By now everyone is used to seeing the beautiful scenes depicted in advertisements for cruise deals: fun, laughter, lavish amenities, clear oceans, and that beautiful cruise ship! Cruise ships have always been thought of as the ultimate getaway full of luxury, but apparently this is only one side of the industry. Recently, some people have become worried about the happenings below deck, where it is rumored that some crew members may be working in exploiting conditions that are more similar to foreign labor practices than what is accepted in North America.

Recently, in Vancouver, the site of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, a flash mob targeted one of three cruise ships that had been docked at the location for housing security personnel and other officials. The “mob,” in this case is not a stereotypical mob at all, but a seemingly peaceful group that calls themselves Pirates for Justice and claim that the protest will be a “family-friendly” event. The group has staged the protest against what they have called substandard working conditions for crewmembers at work aboard the cruise ships.

These long stretches of warm, sunny days that we've been experiencing lately have really made me want to run out the beach or the pool for a fun-filled day of sun and water. However, if you're like me and most of the world that's dealing with the sagging economy, funds are tight. If you haven't booked any vacation plans this summer and are struggling with where to get the most bang for your buck, let me turn you on to a great travel idea - cruises!

Why is a cruise a great idea for a summer vacation? For one, it's easy to plan for last minute. And best of all - they're all inclusive. The fee includes all of the accomodations, food and entertainment that you can handle on your cruise, so there's no need to budget for dozens of different incidentals. The options for cruise destinations are also endless - you can cruise the Caribbean, or along the Nile, the Mediterranean, or even Hong Kong. If you can think it, you can probably take a cruise there.

Luxury cruises are available to nearly any destination you can dream up, but up until now, they weren't available on the Amazon. A company by the name of Aqua Expeditions has just launched the very first luxury cruise on the Amazon, and the area once unfamiliar to such luxury will now get its taste of in-suite air conditioning, and fabulous 280-thread count sheets.

The first ship to set sail on the Amazonian cruise is the M/V Aqua, which resembles a posh floating boutique hotel, complete with both indoor and outdoor lounges, a dining room, an observation deck, and a boutique.

Clevelanders claim that their city is the home of Rock N Roll and you can prove that you still rock by going on the Rock N Cruise that sets sale out of Costa Fortuna, March 16, 2008. Featuring Three Dog Night and The Lovin' Spoonful the cruise sounds like a music lovers dream come true. The cruise is 7 days and nights and costs $999 if you want to live in luxury and listen to hits such as "Joy to the World," "Old Fashioned Love Song," "Mama Told Me Not to Come" by Three Dog Night or The Lovin' Spoonful's repertoire which includes "Do You Believe in Magic," "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice," and "Summer in the City."

Here is everything the cruise entails:

The Cruising to Music entertainment extravaganza features:

- Seven-night cruise through the history of rock and roll aboard the Costa
Fortuna
- Two headline concerts each by Three Dog Night and The Lovin' Spoonful
- Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears tribute shows by Hot Brass Monkey
- A show every night
- Autograph and photo opportunities during meet and greet sessions with
the bands
- Interactive sessions with a music historian
- Rock and roll trivia contests
- Welcome party
- The renown fun and flavor of Costa's Cruising Italian Style, aboard the

If you are a Catholic who is sick of being single, there is good news. CatholicSingles.com today announced their 10th annual cruise. This years installment sails from Los Angeles, California to Ensenada, Mexico, from December 7th through December 10th, 2007.

"We are inviting all Catholic singles from around the country to help us celebrate our 10th Anniversary on this special cruise. We are setting sail on a spectacular ship called the Carnival Paradise which sails from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico. Any and all Catholic singles are welcome to join us. You don't even need to be a member of CatholicSingles.com to go," said David Nevarez, president of CatholicSingles.com.

"People wonder if you can make a connection with someone on a cruise like this. Absolutely! I've seen it happen several times! In fact, one of the couples who met on one of our cruises came back the next year and got engaged on that cruise! It was exciting for all of us in the group to witness," adds Johnson.

If you would like to set sail to find romantic interest , you can (800) 707-1634 or visit this website.