If you’re wondering what kind of trip you want to take, you might want t consider a cruise.  Planning a cruise is actually a lot less stressful than planning any other kind of trip because there are fewer things to deal with.  For example, your travel and your lodging are one and the same, so need need for worrying about hotel rooms. There are plenty of cruise guides available.

Well, mostly.  One of the issues of taking a cruise is that you have to get to the dock.  Sometimes, they can involve extra travel.  Some people live so far away that they actually have to fly to catch their cruise, which adds in another very large cost.  However, if you live near the area from which the boat leaves, it’s a cost you don’t have to worry about.

Food is another non-concern on a cruise.  All of your meals are actually included in the cost of the cruise with the exception of alcohol (and sometimes limited alcohol is actually included).  Huge dining rooms providing all the food you’d ever want.

Some entertainment is provided, too, such as magic shows, musical performances, and games.  Many cruise ships feature casinos for those who like to gamble.  On-ship pools, shuffleboard, and more give plenty of entertainment options for adults and children.

There are also various shore excursions you can do.  These excursions are handled through the cruise company, but they cost extra.  Some examples include touring ancient ruins, swimming with the dolphins, and going para-sailing.  However, while booking these events through your cruise is convenient, you may actually be able to find a local tourist company that provides the same experiences for less, so do some research.

There are a few things to consider if you’re trying to save money on your cruise.  First, interior rooms with no windows are much cheaper but provide no view of the ocean.  The time of year makes a huge difference, too.  You may find it cheaper to cruise during the winter months, but be aware that many cruises run holiday specials that fill up quickly.

If you’re headed to Orlando with the kids, or if you just love water parks, you’ll find four different attractions that may be perfect for you and your family.  These water parks include just about everything: pools, water slides, beautiful views, and more.  Some parks even provide inner tubes, flippers, rafts, and snorkels.  They even allow you to bring coolers, so you can set up your own picnic by the pool!  Of course, don’t forget your sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen—you don’t want to end up with a sun burn.  Be sure your sunscreen is water proof, too.

Along with one of the most desired hotels in Orlando, Disney World contains two of these four water parks.  The first is Disney’s Blizzard Beach.  The Blizzard Beach is not your typical water park.  Instead, it has a very unique concept: the entire park is what would happen if all the ice and snow at a ski resort were to suddenly melt.  There are ski jumps and chair lifts, but instead of taking guests up the snowy peaks, they work around pools and waterfalls.  It’s a very unique experience.

The other Disney World water park is Typhoon Lagoon.  This park, one of Disney World’s traditional parks, also features a theme: this one is of a ship that has been washed ashore on a mountain due to a huge typhoon.  This water park has over 50 acres of water slides and pools.  There’s even a four foot wave that rolls over the lagoon that guests can surf on.

If you want to get away from Disney, you can head over to Aquatica.  It’s a part of SeaWorld, and it is also incredibly fun.  It includes animals, flowing waterfalls, intense water slides, and even sandy beaches.  There are almost 60 acres of water fun!

The fourth and final water park is Wet ‘n Wild, Orlando’s first water park.  Like the other parks, guests of all ages will find something fun to do here, whether it’s lie out in the sun or swim in the pools.  There are even group water rides that the entire family can enjoy at once.

Going on a trip can be a lot of fun, but in some ways, it can also be stressful.  One of these stressful areas is your travel budget.  Unless you have a lot of money set aside or are independently wealthy, chances are, you’re not going to be able to throw money around.  Instead, you’ll have to pick and choose what you purchase.  However, there are some ways you can save some money and stay within your travel budget.

Purchasing non-perishables (donuts, bagels, bread, cereal, etc.) from a local supermarket can save you from spending money on breakfast and maybe even lunch.  You can also pick up snacks and drinks so you don’t buy things out of vending machines—they’re always more expensive than stores.  Even if your room doesn’t include a mini-refrigerator, some hotels do feature ice machines so you can cool down your drinks this way.  Always avoid room service if it’s an option because it’s always expensive.  You can usually eat out for less.

Another tip is to make a list of people you wish to buy souvenirs for and set a certain amount for each.  You may want to spend more on your sister, for example, than on a work associate, but if you don’t plan this out, you may end up impulse buying.  This can quickly lead to spending a lot of money and filling up any extra space in your luggage.

Speaking of luggage, some airlines now charge for checked baggage.  To avoid paying too much in fees, try to fit as much of your clothing as possible into one bag.  Also remember that you may be able to put your toiletries and other small items in a carry-on bag.  If you expect to purchase a good amount of stuff on your trip, you may want to fit a smaller bag inside your larger one.  On your way back, you can use the second bag to carry your purchases.  This way, you only pay for one checked bag on the way there instead of two.

Look for multi-admission passes or transportation passes.  Many public transportation systems feature weekly passes, and these usually come out cheaper than paying each time unless you aren’t going to use transportation very often.  Some city tourism departments also offer a multi-admission pass that lets you in to a number of different attractions for one price.  Again, if you’re going to visit three or four of these attractions, buying the pass instead of paying individually may be cheaper.

You may have it all planned out.  You’ve got your transportation books, your tickets purchased, your hotel room reserved, and you’re ready to go!  Then something happens—there’s a sudden illness in the family, a natural disaster strikes your home town, or some other uncontrollable event happens, and you realise there’s no way you can go on your trip.  When that happens, you have no choice but to cancel your trip.

You need to cancel your reservations as soon as you know you won’t be able to go on your trip.  Many hotels and forms of transportation have cancellation deadlines.  If you cancel after these deadlines, you may not be able to get all or even most of your payment back.  This may mean you end up paying for airline tickets or a hotel room that you don’t get to use.  If that ends up being the case, see if you can get credit for another time.  If you can’t, you may want to transfer your reservations and such to someone who can go out of town.  It’s better that one of your family members or friends make use of your tickets and reservations rather than spending money on something that no one gets to use.

Event tickets are often non-refundable no matter what.  In this case, you can either give them to someone else or attempt to re-sell them.  Some people put their tickets up on eBay or other online auction sites.  If you don’t have time for that and don’t have a friend to give them to, you may be out of luck and will have to accept the loss of your money.

Cancelling your holiday is very disappointing, but losing all of your investment is even worse.  While you may be dealing with some horrible event during the time, but try to find a few minutes to deal with cancellations so you can save as much as you can.