Is a Cruise Right for You? Discover With These 7 Key Questions

If you've ended up on this page, you're likely considering making a move. cruise For the first time. However, you're also questioning whether a cruise truly suits your preferences.

You find yourself in a delicate situation—where your views on cruising could easily be swayed by opinions from friends, family, or random individuals, which may not always be beneficial.

If you inquire with someone who enjoys cruising about taking a cruise, they will most likely respond with this single sentiment: "Every cruise is amazing. You definitely won’t regret it."

The realm of cruise enthusiasts is much the same. somewhat of a niche following .

Conversely, if you inquire with someone who doesn’t cruises about whether you should give cruising a shot, they may offer an entirely different perspective: "What’s the appeal of going on a cruise?"

People who aren’t cruisers usually have their reasons.

Actually, both responses fail to provide you with the information needed to make an educated choice.

Deciding if a cruise suits your needs involves many factors. Much hinges on your personal preferences as a traveler. Are you someone who prefers having every detail meticulously organized beforehand, or do you enjoy starting journeys without an itinerary? What about resort-style settings appeals to you? How do you feel about traveling in groups? Is indulgence one of your top priorities?

And, maybe most importantly: What food do you enjoy when you’re not at home?

Whether you'll enjoy a cruise ultimately hinges on those factors — and many others.

As a travel writer with over twenty years of expertise in cruising, I've I've been on many cruises before. (way more than 200), and I have interacted with countless cruise enthusiasts. I’ve discussed their preferences and dislikes regarding cruises with many of them.

From all these discussions, what I've gathered is that a cruise isn’t suitable for everybody, despite being an excellent time for lots of folks.

Related: The top 5 cruise lines ideal for family vacations

When individuals inquire about whether they should embark on a cruise, I advise them that it varies from person to person. Afterward, I recommend considering the following seven questions. Consider this as my “to-cruise-or-not-to-cruise” evaluation checklist.

When responding to these queries, you might begin to grasp whether you’re prepared to become part of the expanding cruise culture — or if you’d prefer to stay away from the open oceans and turbulent waterways altogether.

Am I more inclined towards meticulously pre-planned trips or those left to chance occurrences?

Some individuals prefer setting off on vacations without knowing exactly where they'll end up or what activities they'll do each day. They enjoy the freedom that arises from keeping their plans loose and spontaneous. Conversely, others opt for meticulously planning every detail of their trips well beforehand.

Sailing is most appropriate for the latter group.

Certainly, you'll enjoy some freedom regarding activities each day during the cruise. However, the overall structure of your journey is predetermined and fixed. Similar to motorcoach tours, this type of holiday follows a strict schedule—like how it might seem every destination changes as quickly as the days pass.

Related: An introductory overview for selecting a cruise line

For instance, if you're cruising for a week in the West Indies, Mediterranean , you might have around eight hours in Rome after your cruise ship docks near the port of Civitavecchia. Should you find the city captivating enough to desire an additional overnight stay (we'd put money on it), unfortunately, that won’t be possible as you’ll need to return to the vessel by late afternoon for departure to the following destination—likely Livorno, Italy (your entry point to both Florence and Pisa)—or perhaps Naples in Italy instead.

When you reach the subsequent port, you will have an additional eight hours to wander around and discover new things prior to having to return aboard for the journey to your next stop. Everything has been prearranged.

The benefit of organizing your trip ahead of time, naturally, is that it eliminates much of the stress associated with traveling. By doing so, the cruise line handles all the challenging aspects of designing a perfect multi-day escape for you. They provide a comprehensive bundle covering all your travel requirements like accommodation, meals, and entertainment, dropping you off at fresh destinations nearly every day where you can discover new places. This convenience is especially prominent on certain cruises—particularly river cruises and expedition cruises (traveling to extremely distant locations aboard tiny, sturdy vessels) — these lines even set up all your daily excursions in advance. You simply have to appear.

Am I fond of vacation experiences centered around a single resort that provides accommodation, dining, and entertainment options?

Cruise ships allow you to visit several locations during one journey. Essentially, though, what they provide resembles more closely the experience offered by terrestrial all-inclusive resorts rather than other types of travel adventures. This holds true at minimum for most cruise experiences. bigger cruise ships That makes up most of all cruise travel.

Despite an itinerary packed with numerous ports-of-call on most cruise lines, you're still likely to spend the bulk of your vacation time aboard your ship. Without reserving one of those uncommon multi-day excursions, every single night will pass as you remain onboard, along with having many of your daily meals within the vessel itself. Typically, nearly all your nighttime activities and forms of amusement occur right there on the same ship where you reside.

A lot of folks really enjoy this kind of getaway. It’s quite similar to visiting Disney World Or at an all-inclusive Sandals resort, where you could enjoy a fantastic week without venturing beyond the grounds.

Some people feel that dedicating too much vacation time to a single, enclosed resort environment leaves insufficient opportunities for discovering the surrounding area.

Do I handle crowds well?

Many smaller cruise ships resemble exclusive boutique hotels, featuring around 50 to 100 cabins. However, most modern cruise liners cater to significantly larger numbers of passengers as they tend to be much more massive. lot of people.

The largest cruise ships in the world, like the Icon-class and Oasis-class ships operated by Royal Caribbean Often, each ship can carry over 6,000 passengers. Additionally, the largest cruise ships may also have around 2,000 crew members onboard. So, if you reserve a spot on one of these ships for your holiday, you might find yourself among more than 8,000 individuals total.

Keep in mind these are quite large vessels, offering ample space to move around.Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas The globe’s biggest cruise liner boasts 18 guest decks, many of which are dedicated to an extensive variety of family-oriented amenities, dining options, lounging areas, drinking spots, and various other facilities designed to accommodate large crowds of holidaymakers.

Related: The 7 categories of Royal Caribbean vessels, detailed

However, if the thought of spending your vacation at a resort teeming with numerous guests isn’t appealing to you, then you may want to avoid most of the fleets run by large-scale cruise companies. A land-based holiday could be more suitable for you—or perhaps consider setting sail aboard one of the smaller ships managed by specialists like Windstar Cruises or Ponant.

Do I feel at ease traveling with a team?

To an extent, cruises resemble group tours on land. Throughout your journey, you'll remain with a single large group of individuals, and you might frequently participate in guided activities alongside this collective during stops at various harbors.

The extent to which your cruise feels like a group tour largely depends on the specific ship you're on and how you organize your excursions at each port. River cruises and expedition voyages, in particular, typically involve collective off-ship activities. Port visits usually come with pre-paid group tours included in the overall price. However, aboard conventional ocean liners, you tend to enjoy greater freedom to explore independently rather than participating in organized groups.

Related: Which cruise company suits you most? A step-by-step guide

On conventional seafaring vessels, numerous ship-led land excursions tend to be collective activities where you may find yourself among up to 30 or 40 cruise mates accompanied by a guide. Typically, such tours entail journeying together via motorcoach to arrive at whichever attraction or attractions you're visiting. Essentially, they frequently resemble guided bus trips.

Even some high-end and luxurious cruise lines follow this rule, although they might occasionally reduce the number of passengers assigned to each tour bus.

As mentioned, when traveling aboard numerous classic ocean-going ships, you may organize exclusive guided tours in various ports exclusively for yourself and your family (often the vessel itself might handle this arrangement; alternatively, you could seek an external provider). Additionally, you're free to venture independently into a port and embark on your own adventure—provided local regulations allow such autonomy.

Does eating locally matter to me when I'm traveling?

For certain individuals, sampling regional cuisine is an essential aspect of their travels. This might involve enjoying the renowned pesto served with trofie pasta at the trattorias in Genoa, Italy, or relishing pad Thai from food stalls around Bangkok’s streets. Conversely, for others, encountering comforting meals reminiscent of home during trips holds equal importance—or even greater significance.

Cruise ships generally attract more individuals from the latter group.

Cruise ships generally provide dining options in their onboard restaurants This aligns with what guests would encounter in their own homes. Many larger vessels feature American-style steakhouse dining, along with frequently available Italian restaurants that typically serve an American-influenced version of Italian dishes. Additionally, you can commonly find welcoming Asian eateries as well as primary dining venues offering a blend of traditional global fare. Fast-food choices such as hamburgers and pizzas are generally provided too.

Frequently, these restaurants and their menus have minimal connection to your travel destination. However, they provide plenty of familiar favorites that you likely enjoy.

If that seems perfect for you, then a cruise might be an excellent option for your holiday. If you’re so passionate about food that the idea of not exploring new cuisines is unthinkable, Barcelona Without staying up late moving from one tapas bar to another or going to Rome without dining at La Pergola, cruising may not suit you well.

Related: The Top 10 Finest Restaurants Aboard Ships

You might want to sample some local cuisine at the stops your cruise ship makes. However, keep in mind that most vessels typically dock during daylight hours and depart for the next location before dinner time. As such, you'll often have limited chances to enjoy regional dishes outside of having lunch ashore on numerous voyages.

Regarding dinner—the primary seated meal for numerous tourists—your choices during many cruises will be confined to what’s offered aboard your vessel.

To what extent does receiving pampering matter to me during a vacation?

Do you love getting spoiled during your holiday? Then a cruise could be perfect for you. The main attraction for many first-time cruisers who become repeat customers is the exceptional level of pampering offered aboard cruise ships, which typically surpasses what you'd experience at similarly priced hotels on land.

On even the most budget-friendly cruise options, you’ll usually be assigned a cabin steward who may become familiar with your name and ready to assist with all your needs aboard the ship. This individual often tidies up and cleans your quarters at least once, possibly twice each day—unless you specify otherwise. Such frequent housekeeping service has largely vanished from lower-end terrestrial accommodations, as numerous land-based hotels have ceased providing daily room cleaning.

On cruise ships, the staff at the dining venues tend to remember passengers' names quite quickly—usually within one or two days after they embark—if those guests sit at the same tables each evening. These crew members strive hard to exceed expectations and cater meticulously to all individual requirements. Frequently, they learn about preferred beverages or desserts and serve them preemptively without being asked.

On budget-friendly, widely available cruise ships, you're likely to be attended by multiple waiters at your table, with an additional individual dedicated solely to managing drink orders. Behind the scenes, a restaurant manager along with sometimes assistant managers keep close watch to ensure every detail meets their standards. This creates a team of hospitality professionals working together to guarantee your ultimate satisfaction.

To put it briefly, the quality of service on cruise ships stands out compared to what’s typically found in the broader travel industry—especially when considering comparable accommodations on land such as hotels within the same price range. Generally, an introductory cruise ship will offer better service than a basic hotel. Moreover, a high-end cruise vessel often surpasses ultra-luxury resorts in terms of opulence and attentiveness.

Am I frequently concerned with expenses while traveling?

A cruise is an excellent choice for someone who likes knowing exactly what their vacation will cost well ahead of time.

Just as we noted earlier, cruises resemble all-inclusive resorts somewhat. The vessel will provide many of the essential services required during your holiday, such as accommodation, dining options, nightly entertainment, and internal transport between destinations without additional fees. Additionally, if you have children in tow, the cruise typically includes full-day kid-oriented activities at no extra cost.

With all these details settled beforehand, you only need to pay a single price well ahead of your departure date. This way, you're fully aware of the total expenses much earlier than when you embark on your journey from home. It provides significant mental ease for numerous travelers.

Certainly, every expense of your cruise won’t be covered by the initial payment. You may find yourself paying additional fees onboard mass-market vessels for beverages during mealtimes, dining at upscale eateries, participating in off-ship adventures, as well as for automated tips often appended to closing statements by various companies. Such costs could accumulate swiftly, leading to substantial supplementary charges hitting your credit card prior to disembarking from the vessel.

However, the positive aspect is that many bundles still include additional lines for services like drink packages and gratuities As part of promotions, these extras are bundled into a booking package. Often, you can discover a comprehensive package offer even from mainstream cruise lines, where numerous additional features on your voyage are covered by the initial payment you make.

Bottom line

Sailing trips aren't everybody's cup of tea. However, there are numerous reasons why you could enjoy them. Prior to deciding to take the plunge and give it a shot, consider answering the aforementioned questions to determine whether sailing is suitable for your preferences.

Thinking about taking a cruise? Begin with these tales:

• The top 5 sought-after cabin positions on any cruise liner
• An introductory guide for selecting a cruise line
• The 8 least desirable cabin positions on any cruise ship
• The definitive checklist for packing essentials before your cruise trip
• A brief overview of the top cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks to ensure your cruise goes seamlessly
• Main ways cruise travelers fritter away their cash
• The definitive handbook for selecting a cruise ship stateroom

Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the opinions of banks, credit card issuers, airlines, or hotels. These organizations have not reviewed, approved, or supported these viewpoints in any way.