You've booked yourself or your family on a cruise that takes in a number of destinations in different countries. The ports of call are unfamiliar to you, and all you have are the travel agent's brochures. This is where half the fun of a cruise vacation can start.

Take your itinerary and start surfing the Internet! Any country that is a tourist destination, will have more than enough websites for you to learn everything you want. Some will be government sponsored for the tourist industry, and some may be the homepage of private business, resorts, or tour/adventure companies.

This is a great way to familiarize yourself with such things as the history of a port, the culture of the people, and other topics of interest such as art, nature, historic ruins, the sports available, tours, places to dine and more.

Many of these sites will also provide tips and resources for visiting their city/port, including where to find an embassy, Internet cafés, ATM machines, money exchanges, how to call home, and maps of their streets and the surrounding countryside.

All of this can help you to decide which activities you really want to try, and what order to put them in. Going into a new and exciting city or town can be mind boggling, especially with attractions left and right. By planning ahead, you'll not only be able to fit in the things you've researched and decided on, but might even have time left over for undiscovered treasures that turn up in your travels!