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You might be thinking about taking a cruise for the first time. Is a cruise really right for you?
You are in a precarious position, one where you might be influenced by friends, family or strangers with thoughts on cruising that might not be helpful.
If you ask a cruising fan if you should go on a cruise, she or he will most likely say that all cruises are great. There's no way you won't like it.
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There is a world of cruise fans. It is a sort of cult.
If you ask a non-cruiser if they want to go on a cruise, you might get a different answer.
Non-cruisers are notcruisers.
Both responses are not what you need to make a decision.
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There is a nuanced answer to the question of whether a cruise is right for you. It is dependent on what type of traveler you are. Are you a fan of trips that are well planned out in advance or trips that start without a plan? Do you like resorts? Are you a fan of group travel? Are you a fan of being pampered over and over again?
When you are away from home what do you like to eat?
The answer to whether you'll like a cruise depends on a lot of things.
I have been on a lot of cruises and have met a lot of people on them. I talk to a lot of them about what they like and what they don't like about cruising.
I have learned that a cruise is not for everyone, even if it can be a great experience.
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When people ask me if they should go on a cruise, I tell them that it depends on their situation. They should ask themselves the seven questions. It's called my "should-I-cruise" litmus test.
When you answer such questions, you will get a sense of whether or not you want to join the cruising cult.
Some people like to head off on vacation without knowing where they will be or what they will be doing. They like the fact that they don't have to plan a lot ahead of time. Some people prefer to have their travel schedules mapped out in advance.
The latter group would benefit from cruising.
You will be able to do what you want on a cruise. The plan for your trip is set in stone. If it is Tuesday, it must be Belgium like a motor coach tour.
A beginners guide to selecting a cruise line.
You will get eight hours in Rome after docking in the nearby port of Civitavecchia. You won't be able to stay over an extra night if you're blown away by the city. The next port you will go to is likely Livorno, Italy, the gateway to Florence and Pisa.
Once at the next port, you will have eight hours to explore before you need to return to the ship. In advance, it has been arranged.
The advantage of a pre-planned vacation is that it eliminates a lot of the headaches that come with traveling. The cruise line has spent a lot of time figuring out an ideal multi-day trip for you. A complete package of travel needs, including a room, food and entertainment, is offered by the cruise line. All of your daily tours are pre-arranged by the lines on some cruises. Just show up.
You will be taken to multiple destinations on a cruise ship. What they offer is close to what you will find at an all-inclusive resort on land. The majority of all cruise travel takes place on the larger cruise ships.
Most ships will allow you to spend most of your vacation time on board. Most of your meals will be eaten on the vessel, unless you book a rare overnight excursion. All or most of your evening entertainment will be based on the ship.
This type of vacation is popular with many people. It is similar to going to Disney World or an all-inclusive Sandals resort where you can spend a week without leaving the property.
It's too much vacation time devoted to a single, contained resort environment that doesn't leave enough time to explore the outside world
Boutique hotels with 50 or 100 rooms can be found on small cruise ships. Today's large ships that most of the cruisers sail on are packed with a lot of people.
The Oasis-class vessels operated by Royal Caribbean can carry more than 6,000 passengers. The crew members that are on the largest cruise vessels are not included. You could be sharing your vacation with thousands of other people if you book a vessel.
There is a lot of room to spread out on these ships. The world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, has 16 passenger decks, and many of them are devoted to family friendly attractions, restaurants, lounges, bars and other venues that can absorb huge numbers of vacationers.
There are 6 classes of Royal Caribbean ships.
If the idea of vacationing at a resort where you are one of thousands doesn't appeal to you, you should stay away from most of the vessels. Sailing on one of the lines such as Windstar Cruises or Ponant that specialize in small ships might be better for you.
Cruises are very similar to land tours. You will be traveling with a large group of people, and you may find yourself in a group setting for some or all of your touring in ports.
Depending on which ship you are on and how you arrange your port activities, the amount of a group tour you have will vary. Off-ship activities are usually done as a group on river cruises. Group tours in ports are part of the package. You can tour on your own in ports on ocean-going ships.
Which cruise brand is right for you? The guide is a line by line.
You can join as many as 30 or 40 other people with a guide on shore excursions on ocean-going ships. These tours often involve traveling with your group on a motorcoach to get to your destinations. They have the feeling of a bus tour.
Even with some upscale and luxury lines, they sometimes put fewer people on a single motor coach for tours.
When sailing on a traditional ocean-going vessel, you can arrange for private tours with a guide in ports for just you and your family, sometimes the ship will do this for you; other times, you will have to find an outside vendor. Most of the time, you can just head out into a port on your own and explore.
It's important for some people to eat local during their travels. They want to savor the local flavors as often as they can, whether it's the locally famous pesto over trofie pasta in the trattorias of Genoa, Italy, or the pad thai on the street corners of Thailand. It's just as important for others to have access to the dishes at home when they travel.
The second category of people are more likely to be attracted to a cruise ship.
Cruise ships offer food in their onboard restaurants that is in line with what their customers will find at home. Many larger ships and Italian restaurants serve an Americanized style of Italian food. There are many American-friendly Asian eateries and main restaurants that serve international cuisine. Fast food options include burgers and pizzas.
Most of the time these eateries and the dishes they offer have nothing to do with the destination to which you're sailing. They have a lot of things that you know and love.
A cruise is a good option for a vacation. A cruise may not be the best choice if you want to visit Barcelona without spending a night hopping between eateries or visiting Rome without a meal.
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During port calls, you can try out the local food. Many ships only visit ports during the daytime and leave before dinner time. You will not be able to eat locally on a lot of itineraries.
Your options on many cruises will be limited to what is available on the ship.
Do you want to be pampered on vacation? It might be a good idea to go on a cruise ship. One reason that people who cruise once often get hooked, and do it again and again, is that cruise ships offer a level of pampered decadence that you don't often see at land-based resorts.
The room attendant on the lowest-cost cruises is likely to get to know you by name and offer help with anything you need on board. Unless you request otherwise, she or he will make up and clean your room twice daily. There aren't many land hotels with that price point anymore.
If you dine at the same table every night, the wait staff will get to know you by name within a day or two and make a real effort to meet your needs. They will usually get to know your favorite drink or dessert before you say anything.
On mass-market ships, you will most likely have more than one waiter serving your table, with a third person on call just to handle your drinks. There will be a restaurant manager and sometimes deputy managers who are in the background to make sure everything is perfect. It is like a small army of service staff to make sure you have a great time.
There is a level of service on cruise ships that is rare in the travel world. The level of service on a cruise ship is likely to be higher than on a hotel. A cruise ship is likely to be more extravagant than a hotel.
If you want to know how much your vacation will cost before it happens, a cruise is a good option.
Cruises are similar to all-inclusive resorts. Your ship will provide a lot of the services you will need on your vacation, including your room, meals, entertainment, and transportation, at no extra cost. All-day kids programs on the ship are free if you travel with kids.
You pay a single price far in advance of your trip. You know what it will cost you, and you have already paid it off, so you don't have to worry. It is wonderful to have peace of mind.
The pre-paid fare won't include everything on your cruise. Automatic gratuities that many lines add to final bills, as well as extra for drinks with your meals, are some of the things that mass-market ships have to offer. Extra charges on your credit card can be added due to these things.
The good news is that more lines are offering drinks packages and other gratuities as part of their promotions. Many mass-market lines offer package deals where the extras on your cruise are included in the price you pay upfront.
It isn't for every person. There are many reasons why you might enjoy it. If cruising is right for you, you should ask yourself the questions above before committing to it.
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