A cost-effective way of taking a cruise to exotic locations in the world is by booking an American Express world cruise package.
Such a package can be all-inclusive so that you don't have everything paid for in one price.
This includes your meals, drinks and accommodations as well as the return air fare to any from the departure port.
You do have to read the fine print of the package deal or discuss it with an American Express Travel agent to find out whether it does include the cost of shipboard activities.
It does include the price of any shore excursions you select when you make your reservations.
Although shore excursions are included in an American Express world cruise package, this only applies to those excursions you choose at the time of the booking.
If you do not make any choices at this time preferring to wait until you board the ship or if you wish to add additional excursions while you are on the cruise, the cost of these is not included in the price of the package.
This also applies to gratuities that you give to any of the tour guides associated with shore excursions in various ports.
You can be assured that an American Express world cruise package does include the taxes and the port fees associated with traveling to many different parts of the world.
When on a cruise it is customary to tip the staff of the cruise ship, but in some cases this gratuity is included in the price of the package deal.
Then all you have to be concerned about is having spending money with you for shopping on-board and in the various ports of call.
It is a good idea to book your American Express world cruise well in advance of the departure date.
This gives you a longer period of time to have the cruise completely paid for before you even depart.
There are also advantages to booking online in that you often get a discount for making your reservations in this manner.
If you use your American Express card frequently, you can save money by using your points to pay for all or part of the cruise.
This reduces the amount of money you have to withdraw from your savings account to pay for the vacation of your dreams.
An American Express world cruise package is available from only the most reputable companies in the cruising industry.
By using your card and booking online, you also have the opportunity to upgrade to better accommodations or receive discounts on excursions or even hotels in ports of call in which you will be staying overnight.
This is because of the special arrangements that many of the luxury world cruise ships have with American Express Travel and offer special services to its customers.
There is a wide variety of cruise lines that offer an American Express world cruise package traveling to ports of call on five continents of the world.
You can see the itineraries available for a world cruise for every month of the year and take a virtual tour of each cruise ship.
American Express also provides detailed information on the various shore excursions of each cruise so that you get all the information you need to choose the cruise that is right for you.