The day has finally arrived.You arrive at the port to get on your cruise ship.You head up the Gangway and step onto the ship, expecting a perfect vacation.As you explore the ship, you see that several venues are closed and under repair.There are several workers in hardhats working away in roped off areas.Why?Because you picked a cruise that had warning flags that were telling you to avoid that particular cruse.
So what cruises should you avoid?
Inaugural Cruise – It is a brand new ship. May cruisers want to be one of the first ones on a ship.The idea of being the first guests in a cabin excites them. Everything is brand new, including the crew.And that can be a problem. Because the crew is new, they are not used to working together.So the service you receive might be less than stellar.I recommend waiting at least 3 weeks to let the crew work the kinks out.The ship will still look brand new and the level of service should be much better.
The Cruises Before and After a Dry-dock -When a ship is scheduled for Dry-dock, the cruise line wants to get as much work done as possible in the shortest time possible.When they have the ship in Dry-dock, they aren’t making any money.So often the week before, you will see workers already on the ship.Venues will be closed and work will be started.Also, the crew is getting ready to have short vacation and supplies might be low.The week after the Dry-dock, there could still be workers finishing up.Ir recommend staying away from the week before and the week after a Dry-dock.
Short Cruises – The cruise is only 3 days long.What could go wrong?Plenty!Most 3 day cruises are over a weekend and attract more guests that live within an hour or two from the Port.This is a quick weekend away for them.The cruise will often turn into a Party Cruise.There will be lots of Alcohol consumed, people will stay up later and party harder. If you are wanting to just try out a Cruise, I recommend going on at least a 5-day cruise.You will get a better idea of what cruising is like without the party atmosphere.
Spring Break and Holidays – If you are wanting a Couples Getaway, with quiet walks on the Lido Deck, then stay away from Spring Break and Holidays.These are the times that families will take cruises. That means more Children and Teenagers on the ship. For the Couples Getaway, I suggest traveling during the times when the kids are in school.
Theme Cruises – You get on a cruise and find out that there are 300 Bagpipe players on the cruise.They will be taking over several of the Lounges and Venues during the week.Plus the sounds of Bagpipes can be heard throughout the ship. OK, maybe it won’t be a Bagpipe group, but it could be any kind of group.There are sites that I check to see what groups will be on each cruise. It is sometimes best to pick another week instead of dealing with some of the larger groups.
I know how important your vacation is to you.You have worked all year to earn those few days of fun and relaxation, and you don’t want it spoiled by picking the wrong cruise week that could have easily been avoided.I will check these before recommending a cruise for you.Just drop me a note or give me a call when you are ready to start planning your next trip.Or Click Here to let me know you are ready to start planning your trip.
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