If you have been thinking that organizing your next holiday is going to be a big job I have something for you. Why not consider making that next holiday a cruise. In my opinion, a cruise can be one of the easiest and most fun options for a holiday. Whether you have a week or a month, there is likely an option to suit you.
If you don’t like picking and choosing between destinations. Booking flights and hotels and transfers for each place you want to visit. Knowing the majority of your cost up front is a benefit. While only having to unpack once, even though you are visiting and enjoying multiple destinations. Then you should consider a cruise for your next holiday.
1. Less Choices & Organizing
When it comes to choosing a cruise, you are somewhat limited in your options. Although not by much, as there are cruises available to destination all over the world.
Two limitations mean a little less choice. Firstly destinations need to be accessible to a cruise ship. Which often means that you will be visiting primarily coastal towns, cities, and islands.
The second limitation is that you cannot pick and choose your ports. Cruise Itineraries are set anything up to two years in advance.The only way a port of call will change is if the cruise line decides to change it.
Taking this into account, in many ways these are benefits. Your choice is between a handful of different itineraries, rather than an extensive range of cities and towns. You can instead just look at which cruises are available. Of course meaning a lot less organizing and searching for flights, hotels, and the like.
2. All Inclusive (Almost)
A cruise holiday can be an all-inclusive holiday, without needing to pay any more than your original fare. All cruise fares often include your transport from port to port, food, some drinks, and entertainment.
As such you may be able to get away without spending any extra while on your cruise. However, depending on the cruise line that you choose to sail with there may be some additional costs. Some may be mandatory while some may be optional and easily avoided.
- What You Drink – Almost all cruise lines will charge for alcoholic beverages, bottled water, and soft drink. Each cruise line will offer a different range of what they include and what you will be an additional cost.
- Specialty Dining – You can often get as much food as you could want on a cruise. Most cruise lines will offer at least one if not more exclusive restaurants that will attract a surcharge. The range can be anywhere from $10 to $50 or up, depending on the ship and restaurant. These can be a great option to use for a special occasion.
- Tours – The cruise ship will get you to each port, and you can get off the ship and do your own thing. Or you can opt to book on tours organized by the cruise line. These tours can range from basic sightseeing to helicopter flights, and a whole heap more just depending on the cruise port. Prices can vary substantially, so it is worth checking with your cruise line.
- Extras – There is a range of other things that you can take part in which may come with an additional price tag. Things like the beauty salon, duty-free shopping, photos, casino and some other activities.
These four items may sound like that cover a lot of what you can do onboard. But you will find that there is plenty of fun to be had without spending a lot if anything extra.
3. Unpack Once
I would say that this for me is the greatest benefit of a cruise ship. Once you are on board and in your cabin, that is your room for the rest of the cruise. You might be on a short 7-day cruise or a 100-day+ round the world cruise. There is no packing and unpacking and moving hotels every couple of days. Finding your way from airport to airport.
You walk onto the cruise ship, find your room, unpack your suitcase and enjoy the facilities. You go to sleep at night and wake up the next morning in a new port of call and at the end of the day return to the ship.
4. Enjoy Multiple Destinations
Another great benefit in cruising is that you get to see multiple different ports without having to figure out getting from one to the next. It allows you to visit some interesting places, all at the same time that you might have opted to fly to and stay in one.
A cruise offers an excellent way to see areas that are not quite as accessible. A 10-day cruise in the South Pacific can allow you to visit 4 or 4 or 5 different islands without the hassle of flying anywhere. Or visit multiple cities in 3 or 4 different countries in the Mediterranean, getting a good sampling without needing to stay in one place.
Additionally, there can be areas that you visit, which are just not where you would ordinarily travel. Places like transiting the Panama Canal is something that most people can only do via cruise ship. Also, some of the other scenic cruising locations around Alaska and New Zealand. While often accessible by land they are experienced entirely different via a cruise ship.
Your Next Holiday
So when it comes to your next holiday are you going to spend days or weeks figuring out the details or just spend a little time choosing a cruise? If you need any more convincing you can always check out my first cruise here “28 Day Panama Canal Cruise summary“. You can also read “A Guide To Choosing Your First Cruise Experience“.
Let me know in the comments what you think about cruising and if it is something that you would consider for your next holiday. You can connect with me on social media, pick your favourite social network below.
