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One of the most popular vacations people take is cruise vacations and about 11 million people cruise each year. Planning a cruise isn’t that simple. You have to do research on cruise lines and the ships that they have.
Step 1: Where Do you Want To Go?
The first thing you want to know when planning a cruise is the destination. There are over 2,00 ports of call so choose wisely. Also, what kind of cruise do you want to go on? Expdition/Nature,Coastal, Tall ship cruising,small ship cruising, Frieghter cruising, ocean crossings or regular big ship crusiing? Destinations World Wide:
Caribbean
*Eastern
*Western
*Southern
Europe/Mediterranean
Alaska
Mexican Riviera
Transcanal
Austrailia/Orient
Cruise Lines currently visit 2,000 destinations around the world. Because itineraries vary, you should make as may comparisons as you can by reading different cruise brochures for the port descriptions.
*Narrow the choices down by how long the ship stays in port and whether or not it docks or anchors. Use that information to decide your shore excursions.
*Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe and Mediterranean cruises are the most popular among passengers. The best time to take an Alaskan cruise is in the late spring to late summer. The winters months are best for tropical cruises and Europe/ Mediterranean cruises are best from early spring through late fall.
Step 2: Choose A Cruise Line
There are over 57 different cruise lines to pick from when planning a cruise. Some are geared to family fun with kids' activity centers; others emphasize luxury So which one?
*It's best to do reseach on the cruise lines that you favour and see what things they offer such as adult and kids activities or dinning options.
*In order to decide on which cruise line would offer you the best vacation experience, you will have to examine your expectations and desires. This is a very important step in planning your cruise vacation.
*Cruise lines actually cater to different passenger demographics. Some – like Cunard – offer a more traditional style of ocean liner cruise experience. Others are geared toward a more family vacation atmosphere while still others provide an elegant and intimate atmosphere.
Step 3: Choose A Ship
Right now there are over 280 ships to choose from. All of them vary in size: Large Resort ships, Mid-size ships, and Small/Boutique ships. All sizes have the goods and bads. For example, they might not be that stable when the weather is bad( but that is for more older ships) and large ships may be too crowded.
Large Ships
*Choose a large ship if you enjoy being with a lot of people and being in a city environment. *Some of the advantages that large resort ships have is that they offer more activities to do on board, they sail well in open seas during bad weather, and more dining options. *The disadvantages are that they can be too crowded. If you are waiting to go ashore or waiting for an elevator, lines tend to be a little bit long.
They don’t offer that personal service that small ships offer.
Announcements are made to often while on board.
Mid-size Ships
*These ships are just the perfect size. They are not to big nor too small and they are more maneuverable than larger ships. *Some advantages are it is easy to find your way around.
Lines appear to be shorter.
They generally sail well in bad weather
*Mid-size ships do not offer a lot a wide range of public rooms and few have large scale production shows.
Small/ Boutique Ships
*These ships are more yacht like and are a little more pricey than the bigger ships. But you get what you pay for. Excellent butler service, a luxury room, less passengers which makes it very quite and there is no lines for anything. *They do not really sail well in open seas when the weather is bad and they don’t have that many public rooms or open space available.
