I’ll be upfront right now and say that we love cruising. It’s just such a convenient way to travel and it can be a lot of fun. Our kids have made great memories on cruises and have seen some places they may not have seen otherwise like Alaska. The service from the room attendants to the wait staff in the dinning room have always been top notch. Our kids are always well taken care of and often have their favorite drinks or appetizers (escargot) waiting for them every night. Our kids still comment on the wait staff from our cruises. Are you a seasoned cruiser or are you thinking it’s something you won’t ever try?
There are four kind of cruisers:
- Seasoned cruisers with 10+ cruises and most likely platinum status with a cruise line
- Cruisers that have done 4-6 cruises with various cruise lines
- Beginner cruisers that are just embarking on their first cruise
- Non-cruisers that think it’s not for them – and maybe that is true but we should relook at the options
This blog is more specifically for the beginner or non-cruiser. When you think about cruising you often picture a mega ship with 6,000-8,000 cruisers on a floating city – everything you could get on land but in the middle of the ocean. But smaller ships have a lot of unique appeal too. And then there are river cruises which offer a completely different experience. Let’s evaluate all three kinds and see which one would be best for new cruisers.
Mega Ships
Pros:
So much to do for adults and kids – almost everything you can think of can be found on the mega ships (water slides, ice skating rink, bumper cars, surf simulator, skydiving simulator, putt putt course, carousel and more). The specialty restaurant selections are greatly expanded, the shows are on par with Broadway and the ship areas are amazing.
Cons:
With such a big ship come a ton of people. You may have to wait in lines more for some of the attractions or make reservations. If you have a lot of port days you won’t have as much time to appreciate everything the ship has to offer.
Smaller Ships
Pros:
Generally have 4,000 or less cruisers and because of the size of the ship, they can often get into ports the bigger ships can’t get into. I’ve found that service, for whatever reason, is often better on the smaller ships than the bigger ones. Not that the service on the bigger ships is bad, there is just something exceptional about the service on the smaller ships. Another pro is that when it comes to giving kids the freedom to roam the ship, it’s small enough that you can easily find them in about 5 minutes. I’m sure I would be looking for days if they roamed freely on the mega ship. While there were about 2600 people on my last cruise, and that was a full ship, we never really felt like we had to wait in line or struggle to find a place to sit for breakfast.
Cons:
The attractions are more limited from the Mega ships. Now some of the newer ships (e.g. Disney) still have a ton to do on the cruise and aren’t lacking things to keep you and your kids occupied for the trip. The older smaller ships are greatly limited and may just have pools and a climbing wall. Younger kids may not find enough to keep them occupied if they are staying on the ship for multiple sea days. If it’s a port heavy trip like to the Mediterranean then you will most likely be fine, particularly if the kids are teens and like hanging out in the teens club (like my kids did). One caveat about the smaller ships that you are more likely to have to tender which means you don’t always get to dock at a port but rather anchor offshore and take a small boat to shore.
River Cruises
Pros:
These cruises are a whole different breed – kind of the grown up version of regular cruising. These ships are built to travel on rivers and often through locks (raising or lowering the ship at different levels within the river). These ships are not really a floating city/hotel but rather a means to get from one river city to the next in a luxurious fashion. The ships are well appointed and serve amazing food from the region. One of the best parts of a river cruise is that the majority of the excursions are included in the price of the cruise and you get to select from a few options. You can also do add-ons for additional excursions. Cruising on the river is peaceful and you see a view of the land you might not have otherwise seen.
Cons:
There really aren’t “sea/river” days where you just sit on the ship the entire day. And that is ok because there isn’t a lot to do on the ship. There is usually music playing in the bar area in the evening but we often found that we just relaxed after a day of touring on land and/or played cards while cruising down the river. Weather permitting you could also go up to the roof top for a nice view. Kids may find the cruise has nothing to offer them once back on the boat so you will have to be creative about how you keep them entertained.
How do you know what type of cruise is right for you or if cruising is even something you think you would like? Try answering these 7 questions?
- Do you like to try new experiences?
- Do you like the idea of traveling to various locations but only having to unpack once?
- Do you need to see “Land” at all times? River cruising might be your best option here.
- Do you like to try different types of food and are you a foodie?
- How do you feel about spending a week with 6,000 people plus cruise workers?
- Do you have young kids?
- What types of locations are you hoping to see? Tropical/Caribbean or historical sites or islands?
- On land do you like to go to big resorts with a lot of activities?
We’ve been on four different cruise lines traveling to Alaska, Caribbean, Greece and a river cruise down the Rhine River. We’ve been on Disney, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Avalon (river cruise line). As the kids have grown up, we’ve progressed from Disney to Royal. The activities on Royal are more suited for the older child but also it’s an overall cheaper option for a family. On our last vacation to Greece, we decided that cruising was a great way to see several islands and see where we would want to go again in the future. We specifically chose a smaller ship so we could get into some of the smaller ports. With only one sea day, we didn’t worry that the ship was small and old with just a few activities. At the end of the day, the kids loved the cruise and asked when we could go on another one soon.
So is cruising for everyone? Probably not. But I think there can be a cruise for everyone if they are open to finding one that fits their vacation goals best. If you are open to it, I recommend you try all three.