which cruise is best for me

 which cruise is best for me

which cruise is best for me

Choosing a cruise can be daunting for first-timers. There are too many choices; that’s all there is to it. Should you do Alaska or the Caribbean? Five days or fourteen? Formal dining room service for the duration of your trip, or the flexibility of the buffet? Which cruise line should you book with?

5 Choosing a Cruise That is Right For You cruise

Choosing a Cruise

You’re fairly certain you’d enjoy a cruise – but will your kids and your slow-moving aunt with the cane and the puffer all wind up hating life? Is a family cruise a terrible idea? Should you re-think, send them to camp (though maybe not the aunt) and find time for a couple’s cruise instead? Do real people even go on cruises? Should you just scrap this entire ridiculous idea? Argh!

Fret not. A rewarding cruise vacation awaits you if you learn a little, and have the right attitude. The best way to think about a vacation aboard a cruise ship might be this:

It’s a unique experience that most enjoy. A cruise ship is actually less like a ship and more like a floating hotel. The number of amenities and activities packed onto one is astounding. For the duration of your trip you’ll be pampered and entertained, and you’ll get to visit some nice places.

It’s also a compromise. You won’t be able to do or see everything, nor immerse yourself deeply in the culture of foreign lands, as you’ll visit exotic places but won’t have long to spend in any one of them.

But cruises also offer great value, in terms of both time and money (you can cruise for as little as $50 per person per night), and stand a better chance than many other types of vacation of making everyone happy.

Some of the overwhelming options available to you while selecting a cruise include cruise line and ship, geographical region, and length of trip. Let’s focus on these.

This boat or that? Choosing a cruise line and a ship

There are roughly 50 cruise lines in operation, offering different experiences and catering to different crowds. In terms of vibe, a 14-day expedition on a Holland America ship and a four-day Carnival cruise are day and night, with the former leaning demographically towards retirees, and the latter attracting young people looking to party.

Disney has finely honed the family cruise experience. Princess is famously the “Love Boat” line, ideal for romantic couples getaways. Royal Caribbean is known for enormous ships packed with zip-lines and surfing simulators. Celebrity Cruises are known for terrific food. If you do your homework, you’ll likely conclude that one line or another is a better fit for you.

Still, every cruise line strives to provide activities appealing to a broad spectrum of passenger. If you’re a mid-30s childless couple and you wind up on a Disney ship, the Mickey Mouse ears and the stacks of booster seats might not speak to you, but you’ll still find plenty to do.

Many experienced cruisers choose a trip on the basis of individual ships, as well – do you like flash or refinement? Energy or serenity? Some boats are equipped with grand ballrooms, others have rock-climbing facilities and shooter bars. Look online and you’ll find dozens, if not hundreds, of photos of every cabin, dining room, and deck on every major cruise ship in every fleet, to give you a sense of what you’ll find on a particular boat, as well as lists of amenities and available activities.

And of course, spotting a great deal from a particular carrier with dates that land squarely on your two-week vacation period can change everything – good value and convenience, compared with traditional vacations, is still one of the main advantages of cruising. But learning a bit about the various lines is a good place to start.

Where to, and how long?

To an extent, the length of cruise you’d like to take can determine the where – Caribbean and Mexican Riviera cruises commonly offer three to five day trips, and at the other end of the spectrum are 100-plus day trips around the world. A trip to the Hawaii or the South Pacific, on which you’ll cover thousands of kilometers, is more likely to run 7 to 14 days. But know this: if you have a particular geographical region or timeframe in mind, there is a cruise itinerary that fits it.

Perhaps you like the idea of a Caribbean cruise. Maybe your best friend can’t stop raving about the Mediterranean trip she took. Maybe you’re less fussy about the region – you just want an escape to someplace sunny, and you’d like to start with a four-day trip, to see how much you enjoy cruising before committing to two weeks at sea.

Still unsure where to set sail? Your preferred vacation style can factor in. During a cruise there are be ports of call – what do you imagine yourself doing during your half days in port? Some travelers want to interact with locals, sightsee, and shop. Others long for days at the beach. Some want to watch parrots. So rather than limiting the scope of your decision to “I like the sound of the Caribbean”, you might do well to choose a region based on the specific ports you’ll visit, and the shore excursions offered.

Visit websites such as CruiseCritic.com, Cruisemates.com and Fodor’s, as well as the official cruise line web sites, for detailed information about itineraries and ports of call in every part of the world.

Embarkation point might factor into your decision as well. Flying to San Diego or Fort Lauderdale (two major cruise ports) to board a ship is common, but if you live within driving distant of a port, you have that option as well, and it will reduce your overall vacation cost.

Wrap-up

“The perfect Cruise” may not exist, but there are probably several that you would enjoy. Unless you hate boats, in which case, you’ve just read the wrong article. Sorry about that. But cruise vacations come in all sizes and flavors. So go! Go now! Browse the cruise information sites. Learn some of your options and look at some photos see what captures your imagination.

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which cruise is best for me

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