Know Your Destination

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  Swim with the Dolphins in Puerto Vallarta.dolphins image by alfablu from Fotolia.com
  
  Begin by researching what the different destinations have to offer. While Acapulco is known for its active nightlife and serves as a celebrity hotspot, Puerto Vallarta is a popular family destination, and Cabo San Lucas is known for it's Tourist Corridor---20 miles of white sand beaches and craggy coves. San Lucas Marina draws boating enthusiasts from all over the world, while the Cabo Wabo Cantina, owned by Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen, offers nightly live music performances and sporadic celebrity appearances. For a larger selection of bars, clubs and discos, travel south to Acapulco; for child-friendly fun, make a stop in Puerto Vallarta. Popular activities in Puerto Vallarta include snorkeling, scuba diving, canopy climbing, and the Dolphin Encounter "Vallarta Adventure." Children under 11 swim with the dolphins free of charge, and must be accompanied by an adult, while older children can shadow a trainer for a day.
  
  
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  The ship is your home away from home.Rhine Cruise Ship in Emmerich image by Raoulsch from Fotolia.com
  
  Choose a cruise ship based on the ports of call you would like to visit, the number of nights you would like to cruise, and the amenities offered by the various cruise lines. Decide what amenities you can live without, and which are essential. For instance, if you run five miles a day and the notion of missing a day unnerves you, choose a ship with a fitness center. If fine dining and live entertainment is more your forte, choose a ship with an active nightlife and multiple dining options. Though your days will be spent primarily in the ports of call, your nights will be contained to the ship, as will the days in between ports.
  
  
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  Avoid airfare if at all possible.airplane image by Clarence Alford from Fotolia.com
  
  If possible, choose a port of departure close to home, as this will save you additional traveling expenses. Popular ports of departure include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Miami, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Seattle, and Galveston, Texas. Rates are typically per-person, and do not include airfare or ship gratuities.