Cruise vacations are great fun and great value, but they’re not for everyone, so I want to explore what to expect from a cruise vacation and help you determine what type of cruise is right for you. In fact, I think almost everyone will love a cruise vacation, but you need to determine what type of cruise is for you: a 4-day short cruise, a 14-day long cruise, a Caribbean cruise, a Mediterranean cruise… well, you get the picture. I must confess that at one time I was not a fan of cruise vacations. In fact, I couldn’t think of a worse way to spend a vacation than on a boat. But in the last few years, I’ve become a cruise vacation fanatic and have been on three very fabulous (and very different) cruises (mostly because I was looking for a cheap travel deal) and now I can honestly say I love a vacation. on a cruise! But let’s go over some questions to ask yourself to determine if a cruise is for you or not.
1. Do you get seasickness or motion sickness easily?
The number one reason many people think they won’t like a cruise vacation is because they are prone to motion sickness or motion sickness. I personally understand this because I can get very seasick when traveling in speedboats, small boats or catamarans if I don’t take the necessary precautions. For me, these precautions involve taking a motion sickness prevention product called Bonine (for adults and children) that you can buy at any pharmacy or department store like Target or Walmart (but use only as directed). Personally, I haven’t had any problems with seasickness on cruise ships (even when we’ve experienced very strong winds or swells and the ship was really rocking).
2. Why do you want to take a cruise vacation?
A. Why do you want to experience a cruise?
PROS:
Cruises are like four-star floating resorts and are so much more than just a vacation. They are an experience like no other vacation you have ever had. Cruises are a great value as they are “all-inclusive” vacations that include your transportation to different ports (when you would otherwise have to book additional airfare), your hotel (since you always have your stateroom), and your meals (offered 24 hours a day). /7 on many cruises). They are one of the best travel deals you can get for a budget vacation when you add up what it would cost to do a similar vacation with additional airfare, hotels and meals, not to mention the quality of the accommodations.
You can make your cruise vacation whatever you want it to be. Your days on a ship can be packed with activities from morning to night or you can just relax, shop and sunbathe by the pool, or just hang out in your stateroom. And when you arrive at each port, there are also dozens of shore and shore excursions for you to take.
CONS:
If you are single or have a partner without children, you may want to avoid taking cruise vacations during a season when there are no classes (especially during spring break) or traveling on a cruise line that caters heavily to the families. If you have a family, make sure you don’t choose a cruise line that caters to seniors (including senior citizens) and isn’t kid-friendly. Several cruise lines have programs for children that travel free (or offer this discount periodically, such as MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises) and these are good cruise lines for you to investigate.
B. Because you like the cruise itinerary and ports of call?
PROS:
One of my favorite things about a cruise vacation is that you can visit so many different destinations on one cruise, without having to repack, and all for one incredible price! On a recent 10-day Western Caribbean cruise, I had a balcony stateroom and went to the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico for a total of $535 per person (including port fees and taxes!) ! This cruise itinerary was perfect because I had just the right amount of time in each port city and country we visited.
CONS:
Now, from the good to the bad to the ugly when it comes to choosing a cruise vacation based on your cruise itinerary. I took an incredible 8 day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona with ports in Naples, Rome, Florence, Nice and Marseille. I had never been to Spain, Italy or the South of France, so this was a great itinerary to begin with. What I discovered, and what you need to be aware of, is just how limited your time can be when porting. Usually the port time is no more than 10-12 hours. For example, when I arrived in Rome from the port (a 60-90 minute train ride), I only had seven hours for sightseeing. You definitely need much more time than that to see everything the city of Rome has to offer and visit the highlights (Vatican, Sistine Chapel and Colosseum).
On cruise vacations, you should also be prepared that you may occasionally be unable to board due to inclement weather. This is what happened with Florence, so I couldn’t get my proverbial photo holding the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Having said all that, I had two weeks of incredible experiences packed and condensed into four days on the ground, including being shot by the Pope in St. Peter’s Square in Rome and being only 12 feet away from him when he famously passed by.” Papa Mobile.”
C. Both A and B. Because you want to experience a cruise and you like the cruise itinerary?
PROS CONS:
There’s a tricky part of planning a cruise vacation if you want to experience cruising and wonderful ports of call, and that’s where in the world do you want to go? With hundreds of different ports to choose from, you can find the cruise vacation of your dreams with cruises around the world, including Alaska, the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Bermuda, Hawaii, New England and Canada. But no matter where you decide to go, seeing the world on a cruise vacation is unlike any other trip.