We all know trying something for the first time regardless of what it is can often be a little daunting. How do you know you are getting the right answers when you have nothing to compare it too? Well, as I have cruised a fair few times now I thought I was pretty well qualified to just give a few answers to some questions that are ALWAYS asked when it comes to cruising.

1: Will I get seasick? –  Not necessarily. Some people do, some people don’t it really just depends on what your body can tolerate. If you cruise during the summer months especially in places like the Mediterranean you are highly unlikely to experience enough movement of the ship to bring on the nausea. If you were to feel a little queasy you can visit the on board doctor who can offer options such as an injection or herbal remedy sickness pills. Regardless though, don’t let this worry put you off. Most of the time you will barely notice the ships movement.

2: Do I have to dress up for dinner every night? – There are various different dining options whilst on board, they can vary per cruise line but usually you will find a mix of informal and smart casual evenings whilst on your cruise. Formal occasions do require you to adhere to the evenings dress code if you wish to dine in the main restaurants on board, if not you can choose the option of dressing down. Every cruise line and ship is different, some offer freestyle cruising where you can dress however you wish, there are no set dress codes. Some offer cruises where almost every evening is formal attire and some put it all together and let you experience a little of everything. Things like this however are made clear on the website for each cruise line so again don’t worry, just do a little research.

3: Do I have to leave the ship at every port? – When your ship docks at its desired location you do not necessarily need to leave the ship, you can quite easily stay on board. I have discovered many people who are under the impression that you must disembark during port days when in fact there is an ever growing trend of people opting to stay on board rather than go ashore.

4: Can you get a 2 week cruise holiday? – A lot of people interestingly think cruise holidays are extremely long and not something you could typical do in a “2 week break from work” in fact cruise holidays actually offer sailings from 2 nights all the way up to and far beyond 100 nights. During the summer months 2 week cruises are far from scarce, you are more than guaranteed to find your perfect 2 week cruise without much hassle at all.

5: Do cruise ships only sail to exotic climates? – Cruise ships visit many different countries all located in many different parts of the world. Yes cruise ships visit hot and exotic islands but they also visit places like Norway, Alaska, Iceland and Russia, not exactly the typical hot sunny holiday stop but something more visual and historic with many sights to see and places to discover.

6: Is a cruise good for kids? – Cruise holidays are quite possibly the best form of holiday for a family with children of any age. The on board kids clubs and designated youth services staff really are worthy of an award. On more or less every ship you can find designated children’s areas where they are occupied both day and night. In fact you may well forget you are even travelling with youngsters as the facilities offered for them are so well equipped.

7: Will I get bored on sea days? – There is more than enough to do whilst on board your cruise ship, today’s cruise lines offer a fantastic array of facilities and on board activities. These vary per cruise line and specific ship but examples can include Ice Rink’s, sports courts, swimming pools, gymnasiums, spa facilities, organised games and events. You can choose to do nothing at all or you can choose to do as much as humanly possible. This again is the beauty of a cruise and you shall never be bored, not even for a second.

8: Will my cabin be big enough? – Cabins on board cruise ships are spacious and very comfortable. Even inside cabins offer ample space and storage for the most claustrophobic of travellers. Of course you have many stateroom choices and as your choice increases so does the size of you’re on board personal space.

9: Are cruise holidays very expensive? – Cruising is not expensive. In fact if you were to compare the cost of a family cruise against the cost of a family beach holiday you may very well be surprised to see that the difference is either nil or very minimal. Cruising really is exceptional value for money and your food and entertainment are included in the initial cost of your fare.

10: Do I have to fly to meet the ship? – No not necessarily, it really depends what kind of cruise it is you wish to do and with which cruise line. All cruise lines offer no fly cruising but it simply depends on your location in the world. If you live in the UK there are hundreds of cruises each year departing from ports all over the country. Southampton, Newcastle, Dover, the list goes on. If you would prefer not to fly then your choice is certainly not limited.

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Author: Danielle