All The Frugal Ladies Personal finance with a feminine touch
I don’t know why, but until recently I had never thought about a cruise being a ‘budget friendly’ vacation – I also had never really considered going on one. I pictured a lot of old people, terrible buffets and being seasick. However a few months ago, a good friend of mine came back from a 7 day cruise in Europe and said it was one of the best holidays she’d ever been on (and she’s been on a lot!) I had been discussing with my family where we wanted to go on vacation this year, but due to different ages and interests, it seemed to be tough to find an option to make everyone happy. At the last minute, in an act of desperation, I suggested a cruise. To my surprise, everyone was up for it, and a few days later the tickets were booked.
We chose a 7 day cruise that started in Rome, stopped off in Florence, Palma de Mallorca, Pisa, Cannes, Napoli and then ended back in Rome. I have to say, it turned out to be an incredible holiday, and probably the best family vacation we’d ever been on!
What makes a cruise budget friendly, is that everything is included from the moment you step on to the ship, to the moment you step off. Like I said before, I was really worried about the buffet style food, but it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trips. No matter what you felt like, at whatever time of the day or night, there were so many options (including free room service if you didn’t feel like venturing out to one of the many dining options!) Mexican, Spanish, Italian, buffet and al a carte – you name it and it was on the ship!
The ship itself was absolutely enormous and options for activities were endless. There was an outdoor cinema, pools, a basketball court, rock climbing, a gym and walking track, shops, bars and nightclubs and so many other things! There were also kids clubs and teenage activities which seemed to be very fun and entertaining for all the younger people on board! Best of all… all activities were absolutely free so you didn’t need to lug around cash and spend anything extra than the initial payment.
Every morning, the ship docked off at a different port, so instead of spending hours at the airport and being uncomfortable on a plane, you’d go to sleep in your comfortable bed, and the next morning you were in a different country! You’d have about 8 hours to venture out and explore the new country – enough time to get a taste of each place and decide where you’d like to come back to. You could eat before you left on the ship and again once you got back on board but we also indulged in some incredible pizza and pasta in Italy which is an absolute must!
The cruise ended up being my favourite holiday I’d ever been on, as well as the most budget friendly! I’d highly recommend it for anyone young or old at least once in your life – trust me you won’t regret it!
