Why take a cruise?

Because it presents value; at least for the most of us. How much money would you spend at a hotel on the beach or at a typical ocean resort? $300 per day? And how much for meals? $50, $100 per day per person? Nightly entertainment? $25, $50 or more? Just from those items, a day at a beach hotel is going to cost $500 to $600 per day for a couple. Cruising on the other hand can be under $200 per day per couple, although most people spend a bit more. And add that you are travelling to some of the most beautiful islands you will ever see, and its not hard to see why cruising is very popular these days. It simply presents good value.

Of course, you are only at any particular island for a few hours, truly not enough time to see everything, but the idea is that you get a taste of everything the Caribbean has to offer. You will get to see parts of the world that you might never get to see otherwise. And you can always come back to the island - either on another cruise or spending a week at an island resort. But in many regards, a cruise ship is a destination in itself - and just the experience of being out on the ocean taking in all that nature has to offer can be exhilarating.

Set your expectations realistically. If you ask folks after their first cruise if they liked it or not, there will be no middle-ground. People either loved the experience or hated it. I think a lot of that tends to be what your expectations were. Was the food in the dining room less than gourmet? While I feel the meals are very good, remember what you are paying per day for your cruise, so keep things in perspective. Didn't like the weather? Remember, weather is mother-nature's responsibility, not the cruise lines. So if you get into some bad weather... it happens. Cruise ship not up to what you expected? Most ships are fairly new in regards to marine standards, and the cruise lines do great effort to maintain them (just walk around some night at 2:00AM and watch all of the cleaning going on). But, ships are constantly working to make revenue, so things do break, and things need to be fixed on a constant basis. So set your expectations on the idea of having fun, and how much you paid for the cruise, and you will have a good time.

If you have decided to take a cruise, the next question is; which cruise line?

At this point, its a good idea to talk to a travel agent, or perhaps a friend that has recently gone on a cruise. Each cruise line seems to have a personality, whether they deserve it or not. One cruise line might be regarded as a party-boat, another might be considered an old-folks home, some as value-lines, and others are considered up-scale. Fact is, there are two juggernauts in the cruise industry; Carnival, and Royal Caribbean. They not only offer their flagship brand, but each own several of the smaller cruise lines. Norwegean is a distant third. There is a definate price-point difference between the various cruise lines, but there is enough overlap that perhaps you can get a cruise at the same price or less on the higher-end lines, so the pricing distinction is sometimes hard to understand.

Cruise lines generally like repeat customers, and typically offer some sort of loyalty club. After so many cruises, you get a few perks. You might get free champaigne at an exclusive Welcome Back party, perhaps robes to wear while on board, or priority check-in and departure. If you gain enough status, you will possibly be provided discounted fare on subsequent cruises or room upgrades. While they are nice, the perks should not be the deciding factor for staying with a particular cruise line if you find a better cruising style you like, itinerary, or deal elsewhere. However, if you chose the cruise line that is right for you and stay with them for subsequent cruises, those little perks will add up quicker.