Why do people love cruises ? Why do so many cruise vacationers swear they wouldn't go back to hotel vacations ? Cruise travel represents a pinnacle of luxury. You travel around
world, or your chosen area, in cosseted pleasure. Every whim gets catered for. Every time you're hungry, food awaits. You go ashore to sightsee a new place, but return to your own bed every night. A floating hotel, travelling to a new location every day.
But how do you choose your cruise deal ? How do you know what's good or bad ? Firstly, let's look at
different types of cruises.
* Size
Ships range from city size ('000s of people) right down to small sailing vessels holding less than 10 people.
* Location
Your choice of ship might depend on location. If you're cruising
Caribbean, you could try a sailing ship. If you want a world tour, you probably should go for something bigger ?
Some of
newer ships from
major cruise operators allow you to cruise
world in luxury. Their high-tech stabilizers mean your wine barely ripples, even in rough seas.
So for smaller cruises in benign weather e.g Caribbean or Med, you can choose large or small. For longer cruises, such as an Atlantic crossing, Arctic visit etc., you need a big ship.
* Price
Prices vary dramatically. Only a few years ago, cruises were an expensive luxury. Now prices fall within any vacation budget. In fact, all inclusive special cruise deals can be much cheaper than land-based vacations. For less than a 5* hotel, you can get 7-days all inclusive in a luxury location.
* Internet
How do you find these great deals ? As always, use
Internet. Sure, call your local travel agent, or respond to newspaper ads, but you'll find
best deals online.
There's only a limited number of cruise ships. So you'll find exactly
same cabin standard, exactly
same food deal, for widely varying prices.