Choosing a Cruise
So, you have decided to go on a cruise this year! It's an exhilarating vacation for sure, but how do you decide where to go, when to go, and even with whom should you go? There are tons of choices with respect to cruising that can be very confusing. Here are a few insider tips which should help you decide which cruise is the right one for you.
Here are just a few examples of the many types of cruises you can take:
- Mediterranean Cruises
- Caribbean Cruises
- Alaskan Cruises
- Amazon Cruises
- Panama Canal Cruises
- Transatlantic Cruises
- South Pacific Cruises
- Hawaiian Island Cruises
- River Cruises
- Polar Cruises (Antarctica Cruises)
- Russian Waterway Cruises
- Galapagos Island Cruises
- New Zealand/Australia Cruises
Each of the above cruises can be very appealing each of the choices is very different. So how do you choose a cruise that's right for you?
1. The first thing you'll want to consider is when you want to go because the time of the year you choose can dictate the type of cruise you'll want to go on. Some cruise lines for example don't offer cruises to the Mediterranean during the winter months, instead transferring their ships to the warmer waters of the Caribbean Sea. Alaskan cruises usually run in limited months as well due to uncertain weather conditions. Ocean crossing cruises (Transatlantic Cruises) are often only available when the seasons change so that cruise lines can reposition their ships to match the peak season tourist demand.
2. The amount of time you can commit to your trip will be a deciding factor when it comes to choosing as well. A typical cruise runs 7-nights, but you can take cruises for as short as 3-4 nights or you can take long cruises - some a month in length or even more. The amount of vacation time you have available may limit you, and taking a cruise for the first time may also be a factor. Limiting your cruise vacation to a shorter cruise may help you decide whether a longer cruise might be in the cards for another time.
3. Choosing a cruise can seem a bit overwhelming, but the main point is to make your cruise selection based on what you want to get out of the experience. If you want a plethora of activity, then you should choose a party cruise line with that outcome in mind. If you want a more relaxed atmosphere however, then you might want to choose more time at sea. If you want to sample world cultures, you should choose a destination-rich type of cruise. Different types of cruises offer different things. Hopefully these suggestions have given you an idea regarding the choices you'll need to make to get the most satisfaction out of your cruise.
Happy cruising!
Recommended Reading
Read the Intelligent Cruiser eBook - "an absolute treasure chest of cruise savings. We learned so much about cruise ship discounts and as a result were able to get our cruise fare reduced by $400 without any effort at all."
- Last Minute Cruise Specials Blog
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I would love to go on a cruise some day soon. I have been looking at the Alaska cruise that leaves out of Seattle but I have just not had the courage to buy the ticket yet.
On another note, I downloaded the book you recommended in your sidebar and was pretty pleasantly surprised. I expected to see the tips on saving money on tickets, etc. but I loved the chapters on procedure - embarking and disembarking process, excursion tips, and so on. At least if I get the courage to book a cruise I'll be ready - lol.
Mostly, there are also last minute cancellations. In this event, for whatever the reason is, the cruise liner will try to fill in the rooms for the ones that cancel their trip.
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