The World At Your Window

When it comes to travel, a cruise wasn’t necessarily top of my holiday agenda, but I was pleasantly surprised, writes Tracy Hargreaves

I’ve recently returned from a 15-day cruise holiday to Dubai and India. Not something I had considered before, but I thought I would give it a go. My perception of cruises was that it was expensive and for the older generation who had retired and just enjoyed a relaxing holiday.

I couldn’t be more wrong, our cruise had a wide range of ages from young children to 80+ and included families and couples, solo travellers and groups of friends. We opted for the drinks package which saved us money and as well as doing some shore excursions, also chose to do some trips independently. What struck me was that all the people we spoke to were avid cruisers. Apparently once you’ve experienced a cruise, you never look back.

So why is that? Most travellers love exploring new cities, and, on a cruise, you can get to see several countries in one holiday and with hundreds of ships and itineraries to select from, there is a cruise line and a cruise ship to suit most traveller’s dream holiday. You may only get one or two days in a port, but it will give you a taste of whether you want to return for a longer stay in the future.

Once you’ve planned your destination, most cruise lines will let you choose options on shore excursions, spa treatment and dining options before you arrive, so you can simply get on board and relax. You will also get to meet the most interesting group of people. I enjoyed listening to all the stories people told over dinner, of their travels, their top tips of places to go and things to do.

Several of my fellow passengers had done as many as 27 cruises and had visited almost every country in the world.

Travelling can take its toll if you are visiting different destinations and staying in hotel after hotel, wondering what clothes to take, but on a cruise, you only have to unpack once, plus you have the added benefit of having the same bed whilst you are away.

Your view changes daily and you get to see the most spectacular sunsets. So, what’s not to like?

Decide where you want to visit and do your research. Check out all the cruise ships that visit that destination and look for the best deals, get recommendations of operators if possible and ask what is included in your package. Some travel companies will offer discounts towards treatments or excursions.

If you haven’t tried a cruise before, give it a go. It’s a different experience, but one I will definitely be trying again.

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