Cruisin’ right along…

By MzTravelDiva ⋅ June 11, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Lately, I’ve been toying with the idea of taking a cruise this year. While I like to spend most of my vacation time on land rather than on sea, cruising does have some benefits even for this land-latched traveler.
For me, the biggest benefits of cruising are:

Affordability - Compared to on land lodging choices, you really can get the bang for your buck on a cruise. Airfare and hotel prices could end up being outrageous if I wanted to visit 4 or 5 locations within a week on a typical vacation. But, sailing on a cruise ship allows you to visit numerous places without the hassle and cost of changing lodging. Also, most other fees are inclusive. So, if I wanted to do a grand tour of the South Caribbean and go island hopping…a cruise is definitely the way to go.

Unique Locales - At first glance, cruises and Alaska seem to be an oxymoron. Most people typically associate cruises with warmer destinations like the Caribbean or South America. However, cruises to Alaska have proven to be quite popular. Cruise Vacation Center’s website highlights the amazing features of Alaska cruises, such as, amazing natural beauty, wildlife, and exceptional food.

We better way to get a glimpse of places like Italy, Austria, Monaco, and France all in one trip than checking out European Cruises. You’ll go from saying “Bonjour” to “Arrivederci” in no time!

So far, I’ve only taken one cruise…to the Bahamas, but I’ve been considering Mediterranean cruises for quite some time now. Greece, Turkey, and Spain are definitely places on my must-see list, and a cruise would give me the opportunity to experience more than one location at a time.

Ease of planning - Like I said earlier, you can visit multiple locations, have food and lodging taken care of, and make other trip arrangements rather easily when booking a cruise. Planning a cruise can often reduce the headache that comes with vacation planning. Most people think of Florida, when considering ports of departure. However, choosing cruises from New York can often be even more convenient as it is accessible to many cruising locations around the world.

I’m not sure where my ‘cruisin’ thoughts will ultimately take me, but I’ll definitely keep everyone in the loop if I plan anything. So far, I’ve been looking at Royal Caribbean , especially their Freedom of the Seas ship. I saw a special on it on the Travel Channel. Something about ice skating and surfing on a cruise ship has really got me intrigued.

Do you have any cruising tips you’d like to share? Favorite cruise lines, destinations, port? I need some help here.

Feel free to give us the good, the bad, and the ugly. The best traveler is the informed traveler. Especially before I set sail anywhere. Looking forward to hearing from those die hard cruisers out there!

For more info on cruising, check out Cruise Vacation Center