How to Find Your New Cruise Friends — Where Do You Fit In?

About 6 months ago, I met a couple who told me about a personal conflict they had experienced after they had taken a number of cruises.

They had, customarily, reserved a large suite on one of the well thought of premium cruise lines and had been happy on the cruises they had taken. But then, one of their friends told them they should try one of the smaller luxury cruise lines.

They reserved the standard size suite on a small luxury ship, which was about 150 square feet smaller than they were used to. The cruise was wonderful, they made some new friends, they enjoyed the delicious food, and the trip was a success.

However, when they booked their next cruise, they were seduced by the thought of the larger suite on the premium ship. (There were also 500 square feet suites on the luxury ship, but they were more expensive.)

It was not long after they began their premium cruise that they realized they missed the elegant atmosphere which had been everywhere on the luxury ship, not just in their larger suite. When they found themselves in the same port with one of the small luxury ships, they understood that what they preferred was being able to relate to all of the passengers and to envelop themselves in the elegance throughout the ship.

I met them on their third Silversea cruise, and they were happy to tell me their story.

It is not always easy to determine which cruise line offers the best match for your tastes. A larger, premium ship may offer better evening entertainment, but a small luxury one will have excellent specialty, gourmet restaurants available at no extra charge with your wine and alcoholic beverages included.

Instead of having assigned tables with a fixed dinner time every evening on large ships, the smaller ships offer you dining anytime between 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm, either at a table for two or with different, new friends every evening.

Once you know which cruising style fits your personality, then you can find the ship that all of your new friends will be sailing on. A perfect match!