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Continuing our series on Choosing The Right Cruise Line, let’s get into some other areas, not commonly thought of until after the first cruise. #From last time, we know that the core experience is similar among cruise lines and that regardless of your activity level, there is something for you on any line. #Each line is different though when it comes to specific programs both shore-side and at sea. #Spending a little time up front, thinking about these areas is a good idea. Past Guest Recognition is a really good reason to cruise the same line multiple times. #This is often a topic that comes up down the road after a few sailings but one worthy of talking about right now, before you sail the first time. # On every line, a past-guest loyalty program is in place to keep you coming back. #The more you come back, the greater your past-guest benefits become. #In the early stages of building your cruise history the benefits may include an invitation to a complementary #past-guest cocktail party, a gift waiting in your stateroom upon embarkation and/or past-guest discounts, on-board discount coupon books, a subscription to the cruise line magazine or newsletter and other benefits along those lines. #Sail with a line more and the benefits increase. #On Princess Cruises, for example, complementary laundry and professional dry cleaning are one of the perks after 16 sailings when you become an “Elite” member. #On Carnival it takes just 10 sailings for a similar laundry program minus the dry cleaning. # This is a huge benefit that can easily cut packing in half. #Past-guest benefits vary a lot between lines and are worth consideration before you cruise, even when choosing a line for that very first sailing. Childrens Programs- every line has them and they’re all safely run, #convenient and a good way to let even the youngest kids have a great vacation too. #But there are some big differences between programs and what they offer. #If the children are younger, give points to Disney, Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean, in that order, as the top four. # These four programs consistently rank high with the age 12 and under bunch. #But hold up a minute, these are your children we’re talking about and which line’s program rates highest is of little comfort if your children are not having a good time on the ship or if you don’t feel quite right about leaving them in the program. #Like on land, trust y0ur instincts and yank your kid out of the program if #you don’t feel right about it. #I did just that once when our youngest daughter Whitney was 12 and we were sailing on a Carnival cruise. #It was no fault of the program, she just happened to be at the age that was a bit too young for the teen program and a bit too old for the next level down and there were few kids on board her age. #That happens and there’s no telling what other kids you may run into on the ship. #No fault of the cruise line, just luck of the draw. #She spent the rest of the cruise hanging out with her older sister and some nice kids they had met along the way. Previous great vacations- Think about other vacations you may have taken that you enjoyed. #What parts did you like best? # If casino gambling was part of it, all but Disney Cruise Line which has no casinos are good choices. #If you went camping in a national park you’ll be hard pressed to find a babbling brook to wake up to but Celebrity Solstice-class ships have actual grass growing on deck. #Hikers and mountain climbers can get a bit of a fix on Royal Caribbean who features a rock-climbing wall on all their ships. #Perhaps it was a quiet getaway that was a favorite vacation memory. #Cruise lines are adding adult-only serenity areas that may be just what you are looking for. Princess has a great one called the Sanctuary that has guests boarding as soon as possible to get it reserved for the entire cruise. Again, each line is different and this is an area where there are huge differences between lines. We’ll get into more of those differences next time. Related articles





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