Charleston 10 miles from the terminal.

Transfers:

• Carnival $30 (Transfers from other cruise lines will also cost about this much.)

Hotels in Charleston

Sleep Inn Charleston Friendly hotel that was recently renovated. Includes park and cruise.
Best Western Sweetgrass Inn Located only 5 miles from Historic Charleston/terminal.
22 Charlotte Bed and Breakfast Bed and breakfast, located downtown, with free parking.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Terminal: Port Everglades
Physical address: 1901 SE 19th Ave

• • Princess at Terminal 2
  • Holland at Terminal 26
  • Royal at Terminal 18
  • Carnival at Terminal 19
  • Celebrity at Terminal 4

Parking

$15 per night parking is available on the from Midport Parking Garages. Call 954-468-3680

Directions to terminal

Driving: From I 95 North take exit #24 to 1-595 East. From I95 South take exit #26 to I-595 East

By air: The nearest airport is the Hollywood International Airport which is 2 miles away. Taxis to your ship cost about $10-$15. Vans and shuttles are also readily available. Miami International Airport is 30-45 minutes away and a taxi costs about $85.

By Train: The nearest station is the FTL Amtrak station which is a 25-minute taxi ride to the port.

Transfers:

• Carnival $16 (MIA $31)
• Celebrity $17(MIA $30)
• Cunard $40 (MIA $40)
• Holland $19 ($30 MIA)
• Princess $19
• Royal Caribbean $17 (MIA $30)
• Norwegian $25 (MIA)

Hotels in Fort Lauderdale

Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Cruise and Park hotel with parking, and cruise shuttle included.
Lago Mar Resort and Club For a luxurious beach stay before your cruise head to the Lago.
Hampton Inn Airport The comfort of the Hampton Inn with airport shuttle and free parking.

Galveston, Texas

Terminal: Pier #25
Physical address: 22nd Street and Harborside Drive

Parking

$45 for a 4-day cruise, $50 for a 5 day cruise, and $70 for a 7 day cruise through the port of Galveston. Lot is located at 33rd Street and Harborside Drive. Prepay here for a $5 rebate http://www.portgalvestonparking.com.

Directions to terminal

Driving-From I 45 South take exit 1C to highway 275

By air- The nearest airports are Houston Hobby which is 1 hour away with a taxi fare of $110, and Houston Intercontinental Airport which is 1.5 hours away with a taxi fare of $183.72.

By Train–The nearest station is the Houston Amtrak station. From Houston, Amtrak provides a dedicated motor coach to Galveston.

Transfers:

• Carnival $35 (IAH $45)
• Disney IAH $45
• Royal Caribbean $32 (IAH $47)

Hotels in Galveston

San Luis Resort A local paradise with complimentary parking and shuttle to the terminal.
Hilton Galveston Enjoy the comfort of a Hilton with free parking and cruise transfers.
Baymont Inn and Suites Budget hotel with free breakfast and vaulted rooms.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Terminal: Pier #2
Physical address: 521 Ala Moana Boulevard

Parking

Aloha Tower Marketplace 101 Ala Moana Boulevard

Directions to terminal

Driving-From Highway 92 turn left on Channel street

By air- 5.4 miles from Honolulu International Airport- taxis are available for $15-$20

By Train–Carnival $26, Celebrity $25, Holland $65, Norwegian $25, Royal Caribbean $25

Transfers:

• Carnival $26
• Celebrity $25
• Holland $65
• Norwegian $25
• Royal Caribbean $25

Hotels in Honolulu

Acqua Oasis  Beachy downtown hotel near the port with a courtyard and free airport shuttle.
Ilima Hotel Pink budget hotel near the cruise port with free parking.
Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel Enjoy this lap of luxury near the cruise port and the Beach.

Houston, Texas

Terminal: Bayport Cruise Terminal
Physical address: 4700 Cruise Road

Parking

$80 per week, or $75 if prepaid from Bayport Cruise Parking. Call 1-877-710-2737

Directions to terminal

Driving: Take 1-45 South to Nasa Road One. Go left on highway 146 to the Port Road exit.

By air: The Houston Hobby airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport are 1 hour and ½ hour away from the terminal. Pasadena Taxi charges $100 for rides from Hobby and $50 for rides from George Bush International Airport.

By Train: The Amtrak station is in the middle of downtown Houston. It is an $80 cab ride from the terminal.

Transfers:

• Norwegian $50
• Princess $24

Hotels in Houston

Best Western Seabrook HotelPark and fly, free parking, and a free shuttle to the cruise port.
Holiday Inn Suburban hotel near the cruise port as well as shopping centers.
Modern B and B Architecturally modern stylish B and B in downtown Houston.

Jacksonville, Florida

Terminal: JAXPORT Cruise Terminal
Physical address: 9810 August Drive

Parking

$15 a day from the Jaxport Cruise Terminal. Click on the link to pay in advance or you can pay on site.

Directions to terminal

Driving: Take 1-95 South to exit #362. Continue on 9A until Hekscher Drive. Turn right.

By air: The Jacksonville International airport is located 12 miles from the terminal. Taxis are available to bring you to the terminal for $31.

By Train: The Amtrak Silver Meteor has a station in Jacksonville. The station is a 22-minute cab ride from the cruise terminal.

Transfers:

• Carnival $22 per person each way

Hotels in Jacksonville

 Fairfield Inn & Suites  Complimentary Airport/port shuttle and parking with Cruise and Park.
Riverdale Inn Quirky B&B built in a beautiful blue Victorian house located downtown.
Holiday Inn Blount Island Cruise and park right near the port with a package rate for the shuttle.

Los Angeles, California

Terminal: World Cruise Terminal
Physical address: 100 Swinford Street, San Pedro California

Parking

Parking is $16 per day and is operated by Parking Concepts Inc. Call 310-547-4357 or go to www.cruisecenterparking.com

Directions to terminal

Driving: 18 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. Take CA 47 to the Terminal Island exit.

By air: The Long Angeles Airport (LAX) is located 18 miles from the terminal. Taxis are available to bring you to the terminal for about $80.

By Train: The Amtrak Union Station is located in downtown Los Angeles 25 miles away. It is an hour from the terminal.

Transfers:

• Azamara $28
• Cunard $40
• Disney $60
• Norwegian $25
• Princess $34
• Royal Caribbean $28

Hotels in Los Angeles

Doubletree San Pedro Lovely Doubletree hotel by the cruise port with free parking.
Crowne Plaza Harbor Hotel The nearby Crowne Plaza has Park/Cruise with a cruise shuttle.
Best Western Sunrise Hotel Sunrise is a low-cost option located a block from the cruise port.

Long Beach, California

Terminal: Long Beach Cruise Terminal
Physical address: 231 Windsor Way

Parking

Parking is $19 per day and is operated by the cruise terminal.

Directions to terminal

Driving: 25 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. Take 710 Freeway South and follow the signs for the Queen mary- enter on the far right.

By air: The Long Angeles Airport (LAX) is located 23 miles from the terminal, with a travel time of about 50 minutes. A taxi would cost about $46. The Long Beach Airport is 12 miles away and travel time is about 20 minutes. It would also cost $46.

By Train: The Amtrak Union Station is located in downtown Los Angeles 25 miles away. It is an hour from the terminal.

Transfers:

• Carnival – $22 (LAX $30)

Hotels in Long Beach

Hotel Maya Highly rated Mayan themed hotel with a free shuttle to your cruise.
Residence Inn Long Beach Downtown modern hotel with a shuttle to the cruise port.
 Rodeway Inn Solid, affordable option near the departure port with free breakfast.

Miami, Florida

Terminal: Port of Miami
Physical address: 1435 North Cruise Boulevard

Parking

Parking is $20 per day and is operated by Cruise Terminal E. Shuttle service is available to drop you off at the cruise terminal.

Or try this less expensive option!

Directions to terminal

Driving: Take I95 to 5th street which leads onto the Port of Miami bridge. Continue over the bridge and follow the signs for terminals D and E.

By air: The Miami International Airport is 8 miles away and takes about 25 minutes to get to with a taxi fare of $27. The Fort Lauderdale International Airport is 26 miles away and takes about 45 minutes to get to for a fare of $88.

By Train: The Amtrak Union Station is located in downtown Miami 20 miles away. It is a 22-minute ride from the terminal.

Transfers:

• Azamara $18 (FLA $30)
• Carnival $17 (FLA $31)
• Celebrity$18 (FLA$30)
• Disney $20 MIA
• MSC $23 (FLA $30)
• Norwegian $19
• Princess $19
• Royal Caribbean $18 (FLA $30)

Hotels in Miami

Courtyard Miami Airport Newly renovated hotel with a cruise package including a shuttle.
927 Jefferson Suites Colorful and quirky beach Hotel near the cruise port.
Seaside Apartment Hotel Enjoy a beachside boutique hotel for a snazzy pre-cruise vacation.

Mobile, Alabama

Terminal: Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal

Physical address: 201 South Water Street

Click here to enter in your starting address and get directions to the Mobile terminal

Parking

There is a covered garage adjacent to the terminal for $18 per day. You can prepay if you’d like at www.shipmobile.com.

Directions to terminal

Driving:  Take the exit, Exit 26A, Canal Street. Turn right at the end of the exit ramp onto Water Street. Water Street is a 4-lane road with a median and will curve back to the north side of the terminal. Stay on Water Street for two blocks.The garage and terminal will be on the right side.

By air: Mobile Regional Airport is 30 minute from the cruise terminal.

Transfers:

• Carnival $29

Hotels in Mobile

Fort Conde Inn Cozy B & B located near the port and downtown with free parking.
Malaga Inn Quaint Inn near the port and downtown with a stay, park and cruise deal!
Hampton Inn- Downtown Highly rated Inn located downtown with a stay, park and cruise deal.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Terminal: Erato Street Terminal
Physical address: 1100 Port of New Orleans Place

Parking

Parking is $18 per day and is operated by the Erato Street Parking Garage.

Directions to terminal

Driving: Take US 90 West at Tchoupitoulas (Exit 11C). Follow the ramp and turn right onto Tchoupitoulas street. Turn left at Henderson street, then turn left onto Port of New Orleans Place.

By air: The New Orleans International Airport is 16 miles away and the travel time is about 40 minutes for a fare of $43.

By Train: The Amtrak Station in New Orleans located in downtown New Orleans 8 miles away. It is a 7-minute ride to the terminal.

Transfers:

• Azamara $20
• Carnival $24
• Norwegian $25

Hotels in New Orleans

Hampton Inn Convention Center Nearest hotel with $14 parking and a free shuttle.
Burgundy B & B  Classic B&B in the French Quarter for true New Orleans style.
Green House Inn B&B in the beautiful lower Garden District located very close to the port.

New York City, New York

Terminal: Manhattan Cruise Terminal / Brooklyn Cruise Terminal (Cunard, Oceania, Princess)
Physical address: 711 12th Avenue at 55th Street (Manhattan)/ 72 Browne Street (Brooklyn)

Parking

Manhattan parking is available above the piers for $40 per night for up to 10 nights. Drive the Viaduct Ramp at 55th street adjacent to the cruise vessel’s berth.

Brooklyn parking costs $23 per night for the first night and $20 per night after that. Parking is available through Ports America- call 212-641-4454 or email [email protected]

Directions to terminal

Driving: Enter the Manhattan Terminal from the intersection of 55th street and 12th Avenue (Route 9A). To drive to the Brooklyn terminal take the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and take Exit 26.

By air: The Manhattan terminal is 15 miles from Newark International Airport and takes 45 minutes to get to for a taxi cost of $83. It is 15 miles from LaGuardia Airport which is also a 45-minute ride for $61. It is 20 miles from JFK International Airport which takes 60 minutes to get to.

The Brooklyn terminal costs $102 for the 50-minute taxi ride from Newark airport. From LaGuardia Airport it costs $47 for the 35-minute ride. From JFK the taxi ride would cost $86 for the 48-minute ride.

By Train:Pennsylvania Station is located nearby- only 2 miles away. It is a 15 drive to the port.

Transfers:

• Carnival $30
• Cunard $50
• Disney $45 (LaGuardia and JFK)
• Holland $39
• Norwegian $49 (LaGuardia only)
• Princess $19

Hotels in Manhattan

Holiday Inn LaGuardia Free LaGuardia airport shuttle, free parking, and a cruise shuttle for a fee.
Ramada Plaza Hotel Newark Free parking up to 10 days, shuttle from Newark airport, cruise shuttle for a fee.
Best Western Premier Herald Square Near times square and all of the best tourism in NYC.

Hotels in Brooklyn

target=”_blank” rel=””Best Western Seaport Get the best of touristy Manhattan before crossing the bridge to cruise.
Hotel Le Bleu Upscale hotel in Brooklyn with free parking and airport transportation.
Comfort Inn Low-cost hotel right next to the cruise port with a free port shuttle and parking.

Norfolk, Virigina

Terminal: Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center
Physical address: One Waterside Drive

Parking

Parking costs $15 per night at the Cedar Grove Parking Garage. For more information call Norfolk’s Division of Parking at 757 664- 6222. Complimentary shuttles run regularly from the parking garage to the port.

Directions to terminal

Driving: Take I-264 to Exit 10. Turn right onto St. Paul’s Boulevard and follow the cruise parking signs.

By air: The terminal is 15 minutes from Norfolk International Airport, 30 minutes from the Newport News Airport. The taxi fare is $93.

By Train: The Norfolk train station is 2 miles away and a 5-minute drive.

Transfers:

• Carnival (None offered)

Hotels in Norfolk

Holiday Inn Express The Holiday Inn Airport provides parking and a shuttle to the port.
La Quinta Inn Cute budget hotel with free parking and free breakfast.
Freemason B & B Historical bed and breakfast very close to the port with great reviews.

Port Canaveral, Florida

Terminal: A-Side North Cruise Terminals
Physical address: Charles Rowland Drive (Disney, Carnival), 9050 Discovery Road (Royal Caribbean)

Parking

Parking costs $60 for a 3 day cruise, $75 for a 4 day cruise, $90 for a 5 day cruise, and $120 for a 7 day cruise. Advanced reservations can be made by going to portcanaveral.com or book parking here.

Directions to terminal

Driving: Take I4 East and exit at Beachline Expressway (S.R 528 East)

By air: The terminal is 45 minutes from Orlando International Airport for a fare of $134, and 1 hour from Melbourne International Airport for $78.

By Train: Depart from the Winter Park station. Port Canaveral is 1 hour away by pre-booked shuttle.

Transfers:

• Carnival $36 ($40 Melbourne)
• Disney $35 (kids under 3 free) Orlando
• Norwegian $35 Orlando
• Royal Caribbean $38 Melbourne

Hotels in Port Canaveral

Comfort Inn Cocoa Beach The Comfort Inn provides park and cruise with a shuttle for a deal!
Radisson Resort at the Port This hotel offers two money-saving shuttle and sail packages.
Cape Winds Resort For a special beach house pre-vacation book the Cape Winds Resort.

San Diego, California

Terminal: Port of San Diego
Physical address: 1140 N Harbor Dr.

Parking

Parking costs $12 a day from Park and Go (619) 525-9885. They do have a shuttle to the terminal.

Directions to terminal

Driving: Take onto Ash street and follow it until it dead ends at Harbor Drive.

By air: From San Diego International Airport the terminal is a 10 minute taxi ride for $12.

By Train: The Amtrak station is a mere 8 minute walk from the terminal!

Transfers:

• Azamara $20
• Celebrity $20
• Disney $18
• Holland $19
• Norwegian $15
• Royal Caribbean $20

Hotels in San Diego

Residence Inn Downtown Upscale hotel with a free cruise shuttle, but not free parking.
Holiday Inn San Diego Holiday Inn hotel with a free cruise shuttle, 12 minutes from the zoo.
Hillcrest House B&B Classic San Diego warmth in this at home B&B in greater San Diego.

San Francisco, California

Terminal: Pier 27 (Pier 35 for Cunard and sometimes Princess)
Physical address: Embarcadero San Francisco

Parking

Parking costs $18 per day and is operated by nearby Ace Parking located at 55 Francisco Street. Call (415) 398-1900 ext 112 or 101 or reserve a spot online at www.55francisco.com

Directions to terminal

Driving: Take the 280 Freeway north and exit at King. King turns into the Embarcadero.

By air: From San Francisco International Airport the terminal is a 45 minute taxi ride that costs about $60.

By Train: The Amtrak station at Market Street is a 10 minute drive from the terminal or a 15 minute streetcar ride.

Transfers:

• Celebrity $26
• Cunard $40
• Holland $39
• Norwegian $25

Hotels in San Francisco

Best Western Tuscan Inn $2 shuttle to the cruiseport from this downtown hotel.
Buena Vista Motor Inn Downtown hotel with a hop on hop off the bus stop in front to sightsee.
Royal Pacific Motor Inn Inexpensive, near the cruise port and located in Chinatown.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Terminal: Panamerican Pier Dock 1 or East
Physical address: Calle Marina

Parking

There is no long term parking facility at the Cruise Terminal. Here is a long term park option nearby in Old San Juan:

Covadonga Parking – Estacionamiento Covadonga

Paseo Covadonga (PR-38), Old San Juan, PR

787 721-2756

Directions to terminal

Driving: Turn right at Calle Muelle. Keep left. Destination will be on your right.

By air: SJU airport (Luis Muñoz Marín Intl Airport) is 20 minutes away.

Transfers:

• Carnival $18
• Celebrity
• Disney
• Norwegian
• Royal Caribbean

Hotels in San Juan

Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel Here’s a highly rated hotel that we found right across from the Port with Free parking listed!

Cervantes Great Hotel that is walking distance from the cruise port in Old San Juan.

My Hotel San Juan For a fun B&B experience try My Hotel in Old San Juan.

Seattle, Washington

Terminal: Pier 91 (Pier 66 for Norwegian and Oceania)
Physical address: 2001 W. Garfield St. (Pier 66 is at 2225 Alaskan Way)y

Parking

Parking is $25 per day and can be prepaid through Republic Parking at www.rpnw.com

Directions to terminal

Driving: Follow signs to the Magnolia Bridge and turn right on 14th Ave. West. Stay right to the bridge and follow signs to “Smith Cove Park” and “Cruise Terminal”

By air: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is 17 miles south of the pier and takes 40 minutes to get to for a fare of about $52.

By Train: The Bellingham, Washington port is only 90 minutes from Seattle for those that want to Cruise up to Alaska, tour Denali park and take the train back down.

Transfers:

• Carnival $27
• Celebrity $27
• Holland $29
• Norwegian $29
• Princess $24
• Royal Caribbean $27

Hotels in Seattle

Quality Inn & Suites  Park and cruise with a shuttle to take you the 2 miles to the port.
Hotel Deca Park and cruise with a shuttle from this spunky colorful hotel.
Maxwell Hotel-Pineapple Hospitality This exceptional stay is near space needle and the port.

Seward, Alaska

Terminal: Seward Passenger Ship Terminal
Physical address: 802 Port Avenue

Parking

Long-term parking is not available.

Directions to terminal

Driving: Once in Seward, follow the signs to the Alaska Railroad Dock.

By air:  Anchorage Airport is 130 miles away. Seward Airport is 2.5 miles away and a 6 minute drive for a fare of $8. There are numerous cruise port shuttles at the Anchorage airport. These are wise to take because a taxi would cost $364.

By Train: The Alaska Railroad Corporation has a train station right next to the port- a short taxi ride or walking distance.

Transfers:

• Celebrity $85 (Scenic train $105)
• Holland $65
• Norwegian $79
• Royal Caribbean $85 (Scenic train $105)

Hotels in Seward

Best Western Plus Rustic style hotel overlooking the bay with a complimentary shuttle.
Breeze Inn Motel Affordable downtown stay with free parking, shuttle and bay views.
Holiday Inn Express Harbor This breathtaking stay has views right on the water.

Tampa, Florida

Terminal:  Port of Tampa
Physical address: 815 Channelside Drive, Carnival (Terminal 2), Holland (Terminal 6), Norwegian, Royal Caribbean (Terminal 3)

Parking

$15 per day parking is available at the garage located at 810 Channelside Drive across from terminal
3. For additional information please call (813) 905-7678.

Directions to terminal

Driving: Go south on 21st street then turn onto Hwy 60. Turn left onto Channelside Drive.

By air: Tampa International Airport is 10 miles from the port and costs about $33 by taxi.

By Train: The Amtrak station in Tampa is 1 mile from the cruise port and a 3 minute drive.

Transfers:

• Carnival $21
• Holland $20
• Norwegian $25
• Royal Caribbean $22

Hotels in Tampa

Tahitian Inn and Spa Nice hotel with free parking, airport, and cruiseport shuttles for you!
Holiday Inn Tampa  Palm tree lined Holiday Inn with shuttles to both the airport and cruiseport.
Hampton Inn Ybor City Hampton Inn located right near the cruise port and the aquarium.

Vancouver, Canada

Terminal: Canada Place Ship Terminal
Physical address: 999 Canada Place

Parking

$20 Canadian dollars per day. Citipark is located underneath Canada Place. http://www.vinciparkcanadaplace.ca/index.html

Directions to terminal

Driving: Cross the Canadian border via I-5 North. This becomes Hwy 99 North. Go for 30 minutes to Oak street, then turn left on Broadway, Turn right onto Granville and take the Seymour Exit to Cordova Street. Turn right onto Howe street and Canada Place will be on your right.

By air: Vancouver International Airport is 10 miles away from the terminal and a 35 minute drive. The taxi ride costs $27 Canadian dollars.

By Train: Pacific Central Station is 1.5 miles away and a 10 minute ride.

Transfers:

• Carnival $24
• Celebrity $37
• Disney $25
• Holland $28
• Norwegian $25
• Princess $24
• Royal Caribbean $37

Hotels in Vancouver

Hampton Inn Downtown Modern Inn with a glass roof over the porch, for reasonable prices.
O Canada House B & B Cozy inn in the heart of downtown Vancouver with friendly owners.
Barclay House B &B B & B located downtown with free parking and lovely service.

Whittier, Alaska

Terminal- Whittier Cruise Ship Terminal
Physical address: West Camp Road

Parking

There is parking at the Hospitality Center for $5 per day.

Directions to terminal

Driving: Take AK-1 S for 45 miles. Turn left onto Portage Glacier Rd. Continue onto W Camp Rd.

By air: Take the Glacier Discovery to the train stop (there is no actual depot) which is a 5 minute walk to the harbor.

By Train: Anchorage airport is 59.7 or 1.25 hours from the pier. It is an $172 taxi ride.

Transfers:

• Princess $55

Hotels in Whittier

Inn at Whittier Beautiful hotel, located near the water. The only option in Whittier.
Puffin Inn Budget hotel in Anchorage with a free airport shuttle, and Alaskan charm.
Hampton Inn Anchorage  Great hotel with fantastic service including a shuttle within 20 miles.

All cruises are family cruises! I highlight many reasons why I feel this on the Kids page. However, in this article I wanted to highlight one particular aspect of family cruising: character meet and greets.
Many of the major cruise lines have incorporated character meet and greets into their family program with many familiar characters.
Royal Caribbean has partnered with Dreamworks pictures which is why they can bring you Shrek and the characters from Madagascar.

Virtually all cruise lines (except the high-end luxury lines like Viking, Regent, Silver Sea, Seabourn and Crystal) have great kids programs with lots to do for kids.
Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, MSC and Costa all have large kids programs with separate facilities and activities for 3 or 4 different age groups.
Parents – you can leave your kids in these kids clubs all day, knowing your kids will be having very supervised and safe fun. You can even go on one of the cruise line’s excursions, and still leave your kids in the kids club for free!
But there are singles, couples, and seniors on every single cruise too. There is almost no cruise that has just ONE of those groups.
Cruises that take place during the summer, spring break weeks or holidays are going to have more kids on them.

All of the main cruise lines are kid friendly! There are activities for your kids on ALL of the lines.

They all have kids clubs for different age-groups, with separate areas, staff, and age-appropriate activities like:

 

• Cooking classes,
• Sports courts with tournaments,
• Dance classes, trivia, game tables,
• Arcade games, movies at the pool, water slides, shows and much more.

 

Many cruise ships have big, exciting things like:

 

• Ropes courses,
• A circus school,
• Giant water slides,
• Ice skating rinks,
• Rock-climbing walls, bumper cars, a surf simulator, and an F1 racer!

 

And much more! For example:

 

• Celebrity has all of the technological gadgets, with an Xbox and Xbox kinect area, to the “i-take” scavenger hunt for teens using Go-Pro cameras!
• MSC has a play area sponsored by Lego, and a nursery sponsored by Chico’s toys.
• On Royal Caribbean your kids can meet Shrek and the penguins from Madagascar.
• On Carnival they’ll meet the Cat in the Hat from the Dr. Seuss books.
• On Costa they can hug Peppa Pig, and there’s the DoReMi family on MSC.
• Norwegian has their kids clubs partnered with none other than Nickelodeon!
• And on Disney they’ll meet the infamous Mickey Mouse and all his friends – of course!

We used Google maps to see how far all Southern cruise ports are from Stuttgart.  If you’re not in Stuttgart, we suggest you use Google Maps or Rome2Rio, so you can get directions and travel times from wherever you are!
Genoa is 6 hours and 45 minutes ,
Savona, 7 hours
La Spezia 7 and ½
Venice is about 7 hours.
Trieste  7
Rome 10 and ½
Bari 13
Barcelona 11
Naples  hours
Messina, 18
Palermo  19 and ½
Valencia, 14 hours
Malaga, 20 hours

• Our rates are lower than the cruise lines’ lowest rates.
• We add a military discount to every cabin in your group!
• You pay in dollars, not Euros.
• Our knowledgeable, friendly American cruise agents are available 7 days a week, 15 hours a day!
• We will monitor the rates after you book, and if a lower rate becomes available to you, we will re-fare your cruise to this new lower rate!*
• We offer a discount on travel insurance, that includes FREE TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR KIDS!
• We’ve been in business for a looooong time. Many thousands of military families know and trust us and you can too.

For past cruisers, you’ve likely waltzed by the onboard sales office on your way to all the fun. Being too busy enjoying your current vacation, you really don’t want to spend your time meeting with a Future Cruise Counselor discussing your next cruise when you only have about a week onboard to spend sunbathing at the pool, exploring your ports of call, or trying to hit big in the casino. But, the thing is, if you’re going to go on another cruise (let’s face it — we all know you are!) then, you’ll really want to check out the onboard sales office to see what all they’re offering. The cruise line is likely to be offering reduced deposits, onboard spending credit, and other freebies if you reserve onboard. Sometimes, there is even onboard spending credit applied to the cruise you are already on AND your future cruise! Most cruise lines offer this convenience. You can check your cruise’s daily newsletter for desk location and hours. The best news of all is that you can snag one of these future cruise “credits” and have it transferred to our agency for an ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT!

Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Disney, Holland, MSC, Norwegian, Princess, Royal Caribbean.
For past cruisers, you’ve likely waltzed by the onboard sales office on your way to all the fun.
Being too busy enjoying your current vacation, you really don’t want to spend your time meeting with a Future Cruise Counselor discussing your next cruise when you only have about a week onboard to spend sunbathing at the pool, exploring your ports of call, or trying to hit big in the casino.
But, the thing is, if you’re going to go on another cruise (let’s face it — we all know you are!) then, you’ll really want to check out the onboard sales office to see what all they’re offering.
The cruise line is likely to be offering reduced deposits, onboard spending credit, and other freebies if you reserve onboard. Sometimes, there is even onboard spending credit applied to the cruise you are already on AND your future cruise!
Most cruise lines offer this convenience. You can check your cruise’s daily newsletter for desk location and hours.
The best news of all is that you can snag one of these future cruise “credits” and have it transferred to our agency for an ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT!

Each cruise line is different. Celebrity, Costa, Cunard, Disney, Holland, MSC, NCL, Princess, and RCL, Carnival all have high chairs available.
Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland, Princess, Disney and Cunard have cribs or pack-n-plays available that we can reserve ahead of time.
Pack and plays can be requested from Carnival, Costa, Royal Caribbean, and MSC but they have a limited number. We recommend that you bring your own just in case since they allow this on MSC.

Kids are not free on most cruise lines.
The one cruise line that does consistently have kids free* is MSC cruises! A few holiday sailings don’t apply.
MSC cruises has kids 11 and under free as the 3rd and 4th passenger on all European sailings (and many Caribbean ones!)
Norwegian, Costa, and Royal Caribbean will have occasional promotions where the 3rd and 4th passenger is free, but this will only be offered on offseason sail dates when kids are in school….sorry!!
Kids are NEVER free on Disney Cruise lines.
*Note “free” passengers still have to pay the government taxes.