Here is the third installment of my A to Z of Cruising, do you know where in the world most cruises visit?  What do I like to drink more than anything whilst on a cruise?  Read on to find out and don’t forget to let me know what else you’d like to feature in this A to Z of Cruising.

Crew

It wouldn’t be right to start off this post without mentioning the fantastic crew who help to make your cruise holiday so special.  The crew work tirelessly to keep everything running smoothly from the room attendants, restaurant servers, laundry staff and customer services personnel; there is so much behind the scenes work that goes on to ensure that you have a relaxing and enjoyable time on board.

Cruise ship staff typically work six to nine month contracts and many send money home to help support their families.  Living on board for several months at a time can be quite difficult and the majority will work 12-hour days, seven days a week but it does mean that they can save the majority of their earnings.

I’ve made friends and stayed in touch with some of those special crew via social media, it’s fascinating to learn about ship life and the countries that they are from. It’s here I’d like to give a special mention to Lucy from Mexico and Vinnay from India; both of these people made our cruises memorable.

Caribbean

With almost 40% of all cruises going to the Caribbean, it is one of the most popular destinations for cruising.  Itineraries range from two days to two weeks and visit multiple islands throughout the trip, generally there are less sea days on Caribbean cruises as the islands are close together which means you can wake up to a different port every morning.

The beauty of Caribbean cruising is that you can pack lots of different islands into one trip and you can do a range of excursions such as cultural tours, water sports and beach days.  Check out my cruise guides to some Caribbean destinations here.

The most affordable time to take a Caribbean cruise is late summer and autumn but this is because it’s hurricane season.  Summer 2017 proved that hurricanes can have a major impact on the Caribbean islands and many cruises were either cancelled or their itineraries changed.  If you can, the best time to cruise in the Caribbean is between December and April as these are the driest months of the year.

Caribbean Princess

One of the newly refurbished ships in the Princess fleet is the Caribbean Princess, which went into dry dock in April 2017 for a $8.2 million makeover.  To discover the ship’s new features, you can check out my blog post 8 new reasons to try the Caribbean Princess.

Carnival Corporation and PLC

Carnival Cruise Line, well-known for it’s iconic red funnel, is one of ten cruise brands owned by Carnival Corporation and PLC.

Cruise brands in this group are: AIDA, Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Fathom, Holland America, P&O, Princess and Seabourn.

Cocktails

To me, a cruise wouldn’t be the same without a cocktail!  I’m by no means a heavy drinker but a cocktail is one of the little luxuries that I never get to enjoy when I’m at home.  Cruises have an array of delicious cocktails to choose from, with classics such as pina coladas to milkshake-style offering such as a Banana Banshee. Cheers cruisers!

Did you enjoy reading this blog post?  I would love to know what other entries you’d like me to include in my A to Z of Cruising, if you have any ideas or feedback, let me know in the comments below.

Until next time – happy cruising!