A cruise in winter, five reasons why to do it: for the price, the climate, the food and much more. Read the post and decide to try a cruise in the low season.
This year I wanted to dispel the myth of cruise as a vacation spot for middle-aged people and that's it. I found many young people, families with children as well and I admit that a few weeks after landing I miss them a little. I took advantage of the month of November to choose to go in cruise on the Mediterranean and to tell the truth the choice was about to fall on Merano for a very short stay and benefit from a spa, but on balance it would have been uneconomical. Not only that, having with us also my 5 year old daughter we immediately realized that the accommodations in the hotel were not exactly "child friendly".
And this is how, thanks to an advertising banner, we chose to spend six days on the Mediterranean on a large cruise ship starting from Civitavecchia. So I want to list at least five good reasons to make one too, especially after the summer.
1. Price
First of all, and it is no small matter, to do one cruise in low season it's definitely economic compared to the warmer months like June or July. This does not mean that the services on board are of a lower standard, far from it. In my case I was also lucky enough to receive a large room of 16 square meters with outdoor balcony (although I paid for an internal one) and this can happen to anyone in the event that the ship, eventually, does not travel full.
Once you are on board you will have to credit your credit card to be associated with your magnetic card that allows you to enter your cabin, drink any drink that is not included in your travel package, participate in events, in short, anything. You could also choose to leave a security deposit in cash, but it is a unique inconvenience. So if you have a credit card, do as I did, but be careful not to overdo the compulsive swiping.
2. Bambini
Having a little girl I was honestly a little worried about how to entertain my daughter while traveling by ship. What if the sea is rough? What if he doesn't make friends with some other child? Will the animators know how to take it? In short, the most trivial questions. A pleasant discovery was therefore the Club dedicated to children, a large area that on the ship I was on included recreational activities from 9 am to midnight. Not just a parking lot, but a place where children were involved in many activities including shows in the ship's large theater. If you want to rest on the cruise, I invite you to take advantage of it because if you also intend to make excursions to the various cities that you meet, sometimes moving without children can be a relief.
3. Excursions
Le excursions are another interesting reason. In fact, every day you will receive in the cabin the daily program with a list of the various trips and excursions, all for a fee for every pocket. I didn't book any either in advance or during the trip. I preferred to use only the shuttle service from the terminal to the nearest point to the centers that were visited, preferring to move independently and select the things to visit by myself. In fact, a cruise gives you the opportunity to visit several distant places in a single trip of just six days. In my case we visited Palermo, then Valletta on the island of Malta, Palma de Majorca and finally Barcelona in Spain. Visits lasting a few hours, I admit, but in our case they were very relaxing and that was enough for us.
Why choose the Mediterranean? I admit it was a gamble and we didn't even care about the weather forecast but going south we were sure to meet good weather, and so it was. We left with a sweater and jacket, but they always remained in the suitcase. In fact, we have always met good weather and I only wore my shirt. Temperatures of almost 20 degrees and we encountered bad weather only on the last day of navigation on the return route to the stretch known as the Gulf of Lion.
4. Food
I didn't think so lots of variety and above all so much attention even to small details. The cruise ship is a kind of mega hotel that churns out incredible quantities of food every day to feed a veritable army of guests. I have no idea how many donuts and stuffed donuts he ate every morning for breakfast, but there were so many. Things that are only done on a cruise. Lunches were also all buffet but at dinner the conversation changed with always elegant waiters to offer you a different menu and table service every evening. I also found a rather high quality of food, we're not talking about Michelin Stars, but try to quickly serve 3000 people in two shifts. And I swear it has never happened that we did not receive pasta cooked perfectly al dente! We have been lucky? Maybe, but now that I have also cleared customs for the cruise vacation I am sure that others will follow.
5. Physical activity
Physical Activity at any time. Unlike when I am at home, this time I had the opportunity to attend the ship's gym for at least five days straight, even twice a day. And this too was an included activity and for which I didn't have to pay anything. Is the gym not of interest to you? No problem, you can choose to get one outdoor running (each cruise ship has its own place) or take advantage of the programs offered during the cruise by the entertainment staff.
In short, there are many reasons to choose a cruise holiday and I could add the sunrises and sunsets in the open sea, theme nights, various indoor and outdoor pools, theater shows, the Spa and cocktails in full relaxation on the deck of the ship. I believe there are more than five reasons.
