One of the most exciting developments in tourism in the last decade has been the growth of the cruise market. So many changes have taken place in the industry with the introduction of modern ships, better and more varied entertainment, new destinations, themed cruises, children friendly liners, better excursions and not forgetting adventure cruising under sail.
Are the old perceptions and images of cruising keeping pace with the rate of change? How many times have you heard somebody say 'I'll try cruising when I'm really old'? It's still regarded by many as a rather sedentary style of holiday where cruisers lie on deck chairs either sleeping or reading and getting up only to eat their way through 8 -12 meals a day.
Cruising has never offered greater choices so you can banish those images right now! If you have never cruised before, everything depends on the the choices you make before booking to make sure it becomes a dream holiday.
Decisions, decisions but they have to be made so, in no particular order:
Children or no children.
Everybody loves children but not everybody wishes to spend their holiday surrounded by them. If this is the case, read the cruise features carefully for child-friendly features, too many and you can guess it will attract families.
On the other hand, many families with children are opting for a cruise holiday and there is plenty of choice for child activities, from toddlers to teens. Apart from the obvious, making sure the children clubs and activities are appropriate for your family, there are one or two other considerations, are pagers provided while your child is in care and how many child carers are employed, for example.
Formal or Informal
Brushing down the evening gown and the dinner suit is part of the pleasure for some. I must admit, I enjoy formal evenings. Not that I particularly like the dressing up part but I do like to see the whole assembly of passengers in smart attire, it adds an elegance and agreeable atmosphere to the occasion. On the other hand, I would hate every evening to be formal dress. So peruse the cruise details carefully to find out details of the dress code. If you hate the idea, choose a cruise which is totally informal.
Size of ship
Cruise ship size really does matter and this ranks highly among the important decisions you have to make for your first cruise. The larger the ship, the more room there is for amenities like alternative dining venues, huge show lounges and casinos, multiple swimming pools with water slides, and spa facilities. On the other hand, the size of the vessel may exclude docking at smaller ports which you particularly wish to visit or passengers have to be tendered ashore, which can sometimes be long and tedious. You could find long queues at the buffet and have to attend the dinning room at an assigned time. You may have to place towels at dawn for a deck chair!
Medium size ships obviously have fewer passengers so entertainments will be correspondingly fewer, you may have to do without a climbing wall, but the quality will still be there. All passengers may fit into the dinning room so there will just be the one sitting and you can take your timing without eating to order. There is likely to be more emphasis on destinations supported by lectures. More ports are available to smaller boats and, if sailing through the Kiel Canal is on your agenda for a Baltic cruise, then choosing a smaller boat is essential.
On small ships, there will be few or no facilities specifically aimed at children and the clientele is likely to be towards the mature end of the market. There may not be a swimming pool or it may be very small. Expect the entertainment to be less lavish but still high quality. There will be plenty of deck chairs to go around.
For the technically minded, ship sizes are measured in tonnage. Large ships range from 70,000 tons upward, mid-size ships from 25,000 -70,000 and small ships from around 5,000 tons to 25,000. Strange as it may seem, this 'weight' doesn't refer to actual weight but to free space within the vessel. A much better appreciation of size is to consider the number of passenger berths. Large ships take 1700-3,000 passengers, mid-size take 700 - 1,700 and smaller vessels under 700.
In a nut shell, if the quality of the on-board facilities is key to your holiday, choose a large vessel, if the destinations are more important, choose a smaller ship.
Sea-sickness
If you are prone to sea-sickness, make sure the vessel you choose has stabilisers, common on larger ships but not necessarily so on smaller vessels. There are usually injections available on board, at a cost, which help to control this problem. The only other piece of advice is to choose you cruise carefully and avoid regions known for rough seas. Another alternative is to choose a river cruise.
Days at Sea
This is another of the key decisions dictating your choice of cruise destination. If a cruise is heading to a distant destination, there may be a good number of uninterrupted days at sea which some really enjoy but others find boring, in spite of all the events and entertainment laid on. Some are much happier when the ship sails at night and docks in a new destination almost daily so there is plenty of opportunity for getting ashore to take part in an excursion or just exploring on your own. There may be an option to fly out to join the ship at its first port of call and fly back from the last to cut out any long sea journey.
Cruise Destinations
There is nowhere you cannot cruise these days, North America, South America, Alaska, Africa, Mediterranean, Greek islands, Baltic, Norwegian Fiords, Scandinavia, Caribbean, Bahamas, Canary islands, Australia & New Zealand, Egypt, Far East & Indian Ocean and, of course, around the world. It does not have to be an ocean cruise, there are many interesting river cruises to choose from.
Is the destination of primary or secondary importance? If the cruise ship facilities rank highly on your list together with warm sunny days then the actual destination may not be too important providing it meets your criteria. On the other hand, looking for a an historical or cultural holiday and wish to visit ancient sites then destination moves right to the top of the list.
Seasonal weather
Whichever destination you choose, make sure you choose the right season. September and November are not the best times to be cruising in the Caribbean.... it is the hurricane season! Even the Mediterranean is not brilliant for winter and early season cruises and the Baltic is definitely out for any time but mid-summer. Often the prices are an indication, they are usually lower for out of season cruises.
Themed Cruises
Many cruise lines offer themed cruises as part of their programme. The itinerary of the cruise does not necessarily change but the introduced theme for that particular voyage just adds another dimension. Classical music and opera are popular themes but there are so many others from food & wine, dance, health and fitness, painting, singles right down to murder mysteries and even adult lifestyle.
Tipping
A few cruise lines have started to include tips in the price, but others still make an obligatory fixed charge for tips. A credit card impression on boarding and tips are charged at a fixed daily rate or some other proportional scheme. It can add significantly to the final cost so check out details in the brochure.
Making your choice
It is easier than you think.
1. First and most obvious is choose your destination.
2. Find out the likely weather conditions at the time you plan to cruise.
2. Check out the cruise lines offering that destination.
3. Decide on the size of vessel you think will suit your comfort zone
4. Study the brochures carefully to appreciate the details of the itinerary, number of days at sea/on shore, ships facilities, child facilities (or lack of), dress code, tip advice and entertainment on offer.
5. Finally choose a cabin. Generally, outside cabins cost more than those inside but in the end, this comes down to personal choice and how much you wish to spend. Don't think inside cabins are necessarily second class, they are sometimes bigger with better facilities.
6. Before taking the final step of booking, talk to the booking office. They invariably have a cruise advisor who will answer your questions. Ask about your choice of cabin, ask if it is subject to any noise you may not have anticipated, noise from the engines, from pumping out the swimming pool, which is routinely done on entering port, or any other aspect affecting your comfort.
7. Enjoy your first cruise!
Finally, check around the internet, there are some very helpful sites like Cruise Destinations
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