Trying to choose which vacation will be next can be overwhelming? Drive or fly? Resort? Cruise? Tour? Where?
Choices are great, but they can also be maddening. On a recent national news program, the guest contributor advised people who are thinking of booking a vacation to research their destination. While I do encourage clients to review the choices I recommend, good travel agents spend a lot of time researching options. Those agents try to stay up to date on their most popular destinations as well as other popular travel topics. When something happens (storms, unrest, etc.), we usually hear about it right away and keep clients informed. It almost seems like that guest contributor on the news think people have the luxury of time to stay on top of updates like these.
Let's consider cruising as one broad example. Great! You want to take a cruise - what type of cruise? Ocean or river? There are six major types of cruises for each - budget, mainstream/contemporary, premium, luxury, ultra-luxury, and expedition. What about the vibe or atmosphere? Party all the time? More quite and relaxed? Trust me on this one - make a choice without thinking of even these most basic criteria can keep your vacation from being what you are wanting.
What hampers many people from trying a cruise is the fear that they won't be comfortable onboard. That's understandable when there are thousands of people all trying to get lunch at the buffet on embarkation day. But it doesn't have to be like this. On many cruise lines, the buffet is one spot - but so are the food outlets around the pool. Some cruise lines even offer a sit-down option in a restaurant where you are served. Are you traveling with family? Will the kids be entertained? Travel with family too much and prefer to avoid kids?
So many questions! Where does one start? I'm happy to provide a new publication - Nauticus! Within the magazine, the major categories are broken down, and overviews of 3 different river cruise and 24 ocean cruise lines help summarize the line and where it fits. Trust me, this is just a taste as there are even more options. Get your free copy here.
