First off, decide what interests you in cruising: The sites you will see, relaxation, onboard activities. This will lead you to a decision on whether you want an ocean or river cruise, a destination cruise, or a mega ship (much more unique activities on board).
We have cruised many, many times in Asia, Europe, and the South Pacific. Our cruises are mostly ocean cruises, but 3-4 have also been on rivers. When we go, I am interested in seeing the great sites of the world and trying to immerse myself, and understand, local culture. That said….
We have yet to do a transatlantic cruise. For someone who wants to relax, it should be perfect. We sailed around Cape Horn, through the Straits of Magellan and up through the Chilean Fjords. That was “too much” at sea for me, even though there were majestic vistas all around us. I am looking to try an ocean crossing, but think I want to sail from Buenos Aires or Rio, crossing through the doldrums to Africa and ending someplace in Western Europe. This should be smoother seas and less days at sea.
We have done one Caribbean cruise and that was enough. There are some, but few great historic sites, and the departure locations lead to more families. Large cruise ships abound here with plenty of on-board activities if you want them, but I don’t. Safety on some of the islands seems to be becoming a bigger issue.
The Mediterranean is wonderful. Fall asleep after seeing the pyramids one day and awake next to Roman ruins the next. There is a cultural experience everywhere, and that includes dinners with local delicacies. If we have an overnight, I search out a local restaurant with great food and a view. OK, the horse carpaccio that we had in Japan wasn’t great, but it was different, and not offered at a single Villages country club.
We’ve done a few cruises in Asia and the South Pacific – Australia to New Zealand, Perth to Singapore, circle Japan, and Singapore to Thailand to Viet Nam to Hong Kong to China to Japan to the Philippines. We loved them all. I found Viet Nam fascinating with great food and a delicate dealing with “The American War.”
So, to your specific questions:
- Best Itinerary - Our best itinerary was the 26 days around SE Asia.
- How long is enough - We started out enjoying a week, traveling further away, we now want 3-4 weeks, with fewer, but some, days at sea. Medium sized ships only – the small ones sometimes seem to go to ports where I can’t see something great and can’t cover as much turf at night. Super big ships offer all sorts of things I don’t want. Oh, and if you fly a long distance, allow at least one extra day to get time zone acclimated and avoid late flight risk. Friends with a close flight connection missed their departure, but fortunately could take a bus/train to catch up with their ship.
- How long is too long – after 37 days in South America, we were ready to go home.
- Why do you cruise – As mentioned, I go to see the great (and some almost great) sites of the world. But don’t go too long too soon - build up to it - you may hit your sweet spot earlier than we did. Also, we love having a deck – especially for days at sea, or what they sometimes call scenic cruising.
