Is a Cruise Vacation Right for You?
A cruise can be an excellent vacation choice for families, couples, singles or retirees. There are special interest cruises available for aspiring gourmet cooks, sports enthusiasts, golf lovers and adventure seekers. Whatever your interests, there is a cruise out there designed to meet your needs.
When considering a cruise, one of the first things that you will want to determine is your budget. There are three general classes of cruise lines and your budget will determine which is right for you. The three classes are:
1. Mass Market – Cruise lines in this category offer many amenities at an affordable price. You can expect to pay $150-$300 per person per day for cruises in this category and with frequently advertised promotions, you may pay even less. Cruise ships in this category tend to be larger than some of the more expensive cruise lines but they also tend to offer more onboard activities. Food and service tend to be comparable to that of a large land-based resort and given that there may be as many as 3000 passengers onboard, don’t expect a high degree of personal service. Itineraries are generally between 3 and 10 days and these ships attract a mix of first time and veteran cruisers. Examples of cruise lines in this category include Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International.
2. Premium – Cruise lines in this category offer a high quality cruise experience at a reasonable price. You can expect to pay $250-$450 per person per day for ships in this category. There are usually a wide variety of onboard amenities and the food and service are typically of high quality. Average cruise lengths range from 7 to 14 days and the typical passenger is a veteran cruiser. Examples of cruise lines in this category include Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Oceania Cruises and Windstar Cruises.
3. Luxury – Cruise lines in this category offer a luxurious cruise experience with a high degree of personal service. You can expect to pay $400-$900 per person per day for ships in this category. The average cruise length is generally longer than seven days and may include some exotic ports of call. Luxury cruise lines specialize in world class service and offer amenities comparable to what you would expect to find in a luxury hotel. Examples of cruise lines in this category include Crystal Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line and Silverseas Cruises.
If you’ve never taken a cruise before, you may want to try out the cruise experience by taking a short cruise first. Many of the major cruise lines offer 3 and 4 days cruises at reasonable prices and taking a short cruise will give you the chance to check out the amenities first-hand without risking a lot of time or money.
Before purchasing a cruise vacation, it is very worthwhile to spend some time checking out some passenger reviews to determine which cruise line might be the best fit for your particular needs and interests. CruiseCritic.com and CruiseReviews.com are two good websites with many independent reviews. After you’ve read the reviews and selected a few cruise lines you are interested in, contact a travel professional to help you make your travel arrangements. Cruise lines offer volume pricing discounts to travel agencies so you may get a better price on your cruise if you book through an agency rather than booking directly with the cruise line.
A cruise vacation may not be the perfect vacation for everyone but the fact is that cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied customers than any other vacation experience. If you’re looking for a hassle-free vacation where you’ll be pampered and have a wide variety of options for entertainment, dining and activities then a cruise could very well be the perfect choice for you.
