Some people love small cruises, and the benefits of the smaller ships are often touted. We love them too! But there are many advantages to big cruise ships, and it might be just the right travel style for you. Here are our 10 favorite things about cruising on a large ship:
Endless Entertainment
This is especially close to our hearts because, before Liz became a travel advisor, she worked as a Stage Manager for the epic theatrical shows on ships! But really, there is constant, endless entertainment to discover aboard these big ships.
If you love to be part of the show, you’ll shine with karaoke, game shows, trivia contests, art auctions, casinos, sing-alongs, or group dances.
If you prefer to watch live entertainment rather than engage in it: There’s fabulous musicians, live bands, and top-tier theatre shows complete with pyrotechnics. Certainly, you can never be bored on the big ships – there’s always something going on.
Everything is Planned and Ready to Go
Much like working with a travel advisor, cruising on a large ship takes the stress out of planning your vacation. You know exactly how you’re getting from place to place and you don’t have to worry about it. You know where you’re going to eat each night and you will have entertainment and relaxation all just a few steps away. Combine that with working with one of our advisors to help plan your cruise, and it can be the most stress-free vacation you’ve ever had.
An Array of Food Options
With several different kinds of restaurants on the bigger ships, you can enjoy a different type of food each night of your cruise.
You can go for a fancy evening at the steak house. Or you can chill in shorts and a tee at the buffet. Plus there’s food available 24hrs a day! This fills your trip with the same sense of choice and variety that you might find on a city adventure.
See several locations without having to unpack
This is true for all cruises, but it remains one of our favorite things about cruising. You can see a variety of locations, travel from destination to destination, and experience different sites, activities, and cultures—all without having to unpack and repack your bag more than once.
Big Cruise – Private Beaches
If you’re cruising the Caribbean, Bahamas, or Australia, you’ll find that the ships often have at least one destination with a private beach. Sure, you’re sharing it with your fellow shipmates, but there’s not that oppressive sense of a completely packed beach experience. It adds a bit of luxury to enjoying your beach time – like a luxury resort.
Activities for the Kids
When traveling with kids, keeping them entertained is high on the list of considerations. The larger ships offer Kids Clubs grouped by age. They’ll be entertained and looked after by professionals who love kids. And they’ll be able to spend the week with kids their own age and make new friends. You can enjoy some time for yourself and some time with the family – the best of both worlds!
Freedom to Explore on Your Own
Although everything can be pre-planned, there’s plenty of time to explore by yourself. When you arrive in new ports you can choose not to take a shore excursion and just enjoy free time in the destination. Roam around and spend the day shopping or sightseeing at your leisure.
Anonymity
Some people love making friends with everyone on board, chatting up new friends, and feeling like part of a community. If that’s the case, then a small cruise may be where you shine. But for those who like to keep to themselves, or who prefer to focus their attention/energy on their own cruise companions, then the cruise ship has a great balance. The crew will remember you, and you’ll feel welcomed and taken care of, but you don’t have the need to mix and mingle with strangers all the time. The ships are big enough to offer a sense of anonymity
A destination in and of itself
When looking at the bigger ships especially, they are their own destination. With all the different activities, options, and lounges you could spend a week just exploring everything to do on the ship, let alone exploring the ports. Every year they are introducing larger and larger ships with more bells and whistles.
The Ocean View
No matter how much time we’ve spent cruising, we can’t ever get over that ocean view. The feeling of peace and serenity with water on all sides. Ocean cruises do a fantastic job of giving you the sense of being in the middle of the ocean while still actually being quite close to the next port ( just a few miles offshore, usually).
Unlike small ships or river cruises which tend to have excursions or ports each day, the bigger ships offer you sea days. Days in which all there is to do is relax on board and enjoy the view. It’s lovely to have that built-in relaxation day where it’s impossible to feel guilty for not going out and exploring!
Are you itching to enjoy the ocean on a big ship yet? If you’re interested in finding the perfect cruise for you and your travel style then let us know!
