If you’ve never been to a certain part of the world, such as the Caribbean, Europe or South America, a cruise is like an appetizer sampler. It allows you to sample different ports as well as cruising in general. It is no longer just a means of transportation from one place to another as it used to be in the early 20th Century. Now its a way to relax and get to experience many places without having to pack and repack.
Experience Cruising in General
For those who have never been on a cruise, taking a cruise is a sampler in itself. How long should a first time cruise be? I would recommend at least 5 to 7 days. Anything shorter than that could be considered a party or booze cruise, which could become a bit crazy. But, even a 4 day can be a sampler for seasoned cruisers on whether or not they like weekend cruises or the feel of the cruise line itself.
Experience New Cruise Lines
Another sampler experience is trying new cruise lines. Many are loyal to a specific line, which does bring certain amenities. However, even though all cruises are similar, consider trying other lines as each brand has its own flavor. You may find a new brand for a certain time of year or event. Or, a certain line for when you’re traveling alone with your significant other and another for when you’re with the kids.
Experience Many Different Places
One of the things that is great about taking a cruise is being able to see many places over the course of a few days. Unfortunately, you won’t have too much time in any one port to get to really experience it. This is why taking a cruise could be considered a sampler; you get to experience a little about lot of places. Then, you can go back to those specific places directly.
Most cruise lines only are in port for a few short hours. Very few stay in port over night in one place because of the port fees that would need to be paid out to the authorities. Therefore, the longest time a ship is ever in port is possibly 12 to 15 hours. Most often they arrive around 8am local time and depart around 5pm local time.
With this short period of time to explore the port, it allow you just enough time to really get a quick tour of the highlights that the port has to offer. If you find you liked the port itself, consider booking a trip directly to that place for a few days to further experience all of its benefits.
A World of Nationalities
Cruises due to their makeup of crew from around the world, allow you to not only experience new places around the world, but you also get to experience the nationalities of the crew. It is always intereseting to talk with the various crew members and learn about their countries and personal backgrounds. And..based on the length of the cruise you choose, you get to have that much more interactivity with the crew.
Where do the crew generally all come from? Many of the crew are sourced from the countries in the east such as the Philipines, Indonesia, and India. However, there are also a great number of European based crew and southern Caribbean based crew. The greatest challenge that exists onboard with such a diverse group of workers is language. Sometimes it is difficult to communicate as they are just beginning to learn and speak English fluently.
The Ships
In the early days of cruising, the ports of call were the main attraction. All the various lines were anxious to get you to see multiple different places. However, that has begun to switch to the ship becoming the destination with all the amenities onboard to experieince. This is definitely the case with the newest and larger ships that carry thousands of guests.
However, if you are more interested in visiting various interesting ports of call around the world, you will need to look at small and older ships. Most of the older ships can get into the smaller ports compared to the new mega ships. The nice thing about smaller ships is you do get to interact with more of your fellow guests compared to being one of thousands. It’s much more intimate, but the ammenities on board are much more traditional.
Itineraries
If you’re looking for itineraries that visit many ports, the odds are you will need to consider longer itineraries. Those that are seven days and shorter will typically visit 2 to 3 ports and one of them begin a private destination. Again, these itineraries are designed to focus on the ships themselves. But, to get an assortment of ports that are unique, plan on looking at itineraries that are around 10 days or longer. The upscale premium lines usually offer the longer itineraries compared to the mega lines which focus on the shorter week itineraries.
Conclusion
Cruises are definitely a great way to travel and see the world. You get to unpack once and have your hotel move from place to place as opposed to you moving from place to place. In the meantime, you also get a world tour onboard expereincing the various members of the crew on a daily basis. So, if your wanderlust is getting the best of you, consider a cruise to places you’ve never been.
