Cruise Vacations And Travel Agents What You Should Know

If you decide to use a travel agent to book your cruise travel, know whom you are dealing with! Some cruise agents are very competent; others may have been selling stereos or aluminum siding over the telephone six months ago. A cruise travel agent will be able to give you lots of information on many different cruise lines.

For instance, Carnival is known as the fun ships, Celebrity for their excellent cuisine. Disney, of course, is geared towards children, Holland America is more of an older group (not dead-they just don't want to be on a party ship), Princess is family oriented. Then there is the whole roster of luxury lines, SilverSeas, Radisson, and crystal Cruises. All of them offer there own style of cruise travel

Ask the cruise travel agent some pointed questions. See if they have CLIA accreditation. CLIA stands for cruise Lines International Association and is the industries standard. Find out how many cruise vacations the travel agent has been on and on which cruise lines. If the travel agent has only cruised on one line you know that will be the cruise line that they recommend. If they give the pros and cons of several cruise lines you know you have found a good cruise travel agent.

Always ask if they are a preferred supplier of the cruise line they are recommending. Many cruise travel agents who have booked numerous cabins on one particular cruise line will get preferred status meaning they will get an additional bonus from the cruise line for everyone they book for a cruise vacation.

Local travel agents or otherwise self-appointed cruise experts frequently read the cruise ship line PR veneer right out of the catalog. Often this turns out to be nothing more than selling you the standard discount for booking your cruise vacation that is available to virtually anyone off the so-called brochure rate.

The result is that you think you're getting a cruise ship that does not fulfill your criteria. What you find yourself on is a garish neon nightmare of a ship filled with people whose idea of a good time is drinking, partying, and then waking you up at 3AM as they boisterously announce their arrival back to their room--all right outside of your cabin.

For sure, this is the idea of a roaring good time for some--but the point is KNOW WHAT YOU ARE REALLY BUYING! There are many significant points and nuances that can differentiate between an OK trip, and one that falls short for the money you spend.

Many travel or cruise agencies often offer "special discounts". This is a common travel agency ploy to offer promotional deals that frequently focus on a special "cruise night." You may get a mailing or perhaps there is an ad in the local newspaper. You go in, are met and greeted, enjoy punch and free cookies, and view a dreamy cruise video.

Keep in mind that this is intended to appeal to a strong emotional purchase decision. Experts about the Psychology of selling relate this experience to what any top car salesperson knows. In the dealer's showroom, if you can get the potential customer behind the wheel to experience the "smell of the new car" and the fantasy of pulling it into the driveway--you've likely already made a sale!

However when you go to one of these get-togethers to preview cruise travel often they dont try and tailor your needs to a cruise that will fulfill those needs. Theyll provide you with general information trying to sell as many of the same cruise vacations as possible. You deserve to have your considerations met.

Cruise travel agents are certainly the easiest way to go when booking a cruise vacation, but if you do use a travel agent, have them one-on-one instead of in a group situation. Be sure they listen to what you are saying, and if you have any hesitancy, address it immediately. Most agents are professional enough to take a step back and make adjustments based on what you tell them.

So take a little time and research your cruise travel agent until you find one that you are comfortable with. When you find the right travel agent they will steer you to the best cruise line for you and you will experience a great cruise vacation.

Happy Cruising

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.CruisingTips.com.

Cl Svaroopa Yoga

Anti-Aging Through Livestyle Changes

There are several lifestyle changes that take ten years off your face.

1) Eat a diet rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B and E. Those nutrients improve the skin. Get a diet mostly of high fiber foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods, and low fat. Foods high in Vitamin A are carrots, cantaloupes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, sweet red peppers, apricots, and mangoes help replenish the skin cells, keeping the skin supple and prevents dryness. Vitamin C improves the blood supply to the skin and aids in forming the protein collagen, which gives the skin a smooth youthful appearance. Foods rich in Vitamin C are citrus fruits and juices, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, snow peas, watermelon, honeydew melon, broccoli, and tomatoes. Nutrients found in Vitamin B complex and Vitamin E help the aging process by preventing scaling and cracking of the skin and protecting skin cells from abnormal oxidation. Get these nutrients from Vitamin B complex rich foods such as peas, potatoes, fish, organ meats, fruits, nuts, whole-grain products, beef, oysters, mushrooms, poultry, cheese, and tuna. Food sources of Vitamin E include dried beans, vegetable oils, butter, and green leafy vegetables. One does not to go through the expense of cosmetic surgery but can achieve an inexpensive means of modifying your diet to make you look ten years more youthful in the face.

2) Maintain a healthy weight. Too thin or too fat causes health problems. Too heavy people are at risk for high blood pressure. Avoid crash dieting as it does not help your health. Try to lose weight moderately.

3) exercise for total fitness. Light exercise protects your body against disease and tones muscles. You don't have to pant to be effective. 30 to 40 minutes of exercise per day, such as dancing, stretching, t'ai chi or jogging keep the body looking youthful.

4) Keep away from over exposure from the sun, which makes the skin took old before it's time, full of wrinkles.

5) Kick the habits! Smoking has lots of health risks to the body. Alcohol and drug abuse, age the body and risk the health as well.

6) RELAX!! Some people are always on the go, full of worry and tension. They respond to daily problems by tensing muscles. This causes muscle fatigue, but this may result in loss of muscle tone and general deterioration in outward appearance. Consider someone who has the weight of the world on their shoulders. They generally look 5 to 10 years older due to worry and stress. learn how to relax in the face of today's anxiety, tension and stress. That is a big factor in slowing the aging process. There are numerous ways to facilitate relaxation: getting a massage, listening to music, going in hot tubs, meditation, exercise, yoga or t'ai chi. One of the most popular and successful techniques is tensing and relaxing individual muscle groups. This can be done sitting in chairs or laying on the ground. Start with your feet, tensing and relaxing your toes for 10 seconds at a time. Then proceed upward to your calf muscles, thigh muscles, shoulder and neck muscles. Finish up with your facial muscles. After a few days of progressive muscle relaxation, you will begin to recognize any areas that were tense and begin to relax them. It is good to manage stress in your life, so it does not affect your emotional health. relaxation CD is good to used to fill the sound waves with the type of music that deeply relaxes you. An aromatic neck pillow is especially good to relax you is it is warmed up, good at taking the stresses out of of the muscles.

The web-site http://www.rejuvenatingsolutions.com is loaded with relaxation products yoga exercise videos, and tai chi exercise videos.

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