{"id":211,"date":"2022-02-27T16:28:23","date_gmt":"2022-02-27T16:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/?p=211"},"modified":"2022-03-21T16:56:04","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T16:56:04","slug":"things-to-think-about-before-booking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/?p=211","title":{"rendered":"Things to Think About: Before Booking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cruise Line \/ Ship Types<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are cruise lines to fit every vacationer\u2019s needs (budget, trip duration, amenities and activities, ship size and number of passengers)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Category<\/th>Example Cruise Lines<\/th>Description<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Contemporary<\/td>Carnival, Costa, P&O, MSC, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean<\/td>\u2022 Well-suited for families with children or multiple generations, quick getaways, or young couples
\u2022 Larger ships (2-6k), with more activity options (rock climbing, ice skating, water slides, parties, etc.)
\u2022 Most itineraries are 2-7 days<\/td><\/tr>
Premium<\/td>Celebrity, Disney, Holland America, Princess, Viking<\/td>\u2022 Well-suited for couples or families with older children
\u2022 Mid-range ships (1-3k), often with more sedate activity options (shows, casino, live music, etc.)
\u2022 Most itineraries are 7-14 days<\/td><\/tr>
Luxury<\/td>Azamara, Cunard, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea<\/td>\u2022 Best suited for couples (some do not allow children) and seasoned travelers
\u2022 Small ships (500-1k), often with few activity options but excellent service
\u2022 Most itineraries are 14-21 days<\/td><\/tr>
Expedition<\/td>Hurtigruten, Lindblad, Saga, Tauck<\/td>\u2022 Adventurous travelers can be immersed in unique destinations (Arctic, Antarctic, Galapagos, South Pacific)
\u2022 Very small ships (100-500)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The main focus of this advice page will be on Contemporary and Premium cruise lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Destinations and Schedules<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most cruise destinations are only available during part the year. In general, cruise ships don’t sail to destinations during the local wintertime due to risk of ice. The rough schedule shown below can vary +\/-1 month between different cruise lines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can only sail during a certain time (i.e. due to work or school schedules), know that your destination options may be limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Cruise Ship Cabins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cruise ship cabins have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • A bed (usually a queen or king that can be spit into two twins)<\/li>
  • A sitting area (with a chair or a loveseat and a desk\/vanity)<\/li>
  • A bathroom (with a sink, toilet, and shower)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    The main differences between cabin types are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Overall square footage<\/li>
    • Room configuration (i.e. separate bedroom and living space, shower and tub in bathroom)<\/li>
    • Outdoor view or space<\/li>
    • Associated amenities<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Before you book, make sure to look at the cabin options (and perks) for your specific cruise line & ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"
      Image credit: celebritycruises.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      When picking a specific cabin, check what is above and below it to avoid potential irritants (i.e. chairs scraping on the pool deck or carts rolling in the buffet above, music playing at a club or a smoking area out on the deck below). Also look for nearby items such as stairwells or elevators (noise from other passengers) or crew access doors (noise from carts\/equipment or doors banging).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      Onboard Activities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      There\u2019s an ever-growing list of things that can be done onboard a cruise ship. Not all are available on every ship, so if there\u2019s something you\u2019d love to try, keep that in mind while planning your vacation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Outdoor<\/th>Indoor<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
      pools & hot tubs
      sunbathing
      water slides
      surfing simulators
      rock climbing
      mini golf
      go karts
      dance classes
      zip lines
      walking\/running track
      outdoor fitness equipment
      basketball
      shuffleboard
      ping pong
      lawn games movies<\/td>      		pools & hot tubs
      casino
      shopping
      craft classes
      galley tours
      wine and spirit tastings
      escape rooms
      ice skating
      educational lectures
      the spa (massages, salon, steam rooms, etc.)
      culinary demonstrations or classes
      movies
      theater shows (from Broadway-style productions to comedians to musicians)
      gym (equipment and classes)
      cigar\/smoking lounges

      For the Kids:<\/span>
      Arcades, \u2018Camp\u2019 at sea, parties, baby-sitters<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n

      Deposits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Deposit policies vary between cruise lines; make sure you understand and agree to the terms of the deposit before you book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • Some are a fixed amount (e.g. $250 pp), some are a percentage of the total fare (e.g. 20%).
        • Fixed amount deposits may vary by cruise length or cabin type (i.e. larger deposits requires for longer curises or for a suite)<\/li><\/ul><\/li>
        • Some are refundable, some are not.
          • There may be a fee to have a refundable deposit; check if the math makes sense. (i.e., if it costs $600 to protect a $200 deposit, would non-refundable be better? Can you switch to non-refundable closer to the cruise date?)<\/li>
          • The meaning of “non-refundable” varies. Some cruise lines allow part of the funds to become a credit that can be used on another sailing<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Cruise Line \/ Ship Types There are cruise lines to fit every vacationer\u2019s needs (budget, trip duration, amenities and activities, ship size and number of passengers) Category Example Cruise Lines Description Contemporary Carnival, Costa, P&O, MSC, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean \u2022 Well-suited for families with children or multiple generations, quick getaways, or young couples\u2022 Larger ships […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advice","category-cruising"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=211"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":216,"href":"https:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions\/216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blerdmeetsworld.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}