Booking a Cruise – What to Look For (Part 1)

A few weeks ago, we posted about a survey where people could submit their ideas for a dream cruise. Some of the results were quite funny, for example, a huge percentage of people wanted Johnny Depp to be their Captain, however it is important to think about what you really want from your holiday. People like to go on cruise holidays for many different reasons, and different aspects of a cruise holiday appeal to different people. Below are some things for you to think about when planning your cruise.

Destination – As with any type of holiday, the destination is usually one of the most important factors for people booking a cruise. Of course the beauty of cruises is that they visit lots of different places but it is still important to take into account how many of these places you really want to visit. It is also important to think about the embarkation and disembarkation port. You may choose to stay an extra day or two, either pre-cruise or post-cruise. You should also think about how easy/hard it is to get to the embarkation point. You could end up spending a lot of money on your airfare if it isn’t easy to fly to.

Duration – Another important aspect of any holiday is the duration of your stay. You might be looking for a long getaway, or you may prefer a short break but remember to take into account any additional time spent travelling to and from the cruise ship. If you only want to be away for 5 days or so, it would make far more sense to go on a cruise which embarks from a port near your home, rather than having to travel hundreds of miles to reach your embarkation point.

Ship – Everyone has different preferences when it comes to cruise ships, some prefer the smaller ships with the more personal service and others prefer bigger ships with lots of onboard entertainment and a bigger selection of dining/drinking venues. You should do a lot of research on the ship before you book your cruise, find out exactly what is on offer and also find out what is included in the price of your cruise and what you have to pay extra for.

Check back in a few days for part 2!