Do you love to go on cruises? Or do you hate the crowds and the possibility that you'll get stuck in the middle of the ocean? This writer for Yahoo! Travel gives some good reasons to love and hate traveling by cruise ship.
Love: It’s a vacation
sampler
You know those appetizer
samples you get at finer bars and theme restaurants, where a little of
everything on the menu comes on one appetizing plate? Well, cruises are the
appetizer samplers of vacations — each port of call gives you a little taste of
a tourist destination. If you find one you like, you can take a longer trip
there in the future. On a European cruise, Barcelona can be your mozzarella
sticks, Naples your potato skins, St. Tropez your onion rings; nibble on them
all now, feast on one later.
Hate: The
cruise-operated tours
Being tied to a
prearranged itinerary for six hours is a special version of hell for me. I did
it once, and after several excruciating (and expensive) hours of being trapped
on a bus with an operator who would not stop talking, my wife and I were openly
contemplating a suicide pact. If you have no choice but to take a group tour
for reasons of accessibility or safety, then by all means do it. But if you’re
physically able to get around, and if the area you’re visiting supports
self-transportation (i.e., it has reliable taxis or nearby car rental agencies,
or it’s a port area that you can easily navigate on foot), I recommend going it
alone. It’s cheaper and more conducive to mental health.
Love: There’s a bar at
every turn
You are never more than
a few steps from your next cocktail. Modern-day ships make a ton of money from
alcohol sales, so it’s in their interest to make bars as convenient as
possible. And they are; cruise ship bars are visible, accessible, and oh so
inviting.
Hate: There’s delicious
food at every turn
To take a cruise is to
be surrounded by temptation with no means of escape. And for those of us who
try to be at least somewhat good on vacations, cruises present numerous
culinary temptations. You can spend an entire cruise fighting what will
eventually be a losing battle to maintain your food discipline.
Love: The workout
opportunities
The gyms I see on most
cruise ships invariably are nicer, better equipped, and offer more interesting
classes than the ones I belong to at home. But there are other areas where you
can get your workout on. I’m a big fan of jogging along the tracks that many
ships have along their upper decks. And for a little added workout, you can
take the stairs between decks instead of elevators.
Hate: The onboard shows
I’m sure the performers
are talented. But after a day of running around the port of call, assembling in
an auditorium at a given time looks too much like “making plans.” And Vacation
Me is allergic to “making plans.”
Love: No pressure
When you’re on a cruise
ship, you’re free of that “Isn't there something I should be
doing/seeing/experiencing?” vacation pressure that accompanies other trips.
When you’re at sea, you’re free to follow your bliss at your own pace, guilt
free.
Personally I have only been on one cruise and I didn't think it was all that bad. It was with Carnival and we went to Cozumel and the Yucatan Peninsula.
Do you love to cruise?
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