Cruising along rivers shows you a country’s true romantic heartland. And on each river cruise you also gain a unique perspective on each destination, as sightseeing excursions, trips to historical towns are usually included in the overall price.

Travel agencies always promote unusual destinations, as cruise lines lure existing customers back and attract new ones who might not have considered a cruise before. Accordingly, a number of great ships are being launched every year, offering exciting possibilities, even family cruising is about to gain huge popularity.

If you are about to plan your cruise holiday it is highly advisable to shop around for the best offers. There are a lot of web sites which collect the best offers from hundreds of travel companies, comparing prices side by side, all you have to do is to consult, select, and compare this variety of deals, looking for the best option which suits your needs. Generally, there are deals for every taste and pocket, you can easily download the newest brochures, browse photo galleries and find out more about cruise lines, destinations and special offers. Be careful when you choose the ship and the type of the voyage, because if you have special needs a lot of ships may have the facilities to fit your expectations. From considering the needs of passengers with disabilities up to the special dietary requirements, they offer a perfect accessibility which is improved year by year. Therefore, it is highly recommended to read the free of charge cruise guides on the Internet, which - containing up to date information - will surely help you to make the right decision.

One of the most important things you have check out before choosing a sea or river cruise is the right insurance policy. It seems to be an easy task, but there are a lot of misleading offers and it is sometimes difficult to avoid the traps. Some agencies advertise their cruise deals with insurance included in the price, but try to be always informed and read the terms and conditions, as this kind of policy may not cover all your needs. It often turns out that free insurance is provided only in the case of some special deals, usually the cheapest ones with no high risk.

Nowadays cruise insurance policies are easy to get online, but before acquiring a full coverage policy consider all the details and make sure this is the insurance which best fits your needs. Here are some tips to help you:

- Cruise insurances must also contain medical care, however, in the case of some sea voyages they will not cover you, as it is considered outside the area of the continent.

- Some agencies do not provide you insurance at all if you have pre-existing medical problems. In this case a good solution would be to get the insurance from some other company, and not from the agency who organizes the cruise line.

- Check out if the insurance contains the cancellation policy, and on what conditions. Usually the illness, injury, and death are acceptable reasons, but find out if this still stands when happening to your family members, too. Therefore, it is also seems a good idea to check out beforehand what agencies do mean by the so-called "immediate family members". The trip cancellation policy is not valid in the case of fear from ship illness. Psychological sickness, mental breakdown are never part of the insurance policy.

- Check out if the insurance can be purchased for free in the case of your children, and under what age. This is a very important option when considering family cruises.

- It is very important to learn more about emergency evacuations, which can occur in many cases: you may need medical treatment in a far away land or in the middle of the ocean, or the medical care you require might not be suitable in certain locations, you might be rescued in case of terrorist attacks as well. The costs of being airlifted to your own country are generally very high, and it is recommended to find an insurance which has such a policy.

- Most insurance policies cover the "luggage incident". This means coverage in the case of lost, damaged and stolen baggage. However, do not put your most expensive goods in the big luggage, as if it is stolen or lost, it is very difficult to get a reimbursement for these. Companies have very severe guidelines and they require a lot of details; this is how they protect themselves from false claims.

- Before signing the insurance contract, read it carefully. Make sure nothing is left out, check out the terms and conditions, exceptions, as well as how the company defines certain terms, like family members, health condition, medical care etc.

- It is recommended to do a little research regarding the background of the travel company. If it is a company on the list of excluded agencies, it will not receive insurance coverage when going under.

Cruise insurances can be of two types: primary and secondary. Despite it is more expensive, it is always better to choose the first one, which means full coverage, while the second one is the option offered by most of the cruise line agencies. Secondary policy also means a lot of confusing administration and long time of waiting for your money to be reimbursed.

"What if the weather will be bad or the itinerary will change?"- you might ask. Unfortunately, most of the policies do not cover these. You cannot order the sun shine throughout your whole cruise, nor can you make dolphins appear on the surface of the water and pose for your camera. Therefore checking the weather on the Internet should become an important part of your preparation, and try not to book cruises in the hurricane season, unless you are choosing it for the sake of "adventure".