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Cruise Vacations:

Is a Cruise Ship Vacation for You?

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2. Why Do You Want to Take a Cruise Ship Vacation?

A. Because You Want to Experience a Cruise.

PROS:
Cruise ships are like four-star floating resorts and they are much more than a vacation. They are an experience like no other vacation you'll ever have. Cruises are a great value since they are "all-inclusive" vacations that include your transportation to different ports (when you'd otherwise have to book additional airfares), your hotel (since you always have your cabin), and your meals (offered 24/7 on many cruise ships). They are one of the best travel deals you can get for a cheap vacation when you add up what it would cost you to do a similar vacation with additional airfares, hotels and meals, not to mention the quality of the accommodation.

A cruise ship vacation is packed with lots of entertainment options, shopping, and even gambling for adults. Most ships have state-of-the-art fitness facilities, full-service spas and a huge variety of dining venues to suit every taste. Plus there are tons of amazing things to do onboard, depending on your cruise line and ship, without ever getting off at the ports. Nowadays, that can include a rock climbing wall, a surf simulator, miniature golf courses, pools, hot tubs, ice skating rinks and much more. If you're traveling with children, most cruise lines have great activities for kids and teens.

[Enjoy a tropical drink at one of a cruise ships many bars.
Photo by Marianne Schwab.]

You can make your cruise ship vacation whatever you want it to be. Your days on a ship can be packed with activities from morning until night or you can spend your time relaxing, shopping and sunbathing by the pool, or just hanging out in your stateroom. Cruise ships have daily onboard schedules packed with fun things to do so you can determine what cruise activities you want to do that day and night. And when you arrive in each port, there are dozens of shore and land excursions for you to do as well.

CONS:
If you're single or a couple with no kids, then you may want to avoid taking cruise vacations during a season when school is out (especially during spring breaks) or traveling on a cruise line that heavily caters to families. If you have a family, make sure you don't choose a cruise line that caters to older adults (including senior citizens) and is not kid-friendly. Several cruise lines have kids travel free programs (or offer this discount periodically, like MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises) and these are good cruise lines for you to look into.

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