All You Need to Know About Cruising: Pros, Cons, and More
In 1972, Carnival Cruise Lines introduced the concept of a “Fun ship” for mass tourism. In the 1980s, the cruise industry introduced giant passenger liners that carried over 2,000 passengers. Over the years, cruising has become increasingly popular. Depending on your prerequisite, many large cruises have water parks, Karaoke bars, and sports courts.
- How to start Cruising?
- Various Travel Companies you can Consider in 2023
- Mini Cruises for Short Vacations
- Factors to be Considered Before Taking a Cruise
- Conclusion
- Reference
Cruising has been considered a luxury for decades and can be daunting for people who’ve never set foot on a ship before. Here is everything you need to know about how to start cruising in a luxurious, affordable fashion. It is an experience people recommend at least once in a lifetime. The popularity of cruising has been on the rise—this interest essentially bounced back after the Covid-19 pandemic, with new cruise records being set in some countries, including Norway.
How to Start Cruising?
If this is your first voyage, it is worth consulting a specialist or a travel agent. A list of agents affiliated with the Cruise Lines Industry Association (CLIA) is available online. Always ask for a range of recommendations, as large chain travel agencies may push certain cruise lines with which they have commission agreements for their profit.
Agencies offering specialized cruising services have extensive knowledge, helping you orchestrate your dream cruise. A good agent will question you extensively about your prerequisites, age range, and the kind of holidays you have taken in the past. Doing some research online and reading reviews on Cruise Critic will help you understand things better to make a well-informed decision.
Choosing your cruise line carefully according to your budget and location when picking your first cruise is crucial. Pay attention to the choice of the cruise line, as the onboard experiences make a considerable difference. Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Apex, and Odyssey of the Seas are a few of the comparatively affordable options.
Various Travel Companies You Can Consider in 2023
There is a list of travel companies to choose from according to your needs; for example, CheapCaribbean.com specializes in traveling to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. The website offers great prices and excellent U.S.-based customer service. Their sales agents, whom they call “Beachologists,” are always available to assist with your planning.
The website also offers extra bonuses like onboard spending credit. If you find the same cruise for a lower price on another website within 48 hours after booking, CheapCaribbean.com will refund 110% of the difference.
CheapCaribbean.com charges $24.99 as a processing fee on each booking. They include it within the taxes and fees, but you will notice it when you read the distribution of charges carefully. They offer services to destinations other than the Caribbean, including Europe, Canada, Hawaii, and Alaska. You can sign-up for emails or call them to access exclusive deals.
Apart from Cheap Caribbean, there are other travel agencies like Cruise Direct and Priceline that you could consider. Cruise Critic is also a website where you can read about reviews and discounts.
There are various other cruise lines you can consider according to your interests—for example, Holland America Line (Zuiderdam Cruise) is an Alaskan Cruise itinerary that offers travelers sightful and breathtaking experiences of places in the Northern parts of the world. The cruise line offers a $150 expenditure on board, and Prices start at $51 per night. Zuiderdam is a recommended Cruise that costs $261 per person for a 5-night cruise.
Other options like Royal Caribbean and Mariner of the Seas start at $65 a night; travelers can now relax and enjoy their most famous Bamboo Room. It is an 8-Night itinerary cruise vacation. Mariner of the Seas costs $309 per person for a 5-night cruise.
Mini Cruises for Short Vacations
If you don’t have a lot of days to spare and an item on your bucket list is itching to be ticked, a mini cruise is a great and economical alternative. The period of a mini cruise is anything less than 7 nights. A typical mini-cruise duration ranges between 2 to 4 nights with just 1 or 2 ports of call on the itinerary. Cruises to nowhere provide excellent mini cruises. These short cruises allow you to cruise and enjoy for a few days the same dining, wellness, and entertainment options that you would get on a more extended cruise.
You can also try a mini-cruise or a short cruise. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and P&O offer these ‘samplers‘ out of Australian ports with one to three nights onboard. Some of these cruises are themed around food and wine, comedy, and sports. P&O calls its short cruises “Sea Breaks.”
Factors to be Considered Before Taking a Cruise
Depending on what you want in a vacation, the following factors will make sure whether cruising is the right choice for you:
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Visit More Places in Less Time
If you are the type of person who wants the gist of every place in a nutshell, cruising is perfect for you. It enables you to cover a lot of places in a short period.
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There is Limited Time Per Destination
Since there are a lot of places to cover, which is undoubtedly a plus, this also means you are time bound at each destination. Drink or gulp, for that matter, the breathtaking views with your eyes and be on the move for the next destination.
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It is an All in One Package
The cruise itself is a destination if it is something you’ve wanted to check off your bucket list for a long time. The cruise will indeed have some entertainment or the other, and a cruise instead of a flight ensures you are not even wasting the time of travel confined to a seat while staring at the clouds.
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You Just Need to Unpack Once and Relax
Ocean getaways don’t need a lot of planning because everything, including meals, entertainment, and fitness, is catered for, so you do not have to pack or unpack again and again. You can unpack once and be done with it to enjoy the rest of your cruising journey.
Conclusion
Depending on your budget, you can experience mass cruising, premium cruising, or even luxury cruising. You can customize your experience to only pay for the arrangements and services you want. Book your first voyage for pleasure and experience the ideal vacation; While cruising may look high-priced at first, you need to consider that it includes accommodation, meals, entertainment activities, and much more.
References
- Seemann, K., & Seemann, K. (2022, November 3). The 19 Best Websites To Book Cruises at the Cheapest Prices [2022]. UpgradedPoints.com. https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/cruises/best-websites-to-book-cruises/
