Proceed with caution
Time-Share resorts sometimes offer free lodging to potential buyers in exchange for their attendance at a presentation about properties the developer has for sale.

You may be offered a vacation certificate by telephone, in the mail, or on the Internet. Offers vary, but they are often for a three day, two night stay at the resort itself or a nearby hotel.
Common Terms & Conditions

* Nearly all offers are subject to certain conditions, including age and income requirements. Read the fine print.

* If you’re married, both you and your spouse must usually attend a sales presentation.

* Upon arrival you will be asked to show proof of identity.

* An advance deposit may be required to guarantee your time. It may not be refundable if you do not attend, or upon compliance with the terms of the offer.

Learn the Lingo

* A processing fee is probably nonrefundable.

* If deposit funds are actually called a deposit, refund status could go either way.

* Some deposits are refunded when you arrive at the location or after you attend the sales presentation.

Before You Accept a Vacation Offer

* Contact your local Better Business Bureau for a reliability report about the company.

* Make sure you meet all of the guidelines listed in the offer’s Terms and Conditions.

* Determine exactly what you are required to pay for.

* Get a copy of the state’s Time-Share laws. If the resort cannot provide them, request a copy from the state Real Estate Commission.

* Ask if you must stay during specific days of the week, and if reservations are firm. Verify cancellation rules, too.

* Find out when (or if) the company will return your deposit.

* Is free transportation to and from the resort included?

* Will you stay at the time-share resort or at a local hotel? Is loging free? Are taxes included? Will the resort provide free transportion from the hotel to the resort?

Phone Solicitation
If you are contacted by phone, ask for all details in writing. Reputable companies with valid offers shouldn’t hesitate to send written information. Never give your credit card, Social Security, or checking account numbers to an unknown solicitor.

If you’re on the No Call List, you hopefully won’t receive calls from Time-share solicitors.

Don’t Be Scammed

* You may be promised free airfare to your destination, but when you arrive you find lodging is billed at a higher than normal rate.

* You might have free lodging, but higher airfares.

* Question everything, read the fine print, and remember that it’s usually not realistic to believe you are getting a totally free vacation.

If the urge to buy kicks in… and you’re sorry later
Read the laws that govern Time-Share developers in that state. There’s usually a ‘cooling off’ period where Time-Share buyers are allowed to back out of a sale with no loss of funds.

The Bottom Line
If you are truly interested in the property being offered, the free lodging probably isn’t a bad deal. If you’re just going because it’s free, think carefully before you accept, especially if you discover hidden costs.

Is there someplace else you’d rather go? Chances are you’ll have a better time at a destination of your choice, even if it does end up costing a little more.

If you find a Time-Share resort that appeals to you, e-mail or call to ask about free time. Resorts sometimes offer unadvertised free or reduced-price stays for potential buyers.

Cruising is fun for people of all ages. From toddlers to teenagers and from young couples on honeymoon to the older person relaxing after a life of hectic careers, cruise vacations offer enjoyment and excitement to everyone. If you wish to find cheap family cruises, then there are plenty of choices, wherever you live. Nearly all cruise lines offer specials and programs for families with specific emphasis on children. Services like baby-sitting, play-stations; mini computer labs, etc. are presented to lure children also on cruise ventures. Many of them combine exclusive offshore excursions geared to attract children of all ages. Some of the select features of cheap family cruises are presented here for your basic information.

Reduced cruise rates like 2 full adult fares for a family of 3 or even 4, if the children are below the age of 5.
Special baby-sitting provisions and monitored cribs.
Family cabins with full beds or separate bunkers for children to accommodate children up to the age of 12.
Cartoon shows and cartoon magazines.
Classes for arts, crafts, dancing, music, foreign languages, etc.
Game facilities like billiards, chess, basketball, volleyball, ping pong, swimming, snorkeling, etc.
Kids-only swimming pools.
Kid, teen, and youth counselors.
Computer labs and computer game stations.
Special beach parties and barbeque parties.

With most cruises, the accommodation, all meals, entertainment, and other onboard activities are all included in the price. Transportation to and from the port is also generally part of the package. However, other expenses like drinks, excursion expenses at stoppage ports, personal services like hairstyling, massage, etc. are generally not included in cruise package. On the other hand, most cruise lines accept requests for special diets like low-carbohydrate, salt-free, etc. but these have to be advised in advance.

A cheap or inexpensive family cruise can be found either by browsing the Internet or by contacting any reputable travel agency. At the outset, make a decision about the destination or destinations that you would like to visit and the number of days that you could afford, along with your probable budget. After that, obtain at least 4-5 family cruise package quotes from different cruise lines. Compare them for all the features, including fine print like the inclusion or exclusion of VAT, personal insurance, tips, etc. In general, you have a choice of around major 200 cruise lines operating all over the globe, with more than 1,800 ports-of-call.

Remember that family cruises are meant for fun and relaxation. You can find a family cruise package that will not strain your family budget and be great fun as well. Make sure that your family cruise selection offers adequate rest between ports-of-call, where you may be visiting several places on hectic-paced guided tours. Talk to the cruise director or the travel agent about the specific facilities offered for the family members. Find out ahead of time about all on-board activities, so that all members of the family, including the kids, will be well informed of all the fun to expect. If you consider all the above facts, then your next family cruise should be within your budget and at the same time, offer all of you unlimited recreation, relaxation, and pleasure.

Tips For Finding Low Cost Travel

Looking for Travel Advice on how to find great Travel Deals Online?
Here are a few great tips that can save you time and money.

So you have always wanted to travel and take a dream cruise vacation.
Maybe it’s one of those things that wound up on the back burner, but
you’ve started to believe that you just won’t be able to save up the
money or find the right travel deals to take yourself and the spouse,
or the whole family, on such a trip. Think again. With the following
travel advice, you may be surprised.

The cruise industry is growing faster than ever, and with this huge
expansion comes more travel opportunities to save money on special
cruise deals. With more vacationers taking to the seas cruise lines
are growing larger and can afford to offer special discounts to
customers to get more people hooked on this luxury style of
vacationing. Those looking for a cruise vacation can make a few smart
decisions with the right travel advice and travel deals and save
themselves a lot of cash without much sacrifice.

The first step is to look into travel theme packages. Many cruises
offer special discounts for certain lifestyles or age groups. There
may be a family discount, a golden years discount, or a honeymoon
discount available. Depending on what type of cruise you want and
who’s going with you, this can be a huge money-saver if you’re willing
to accept what is offered in the packaged travel deals.

When it comes time to book your cruise, believe it or not, don’t be
too hasty. Many cruise lines receive unexpected cancellations at the
last minute, and are eager to fill the empty slots. A would-be
vacationer can often get extremely good travel deals if their schedule
allows them to wait until the last minute to book. Call a cruise line
days before a ship sets sail, and you might be pleasantly surprised by
what you hear regarding discount rates for last-minute trips.

If you find a cruise line that you like, consider booking any future
cruise vacations with the same line. Many cruise lines give discounts
to repeat customers and you will probably receive a good percentage
off your rate if you book a cruise at the same time each year with the
same company. Talk to a travel agents who specializes in cruises.
Often these agents can get you travel deals as well, especially with
cruise lines they book often. By booking through experienced travel
agents you may earn the instant right to be a preferred customer. You
might also want to check with travel agents online for other special
travel packages and travel deals.

Finally, do your research! There are many travel sites online for
discount cruise fares, just as there are for airfares and other types
of travel. Some websites specialize in locating cheap cruises for
those who wish to vacation on a budget. Make use of a search engine
and travel agents online, and don’t get discouraged. Your cheap cruise
is out there somewhere.

The trick to finding great bargains is using resources like these and
a little brain work to find these special travel deals.

The benefits of an all-inclusive package outweigh the cons of cheap vacations. The buffet-style allows you to experiment a wide variety of food. The service is always good plenty of are activities included in the package. The all-inclusive trips also include diving, snorkeling and a host of other water sports. There are several activities like swimming, tennis and golf that may come as part of the package.

A good bargain is to buy an all-inclusive package to Disney World, which includes many activities. Some include visits to water parks, biking, and horseback riding. There are also miniature golf courses for the golf aficionados. They offer free shuttles back and forth, and need not worry about renting a car, which is an added expense.

A family with older children might treasure an all-inclusive package with a skiing adventure in the Rockies or a trip to a ‘dude’ ranch in Arizona. Whatever your likes and dislikes, you can find activities for all to enjoy on an all-inclusive holiday. You should explore your destination on-line.

An all-inclusive vacation in Cancun sounds like heaven. The resort on a reef just off the major island is different from the regular hotels in the heart of Cancun. But you can be subjected to sales pitches to buy time-shares by low- priced resorts. What you thought would be a perfect vacation could turn into a bad dream when you realize that a few places, workers still expect a tip, even if there are notices advertising to the contrary. Tipping would also get you that extra bit of service. At the resorts, there are tip jars everywhere. Tipping is banned in some resorts and you need to find out in advance what kind of a resort you are going to.

Another disadvantage of taking an all inclusive holiday is that after reaching the resort, everything you do has to be paid for and some resorts also have limited access to activities. If not careful, a vacation you thought would help you to get away from it all may actually turn into a vacation that is restrictive and more costly. A trip to the mainland and back is the only feature offered by some packages. That means that they get you to the resort and back, to leave for home. All other visits and excursions become your responsibility and you have to pay for it.

All-inclusive packages provide you with a cheap vacation, but you should be sure that where you are going is all-inclusive. There are plenty of resources available online for vacationers to gather information about their destination. They need to check the tariff before making reservations. The tourists need to research online, on the resort and the regular services offered and compare those that are available within the ‘all-inclusive’ package. The difference should be clear and worth the money it costs.

Punta Cana is the region at the eastern tip of the country and is blessed with twenty-five miles of white fine-grained and silky smooth sand, tall swaying coconut palms and more than thirty-five resorts and numerous hotels and accommodations. According to the laws of the country, the resorts cannot be built taller than the coconut trees. Most tourists choose to spend their vacation in an all-inclusive resort, which is cheaper. Many tourists also opt for Punta Cana travel deals, which can offer more value for money. Tourists looking for an affordable tropical getaway can always opt for Cheap Punta Cana, instead of the other more expensive Caribbean vacation spots. The town of Punta Cana itself is not much of a tourist attraction as the main purpose of a vacation in Punta Cana is to relax by the sea on the beach and enjoy the warm sub, cool sea breeze, the shade of the coconut trees, and the peace and solitude.

Punta Cana has many resorts, and tourists staying at resorts that have partnered with hotels in the area can enjoy multiple dining options in contrast to tourists vacationing at independent hotels. This will of course depend on the hotel plan that the tourists have opted for or the Punta Cana travel deals that they have selected and paid for. In either case, hotels have an ample and some even have an extensive variety of food, with options to wine and dine at a la carte restaurants that may or not be included in the plan. Besides the resorts, restaurants for dining can be found in Cabeza de Toro, the Bavaro commercial areas, El Cortecito the Punta Cana shopping mall, and at the La Yola and Cocoloba restaurants of the Punta Cana Resort and Club. But eating out can be expensive and if tourists who have paid for all-inclusive deals which include meals, can surely avoid dining out in restaurants, instead of in the resorts restaurants. Tourists who take care of these small issues can truly enjoy the benefits of a Cheap Punta Cana vacation.

All-inclusive vacations should be free of stress and hassle. This is why they are perfect for the people who just want to get away from it all and don’t want to deal with day-to-day stressors when they’re on holiday. Package deals typically provide the hotel, the flight, the activities, and the food. These cheap travel deals are especially fun and convenient in a place like Disney World where your admission tickets and meals are taken care of in advance. Shuttles run you to and from the park and there are typically more perks involved. Major resorts often offer hundreds of activities like horseback riding, water parks, miniature golf, and more. Try to get a package deal that includes at least a few sources of entertainment, especially if you are traveling with children.

Your family might prefer a vacation on the open range, rather than a theme park. You can purchase an all-inclusive vacation at a dude ranch in the Wyoming outback, where cowboys fit you to a horse and cook all your meals. If it’s winter, you can all go skiing in Colorado at a resort that will take care of all the details such as lift tickets and ski rentals.

One risk of signing up for an all inclusive holiday is that it won’t be as inclusive as advertised. Buyer beware! It is essential to do research beforehand. Talk to friends and family who have been to the same place and ask them about their experiences. Sometimes a place or a deal that looks really good online or on paper can be disappointing in person. If you sign up for a vacation deal at a resort in Cancun for instance, make sure that it’s not an expensive ferry-ride away from the rest of the nightlife. You don’t want to incur traveling fees by being far away from the action. Find out as many details as you can. Is the buffet decent? Do you have to tip all the help? Are excursions extra? Do you have to pay more money to rent equipment or to go snorkeling? Don’t be timid about calling the resort and getting your questions answered before you spend your money. Make sure you ask if the hotel does not allow tipping or if there are tip jars everywhere and if you expect lesser service if you don’t tip. Your finances can be quickly depleted that way.