There are some things that experienced cruisers will have learnt over their years sailing the seas, but if you are new to cruising then you may be unsure about various aspects of these types of holidays. There is an abundance of advice on the internet for Cruise Holidays but we have tried to condense it down to a Top 5 list of tips for cruising.

5. Cruises don’t tend to be the things that you plan at the last minute, so you will probably need to be thinking about your cruise holiday well in advance. Like most types of travel, booking early will get you the best rates. This might make your budget stretch further allowing you to have a cabin that would usually be out of your price range. Upgrading your cabin can make your holiday, especially for cruises of around 100 days and over.

4. You will no doubt be seeing a lot of the staff on your cruise ship on a daily basis, so looking after them with tips and being polite will mean that they in turn will look after you.

3. There are no hard and set rules, but generally the longer the duration of the cruise, the older the age of the passengers. If you are a young couple or a young family, you might be better suited to one of the shorter voyages. But to be fair, how many families can find the time to go cruising for 150 days of the year?

2. Don’t worry about being bored; there will be plenty of daily excursions at the locations you will be stopping at and also onboard activities. If you plan on being adventurous and going off to explore a destination, make sure you do some research and only visit safe areas and make sure you are back at the ship at the required time. There is a slim chance you will be left behind but you will probably return to a frosty reception from both staff and passengers waiting to set sail.

1. World Cruises will take you to multiple destinations around the globe so make sure you take a good camera. No doubt you will take hundreds of photos along the way so it is worth making sure you have multiple memory cards, spare batteries and maybe even a laptop if you have one to backup your photos as you go. The last thing you would want is to lose you camera in the last couple of days and lose all of those precious memories.

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Backpacking is a popular way of travelling for hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year. It is the best way to carry your belongings when travelling to a number of places where you only intend to stay for a short period of time. Although the concept of backpacking may seem reasonably simple, there are some goods tips which you can follow to make the process a lot easier for yourself. Below are some of these tips:

Don’t budget on the bag itself
Your backpack is going to be with you for your entire journey, so be sure that you purchase a bag that is of good quality. The bag needs to be strong enough to withstand different weather conditions, being thrown around by luggage handlers, being slept on and generally going anywhere that you go. It may seem alluring to save money in the short term by buying a cheap bag, but the chances are that if you do you will end up paying the price in the long run.

The order in which you pack your belongings
When packing your backpack do not just throw your belongings into it in a random unorganised manner. The way in which you pack your bag will determine the amount of things you can fit into your bag, how easy the bag is to carry, the longevity of the items in the bag and the life span of the bag itself. The best way to pack is to put the lighter, softer items at the bottom of the pack and the heavier items towards the top. This will reduce strain on your back and also maximise comfort.

What to take
Think through what you actually need to take and leave out items which you are unlikely to need. This will reduce weight. There are certain items which everybody should include. This list will change depending on the nature of the trip, but there are certain generic items which everybody should include. Below is a basic list of these generic items:

Torch, copies of important documentation, plastic bags for dirty/wet clothes, sleeping sheet, medical kit, Swiss army knife, pen, pad, mirror, water and cans of dehydrated food.

Guest post by James who works in the Travel industry and offers Rome apartments Italy and Accommodation in Rome for European travellers.

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I always put a lot of thought into packing and preparing for a long-haul flight. By planning to spend hours on an aircraft or even at an airport, you can make the journey much more comfortable. I have learned from experience.

One of the things I couldn’t survive without is my pull along mini suitcase which I can take on as hand luggage. Most airlines allow passengers to carry on baggage measuring 55cm x 40cm x 20cm. You should, however, check with the airline you are travelling with. Here are some of the essentials I pack in my hand luggage:-

Toothpaste and toothbrush: If I were going to a desert island and could only take one thing, this would be it. If you are spending hours in an airport or on board a flight, just going to brush your teeth after eating can make you feel better. Remember to take a mini toothpaste (maximum capacity of 100 millilitres).

Face wash, towel and moisturizer: It is a great feeling to wash your face during stopovers.

Earplugs, sleeping mask, socks and fleece: Flights can be uncomfortable and with over 200 people on board, there will be noise, babies crying and passengers talking – that is why I take earplugs. On most flights I get cold because of the air conditioning so I always take a pair of socks and a fleece. However, on every Iberia aircraft I have travelled on I melt with the heat so it is also a good idea to wear layers so you can strip down if necessary. Finally, the sleeping mask just in case the person beside me has the light on.

Extra change of clothes: I always take an extra change of clothes just in case my suitcase goes missing. If you are travelling from winter to summer or vice versa, perhaps you could take something suitable to change into at the airport when you arrive.

Oh and don’t forget to wear flight socks or you won’t be able to fit your feet in your shoes after the journey.

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It felt like I had been organising my tour of Asia for years. I had booked the flights and I had an idea of where I would be going and staying….and of course my final destination. With only a week to go before I would be jetting off to Bangkok to start my tour, the only problem I had was packing. I didn’t know how long I would be away so you can imagine how hard it was packing.

I decided to travel with a small rucksack so that I could keep it by my side at all stages of the tour. I flew with British Airways and this air carrier allows 23kg for check in luggage, but my bag was barely 10kg. Even though it was small, I tried to leave some space for souvenirs, which I would buy along the way. I think the size of your bag is one of the most important elements. The advantages of a small bag are that you can fit it in lockers easier, you will be more comfortable and if you pack the right type of clothing, you don’t need to take very much with you.

If you are travelling for a month or less in a hot climate you should pack three quick drying t-shirts, two pairs of trousers, a pair of trainers and sandals for walking/beach etc. You can always wash your t-shirts, trousers, underwear and they will be dry the next day. You should also take a long sleeve top or fleece just in case of cold temperatures. Other essentials may include a sleeping bag, mini umbrella, mosquito net, first aid kit, duffle bag, padlock, toiletries and power adaptors.

Packing a big bag with lots of clothes isn’t a good idea and you probably won’t use half of the things you bring anyway.

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