Most likely your first cruise was experimental to see if you would enjoy cruising. Like me, you probably made many mistakes that you plan to correct on future cruises. One of the first questions I always ask people I meet is why they cruise. As you can imagine, there are a number of responses. Below are some of the categories that I have defined.
Caribbean Cruiser
These are the folks who just want to spend a week at the beaches of the Caribbean. They are often comprised of families or group of friends, which makes the Caribbean cruise easy. This group wants to lie in the sun, party, and has little interest in learning new cultures. Generally, the Caribbean cruiser is limited to a 7-day vacation and wants to get as much relaxation and unwind time in as possible. I think that most of us have started out as a Caribbean cruiser and, over time, evolved. While there is nothing wrong with cruising the Caribbean, the primary goal of these cruisers is relaxation and fun in the sun. Cruise lines have gotten very good at providing the proper environment for these purposes to unwind and enjoy their time at a very reasonable cost.
Destination Cruiser
This cruiser is looking to experience new destinations, learning as much as possible about the history and culture of the destination. The destination cruiser seeks itineraries that have new ports of call, exotic itineraries, and overnight stays, when possible. They are not hampered by the need to cram a cruise into a 7-day vacation schedule – they are seeking new and exciting locations. Depending on the destination, the number sea days may greatly exceed the number of ports. These cruisers look for ships that offer destination talks, educational seminars, and, of course, good entertainment.
New Ship Cruiser
When new ships are built, they tout many new features. It can be fun to take a cruise on one of these ships to experience the new platform. I will have some future posts on my experience with new ships. In this case, a “new” ship need not be a newly built ship but could be one that is new to the cruiser. For example, my wife and I cruise on the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas, Regal Princess, and are scheduled to cruise the Celebrity Edge next year. Our objective on each of these was to experience a brand-new cruise ship that was touted as having unique features. I must say that each had its own unique personality. We also recently cruise on the Cunard Queen Victoria and are scheduled to cruise on the Queen Mary II in the near future. Our objective here was to understand the different experience that is offered by the Cunard lines. In the case of the Queen Victoria, we were also exploring new destinations.
Relaxation Cruiser
Some people just want to get away from everything for a week or so. A cruise is like going to a resort with a good spa. Not only do you get the standard pampering of nicer room, great food, wonderful service, and top-notch shows, but you can also take advantage of some of the best spa experiences, great views for laying out in the sun, and exotic reading locations. Some ships, like Cunard lines, have serious dance activities for the hard cored ballroom dancers. This category of cruiser is not so much concerned about the number of ports, but is focuses on the shipboard experience.
“Snowbird” Cruiser:
I have created this category after traveling on the Queen Victoria, where a majority of the passengers were on the ship for over 50 days and most for the full 88 days of the cruise. This was their vacation to get away from the cold weather. I have met persons on many cruises who are taking 30 or more days to get a break from their home environment. Why I have never had the opportunity to take such a long cruise, I know it requires the ability to settle into a daily routine.
Of course, most of us are Hybrid Cruisers. That is we cruise for different reasons base on what is happening in our lives. Normally, my wife and I fall into the Destination Cruiser category, but we also like to try new ships. We have gone through our Caribbean phase and have not yet reached the snowbird stage.
Take a few moments to take our poll and let us know what kind of cruise you are.
