Cruising has become an even more popular vacation option than ever before and with good reason. Cruise lines are offering great deals and destinations to make your cruise experience enjoyable, memorable and worth every bit of the good money you spend on it.
1. Cost
Although the average price of a cruise has increased over the past five years, cruising is still an affordable vacation option. Depending on the time of year, a five-day Caribbean cruise can cost $800-$1000 per person on average. That’s cheaper than one round trip ticket to Nassau, Bahamas.
Believe it or not, a five day cruise is more affordable than a five day Disney vacation. You may not get that Disney Magic everyone swears by, but a cruise will certainly be filled with fun, excitement and relaxation, creating the best core memories for your family.
You can browse current Royal Caribbean cruise deals on their website here.
2. Convenience
Cruises allow you to visit multiple destinations without packing up and moving to a different hotel. No changing planes, renting cars or hailing taxis. You can chill poolside, hang out in the casino or enjoy the open seas from your private balcony while being transported to the next port of call.
On a cruise just about everything you need is provided and included in your cruise cost. Imagine the ease of waking up in a brand new destination while all your daily meals are prepared for you.
My last cruise was nine days with four ports of call and two sea days. It was incredibly comforting to know that all I had to do was wake up, eat, choose daily activities (or not) and enjoy my excursions off the ship. Carefree vacations are clutch!
3. Activities & Entertainment
I’ve heard many people call cruises boring but believe me they’re everything but boring. Most cruise lines offer a wide variety of activities, amenities, food, entertainment and shopping. No matter your preferences you’ll find something cool to do. You might even discover a brand new experience that you never knew you’d enjoy.
I did lots of excursions on my last cruise but I didn’t do many on-ship activities. On my first three cruises I attended almost every show and scheduled party. What can I say, at the time I enjoyed a little taste of extroverted life.
Last cruise I spent most of my time enjoying our private balcony and exploring the quieter, less crowded sections of the ship.
You can’t go wrong with a cruise because the Things To Do List is endless. From water activities like slides and the Flowrider, fitness and yoga classes, a piano bar, karaoke, rock wall climbing, pickleball courts, health and wellness spas, kids splash pads and teen clubs just to name a few, everyone in your family will find many activities to keep them busy.
4. Good Food
I can’t lie, I’ve heard many stories about bad cruise food. I’m a cruise noob with only four cruises under my belt between two cruise lines. Regardless, I’ve cruised enough to objectively speak on cruise food quality.
On my last cruise, food in the main dining room was delicious every night we dined there. The menus were themed to specific countries, each offering tasty appetizers, main entrees and desserts.
There were Premium Selections offered for an additional charge if you wanted it. I did notice a distinct difference in food quality between my longer, most recent cruise and past 4-day cruises. It seemed as though the high quality food was more consistent on the longer cruise as compared to the shorter cruises.
Coincidence? Not sure, but when I take another short cruise I will certainly pay close attention for a possible pattern at play.
Even the food in Windjammer was good. Breakfast was my favorite meal, but I cannot ignore all the tasty options for lunch. The desserts were so dangerously good! I can’t speak for dinner because we dined in the Main Dining Room or Specialty Dining every night.
Specialty dining is also available on most cruises at an additional cost. Trust me when I say the menu options and service is worth every penny.
5. Value for the Money
It’s a no brainer. Cruise vacations offer the biggest bang for your buck. As cruise lines introduce bigger, more modern cruise ships to their fleets, things like port of call options, activities and amenities give you the opportunity to pick and choose the perfect cruise on the best cruise line for you and your family.
Convinced yet? If not then maybe you just need to take a leap of faith. Do your research, pick a cruise line, book the cruise and experience it for yourself. Six years ago I did exactly that and now you can’t convince me that cruising isn’t one of the best vacation experiences ever.
Mo Goes | The Blog 