There are many different ways to take a vacation, and cruises can be better than staying in a hotel.
Taking cruises allows travelers to visit many different places on their vacation. They do not need to take a bus, car, train, or flight or pack every time they go from one city to another. They can also spend time that would otherwise be time taking a bus, car, train, or flight enjoying the ship. A cruise in Europe may leave Spain and visit France and Italy. A cruise in Asia may leave Singapore and visit Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. Also, cruises take care of passport control for cruisers, and they do not need to show their passport when they go to another country. That is better than showing a passport every time people visit a new country.
Cruises also have food included. Cruisers can eat as much as they want on the ship. There is also food from many different countries at the buffet. Cruise ships also have a dining room, and cruisers can order as many appetizers, entrées, or desserts as they want, while at a restaurant, they would need to pay more. Cruise ships also have formal nights, which allow cruisers to dress up.
There are also different cruise lines for other people. Cruise lines such as Carnival, Disney, and Royal Caribbean are family-friendly. Cruise lines such as Holland America are popular with seniors. There are also adults-only cruise lines, such as Viking. Cruise lines such as Hurtigruten are expedition cruise lines that go to Norway and Antarctica. Cruise lines such as Paul Gauguin have small ships, which are suitable for cruisers who do not like crowded ships.
There are also many different places that cruises go. They include Africa, Alaska, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, and South America. That means that there is a cruise for anywhere people want to go. Cruises can also go to places very few people visit, such as Antarctica.
Also, some places, such as private islands owned by cruise lines, can only be visited on a cruise. That includes CocoCay in the Bahamas and Labadee in Haiti, which Royal Caribbean owns. In CocoCay, there are restaurants, a hot air balloon, a water park, and a zip line. Some places, such as Antarctica, can be visited outside of a cruise but are very difficult to see.
There are also many activities to do on a ship. Cruise ships have basketball courts and swimming pools. Some ships have archery, bumper cars, ice skating, laser tag, rock climbing, water slides, and zip lines. Cruise ships also have comedy shows, concerts, dance classes, movie nights, and trivia competitions. There are shows at the theatre. Royal Caribbean has Broadway shows such as “Cats,” “Grease,” and “Hairspray.” There are also Aqua Theater shows and ice skating shows. Cruises also have parties, which include the sail away party on the first day of the cruise.
Many cruise ships also have casinos, allowing cruisers to gamble. That can be better than visiting the same place and staying in a hotel but not being able to gamble because it is where gambling is illegal. There are also blackjack and poker tournaments where the winner can win a $500 prize.
Some things are better than staying in a hotel than taking cruises. Cruise ships usually do not remain in port overnight, meaning cruisers only have a few hours in port. Even if cruise ships stay in port overnight, they usually are only there for one night, which still is not enough time to tour a city. Cruisers also need to accommodate the schedule set by the cruise line, which means that they may not necessarily be able to cruise on the days they are free. Many cruises are also Friday to Monday, meaning that people that work on weekends need to take time off. Cruises also do not sail to some places all year. For example, cruises do not go to Alaska during the winter, meaning that people who want to go to Alaska during the winter cannot go on a cruise. Cruises also have days at sea, meaning the ship is not in port and sailing to another port. That means that cruisers can get bored on the ship and are also trapped on the ship. Although many ships do not spend many days at sea, they can be at sea for many days if they are going across the ocean. That includes cruises going across the Atlantic and Pacific. However, people staying in a hotel can always leave their hotel when they want to.
Some cruise lines, such as Azamara and Disney, do not have casinos, meaning that cruisers who want to gamble should avoid cruise lines that do not have casinos.
Cruisers can also get seasick, meaning that for people who cannot handle it, staying in a hotel is better. However, cruisers can also book a room in the middle of the ship and on a lower floor.
There are also many things not included in a cruise. Soda and alcohol are usually not included, meaning cruisers must pay for soda and alcohol. Also, cruisers need to pay to eat in specialty restaurants on the ship and to go to the spa.
Cruise ships also have small rooms. Most rooms only have a bed and bathroom. The smallest rooms on Royal Caribbean are only 114 square feet. However, some suites are more extensive on most ships. The most oversized rooms on Royal Caribbean are 1,346 square feet. Also, some cruise lines have bigger rooms than others. Regent Seven Seas Cruises has the Regent Suite, which is 4,443 square feet.
There are advantages and disadvantages to taking a cruise, and although taking a cruise can be better than staying at a hotel, people who want to take a vacation should see if a cruise or a hotel is good for them.