“What’s the best cruise?”………..

………… a friend asked me the other night, a friend who has never cruised before. Well, where to start, what to say! I asked her what she would be looking for in a cruise, “just the best cruise” was her response – helpful!

So where do you start finding ‘the best cruise’, because let’s be honest, what suits one person won’t suit another. What do you want from your cruise? Now that is a good starting point. Is it for two adults or a family group of various generations. What type of holiday do you normally take, hotels, self catering apartments, camping even? Do you like getting dressed up in the evening or would you prefer something where you don’t have to dress up? Do you like, or need, lots of activities available, for you or for your children, or are you a lounge lizard who is happy to just lie by the pool and relax, or if it is just adults travelling would you rather not cruise on a ship overrun by hoards of kids? All these questions will help me to find out not ‘the best cruise’ but the cruise that would suit you best. That is, to me, the best cruise.

I actually really like Celebrity Cruises, they tick all the boxes for me when it comes to mainstream cruises, so I would say that is my best cruise but it might not be yours. If you like lots of activities to do during the day like rock climbing walls, mini golf, surf simulators, ice skating rinks then Royal Caribbean would suit you better, especially if you have kids/teenagers who need plenty to occupy them so that you can enjoy some R&R too. We all know that bored kids doesn’t make for a relaxing holiday for Mom and Dad don’t we.

If you enjoy dressing for dinner most of the cruise lines will have a couple of formal nights each week, but if you really don’t enjoy that kind of thing then NCL would be the perfect choice for you as they offer ‘Freestyle’ cruising with no dress codes at all – no shorts in the main restaurant though! That said most cruise ships have a buffet restaurant on board where you can dine in casual attire in the evening, something I like to do when I am on a ship as I don’t always want to doll myself up of an evening. I’m on my hol’s for goodness sake and want to let my braces dangle 🙂

Evening entertainment is more important to some people than others, a theatre offering excellent and varied entertainment is  deal breaker for some, whereas other cruisers are more than happy with a quiet drink in one of the lounges before heading to their cabin for the night.

The photo above is myself with my two best friends on our 50th birthday cruise a couple of years ago. Only a short 4 night cruise on Adventure of the Seas, but special to us as we were all together, celebrating our age and many years of friendship.

So you see, ‘the best cruise’ is different for everyone isn’t it. Rest assured if you call me looking for your best cruise I will do my utmost to find not only your best cruise, but the perfect cruise for you. Call me on  0800 408 6084 anytime and I will be happy to help.

For now, Happy Cruising Folks!