When making plans for your honeymoon, there’s obviously much to consider. Do you want to go someplace close to home or do you want to tuck yourself into a posh Caribbean resort? Would you prefer to book yourselves into a cozy inn somewhere in historic Europe – or would you prefer to hit the high seas onboard a cruise ship?

Savvy travelers have long known that cruises are not only romantic, they are a good value for the money, particularly when compared with land resorts or the typical vacation involving delayed (and cramped flights), lengthy car rides, multiple hotel stays and fend-for-yourself meals.

The price of a cruise often provides airfare and includes ground transportation to and from the port, onboard accommodations, meals, activities – and first class entertainment.

On most ships, the price is based on your choice of accommodations, nothing else. Most cruise lines offer a wide choice, ranging from inside and ocean view staterooms, to staterooms with balconies or even suites. Depending on your budget, you have many options. Just remember that everyone on board gets to enjoy the same dining, entertainment and use of ship’s facilities - no matter how much they paid for their cabin.

The extraordinary values afloat – especially these days - are luring even couch potatoes to try their first sojourn at sea. Once they do, they are sure to develop "sea legs" and usually go back for more. According to industry sources, more than 13 million people cruised in 2008 and a record number of people plan to set sail in the next five years. A record number of new ships and the fantastic array of reduced, in some cases downright bargain; cruise rates are prompting people to book a cruise for their honeymoon.

Another great advantage to cruising is the ability to sail to parts of the world which might otherwise be difficult to access such as: the wilderness of Alaska, remote tropical islands, the fjords of Chile, Antarctica etc. Yet even standard ports promise surprising encounters with nature which you might never experience – except from a cruise - such as visits to volcanoes, jungle waterfalls, wildlife preserves – on foot, onboard Unimogs or via exhilarating zip lines - through tropical canopy rainforests.

Each ship seems designed to prove that no dream is left unfulfilled on a cruise vacation. A romantic dinner for two, art auctions, cooking classes, wine tastings, a new restaurant to visit each day of a cruise -- even the opportunity to begin married life with a wedding on board are all yours for the asking.

Planning your honeymoon at sea can be exceptionally easy and you will find that there are cruises all over the world, lasting from from two days to two weeks - to a year,in ever price category.

If you factor in the comfort quotient -- unpacking only once, sleeping while the ship takes you to exciting new ports, enjoying endless facilities and world-class entertainment -- the value of a cruise exceeds any other vacation.

Added amenities, such as state-of-the-art gyms, myriad classes, lectures and enrichment opportunities – or a chance to try your hand at luck at the casino, are just the "frosting on the cake," so to speak.

The Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) is an excellent resource for finding the right cruise for you.
http://www.cruising.org