Choose your Cruising Style Wisely (Cruises in general)

Member Name: jmmorgan

Product:	Cruises in general
Date:	24/08/09 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You get what You need from your holiday

Disadvantages: Can be costly with the extras

Cruising is rising in popularity. I never considered cruising as I thought it would be too strict and formal for me and my husband. Cruising is however changing and many of the cruiselines have realised that enforced dining times, enforced table companions and enforced dress codes are becoming a thing of the past. Some cruiselines do still stick to these things but many do not.
For our first cruise we chose alaska. A wild and inaccessible place most of the year but between May and September the liners arrive and we saw this as our chance to take a trip of a lifetime. We boarded our ship in Seattle and were amazed by the size of the ship, the facilities offered and the cabin we had booked.
We loved the whole experience. Food was excellent and seemed to be alawys available. The choice of activities was very lengthy, something going on all of the time. The entertainment in the evenings was as good as many shows I have paid to see on land. Our cabin was comfortable and had quite a lot of space and well thought out storage. We had a balcony which was worth every penny with the Alaska scenery to view as we passed by. The ports were interesting and the excursions were expensive but when will I get the chance to dog sled on a glacier ever again?
Before booking a cruise do your research into what each line offers you and choose the line most suited to your own particular style. Some lines have fixed dining at set times with fixed table mates. Some also have formal evenings with strict dress codes. Other lines allow you to dine when you wish, with who you wish and have a more relaxed view of what is appropriate clothing for dinner. A lot of ships now have an additional restaurant or ten where you pay extra to dine there. Usually the main dining rooms and buffet plus room service are free of an extra charge. It is also important to budget extra for drinks, photos, speciality dining and excursions to avoid a nasty surprise when you get your bill at the end. Cruises are not pay as you go they are cashless, they have an account set up in your name and everything is charged to your credit card at the end.

Summary: Try it you may just find you like it.