Brilliance of the Seas 12-night Mediterranean/Greek Isles 10 June 2008

Booking. We booked the cruise in August 2007 during a half-price deposit special offered by Royal Caribbean (RCCL). The cruise was booked through with a travel agent.  While there is no discount from the cruise line's published prices, we did get a $200 stateroom credit, complimentary travel insurance, and free gifts on board. As we booked prior to the imposition of fuel surcharges, they were not applicable to our reservation. We booked a cruise for early June, as the Mediterranean weather in July/August can be very hot and humid. Most of the tour guides we had on the shore excursions cautioned against cruises in July/August for the same reason.

Euros. The Euro is widely accepted. Consider taking an ATM card along to get cash rather than exchanging Dollars for Euros. Most banks charge a nominal fee for ATM use (1%) rather than the 3% or more you will pay for exchanging currency. I carried an HSBC ATM card linked to an on-line savings account, which has no fee when used at the many HSBC ATMs in Europe. We even found an HSBC ATM near the port in Kusadasi, Turkey. Read more