With so many cruise ships and so many places to go it can be hard to choose a cruise. Most people know that price and sailings dates are determining factors, but what else is important when it comes to choosing when, where and how you sale? Here is a brief guide to help you sort out all of this information and assist you in picking the perfect cruise.
Start Out With Some Basic Criteria
Before you decide on a cruise you must first figure out what you are looking for. To begin, first decide:
How much can I afford?
Where would I like to go?
How long can I go for?
How far do I want to travel to get to and from where my ship is embarking?
What kind of things do I want to do on the ship?
Am I more of an adventurous traveler or a laid-back one?
How many people do I want to cruise with me?
What kind of dining options do I want?
Itineraries
One of the most attractive things about cruises is that you can visit several destinations within a short period of time. You don’t have to board numerous flights or drive from city to city. This is rather appealing to those that want to travel without being inconvenienced by it. As cruises have grown in popularity, so have the amount of destinations that are being offered. For those that want a shorter cruise, ships like Carnival cruise line that sail to the Caribbean, have short 2 and 3 night cruises available. Travelers that want to experience a longer cruise and see more cities can take advantage of cruise lines like Norwegian that offer cruises throughout cities in Rome as well as Alaska. The Norwegian Escape offers enough to do so that no know can get bored (unless they want to) or the Pride of Hawaii lets you visit the islands by ship! No matter what country you’d like to explore you can probably find a cruise ship that goes there. However, whether or not the itinerary will fit your needs will greatly depend on the amount of time you have available to take the cruise. Don’t forget to check out other popular Royal Caribbean itinerary and Princess Cruise line options.
Onboard Activities and Excursions
It’s important that you have plenty to do both on and off the ship. Even if you are the type of traveler that wants to hang back in your room the majority of the time, you still need to have things to do if the mood arises. Many ships are trying to outdo each other when it comes to onboard activities and excursions at port. This is great for travelers as it allows for them to have a lot of fun things to do. Newer cruise ships are offering everything from a round of golf on Princess Cruises or an at sea version of sky diving experience provided by Royal Caribbean. The fun doesn’t stop onboard ship as most ships have many different excursions available, dependent on your destination.
Dining Options
Many travelers tend to pick their cruise based on what’s available for them to eat. This may seem silly, but since passengers spend so much time onboard ship they need to make sure their palates are adequately satisfied. Most cruise ships can make accommodations for passengers that have special dietary restrictions. However, food choices may be limited so it’s important to inquire about what food options are available before booking a cruise. Even if you don’t have any food needs you should still find out what’s available.
Accommodations
Let’s face it: if you don’t have comfortable accommodations while you are on a cruise you probably won’t have a good time. It’s important to be comfortable in your cabin and get a good night’s sleep for all the adventures that await. Many cruise lines now offer spacious rooms and luxurious bedding to their passengers. Oceania Cruises and Celebrity’s Solstice ships have some of the most luxurious accommodations out there. Their suites feature plush furniture and large screen TV’s. If you are the type that wants to spend the smallest amount of time that is possible in your room then a standard stateroom would probably be efficient. These staterooms are generally rather small, but they will have the standard items like a bed, TV, closet and bathroom.
Just remember that you might not be able to find a cruise that fits your exact criteria. For example, you may want to go on a 7 night trip to the eastern Caribbean during certain dates, but the only thing that is available is a 5 night trip. Because of this you should decide what criteria is absolutely necessary and relay that to the person that is helping you book your cruise so that you can find the itinerary and accommodations that will allow you to have the memorable vacation that you want.
