Cruise vacations are a lot of fun and great value, but they aren’t for everyone, so I want to explore what to expect from a cruise vacation and help you determine what type of cruise is right for you. In fact, I think almost everyone will love a cruise vacation, but you need to determine what type of cruise is for you: a 4-day short cruise, a 14-day long cruise, a Caribbean cruise, a Caribbean cruise. Mediterranean … well, they give you the picture. I must confess that at one point I was not a fan of cruise vacations. In fact, I can’t think of a worse way to spend a vacation than on a boat. But in the last few years, I have become a fan of cruise vacations and have been on three very fabulous (and very different) cruises (mainly because I was looking for a cheap travel deal) and now I can honestly say that I love a few. vacation on a cruise! But let’s go over some questions to ask yourself to determine if a cruise is for you or if a cruise is not for you.

1. Do you get dizzy easily from motion sickness or movement?

The number one reason many people think they will not like a cruise vacation is because they are prone to motion sickness or motion sickness. Personally I understand this as I can get very sick when I travel as a passenger in speedboats, small boats or catamarans if I do not take the necessary precautions. For me, these precautions involve taking a motion sickness prevention product called Bonine (for adults and children) that you can buy at any pharmacy or department store like Target or Walmart (but use only as directed). Personally, I have not had any problem with seasickness on cruise ships (even when we have experienced very strong winds or swells and the ship was rocking a lot).

2. Why do you want to take a cruise vacation?

A. Why do you want to experience a cruise?

PROS:

Cruises are like four-star floating resorts and are much more than just a vacation. They are an experience like no other vacation I have ever had. Cruises are a great value as they are “all inclusive” vacations that include your transportation to different ports (when otherwise you would have to book additional airfares), your hotel (as you always have your cabin), and your meals (offered 24 / 7 on many cruises). They are one of the best travel deals you can get for a budget vacation when you add up what it would cost to do a similar vacation with additional airfare, hotels and meals, not to mention the quality of the accommodation.

You can make your cruise vacation whatever you want. Your days on a boat can be filled with activities from morning to night or you can simply spend time relaxing, shopping and sunbathing by the pool, or just hanging out in your stateroom. And when you arrive at each port, there are dozens of shore and shore excursions for you to do, too.

CONS:

If you are single or a couple without children, then you may want to avoid taking a cruise vacation during a season when there are no classes (especially during spring break) or traveling on a cruise line that largely caters to the families If you have a family, be sure not to choose a cruise line that caters to seniors (including seniors) and is not suitable for children. Several cruise lines have free children’s travel programs (or offer this discount periodically, such as MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises) and these are good cruise lines for you to consider.

B. Why do you like the cruise itinerary and ports of call?

PROS:

One of my favorite things about a cruise vacation is that you can visit many different destinations on a single cruise, without having to repack, and all for one incredible price! On a recent 10-day Western Caribbean cruise, I had a balcony stateroom and went to the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico for a total of $ 535 per person (including port fees and taxes). This cruise itinerary was perfect because I had just the right amount of time in every port city and country we visited.

CONS:

Now, from the good to the bad to the ugly when it comes to choosing cruise vacations based on your cruise itinerary. I did an amazing 8 day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona with ports in Naples, Rome, Florence, Nice and Marseille. I had never been to Spain, Italy, or the South of France so this was a great itinerary at first. What I discovered, and what you should be aware of, is how limited the time can be when you do port. Usually the port time is no more than 10-12 hours.For example, when I arrived in Rome from the port (a 60-90 minute train ride), I only had seven hours for sightseeing. You definitely need much more time than that to see all that the city of Rome has to offer and visit the highlights (the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum).

On a cruise vacation, you should also be prepared for the possibility that you may occasionally be unable to make it to port due to inclement weather. This is what happened to Florence, so I couldn’t get my proverbial photo holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. With all that said, I had two weeks of amazing experiences packed and condensed into four days on the coast, including blessing the Pope in St. Peter’s Square in Rome and being only 12 feet from him when he passed by on the famous “Pope Mobile . “

C. Both A and B. Why do you want to experience a cruise and do you like the cruise itinerary?

PROS CONS:

There is a difficult part of planning a cruise vacation if you want to experience a wonderful cruise and ports of call and that is where in the world do you want to go? With hundreds of different ports to choose from, you can find the cruise vacation of your dreams with cruises around the world, including Alaska, the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Bermuda, Hawaii, New England and Canada. But no matter where you decide to go, seeing the world on a cruise vacation is like no other trip.