Do you think the title of the blog-post is an oxymoron? A few years back, so did we. Vid and Savi, circa 2009, would have scoffed at anybody who suggested a cruise holiday as an ideal getaway for a young couple. We used to think we would be dead bored aboard a cruise ship. Today it is our favourite kind of holiday. Read on to find out what changed us.
Our first priority is travelling to new places, and seeking new, off-beat experiences. Both of us enjoy backpacking and flashpacking. But it’s no secret we also like the finer things in life-then again, who doesn’t? No wonder once we discovered cruising, we were hooked. We’ve been on 4 cruises in the past 3 years, and each one has been better than the last. Here are a few pictures from our latest cruise, aboard Costa’s Costa Mediterranea, along with our top 5 reasons for youngsters, honeymooners, and adventure-seekers to consider cruises:
#1 The View or should we say THE VIEW
We’ll let the pictures do the talking
Imagine waking up to that everyday. Even typing that puts a smile on our faces. But there’s more- how about a nightcap on one of the decks with the ocean for company?
#2 Waking up to a new place everyday
The thrill of waking up to a new place everyday is second to none. It’s a strange feeling to bid goodbye to Istanbul in the evening, and wake up to Athens the next morning. Believe it or not, cruises are the best way to access non-traditional destinations, including Papua New Guinea, Alaska, remote parts of Russia, and unheard-of Caribbean islands. Cairo, Luxor, Sharm-El-Sheikh, Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, Istanbul, Haifa, and the Lost City of Petra in Jordan are just a few of the exotic ports we have visited on cruises.
Some people might argue that a day is not enough to explore a city, but we feel a cruise gives you a sample of the place, and if you love it, you can always go back. Over the years we have become quite good at planning a “day-trip” from a cruise ship – something we shared in how to explore Palma De Mallorca in a day.
#3 Gourmet Dining
This is our favourite part about cruises- there are endless dining options. While breakfast and lunch are enjoyable, it is the sit-down dinner that is the proverbial icing on the cake. Every night, guests aboard the cruise ship are treated to a seven-course sit-down meal. The menu is crammed with only the most luscious offerings. The food manages to be inventive and delicious at the same time. The chefs never fail to deliver – don’t be surprised to find a Michelin-starred chef on board your cruise.
The best part? All your meals are included in the price of the cruise (even the tips), so you don’t have to worry about footing the bill or tipping waiters.
We hope these pictures give you a taster (pun fully intended) of what to expect on a cruise ship. In fact, we love the dining experience on cruise ships so much that we penned down an entire article on Fine Dining on Cruise Ships.
#4 Excellent Value for Money
Contrary to popular conception, cruises offer great value for the budget-conscious vacationer. You get accommodation with fabulous views, superb dining options, Broadway-style shows, access to numerous gyms, jaccuzzis, and saunas included in one fantastic package. Prices start as low as ยฃ250 for 7 nights- you should just know where to look.
#5 Making Friends
If you like hostels for meeting like-minded people, and stay away from hotels for fear of being ensconced in your own room (and world!), cruises are for you. They are a perfect place to meet fascinating people from across the world. The bars, night-clubs, casinos, and cafes on cruise ships provide a perfect opportunity to mingle with other guests on the cruise ship. Who knows when you might find your doppelgรคnger from halfway across the world?
There you go- Bruised Passports’ top 5 reasons why you should be considering a cruise holiday. So far we’ve converted a lot of our friends. We hope you’re next in line ๐
Need help packing for cruises? We have a handy guide for the ladies
Leave a comment below if you want more information on how to make the most of ports where ships dock.
Great post guys. I have been on a cruise on board Star Virgo. Though it was a cruise to nowhere, I totally recommend the experience. Would love to try these cruises where the ship actually docks at various interesting locations. An Alaskan cruise should be wonderful too. Love the view from your room in the first pic:)
The view was fabulous- hated leaving that cabin.
do tell where beginers like us should start the world being our oyster
There’s loads of entries coming up- hopefully they will inspire you to travel to loads of new places this year ๐
Great post – I love cruising and think it’s a really good-value sociable holiday
Ian we couldn’t have agreed more ๐
Such an amazing experience you had! And really great photos of Savi.
It was amazing, Alex! Not as good as the yacht club though ๐ We are off on a week long cruise around the Mediterranean next week and can barely wait ๐ Glad you enjoyed the post and photos. Cheers
This sounds really interesting! And makes me want to change my plans and do cruising!
Do it, do it, do it Megha ๐
I relived my Cruise trip had back in 2006 sometime! …. Good food … Blue see without any ship (u know how is Singapore).. good food n shows … casino! ๐ But it really had for me now to convince my ‘ex-sailor’ to go in sea.. counting on ur blogpost now~! ๐
Ashima would love to know whether our post was successful ๐
I always wanted to work on a cruise ship! This piece just makes me want to do it more!
Ooh that would be terribly exciting – at least for a couple of years, if not more ๐
Savi need a low down on your petra travels ๐
Sukanya we wrote 2 detailed posts on Jordan (Petra and Wadi Rum) just last week. Do look them up. Let me know if you need any more help ๐
Wow, your photos are amazing, I’m totally sold! What’s the best way to find cheap deals on cruises?
Hi Siobhan,
There are plenty of cruise comparison websites out there like iglu cruises, cruise deals etc. – sometimes the companies themselves have great deals and offers so it’s best to go to the cruise line’s website first ๐
Hi Savi n Vid
Just came across your blog today and find it just amazing. I am a travel freak and always looking for new options to travel to. Your blog offered a lot. For now I am looking for a cruise in Asia and any travel destination that too in Asia. And I am looking for something like happening and romantic place. Can you suggest me for the cruise and the destination. And which cruise should I look for???
Hi Shelka,
We haven’t done any cruises in Asia except for a river cruise in Myanmar. We’re aware that there are some cruises from Singapore on Star cruises, but we have no personal experience with those unfortunately. In terms of destinations, you could look at Bali if you want a good mix of “happening” and romantic ๐
Love your blog. We are going on a cruise trip to alaska next month. So came across this blog and wanted to feel the real experience from you guys. But I couldnt find any information related to Alaska cruise. Am I missing something?
Hey Rehana – we haven’t been on an Alaskan Cruise yet. Sorry we couldn’t be of more help on this one ๐ However you can read our packing guides for the Arctic Circle and Iceland if you need tips on what to pack for Alaska
HiSavi & Vid, how do you get 250 Pound per person deal ? Mail me that if you don’t want to publish openly. Is this rate of Balcony cabin ? We are friends with family & two digit age children , who are visiting Europe first time. But, my friends are saying no for cruise for sake of staying at one port of call for less than a day and incurring sight seeing costs. They don’t find cruise value for money. But, your suggestion on getting best deal on cruise that might convert them.
Hey Vinay,
We keep a lookout for cruise deals (by researching online, subscribing to cruise websites’ newsletters than often have freak deals). It also depends on the time of year that you visit – it’s possible to get great deals in off-peak times but impossible during busy months like August and December
We had our recent first cruise experience. It was fabulous. Planning for a second one soon. ๐
When you went to Caribbean cruise recently, did you go to Grand Cayman ? Do you know if there is a visa required for Indian passport holders to visit Grand Cayman?
Hey Ravi,
So glad you enjoyed your cruise ๐
Yes, we did go to Grand Cayman on our recent cruise with Carnival cruises – you don’t need a visa (as long as your ship leaves the country within 24 hours of arrival).
Have a great time ๐
Hi Guys, I enjoyed reading your post on cruises and it really makes me want to do one now!
Would you have any cruise route suggestion for March 2017? cold climate is fine.
Also, i was trying to find the MSC preziosa that covers Turkey like the one you mentioned, but in vain. Could you please throw some light on where it was booked from?
thanks in advance !!
Hey Divya – the same ships keep moving around the world on different cruises. So the Preziosa might not be around Europe this year if you can’t find it. Just look up Mediterranean cruises on other ships on the MSC website ๐
Thanks for sharing such great information. It is really helpful to me. I always search to read the quality content and finally I found your post. Keep it up, keep posting!