5 Reasons Why Cruising Is A Great Value

For many years, taking a cruise for a family vacation was considered an expensive luxury that few people could afford. Most people hardly ever considered a vacation cruise as an option for themselves. Times have changed, though, as more and more people are discovering that cruising is a great value for a family vacation.

1. What you get
The price you pay for your cruise includes a huge number of things. It covers your accommodations (cabin) for the duration of the cruise, all of the food you can eat, and a huge variety of shipboard amenities and activities. A good way to see the value of what you get for yourself is to compare the direct costs of a cruise with the direct costs of a typical vacation. Add up the cost of comparable travel, hotel, food, and activities, you will quickly see that the price of a cruise is indeed a bargain when you take into consideration everything that you get.

2. Shipboard amenities
Modern cruise ships have an amazing array of amenities. Nearly all ships have the expected swimming pools, restaurants, bars, and other common attractions. More and more, though, cruise ships offer other amenities that may surprise you. These may include:

 Wine, cigar and specialty bars
 Ice skating rink
 Rock climbing wall
 Luxury spa
 Modern fitness facility
 Jogging track
 Game room
 Broadway entertainment
 Multi-room staterooms
 Specialty facilities for special needs
 Miniature golf

Each ship is different, so find out the amenities on whatever ship you are considering and select the one that best matches your wants and needs.

3. Shipboard activities
Activities abound on a cruise ship, and it is the rare person indeed who can manage to take part in all of them. There is literally something for everyone to do on a cruise ship, so you can be assured you will always be occupied and entertained.

The list of shipboard activities will vary, but these items are some typical examples:

 Dance lessons
 Swimming pool games
 Shuffleboard
 Ping pong
 Skeet shooting
 Lectures and workshops
 History and culture of ports of call
 Arts and crafts
 Photography classes
 Sports and game competitions
 Scavenger hunts
 Discussion groups
 Mix and mingle hour
 Wine tasting
 Painting lessons
 Clay and pottery lessons

The list goes on and on, and changes regularly. Some cruises are even considered