Taking a cruise is one of the all time favorite holidaying activities of many people. There is just something about relaxing on the deck of the ship and enjoying that sea breeze and forgetting all your worries which makes it a unique experience. If you do a little planning and thinking you can turn your vacation into a great one.

Anybody traveling nowadays, even taking a cruise ship holiday is required to have a valid pass port. Cruises in the summer time tend to be cheaper especially if you are going to the West Indies area. Cruise ships will have dance halls and casinos on board, so having lots of fun until the wee hours will be easy. One of the highlights of a cruise ship is that you will never see the other guests again so don’t be afraid to make a fool of your self.

So if there is a karaoke party, sing all you want and don’t be hesitant to sound like a total novice. If you are going for a cruise for the fist time then one of the things you should keep in mind is the climate. Some destinations are prone to storms or tropical storms during certain times of the year. So if you are not a hardened passenger then it is advisable to stay away from that and go for a gentler voyage.

There has been a big jump in the amount of interest in going for trips on a ship of late. In 2010 alone, some 18 million passengers went on ships and the industry made a total of around 27 billion dollars. These figures point out to how big and serious this industry is. Every year, since 2001 there has been around nine ships added each year. So it looks like the cruise industry is here to stay and grow.

Most cruise companies return to their originating port. Others, although more rare are dedicated “ocean liners” that go on line voyages from one point to another rather than do round trip voyages The third type of voyage is the long round trips that go for a long distance and spend several weeks or even months before returning to their starting point.

Ships that are built for line voyage, say from England to North America are built to be more tough and strong to endure the trip of the North Atlantic. Queen Mary 2 of the Cunard Company is one such example. This ship is one of the most modern and luxurious ships in service today along with Queen Elizabeth 2. But, all in all the number of ocean liners are decreasing compared to holiday cruise ships.

Most people tend to think that such holidays are only for the rich and famous, but that is not true; there are many budget ship voyages available. You can get package deals that cater to the budget traveler.