My Cruise Tips

With the state department issuing warnings about travel to border towns (and even some beach towns) in Mexico as a result of increasing crime like rape, murder, and kidnapping it might be a great time to plan a Spring Break cruise opposed to flocking to and flooding a beach town. Also, most of the ports along the cruise route are party-friendly and because the areas rely so heavily on the tourist trade, you have a higher assurance that they’re going to be policed and patrolled more than some other less-populace spots like South Padre Island. An upside, too, is that most (if not all) cruises require that passengers be back on board by a certain time so there is less chance of anything untoward happening in the wee hours of the morning (our mind rushes to the Natalie Holloway incident in Aruba on May 30, 2005 when she reportedly disappeared in the cover of the late night/early morning). There are some down-sides for those looking to hopefully break the legal drinking age while on break, though; since ships do not allow underage drinking (whereas private land establishments very often let legalities slide when it comes to selling more booze). If a Spring Break cruise sounds like an option in spite of this, lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian Cruise Lines are looking to fill their ships with confirmed travelers as early as possible, so there are some incentives to be had. We suggest you check around and see what deals you can come up with. And for those of you who are planning a cruise but are not of the Spring Break partying ilk, remember to check your calendars before planning your trip lest you might get caught on a ship with a hundred or so college students looking for little more than the next great party opportunity.