5 Busted Cruise Myths

5 Busted Cruise Myths
By Mike Miller

Cruising is my favorite vacation and I have had the opportunity to be on 18 of them. Because of this, I think the Cruise Myths are interesting so I thought I would talk about the top 5.

​Myth 1: I will get sick

​Getting sick is a possibility anywhere you go whether you are on a ship, a plane, at a resort or believe it or not, Disney.
You are in close quarters with other people for 3 to 7 or even more days so you do need to take some precautions.
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The best way is to wash your hands before and after eating as well as after returning to your cabin from either walking around the ship or especially from being in port. Personally I do this and have yet to get sick on the ship. The most important thing I will say is, it’s very unlikely you will get sick on a cruise. 

Myth 2: Cruising is for old people

​Cruising has become one of the most popular vacation choices for all ages With so much to do on the ships, the entire family can be entertained. Now, there are the cruise lines who cater towards and older crowd like Holland America or Celebrity. But on a summer cruise to Alaska, even on those lines you will find young families cruising. 

Myth 3: Cruises are boring

I can tell you from personal experience, cruises are not boring. Cruise ships are loaded with amenities like the spa, fitness center and pool. Great activities like rock climbing walls on Royal Caribbean and water parks on Carnival and NCL. The new Norwegian Bliss even has a go cart track and Carnival has announced the Sky Zone Trampoline Park on the new Panorama. And almost every ship has Movies Under the Stars.
Indoor activities include trivia, dance classes, IMAX Theatres and even Escape Rooms. Plus all of the bars and restaurants throughout the ships. And don't forget the great shows.
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Let’s be honest, you can be bored if you want to be but you don’t have to. Now, all of this is based on you booking the line and ship that meets what you want in a cruise vacation. That is where an adviser like me can be very helpful.

Myth 4: Food is just a buffet

​This my friend could not be further from the truth. There are so many dining options on cruise ships there would be no way to list them all. I do remember the days when your choices were the dining room, the buffet or pizza, but now, look out.
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There are so many options included in your cruise. Guys Burgers on Carnival, the International Café or Alfredos on Princess, The Park Café on Royal Caribbean and so much more. Plus cruise lines have brought a lot of variety of specialty upcharge dining options like Tapiniaki, sushi, steakhouses and Italian restaurants. In many of the dining venues, while dinner is a charge, lunch is complimentary.

So you will always have multiple options for food while on board. Its actually a great time to try something different. Who can’t say the first and probably the only time they had escargot was on a cruise.

Myth 5: Its too formal

With some cruise lines, Cunard, Regant or Crystal you will find a much more formal atmosphere. But for most cruise lines, they are pretty casual. For the most part during a cruise, men can get away with jeans or khakis for dinner and women something casual. Sorry, don’t have a comparison for women. Most cruise lines will have one of two formal nights but these are not black tie but more a button down for men and dress for women. Some cruise lines like Princess or Holland America you might see a little step up on the dress, while NCL does not even have formal nights. They are completely freestyle.

But you will see a variety of dress on your cruise. As long as you don’t wear shorts to the dining room you will be fine. Its your vacation, not a business meeting. So just sit back and enjoy.
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Of course during the day, shorts and flip fops are fine and suggested. 

I really hope this busted some of those cruise myths you tend to hear from the naysayers out there. Cruising is a great way to vacation and I hope you will love it as much as I do. If you have any myths of your own, feel free to comment. ​

Be sure to check out my Podcast, Vacation Buzz on Spotify, ITunes or Google Podcast. 

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