Taking a cruise is now one of the hottest vacations around. Why? Because cruising is one of a great vacation values available. You pay for your cabin and all the food you can eat for 3, 4 7, days or longer, of luxurious pampering before you leave on your cruise. That alone should put your mind at ease. Think about it. Not only don't you have to worry about keeping enough money for lunch or dinner on your fourth or fifth day of the vacation, but you don't have to worry about trying to find a place to dine.

There are a several choices for dining when you are cruising. On most of the large ships there are a multitude of restaurants to choose from. You can go casual, formal or just have pizza or hot dogs. And don't forget that there is always room service ? 24 hours a day. Picture having your breakfast brought to your room, sitting on your balcony, and dining alfresco while you arrive in a new port. This is quite an exciting way to start your day no matter where you are arriving.

Some people shy away from using this great vacation outlet because they are afraid they will get bored or feel confined while they are having a day at sea. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There are activities all day, every day that cater to everyone's interest. And the best part of that is, if you want to play bridge and your spouse wants to do aerobics, your both free to do what ever you like and meet up later for a margarita or rum punch at the pool. Now all of the ships have children's programs so that the kids can go off with other children in their age group, (with youth counselors), and you don't have to worry about them or if they are having fun. These aspects afford everyone a good time without anyone feeling guilty.

Another bonus to cruising is that you get to visit multiple destinations. If you cruise the Caribbean you will go to several islands, depending on the length of the cruise. At night while you are sleeping peacefully in your bed, the captain and crew are taking you to a new exotic location for you to explore the next day.

If you cruise in Europe (after you have flown to the port of embarkation) you will find yourself in whole new countries from one day to the next. For example, if you cruise the Baltic, you will be visiting Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russia and either Croatia or Estonia.

If you choose to cruise Asia, some ports you will visit are Viet Nam, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and even China. You could never cover this many places on a land tour or at resorts. If you tried to, you'd run yourself and your family ragged.

And, yes, European Cruises are great for families too. What better gift could you give a teenage son or daughter then to introduce them to other cultures and countries?

Right here, I want to dispel any fears that you would have that Cruising is for the ?newly wed or nearly dead?. It is simply not true anymore. On cruises we have taken over the holidays, many families do reunions that include Grandparents, Children, Great Grandchildren, Aunts and Uncles.

What better way to spend the holidays then with your family on a vacation that will cater to everyone's needs and tastes. You should know, that if enough of your family reserves cabins, you can ask for a discount, particularly if over five cabins are booked (in travel agent lingo that's a Group Rate).

So set sail, find out what you have been missing.