Our members are often jet setting across the globe by air. But air travel is not the only way to enjoy a holiday. Cruises have taken off on a wave of popularity as a more relaxing and luxurious holiday option. Cruises vary from short trips arriving and departing from the same port, to longer trips half-way around the world!
There are numerous advantages to holidaying on a cruise ship. While some cruises simply transport passengers from point to point, others take holiday makers to a new port each day. This can be a great way to see a variety of new places, without having to pack and unpack every day.
But for those wanting to remain on board, a very wide selection of food, beverages and entertainment options await.
Upsides of cruising – can see a number of different places but only need to unpack and repack once, not at every place; a colossal amount of food and a certain amount of entertainment is included in your fare and is within 300m of your room; you can buy duty free cosmetics and alcohol on board (and cigarettes too).
Of course, there are some downsides. Inclement weather has the potential to ruin a trip, and there is also a potential for outbreaks of sickness to spread throughout the entire boat.
Downsides of cruising – bad weather usually = rough seas which can = seasickness for some people; bad weather can lead to ports being missed altogether; you can’t easily check out and go somewhere else if you decide you don’t like the ship unlike a hotel or resort on land…
Unfortunately (or otherwise), internet coverage while cruising can be very expensive, if not non-existent. This may be ideal for those that wish to get away from the worries of day-to-day life, but is less than ideal for those that plan to work or require the internet for other purposes while on holiday.
Yes internet and roaming are expensive. IIRC sending text messages are $1.00USD per message and a phone call is $4.00 USD per minute. Data roaming is usually possible but extremely expensive. (depends on the cruise ship) Because it is all satellite uplink it is also very slow.
Our members point out that there are two ways to avoid paying exorbitant internet fees. Taking a cruise that travels up or down the Australian coastline generally makes it possible to connect to data as one does on the mainland. Some cruise lines also offer free internet to their members of their cruise loyalty program.
Princess offers free internet for pax with status. Last cruise we got 250 minutes each as part of our our status level. (500 in total)
While cruising may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it does have many fans.
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