Are you considering a cruise vacation?
Well you most certainly should! Cruises cover all sorts of destinations, from well-known Caribbean to less popular Galapagos or Antarctica. So whatever the destination in mind, you can rest assured that the right cruise is waiting for you! But how do you choose a cruise that is right for you and how to choose a cruise that offers your ideal vacation?
Those who dream of a warm winter can choose a cruise in the enchanting Caribbean islands or the culturally rich Mediterranean. In contrast, those who dream of cooler climates may venture on the routes of the ancient Vikings and visit the cities of the north or the magnificent Norwegian Fjords. There is also something for those who want to escape the classic tourist routes and go to distant exotic shores. But how do go about choosing a cruise line? Choosing a cruise may be a tricky affair. But worry not! The Cruise-site is here to the rescue. The curator of this website lectures onboard cruise ships and has sailed over 40 cruises on 15 different cruise lines. This page helps you in the process of choosing a cruise that is right for you!
The requirements for an ideal cruise for a young family holiday may vary considerably from the ideal cruise vacation of a mature solo traveler looking for peace and quiet. Choosing the right cruise is crucial and will surely make a huge difference to your overall vacation experience. So before booking you need to make sure that you choose a cruise that fits your archetypical vacation idea and that is the reason for preparing these tips for you. These important tips may help you understand your ideal cruise vacation, so you may be able to make the most of your holiday time which we all know how precious this can be. As a first step in the complex world of cruises, I'll give you a series of tips and information to help you choose the cruise that best suits your needs. So let’s get started to find the first best cruise shall we?
#2 Better an internal cabin on an excellent ship than a suite on a mediocre ship.
Choosing a cruise ship cabin is fun and challenging at the same time. Cabins fall into different types or "categories," and some cruise lines will present many categories to make it even more complex. But before you get overwhelmed, it's important to remember that it is much better to have an inside cabin on an excellent ship than having a suite on a mediocre ship. Ultimately you will all be on the same boat, literally! Although certain ships reserve special facilities or areas for suite patrons just remember that if the service, entertainment and the ship is mediocre it will still impact your overall experience. So make sure you get a cabin you are comfortable with, on the best ship possible for the budget allocated for your vacation.
#1 Choosing the right ship for you.
The most important issue in selecting the right cruise vacation is always the choice of the ship. It will be your floating accommodation for all your holiday. You will not be able to cancel the booking and move on to another accommodation as you could do if staying at a hotel. So make sure you choose a ship that meets your expectations and that provides the standards you require for your vacation.
These questions will help you identify the right cruise line for you!
1.Are you happy with mainstream or do you want luxury or ultra luxury cruise ships?
2. Are you willing to travel aboard a vessel with more than 5000 guests or do you prefer a more intimate ship size that takes around 700 guests?
3. Do you want to go to popular ports of call or are you a seasoned traveler and would like to explore less popular itineraries and ports of call?
4. Is entertainment onboard very important to your cruise holiday or you just want to chillout on a sunbed?
5. Is food important? Well of course it is…but do you want to eat burgers or caviar?
You need to answer all these questions BEFORE you choose the ship and then select the vessel that best meets your requirements.
#3 Carefully select the destination as it will affect your overall cruise experience.
This is very simple! If you’re ideal vacation foresees sunbathing and swimming and fabulous warm weather, than do not book an Alaska cruise. The chances of reaching your expectations are quite remote as you can appreciate! Make sure you choose a destination that meets your idyllic holiday. It wasn't long ago that most cruises took place in the Caribbean. But these days, even the most mainstream lines offer sailings around the globe, so make sure you dedicate some time figuring out your ideal holiday destination. Choice can be driven by weather, new destinations, and expectations. Your holiday budget is also something you should factor in. If you are on a tight budget do not go for a cruise in Norway, Iceland or Japan that have a very high standard of living and things are soooo...expensive! Consider less expensive destinations like Caribbean or Greece. Still, not every line goes to every destination and some lines are stronger than others in particular areas. In Alaska, for instance, Princess and Holland America are very strong so you can expect to have ample choice of sailings and ships. Other companies like Carnival were their strength is not so much Alaska focus on other areas and are the leaders in Caribbean cruises. So if you like travelling with a particular cruise company this is another consideration you have to take before picking the destination that meets your overall cruise vacation expectations.
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#5 Are you travelling with kids or as a couple?
Some lines are much more focused on families than others. In addition to Disney Cruise Line, which has staked its business on families, mass-market lines such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival are leaders in family-friendly cruising. Onboard amenities may include children's areas, deck-top water parks, family pool areas and other kid-friendly facilities. In general, the biggest mass-market ships also tend to be the best for families, given the wide range of deck-top activities. Certain cruise companies have gone the extra mile to offer special prices for families. I did several Mediterranean cruises with the kids on board MSC paying just taxes. This is an added bonus if you are a family. But if you are the kind of person that do not like the hustle and bustle and the noise that kids sometimes bring, make sure you avoid these cruise lines and opt for something else. I recently sailed on board Regent voyager and although there were only a handful of kids aboard I can tell you that as soon as a baby made some noise he was frowned upon and I’ve seen a passenger telling the parents that the baby shouldn’t be disturbing other guests.
So make sure to choose the right cruise company that best fits your party number!
#7 Pick a cruise style that is most appealing for your personality.
Everyone has his own personality and different appeals. Are you a fun-loving type of person or is your ideal holiday quiet?
Make sure to choose a cruise company that offers the kind of ambient that you are after. Carnival, for instance, is known for a gregarious, fun-loving crowd. Celebrity by contrast, draws a quieter, more style-conscious customer. The two lines operate ships of similar sizes, and often on similar routes and at similar prices, but a regular Carnival customer would have different expectations from that of a regular Celebrity ship. An NCL regular customer would probably not enjoy as much a Cunard cruise because the experiences are very different. If you are after experiencing culture of the countries on the itinerary Viking Cruises might be a good choice for you. Viking Cruises are renowned for their destination-focused and culturally immersive approach to travel. Viking Cruises carefully designed itineraries to maximize cultural immersion. Each voyage is planned to include significant cultural sites and experiences, offering passengers deep insights into the history, art, and traditions of the destinations visited that include multiple destination-related lectures onboard.
#4 Choose a company that fits your attire expectations.
If you're imagining yourself all dressed up in the evening and look forward for Gala nights there is quite a choice of cruise companies that offer you this. Cunard particularly offer Gala nights and afternoon teas with 4 string quartets that are a delight and you probably can enjoy dressing up for the occasion. On the contrary, if you are always dressing smart for work and the last thing you want to do on your vacation is wearing a tie or dressing smart, than probably NCL is a match made in heaven for you! If you like packing light and don't like carrying suits/cocktail dresses, make sure you factor that in as well.
#6 Choose a cruise company that fits your dining expectations.
Well we know that dining is an important part of the overall cruise experience and many lines pride themselves on their selection of restaurants. That said, some cruise lines place far more emphasis on food than others. Lines such as Oceania, Cunard and Crystal have brought in big-name chefs to create and manage eateries. Celebrity is on the specialty dining scene and its devoting tons of square footage on its ships to a variety of onboard restaurants. Crystal ships have superb cuisine in both main and specialty venues. Italian lines like MSC and Costa are good with pasta and other specialties but lack variety of different ethnic food. So choose wisely particularly if you have a refined palate
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#8 Choose a cruise company that offers entertainment that best suits your requirements.
The variety and quality of shows can vary even within a line and from ship to ship. In general, larger ships offer more elaborate and diverse options than smaller ships, which have less room for large theaters. So if you’re after a Broadway show or Cirque du Soleil kind of shows probably bigger ships are more likely to offer that. Ships like Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas showed the musical Chicago on-board while the Blue Man Group was on board the Norwegian Epic. There are lines that do not emphasize about on-board entertainment with some of the smallest ships offering basic entertainment, other than the occasional on-board lecture or port talk. I sailed onboard Princess last year and their shows were spectacular. I cannot say the same for Regent Seven seas because onboard the last cruise I sailed, entertainment left very much to desire. If you are after exceptional shows you are probably off choosing bigger ships with a company onboard entertainment is mentioned as a priority on their offering.
#9 Carefully select embarkation and disembarkation port.
Make sure that you choose an embarkation and/or disembarkation port that does not complicate things for you when travelling to/from the ship. I can better explain this to you by using 2 embarkation/disembarkation ports in Europe as an example. Barcelona is really well connected and very easy to use as an embarkation/disembarkation port while Venice can complicate matters. Imagine yourself going up and down the stairs and bridges with heavy luggage or having to take a boat to go to the cruise terminal. I always suggest families with buggies or people with wheelchairs to avoid Venice for embarkation or disembarkation if possible. Plan your journey to/from the ship and make sure you have ample time allowance especially for embarkation. If you miss the boat you ruin your holiday!
#10 Choose your inclusive value carefully!
Viking Cruise Line offers excellent inclusive value, which includes one complimentary shore excursion in every port, free Wi-Fi, and drinks with onboard meals. Other cruises offer optional beverage packages that has to be added to the fare paid. Make sure to check what is included in your cruise.
Summarize all your choices and strat checking prices offered from different cruise lines. There are several websites at your disposal. Whichever site you use make sure it’s a good source. The greatest saving you can make is to make sure you book through a reliable site to make sure you don’t have any mishaps on embarkation day like not finding your cruise reservation on embarkation day!
Bon Voyage!