If you’re among those who are considering a first cruise but haven’t yet taken the leap, here are some reasons that might help you make your decision;
A Cruise Holiday Offers Great Value
Cruises offer great value for your money because the fares include nearly everything you’ll need for a fantastic trip: food, accommodations, daytime and evening entertainment and transportation between destinations. We regularly see fares on mainstream cruise lines for under 100 pounds per person, per night, which is astonishingly cheaper than you’d spend on land for a hotel, dinner and a show. On some lines, kids even sail free or at discounted rates when sharing a cabin with two adults. Looking for luxury? Upscale lines are even more inclusive, with alcohol and soft drinks, gratuities, shore tours, onboard spending credits, and even flights bundled into the fare.
See Multiple Destinations, Unpack Only Once
On a cruise, you unpack once and your floating hotel takes you from city to city or from island to island and there’s no need to mess with train or ferry schedules, or lug your suitcase along cobblestone streets. Every morning, you’ll wake up in a new place. Can’t decide between St. Lucia and Barbados, or Italy or Spain? Why choose? Pick an itinerary that visits all the cities on your wish list.
Cruise Ships Are Family Friendly
From tots to teens, grandparents to grandkids, cruises are fun for all ages. If you’re struggling to find a holiday that your 5-, 10- and 15-year-old will all love — and that has adult activities, too — ships now have extensive kids’ facilities, split by age. Teens have their own cool hangouts, far away from the play areas for the little ones (and certainly a nice distance from parent-friendly pools and bars). How can you not love a trip that features video games and swimming pools, while offering time for families to be together at dinner or on shoreside excursions? And parents can even sneak in a romantic dinner alone, by taking advantage of late-night hours in the kids’ club.
Cruise Ships Come in All Shapes and Sizes
The ideal cruise ship for one person may be a mega-ship outfitted with onboard rock-climbing walls and outdoor cinemas, while another will prefer an intimate ship with an upscale ambience and someone else will want the seafaring experience of a masted tall sailing ship. Luckily, all those different types of cruise ships exist. From intmiate River Cruises to Royal Caribbean’s 5,400-passenger cruise ships such as Oasis of the Seas. More options range from the luxurious Silversea to expedition cruises to the Antartica. There is a ship and brand for everyone.
Ships Offer a Variety of Onboard Activities
Today’s cruise ships are designed to keep everyone happy. Want to pamper yourself at the spa while your spouse hits the casino? Or lounge in the sun reading a book while your family plays basketball. You can go to an educational lecture, a wine tasting, a computer class or a dance workshop; paint pottery, play bridge, learn a language or do yoga; dine at a casual buffet, a fancy sit-down restaurant, a sushi bar, a diner or a steakhouse; and watch a movie, a comedy routine, a song-and-dance show or live music performance. And if all you want to do is nothing while the ship sails from port to port you can do that, too.
Cruise Holidays Are Easy to Plan
Because cruise holidays package together transportation and accommodations, they’re very easy to plan. Pick your ship, itinerary and cabin, and away you go — no searching for hotels in your price range, no coordinating travel between cities. You can even get your travel agent to arrange your airfare for you — or choose a departure port within driving distance to eliminate that extra planning step. Groups also find cruises a cinch to book. Cruise lines have plans in place for group travel, eliminating the hassle of coordinating your 20 family members and friends from around the country who want to holiday with you. Book enough cabins — and you’ll get extra perks, including a free fare!
Ships Are Floating Cities
If you’re concerned about being stranded in the middle of the ocean, relax. Cruise ships are like floating cities with everything you could possibly want onboard. Today’s vessels are outfitted with Wi-Fi, cell service and satellite TV so you can stay in touch with the real world during your cruise (if you even want to). Onboard shops sell the toiletries you forgot to pack, medical centres can provide meds or a doctor’s services if needed, and laundry facilities let you wash your clothes mid-cruise so you don’t need to over-pack. Of course, there’s also the fun stuff like gyms, multiple restaurants, cinema screens, spas, swimming pools, theatres and discos. And in the rare emergency, there are always enough lifeboats for everyone onboard.
Cruise Holidays Can Be Exotic
Always wanted to visit Asia but are nervous about the language barrier? Curious about the Middle East, but nervous about country customs? A cruise is one of the best ways to see the most exotic and foreign destinations in this world in an easy way. Itineraries offer calls at major cities and picturesque villages, all of which will be regional highlights, so you don’t have to do the research on the best places to visit in an unfamiliar destination. If you’re uncomfortable with independent sightseeing in a new locale, simply take a ship’s tour with English-speaking guides.
Cruising Is Romantic
Anyone who’s watched “The Love Boat” knows that there’s a romance to sea travel. The wind in your hair, the vistas of endless ocean, the stars twinkling above all set the mood for love may be cliches but they’re real experiences onboard! If you want to rekindle the spark with your sweetie, a cruise holiday provides plenty of together time — sharing side-by-side lounge chairs by the pool, a table for two at dinner, dancing in the evening or sharing quality time onshore. Cruise lines also have special packages for honeymoons, vow renewals and weddings onboard and onshore.
Cruising Is Social
If you love to meet people from around the country — and the world — cruising provides a wonderful opportunity to make new friends. Onboard, you’ll meet people at your dinner table, at the piano bar or by the pool. The person seated next to you might be from Paris, Texas, Sydnery or Cork! Kids can find playmates their own age during youth activities, so they’re not always with adults or their older or younger siblings. Looking for Mr. or Ms. Right? We have proof that many long-term relationships begin during a holiday at sea.
When compared to a landbased holiday, cruising offers a number of benefits:
• You can tailor your experience based on your budget, selecting specific accommodations, dining arrangements and even shore excursions. Most cruises already include dining, entertainment, and gratuities, offering options for even the most cost conscious traveler.
• Additional expenses may include drinks, casino play, spa treatments, shore excursions and shopping.
• For those looking to indulge a bit more, many cruises offer additional premium dining options, entertainment and even exclusive spaces, such as spas, pools and restaurants.
• A week onboard one cruise ship will offer you a chance to experience a number of enticing destinations, across the globe. In one week, many ships sailing through the Caribbean will bring guests to four exciting ports of call, whereas a land based resort only offers the same destination each day.
• A cruise experience offers you the ability to experience as much, or as little of the world as you prefer. Cruises also offer the most flexibility in pricing, allowing all travelers the opportunity to cruise with their preferred budget in mind.
Our cruise team have cruised on many cruiselines and itineraries across the globe.
Contact us today cruises@travelbroker.ie
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