21/04/2024
Anyone else in their cruising era? I now can help plan and book your cruise vacations for you! Boston residents and locals, did you know you can board cruise ships right in Boston? For select ships and locations you can embark on your cruise without having to worry about booking flights!
I wanted to share some tips and info about cruising with you all...
✨Documentation - most cruise lines allow you to cruise with a birth certificate (and I always recommend bringing a marriage certificate along as well showing your name change from what is on your drivers license vs your birth certificate. This works for "closed-loop" cruises that leave from and come back to the same US port. HOWEVER, a passport is HIGHLY recommended. If there was a reason that you needed to get back to the port a different way than the ship, a passport is needed.
✨Supply and demand - Cruising is at an all time popularity right now, and gone are the days of "last minute deals." Pricing is based on supply and demand, so your best price for a cruise is going to be further out when there are more rooms available vs waiting until not many rooms are left and pricing has gone up due to the demand. If you haven't cruised since restrictions were lifted post-pandemic, it is very different.
✨Know what is most important to you in a cruise - Cruise pricing will vary across different lines and ships, and I am a big believer in "you get what you pay for." Some lines may advertise attractive rates, but not as much will be included or it is an older and smaller ship with not as many activities onboard. There are ships for everyone - some are best for families, while others are more quiet and relaxed with few kids onboard.
✨Length of sailing and destinations - For 3 and 4 night cruises from Florida, most cruises will visit the Bahamas - Nassau and the private island of that cruise line (Royal Caribbean - Perfect Day at CocoCay and for Disney - either Castaway Cay or Lighthouse Cay). Most 3 night cruises go Friday-Monday and 4 nights are typically Monday-Friday. & night cruises are going to have 3-4 stops (sometimes 5) and from Florida will either be Eastern or Western Caribbean for 7 nights. 7 night cruises usually are Saturday-Saturday or Sunday-Sunday If you want to go deeper into the Caribbean, we would look at a 9+ night cruise or going out of somewhere like San Juan.
✨All cruises must visit an international port - this is why you will never see a cruise that only goes to ports in the US. For Alaskan cruises, at least 1 port will be in Canada (same for New England cruises). Cruises from Florida will visit Mexico or the Bahamas typically.
✨Always arrive the day before your cruise and stay near the port the night before. Trying to arrive the day of your cruise can be super stressful, and all it takes is bad traffic or a slightly delayed flight with weather or a mechanical issue to throw off your travel plans. The ship doesn't wait for late arrivals, as they have a strict timeline they have to stay on.
✨There is always something to do on your cruise! At all hours of the day, there are multiple activities to choose from. There are shows (Broadway style, comedy, and some ships have ice shows and aqua shows), karaoke, trivia, mixology, silent disco, characters (Disney), crafts, kids clubs, etc. There is always something to do!
✨Ports - when your ship is at a port, you will typically have 7-8 hours there. During that time, you can book an excursion for an adventure on the island, walk around the port on your own, or stay on the ship and enjoy the amenities. You can come and go at your own leisure, but don't be late getting back on!
Cruising is an amazing way to travel, unpack once, and see multiple destinations in a short amount of time! Remember - I can book cruises on Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Norwegian Cruise Line and Virgin Voyages!
