I don't know about you, but I sure missed going on a proper holiday. Sure, visiting your own country is lovely and there are plenty of things to discover and do, but there's a certain magic that only a holiday abroad has, you know what I mean? With that in mind, we decided to do something even more special for our holiday this year, something we've never done before. We decided to go on a cruise!
Yes! You head it right! A cruise! For me, the girl that is terrified of water (maybe because I can't swim) but hey, you only live once so why not! Now that we chose to do this it was time to plan the whole trip and let me tell you that if you think you just need to book the cruise and you’re done you’re mistaken! It’s even more difficult to plan than a normal holiday, so if you haven’t booked a cruise until now, read on because I have some beginner tips for you that might come in handy.
Know your budget
Before you even start thinking of booking a holiday, you should always keep in mind your budget. When I'm talking about the budget I am talking about the amount you can spend for such a thing but also something extra just to have it aside in case of an emergency. Of course, you can never fully anticipate how much will everything cost, but you can make an idea of it.
You can, however, set a maximum budget and do your very best to stay between those lines and not go overboard. Usually on a cruise, most of the stuff on board like activities, food is free but there are also things that you have to pay for, so keep that in mind. Also, if your ship stops in several cities, you will want to check them out and that also costs money, so take everything into consideration before you book this holiday.
Choose the right cruise for you
Who knew that there were more types of cruises? I didn’t! Well, there are quite a few and if you want to be 100% that you will have the perfect cruise experience, you have to decide
which one is better for you. For example, the
Ambassador Cruise Line has many theme cruises that you can choose from.
What is also extremely important is to decide how long you want to cruise. If you just want to try it out, opt for a three-day cruise. Normally, cruises start at three nights and can go anywhere from seven to fourteen days. But there are also world cruises that can last as long as three months.
My advice is if you are going to cruise in Europe you should pick a fourteen-day cruise because of the expense and long plane rides to get to your port of embarkation. If you live near a port and you just want to take a long weekend to choose a three or four-day cruise. Decide what cruise travel is best for you.
Pick a destination
Last but not least, pick a destination for your cruise. The cruise lines have a variety of destinations to choose from. Visit your cruise travel agent to go over the different itineraries or check out the individual websites of the cruise lines. Make sure that the destination you picked suits everyone’s desires and go for it!
Cruise vacations do not necessarily mean that you have to spend all your vacation time onboard. All the cruise ships offer land and shore excursions. Land excursions are a great way to explore different cultures and destinations when taking a cruise vacation. You can choose from many activities once you reach a port of call. You can go kayaking, scuba diving, or go shopping in the markets of the ports of call.
A holiday on a cruise ship is a very unique experience in my opinion, so don't think too much and just enjoy the whole experience from planning it to actually enjoying every second of it.
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