My overseas travels to date have been with land guided tours. I like the ‘immersion’ in a foreign country, being there day and night, for example looking through the hotel window, in the middle of the night, at the busy traffic and the many people around a kiosk on 6th Av. N.Y. And going out on my own, before the guided tour starts, and watching people going to work in Tokyo. And after dinner in Malta to see the many eating places illuminating the foreshore. For me, the ‘local culture’ explorations add to the experience of the ‘must see attractions’ included in the tour.
However, I’m considering going on a cruise next. It might be more comfortable and relaxing? Shore excursions, although much more expensive, could be combined.
Are passengers packed tightly causing some risks to health? Is the environmental impact greater, contributing to a lot of pollution at sea?
What are the pros and cons in your opinion?
I have not been on either of these travels. However I have a friend who has discovered cruising and loves it. She’s active, inquisitive and a people person. Her husband is still active but not as keen on new things as she is.
They love cruising because it is cheap, you unpack once, you can go back to your room any time, participate to level you want. They started with a Round Australia cruise, then moved to pacific islands and further. She does the off-boat tours, but he would rather read a book on board. We have other pensioner friends who cruise frequently.
They appear to love the interaction with fellow travellers and the variety of entertainment. I don’t know how it all works, but it appears everything is paid for in advance with no need for money. One told me $100 day all inclusive. They go for the cheaper rooms, sometimes sharing eg 4 bunk beds.
Seasoned travellers get to know others and arrive with their ukuleles, craft projects etc. They keep in touch between cruises. She has just taken two grandkids cruising for school holidays, thus avoiding one parent having to take time off work.
The downside, which they have not experienced, are health problems. Even cruising off the coast of Australia leaves you outside Medicare, so you should have Health Insurance to cover the cost.
Indeed. Not to mention the fact that contagious illnesses are able to spread rapidly in a confined space like a cruise ship. Norovirus outbreaks are very common on cruise ships, for example.
Not a downside per se as some like the onboard experience more than the journey, but read about port calls very carefully. American friends from high school days did a 3 month (eg premium, expensive, the once in a lifetime experience) cruise with a 1-day port call in Melbourne. We could catch up but I could not find where their ship was scheduled to berth in Port Melbourne vicinity.
I finally discovered the ‘Melbourne port call’ docked in Geelong. I told them to get a train because of known travel times between Melbourne and Geelong, and met them at Southern Cross. We had a great and full day catch up; I showed them around the CBD, local colour and highlight tourist spots. Everyone else on the cruise who elected for the ‘day tour of Melbourne’ spent most of the day on a bus in traffic crossing the Westgate and only got to see the Shrine of Remembrance and Kings Domain before they had to head back to Geelong in traffic. Alternatives offered for the day included the city of Geelong and a visit to Geelong area wineries but for those expecting to see Melbourne reports were there was a near mutiny the pax were so unhappy with the unexpected arrangement and were provided compensation - not that it improves a missed ‘once in a lifetime’ day.
If one wants to experience local culture and foods, pre-organised excursions are unlikely to provide this to satisfy many. Often they are sanitised, go to places that they want to take you often set up or suitable for the tourist trade.
Pre-organised excursions also have limited benefit to local communities. This is because everything is arranged and due to the size of the excursion groups, more boutique or locally owned establishments aren’t visited. Excursions may not see as much as doing it oneself, as often they are taken at a slower pace to cater for slower moving passengers.
The other downside is one might find the time spent at some places visited too long while others are too short. And some places only the key attraction is visited rather than the whole premises (example being a temple only, rather than associated outbuildings, museums, grounds/gardens etc).
Pre-organised excursions however provide convenience, certainty and security to those who may not be seasoned travellers. They also allow one to fill in time when at port, with little thought or self organising.
It depends what sort of traveller one is. We are more independent travellers and prefer to see that we want to see in our own time, rather than being shuttled around by others hoping it is something which takes our fancy.
If travelling by boat on a cruise - one most likely will spend more time on the boat than taking in the local culture, scenery or events. Something the more socially inclusive or family orientated seems to enjoy. The feedback is it’s more about how one gets to the destination than what’s at the destination. There are avid cruise takers in the extended family. The down sides if any are being wise to the choice of cabin, and being prepared for ‘mal de mere’. Possibly due not only to the motion of the boat but that of the glasses at the bar and relatively cheap duty free.
We prefer to fly and maximise our time away on the ground. Researching a destination - Trip Advisor, Lonely Planet Guides, and on arrival the local Tourist information services (free) allow us to match our preferences to the day, weather and mood. Interests are sometimes serviced by talking a whole or half day guided tour. If compared to the two officially organised OS visits I can relate to - UK and S-Africa, much depends on the company of like minded travellers. And the selected highlights each day.
