LUXURY CRUISING CAN BE ADICTIVE
The first thing to say is that cruising is not for everyone. You either love cruising or you don’t and selecting a Luxury Cruise can sometimes be a challenge.
As you can probably tell from reading our cruise blog we love cruising and enjoying our cruise adventures. However, once you are bitten by the cruising bug, you will spend your time trying to convince everyone that there is no other way to see the world.
There are so many different types of luxury cruises to choose from and with hundreds of ships and thousands of itineraries available, there is a cruise ship to suit almost everyone. So why choose an upmarket luxury cruise over some of the crowded mega-ships to something a bit more intimate and stylish? Luxury is our first choice.
So here are our Top 10 reasons to choose a luxury cruise.
You Only Have to UnPack Once
When you travel the world on a Luxury Cruise to all those exotic locations, the thought of unpacking and repacking every time you change hotels is a killer for most people.
With a cruise, you simply unpack once. Increasingly on Luxury cruises, you have the services of a Butler who will actually do your unpacking for you if that floats your boat. For those who haven’t learned to travel light (and you know who you are), unpacking just once is a treat. The big plus is that your precious holiday time can be used for fun! A copy of our FREE downloadable Cruise Packing list is available here.
WITH A LUXURY CRUISE THERE ARE FEWER DECISIONS TO MAKE
This means more relaxation. These days many people have stressful jobs and are very busy. When you reach your destination, rest and relaxation is normally the number one priority, not making decisions as to how long to stay, where to stay, where to eat, how to get from one place to the next, etc. Once you have selected a cruise itinerary and cruise ship, these important decisions are complete. You can board the ship, relax and have fun.
WAKE UP IN A DIFFERENT PORT EVERY DAY
We are itinerary driven and love exploring new countries, cities and ports of call. It is amazing how much you can do and see in just one day! Sometimes you could spend more time in a port you are visting for a day and just getting a taster of all there is to see and do. This just means you need to return again for a longer stay.
Some cruise companies are now spending more time in port with overnight stays or late nigh departures, so you can really make the most of your stay. Many of the Luxury Cruise lines also now offer pre or post-cruise hotel stays and even overland journeys. Take a look at Regent Seven Seas Cruises who do this really well.
GREAT CHOICE OF ITINERARIES
Cruise ships sail to all seven continents plus you can enjoy many of the great rivers of the world in addition to the ocean ports. Many of the most important cities of the world are on a cruise itinerary, and other sites can be visited via pre or post-cruise extensions.
Smaller ships can often get into some ports that larger vessels and mega ships cannot manage. Some cruise lines offer very attractive pre and post-cruise packages and these are always worth investigating. One of our best ever cruises included a pre-cruise journey on the Rocky Mountaineer train from Banff to Vancouver.
Our article about the Top 5 Cruise Destinations provides helpful information about when and where to cruise.
GREAT VALUE
Cruises are of great value when compared to hotel stays. Almost everything is included and all you need to pay for are your extras and gratuities. If you choose an “All Inclusive” cruise line like Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas or Crystal for example they go much further and include such things as soft drinks, speciality coffees, alcoholic beverages, gratuities and Regent Seven Seas Cruises even include all shore excursions.
LAZY DAYS AT SEA aka SEA DAYS
Oh for those glorious days at sea…. These are the days when you can really relax and chill out. Saying that there is so much to do on cruise ship lazy, relaxing sea days. The cruise lines go to great lengths to offer activities for everyone – but of course, you can always choose to sit back and just relax. For those who love sea days Repositioning Cruises aka Relocation Cruises are the go-to choice for extended days at sea.
AMAZING FOOD AND WinE
Although some cruise ships are certainly better than others, you are almost always guaranteed great food, service, and accommodations on a cruise. With many ships having many different and speciality restaurants onboard they is such a wide choice of food that you will not be disappointed.
Almost Everything is Paid for in Advance
Paying for your hotel, eating out and transportation are often the three most expensive parts of a vacation. With a cruise, these are all included in your basic cruise price. Unfortunately, there are some “extras”, but many of those you can avoid if you are on a tight budget. “All Inclusive” generally solves this problem as there is not much that isn’t included.
YOU GET TO TRY DIFFERENT FOODS
It has happened to us all. You go to a restaurant and decide to try something different for a change, only to find it was not to your liking? No problem if you are on a cruise ship, you can just order something else. Since you have already paid for your meals, you can afford to try foods you might never order in a restaurant for fear that you would be stuck paying for something you did not like.
SERVICE AND ACCOMMODATION
You get used to the high levels of service on cruises ships together with the high quality of the accommodation. Having a stateroom attendant or room steward to look after you is a dream. Generally, they are very good and keep everything ship-shape. With your sheets changed every day, sometimes even twice a day is you really feel you are been pampered. Stateroom and Suites on newer ships are very well equipped with all the fitting and equipment you would find in any high-class hotel.
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