For the newbies in camping adventures, trying to look for quality-made backpacks can be an overwhelming experience. As this camping equipment is considered basic for outdoor lovers and nature-trippers, a first-time backpacker may have a difficult time trying to figure out what to consider in buying a good backpack. Good thing is today’s outdoor shops offer models of this item is such variety that they can respond to any style, level and kind of camping adventure one may wish to undertake, or where and for how long. It shows how manufacturers have continued to improve on their products in a bid to satisfy the diverse demands of their clients. So for all the camping enthusiasts out there, there’s no more excuse for making the wrong choice in camping backpacks, just read on and you will know how to find the best items with these tips!

Manufacturers believe that good padding in major parts of camping backpacks is an offshoot of continuing innovations to raise quality of backpacks. Unlike the older ones, the recent models of camping backpacks that are now out in the market sport wider and better-padded shoulder straps to prevent shoulders from gouging. The broader shoulder straps actually help you diffuse the backpack weight, thus making it easier on your shoulders and back. Consequently, the weight of the pack does not become a burden when you need to hike or wend your way through the wilderness.

When hiking through off-trail areas, good balance becomes crucial for you to avoid possible mishaps or minor accidents by tripping or falling. In such instances, internal frame camping backpacks play an important role. You may ask what this internal frame backpack is. Well, this is a backpack with a taller but narrower frame compared to a standard backpack. The backpack has a frame set inside it. The frame is made up of sturdy, flat bars that serve as stays. Because these bars are mostly made of aluminum, they do not add much weight to the backpack, making it less burdensome to you. Although some internal frames also use combined materials, aluminum is the most common and favored material used. While these frames are usually shaped as a V, some manufacturers also tend to use a U or even an X shape to come up with these frames in their backpack models.

While some internal stays do seem to make internal frame backpacks very firm, they do not necessarily become restricting because they are also flexible. They can even help you carry your backpack more comfortably. Because the internal frame backpack acts like a wrap around your body, your balance becomes more stable as the weight of your pack is brought closer to your body’s gravity center. Their compression straps also set the pack steady and stops it from possibly sliding from your back even as you continue to walk or hike. What’s more, to make the internal camping backpack easier to wrap around your body and sustain your balance, the suspension straps, hip belt and shoulder straps are designed with these considerations in mind. Unlike the older versions of backpacks, the latest models allow you to bend and move freely while hiking or walking, making your camping adventures more comfortable, enjoyable and fun.

Is cruise vacation correct for you?

Where must you go?

Which cruise lines are correct for you?

All people have various questions regarding these cruises. Some people can’t decide if one cruise vacation might be right for all or for the family. Others don’t know what the cruise to take and many can’t decide where it may go.

You should know whether a cruise vacation would right for your family and you. To begin with, anyone might go for some cruise. All that is needed for thinking about is the cruise which is correct for you. Ask this question yourself, about what you are looking for in particular?

Is it that it’s relaxing and romantic, parties, fully of activities, or some of all? Choose which appeal to you very much. Once you decided about what you would want to do during a cruise holiday, it’s easy for finding one which is correct for you all.

Ask some local travel agent which specializes on some cruise vacations which tell the different packages given by cruise lines and ask the friends who went for a cruise vacation previously about this trip.

You may have to learn about the various types of cruises. Many kinds of cruise vacation offer every people’s needs and various interests. There’re luxury cruises in which they give high-class amenities as rival those like five-star hotels on land.

You may also take exploration cruises in which cruise lines give travel for places like the Amazon, Galapagos Islands, also many such unusual destinations. There’re cruises which offer travel for many ports of various countries.

Here, you may explore various cultures of various countries which your cruise is visiting. Family oriented cruise is also available. These types of cruises are recommended for family travellers, especially with kids.

These have various onboard and inland programs which will suit some adults and children too. They give special packages for children, so they would always have things to do for not getting bored or restless even.

These types of cruises are got in the market presently. You must choose one from where all may relax and rejoice. Choosing a cruise line where you might want to spend the vacation is also very important. There are some factors which you must keep in mind while choosing some cruise. Here are some:

• Price – You must know the amount you can afford over a cruise. Prices on cruises vary. If you want one first class cruising experience, you must prepare for spending a lot of cash. There are many cruises which offer economy class which might enable you for saving money while going in some cruise.

• Itineraries – You must also know where a cruise may take you. Going destinations you like may maximize the relaxation and enjoyment during one cruise vacation. They offer various destinations; you may choose for which destination appeals as the best.

• Passengers – Cruise lines which attract various kinds of passengers. Selecting the type of people whom you want to mix with is very important for enabling you to be better and have fun.

All these information are readily available in one travel agency. However, it may also available on the internet. Using the net for obtaining information about some particular cruise is very much convenient and you may compare almost every type of cruises quite easily.

The net also gives articles which are written by various people about the opinion about a cruise vacation. You may base the decision on some articles and sites alone, but it’s still your decision about your place of visit.

Is cruise vacation correct for you?

Where must you go?

Which cruise lines are correct for you?

All people have various questions regarding these cruises. Some people can’t decide if one cruise vacation might be right for all or for the family. Others don’t know what the cruise to take and many can’t decide where it may go.

You should know whether a cruise vacation would right for your family and you. To begin with, anyone might go for some cruise. All that is needed for thinking about is the cruise which is correct for you. Ask this question yourself, about what you are looking for in particular?

Is it that it’s relaxing and romantic, parties, fully of activities, or some of all? Choose which appeal to you very much. Once you decided about what you would want to do during a cruise holiday, it’s easy for finding one which is correct for you all.

Ask some local travel agent which specializes on some cruise vacations which tell the different packages given by cruise lines and ask the friends who went for a cruise vacation previously about this trip.

You may have to learn about the various types of cruises. Many kinds of cruise vacation offer every people’s needs and various interests. There’re luxury cruises in which they give high-class amenities as rival those like five-star hotels on land.

You may also take exploration cruises in which cruise lines give travel for places like the Amazon, Galapagos Islands, also many such unusual destinations. There’re cruises which offer travel for many ports of various countries.

Here, you may explore various cultures of various countries which your cruise is visiting. Family oriented cruise is also available. These types of cruises are recommended for family travellers, especially with kids.

These have various onboard and inland programs which will suit some adults and children too. They give special packages for children, so they would always have things to do for not getting bored or restless even.

These types of cruises are got in the market presently. You must choose one from where all may relax and rejoice. Choosing a cruise line where you might want to spend the vacation is also very important. There are some factors which you must keep in mind while choosing some cruise. Here are some:

• Price – You must know the amount you can afford over a cruise. Prices on cruises vary. If you want one first class cruising experience, you must prepare for spending a lot of cash. There are many cruises which offer economy class which might enable you for saving money while going in some cruise.

• Itineraries – You must also know where a cruise may take you. Going destinations you like may maximize the relaxation and enjoyment during one cruise vacation. They offer various destinations; you may choose for which destination appeals as the best.

• Passengers – Cruise lines which attract various kinds of passengers. Selecting the type of people whom you want to mix with is very important for enabling you to be better and have fun.

All these information are readily available in one travel agency. However, it may also available on the internet. Using the net for obtaining information about some particular cruise is very much convenient and you may compare almost every type of cruises quite easily.

The net also gives articles which are written by various people about the opinion about a cruise vacation. You may base the decision on some articles and sites alone, but it’s still your decision about your place of visit.

Most people who book a cruise for the first time (92%) will make their selection based on when they can go and how long they can stay. The second most important factor will be how much it costs. Everything else is dependant on those two items. In 2006, there were 112 different cruise ships operating out of U.S ports transporting about 10 million passengers on some 4,500 cruises. 70% of those 10 million people went to destinations in the Caribbean, and four cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Celebrity- The Big Four) accounted for about 3/4 of passengers.

If you fall into that broad category, your choices will be fewer, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for something you don’t want. But simply asking “What’s the best ship (or cruise line)?” is kind of like asking “What’s the best beer?”, or “What’s the prettiest color?” The very things that one cruiser likes about a cruise are the things that other cruisers vigorously dislike. The good news is that whatever you do like, there is somebody out there doing a bang-up job providing it.

Generally speaking, the Big Four specialize in the “more-is-better” approach to cruising, while smaller cruise lines focus on more specific areas, such as 5-star quality, small intimate ships, enrichment, etc. Here are some factors you can consider when choosing your cruise.

Size of the Ship.

Here some general observations one can make regarding the size of the ship.

What the passengers are there for.

The bigger the ship, the greater the attention paid to make sure that the ship-board experience is as unforgettable as possible. This translates into activities, distractions and a festive, socially liberal, fun-and-games atmosphere. If that annoys you, these big ships may rub you the wrong way.

How many people you’ll be traveling with.

The bigger the ship, the more people there will be on it (duh). Generally speaking, families, singles and singles traveling in groups will prefer the non-stop beat of the large ships. On the other hand, if you prefer quiet and don’t like the crush of crowds at poolside or in the dining room, you’ll have much better luck in the smaller ships, especially the ones that hold fewer than 1200 passengers.

The types of ports you will visit.

Big ships go to big ports. Certain ports, such as Roatan, Honduras or Vera Cruz, Mexico, are only available to smaller ships. Sometimes those ports are the very thing that makes the cruise quite special. If the ports of call are at the top of your list of reasons to take a cruise, consider booking passage on smaller ships that have extended itineraries.

Age of the Ship

“Old” is a relative term in the cruise industry, meaning ships that were launched around 1990 or before (15+ years a go). Many of these ships were state-of-the-art at the time and trumpeted the absolute best cruising had to offer. But in the last 15 years, cruise ships have gotten bigger and more extravagant in ways that were unimaginable two decades ago.

Older ships are not bad, just different. Many are less efficiently designed and have more traditional layouts. Some of the extras and amenities that are common on the newer ships, like internet in your cabin, themed alternative dining restaurants, wave pools and ice rinks don’t usually exist on the older ships. Cabins are smaller, critical traffic areas (such as elevator lobbies and disembarkation lines) are congested and shops can be pretty cramped. Some passengers (not all) notice stale odors or complain that the ventilation systems in the cabins are cranky.

On the flip side, many of the older ships have been up-fitted and remolded in the last few years, and so are fine cruising vessels. They are primarily used on the shorter cruises (3-5 days) and generally charge lower fares. Take into the account the value of the cruise experience. Maybe the older ships aren’t as fresh and perfect as the newer ones, but the value they offer – what you get for what you pay – can be outstanding.

Design of the Ship

Whether it’s accomplished with an extreme makeover or during the building stage, cruise ships place a premium on the design. Some are designed for luxury, some for fun, some try to strike a middle ground. Ships are often given “star” ratings similar to those given to hotels. Some ships are 5-star, such as Holland America. Others are 4-star, such as Carnival or Royal Caribbean. Keep in mind, if you want 5-star, take a cruise on a 5-star ship. Don’t take a cruise on a 3- or 4-star ship and then be unhappy because it’s not top quality. A good source available on the internet, is the “Galaxsea.com” Cruise Ratings site (http://www.galaxsea.com/ratings.html).

I also highly recommended the various message boards that populate the internet. Such sites as Cruisecritic.com or Cruisemates.com are an excellent way to see what other people say about the ship and the itinerary you are considering. You can browse the hundreds of posts by people who have been there, and you can ask specific questions of people who take cruising very seriously.

Type of Entertainment

Whether it’s the combo that plays at poolside, the bands that perform in the clubs or the glitzy production numbers that grace the theatres, cruise ships put a lot of thought and a ton of money into presenting entertainment. Pick the right entertainment environment and you’ll spend sun-drenched days in blissful happiness. Pick the wrong one, and you’ll feel like you’re surrounded by a bunch of people scratching their fingernails on a chalkboard.

Entertainment isn’t just about the lounge/club/party scene. It’s also about cooking classes, lectures, watching a movie, wine tasting, the casino, getting your golf swing computer analyzed, karaoke, bingo, “game-show” games or touring the galley. You can get a good feel for the type of entertainment and activities a ship offers by going online and checking out the ships on-board newsletter. It lists EVERYTHING happening on the ship. Each cruise line’s website will have a sample version of their newsletter. If your travel agent is any good at all, they will have copies from a variety of cruises they have taken.

Dining

For many people, a cruise is all about the food. If you’re one of them, you’ll want to learn what your prospective ship has to offer.

Main Dining (aka Formal Dining). All cruise ships have at least one Main Dining venue and many ships have more than one. The main dining room is the embodiment of luxury and service on your ship and they all work hard to offer classy selections. It’s an opportunity to try food and preparation styles that you would never experience otherwise. The main dining rooms will also open for breakfast and lunch. There is no assigned seating for these meals, but you still get great service and the menu selections are very good.

Many ships now offer alternative restaurants that require reservations and/or a surcharge in which you can choose from restaurants that specialize in French cuisine, seafood, or any number of other themes. There is a $5 – $15 surcharge for each person, but for people that like the choice, it’s well worth the money. This option usually isn’t available on ships built before 1990, because the idea wasn’t popular enough to include the extra space needed.

Alternative Dining. In addition to the main dining room, all ships have a variety of interesting food options. Each has their own version of buffet lines that operate through-out the day, and naturally, some are better than others. New York style delis, pizza and sushi bars, and the always popular poolside grills are but a few of the ideas that are employed. Most ships now also provide coffee shops, bakeries and ice cream counters which usually cost extra. Room service is available 24-hours a day (no charge), with pastries and fruit in the mornings and sandwiches and pizza the rest of the day and night.

Available Services

Child Care and Youth Programs. Cruise lines understand that the people paying the tab need to have a good time if they are going to come back again. And the way that you make sure parents have a good time is to make sure the kids they are traveling with have a good time.

If you are planning a family cruise, you’ll want to travel on a ship that provides the best environment for the youngsters in your group. On the other hand, if you don’t want to have your space invaded by youngsters, you’ll want to stay away from cruise ships that make their youth programs a priority (such as Disney). Programs are set up to provide age appropriate activities and are usually free of charge. There will be an orientation about the youth programs on the first day of your cruise so you can get all the information you need, as well as meet the people who will be overseeing your kids.

Almost all ships provide in-cabin baby-sitting services for an extra fee. When provided, these services require you to pay cash directly to the sitter, rather than place the charge on your ship-board account.

Educational/Enrichment Programs. Alongside the more traditional programs like yoga, nutrition counseling and towel folding, some ships now offer programs on gourmet cooking, wine tasting, art education, digital photography, computers, flower arranging, ceramics and much more. Most are offered at no extra charge. The availability of programs increases the longer the cruise. Shorter cruises usually only have a single day at sea, which is the most popular time to offer these classes. Some cruise lines place as high a premium on enrichment programs as other cruise lines place on partying and fun.

Spa Facilities. Across the board, most ships consider a good spa and gym to be essential. Most cruise lines outsource their spa operation to Steiner Leisure Ltd. of London, England, who operate the spas on over one hundred cruise ships, including all of the spas on Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Disney ships. In all probability, no matter which ship you select, you’ll have a quality menu of options and a good spa.

Gymnasium/Fitness Center. While you can generally count on a consistent level of quality and service in the spas, unfortunately the same can’t always be said of the gyms. Some are absolutely spectacular. Others are little more than a closet with treadmills. The newer ships will have very nice gyms regardless of the cruise line. The older ships, i.e., those built before 1990, may or may not, depending on whether the ship has been recently refit. Exercise equipment usually includes treadmills, stationery bikes, weights and cardio machines and most come staffed with one or two Fitness Directors. Fitness centers usually include men’s and women’s locker rooms, whirlpools, saunas and steam baths.

Internet. Most ships have some kind of internet access, but it is a relatively new technology as far as passenger services go. On the newer ships, there is access all over the ship, even in many cabins. But the older vessels have more limited access. “Internet Cafes” are as common as casinos. Cruise lines are working hard to implement ship-wide wireless internet access and they are definitely getting there. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to check your e-mail at poolside. In some cases, wireless access is limited to one or two locations. If you do bring your laptop, finding electrical outlets on the ship can be REALLY hard. Make sure your battery is charged. Laptops and wireless cards can be rented on board.

Cabin Size and Options

There are basically four options for cabins; inside, ocean view, suite or balcony (some ships call it “verandah”).

Inside: The least expensive cabin aboard. The size of cabins can vary greatly from one ship to another. RCCL Sovereign-class ships are ridiculously small (119 square feet), whereas a similarly priced cabin on Carnival is about 50% larger (187 square feet).

Outside: Usually an identical layout to the inside cabins, but has a window or portal. The difference in price between a standard inside cabin and an ocean view cabin ranges from $10 – $40 per night (NOT per cruise) depending on the ship and the time of year. In almost all cases, outside cabins, whether or not they have balconies, are larger, sometimes by as much as 15%. If your outside cabin is on one of the decks that has an exterior deck, you won’t necessarily see much ocean and you’ll have to deal with people walking outside your window all day.

Balcony. Before 1990, balconies were not considered important, and so most ships built during that time either didn’t have any at all or have only a few. For all of the newer ships, i.e. those built after 1995, balconies are plentiful. A balcony will add $20 – $30 per night to the cost of an outside cabin, which usually works out to about twice as much as the cost of an inside cabin. For a 3-day cruise, given the short amount of time you’ll spend in your cabin, a balcony may not be worth double the cost.

Suite. Actually, “suite” is a pretty generous description, since what you’re actually getting is an extra large cabin (about twice the size of your standard cabin and 3 – 4 times the cost). There are some suites that provide separate sleeping quarters and private hot tubs on the balcony but these are very limited and very expensive (5 – 10 times as expensive as an inside cabin). Most suites are a larger, and usually better furnished, version of a standard cabin.

When considering cabin options, think about how many people will be sharing it and much time you’ll be using it. The longer the cruise, the more important size and balconies become. Location of the cabin also determines desirability (and cost). For example, lower cabins sometimes pick up engine noise or the sound of the anchor dropping, but they do tend to be more stable in rough seas. Cabins located close to the action near the middle of the ship are convenient, but may also be in high traffic areas which translates into noise in the halllway outside your cabin.

Itinerary

Caribbean cruises are broken down into 3 broad regions – Western Caribbean (Cozumel or Playa del Carmen, Mexico; Grand Cayman; Key West, FL; the Dominican Republic; Jamaica; Belize; or Costa Rica), Eastern Caribbean (Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. John, Puerto Rico, or Turks & Caicos) and Southern Caribbean (Aruba, Martinique, Barbados or St. Thomas).

Western Caribbean cruises tend to include more sea days because the destinations are so far apart and the distance one must travel across the Gulf of Mexico is so long. If you take one of these, make sure you choose a ship you’re going to like because you’ll be spending a lot of time on it.

Eastern and Southern Caribbean cruises usually include more ports of call (the islands are right next to each other) and therefore offer a wider variety of venues. That doesn’t mean you’ll have a wider variety of activities. The basic offerings from port to port will generally be the same type of activity, just different scenery.

Some things you’ll want to consider in addition to where you are going:

How long will you be there? Ships that are in port for only part of a day only allow enough time for one shore excursion and may not leave time for shopping or bar hopping. Ships that stay in port overnight, or at least until midnight allow for more diversity of activities in port.

When do you arrive/leave? This can matter, for example, if you want to do a sunset dinner cruise, but the ship pulls out sundown. Likewise, if you’ve booked a shore excursion on your own that requires a pick-up time at 9:30 am, but your ship doesn’t dock until noon, you’ll lose your money.

How do you get ashore? Sometimes the cruise ships tie up at a pier and you just head down to the gangway and walk ashore. Other times the ship has to anchor away from the dock and deliver people ashore via tenders, which means there will be a bottle neck getting on and off the ship. This can be a major pain, especially if the ship is one of the super liners that has to disgorge 3,000+ passengers. Also, the roughness of the wind and water can hamper tender activities and can even cause the ship to decide to not stay in the port.

In Summary

For many cruisers, you won’t really care about all of these factors. No problema. Just pay attention to the ones that are important to you. Whether you are booking through a travel agent or directly with the cruise line, ask about the issues that are important to you and make sure you check out the online reviews and message boards to get objective info.

HAPPY CRUISING!

Every enthusiast wishing to become an exceptional chef needs to choose the best Arts Culinary School. An ideal culinary school provides the students with all the training and learning necessities to excel in this field. The arts culinary school includes different specialization fields such as food writer, gourmet, restaurant owner, a baker and so on. It entirely depends upon the students that what kind of work in culinary field they need to consider after graduating from the culinary school.

Tips To Choose The Best Arts Culinary School:

Few basic tips an individual needs to follow are as mentioned below:

• 1. Accreditation by government bodies: This is the foremost and crucial step while selecting the best arts culinary school. Check out the school’s accreditation.
• 2. Level of Courses: Individuals need to decide whether they want to take admission for short duration courses, diploma, certification courses or degree.
• 3. Peers ratings: Check from the graduated friends about the teaching standards and overall quality of the particular arts culinary school.
• 4. Affiliations with companies: An individual needs to see if the school provides any placements after completion of the courses. Some schools have their hotels, so student need not have to search for job.
• 5. Strength of the students: Select the school having ample amount of international students. It enables them to get acquainted with diverse groups, which is useful in hospitality learning.
• 6. Competency of Teachers: Teachers in the school need to be competent with strong experience levels. They help in creating better students.
• 7. Other facilities: Check the accommodation, transportation, meals, free internet and other facilities.
• 8. Location: The culinary school needs to be located at ideal place. It has to be readily accessible and free from any health concerns.
• 9. Practical Training: The best Arts culinary school is the one which provides hands on training in popular restaurants. It also helps the students to earn a stipend during their vacation break.
• 10. Education costs: Check the fees structure of culinary school. Compare the fees with other arts culinary school and choose the best arts culinary school.

Importance of Choosing the Right Culinary School:

There are various culinary schools located across various places in the world who claim that they are the best. An individual can directly visit the school or can surf the federal websites that rank and provide the accreditation to the arts culinary schools. But choosing the right school becomes really difficult. Hence, a student needs to adhere to certain guidelines before choosing the best culinary school.

There are a lot of details to consider when you are choosing a health care plan, whether it’s one offered through your employer or one you buy on your own. No matter what age you are, your health should be a primary concern, although young people often act as if they will live forever and sometimes postpone making health care decisions.

Here is a list of common mistakes that people make all the time when choosing a health care plan. They are in no particular order, and all are important to consider, carefully and completely. If you are not conversant with all the terminology or are finding it difficult to make the decisions, you should ask for help from a neutral third-party such as family member or friend. Don’t ask a health insurance company unless you want to hear a sales pitch!

Common mistakes
- You don’t check out your doctor, or any others – Although some healthcare plans require you to use a physician in their own network, other plans are more inviting. If you already have a physician, and are buying your own insurance, check with the doctor to see what plans he is a member of. If you do have to choose a new doctor, you should look into the health plan doctors’ credentials by contacting the AMA.

- You forget “location, location, location” – The location of your doctor or clinic, and the travel time required, are other factors you should consider when considering health care plans. Find out where the doctor is located and also look into the regular and emergency hours of the facility.

- You don’t consider specialists – If you already need specialist care, or think you may need to in the future, you need to know the health care plan’s procedures on using them. Some plans require you to contact a primary care physician, while others allow you to make specialist appointments directly.

- You don’t consider your own specialist – You should definitely find out if your current specialist is in the health care plan you are considering. If not, perhaps your specialist can refer you to one who is.

- You forget to check the policy on “pre-existing conditions” – Even though this should be a “no-brainer,” people forget to ask about the policies on pre-existing conditions. Coverage for pre-existing conditions varies widely among health plans. Some exclude them entirely, and will not even consider coverage, while others cover them fully. Many health care plans fall somewhere in the middle, offering coverage after a certain amount of time, or for a certain amount of time or expense. Rules promulgated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act guarantees you coverage for your pre-existing conditions if you join a new group plan offered by your employer after being insured the previous year.  Do your research to make sure you know what your policy covers.

Less common oversights
- You don’t ask about physicals and health screenings – Again, it seems an obvious thing to ask, but if you appreciate getting regular physicals and health screenings you should ensure that they are covered. Most “managed care” plans do cover these types of procedures, usually on an annual basis, but there are some plans that do not cover them. If you have children, make sure to ask if “well baby” check-ups, physicals and immunizations are covered.

- You forget about additional services – Everything, from prescription drug coverage to mental health care, is an important consideration. You need to consider which of the various additional services that you may need are, in fact, covered when you are comparing health care plans. Other examples of these additional services that may be important to you are drug and alcohol counseling and treatment, home health care, nursing home or extended care, hospices, experimental treatments, alternative and complementary medicine, chiropractic care and physical therapy.

Bottom line considerations
- You don’t price things out correctly – Once you know what you want in your health care plan you need to compare costs, and you need to do it right, which means covering all the bases. You will need to know exactly what deductibles must be paid first before the health care plan coverage starts paying, and don’t forget to ask if the deductible needs to be met before certain services can be utilized. Find out about “out of network” charges if you anticipate having to go beyond your plan facilities or physicians. Finally, there are co-payment, cap amounts and total-care limits you need to know about. Some plans have lifetime limits, some have lifetime and annual limits, and others have mixed formulas for making this determination. Get all the facts.

- You don’t check the exclusions – If you don’t read the exclusions list, you will not know what is not covered. You need to see if any condition you currently have, or that you expect to contract in the future, is included. This is an important bottom-line consideration since, if you don’t get this settled and dealt with up front, you will likely spend a great deal of money down the line to treat excluded conditions.

It is a difficult thing to look at your health in a dispassionate, dollar-oriented way, but that’s life. As we age, more of our energy goes into thinking and planning against death and disability, but the subject need not be morbid or depressing. Do your best to get a health care plan that covers what your particular needs are, and remind yourself that you are worth the trouble – and the expense.

So, you want to go on a cruise! It’s exciting, it’s fun and it’s your way of enjoying the great life. But how do you make the choice of where to go, when and with whom? There are so many choices with respect to cruising nowadays that it can be very confusing. Here are a few tips to consider helping you decide which cruise is right for you.

Listed below are few examples of the types of cruise you may wish to take:

1. Mediterranean cruise

2. Caribbean cruise

3. an Alaskan cruise,

4. a cruise down the Amazon or Panama Canal

5. a Transatlantic ocean crossing

6. South Pacific or Hawaiian Island cruise

7. River cruises (the fjords in Norway, the Danube in Europe, the Nile in Egypt, the Mississippi in United States)

8. Polar cruises to see the penguins in the Antarctic

9. Russian waterways cruises

10. Galapagos Island cruises

11. New Zealand or Australia

Each can be very appealing but are also very different.

1. The first thing to consider in taking one of these cruises is when you want to go—the time of the year can dictate the type of cruise. Some cruise ship lines do not offer cruises to the Mediterranean in the winter months, but transfer their ships to the warmer waters of the Caribbean. Alaskan cruises only run in certain months also due to weather conditions. Ocean crossing cruises (Transatlantic) take place only as the seasons change so that cruise ship companies can reposition their ships to match the high seasons’ tourist industry.

2. You also have to decide on the length of your cruise. A typical choice is a 7-night cruise, but you can take cruises from 3-4 nights to over a month in length, or more. The length of your vacation time available may limit you, but taking a cruise for the first time may also be a consideration. Limiting your cruise to a manageable shorter cruise may help you decide whether a longer cruise at another time may be more advisable. In other words, do you get seasick? Do you like the variety of visiting different ports? Do you wish to simply stay at one destination and relax? Do you like the busy atmosphere of the many activities on a ship?

3. Next, the ports that you wish to visit can be a great part of which cruise is the right choice for you. Have you always wanted to visit Tortugas, the Bahamas or Cayman Islands? Here is your chance to get a taste of it. Make sure that one of your chosen destinations is on your cruise itinerary, and there are endless choices of various itineraries available. Cruises are great ways to experience various places. Then you can decide which destination you would like to see more of on a future vacation.

4. Another consideration in choosing a cruise is the amount of time you wish to be “At Sea”. For a Transatlantic voyage you are at sea for many days at a time, which limits you to being within the confines of the ship at all times. This can be a bonus if you don’t want the hustle and bustle of visiting different ports, but it can also be a downside if you want a lot of variety on your vacation. Some cruises offer very little time at sea, being in a different port every day, and this flurry of activity can be too overwhelming for some vacationers. I would recommend a bit of both—for a 7-night cruise a good happy medium would be 2 days at sea with the other days stopping at various ports of call.

5. Once you have narrowed down your choice of cruise to when and where you wish to visit, the next hardest choice is the cruise line and size of ship you want to use. The size of ship can dictate the cruise line, as some cruise lines offer significantly larger ships than others. Some cruise lines only use smaller, more intimate ships for smaller groups of people. Other cruise lines offer huge ships with passengers in the thousands. You must decide whether you like a small personal touch or like the larger groups. (We found that even on a larger ship, there were still areas where we could go to get away from the crowds. Crowding on the huge ships was not a problem at all.)

6. Fitting the cruise line to your individual personality is perhaps the most important factor in determining your cruise enjoyment. There are many different types of ship lines that cater to varying personalities. Of course, the Disney Cruise Line caters to families, but others such as Carnival Cruises cater to more of a party atmosphere for adults, or Norwegian focuses on a more conservative group. Discuss with your travel agent which cruise line fits you best. Cruise lines also offer themed or special interest cruises, such as an art collectors cruise, golfer’s cruises or culinary class cruises. These may be great to fit in with the interests in your life-style.

7. Once you have found the best itinerary for you on the cruise line that suits your personality, at the best time of year for you, there are still other choices you need to make. Some cruise lines offer “freestyle cruising”, which simply put means that you don’t have a set dinner time at a set table, but you can choose to eat whenever you wish. On most cruises, however, you have a preset dinner time at an assigned table. You can choose an early dinner (usually around 6-6:30) or a later dinner time (7:30-8:00). In choosing your dinner time, take into consideration your off-ship excursions. You don’t want to have to rush back from your shore excursion just to get back in time for dinner. You also usually have a choice of how many people you wish to sit with (usually from 4 to 8 -10 people at a table.) Our travel agent suggested a table of 8 on our cruise—she stated that if you were at a table for 4 and you didn’t get along with the other couple you were stuck, but a table for 8 offered more chance of finding congenial soul-mates.

8. Shore excursions can also be a major part of your cruise experience. There are many different shore excursion packages available, from visiting butterfly farms, swimming with dolphins, exploring ancient ruins, to snorkelling or scuba diving. Of course, if you wish you do not need to go on any shore excursions. You can simply choose to stay on-board and take advantage of the ship’s amenities, or you can simply walk around and visit or shop in the port-of-call.

Choosing a cruise can seem overwhelming, but the main point is to suit the cruise to what you want to get out of the experience. If you want a whirlwind of activity choose a party cruise line with that in mind. If you want a more relaxed atmosphere, choose more time at sea. If you want to sample various cultures, choose a destination-rich cruise. Different types of cruises offer at of those things, and more. Hopefully the above has given you an idea in the choices you need to make to get the most enjoyment out of your cruise. Happy cruising!