Cruising – A General Overview

Cruising aboard the “Love Boat” was something many enjoyed on television every week a few decades ago. While many cruised while on their couch other actually went to the port and boarded ships to sail the waters around the world. Cruising has grown by leaps and bounds not only out of the USA but around the world and more recently out of Asian ports. Cruising tends to be a great way to vacation where you are entertained while moving between various ports so you can sample various areas of the world. It is of course not an in depth vacation at a single destination though.

Cruising is an experience many really enjoy. This is because you turn the transportation to the final destination, the ports of call, into an exciting experience for everyone aboard. With onboard entertainment, dining, and many other activities available cruising offers many opportunities for everyone to have loads of fun.  Cruising is ultimately a means to get from where you embark to several fun ports of call and to a disembarkation port. The embarkation and disembarkation ports may be the same or may be different.  As part of the transportation many fun activities are offered. Further the ship offers shore excursions to help you have a great experience while in the various ports of call.

Cruising is a unique vacation because it offers the chance to board your transportation and then unpack and begin enjoying the vacation while on the way to your destination. Not only do you unpack and begin enjoying yourself, you get to do so one time and not have to repack until your cruise comes to an end. This makes seeing several destinations much easier. Further because the cruise is set up to entertain as well as transport, you will get an opportunity on most cruises to go casual or dress up depending on what you are involved in doing or what dining experience you are taking in.

The cruise experience is not a vacation that can be experienced anywhere other than on a cruise. Even the best land based resorts can’t deliver a cruise experience because the land resort stays in a single location. They can do a fantastic job of delivering the same service levels as on a cruise, but just can’t move you between islands every day. (It doesn’t even need to be islands, it could be historical European cities or the major cruise ports of Alaska.)

Cruising is available to all segments of the population. It is definitely not for the nearly dead and newlyweds only. With different cruise lines working to attract different segments of the cruising population as well as selected segments of the non cruising population there is a line for everyone.  Families have several big lines focusing on that demographic while others focus on luxury and primarily upscale adult cruising. Thus, everyone can cruise. In fact the cruise lines and other vendors have made it possible for those with physical impairments to fairly easily cruise as well. (I’ve seen sign language translators aboard to help passengers recently on a Princess cruise, and know a few years ago one was paid by Carnival to be there to assist my niece.)

I have seen and booked cruisers who travel solo, as retirees, as families, as young newlyweds, and even some who have commented that they hope they live long enough to make the cruise they had me book them eight months out.  All kinds of different people regularly book cruises.  Girls weekends, religiously affiliated friends, and just friends who know each other travel together on cruises. It is a great way to spend some time reconnecting with friends.

Cruising, much like the people who cruise, offers a wide variety of destinations. When most people think about cruises the first place to come to mind is the Caribbean, which is probably the most cruised destination. The Mediterranean is another area very frequently cruised. Mexico, the Middle East, Alaska, Hawaii, Asia, South America, and Northern Europe are all other destinations where getting a cruise is not too difficult to see. Some more difficult destinations but still viable cruise options include India and Africa. Both though are gaining popularity as cruise destinations.

Again, like cruisers and destinations there are plenty of different cruise lines. They differentiate themselves in an effort to capture different market segments. Of course there are usually more than one line that focuses on specific market segments so there is competition among lines for the same cruisers, making for generally better cruise experiences. There are family oriented cruise lines more commonly in the industry called mass market lines. They tend to have the biggest ships and largest fleets. Then there are several more upscale lines which tend to serve a more refined crowd focusing on service levels and food quality more than hitting the most popular destinations. They also tend to sway the onboard experience towards the culinary and higher service level experience.  For the really upscale experience there are various levels of luxury cruise lines.

In addition there are several specialty cruise lines available. These include lines focused on specific destinations such as Alaska where they get to the outback of the destinations. These lines focus on passengers who are most interested in seeing the areas not visited by the big ships. Other boats include paddle-wheelers on US rivers and long boats sailing rivers in Europe, Russia, Asia, and Egypt. Together these specialty lines offer some great unique cruise experiences for those who want the experience offered by the destination above what a huge ship experience offers.

These specialty ships and cruise lines tend to offer different cruise experiences as well. They often get to out of the way areas and explore town and cities not explored by other cruises. The river boats get you into the heart of many cities far from the coast which allows more time to explore these neat places.  In Alaska there are a few small ships which spend tons of time in areas only visited by small ships and private boats allowing much more unique wildlife viewing etc...  Additionally, some lines offer special cruises highly focused on culinary experiences where the guests get significant interaction with the chefs. These chefs are often aboard and hail from the corporate culinary team.

While at sea on these special cruises or on regular mainstream cruises there are always plenty of options. Of course you can relax on any of these cruises. On many there will be plenty of time to worship the sun for better or worse. On scenic cruises there is usually tons of opportunity to view wildlife and beautiful scenery as you sail by.  Culinary demonstrations, galley tours, swimming, movies under the stars, the disco, trivia, athletic competitions, and many more activities occur on sea days and even port days. Thus, it is ultimately up to you what you want to do on any given day.  You can almost always work out every day on the ship running laps around the deck or using the ship’s gym.

When you arrive at the ports of call there will be tons of tour options. These are typically sold by the cruise line aboard the ship, and in some cases they can be bought ahead of time. Other vendors also offer up the opportunity to book shore excursions in some areas ahead of time without going thru the cruise lines. The other option is to book the excursion directly. On these shore excursions there are endless options for what you can do.

Shore excursions range from beach visits to America’s Cup sailboat racing. Ultimately where you sail and what you like to do will dictate what you will choose to do in most ports. There are so many options and they vary so much based on what part of the world you visit. One of my personal favorites is the Salsa Salsa course in Cozumel. There is also a cooking class at Playa Mia which was tons of fun.  Equally fun has been fishing in Alaska and various flight seeing trips we’ve been on there.  Shore excursions are available to fit pretty much everyone’s needs and desires as well as pocketbook.

Cruising is a great way to see the world hanging out with the same crew and passengers most of the cruise. You get to unpack once while visiting different ports and enjoying different experiences on the cruise. While onboard, you will find plenty of activities in which to participate and entertainment for you to enjoy. The dining experiences vary by ship but generally are very good and varied. Overall a cruise vacation is a great way to have a nice vacation at a good value price. Cruising comes in various luxury levels to fit most needs as well.

What is the best way to know more about the ship I am considering for my vacation?

So you have booked a great cruise and want to know more about where you are going and the ship that is getting you there. These are all fair things to want to know more about. Numerous sources of information exist that will help you learn more about the ship and specifically who is on your sailing. Some sources are great and filled with highly accurate information while others are filled with rhetoric and a push to sell ancillary services. Some sites have lots of information but with the good is just as much bad and misleading information.

The best way to see information specific to your ship is the cruise line web site. Each cruise line has a website with maps of the ship outlining various venues as well as diagrams of most cabin types. That is not to say your cabin layout will be an exact match to the diagram, because many are a flip (mirror image) of the diagram. They are though generally the same size, just with beds, counters, and doors on the opposite side. The balcony generally is in the same place though.

Some websites have been created by individuals with more information about cabins on various ships, be it a class of ship, each ship in a fleet or some similar grouping of ships. These usually have photographs and comments from passengers who have sailed in those cabins or suites previously.  Personally when we booked two Royal Family Suites on Enchantment Of The Seas a few years back, we were able to find a set of photos someone posted of the cabin we were going to use. It helped build excitement for the trip as I was able to circulate the link to the pictures among family members ahead of the family reunion at sea.  These kinds of finds though are somewhat rare and are the exception not the rule.

To get answers to specific questions about your cruise, amenities offered to you on the ship, etc…generally again going to the cruise line website is probably your best option.  Most cruise lines have a FAQ section on their website full of useful information.  Often it’s found in the plan your cruise or pre-cruise section(s) of their web site. The information there is provided by the cruise line thus generally more accurate than what you will get from general information cruise related chat sites.

As I mentioned before, there are various sites where folks chat about cruising. They also offer advice and answers to each other about cruising and specific cruises. These sites offer mixed levels of accurate information, depending on who is answering and their actual level of expertise.  More likely than not if you post a question eventually you will get an accurate answer, but you may not know what answer is correct. Of course then you have to decide what answer was correct. Also, you will see many answers where there are mostly opinions or what happened on one ship which is contrary to policy so may not happen on other ships. Because the information can be spotty and some questions generate a firestorm op different opinions, these sites while helpful to an extent are not the best place to hang your hat on every answer that comes up.

Your best information again, is found on the cruise line websites and they should be your second source of information after your trusted travel agent who booked the cruise for you or will be making that booking.  I do not suggest calling agents for information only and not using them for the booking, as that is stealing their time where they could be helping folks who want to book.

We will gladly talk about the ships and assist you to pick the right ship for your next cruise.

Is it safe to sail during Hurricane Season?

Sailing during hurricane season is not all bad. In fact it can generate some cheaper cruises at times. Cruise ships are large enough and generally built with a good stability that they are still safe in bad weather. Of course no cruise line sails into a storm instead going around and otherwise altering course to provide for the highest level of passenger comfort and safety as can be afforded the passengers.

Hurricane season runs June to November. This is on the Atlantic side. The season runs a bit earlier on the Pacific side, however seldom are cruises impacted by hurricane type storms in the US based Pacific Ocean cruising areas.  This may seem like a long time of year in which we can encounter hurricanes and yes that is true. However, generally in the Atlantic most of the storms are spotted in August thru September which is the peak of the season, statistically speaking. Storms have been known to occur before and even after the season, it is a function of favorable weather for the formation of the storm.

The cruise lines for economic reasons not completely directly related to the storms, move a large portion of the fleet to other areas most notably Europe during the Summer Season. Other ships are moved to Alaska which is an area not affected by hurricanes as such. Thus, the bulk of the fleet is out of the Tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea where hurricanes are most problematic to US interests and that of cruisers. Thus, there are fewer ships to be impacted by such a storm. The remaining ships in the Caribbean region do have plans in place and plenty of help in their corporate offices to modify schedules as needed.

Most hurricanes come thru both the Lesser and Greater Antilles, depending on exactly when the storm moves from a tropical wave to a full-fledged storm status. Some then go up along the East Coast of the USA while others come thru the Gulf of Mexico hitting the USA, Mexico, or countries of Central America.  Thus, we can and often do see storms coming into areas where the cruise ships sail. More often than not they affect either the Eastern Caribbean or the Western Caribbean areas at one time. A single storm may affect first the Eastern and then the Western Caribbean but generally not at the same time. Due to their affect on one area at a time, avoiding the storms is not too difficult.

The cruise ships are fairly stable, but they instead use their advanced systems to navigate around or out of the path of a storm where possible. Despite the stability of the ships, it is far better to just avoid the storms and this can lead to missed ports, and rarely shortened or lengthened cruises. Ultimately passenger as well as crew safety are most important so changing around, adding and dropping ports is all part of the changes you will see. It’s permitted by the passenger contract so ultimately nothing is owed by the cruise line for the change. Just keep in mind the Captain wants to get home to his family in one piece as well.

Sailing into or thru a storm may seem like it would get you to the port you expected to see, however because sometimes hurricanes grow rapidly and have unpredictable winds and wave action, that is just not a safe idea. To further the thought of danger from sailing into the super rough weather, one has to consider that rescue could be difficult if something went wrong and bad weather tends to increase the risk of an accident happening. Thus sailing into or thru a storm is not a wise idea.

Some will say sailing during hurricane season will save some of your premiums. Although this may be true on select sailings aboard select ships the overall theme of late is that hurricane season sailings to the Caribbean are no less expensive and some weeks are even more expensive than most every other time of the year. Much of this is a function of the cruise lines moving ships around where they can generate the most profit and leaving few in the Caribbean forcing higher prices to the cabins left for sale.  This is not as good for the consumer but is good for the cruise lines.

Ultimately one has to consider that there are risks when sailing during hurricane season. Those are bad weather and changes to the itinerary to avoid the worst or storms or avoid visiting damaged ports of call.  Thus, if you are deadest on seeing specific ports it is important to understand hurricane season can force changes for the safety of the ship, passengers, and crew which is ultimately the captain and cruise lines 1^st priority.

Cruise Fares, When is the typically best time to book my cruise?

When to book a cruise to get the best price, that is a question I hear often.  The generally most accurate answer when looking across the board for all cruises is that booking them when the cruise is first released for sale generally gets the best fare. There are some exceptions I will explore here as well.

Generally most cruise lines come out with early booking fares that are as low as you will see for most cabins on most sailings. They do this to encourage folks to put down some money to secure their cabins.  This is also when you have the best shot at securing some of the best cabins on the ship.  Both agencies setting up groups and folks who know they want select cabins book in the first couple days a particular sailing is listed.  If you want one of the prime suites on the ship, such as the Presidential Suite, or Royal Suite on the Freedom of the Seas, typically they need to be booked in the first couple of days they are open for sale.  That is not to say these cabins can’t ever be secured closer to sailing, but it is a rare find.

Some cruise lines regularly sell a lot of their cabins when the sailing is first announced.  Disney is one where when they announce new sailings cabins become short in supply very quickly. Many of the sailings operate on a fully refundable deposit basis, so other than tying up some money in a deposit, it’s in most folks minds not a big deal to grab and later release a cabin.  If you think you want to sail a route and can swing the deposit money being tied up for a while, securing you cabin early is worth locking up some money.  If you consider the increase in cost for the cabin, it often represents a great return on your money having the cabin booked.

A number of luxury cruise lines have pricing programs where as a select number of cabins sell all of the prices for the ship go up at a predetermined percentage level. The number of cabins for the first rate increase is often reached fairly quickly after release of the sailings.  There are some lines that offer a single price from start to finish, but these are rare sailings and typically start out quite expensive anyhow. The reason they don’t change prices is the minimal number of guests makes it nearly impossible to offer different prices among the few cruisers on their small ships.

If you plan to sail a group, it is usually a very good idea to work well in advance so you can secure a block of cabins at the very best prices as the cruises are first put on sale. Over time as the supply of cabins dwindles, the prices for new bookings climb. For those who secured their cabins ahead and the groups they keep their lower prices.

Some folks say, at least on certain lines, it’s best to wait for last minute deals. Although on select sailings it is possible to snag a great deal at the last minute, that is the exception, not the rule.  Some cruise lines will put on sale those cabins they want to move to fill up a ship. Most often when those cabins go on sale they are not the best cabins you may want as your cabin on a given sailing. Often the cabins on sale are in only specific cabin categories, so if you have your heart set on a specific category, you may be disappointed by waiting.

Recently, I booked myself in a junior suite on the Mariner of the Seas and then the next day looked for a client what was available.  The same cabin had gone up $100 per person after I booked my cabin. I see all the time where cabin prices increase and seldom see where cabin prices drop. Most folks I know are in the same boat, usually seeing cabin pricing increase instead of decrease.

The key, if you know you want to sail book early and lock in the best price. Just check the terms of the deposit if you may need to change sailings to ensure you can get the full deposit back if needed.

What happens if I get sick on the ship?

Most ships have onboard medical facilities. Thus, when someone becomes ill or gets hurt there are facilities aboard where they can seek treatment. This is usually an area well marked on maps of the ship’s layout.  Also, a quick call to guest services or in some cases 911 will get you help or directions to the ship’s medical facilities.

Norovirus, a collection of stomach flu type virus illnesses, is one things that sends many folks to the medical facilities. Most cruise lines will evaluate and treat those with norovirus at no charge to the passenger because they tend to spread among passengers when the ill are not quickly and properly treated.

Although ships have medical facilities, it is not an open invitation for the sick and severely injured to travel by ship expecting treatment while at sea. In that kind of situation advanced communication with the cruise line and ship is needed to ensure the care needed while on the cruise will be readily available. Also, if you get injured while on shore on a shore excursion, it depends where you are traveling if you will be better seeking care in the port or back on the ship. Again, it boils down to the ship is not running a full specialty clinic or emergency room but instead hosts a clinic prepared to help in emergencies and treat most basic issues that your primary care doctor would see.

The ship and cruise line typically has arrangements with one of the telemedicine providers back in the USA, much like airlines have, where they can get advanced treatment information as needed. This may include assistance arranging medical evacuation from the ship where needed. In these cases the evacuation may be by air or thru an unscheduled port stop depending on many different factors.  These factors include the needed care and what will get the needed care most quickly for the sick or injured crew member or passenger.

What to do is you get sick on the ship; first if it is something beyond what you can treat with the over the counter medicine you bring with you, go to the clinic during normal hours (it is less expensive than an after-hours visit) and get evaluated. Just because you are sick doesn’t mean you will be treated differently by the crews. Then take the treatment and get well so you can enjoy the rest of your cruise.

If you get hurt and need help getting to the clinic let the nearest crew member know or call 911 on a ships phone. This will begin an emergency response to the scene of your injury allowing the crew to assist you to the clinic for evaluation and management of the injury. Again, the ship may consult shore side physicians for advanced advice and assistance facilitating advanced care as needed.  If the physicians agree an immediate evacuation is needed the Captain of the ship gets involved as a nearest port will be determined and possibly if near US waters a call to the United States Coast Guard will be called into action. There are even cases where the US Navy has assisted getting passengers off the ship to definitive care. Air evacuation is of course a last resort situation.  At least in the US there is no charge by the US Coast Guard or Navy for their assistance, although in foreign countries it is possible a charge will apply.

Buying a travel insurance policy is very important when traveling on foreign trips. They may provide primary coverage for medical care on the ship in addition to helping cover the cost of medical evacuations as needed which can be really important. If you are taken off the ship in a foreign port and have to be evacuated back to the United States it can be a very costly endeavor, thus the insurance is critical.

If needed on most ships you can get medical care for illness and accidental injuries.

Do we have to dine at specific times?

Very few ships these days restrict dining to only specific times. Most ships have several dining venues so there are alternative venues where you can dine at alternate times. Some ships offer the ability in part of the dining room to dine whenever you want within a set of hours. Also, most ships offer room service throughout the cruise.

Years ago there were specific formal dining times but as the cruise ships have grown to attract a wider passenger audience, we have noted a growth in the number and variety of dining venues on ships. The food experience onboard a ship is something cited as one of the most critical elements of a cruise for many of the guests.

Ultimately when you book a cruise, you tend to pick between a couple dining times where you have an assigned table. The table could be just for your family or for as many as 12 passengers from all over. The ship does try to match your ages and other factors with the other passengers selected for the same table so you may be able to carry on a conversation. It can be hit or miss though.

More recently the advent of anytime or my time dining has come about on many of the ships. This allows you to enjoy the main dining room without herding like cattle into the dining room at one of the set times.  Specialty restaurants as well as the buffet offer more alternatives. Then add in grills and pizzerias as well as other cafés around the ships and you now have so many choices from which to choose and most are open extended hours so it is possible to get food pretty much around the clock when you want to eat.

Of course for those who want to stay put and have their food brought to them, there is always room service. If you are in a full suite on most ships you can get a course by course deliver of your extended menu room service meal. Thus, you do not have to dine just when the cruise ship tells you to dine. Enjoy your abundant dining options while you cruise.

How is immigration handled in each port?

The immigration of passengers into each port of call and the final destination port are of concern to some cruisers. Typically it is a process which takes place behind the scenes. The ship typically has hours between ports in which the guest services crew is able to send advance arrival lists to the immigration authorities in each port well in advance of arrival.  This allows upon arrival a very fast clearance of the ship’s passengers to go ashore.

In some foreign ports (non-USA that is) each passenger will be provided with and must retain a landing card which is their tourist visa. These are most typically collected upon arrival back to the ship allowing a very quick count of # of visas distributed and returned to see if anyone is trying to overstay their visit. Of course anyone having an emergency while ashore is handled somewhat as an exception.  These ports tend to be in areas of the world where cruising is more of a new phenomenon and are infrequent.

Immigration issues are also one of those things that differ depending on where the passenger is from, as those from the USA face one set of immigration rules while those from other countries have totally different immigration rules. These rules vary on who must have an immigration/visitor visa when they visit a particular country. Also, it may be that some countries require a lot more work to get a visitor visa than is required of countries. Those with USA passports typically have among the easiest time getting VISAs issues ad needed for stops nearly anywhere in the world. There are a few places you can/should not travel on a USA passport though, and cruises don’t typically go there.

In most ports the passenger will never even know how their immigration takes place. In the Caribbean an official will come aboard the ship and look over some overall ship records and clear the ship or single out specific passengers. As I said before typically with advanced notice of who is arriving, any specific issues can be addressed fairly privately and without any real issues allowing folks to dash for their shore excursions. This is one thing that makes sailing the Caribbean so nice for many persons. In fact in some places arriving with just the minimum paperwork to sail a closed loop cruise from the USA will not even be enough to get you into the port should you arrive any way other than by cruise ship.

On Caribbean sailings typically travelers, with few exceptions, will retain their own passports. In some cases certain foreign passengers must surrender them to officials when traveling to certain ports. Generally though cruising the Caribbean is so well set up that it flows seamlessly for the passengers. Sail out of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and other places around the worlds and often you will be handing over your passport to the ship’s authorities for handling in each port. This helps make the immigration process flow much better than if each person had to queue up and go thru immigration on their own.

What is important to know though is what the immigration rules are for your arrival into each country you visit. Don’t assume that the cruise line will ensure you have them ahead of time, you must be sure you have all of the proper documents for your trip. Also, if you book well in advance be sure to double check the documents requirements shortly before the cruise to again make sure you have all of the proper documents.  Your travel agent can help you with this as well.

Can I get on and off the ship at alternate ports?

For those who want to cruise but think they can’t get to the departure port or who need to get off early, the question often comes up can I get on late or off early. There is however no simple answer to this question. It tends to vary based on what ports are involved, most specifically the departure and arrival ports for the ship. (The two ports being, where the cruise officially begins and ends.)

Ships sailing out of embarkation ports in the USA have special rules to follow. There are laws on the books which prohibit foreign flagged ships from taking passengers from one US port to another port for hire.  To add some clarity, taking passengers who remain on the ship is permissible, thus we have all the Alaskan Cruises.   What is not allowed is sailing passengers for pay from Anchorage to Seattle which is why you see the ships embarking and disembarking in Vancouver on the Southern end.

Round trip cruises out of and back to the same US port are permissible so long as if they stop at a port, a foreign port is included in the mix. Thus the round trip Alaskan cruises out of Seattle stop somewhere in Canada.  US flagged ships such as those owned by American Safari Cruises can depart and go to any US port they want without the same restrictions. NCL’s Hawaii based cruise ship is essentially the same situation where they have a US flagged ship serving the destination.

Since most of the cruise ships are foreign flagged (that is a whole different blog post) I will focus the answer there.  Most cruise ships with advanced notice of the special need for downstream boarding or early disembarkation are able to work it out. The key is that you are boarding in a US port and getting off in a foreign port or vice versa.  There are other cases and countries where you can’t get on or off at alternate ports like with the US. 

You will find many one way sailings between foreign ports and even transits of the Panama Canal. Notice though that the Panama Canal transits almost always you stop in Aruba which is one of the nearby distant foreign ports where ships can stop that allow then for one way transports between US ports by foreign flagged ports.

If you miss your ship catching up later is usually possible except on most Alaskan cruises sailing round trip from Seattle.  However, missing your ship and playing catch up can be a costly affair, hence the need for travel insurance.   Getting off early usually can be arranged. You just have to work it out ahead of time and make sure it is not in another US port than where you boarded.  Of course if it is a medical emergency there are provisions for paying a fine if it were enforced in the time of a medical emergency.

Who cruises these days?

Today cruising is for everyone who can afford a cruise. I clarify because short of being able to pay for a cruise there is no reason every personality can’t find a cruise that suits them. Cruises can be for small groups or large groups where you just blend with the crowd.

I personally enjoy the venues offered by the large ships but also really like the cozy feeling of smaller ships with fewer passengers.  Cruises for me can be all about being active or relaxing depending on what else is going on at the time. Thus like me depending on what experience someone wants out of their vacation time different cruises may fit the same folks at different time.

As I said there are cruises for nearly everyone. In fact there are even cruises for folks with specific medical needs. In these cases specialized medical staff travels with the cruisers who are suffering from the medical conditions.  In these instances a “regular” cruise is transformed for the ill. Generally though, it is a function of the medical team picking the cruise and advertising it to this unique passenger population.  There are even cruises put on for Make A Wish families where a cruise was requested. Specifically Royal Caribbean is one cruise line that specifically supports the Make A Wish Foundation both raising funds and helping ensure those families cruise.

Cruises take place from departure ports and to destinations around the world. Thus , those looking for a big adventure to specific areas of the world are typically able to get such a cruise by consulting with a knowledgeable cruise agent, such as Brooks Cruise Services.  Such an agency knows how to pair up what a specific cruiser wants out of a cruise to the cruise that best fits their needs. It is this specialized cruise knowledge that allows a cruise agent to help everyone cruise.

There are 3 night cruises to the Bahamas over the weekend which are well suited to the crowd who wants to party. On the opposite end of the cruise spectrum an around the world cruise is a great option for those financially well off, retired or otherwise who have tons of time on their hands and a sense of adventure towards seeing many new places or revisiting places they have seen over the years.  In between there are cruises for adventure and cruises for relaxing and cruises where it can be considered one big party. It is a function of the ship and destination that can make the difference.