How to pick a Cruise & Favourite Cruise Line @julescruisecompanion

One of the most often questions that I am asked is what is my favourite cruise line? Then the 2nd question is how somebody chooses a cruise? I have been on 39 cruises. I have another 6 booked & paid. I have been on 7 cruise lines, NCL - Norwegian Cruise Line, RCI - Royal Caribbean., Celebrity, Carnival, P&O, Princess & Disney. With these cruise lines I have circumnavigated the world, but I have not completed a 103- or 109-day cruise. I have done 3 or 4 transatlantic, only 1 trans-pacific. I have only gone through the Panama Canal & the Suez Canal once. I have done the East Med & the West Med & the Bahamas East Carib & West Carib. No 2 itineraries are the same. I have done the same itinerary on different cruise lines & had a completely different experience. Everybody will have their own criteria of what makes their favourite cruise line. There are ones that I have not yet cruised on that I am looking forward to for example Holland America. HAL is coming to Aust again, bringing more ships. That's going to open the opportunity for more itineraries out of Aust. Even though my favourite ship is NCL Star, you would imagine that my favourite cruise line would be NCL. I have been on Star many times she holds a very special place in my heart. My ultimate favourite Cruise Company is coming to Aust in 2023. I have been on all 4 existing boats, on one I have been on twice, and I've done five itineraries. Disney Cruise Line, of all the cruise lines I have travelled on, is my favourite. DCL is not part of all the other larger amalgam of cruise companies, it's not under the umbrella of Carnival or Norwegian it's a standalone company. The 2 original boats were WONDER & MAGIC. WONDER is coming down to Aust. DCL has expanded their fleet to FANTASY & DREAM. Where the technologic is advanced, I will need to travel to new ones to be able to compare. WONDER will do 3 or 4 out of BNE, a few cruises out of SYD & Melbourne then over to NZ. Yes, it's a higher price point than Aust’s might not be quite used to. You do not have to travel to the US or to the Mediterranean to gain the magic of these wonderful boats. The quality of DCL is worth it, as you are not going to have to put in international flights, accommodation, international travel insurance (always travel with insurance do not leave home without it) A$500/night for an inside cabin. You can have the Disney experience here in Aust. you've got the whole year to pay it off by Sept if it's a Dec cruise. How to choose a cruise? 1. Itinerary. What is your Bucket List? What is your favourite itinerary? What is the thing that is going to excite you the most? If you want to go around the world if you want to go to some exotic places that you would not normally feel safe enough to go to for example PNG. The destination is not necessarily a big touristic location. It is a magical wonderful, interesting & fabulous place to visit. By doing it on a cruise is a very safe way of experiencing that amazing culture. Some of the other itineraries that are out of the way are the Arctic Circle, or the Antarctic if you want to see the Penguins. The itinerary is the major reason to choose a cruise. If it's an out-of-the-way place that is going to be a little more expensive, (Northern Lights or Arctic Circle) you budget, you plan for it in advance, and you set yourself the little targets, and goals so that you can have the itinerary of your dreams. 2. The cruise company. a. Demographics HAL or Cunard older more sophisticated market. Carnival or P&O attracts large family groups & more of a fun time. b. Shorter itineraries less time off work, booze cruises, comedy cruises, c. themed cruisers – Pride, Rock The Boat, Opera, Country music. d. Adult-only Cruise Line – Virgin. e. Disney Cruise Line – with children. Cost & amenities - slides go-karting rock climbing, shows, water shows, rock shows. 3. Price point. The cheapest cruise may not be the best cruise. If a cheap cruise is all you can afford & you want to cruise go for it. Price point should be only a guide on which cruise to go on. If you want to see penguins, you plan it budget it & go on it price point is important but it should not be the most important decision-making process. If there are a lot of people at your party you start saving up. You could ask your family over the year once months & weeks before (instead of gifts for anniversaries can you ask for that value in dollars, I will put it into my cruise fund). You can find alternative ways to fund how you go on your cruise but please cruise price point. Stay Safe & Happy Travels Like, Share & Subscribe for the latest videos My book HANDY CRUISE COMPANION, Cruise with Confidence is available on Amazon http://bit.ly/HandyCruiseCompanioneBook Check out my website http://www.julescruisecompanion.com.au/ Follow me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/julie.burgess.5011 Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/julescruisecompanion/?hl=en Copyright JCC