site logo
0207 980 2845

FREEPHONE   9am - 10pm

  • Home
  • Cruise Advice
  • Find your Perfect Cruise
  • Cruise Deals
August 27, 2013  |  By Emma Smith In Destinations

Choosing a Destination – Part One

Cruise destinations

There are a number of reasons why you might be struggling to settle on a cruise, and I know we’ve covered some of them on this blog before. You should be able to find a cruise line that’s right for you, and hopefully if you’ve read some of our posts you’ll know the best time to book depending on where you want to go (if you’ve not read it, make that your mission after reading this one). But what if you don’t know where to go?

We’ve written on destinations in the past, talking about what’s there to see, but what if you’ve read all of these and you can’t pick between them? Well there are a number of ways you can narrow down your itinerary choice, and here are just some of them:

#1 – A long-held desire

Maybe there’s somewhere you’ve just always wanted to see. Sounds obvious but if it’s accessible by cruise, why wouldn’t you consider it? This is a perfectly valid reason and can sway your decision, but there’s a caveat – a cruise isn’t necessarily going to give you a huge amount of time to explore.

Say for example you’ve dreamt of seeing Rome. You find a sailing that includes a stop at Civitavecchia, so you’re onto a winner, right? But you’re only there for the day, and by the time you’ve transferred from the port you’ve only got the time to see one or two attractions in detail, or a whistle-stop tour of the landmarks. So yes, if you’ve always wanted to see a city or a port, take that into consideration, but don’t forget the nature of a cruise.

#2 – Distance between ports

It depends on your itinerary but some regions have more days at sea than others, just because the ports are further apart. So you need to think about your own personality and what kind of holiday you enjoy the most – if you’re the sort of person who can spend multiple days at sea just relaxing, taking advantage of the on-board facilities, then you’ll be fine but if you get bored easily then you may want to look to voyages in more compact areas.

#3 – Who is travelling

This is another fairly obvious point but consider whether you’re travelling with children, and if there’ll be enough at the destinations to keep them entertained. A number of cruise lines have excursions tailored to family groups, while places with beaches such as the Caribbean are always fun – your only consideration then is getting them there: would they be happy on a Transatlantic cruise or on a flight, or would they simply be bored?

It’s not just children who need extra thought though. A number of cities, particularly those with a heavy medieval influence in the architecture, may be a challenge for anyone with mobility issues. While there are usually driving tours to enjoy, sometimes you just cannot fully enjoy a destination if you can’t get up close and inside with ease.

I’m going to leave this here before I end up rambling for too long, so look out for part two when I go into detail on the types of attractions, travel time and more.

By Ian Lewis
Google

Share this:

Emma Smith
Emma has more than seven years' experience as a writer and has been in the travel industry for nearly five years. She loves learning about new places and cruise ships coming to market, as well as discovering fun and exciting activities to do while you sail. She has cruised with Princess Cruises, Cunard, Celebrity Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Avalon Waterways and Royal Caribbean and is looking to get something in her diary for 2024! Her favourite things to see on a ship include excellent entertainment, a delicious cocktail menu and extraordinary dining venues.

Comments: 2 replies added

  1. Sally Chick September 16, 2013 Reply

    Hello we are thinking of going on 29th dec 2014 cruise we would like to go to soend new years eve on board. Preferably to carribean. Can u help

  2. Simon September 17, 2013 Reply

    Hi Sally Chick and thanks for your interest. I've passed your details on to our Cruise Concierge team, who'll be in touch soon if there's anything they can recommend.

Join in: leave your comment Cancel Reply

(will not be shared)

Previous StoryEnjoy the freedom of Boston
Next StoryMusic Festival cruises

Recent Posts

  • Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess Is Coming To Southampton in 2022!
  • New Ship: Introducing Norwegian Viva!
  • Travel rules ease further with latest Covid rules
  • Cruise Line Testing Advice & Requirements
  • Cruise118.com Wave Award Winners 2021!

Search for Posts

Categories

  • Cruise lines
  • Cruise News
  • Destinations
  • Experience
  • Industry
Magazine WordPress Theme made by ThemeFuse