In a mid?-COVID world, I’m hearing more often about how cruising is a terrible idea for a vacation. There are two general themes that I hear from cruising naysayers.
- One’s exposure to contagious diseases is acute on a cruise
- Cruising is boring (or for old people)
I’ll talk a little about both of these, as well as speak to the delights of river cruising.
It’s difficult to argue against the idea that one is more susceptible to catching a contagious illness aboard a cruise ship. After all, there is a boatload of potentially sick people in relatively close contact over a relatively extended period of time. My feeling is that in a COVID world, cruising is not an experience that should be enjoyed by the non-vaccinated. Anti-vaxxers may be setting themselves up for a greater risk than they reasonably should.
That said, you need to know that cruise lines have a vested interest in ensuring that you stay healthy; and have been working diligently to set up an infrastructure that makes your well-being paramount. Some of the changes that I’m seeing are things like:
- Changes to the ventilation system to remove significant numbers of airborne pathogens
- Enhanced cleaning standards
- Upgraded medical facilities
- Provision for online check-in
- Requirement for masks where close contact can not be avoided
- Vaccine requirement
- Negative COVID test results
Not all cruise lines have the same protocols, but you get the idea. Personally, I’m comfortable with this level of risk. Each of us needs to make that decision for ourselves, I reckon.
OK, now to the boring/old people thinking. I find that most people that make this particular comment haven’t ever cruised. Of all of the vacations I’ve ever taken, it’s the cruises that I remember the best, simply due to the sheer diversity of what I’ve seen on a single vacation. There is something for everyone, even for very physically active people.
One day, you could be kayaking on the big island of Hawaii, and the next day you could be touring a volcano in a helicopter at Hilo. You get the idea.
If you’re worried about being bored, my advice, at least for your first cruise is to choose a cruise that stops at a port virtually every day. Maybe stick to a seven day cruise for this first one. And there are lots to choose from … the Mediterranean, the Caribbean (sail out of Puerto Rico so you’re not spending your time travelling from Florida to the islands), Norwegian’s Hawaiian cruise … are among some that I would recommend for you. You are going to see such a wide variety of places; something that you can’t duplicate if you go and stay in a hotel somewhere.
If, in your travels, you find someplace that you’d love to spend more time in … that’s your cue to plan a land trip there. A cruise is a great way to figure that out.
Now, why a river cruise specifically? I’m not saying that every cruise that you take needs to be a river cruise. What I am saying is that you really should treat yourself to a river cruise at least once. What a special vacation!
Imagine, relaxing on the deck of your cruise ship, sipping a glass of wine, in the heart of Venice. You are so close to the water that you can hear the murmur of tourists talking excitedly as they walk by your ship. You can step off your boat and in a few minutes you’re taking in the beauty of St. Mark’s Square.
This is the experience you’ll have if you visit the Po river. In the following days, you’ll see the amazing tilework in the church in Ravenna, you’ll see Juliet’s balcony in Verona, and enjoy the food and atmosphere of historical Bologna.
And this is just the experience from one river … there are so many more to choose from. I can’t express the intimate feeling of being so close to the water in a beautiful city; there really is no substitute.
Even in writing this, I’ve made myself wistful to experience this again. I can’t wait, and I hope that I’ve inspired you to treat yourself to this, hopefully, more than once in a lifetime experience.
