If you are responsible with money and think your family really needs a vacation this year you could look at a small loan to fund your vacation, or make an ordinary more memorable.

What do I look for in a travel loan?

Knowing just how much you really need is important to establish before you take the first step of asking for a personal loan. Don’t over extend yourself. If the amount you need is not that much, it might be worth considering using a low rate credit card instead, for extra flexibility.

If that is not something you can do, or you just want to make your vacation one to remember with no short cuts taken, then you would be best advised to apply for a personal loan. Many lenders now have specific packages designed for travel purposes, offering additional extras such as discounted travel insurance. When borrowing that type of loan don’t get more than you actually need just to qualify for extra benefits. Small loans are always what you want. You do not want to still be paying back a loan when you are ready for your next vacation.

When thinking about where you would like to go, contact your travel agent and ask them if they offer a loan if you book your vacation through them. Beware! Watch out for higher interest rates if you go for that option. You most likely will be trading convenience for a higher rate on your loan.

A big decision you will need to make is do you secure the loan against an asset such as your home. You will benefit from a lower interest rate compared with an unsecured loan or if you have a bad credit history you may find it easier to go with that option. The problem is of course if you find yourself unable to repay the loan. Also secured loans may take longer to approve.

Vacation loans are generally short-term loans, however don’t forget that a loan for just $2500 can still prove difficult for some to repay. If you don’t want to still be repaying your loan when the following year’s holiday season comes around, consider a smaller loan, or maybe even a less expensive break.

If the purpose of your loan is for a vacation make sure you have flexible options associated with the loan. Before signing off on the loan make sure you are not hit with early repayment fees or for making a lump sum repayment.

How Do I Get a Vacation Loan?

Most financial institutions offer loans you can use for a vacation. Start with some research on the internet but watch out for vendors that offer high-sounding interest rates. Take your time to find the best small loan for you. Good luck with your search for a holiday loan and most of all enjoy your vacation.

The other breakfast option is to go to the Plantation and just help yourself to a buffet style serving.

After breakfast my wife and I went exploring. We went out the back of the ship to watch the water crashing against the ship and during that saw the Oasis area on the ship. This is where they have luxury sun lounges for you to enjoy the sun. Unfortunately is was raining so no good to us on that day. It is a kids free area but they charge you $5 to stay for a half day.

We then went up to the pool area. They have two pools and two spa pools. Also up on the top deck there is a running circuit. I did a few laps but the ocean breeze and cool temperatures made it a bit unpleasant.

Back inside the ship we checked out the Marquee area. This is the main show room on the ship. In the evening we went to the first of the shows. It was a song and dance show and was quite good. Later in the night they also had a comedian however the 11pm start was too late for us.

We had lunch in the Waterfront which was quite nice and then for dinner made it a trifecta for the Waterfront as I enjoyed a yummy fillet steak.

The big thing for the day was that we did not get sea sick however many others we spoke to did.

So far so good as we enjoyed day two on our ten night South Pacific cruise on the Pacific Jewel.

Day the first report about our South Pacific Cruise.

www.WatchMojo.com presents… A look at 5 things you can’t miss if visiting NYC.

Their top five is at no. 1 the Statue of Liberty, no. 2 Radio City Music Hall, no. 3 Central Park, no. 4 Times Square and no. 5 the Moma Museum.

I would have a visit to the Empire State Building in there, perhaps instead of their no. 1. The view from up there is awesome.

What would your top five things to do in New York City be? Leave yours in the comments area below.

Have you been on a ship in rough seas? Would love to hear your experience. I just completed a 10 night cruise to the South Pacific and we had swells of up to 5 metres. With the stabilization system on the ship you did not feel too bad during that time.

At this time, Royal Caribbean International is closely monitoring the itinerary of Grandeur of the Seas due to Tropical Depression #3. Royal Caribbean will continue to closely monitor weather conditions and will update this information again tomorrow, July 23 at 9:00 a.m. E.S.T.

Grandeur of the Seas is scheduled to depart Fort Lauderdale, Florida, today, July 22. According to the most recent weather forecasts, the ship will be able to depart on time and head south to Key West, Florida. However, U.S Coast Guard has closed the Port of Key West until tropical storm force winds have subsided.

If the Port of Key West has not reopened by early tomorrow morning, Grandeur of the Seas will be unable to make its scheduled port of call there tomorrow.

Should the ship be unable to visit Key West, Grandeur of the Seas will spend the day at sea tomorrow, sailing directly to Cozumel, Mexico, where it will arrive earlier than scheduled on Saturday. No other Royal Caribbean International ship’s itinerary is currently being affected by tropical depression #3.

Recently I enjoyed a cruise on-board the P&O ship Pacific Jewel. The vacation cruise was for 10-nights and departed from Sydney, Australia. The ship then visited five South Pacific ports including Noumea, Mystery Island, Port Vila, Lifou and the Isle of Pines.

The cruise was all inclusive in terms of travel, food and accommodation. You did have to add on alcohol or shore tours although you could get free transfers from the ship and then just explore on foot.

The cruise started under rainy skies in Sydney and it was cold and miserable. It was hard to imagine that in just three days I would be walking along a beautiful white sandy beach under blue skies before jumping in a glass bottom boat to view coral and an amazing sampling of colorful fish.

The P&O cruise on the Pacific Jewel departed from near Darling Harbour and sailed under the Sydney Harbour bridge under darkness. This made for a spectacular departure as we got to see all the lights of the Sydney City.

A short time later we were passing through the Sydney Harbour heads headed for the open seas. Now the question was would we all get sea sick? There was a gentle rocking motion and for some the answer was yes.

Now out on the open ocean what were we all to do? The first thing was to check out the dining options. We headed up to the Plantation, a buffet style eatery. There was a wide selection of food and we enjoyed our first meal on the Pacific Jewel.

After taking care of our tummies we then went to the Marquee. This is the main venue for entertainment on the ship. The captain would later introduce his senior crew members and we found that he was an interesting man. The captain on the Pacific Jewel was Lorenzo Paoletti.

As time went on we looked around the ship a bit more and saw the various bars, swimming pools, the gym and beauty spa and pretty much everything else on-board.

Now it was time to settle down for the night and then see what tomorrow brings with our first full day at sea.

More to follow.

Take a look at one groups memories from a cruise on board the Mariner of the Seas. They went on the cruise in April 2008 during Spring Break Cruise. It was of course on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas. Looking at the photos it looked like a busy time at some of the ports as there were several other cruise ships.

The group consisted of 12 people from Snellville GA, Stratford CT & Rochester NY.

The Royal Caribbean cruise was a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise with stops in Labadee, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Their excursions included the Dragon’s Breath Flight Line in Labadee, Shaw Park Beach in Jamaica, Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman and Catamaran snorkel & beach break in Cozumel. Group includes Spring Breakers from Brookwood High School in Snellville, GA 30078. Gwinnett County.

The Mariner is part of Royal Caribbean’s Voyager class of ships which includes the Navigator of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas. All of these ships have the same floor plan.

The group says it was the best vacation ever! An all inclusive cruise like this one is one of the best choices for a family vacation.

Video of Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, Carnival Victory and Norwegian Jewel and other cruise ship’s in the Port of Miami.

Oasis of the Seas is the largest cruise liner sailing the seas. Due to its size it is obviously the most impressive of the Royal Caribbean ships. She had her maiden voyage on 5 December 2009.

The ship sails from Fort Lauderdale to the East or West Caribbean mostly for 7 nights. In the above video you can go on stroll through two of the seven Neighborhoods onboard the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas. You get to walk along the Royal Promenade and the Boardwalk area.

The ship looks more like a shopping arcade that floats than a cruise ship. It is over 1000 feet long and can take 5400 passengers in a double occupancy layout.

The full seven Neighborhoods are:
These neighborhoods are:

1. Central Park features boutiques, restaurants and bars, including access to the Rising Tide bar, which can be raised or lowered to three separate levels. It has the first living park at sea with over 12,000 plants and 56 trees.
2. The Pool and Sports Zone features a sloped-entry beach pool and two surf simulators.
3. Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center features a spa for teens.
4. Boardwalk features a handcrafted carousel, restaurants, bars, shops, two rock-climbing walls, and a tattoo parlor. Its outdoor 750-seat AquaTheatre amphitheater hosts the ship’s largest freshwater pool.
5. Royal Promenade features restaurants and shops and is viewable from a mezzanine.
6. Youth Zone features a science lab and computer gaming.
7. Entertainment Place

In December 2010 the Oasis of the Seas is set to be joined by her sister ship the Allure of the Seas which will be a great addition to the Royal Caribbean ships.

If seven days onboard the Oasis of the Seas is not enough then there is a special 9 night cruise over the new year period. You can see in 2011 while cruising. The ship sets sail on 30 December and visits Haiti, St. Thomas, St. Maarten and the Bahamas before returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Want to learn more about the Royal Caribbean ships? Visit our Royal Caribbean page.

Crystal Cruises offer the cruiser luxury on the high seas. They mainly service the European ports however also travel to the US and other exotic destinations around the world.

If it is luxury you are looking for with your cruising experience then Crystal Cruises is a cruise company you should consider.

Book by September 30, 2010 and you can enjoy big savings on a verandah or penthouse cabin when booking for a cruise departing from Los Angeles or Miami.