Purchasing Customized Cruise Packages

by Shannon Kietzman, writer for Your Wedding Place.com

A cruise package is more than just a standard cruise. After all, most honeymoon cruises are fairly all-inclusive in that they include entertainment, onboard activities, accommodations, and port fees. Yet, a cruise package can include much more. In fact, you can choose to add airfare and pre- and post- cruise hotel accommodations to your cruise package as well.

Pre- and Post-Cruise Packages and Airfare Cruise Packages

Pre- and post-cruise packages are those that include hotel stays in the city of departure for you honeymoon cruise or in a nearby city. You can generally choose to add a hotel stay up to several days before your cruise takes off or several days after. You might also be able to add sightseeing ventures to your cruise package. Disney Cruise Line, for example, allows guests to add resort stays at Walt Disney World to their cruise package.

Holland America Cruise Line and Alaskan Cruises also offer an extensive line of cruise packages to accompany their Alaska cruise itineraries. With Alaskan Cruises, which mostly offers one way cruises, you can add a multitude of land-based tours to your cruise package. This allows you to see several gorgeous national parks, as well as monuments, that cannot be seen from aboard a cruise ship.

A Europe cruise is another type of cruise that is well worth looking into cruise package options. On these cruises, you can choose to visit a number of inland cities. These cruise packages generally range from few day excursions to trips lasting well over one week.

In addition to adding accommodations to your cruise package, you can choose to include airfare as well. Generally, you can include roundtrip airfare with your cruise package. This is often very convenient because it allows for “one stop shopping.” In addition, the cruise line is more likely to make special arrangements for you if your flight is delayed, including delaying the departure of the cruise.

Purchasing a Wedding Cruise Package

If you are interested in purchasing a cruise package, you can generally go directly to the cruise line. Or, you can go through a cruise travel agent to assist in your purchase. You may actually pay a little bit more when purchasing a cruise package than you would if you purchased everything separately. But, with all the preparations you have had to make for your wedding day, it is well worth the extra cost to save you the headache of doing all of the planning for your honeymoon cruise.

There are several pros and cons to purchasing a cruise package. It is important to take the time to determine if this option is right for you or if you would be better off making the arrangements yourself.

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