By Amy Nutt

Have you ever thought about taking a singles cruise, but felt that you are out of the usual age range? Think again. As long as you are over 18, there is a singles cruise for you. In fact, there are cruises designed for every age range in the book, where single people can get together and have fun… and maybe even meet the partner of their dreams.

Depending on the cruise, you might be able to take a trip with only other singles from your age group (usually a 10-20 year span) or a completely multi-age cruise where young and not so young mingle. Let’s take a look at what you can expect from each of these.

20-30 Singles Cruises

For this age group, there are often plenty of cruises available and full of fun activities. Because these singles are fairly young, most cruises consist of non-stop partying and may not be as serious as another age group. While this age range can certainly find a serious partner, it’s more likely that this is just going to be a fun time with the possibility of finding your match.

30-50 Singles Cruises

The majority of cruises for singles over 30 tend to be more planned out. Rather than non-stop dancing and all night bar rounds, you can expect to have more interesting games and activities to help you meet others in your age range. These cruises tend to be more about people than about just having fun. Even if you don’t find that perfect someone, you can enjoy making some long lasting relationships on a singles cruise.

50+ Singles Cruises

These days, it really doesn’t matter how old you are, there is a singles cruise for you. In fact, many people hit 50 and find that they are divorced and alone and are frightened about dating again. Joining up with a singles cruise for this age group can be a great way to meet other singles your age, without any pressure. There will be lots of scheduled events and activities to keep things interesting and lively and you will have the chance to interact with a variety of people and make new friends… but who knows, one of them may end up being more than just a friend!

Multi-age Singles Cruises

Not all singles cruises are divided up by age. While the majority of people will prefer to stick to their age group, there are still some cruises that take any age at all. These can be particularly good if you find yourself attracted to much younger or older partners, or if you just want to keep the playing field open. Age shouldn’t be a big deal in romance and that is what these cruises focus on. They offer the opportunity to enjoy company of all ages in a number of different activities and fun settings that will free you up to chat with others and makes some friends while you keep an eye out for that special someone.

Whether you choose to take a singles cruise with a specific age range or one that pays no attention to numbers, you’ll find yourself having a blast while enjoying the opportunity to meet other singles. There’s no stress about liking someone only to find out they are actually married, since everyone is here because they want to meet someone.

Hanging out with like minded singles on a cruise ship is all about having fun and meeting potential partners in a non-threatening situation. What could be more relaxing and romantic than a singles cruise?

About the Author: Book your next Toronto Harbour Cruise with KlancyCharters.com. We offer luxury Toronto Cruises.

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Cruises in and around Europe are increasingly popular and if sneak peaks at the 2008-2009 itineraries are any indication, cruise passengers will be getting more options. In fact, a new cruise line called Azamara is even promising not just more Europe, but new European ports of call.Which brings us to one of the oldest European ports, the city of Venice.

Venice is not like anywhere else on earth. It’s not the only city that is laced with canals (Amsterdam has canals, too, so does Stockholm), and it’s not the only city with an ancient past (Rome probably beats Venice in the historical department and Florence definitely edges her out in art). But there is something incredibly different and delightful about Venice.

You can’t drive in Venice. Entrance in and out of the city is by boat (you take a water taxi from the airport), so arriving by cruise ship is close to the way the city was meant to be approached.

Once in Venice, you navigate on foot or by boat. The cheapest and most efficient way to get from here to there is vaporetto, a sort of water bus. You buy tickets for it just like the bus. If you’re a cruise passenger in town for the day, it may pay for you to buy a pass good for the whole day. Not only could it save you some lire, you don’t have to hassle with buying tickets when you want to get a ride.

Water taxis are another option, but they’re a bit more expensive. Even more expensive, but delightfully romantic and unique, are gondolas. Expect to fork out a lot of money for the experience, but, trust me, it will be an experience.

Most Venetians get around by foot, and you probably will, too. The city has all the twists and turns you’d expect from an ancient town. Because of the network of canals, you will sometimes find yourself in the intriguing position of being able to see where you want to go but not be able to figure out how to get there. Relax, Venice has something interesting practically around every corner, so even if you get lost, you’ll probably still do a lot of great sightseeing.

The biggest tourist spot in town is the Piazza San Marco where St. Mark’s Cathedral is located. You can tour the cathedral and even climb the towers (not hard) to get a panoramic view of the square. According to whoever decides this sort of thing, the church houses the remains of St. Mark, author of the Gospel according to St. Mark.

You’ll see a lot of pigeons in the square and a lot of tourists. Depending on when you travel, you may also see scaffolding or wooden walkways around the plaza. These aren’t risers for a concert or show. They’re footpaths to help the locals traverse the square when it floods, which it does often enough for the city to build elevated walkways around.

Nearby is the Doge’s Palace. Doge (dough-jay) is the name the Venetians gave to their ruler back in the day when Venice was an independent nation. It’s a sumptuous kind of place, fit for a monarch, but most tourists enjoy the lesser accommodations better. The Doge had so many enemies he annexed a prison to the palace which is reached by crossing the Bridge of Sighs. There is a self-guided tour of the prison but it is very important to stick to the pathways marked. You are perfectly free to wander around as you see fit, but the place is like a honeycomb and you can get lost.

Getting lost is a typical Venetian experience. The city is full of unmarked streets, twisted lanes, and narrow passageways.

One of Venice’s favorite native sons was reputed to have been lost. Marco Polo lived in Venice and set out for China, where he spent 20 years. When he returned, he was vilified by Venetians who called him “The Liar” for making up stories. You can visit his home. It’s off a little courtyard called “The Liar.”

Venice was always better known for commerce than art, but there are some artistic treasures. The local cuisine favors seafood and a dry white wine called Prosecco. Of course, most tourists end up enjoying more generic Italian favorites here, too, such as cappuccino or espresso and rich gelato.

If you have time, take a vaporetto out to Lido island. It’s an island that’s just a short boat-bus ride from the main drag (the Grand Canal) and there is more relaxed (and less expensive) shopping and some beaches.

Another great thing to check out is Murano, an island famous for colorful hand-blown glass. You can buy Murano glassware all over Venice, including a special design known as mille-fiori (thousand-flowers). In Murano, you can watch artisans at work and get a much broader sampling of their products. But expect to see Murano glass in most of the shops.

Glass purchases from large stores can be shipped to you at home; most shopkeepers will be able to make such arrangements, at least for larger purchases.

Venice is a well-known city for tourists. It always has been, and cruise ships and package tours to Europe continue to feature it prominently. But Venice is also a very personal kind of city. Two tourists visiting the city on any given day can walk away with distinctly different impressions and experiences.

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Mandy Karlik is a travel writer who blogs at http://www.cruiselinenews.blogspot.com . To read more about great cruise destinations in Europe and elsewhere, visit http://www.thecruise-shopper.com . Mandy’s next cruise is going to be to Mexico.

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 By  Darlene Berkel

Cruise Travel Tips: Don’t Travel Without Them

You’ve seen the commercials, vast blue oceans, beautiful white ship, and people laughing. What a wonderful vacation, sailing the deep blue sea and visiting exciting ports of call. This is certainly a dream vacation, especially as you sit in your office cubical in the dead ofwinter and shiver while you answer complaint calls from clients.

Cruise ships are a means of travel with some substantial benefits. The key advantage of a cruise ship is that it does the “getting around” for you. They make it easy to visit several places in a single trip without the need to pack your belongings and sit in a car/train/bus/plane to travel to each one; your hotel room comes along with you, and even provides the transportation. Additionally, most meals are usually included in the price of the cruise.

Timing is Everything

The most important cruise line tip is to ensure that you get to the dock on time. Although cruise ships sail from an increasing number of cities, most people still have to fly to get to and from their port of departure. If you are flying from another city into the location of your cruise line, make absolutely sure that your flight lands with enough time for you to disembark, travel to baggage claim, find your luggage and then locate a shuttle or taxi to the dock of departure. The cruise line will not wait for passengers. They are on a strict schedule of departure and arrival; the boat waits for no one. If you miss the boat, you miss your vacation.

Another important and valuable cruise line travel tip is to read all documents provided by the cruise line and your travel agent. Unless your ship’s itinerary is confined to a single country, you need to prepare for a cruise like you would any other international trip, including passports. Prior to booking flights or making any other travel plans, thoroughly read all documentation provided in regards to your cruise.

There are important contracts, guidelines, requirements and procedures that must be followed prior to boarding, and during the cruise. Again, the cruise line does not care if you didn’t read your documents and forgot your passport or Visa. They only care that your travel documents are in order, you’ve taken the time to comply with their travel requirements and that you enjoy your stay once on board.

Safeguard your Luggage

Nothing could be worse than going on a cruise and losing your luggage, before or after the cruise. What a nightmare! It is essential to do everything possible to ensure that your luggage does not get lost. At the cruise terminal, baggage is given to the porters for loading to the ship. Make sure that your suitcase is uniquely marked so that someone does not take your luggage by mistake. Identification tags are a must, so even if your luggage ends up in the “wrong”‘ hands, it can easily find its way back to you.

Similar preparations are essential when leaving the cruise ship. On large ships you put a colored tag on your luggage and place it outside the cabin the night before you reach your final port, and pick it up ashore in the terminal. Some cruise lines are now offering an option where passengers can be first off the ship if they carry all their luggage off with them.

What about motion Sickness?

Some people experience queasiness on cruise ships. Many people find relief from special wristbands that stimulate pressure points that are believed to counteract the nausea of motion sickness. You can also get pills that will alleviate any discomforts caused by motion sickness. Make sure to get your supply in advance and don’t forget to pack them in your hand baggage. You may never need them, but it is best to have them available just in case.

Don’t Overlook the Details

It is especially important to review the cruise summary and travel itinerary to ensure that no errors exist. This cruise line travel tip is the one that will insure you get to spend your actual vacation time doing what you planned rather than sorting out a mistake and wasting valuable time. Most of the excursion arrangements are made through your travel or booking agent prior to your arrival at the boarding gate. As you prepare to board the ship, you will be given an outline of your activities to review as you wait in line. An essential cruise line travel tip is to take the time to scrutinize these items now, as they are the outline for your entire vacation. It is easier to correct any mistakes that might have been made now, while standing in line rather than once you are one board the boat. If you wait, you will lose precious hours of you vacation.

Cruise vacations are fabulous, but this type of vacation takes a considerable amount of preparation. If you heed the advice of these cruise line tips, you will not only get onboard, but you will also have the vacation of a lifetime!

About the Author:

For more cruise travel tips and cruise information visit http://www.cruise.every1loves2travel.com . We also recommend http://www.on-a-cruise.com for exciting cruise adventures and helpful cruise reviews.

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