Have you ever been on a cruise at sea?
There are a lot of preconceptions about cruising. For example many people still think it’s only for older people. I am sure when you choose the right cruise company, which fits for you, you will ask yourself ‘Why haven’t I done this before?’
There is a difference between a Ferry, river cruise or cruise at sea. A Ferry I would like to clear out soonest. With a Ferry you are only moving between 2 places, but isn’t anything like a cruise. And a river cruise is a lot smaller, but has the same idea as a cruise at sea.
In this article I will inform you about Cruises at sea. With a cruise at sea there is a lot to do on board the cruise ship and you will visit various destinations where the vessel will be in port for a few hours/days or enjoy a day at sea. Almost every day you will move to the following interesting destination to explore. Explore destinations yourself or go on an excursion with a guide which you can book in advance or on board. The lovely thing about a cruise is that you don’t need to pack and unpack your suitcase per destination. You will be brought to these wonderful destinations and can walk on and off the vessel once it’s in port.
During sailing there is all kind of entertainment on board. Depending on the size of the cruise ship there is something to do for everyone. You can enjoy the entertainment, but you can as well just enjoy the piece en quite in your room on the balcony, if you have any, sit back in one of the lounges or library. If you do want to look for some entertainment. You never have to look far on a vessel. During the day you can get to know the vessel better, go tax free shopping, enjoy a cooking class, go to the gym, hang out around the pool, see the entertainers practice during the day. In the evening you can go to a bar for some music, make a gamble in the casino. And enjoy a formal or informal diner. There is a lot to do on the cruise ships, but you can as well just relax your time off.
Depending on what kind of cruise you are looking for and what you find important You can look what kind of cruise is suitable for you and ask yourself a few questions:
- Do you already have an idea where you want to go? and when?
- Is your holiday about the destination or about the cruise?
- Do you prefer a small or large cruise ship?
- Do you want to be entertained?
- Are you travelling alone, with a partner or with your family and kids?
- Do you prefer formal or informal diners?
- Would you like to eat every day at the same place or prefer different restaurants?
- Are you happy with a buffet or do you need a culinary experience?
- Do you already know which excursions you want to do?
All of the above and more can make or break your cruise experience.
One person loves being entertained by the pool others love to enjoy a culinary formal dinner or like both. Although the cruise organizations tries to make it a perfect holiday for each age it’s not always possible to please everyone. Therefor every cruiseline will steer on a certain target audience.
Always ask yourself first where do I want to go? And then explore which cruise ships are sailing there. This already gives a good filter on what your options are. Check the age of the vessel. This can as well affect your cruise experience. When you are always outside, because of the good weather, and don’t care that much as long as it’s fresh and clean it makes the type of vessel less important. Do you like a large swimming pool with a slide? Be aware this will attract a lot of children and young people as well. Do you like this or do you prefer some nice and quite relax moment in the pool? When you filter out preferences it’s easier to look, because there are a lot of cruises on the market.
In my next article I will explain about the differences in cruise lines. Most experience I got when I worked within the cruise industry and personal experience. Of course your experience can be different. It’s only a bit of a guideline which you could use for your next cruise.
