Travel Mom: Best Cruises
Jan. 21, 2005 -- -- If you're one of the millions of Americans thinking about taking a vacation aboard a cruise ship this year, the time to book is now.
Emily Kaufman of www.thetravelmom.com told ABC News' "Good Morning America" that this time of year is the busiest for cruise bookings. Here are her picks for some of the best cruises the high seas have to offer.
Royal Caribbean Cruise
$589 per person
Royal Caribbean's Voyager class of ships is ideal for adolescents and adrenaline junkies. For no additional fee, passengers can enjoy rock climbing, ice skating, in-line skating or work on golf strokes in the ship's gold simulator.
Princess Cruises
$549 per person
There's a reason Princess Cruises' Pacific Princess was cast as the title character on the TV show "The Love Boat." Princess is the only cruise line to offer a marriage at sea -- you can be married by the ship's captain while en route to your honeymoon destination. If friends and family can't make the trip, they can watch the ceremony on the Internet from home.
Norwegian Cruise Lines
$599 per person
Norwegian Cruise Lines offers guests a new experience in dining while on board a cruise ship: freedom. After discovering that its passengers didn't like being told what time to eat and how to dress or sitting at the same table every night, NCL began offering dozens of specialty restaurants so guests can decide for themselves when, where and what to eat.
Carnival Cruise
$599 per person
Carnival Cruises offer something for everyone with some of the largest teen-and kid-friendly facilities afloat. Adults will find the ships' casinos, fitness centers, bars and lounges a great way to keep busy as the kids take turns on the crafts' 200-foot water slide.
Disney Cruise Line
$1,599 per person
In celebration of Disneyland's 50th anniversary, Disney Cruise Line will be sailing through the Panama Canal on its way to Southern California. Because Disney Cruise Line has never sailed on the West Coast before, space is limited and the price tag is a bit heftier than normal. (Disney is the parent company of ABC News.)
Visit www.thetravelmom.com for more tips from Emily Kaufman.
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