Cruising Further Afield From The UK
July 26, 2019
Whilst the cruise industry continues to grow and thousands of first time cruisers take to the seas every year, there are still millions of people out there who are yet to try this form of travel. You might be sitting there right now, asking yourself if a cruise holiday is right for you, and you're not alone. But how are you to know if you would enjoy a cruise holiday without diving straight in at the deep end? Here are a few ways to help you decide.
If you have friends and family members who love cruising, or have tried it and found it wasn't for them, they are the perfect place to start. Ask them what they love (or hate) about cruising and see if the things they come up with would also affect you in the same way. Granted, cruise converts may be a little bit biased, but as your family they will be honest with you. Also, you are much more likely to trust the opinions and recommendations of someone you know and love over someone on a TV programme or even a travel agent.
If you want to know whether you would enjoy a cruise, you first need to decide why you choose to go on holiday. Do you travel to try new food? Have new experiences? Meet new people? Or simply to lie back and relax? Once you have established what it is you enjoy about any holiday, you can start to relate this to cruising.
The desire to see more places in one trip, the need to balance relaxation days with adventurous ones, and a willingness to try local food are all good indicators that cruising will be right up your street. Establishing your needs will also put you in good stead when it comes to potentially booking a cruise. Your chosen travel agent will be able to use this information to find the ideal cruise line, ship and itinerary for you.
If you have never cruised before, the chances are that you won't have even set foot on a cruise ship. Well, there are ways to take a look around some of the industry's best vessels without having to part with large sums of cash. Cruise lines such as P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Cunard all offer ship visits when their vessels are docked in UK ports.
This is an opportunity for you to climb aboard for the day to get an idea of what it would be like on board. You can see if the cabins make you fell claustrophobic, you can see if the facilities you require are available and you can even taste what the food would be like, as lunch is often included. There is a small cost of between £25 and £50 for these days (depending on the cruise line) and dates are usually listed on each operator's website. It really is a great way to see what you can expect from a cruise holiday.
If you are starting to think that a cruise may be just what you need, there is no need to go straight to booking a two-week jaunt to the other side of the world if you don't feel comfortable doing so. There is a wide range of short mini-cruises, sometimes called taster cruises, available so you can sail away for just a few days and see how you get on.
Plus, with the technology available in this day and age, you may not even have to leave the country to experience cruising. Royal Caribbean now use VR headsets in their offices to give potential customers a first-hand view of the ship's facilities. Donning the HTC Vive headpiece, you will view live action footage from the vessels and even get to try some of the activities available (virtually of course). All of this is yet another way you can effectively 'try before you buy'.
So, if you have decided to take your first cruise, we have a wide range of itineraries available. We can help you find the perfect introduction to this wonderful form of travel and help you fall in love with cruising like millions of others around the world. Call us today to take your first step.
