Why cruising over other holidays?

[Mav1960]

If you had to sum up in a few words why you choose cruising over other holiday types, why would that be?

 

If you spend more money cruising than on other holidays, why is that?

 

I'm in the process of working with a major cruise line at present and would love to provide them with your feedback.

 

Thanks

 

Mav

[soccerref]

Chance to see new places, unpack once, well looked after, plenty to do or not....my choice, feel safe on my own, good service, value for money, generally like minded people. That's about it for now!

[lady_cruiser]

I get to see and experience 3 or 4 different cultures and get to stay in the same cabin and unpack only one time. People who cruise are more willing to sit and talk, sometimes for hours, to people they don't know unlike people who will find sharing the same hotel lobby you're in.

[Warm Breezes]

When we are choosing a vacation we look at all our options land and sea. I can normally find cruise vacations below or at the same cost I can a land vacation. Most of the time when making a decision the cruise wins out. Having said that, we find ourselves wanting to switch it up every once in a while, especially when we have done multiple cruises in the past year and choose a land vacation for something different. Like we are doing this year. But that doesn't stop us from looking out to next year and starting to plan another cruise vacation.

 

My 2 favorite places to travel are the desert/mountain areas of the South West and the ocean. Anytime I can book a vacation to one of those 2 places I'm happy :D. BTW we are heading to Tuscon, AZ this fall. Got a great deal on a Townhouse for a week from my boss in a silent auction at work. Great reason for taking a cruising break. But I also just started looking at cruise options for a family vacation next year Christmas time:p....and if I happen to find a deal on a short cruise that fits in our schedules between now and then for an adult getaway, I wouldn't put it past us to go for that too. We just can't stay away from it for long.

[marco]

Living in the northeast US, escaping to the Caribbean in the winter on a cruise, when all is said and done, is considerably less expensive then flying to a Caribbean island for 10-14 days, no one island offers enough appeal to stay there for that length of time, and for that time of the year, the destination is not as important as the fact that it's going to be 80 degrees and the sun is shining.

[NMLady]

We look at itinerary and price, then choose based on that regardless of dates.

[GaryT-UK]

I like the fact that you are effectively in a 4 or 5 star floating hotel, where you wake up in a different place every day, and every night have wonderful meals and a wide choice of entertainment. It has every benefit of a land based hotel, and often more, but with the added variety of multiple destinations.

However I also like to take land based holidays to visit places that need more than a couple of hours to see at their best, or sometimes because you can stay in a hotel/resort for a much cheaper price.

I'd pay more for a cruise because of the perception that almost everything is included, and there is an element of luxury that you only get in more expensive hotels, whereas on land I might be happier to settle with a cheaper hotel. But even so there is a limit to how much of a premium I'd be willing to pay for that luxury, as with anything else in life.

Edited June 11, 2014 by GaryT-UK

[iancal]

We spend more money on land travel. We get to see much more of what we want to see.

 

We like to cruise but for us it is only one of many vacation alternatives. They compete for our vacation dollar.

 

We live in the snow zone. More than once we have opted for an all inclusive to Cuba or Dominican Republic because of the overall price/value when we take into account the cost of flights/hotels to get to the cruise. Or the ease of getting on a plane at our home city and arriving directly at the resort airport vs changing planes once, getting into a hotel, and then boarding the ship the next day.

[Sue Do-Over]

Check in once, unpack once.

 

Took a bus tour through Ireland, and we were so sick of standing in line for room keys, dragging our luggage up the stairs, unpacking enough for one night, and cramming it all back in the morning, dragging it back downstairs and lining up to get on the bus AGAIN. Unfamiliar room, shower, bed and bathroom. Seriously, even having the light from the window from a different direction disrupts your sleep patterns. Always worried about leaving something behind in the safe or on the nightstand.

 

In our cabin, we can settle in. If I think I'll wear a top again, I can hang it up to air out, rather than cram it into the luggage with the other dirty clothing and smelly shoes. I don't have to remember which bag I put my medicine in, or to cash in my poker chips before leaving the casino.

 

Short answer, we spend our time enjoying the vacation, not managing our belongings.

[cruiserking]

We love cruising for many reasons, mostly it is an enormously relaxing and stress free way to travel.

 

There is nothing like strolling up the gangway and knowing instantly that you are on vacation.

 

It is quite magical to be transported to different cruise ports throughout the world without having to pack and unpack multiple times and check in and out of hotels.

 

There are a wealth of activities to do aboard the ship, we love meeting new people and have forged some long lasting friendships with several particularly those we have met at our dinner table.

 

Just being on a ship is a wonderful exciting feeling, strolling the deck, looking out over the vast horizon, spotting distant ships, dolphins and the first twinkling lights of the next port as our mighty ship steams toward her berth.

 

Whether they are new ports or ones we have visited before the excitement is in the journey, it never gets old and we look forward to each new cruise with equal pleasure and thrill.

 

Jonathan

Edited June 11, 2014 by cruiserking

[SeagoingMom]

The sea, the sea, the sea (different than the beach, as in "resort".) Also unpacking once. Ship is "home," but mobile, and every day is different.

[boulders]

I

 

I'm in the process of working with a major cruise line at present and would love to provide them with your feedback.

 

Thanks

 

Mav

 

Major cruise lines already monitor Cruise Critic and they know why their customers cruise.

[OCruisers]

With school age children it is the only time to take a 10 day cruise in the winter.

LuLu

[wwcruisers]

Some folks (and not just teachers) get part of their defined vacation days over the Christmas/New Years holidays. :cool:

[Keith1010]

If you don't have family to spend the holidays with it's a nice time to be with others cruising on a holiday cruise.

 

Keith

[geoherb]

We like cruises for the convenience--unpack once--and that don't have to worry about the cost of meals.

[navybankerteacher]

If you had to sum up in a few words why you choose cruising over other holiday types, why would that be?

 

If you spend more money cruising than on other holidays, why is that?

 

I'm in the process of working with a major cruise line at present and would love to provide them with your feedback.

 

Thanks

 

Mav

 

We are fortunately able to choose cruising in addition to, not over, other holidays. When we do cruise, it is often combined with "other" - say a week in Rome before a trans-Atlantic. Cruising does offer the sea, a chance to sample (often for frustratingly brief visits) new places, the sea, an essentially all-inclusive vacation at a bargain price, the sea,, the ease of just having to unpack once, and the sea.

[OCruisers]

If you don't have family to spend the holidays with it's a nice time to be with others cruising on a holiday cruise.

Keith

 

Over the years we met many who cruised over the holidays for that very reason.

A cruise provides a feeling of belonging and friendship that a resort or other land vacation would not.

LuLu

[cruisead]

FYI, I don't think the OP is asking about cruising over the holidays. The question is, why do you choose cruising over other kinds of holidays/vacations, such as land base trips, camping, car trips and the like. The OP is from the UK, and their word holiday is the US word vacation. So, I guess the OP is asking why we choose to take a cruise rather than another form of travel.

 

We choose cruising because my husband is disabled and it's the easiest way to travel. We arrive, unpack once, easily see other locations.

[calliopecruiser]

If you had to sum up in a few words why you choose cruising over other holiday types, why would that be?

 

If you spend more money cruising than on other holidays, why is that?

 

I'm in the process of working with a major cruise line at present and would love to provide them with your feedback.

 

Thanks

 

Mav

 

For the absolute calm feeling of being at sea in the middle of nowhere. When I want to visit someplace, I take a land vacation, so the port stops mean very little to me. I like being at sea.

[OCruisers]

FYI, I don't think the OP is asking about cruising over the holidays. The question is, why do you choose cruising over other kinds of holidays/vacations, such as land base trips, camping, car trips and the like. The OP is from the UK, and their word holiday is the US word vacation. So, I guess the OP is asking why we choose to take a cruise rather than another form of travel. We choose cruising because my husband is disabled and it's the easiest way to travel. We arrive, unpack once, easily see other locations.

 

You're absolutely correct! Thanks for pointing out the OP is from the UK!

LuLu

[Velvetwater]

1. I like to go to different places in one holiday

 

2. Cruising the more mainstream lines is actually cheaper than all inclusive land holidays.

 

3. I love the ocean/boats/being at sea

 

4. I like the freedom of being on a ship with everything being done for you and entertainment at all hours.

 

I see you are from the UK and I know how booming the UK cruise market is ATM. May I suggest a major cruiseline does a 'Carnival' and offers cheap shortish cruises to Spain and back...heck even Carnival should do it. I have friends who cruise but many people I talk to still think cruising is stuffy and think it is expensive. Doing cheaper Med cruises sailing from the UK would draw a large crowd and give Holiday makers a new option/look on cruising.

Edited June 14, 2014 by Velvetwater

[dorisis]

We are addicted and Betty Ford Clinic can't re-hab us. And if they could we wouldn't want to be.

[port msp]

On a cost per day basis, cruises are a great value. I'd be hard pressed to get similar transportation/accommodation/food/entertainment for anywhere near the same cost on a land-based vacation. As soon as I'm onboard, I'm no longer responsible for the logistics of transportation, food, or entertainment. I like that I can do multiple activities offered each day or do nothing at all. I like the "big boat" aspect of cruising, and especially enjoy seeing other ships at sea or in a working port. I like that I get to see an interesting place each day, then return to my quality accommodation for relaxation and a good meal, watch some entertainment, go to bed, and wake up to find that my floating accommodation has taken me to a new and interesting place. I only unpack once and don't have to spend time each day repacking my belongings, wondering if I've forgotten something. I enjoy sea days, sitting on my balcony, watching the world go by. I really like the behind the scenes tours on the ship and talks given by ships officers.

[Ehpride]

1. Seeing several places while having a home base.

 

2. Value

 

3. People can't reach me.

 

4. Waking up to the ocean off my balcony.

 

5. Relaxation. I am so not a camper

 

 

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