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Cruising is a great way to discover multiple destinations to get a feel for a continent or region. While the time you spend in port is typically limited to a few hours or a day, cruises allow you to familiarize yourself with the destinations over the course of as little as three days - or longer if you prefer.
Whether you have or haven’t thought about booking a cruise, here are five reasons why you should book a cruise now.
1/ there's a cruise for every type of traveler
From couples cruises to family cruises, there is a cruise that suits every traveler. Cruise lines are typically grouped into three categories: contemporary, premium, and luxury.
Contemporary cruise lines offer a variety of schedules and itineraries that are great for younger adults and families. These cruise liners have the largest ships with the most diverse onboard entertainment and widest variety of amenities. The most well-known contemporary cruise lines include Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Premium cruise lines offer the same variety and diversity as their contemporary counterparts. But, premium cruise lines typically provide more upscale accommodations, amenities, and service. While there may not be as much programming for children and teens onboard, premium cruises are still an option for families. Top premium cruise lines include Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Oceania Cruises, and Princes Cruises.
Luxury cruise lines are essentially five-star land-based resorts. They range from large yachts to mid-sized vessels and offer the finest accommodations, entertainment, and dining. Onboard service is highly individualized and attentive. These types of cruises are created for adults and are typically not well suited for children and teenagers. If you’re looking to book a luxury cruise, Paul Gauguin Cruises, Crystal Cruises, and Cunard Line are good cruise lines to start your search with.
2/ more bang for your buck
Cruises can start as low as $100 per night, per person. And, everything you could possibly need for a stellar vacation is all bundled into this one fare. That includes your accommodation, meals, entertainment, and transportation between destinations.
While there are some things that you can choose to pay for on board, like alcohol, spas, and special dining experiences, you can easily incur no additional costs while on board - except for gratuities, of course.
At a price significantly lower than planning your own vacation, a cruise is hard to pass up if you’re looking for a lot of value.
3/ you’re at new destination almost every day
Go to sleep in Mexico and wake up in Jamaica. That’s right, one of the best things about cruises is that you wake up in a new destination just about every day. A cruise liner is essentially a floating hotel - daily room service included. And, what makes a floating hotel significantly better than an on-land hotel is that this hotel takes you from city to city or from island to island.
4/ planning is stress free
Booking and planning a cruise is simple. It’s only a matter of picking which company you want to cruise with and the ship you want to go on, choosing an itinerary, and booking your cabin.
Since your booking includes your accommodation, meals, and transportation between destinations, you don’t need to do anything else besides book your travel to the cruise port.
That means no booking accommodations in different cities or coordinating transportation between cities. Booking a cruise is the easiest, most stress free vacation you'll ever plan.
5/ on board amenities and activities
No matter if you’re sailing on a boat with 1,200 or 6,000 people, you’ll find that a cruise liner is essentially a floating city. From Wi-Fi and phone reception to shops, fitness centers, casinos, clubs, bars, and rooftop pools, you’ll have plenty to do while out on the sea.
Cruise lines aim to keep everyone happy - which is why they not only provide a wide range of amenities but they also provide diverse onboard activities. Spa treatments, wine tastings, comedy shows, mini golf, live music, and water slides are some of the activities you may find onboard. And, most activities are free to join. The range of activities offered onboard are either diverse (contemporary cruises) or specialized (luxury cruises), depending on what type of cruise line you sail with.
A cruise is one of the best ways to combine multiple bucket-list destinations in one easy trip. Keep in mind, when you’re traveling this way you’re spending limited time in each port. However, if you’re looking to travel outside of the country for the first time or to get a feel for a specific region, cruises are a great option to get an overview of a destination so you can plan a more immersive vacation in the future.