CRUISE SHIP VACATIONS – PROS AND CONS
Vacations are a great way to re-energize your minds and bodies, and there are so many ways of doing it on land, over mountains, and at sea. It all boils down on your free schedule, your capacity to pay for the trip, as well as all other expenses that come with taking a luxurious vacation. But if you really want to go on a cruise ship any time soon, consider the possible pros and cons to keep you prepared at all times.
PROS
1.Simplicity and Convenience
Planning a vacation yourself takes a lot of time, effort, and money on your part. However, when you decide to take a cruise vacation, almost everything is done for you and more—from the selection of destinations, time schedules, meals available, and all-day and night activities for young and old, for couples or groups.
2. Multiple Travel Destinations
When vacationing in a hotel or resort, you only go to one destination; whereas, if you go on a cruise, there is more than one destination you can choose to go to. Fortunately, each destination schedule and activities are handled by the cruise crew for you.
3. Special Offers/Packages
Special offers with big discounts on various destinations may be given to big groups, especially when trips are taken or reserved during off-season. But because these cruise packages are affordable to many travelers, you need to do your share of the work and browse online websites of cruise ships with regard to their best deals (destinations, schedules, accommodations, meals, and activities onboard and while on land) months before your supposed travel date.
4. Lots of Activities Onboard
Vacationing on a resort may offer you activities available only on the resort itself, but if on a cruise ship, you can do a lot of activities, like play a game of bingo, watch movies, swim to your heart’s content, dance the night away, play ball games, or have a quiet dinner with your partner. More than that, tourists are sometimes allowed to disembark and check out a flea market or whatever activity pleases you.
5. Meeting New People
There are cruise ships offering “single cruises” where single people can find enjoyment in activities reserved for singles; as such, you may even get to find your soulmate. Other cruise ships are tailored for couples or families, each one fulfilling enough to make your cruise vacation something to look forward to in your next trip.
CONS
1. Hidden Costs
Every drink or meal you order, every activity you attend to will cost you money. The Cruise Line credit card handed to you as you board is linked to your personal credit card. Every expense you make will be deducted on your credit card. Likewise, to save more at port trips, ask your travel agency for such excursions available so they are packaged into the cruise vacation you have chosen at no extra cost.
2. Traveling with Very Young Children
Children are fun to be with but unless they have something to do something on the ship, their boredom might turn your vacation very unpleasant. Choose a cruise ship that has fun activities prepared for their age group. Doing so will make everything right and keep everyone happy.
3. Sea sickness, especially for first-timers
Sea sickness happens to people who get dizzy from the rocking movement of a ship moving at a maximum speed of 30knots. You need to take some medicine for this, or simply go out on the highest deck and look far into the horizon, taking in as much scenery and enjoying the wind on your face.
4. Timed Excursions
Since a cruise has many travelers at one time, visiting ports must include a schedule of what time tourists must be back to the ship. Travelers must be able to fit a lot of activity within the period of time given by the cruise ship, or risk being left behind.
5. Exorbitant Souvenir Prices
Natives who know that tourists on cruise ships parked at ports are far from shopping areas take advantage of this fact. It’s really up to you to purchase the goods right there, or plan a visit on a particular port and pick out items yourself to save money.
Tourists who take cruise vacations come from different parts of the world. But one thing is for sure, you have the time and money to spend your seven-day long or so vacation with the same people on board. What you need to know and prepare for is how to get along with the people around you, when to be frugal in spending aboard and in ports, and primarily to enjoy all the ship’s amenities and the activities prepared by the crew.
Photo Attribution:
Featured and 1st image courtesy of Stuart Miles / freedigitalphotos.net
2nd image By 최광모 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
