Land vs Cruise Holiday

Cruises are the new black, the new in thing which everyone seems to want to do, and when you look a little further into what a cruise travel entails, you can totally understand why. Food included, drinks at very little cost on top, the chance to visit several destinations in the space of one vacation, and low, low prices compared to just a few years ago.

What’s not to love?

Of course, everything has a downside, and not everyone gets on-board with the idea of a cruise. Personally, I’m very torn on the idea, because I love my land-based vacations, with the ideal opportunity to truly experience a place to the max, and immerse yourself in the culture and way of life; how can you say you’ve been somewhere when really you’ve only visited for a few hours? To say you’ve truly ‘been’ somewhere, you need to have experienced it in a much deeper way. But i also love the serenity a cruise break brings, the wind, the gorgeous sun rise/sets over the endless ocean, the lively on board parties, the chance to meet all kinds of people from all around the world.

Of course, it’s all opinion-based, and there is certainly room for both regular vacations and cruise vacations in the travel world. So here’s some pros and cons of Cruise travels.

Pros of Cruise Travel

-Relatively Cheap all-inclusive prices

Most cruises offer all-inclusive prices, which means they provide you the basic meals on board such as breakfast, lunch, dinner which is included in your ticket price. Although you you would have to pay extra for meals outside of the selected time slots and allocated restaurants, the allocated restaurants on board usually carry a pretty decent spread that would satisfy almost everyone. So even if you have to pay slightly more upfront, you have to keep in mind that you are in fact paying for your accommodation, food and transport all in one which sums up to be relatively cheaper as compared to just booking an airfare ticket alone.

-A very different kind of getaway experience on a floating castle across the ocean

It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe if you haven been on board a cruise. It is really an experience like no other. Unlike a land holiday where you have to plan your itinerary and transport, being onboard a cruise, you literally have nothing to worry about. The captain takes care of the steering and all you have to do is kick back, relax, soak up some sun and enjoy the wind in your face.

-lots to do on board (casino, shopping, arcades, live shows, parties, swimming pool)

Most people have this misconception that they have to be coupe up in their room for the entire journey only to reach their destination bored and cramped up. But cruises have come a long way since the Titanic days. Cruises these days come equipped with casinos, bars, arcade area, shopping, live shows, golf putting area, sports rental (i.e pingpong soccer ball), boardgames rental, massage spas and a swimming pool that allows you to tan 13 stories up in the middle of the sea. It’s one for the whole family.

-beautiful deck with the wind in your face coupled with the view of a beautiful sunrise/sunset

There’s really not a sunset/rise that’s more spectacular than one seen on a cruise. It’s a scene from the movies as you see that little ray of light rise up from what seems to be an endless ocean. With nothing in sight to block your view, you can just stand there and admire this magnificent marvel of nature.

-option to disembark or not whenever the cruise reaches a particular country

Most cruises travel to a few islands/countries and you really dont have to visit them all if you dont want to or if you just want to spend more time on board. You can choose to stay on board or disembark (via a lifeboat if it’s an island).

Cons of Cruise Travels

-Living quarters are relatively small

This is the part where it does get alittle bit titanic-ish. Having to fill up the ship with so much entertainment, living quarters are generally small and hostel like. You can pay more for the higher end rooms such as those that offer a balcony with it, but i generally don’t do that cause i spend more time outside of the room than i do inside.

-May get bored after extensive periods on board the ship

Despite the extensive array of things to do on board, it does get abit boring after 7days or so on the ship, cause after all, as massive as it is, you are stil wandering on board the same ship with the same things to do. This is also applicable for multiple cruise holidays. It is a fresh experience if you have never done it or haven;’t done so in a long time, but if you have been cruising on board the same ship with the same cruise liner, you probably know what to expect and chances are they haven’t changed much since your last cruise trip.

-Cruises usually only travel to nearby destinations

A plane gets you from one point of the world to another. But cruises don’t generally do that. They often have limited selected ports they do go to and are mostly within the region. They travel at limited speeds and would probably take 3 days to get to a place you could have reached in an hr if you flew.

-Limited time in the country

Cruises generally provide you with the option to disembark when they reach a port and provide you with a time to return. The time given ranges from a few hours to a day and that’s usually not enough to fully explore a particular country. It slightly defeats the whole traveling as a traveler instead of a tourist theory.

Cruise destinations are growing by the year, with ever popular Caribbean cruises being top of most people’s wish lists. There are countless routes to choose from, with the option of a cruise and stay vacation, giving you the best of both worlds. Many cruise and stay breaks take in Orlando or Miami for a few days, or maybe even a week, before embarking on your cruise around the glittering Caribbean islands.

If the Caribbean doesn’t float your boat, how about a Mediterranean cruise? Greece, Italy, Croatia, Turkey, the Canary Islands, Spain … the list goes on, and the culture in this part of the world is simply mind-blowing – perfect for anyone who wants to mix history, architecture, culture, and a laid-back vacation all into one.

If you want to go one step further, you can cruise the Far East too. This is truly a once in a lifetime break, and although it will take a little more logistical effort, and probably cost a lot more dollars, what you see will stick with you forever.

If you are disembarking from Singapore, there’s a variety of cruises to choose from as well, but I personally prefer Star cruise with destinations such as Langkawai, Phuket, KL, Rendang etc to choose from.

To find out more about the countries you’d be visiting on this expedition of wonder, check out our Singapore travel blog to learn a little more.

The main perk of a cruise travel if you haven’t already got it, is of course the cruise ship itself, almost like a floating holiday resort, with swimming pools, entertainment, theaters, countless restaurants, and even mini malls, with plentiful activities to keep the kids occupied too, meaning a relaxing break for mom and dad.

You can see now why a cruise vacation is a popular choice!

Of course, you have to weigh up the pros and cons mentioned, and whilst cruising is gathering popularity, land-based breaks will always be the top choice. Why? Like we said earlier, you have freedom to explore, and if you’ve always wanted to head to a particular destination, having time to see it inside out is probably more advisable than taking a bite-sized chunk, as you would do on a cruise shore excursion.

Which will you choose?