To cruise or not to cruise? That is the question…….

If you are reading this blog, then you will either be a seasoned cruiser, have booked a cruise or at least are thinking about cruising. You will therefore know what an amazing experience cruising really is, however we have all encountered at least one of those ‘Doubting Thomas’s’ who are adamant that they will never set foot on board a cruise ship. This is generally due to a lack of knowledge or experience of what life on board is really like.

Recently a friend of mine, Rob approached me to use my persuasive powers to encourage his wife, Dawn to book a cruise holiday in celebration of their 20th Wedding Anniversary. He was extremely keen to try a cruise and thought their kids would love it too, but Dawn had many reservations. Below were her 5 major concerns and my responses to allay her fears. Eventually Dawn ran out of obstacles to throw at us and so they booked a sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas and they have since returned. So straight from the horses mouth I have also included Dawn’s comments about her original concerns:-

1/ “YOU HAVE TO DRESS UP EVERY NIGHT”.

My response: In reality all cruise lines have a dress code in the main dining rooms, however they recognise that people do not necessarily want to have to dress up while on holiday. With most cruise lines the black tie dress code will only be expected once or twice a week and the rest of the week smart/casual attire is the norm. In addition to the main dining rooms there are also alternative dining venues where the dress code is always informal, so you don’t even have to pack a ball gown or a shirt and tie if that is not your thing.

Dawn’s comments: Although I do like to make an effort when I feel like it, it was so nice not to feel any pressure to put the glad rags on every night. There was so much choice in the Windjammer buffet restaurant and the food was just as scrumptious as in the main dining room. One day when we had been off the ship all day and felt particularly lazy we even ordered food to come to our cabin which was delicious & all included in the cost of of the cruise!

2/ “I DON’T THINK IT’S SUITABLE FOR KIDS”

My response: For me this is probably the biggest misconception about cruising. Although there are some ships that are purely adult only, all the other ships have amazing kids facilities that generally would put a land based hotel’s offerings to shame. Activities start early in the morning, run late in to the night and usually cater from 6 months old to late teens. Babysitting is available and on some cruise lines you can even leave the kids safe in the hands of the qualified children’s staff while you hop ashore for a nice romantic lunch or just for a bit of Mum and Dad time. Because of all the fun stuff and dedicated space for kids, they never get bored and passengers rarely see kids running around other areas of the ship.

Dawns comments: My 2 kids had THE most amazing time. I had to almost drag my 9 year old away from the club daily as she was having so much fun with her new friends. She did pottery, theatre classes, scavanger hunts, entered the talent show and took part in lots of sports.

My 14 year old was my biggest worry as he is a typical grumpy, bored teenager. He thought it was highly amusing that no adults were allowed in to the Teen-Only lounge where he hung out with like-minded teeny grumps, playing on the Xbox and generally chilling out. He loved learning how to DJ, Ice skate and play in the teen casino, but his favourite night was when all his mates could watch a film under the stars whilst chilling in the pool!

3/ “I MIGHT GET SEA SICK”.

My response: I can’t deny that some people suffer from motion sickness from time to time, however the modern ships are built with stabilizers which dramatically reduce the roll of the ship & often you cannot feel any sway. There are many options available to overcome ‘Mal de Mer’ including oral medications, injections and some nifty little wristbands that are cheap and proven to eradicate motion sickness. And choose your itinerary wisely. Some areas are more prone to having choppy seas than others.

Dawns comments: Sway? What sway? Ok…we were cruising round the Mediterranean in July, so it was not exactly stormy seas, but most of the time we didn’t even realise we were on a floating vessel. We didn’t see anyone on board that was obviously suffering with sea sickness, but we did speak to a couple who cruise regularly and have used the wristbands when crossing the Atlantic during winter months and they said that they really worked.

4/ “THE CABINS WILL BE CLAUSTROPHOBIC”.

My response: There are several types of cabins or staterooms to choose from, ranging in size and price from a basic inside up to huge 2 storey suites. If your budget does not stretch to some of the pricier staterooms, the modern cruise ships have developed some great technology to ensure there is still a feeling of luxury,  brightness and space. Take a look below at Royal Caribbean’s ‘virtual balcony’ which transforms the feel of an interior stateroom.

Dawn’s comments: As we were celebrating our anniversary, we decided to treat ourselves to a Royal Family Suite so we could all have some privacy and extra space. This gave us a spacious living area, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and most importantly (for me) 2 large wardrobes! It was so nice to have a balcony so we could sit and watch the waves go by with a glass of wine. In reality, as amazing as the suite was, we spent very little time in it as there was so much happening on the ship!

5/ “I THINK I’LL BE BORED STUCK ON A SHIP”

My response: This is a common myth which is completely untrue. On the majority of cruise itineraries most days will be spent in a different port of call every day, so you can disembark and explore somewhere new. Most cruises include at least one day at sea, often at the start of your journey. This gives you a great opportunity to find your feet and discover all the facilities on offer aboard the ship. All cruise ships have a daily news sheet which will detail all the activities available on board that day. This will let you know of any sports activities, quizzes, educational talks, demonstrations, dress codes, evening showtimes and even the cocktail of the day. For the less active there are some amazing spa facilities so you can just relax and be  pampered. 

Dawns comments: How wrong could I have been? Never mind boredom, there were not enough hours in the day! We visited some amazing destinations on our trip. My favourite was beautiful Barcelona where we strolled along the ‘Ramblas’, got lost in the quaint back streets and ate some amazing tapas. It was exciting to wake up somewhere new every day. We paid for a couple of shore excursions, but did our own thing in some ports. The ship provided a bus shuttle service from the dock to the centre which made it really easy to get out and about on your own. On our 11 day cruise we had 2 days at sea and actually struggled to decide what to do as there was so much on offer. On the first day at sea we spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool as a family. On the second sea day in the morning we watched a fascinating Indian Cooking demonstration then played mini golf. In the afternoon I had the most amazing massage in the spa whilst Rob decided to try his hand at surfing on the Flo Rider (and has the bruises to prove it)! The kids were  happy to be off creating new adventures with their new best friends in the clubs. The evening shows were most definitely the most professional we have seen on a holiday ever. There was a hilarious comedian, West End style musicals and superb ice shows, but our absolute favourite night was the street party on the Royal Promenade. Dancing in the street, cocktail in hand watching the entertainment staff stir everyone up in to a frenzy. It was Brilliant!

So in summary….my friend, Rob is happy to report that this ‘Doubting Dawn’, as well as the kids are now most definitely cruise converts as they have already booked a second trip for Christmas! So if you have friends or family that you want to convince a life on the ocean waves would be right up their street, let them have a read of this. Just maybe it might convince them to give cruising a go!