Planning your next trip is half of the fun. I love looking up new destinations and methods of traveling. Cruises have recently become one of my favorite getaways and this article will tell you exactly why. They are a great option for traveling because they include a ton of fun at a low cost. You get a lot for your money and a guaranteed to have an amazing time no matter where you decide to cruise to.
One of the hardest parts of planning trips is budgeting for them. Especially for college students, money is often tight and there isn’t always a ton left over for fun. Thankfully, cruises are easy to find great deals on. Cruise lines, such as Carnival and Royal Caribbean, offer great prices. They have promotions and deals very often. They also offer great deals for people who have cruised with their company before. Another great tip is to plan your trips months ahead of time in order to get the best deal. Traveling during off seasons is also your best bet. For example, cruises during Winter seasons will often be the most affordable. With Carnival, you can find 4 day cruises for as low as $200. Most cruise lines also offer payment plans after you put down a deposit for your trip, which can be very beneficial. Being able to make payments on a trip makes it more doable and can be a big advantage if you are trying to plan a trip with a group where money might be an issue. However, the cost of the cruise doesn’t include transportation costs to get to the port you are departing from. If you don’t live close to one of the ports, you might need to book flights in order to get there. Apps, such as Hopper, can help you find the best deals on flights. Planning ahead is the key to getting the best deal possible.
My favorite part about cruises is that once you pay for your ticket, the majority of everything else is included. This includes your room, activities and all the food that you could want. There are endless options of food available 24/7 on every cruise line. This includes buffets, snacks, sit down dinners in a banquet room with gourmet meals, desserts and anything else you can imagine. The only extra cost on board is alcohol and gambling. However, most cruise lines have drink packages available. You can pay a set price each day and be able to have unlimited drinks, which can be a great time when you’re on vacation since drinks add up. Once you reach your destination, you’re also responsible for all costs there. This could include meals, souvenirs and any activities you choose to do where you are visiting. However, these extra costs are often minimal and can easily be budgeted. I love having only one main cost that covers the majority of my trip. Travel, room and food are included in your cruise cost, which takes out a lot of hassle of planning your vacation. This method is much easier than having to book separate flights, hotels and then paying for each meal. (Photo from Odyssey)
Another amazing advantage of cruises is getting to see several awesome destinations on one trip. Most cruises go to several ports, but you can pick any trip that you like. You can be gone anywhere from three days up to a month or more if you choose to get on another cruise right after. I recently went on a Mexican Riviera cruise that visited Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Manzanillo. I loved this trip because of all the cool places I got to see. On typical vacations, you often go to one destination and stay there and explore a few nearby cities. However, cruises allow you to visit several different places back to back. There are amazing trips available that can take you nearly anywhere you can think of. There are cruises that go to Alaska, the California coast, Hawaii, Mexico, the Bahamas and so much more. There really is a trip for everyone. Cruising has allowed me to explore destinations that I probably never would have had the chance to otherwise. (Photo from TripSavvy)
Not to mention, cruises are just an overall amazing experience. There is so much fun to be had on board and in each port you visit. There are so many activities on ship on the days which are spent at sea. The ships are fully decked with pools, spas, gyms, restaurants, casinos, bars, clubs and stores. It’s really like a floating city. There is everything you can imagine and it’s all within walking distance. Some people go on cruises and don’t even get off the boat when the reach the destination, because the ships themselves are so much fun. Newer ships have amazing new additions, like basketball courts, water slides and bowling alleys. There are also daily activities, which change each day. There’s workout classes, game shows, concerts, comedy shows and movies playing. There will never be a dull moment and there are so many activities going on that you should definitely take advantage of. Cruises are definitely more about the journey than the destination. But, the cruise line call also help you book excursions at the ports you are visiting. They offer guided tours, boat rides, zip lining, ATV tours and more depending on where you are traveling to. No matter what your interests are, there is guaranteed to be something up your alley on this type of vacation. (Photo from CruiseCritic)
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