While bigger isn’t always better, I definitely prefer to go on one of the largest ships in the world because everything is on a grander scale. Larger ships have more activities, more things to do, more dining options, and more fun! So here’s my countdown to the world’s largest cruise ships:

8. Explorer of the Sea (Royal Caribbean) -2000- This 15 deck oasis is home to an array of innovations that give you whatever type of vacation you desire. Climb a rock wall that overlooks the sea, or find your adventure on the basketball court, ice-skating rink or mini-golf course. If it’s zen you seek, achieve it poolside or at the relaxing Vitality Spa. Liven up your nights on the Royal Promenade, with parades,dancing, and duty-free shopping deals.

7. -tie- MSC Splendida (MSC Cruises) -2009- MSC Cruises has laid out a 6-star service for highly-demanding guests who enjoy the pleasures of life with the MSC Yacht Club, a VIP area complete with 71 spacious suites and 24 hour butler service. In theTop Sail Lounge, with its Skydome, guests may also delight their palate under a dome of sparkling stars. Luxury cruising at it’s finest. Guests may partake in the spa with its highly-trained staff. In the spa, MSC Cruises combines the magic of Balinese massage with the traditional well-being that comes from water treatments, a legacy from ancient Roman times. Saunas, Turkish bath, solarium, relaxation room, thalassotherapy, massage room, whirlpool – guests may make use of all facilities in a relaxing and pleasant environment. For those seeking more sporty activities, there is a sun-kissed exercise room suspended above water. Every area was designed in order to re-balance the body’s harmony and let inner beauty shine through.Eswim through 4 swimming pools, experience a squash court, the possibility of living the thrills of Formula 1 through a simulator, and so much more.

7. -tie- MSC Fantasia (MSC Cruises) -2008- For the very first time on a ship, guests can walk on Swarovski crystal stairs (wow, knowing how expensive a Swarovski phone case is, I can only imagine what this must have cost them!). A transparent ceiling allows passengers to experience all the magic of sailing as they gaze at the starlit skies. With 27,000 m2 of public space, including the luxury spa, 5 restaurants, 4 swimming pools, 12 hydro-massage pools, coffee bars, shops, a children’s area, a Formula 1 simulator and an interactive 4-D cinema, you can truly rediscover yourself as you relax into your holiday. Pay a little more to take part in the MSC Yacht Club, this ship is truly extraordinary.

6. -tie- Mariner of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) -2003- Climb arock wall that overlooks the sea, or challenge yourself on the basketball court, ice-skating rink or mini-golf course. Take part in parades, dancing, and incredible shopping deals.

6. -tie- Navigator of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) -2002- 15 decks of fun lenty of time left for relaxation, fine dining, and beautiful ocean views. The incredible ship is home to an array of innovations that give you whatever type of vacation you desire. Climb a rock wall that overlooks the sea, or challenge yourself on the basketball court, ice-skating rink or mini-golf course. Achieve perfect zen, poolside or at the relaxing spa. Liven up your nights on the Royal Promenade, with parades, dancing, and duty-free shopping deals.

5. MSC Divina (MSC Cruises) -2012- This brand new state of the art cruise ship offers an infinity pool, a beach zone, a nice lounge, a sports club, an entertainment complex, shopping, and all of the unexpected comforts of the 21st century.

4. RMS Queen Mary 2 (Cunard Line) -2004- AKA QM2, this luxury liner is perfect for everyone, but most notably adults. Relax and rejuvenate in The Canyon Ranch Spa Club, go to the nightclub, go for tea time, and have the time of your life!

3. -tie- Independence of The Seas (Royal Caribbean) -2008- A crew of 1,360 is eager to serve YOU. Experience the FlowRider® surf simulator, a rock climbing wall, ice-skating rink, cantilevered whirlpools, Royal Promenade, mini golf course, and much more. It’s your most incredible vacation yet!

3. -tie- Liberty of The Seas (Royal Caribbean) -2007- Recently renovated, this incredible ship allows one to see The DreamWorks characters, the broadway musical Saturday Night Fever, it has a 3D theater, outdoor movie screen, rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, Royal Promenade, cantilevered whirlpools, mini golf course, and so much more.

3. -tie- Freedom of the Seas  (Royal Caribbean) -2006- Meet Shrek, experience the 3D theater, the outdoor movie screen, see the artwork, practice your surfing with the FlowRider Surf Simulator, rock climbing wall, ice-skating rink, Royal Promenade, cantilevered whirlpools, mini golf course, H2O Zone water park, and so much more.

2. Norwegian Epic (Norwegian Cruise Line) -2010- Experience “Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest, largest and most innovative cruise ship ever.” See The Blue Man Group at sea, choose from 20 different dining options, experience the only ice bar at sea, let the kids play on the climbing wall, teens will love the disco and kids will those the kid’s center. Meet spongebob and play in the onboard water park.

1. -tie- Oasis of The Sea (Royal Caribbean) -2010- Very similar to the Allure of the seas, this ships features the brad way hit Hairspray.

1. -tie- Allure of The Sea (Royal Caribbean) -2011- With 16 decks, a crew of 2,384, 25 dining options (including the first-ever Starbucks at sea!), a FlowRider surf simulator, it’s very own broadway show – Chicago, Dreamworks characters, a carousel, acrobats, and a zip line, you’re sure not to get board aboard the world’s largest cruise ship. It’s Royal Caribbean’s “newest, most revolutionary ship yet.”

These travel applications will make your travels even better by providing useful features to use for booking, making an itinerary, and even camera optimization. So pull out the iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and get to downloading.

1. AroundMe

See what’s near you. Choose from anything ranging from a hotel to parking Cost: Free

2. Kayak

Search for flights, hotels and car rentals all in one place. It’s Apple’s most popular travel iPhone app. Make a packing list, convert currency, track your flight and check out cool attractions. Cost: Free

3. FlightAware

Provide your airline and flight number and FlightAware will trach your flight. Cost: Free

4. Instagram

Much easier to figure out than Photoshop, Instagram is a simplistic photo editing app that allows you to add beautiful filtered effects to your images and post them for all your friends to see. Facebook recently acquired Instagram for 1 billion, so we expect for it to get even bigger over the next few years. Cost: Free

Be sure to follow me on Instagram (@uscitytraveler), here’s a few of my most recent pictures with filtered effects:

5. Photosynth

This app stitches your photos together to create panoramic pictures that you can send to family and friends.

6. iTip

Those of you that dislike math as much as I do will love the simplicity of iTip, where you can easily calculate what tip to leave at a restaurant. Cost: Free

7. Hotel Tonight

Get discounted rates on last minute hotel bookings in major cities with this incredible app. Cost: Free

8. Jetsetter

This inspiring, invitation only provides high quality photography of a wide variety of destinations. You can get discounts up to 50% off your favorite hotels.  Cost: Free

9. TripIt 

Tired of printing and carrying around all of those paper itineraries? This app links to your email inbox and picks up every confirmation number (for a flight, hotel, or dinner reservation) that comes to your inbox. Cost: Free

10. TripAdvisor

You can instantly see reviews written by fellow travelers, while you are on the go. Get inspired. You can even see what is near you or book your flights from their app. Cost: Free

11. Postagram

Tired of buying those cheap, out of style post cards from your favorite destinations? Then you should take a photo with the Postagram app and send your own postcard to family and friends. Just provide your address and they will print and send your postcard for just 99 cents. Cost: Free to download app but it costs 99 cents to send a postcard

12. Urbanspoon

See what’s near you and discover the hottest local dining joints. Cost: Free

13. GasBuddy

Stop letting gas stations rip you off just because they are in a prime location. Tourist can visit GasBuddy to see which gas station near them has the cheapest gas. Cost: Free

14. Frommer’s Travel Tools

This app comes with a tip calculator, time translator, flashlight, money converter, a packing list, postcards and even trivia games. Cost: Free

15. TouristEye

Tourist Eye learns from you and your friends fearing a trip planner, transport maps, personalized recommendations, trip journal, maps, offline, and information for over 10,000 destinations.

16. Lonely Planet

Those of you looking to purchase a guidebook from a mojor city will find this app very useful. Cost: Free but guidebooks cost

17. Wi-Fi Finder

Find a location near you that offers wi-fi.

Bonus: 12 Other Must-Have Apps

These are my other favorite apps that aren’t necessarily travel related.

1. Pandora

This is my favorite place to listen to music when I am on the go or even at home (I’m actually listening to it right now!). Pandora allows you to pick a radio station based on nearly any artist or music genre, with a minimal amount of ads. If you’re tired of paying for iTunes then you will love this app! Cost: Free

2. Evernote

Sure, you can take notes in the notes app that comes with your devide but I prefer Evernote because it allows you take notes on any device and view them on any device too, regardless of which device it was written on. It’s great for keeping all of your travel information in one place, such as your iPhone, which you take everywhere, so you will never forget to bring your notes or itinerary. Cost: Free

3. Facebook

Tell all of your friends what a good time you’re having, share photos, videos or reviews of the sights your seeing. Cost: Free

4. Twitter

Tweet everyone a picture of your current location and tell them what you’re up to straight from the Twitter app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

5. Words With Friends

Ever get bored on the go? You need Words With Friends, a fun little game you can play with your friends. Beware: it’s very addicting! Cost: Free

6. Zillow

Do you ever happen to go through a neighborhood on the go and see a house you’d love to live in? Or a mansion that you’d like to be nosy about and see what it’s worth? Zillow is the app for you because it allows you to see home estimated values for free. Don’t forget to cheack out the estimated value of your frinds homes.  Cost: Free

7. Amazon Price Check

Find a product in a store, scan it with your iPhone, and then look on Amazon to see if you can get the product cheaper online. Cost: Free

8. Flashlight

It can be very convenient to have a flashlight app on your phone (note: there is a flashlight within the Frommers app), especially when the power goes out. Cost: Free

Video: Technology is Changing The Way We Travel

Thanks for reading. Hopefully you just found some great new apps, I’m working on launching a US City Traveler app but it may be a while before I decide to launch it. So what are your favorite apps? Did I leave any important apps off? I’d love to hear from you!

Yes, I really believe that. After dealing with my parents timeshare, sitting in on a few sales pitches and doing some research I have come to a reasonable conclusion – that I will NEVER buy a time share. Here is the cold hard reality of the downsides of owning a timeshare:

• Many timeshares only allow you to stay in a selection of specified hotels and of course the nicer ones are going to be filled up a year or two in advance. Then (this is how ours works) if you want to stay somewhere other than the seven hotels in their chain you have to pay an additional $250. Our Orlando timeshare works out where it would be much cheaper, more convenient and carefree to simply stay at one of the Disney Resorts.
• Many timeshare weeks evaporate into thin air two years after they have been purchased, if you have not used it by then (even after you PAID FOR IT!)
• They are a pain to have to deal with! With a certain amount of points, certain hotels that cost more, deadlines, paper work, etc… they are a hassle just to deal with, taking the fun out of vacationing
• They are nearly impossible to get your money back out of, especially in todays economy. They are very hard to sell, usually your best bet is to sell it back to the company you bought it from at a fraction of the amount you paid for it. My parents spent $10,000 on their timeshare back in 1993 and I can’t even get $3000 for it today (I posted an ad on Craigslist for $3000 and didn’t get one single decent response, just spam) and If you are planning on buying a timeshare then you should definitely get a “used” timeshare and not buy it from the money steelers themselves.
• Many people don’t even use the kitchen and extra space and amenities that their timeshare includes

The rooftop pool at the Polo Towers timeshare

We recently stayed at the Polo Towers in Las Vegas and told the concierge that we wanted to see the Beatles LOVE show at the Mirage. But she told us that she could give us  a $25 deal, for two people, where we could see another Beatles show (instead) and get a meal at one of three restaurants at the Planet Hollywood. We ended up eating at the Planet Hollywood’s Spice Market Buffet, which we really weren’t very impressed with (especially after eating at the Cosmopolitan’s delicious Wicked Spoon buffet the day before). And we ended up seeing Vegas! The Show instead of the Beatles show, which was a fantastic show, I would see it again in a heartbeat. …but getting the show and meal for two for $25 came with a catch, we had to spend an hour and a half or so listening to a sales pitch.

They were trying to sale us a 96,000 timeshare with monthly fees and weeks that expire. I just sat there quietly imagining how that 96K could be invested, instead, and paying people plenty of interest money to stay at the nicest hotels on the strip. The sales guy claimed that he had met all the celebrities and they he had been the casino manager at one time or another at all of the nicest hotels on the strip. We got the impression that he tooted his own horn a little to much, especially after he went into the talk about how he could be retired right now but that he is a timeshare salesman just because it gives him something to do.

Get rid of the timeshare and you can stay at what ever hotel you like, when ever you like.

Then when I asked him about the best way to sell a timeshare, he said – sell it back to the company (for a reduced rate of course).

So is it just me or are timeshares a complete ripoff? I’m sure they work great for many people but they definitely aren’t right for me. Timeshare owners, I would especially love to hear from you. Feel free to comment!