Take a ship-shape holiday!
No matter what your age, it's never too late to start a long love affair with cruising.
It began by happenstance and became a glorious obsession. I was looking for something to do on a two-week break from work, and I just happened to see something online about cruising.
My only previous experience of cruising was on ferries across the English Channel and Irish Sea, and a brilliant river cruise adventure down the Nile.
But ocean-going cruises operate at another level altogether, as I’ll soon explain.
What particularly caught my eye back then was a 12-day itinerary from Barcelona to Dubai – which was perfect for me, because I was living and working in the United Arab Emirates.
So, I flew into Barcelona, spent a couple of days experiencing its amazing cultural and culinary delights, and then boarded my ship for a journey across the Mediterranean, visiting ports in Italy and Greece, before travelling down the Suez Canal.
Everything fell into place for me, and it was the beginning of a late-life love affair.
I was well into my 50s back then. Now, at 65, I have 17 cruises under my belt, covering the Mediterranean, Baltic, Adriatic, and Arabian seas, across the Atlantic, into the Carribean, and around the South Pacific.
My ship for that first cruise was Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas – large by the standards of the day but now regarded as a medium-sized vessel.
It was an ideal first experience for me, because the Mariner gave me a taste of everything good about cruising and informed my choices for future journeys.
As I get older, cruising seems a better fit than many other holiday experiences.
Advantages for senior travellers include:
Cruise ships have all the convenience of a floating resort, with accommodation, dining, and entertainment all in one place.
You unpack just once, sleep in the same bed for the entire journey, and the destinations come to you.
Most ships have fully equipped medical facilities, with doctors and nurses on call 24/7. (But their services are not cheap – which is one of the many good reasons to have travel insurance.)
Cruises encourage socialising through shared meals, activities, and group excursions. Ideal for solo travellers like me.
There is always something to do, even on “sea days” when there is no port of call. Options include quizzes and game shows, fitness classes, lectures, demonstrations, music performances, comedians, and theatre shows.
When you can smell the fresh sea air, have a spa treatment, retreat to a quiet corner with a book, doing nothing never felt better.
Of course, not everyone is the same, and not every cruise ship or itinerary is for everyone.
Here are a few things to consider before you book:
Think about who you want to travel with – going solo is fine, because you’ll meet people onboard, but you may have to pay a single supplement.
If you want to take the family, that’s good too. But if children are involved, make sure the ship offers activities to keep them entertained.
Prefer a more grown-up experience? Well, there are ships that cater exclusively to adults – some targetting people who want a sedate travel experience, and others for those who don’t mind a walk on the wild side.
A good travel agent can advise what’s best for you. And consider your travel insurance before you go.
Sadly, at the time of writing, cruises into Dubai are not possible. But there are hundreds of other destinations with new ports opening all the time.
One of them will be just the ticket for your first (or eighteenth!) cruise adventure.
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*The discount applies to the total National Seniors travel insurance premium and is for National Seniors Australia members only. Discounts do not apply to the rate of GST and stamp duty or any changes you make to the policy. nib has the discretion to withdraw or amend this discount offer at any time. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer or discount. ^ Cover is subject to terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions in the PDS.
National Seniors Australia Ltd ABN 89 050 523 003, AR 282736 is an authorised representative of nib Travel Services (Australia) Pty Ltd (nib), ABN 81 115 932 173, AFSL 308461 and act as nib's agent and not as your agent. This is general advice only. Before you buy, you should consider your needs, the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Financial Services Guide (FSG) and Target Market Determination (TMD) available from us. This insurance is underwritten by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd, ABN 83 169 311 193.
