Carnival offers sailings departing from Port Canaveral and Miami with Nassau, Bahamas as the port of call. Ships depart port on Friday afternoon and arrive in the Bahamas early Saturday morning. This allows for a full day to take in the sights, sounds and culture of the Bahamas.  Ships depart early Sunday morning and spend the day leisurely sailing back to their departure ports arriving early Monday morning.

A variety of amenities are available on Carnival ships for all types of passengers. Camp Carnival provides activities for children ranging from board games to talent shows all under the watchful eyes of certified counselors. Spa and fitness facilities rival many land based resorts with rejuvenating treatments and the latest in workout equipment.  Entertainment choices abound in the form of comedians, live music and dance and seminars in the onboard lounges and meeting rooms. Fun for all ages is the theme on Carnival’s “Fun” ships.

For Royal Caribbean’s short escapes, the vessel also ports in Nassau with an added bonus port of CocoCay, the cruise line’s private island located in the Berry islands chain.  Passengers have exclusive use of the island and all of its offerings. Powdery white sand with swaying palms and turquoise water set the stage for this stop. A variety of water sports from jet skiing to parasailing are offered for the thrill seeker, along with kayaks and snorkeling for those looking to be more in touch with nature.

Fairly new is a racetrack with battery powered ATV’s for small children. Food and drinks are plentiful at the beachside BBQ lunch and the many tiki hut bars served by ships personnel. And, do not think that just because you are on a private island that shopping is not an option…there are a few stores on the island as well as a straw market type atmosphere, albeit on a much smaller scale. Bring cash when going on the island for any shopping souvenirs, but the ship card is required for any bar or water sport purchases.

There are numerous beach spots in CocoCay, including one offering cabanas and another that has many water sport activities, including a giant inflatable water slide (height requirement, so no young kids). Yet, despite having 2,000 people tender from the ship to the island, you can feel alone in the island by walking the paths and venturing into the water if the tide cooperates and walking along the sand bars. You truly feel as though you are in a tropical island paradise. The private island port of call that many cruise lines offer is a true vacation highlight.

These weekend sailings provide passengers with an opportunity to experience island adventure aboard a floating resort. Costs are often much less than all-inclusive, upscale beach resorts and can be enhanced with discounts offered for geographic location, age, occupation and group rates. Cabin preference and cruising season are factors that may require passengers to book months in advance to ensure availability of cabins and dates. Budget-minded passengers will often take a cabin guarantee instead of cabin assignment. This option allows for greater savings that can benefit the passenger with flexibility.

So in tight economic times, do not give up the dream of a cruise vacation. Consider a shorter itinerary that still provides all of the amenities, but for a lesser cost. The three-night cruise is a great sampler to cruising too to ensure travelers will enjoy this type of vacation without having to invest heavily.

Short Cruises Present Budget-Friendly Vacations with Full Amenities was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Here are some tips for capitalizing on the best vacation and travel deals out there now:

Go For the Dream Vacation
If you have been dreaming of Paris and other other international destinations as your dream getaway, now is the time to take advantage of the reasonable prices for such travel. For instance, there are luxury African safari trips priced two-for-one. The bigger the trip, potentially the better the deal. Shop around and see where you can go that you once never thought possible.

Check Out the Conversion Rates
The US dollar is gaining more strength so traveling abroad can get you even more of a deal. Travelers can do much more on the same amount of money they might have had to spend last year around this time. Before making a final decision about where you want to go, check out the currency of some interesting countries like Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Iceland. You can get a whole lot more for a whole lot less in some really great locations.

Be Flexible
Look around at some areas of the world that have been hit hard in the tourism department. If you can keep an open mind and be flexible about the dates you can travel, you can really find a deal of a lifetime. Experts suggest you start your search with a list of places you are interested in visiting. Take that list and see which location offers you the best deal for travel.

Get Into Negotiations
Even when you nail down the details of your trip, you can still save even more cash if you are willing to ask some questions and get a negotiation going. Ask the hotel manager what extras they can thrown in for your family for their regular prices, such as free kid’s meals or tickets to local attractions.

Go Ahead and Use Your Rewards
If you have credit cards that offer rewards miles or if you have a deal with the airline for frequent flier miles, now is the time to cash them in. Airlines are looking to fill seats and so they have become more flexible about letting you exhaust your miles when you want to do it – not when they dictate the time.

While we are struggling with just surviving paycheck to paycheck, there are many ways and benefits to planning a getaway. Your frugal ways can serve you well when you make a proactive attempt to keep finding the best deals for every aspect of your luxury vacation, even if that cruise cost 60% less than it did last year.

The Recession is Opening the Doors to Big Vacation Savings was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Photo credit: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, Va.

Photo Credit: www.visitshenandoah.com

The official end of summer occurred earlier this week, but that does not mean an end to vacation fun together. Fall is a popular time to travel and experience the changing seasons. A few Travel Advocate fall favorites include the Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive; Williamsburg, Virginia; and a New England Cruise.

Royal Caribbean offers fall cruises visiting a variety of ports of call complete with fall foliage including Portland, Maine; Bar Harbor, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Quebec City, Quebec and more. Cruisers can take in the unique scenic views while sailing. Not to mention the opportunity for fresh lobster and the lighthouse tours. The shore excursions offered concentrate on the history and culture of each city. Prices start at $489 for a 9-night cruise out of Baltimore, Maryland aboard Grandeur of the Seas, $699 aboard Jewel of the Seas for a 7-night cruise departing from Boston, and $1,099 for a 9-night cruise out of Cape Liberty Cruise Port, New Jersey on Explorer of the Seas. To learn more, visit: www.rccl.com

Located just over an hour outside of Washington, DC, travelers can take advantage of free admission to the Shenandoah National Park on Saturday, September 27^th during National Public Lands Day (all National Parks entrance fees are waived that day). Skyline Drive which is an entry point to the Shenandoah National Park is one of the most spectacular vistas one will ever witness regardless of season, but Fall is a favorite and extends colorful views. There is hiking, horseback riding, camping, dining, rock climbing and more. Entrance fees from March to November is $15 per vehicle, $8 per pedestrian and bicyclist and $10 per motorcyclist and are valid on the day of purchase and for the next six days. To learn more, visit: www.visitshenandoah.com

Williamsburg, Virginia is the restored 18th-century Revolutionary capital of Virginia as a town-sized living history museum, telling the inspirational stories of our nation’s founders. Within the restored and reconstructed buildings, historic interpreters, attired as colonial men and women from slaves to shopkeepers to soldiers, relate stories of colonial Virginia society and culture. As Colonial Williamsburg interprets life in the time of the American Revolution for its guests, it also invites them to interact with history. Williamsburg offers an interactive and interesting way to experience history first hand.  This Fall, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum feature an assortment of guided tours and interactive programs for all ages. To learn more, visit: www.history.org

Official Start of Fall Travel: Time to Visit Scenic Destinations was created by and is property of American Consumer News.