Spot The Difference

The cruise market is huge and more and more people are choosing to cruise rather then stick to a hotel. There are though still many people who are yet to decide on a cruise (my friends know who they are!). So this week, here is my pointers why they should pick a cruise over a hotel based holiday.

So with a hotel, lets say you are staying in Tenerife and are staying in a 4 star hotel. Your room may or may not have a view but will have a balcony or terrace of some sorts. You will probably have a fridge in your room which will cost a bit for any drinks and most probably you will not have room service.  In a cruise ship if we go to a 4 star ship, you can have room service and there maybe a fridge in your cabin.  On a ship you can pick the kind of cabin/room you want for example a inside one without a window, a window one or a balcony cabin which is just like the hotel room.

Big difference is you pick the cabin you want. So if you want to be by a lift or the restaurant etc. In a hotel you get your room allocated when you check in.

Dining in a hotel. You may be half board, perhaps full or maybe even all inclusive. The choice of restaurants is probably just the one main restaurant with a pool bar for snacks (if you are on all inclusive). Drinks will be the local brands and I think fairly limited in choice.  On a cruise ship you have many choices of restaurants from the main dining room to buffet restaurant and with most cruise lines you can go to a speciality restaurant (some, yes are more money). Drinks you can pick a all inclusive or not. The drinks again are local brands but again you can pay more and get the “posh” brands. The choice is more in my opinion then you get in a hotel.

What do you do if you are in a hotel and want some entertainment? You either stay in the hotel (important if you are all inclusive!) and watch lets face it, some rather naff entertainment or you go out. If you go out, you may need a taxi from the hotel to the bars and it may be the same kind of entertainment every night.  On a cruise ship the entertainment of course differs from cruise line to cruise line but I think most of you would agree that it is fantastic. From singers to bands, to west end shows to comedians and all in different venues of the ship.

What about during the day? In a hotel and a cruise ship you have pools and sun bathing areas just like everywhere. In a hotel you may have a gym, which is probably a bit limited in size. In a hotel there are the hotel “entertainment” team who come around urging you to try games and do a bit of keep fit by the pool.  What about on a ship? Yes, you have a gym but much bigger with more facilities then you would normally get in a hotel.  There are many pool games you can play and again depending on what type of ship you are on the activities can be anything from card games, bingo, etc to flow riding on the water!  On the ship you can also go to a spa and enjoy a massage or some facial treatments.  Yes, you can get these in a hotel but again it depends on the rating of the hotel you would be staying in.

On a normal day in a hotel you may sunbath or have a walk around the area you are staying in. How many of you do actual excursions to places of interest? Or have a wander around another town close by?    This is where cruising really gets top marks because every day is different. You may pick a cruise where you arrive in a different port every single day. You wake up to a different view most days. If you don’t want to lie around the pool all day, you can just  wander around the local town or pick an excursion and really see what the destination is all about.

Of course, there are some fantastic hotels out there which will I am sure include many of the facilities you have on a cruise ship however, they do not give you that freedom to see something new every day and really experience the fantastic amenities you get on a ship.

All you need to do is take the plunge (forgive the pun!)

Till next time x