When you are preparing for your cruise vacation, it's vital to have all your plans in place in good time. By
doing this you will ensure that you are comfortable with the whole experience and that lets you enjoy it more!

So here are a few tips to help you get the most out of the planning of it all - selected from a selection of Top Ten Cruising Tips - there's more at the website below.

1. Get your dates and timescale sorted.

Having this discussion early means there will be a lot less frustration when it comes to making decisions about your cruise vacation. Remember things like school and college dates; other people's vital birthdays, not to mention other key dates like medical appointments. Remember that the cruise lines will have different rates for different times of the year - a matter of a week could make a lot of difference to the price you pay and the spending money you have on board!

2. Are your dates fixed or are you flexible?

If you are tied to specific times on the calendar, do you have any flexibility around that at all. Whilst no-one likes to take kids out of school at any time, you might find just a snippet of flexibility, like at the end of the summer term when exams are finished, for example, to take your cruise. This can make not just a financial difference, but also a difference to availability as well as how busy the cruises might be as well. A slightly quieter week might be a lot more fun than one when the crew are working at full tilt. Not to mention availability of extras like shore excursions.

3. Is the date the most important; or the cruise line; or the destination?

A vital question! Where do your priorities lie? If you are getting to an age where it's just the two of you and you have no time constraints (and are maybe prepared to pay the full rate too!), you can afford to be much more selective about the where, the when and the who you decide to spend your money with. It's a great place to be! So, in this case, whilst timing of your cruise vacation will be important, there might just be other decisions that you can take which will help you get the best from it.

4. Are all members of the party in the same position?

Another important point! Remember that whilst you might be OK, others in your party could be much less flexible, for all sorts of reasons, especially if they have kids and/or businesses to run. If you are the nominated organizer for a large party - say a family reunion - you will have to be where the buck stops. It's no easy place to be! As the person who has their finger on the 'send' button when it comes to giving your credit card for the deposit, making sure that you have the dates that suit everyone, is critical to your wealth! There is no easy solution to this from the to and fro negotiating that might have to go on, to get it right for most, if not all. Good luck!

5. The weather!

Don't forget to ensure that the weather is going to be as you expect. Especially when tripping off to foreign climes, it's easy to see the brochure pictures and forget that they are not intended to put you off. In tropical climates, that is exactly what they are - tropical! And with that is rain and wind sometimes. That cheaper deal might actually not seem that cheap, if your cruise vacation gets stuck in port for days when Hurricane 'Nellie' is expected anytime soon! Check it out.

A little careful thought into the timings of what you want to do will go a long way to ensure that the cruise vacation you are preparing excitedly for is all you want. A memorable experience for all the right reasons!