We love a good cruise. There are way too many reasons why we consider cruises to be one of the best options for your (and hopefully our) upcoming vacation.
Why cruises beat every other travel experience
A cruise ship is the ultimate experience as it is literally everything all at once. It’s a hotel, a vehicle, a restaurant, a shopping mall, a gym, a beach club, a nightclub, and – depending on the offer – so much more.
Most cruises offer all-inclusive trips (with additional packages available). So you always know that you get accommodation and meals, which makes estimating the budget of the trip much easier. It’s a way easier approach than your typical “breakfast included”.
Also unlike regular hotels, you don’t have to worry (and overpay) to get the desired seafront experience when booking a cruise. Because even if you settle for a budget no-windows cabin, you’re always just a few minutes away from the sea. If we’re using hotel terms, with a cruise you always live on the ‘zero line’ by the sea.
And if you’re taking one of the more exotic destination cruises (more on this later), you will feel like the breathtaking views are practically floating at you.
And, finally, the cruises fit any kind of vacation. Do you need a quick getaway for a few days? Or a month-long sea-based adventure? Cruise companies have offers for any amount of days, and usually, you can even extend your stay if you’re feeling landsick. And just last December Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas departed Miami for the Ultimate World Cruise aka the world's longest cruise. It will take 274 days and will take its guests to over 150 destinations in over 60 countries.
What makes a cruising experience
Itinerary
While a plane does take you from point A to point B, it rarely provides you with a memorable experience. The cruise ship on the other hand is all about making the most of your journey. And the destination may not even matter in the end, as most cruises finish precisely where they started. So if you live in one of the many places that have cruises, you will save a lot of money, time, and energy by avoiding all the traveling. And your vacation will start the moment you board the ship.
Cruise marketing teams know exactly what they’re selling – they’re selling an experience over destination: see, instead of “visiting Norway”, you will be “sailing through its incredible fjords”, instead of “going to Japan”, you’ll “savor Japan during the cherry blossom period”.
Unlike airlines, cruising represents travel much more than the transportation industry. The goal is not to optimize your experience of getting from A to B, since most cruises end exactly where they started, but to make the most memorable journey.
These days there are cruises all over the world. People sail to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Middle East for fun in the sun. Travel through North and Latin America for sightseeing and history. Go on cruises around Europe and Mediterranean which is an upgraded version of a Eurotrip. Explore Alaska, British Islands, Icelandic nature reserves or Nothern Europe for untouched nature. Visit Southeast Asia for culture. Sail to East Pacific for Australia and New Zealand to observe its exotic wildlife.
The cruises can also let you see something unique by taking you to a place that is simply unreachable by any other type of transportation. Such cruises rely on scenic itineraries. That’s your chance to see the Norwegian fjords, get a fantastic view of Mount Etna or maybe even see the Northern Lights right from the deck.
The ships
The moving sea vessels that one can call a “hard product”, as aviation geeks refer to hardware airline’s experience component, are ever-growing in size. In the past 10 years, ships have increased in size by over 100%, reaching its famous peak with the 20-deck 1,2000-foot-long Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas.
Ironically (but likely intentionally) the same cruise company also offers trips on the smallest cruise ship in the world, making for one of the most exclusive and premium retreats available on the cruising markets.
The experience strategies vary in proportion to the size of a ship:
- The ocean “cities” – large 15+ deck ships with 10+ dining and 20+ entertainment venues. These are designed for the perfect onboard experience, making the itinerary less of a factor. These cruises usually operate on most passenger-heavy family-friendly destinations – Caribbean getaways and Mediterranean tours – and aim at optimizing the revenue by cramming as many people on board as humanly possible. These are not the most private and exclusive experiences, but that’s not the point of these cruise ships either.
- The classic cruises – normal-size (once considered large) 11-deck ships still comprise the majority of sea cruising. These ships offer refurbished classic hotel-style cabins (think Marriott), several all-inclusive dining options like buffet and restaurant as well as a range of old-school entertainment: casino, shopping, theaters, disco, pools, golf, and alcohol. These cruises balance the fun of cruising with the shore activities (mostly excursion) because that’s where the company makes the most money. Hence, if you want a cruise with a cool itinerary, it’s unlikely to be on board one of the largest cruise ships.
