by Wayne Forster

Cruising is the fastest growing category in the leisure travel market. In 2018, 28.5 million people took a cruise, up 7% over the previous year. From 2005 to 2015, the number of cruise passengers increased by 62%. Cruising is a unique form of vacation experience. Some people absolutely love cruising, and go again and again and again. But it’s not for everyone.

PROS OF A CRUISE VACATION

1. Cruising is easy and convenient

If you plan a vacation independently, you have to do all the work – decide on your itinerary, book your hotels, arrange where to eat. When you book a cruise, it’s all done for you. Your itinerary is set, your room is booked, your meals are arranged. Easy-peasy.

2. It’s cost-effective

The per-day base cost of a cruise beats independent travel by a mile. The upfront cost may seem expensive at first, but it would cost you much more in hotels, meals, entertainment, and other comparable amenities for the same number of days if you were travelling on your own. Cruise lines can offer such cost-effective prices because of the volume of passengers per cruise.

3. You can match your accommodations to your budget

Cruises offer a variety of types of staterooms to choose from. If you want the least expensive option, you can book an inside cabin (small closet-like room with no window). If you’re willing to pay a little more, you can get a larger outside cabin with a window or porthole; or for a little more still, one with a verandah. And if you really want to splurge, you can get an even roomier suite.

4. You stay put and your hotel moves

A cruise ship is a travelling hotel. You travel from one port to another, but you come back to the same room every night. If you were visiting those same places on your own, you’d be staying at different hotels each night, packing and unpacking, checking in at every stop, incurring transportation costs between locations.

5. You visit multiple destinations on the same trip

On a cruise, you get to see a variety of places on one trip. If you were travelling on your own, because of some of the distances involved, you’d probably never visit all those places. (On a Baltic cruise, we visited 7 countries and 9 cities in 14 days. On our own, it would take us years to get to all those places. In reality, we likely never would get to them all in our lifetime.) And there are so many cruise lines with so many different itineraries to choose from that you can practically go anywhere in the world you want. Plus, you can choose from a wide variety of lengths, from 3-day cruises all the way up to world cruises of over 100 days duration.

6. You meet new people

Cruising is a very social experience. It’s like being members of a club. You’re in the same place, with the same people, for the length of the cruise. You’ll bump into them again and again. You’ll chat with them at the pool, or at the gym, or team up for a trivia contest. If you choose open seating for dining, you’ll meet different people every night. Your kids will make new playmates. Many lasting friendships (and more!) have originated on cruises.

7. There’s so much to do

Many people think of cruising as an opportunity to visit various ports. But there’s so much to do on the ship itself. In addition to all the dining options and the live entertainment every night, you can exercise at the fitness centre, take a dip in the pool, sit in the hot tub, have a spa treatment, play basketball or shuffleboard or ping pong, gamble at the casino, participate in trivia contests, take computer classes, attend a wine tasting event, play bridge with fellow passengers, go to a dance workshop, paint pottery, learn a language, do yoga, jog around a track, or just sit and read. Sea days (when the ship is sailing to its next destination without a port stop) are ideal for experiencing all the ship has to offer.

8. Cruise lines cater to various demographics

There’s sometimes a perception that cruising is just for “old retired people”. Today, cruise lines cater to different age groups, lifestyles, and interests. There are cruises targeted to families, young couples, older couples, singles, and special interest groups. There are cruises for the budget traveller and cruises for the luxury traveller. Whoever you are, you’re bound to find a cruise that fits your needs.

9. It’s a safe way to travel

Despite some very high profile incidents in recent years, statistically, cruising is a very safe way to travel. You have a much greater chance of something happening to you driving to the cruise terminal than on the ship. And while in port, taking the cruise line’s shore excursion is certainly safer than venturing out on your own.

10. You get special treatment

While service levels vary from cruise line to cruise line, generally speaking cruise lines pamper their passengers. From the dining room staff, to your room stewards, to the event coordinators, you get special treatment. The food is great, and there are plenty of dining options. That’s not to say you won’t get treated well at a hotel or resort, but service on a cruise ship is typically at a different level.

CONS OF A CRUISE VACATION

1. Your time ashore is limited

Sometimes you’ll get an overnight stay, but typically, cruise ships arrive in a port in the early morning, and leave late afternoon. That doesn’t give you much time to fully explore the area. You find yourself rushing through attractions to try to get in as much as possible. There’s little time for a long, leisurely meal or a trip into the countryside. You’re on a tight schedule with little flexibility. Accordingly, it’s hard to get the authentic cultural experience of the place. This is probably the biggest complaint about cruising as a travel format.

2. Shore excursions are expensive

All cruise lines offer shore excursions, usually with a local guide. The advantages of taking the cruise line’s excursion is you get to see the main highlights of the destination, and you can be sure you’ll be back to your ship before it departs. But they are expensive. Alternatively, you can book an excursion with a local private tour company, find a local tour operator once you arrive, or venture out on your own.

3. Attractions are crowded

Cruise ships stop at the most popular tourist destinations, so crowds ashore can be huge. In fact, there can be several cruise ships in port at the same time. So, you’re hitting the main tourist spots, with their inflated prices and their tourist traps.

4. Itineraries can change on short notice

Due to bad weather, civil unrest, or other reasons, itineraries can change on short notice, and you don’t get to see that one particular place you were dying to visit. Of course, the cruise line always replaces the cancelled stop with another.

5. Seas can be rough

Depending on where you are going, seas can be rough. If you suffer from motion sickness, be prepared. Booking a room in the middle of the ship and on a lower deck can help. There are also medications that you can take to prevent or treat sea sickness.

6. Internet access is slow and expensive

Because cruise ships rely wholly on satellites for internet access, it tends to be quite a bit slower than the internet at home. And it’s very expensive to purchase the ship’s internet service. Many passengers wait until they are ashore to find a place with Wi-Fi.

7. On board extra costs can add up

Depending on your package, your cruise may not include items like alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, and gratuities in the price of the cruise upon booking. So, these costs can add up once on board. In fact, this is where cruise lines make most of their money. The price of the cruise is almost a lost leader, because the cruise lines are hoping you’ll spend a lot on drink packages, excursions, and on board merchandise, all of which are expensive.

8. Staterooms are small

The staterooms on cruise ships are small compared with many hotel rooms or, certainly, your bedroom at home. If you’re claustrophobic, this can be a problem. In reality, though, you likely won’t spend much time in your room; just to sleep, get cleaned up, and get dressed. And if you’ve done any travelling in Europe, you know that hotel rooms can be small and sparsely equipped, unless you don’t mind paying for luxury suites.