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How To Choose The Right Ship For Your Cruise Vacation
ou want to take a cruise hotel. A smaller ship can also go
vacation, but how do you to less frequented destinations
pick the ship? You’re the due to its ability to maneuver in
cruise planner in the family so tight spots.
first, consider the type of
ships. They run the gamut from A mid size ship, 500 to 1000
small yacht like ships to passengers, will usually have
mega-liners holding over 3000 local groups come on board while
passengers. The small ships in port and perhaps a piano
normally do not have constant player or a duo. An advantage to
activities throughout the day a mid size ship is that lines
while the mega-liners schedule seldom form and when the do they
loads and loads of things to do. clearer quickly.
Choose your type of ship by
whether or not you want time to Now, your mega-liners will boggle
yourself or if you want to be your mind with activities and
entertained. When considering entertainment. There are ships
cruise travel keep the following out there that have skating rinks
things in mind. and rock climbing walls! When
you are on these ships, be sure
A small ship, 500 or fewer to carry around the pocket size
passengers, will have small layout of the ship that will be
musical shows in the evening in your cabin on day one. (Get
while you will be free to do as additional ones at the purser’s
you please during the day. This deck). The disadvantage of these
type of ship is for an intimate ships is that they are crowded
cruising experience. Being on a and you will have to stand in
small ship is like staying at a long lines. One important thing
beautiful bed and breakfast to know is that some of the
versus being at a large chain really large ships cannot fit in
some of the docking facilities travel.
therefore making it necessary to
“tender” into port. The tender is Cruise Tip: The Spa Experience.
a life boat that constantly goes Use the cruise to take a spa
from ship to shore. This is vacation while your kids are
important if you are handicapped entertained and your spouse is
or afraid of small boats. learning about new Computer
techniques. Yes, you can have a
Cruise Tip: When in a large port spa experience with all the
like St. Maarten where it is treatments that you have at a
necessary to tender in to shore traditional spa and the spa
and back to the ship, be sure you cuisine. All of the top lines
get on the tender that goes to have healthy alternatives on
your ship. There may be as many their menus and some of the spas
as 8 ships in port and it would are state of the art, many of
be easy to board the wrong tender them managed by land based spas.
after a long day of sun and surf. So not only will everyone be
It could make it quite dicey if entertained, but you can
it is near the time of departure experience that long awaited week
for your ship. at the spa. I have read many
cruise reviews that love the spa
Ask yourself a couple of experience.
questions. Do you want an
intimate laid back voyage? Are If you have a tendency to be
there any facilities that are seasick, book a mega-liner, you
important to you like spa will reduce the chance of that
packages, healthy exercise, or malady. On the really big girls
culinary delights, cultural you hardly know you’re moving.
experiences? These are essential (Ships are always referred to as
questions when planning cruise she, her or Lady i.e., the QE2 is
known as the grand old Lady of Common sense tells you that the
the Seas). longer the trip the older the
passengers since they have the
The type of ship should always be time and resources to take long
considered to get the most voyages. Ships are very
enjoyment from your cruise. Rule different, from the all day
of thumb is that the larger the partying of Carnival, to the
ship the more amenities while the quiet laid back ultra luxury of
smaller ships are more SeaDream Yachts.
personalized. We took a cruise on
a luxury small ship to the Greek Cruise Tip: Maiden Voyages come
Islands and by the second day with all the bragging rights but
everyone knew our names and the you might want to rethink that,
service was stellar. especially if you are a first
time cruisers. On maiden voyages
One other consideration is the the crew is “unseasoned”. They
number of ports that you visit. A don’t necessarily know where
ship that stops in a port everything is or how everything
everyday can be tiring, besides works and this can cause delays
it’s nice to spend a day or two in service. Sometimes a cruise
at sea. If you are going back to line will borrow a staff from
a port previously traveled, stay another ship to sail the maiden
on the boat. It’s terrific to voyage of a new ship and train
have the ship all to yourself. the staff. Same thing applies,
These are also good days to visit this is a new ship and everybody
the gym or schedule a spa is learning. Better to let the
treatment, there’s hardly anyone ship break in for at least six
using the equipment or the spa months before choosing her to
personnel. sail. Construction delays can put
a new ship off schedule so don’t
book a month or two out from the pick another one.
announced Maiden Voyage, since
you might then find yourself on Equipped with this information
the Maiden Voyage. There exists a you should be able to find the
chance of things going wrong like ideal ship for your cruise
the plumbing or the electrical. vacation. So what are you waiting
for? Call your Travel Agent and
The same thing applies to a ship Set Sail!
that is coming of dry dock or
“refit”. Many things can and do Happy Cruising!
go wrong. Have your travel agent
check to see if the ship has just Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All
been refurbished and if it has, Rights Reserved.
About the Author:
Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.CruisingTips.com or contact her at mhanna@cruisepublishing
Read more articles by: Mary Hanna
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