Cruises – and why!
There are few vacations, or even opportunities, that are as flexible and diverse as a cruise experience. Whether you would like a few days of relaxing in the sunshine or exploring foreign lands and cultures, the cruise ship delivers. You want a deck chair and a book or a disco dance party in a sophisticated night club, the cruise ship delivers. Want to sit quietly in the bar, watch movies on blisteringly large screens (both indoors and out), or Broadway class theater productions - the cruise ships have it. Food tastes from every corner of the world and at every minute of the day. Sports and games? All here!
Vacation, long weekend, weddings, honeymoon, anniversary, corporate meetings, conventions, concerts - all available on a cruise ship.
CAVEAT!! Read, when you get to the bottom of the page, about disingenuous pricing on the internet. Don't get suckered in by temptation and the promise of cheap fares.
There are cruise ships and itineraries designed to suit virtually every interest and personal preference. From boutique, luxury cruises with personal butlers (who pack and unpack your luggage), spacious multi-room suites and elegant staterooms and cabins with personal, private, balconies overlooking the ocean, to smaller cabins with portholes (windows) to see the world outside and budget friendly, but roomy, "inside" cabins designed for relaxing, sleeping, showering, wardrobe changing and peace and quiet.
There are many kinds of vessels too. Giant, leviathan, ships carrying over 6,000 passengers and 2,000 crew members to make their journey special to family sized private yachts that bring to mind the Hollywood elite and rock stars. All available. Options from a floating city, with a city load of entertainment and facilities, to a boat that has one cabin and two padded chairs. Options for crossing the oceans of the World, or navigating down twisting, turning, rivers on custom designed river cruisers and paddle steamers that share the waterway with anything commercial freighters to small ferries or jungle river cruisers. You want to place yourself on the "African Queen"? You can do it.
The more popular vacation itineraries range from exploring new countries, lands, cities, new cultures and cuisines to the tropical sun bathing on foreign, white-sand beaches in the Caribbean while remote adventures attract others to the Amazon Rain Forest and Antarctica. History, art, music, political, religious, cultural and educational studies and seminars. Norwegian fjords, the "Northern Lights", Alaskan glaciers and wildlife. The islands of Hawaii, New England and Canada. The island of Bermuda. City stops in New York, Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh. Perhaps you just want to cross the ocean as a traveller that doesn't want to fly?
The choices don't end when the ship docks either. Many people stay aboard the ship and explore it's hidden corners while many explore the port city on their own or take an organized "shore excursion" arranged by the cruise line or the local residents.
While cruising is often seen as an "old folks" pastime, and it can be if you wish, more and more cruise vacations are booked by families with children. More than 30% of cruise vacationers sail with children and nearly all cruise lines provide supervised activities for kids, especially during school holidays. If your children enjoy swimming, sports, games, movies and the adventure of new places, they’ll love a cruise. You’ll find that children adapt to shipboard life with ease. Trained youth counselors will help keep them safe, busy and entertained. Ships even offer different types of age-appropriate activities, suitable for toddlers to teens.
Multi-generational cruising offers a chance for grandparents to bond with their families by sharing the joy of traveling and time together. Day care, playschool and tween/teen clubs offer fun filled pastimes through the day for the younger ones, with sports, spas and ship board activities for the parents. A cruise vacation allows family members of all ages to explore new destinations, taste new cuisines and immerse themselves in new cultures while creating memories that will last a lifetime. Simplistic baby sitting opportunities in the evening allows Mom and Dad to get out and let their hair down a bit but still share time with their own parents through the day.
What surprised ME on my cruises was that I was never troubled, or overrun, by children - even on cruises with Disney Cruise Line. Yeah, they dressed as Princesses and they played with Mickey Mouse (so did I) - but they very rarely got "in my way".
Cruise vessels also offer an atmosphere that’s just right for romance: cozy dinners for two, strolling on deck at sunset, dancing the night away, and ample opportunities to stargaze. An increasing number of couples are having destination weddings on a cruise and many ships offer special packages for marriage ceremonies, receptions, and vow renewal.
It’s also very easy to meet other people. Some ships have staterooms and others offer rates designed specifically for single travelers. There are "Facebook" groups also designed for solo cruisers to join and discuss their individual plans and meet-ups.
Cruising allows travelers to combine transportation, lodging, dining and entertainment all into one package
From arriving at the departure terminal to returning to your car a few days later you hardly ever see your suitcase. Check it outside the terminal with the stevedores (dock workers) and they will have it delivered to your cabin later that afternoon (possibly after the ship has set sail). Unpack it once, slide it under the bed for storage and leave it there until the night before you disembark at the end of the cruise. A 7 day cruise could well stop at 3, 4 or more, different countries and ports, yet you only unpack once for the entire trip.
When it comes to vacation VALUE, cruising is the winner all round. There are cruise vacations to suit every budget and taste. In general, the cruise price includes your choice of accommodations, as well as onboard activities and entertainment, most meals, plus optional transportation from port to port. The only extra expenses will be drinks, specialty restaurants, optional shore excursions, spa services, and any other optional incidentals you may choose to purchase while onboard or ashore.
Standard meals are almost always included in the price of your cruise - as are buffets and snacks. Some lines offer pre-paid drink cards or packages (both soft drinks and alcoholic), wine packages and other cost saving incidental bundles. Some cruise provide unlimited soft drinks, some include alcohol.
($ = a la carte)
© Cruise Line International Association
For those looking to indulge a bit more, many cruises offer additional premium dining options, entertainment and even exclusive spaces, such as spas, pools and restaurants.
INTERNET PRICING!!
The trick with the internet is to get you excited about the cruise, excited about the pricing, and to telephone the advertiser with your credit card in your hand. Try it one day, just for fun. Have a stopwatch ready, say you are calling about a cruise booking (if they give you chance) and time how long it takes them to ask about your credit card. THEN they add the comment that standard pricing is based on two persons per cabin - and subject to tax - and subject to fees. Add to that, that most cruise lines have almost mandatory, automatically added, "gratuities". To be fair, that's no worse than a restaurant. Menu prices are per person, subject to tax and often a gratuity mark up or expectation by the server.
A cruise advertised at, for example, $500, is suddenly $1,000 as it is per person, plus taxes and fees (also per person) can take it to $1,400 and the gratuities can edge it to $1,600. Again, to be fair, it is STILL amazing value.
Take heart - we can arrange this up to a couple of years out for the larger cruises, make a small percentage deposit (usually refundable if you later cancel [within the terms and conditions]) and then make small payments, as and when you wish, until it is "PIF" (Paid In Full).