When it comes to vacations, everyone seems to love them, but no one really loves planning them. Though choosing where to go can be exciting, the more minute details, such as booking a flight, reserving a hotel room or arranging for a rental car, can prove tedious.
One popular road many vacationers travel isn't a road at all, but rather the sea. Cruises remain popular among vacationers, likely because someone else does all the planning, typically for one bottom-line price.
But is a cruise right for you? Consider the following pros and cons of cruise vacations before making your final decision.
The Good
Savings: The vast majority of cruise vacations are package priced. That means room, dining, most entertainment and extra incentives are all agreed upon and paid upfront, lessening the chance for financial surprises. Drinks are usually not included in the package price, but those can be part of the budget you plan before setting sail. Many times, vacationers spend less money out-of-pocket on a cruise because the daily expenses are taken care of before they ever get on the boat.
Better personal treatment: Because you'll be spending significant time with the crew while you're out at sea, cruise staffers tend to pamper their guests more than typical hotel staffers. Also, staffers and guests get to know each other better, which can make for a more friendly vacation.
Open your suitcase once ... and you won't have to pack it again until your vacation is over. While most cruise ships do dock in a handful of ports, your belongings stay on board, unlike other traveling vacations where you'll need to keep hopping hotels to experience more than one city.
More relaxation: On a cruise, you essentially have a chauffeur to do your driving for you. The only real difference is that the chauffeur is "driving" a boat and the "road" is really a body of water. With someone else doing the "driving," you can kick back and relax as opposed to being stuck in traffic or scrambling to catch a train to your next destination. For families, a cruise can be a great way to avoid cramped cars and questions such as, "Are we there yet?"
Better personal treatment: Because you'll be spending significant time with the crew while you're out at sea, cruise staffers tend to pamper their guests more than typical hotel staffers. Also, staffers and guests get to know each other better, which can make for a more friendly vacation.
Open your suitcase once ... and you won't have to pack it again until your vacation is over. While most cruise ships do dock in a handful of ports, your belongings stay on board, unlike other traveling vacations where you'll need to keep hopping hotels to experience more than one city.
More relaxation: On a cruise, you essentially have a chauffeur to do your driving for you. The only real difference is that the chauffeur is "driving" a boat and the "road" is really a body of water. With someone else doing the "driving," you can kick back and relax as opposed to being stuck in traffic or scrambling to catch a train to your next destination. For families, a cruise can be a great way to avoid cramped cars and questions such as, "Are we there yet?"
The Bad
Not much time to explore: For many vacationers, a big joy of traveling is taking a day to just wander around and explore, with no set schedule and no specific plans. On a cruise, however, such exploration time is often limited, and most of your time will be spent aboard the ship. If you're looking for a vacation that will show you what it's like to live in a different culture, a cruise probably isn't your thing.
Food: Another thing many vacationers look forward to is sampling the food exclusive to certain countries or regions of the world. On a cruise, however, the menu is typically standard fare, regardless of where you might be docking that day.
Places tend to mesh into one: A cruise ship can't dock inland, and many coastal port towns tend to be very tourist-laden with respect to shops and restaurants. It's very hard to get a feel for a country's culture or way of life in a coastal port town.
Whether or not to go on a cruise typically boils down to the individual. For some, the idea of having a vacation already planned out can be a great way to kick back and relax. For others, a vacation is a great way to satisfy their sense of wanderlust, so a more traditional vacation might be the way to go.
Not much time to explore: For many vacationers, a big joy of traveling is taking a day to just wander around and explore, with no set schedule and no specific plans. On a cruise, however, such exploration time is often limited, and most of your time will be spent aboard the ship. If you're looking for a vacation that will show you what it's like to live in a different culture, a cruise probably isn't your thing.
Food: Another thing many vacationers look forward to is sampling the food exclusive to certain countries or regions of the world. On a cruise, however, the menu is typically standard fare, regardless of where you might be docking that day.
Places tend to mesh into one: A cruise ship can't dock inland, and many coastal port towns tend to be very tourist-laden with respect to shops and restaurants. It's very hard to get a feel for a country's culture or way of life in a coastal port town.
Whether or not to go on a cruise typically boils down to the individual. For some, the idea of having a vacation already planned out can be a great way to kick back and relax. For others, a vacation is a great way to satisfy their sense of wanderlust, so a more traditional vacation might be the way to go.
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