| Royal Caribbean cruises to ports of call all around the | | | | Royal Caribbean's transatlantic crossings. These |
| world. Their ships range in size from the (relatively) | | | | typically take 12 to 15 nights and you'll sail on one of |
| small Empress of the Seas that carries just over 2,000 | | | | several ships. In the shoulder seasons (spring and fall), |
| passengers, to the incredibly large Freedom family of | | | | you can find great bargains on these cruises by |
| ships, each of which can carry 3,634 voyagers. An | | | | booking a "repositioning" cruise. |
| as-yet-unnamed ship is currently being built that will | | | | Many cruise ships sail northern routes in the summer |
| carry an incredible 5,400 guests out to sea. | | | | and southern routes in the winter. In between they |
| So where do all these people go? Well, that depends | | | | must be moved from one locale to another. This is |
| on the time of year. In the summer, many people want | | | | called "repositioning" and it may involve big savings for |
| to cruise north. Alaska is one of the most popular | | | | you. |
| destinations, and Royal Caribbean serves that area | | | | The sailing is one-way, of course. Once the ship gets |
| with four ships: the Radiance of the Seas, the Vision of | | | | to its new destination, it won't be returning to the old |
| the Seas, the Serenade of the Seas, and the | | | | locale for about six months. You need to be prepared |
| Rhapsody of the Seas. | | | | to return home on your own, but the savings on these |
| Departing from San Francisco, Seattle, or Vancouver, | | | | cruises can make buying a plane ticket a no-brainer. |
| British Columbia, Canada, these cruises are typically 7 | | | | Winter cruises are most popular to warmer climates, |
| nights, although Royal Caribbean offers 13- and 14-night | | | | like Bermuda, Hawaii, and South America. Royal |
| cruises, as well. Ports of call include Hubbard Glacier, | | | | Caribbean sails its Splendour of the Seas to Sao |
| Skagway, Icy Strait, Ketchikan, and the Inside Passage. | | | | Paulo, Brazil in winter and spring. These cruises last |
| Three time zones away, the summer cruise north to | | | | from 3 to 8 nights, although there is a longer, 14-night |
| New England and Canada is also popular. Departing | | | | cruise that includes Brazil and the Panama Canal. All of |
| from several destinations along the east coast, this | | | | these depart from Sao Paulo, Brazil, except for the |
| cruise takes voyagers into and past Boston, Bar | | | | 14-night cruise, which departs from Ft. Lauderdale. |
| Harbor, Halifax, and New Brunswick before returning | | | | Check travel web sites or contact a cruise specialist |
| home. | | | | to stay on top of bargains being offered on Royal |
| Looking for something a little more exotic? Try leaving | | | | Caribbean cruises. There are often specials offered on |
| from Sydney, Australia on the Rhapsody of the Seas | | | | short cruises, underbooked sailings, or off-season |
| for a cruise that will take you around Australia and | | | | routes. |
| over to New Zealand before returning to Australia. | | | | If you're interested in shore excursions, package deals |
| These cruises sail during the northern hemisphere's fall | | | | that include airfare (if required), cruise, transfers and |
| and winter seasons, which means it's a glorious spring | | | | several excursions may turn out to be cheaper than |
| and summer "down under". Now that's how you shake | | | | purchasing each thing separately. A Royal Caribbean |
| off those winter blues! | | | | cruise can include as much or as little as you like, so |
| But some people say cruising is about kicking back and | | | | you can design the vacation that's just right for you. |
| watching the water go by. If that's your style, consider | | | | |