Are Cruises for Young Couples?

I wouldn’t exactly describe myself as ‘young’ anymore now that I am steadily approaching my thirties but I do appreciate that there are things I enjoy doing which typically cater to an older demographic – cruise holidays being one of them. My partner and I are both in our mid-late twenties now and whilst some may still say we are young and have a lot to learn about the ways of the world we don’t quite feel like we’re in that category anymore. Nor are we an ‘old’ couple, really, we are sort of stuck in this inbetween place where you’re not quite sure what kind of leisure activities we ‘should’ be doing if we wanted to fit into our stereotypes.

We have never been interested in pubs and clubs, or 18 to 30 holidays…as the years go by I favour a glass of water or a cup of tea over a glass of wine and hangovers take far too long to get over if we’ve had a night out. We are also finding our feet and enjoy exploring the world, our holiday destinations are not based on typical young choices such as big cities, great nightlife or amazing shopping. I suppose some of that comes with having a child in the household however we are lucky enough to have plenty of time together as a couple which means we want to see what the world has to offer us. Even so, with or without children, we are the sort of people that favours good food, amazing scenery and a comfy bed when it comes to our trips and holidays.

Because of this, we really do favour cruising as our way to travel and I have quite a few reasons why.

1. Check-In is less stressful at a Cruise terminal than an Airport.
   It really, really is. On our last cruise we waited around twenty minutes to check in and as soon as that was done we breezed through security and we were on board the ship. Our holiday began as soon as we walked on. I love that. I love that we could go and check out our cabin straight away and get stuff put away before grabbing a coffee. Check In was so straightforward.When you arrive at the departure lounge, ours was in Southampton, you are given an embarkation letter and when that letter is called you join the queue for the Check In desks. This is staggered throughout the afternoon so you’re not left waiting around too long. However in Dock 10 there was plenty of seating, clean toilets and refreshments available whilst you do wait. When you reach the Check In desk you hand in your tickets, show your passports and have your photo taken for your cruise card. This is all with P&O Cruises but I assume most others have a similar embarkation routine. This was less stressful for me than any other mode of transport I’ve ever used, and I’ve used a lot in my time.

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2. Great Food 24/7
   On our last cruise we had some amazing food from the restaurants on board the ship. Food is available all day, every day and with P&O pretty much everything is included in the price, it it isn’t you’ll see how much it is and you simply charge it to your on board spend account which is settled at the end of the cruise. For us we had breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and five course dinners. There’s a buffet restaurant available throughout the day for snacks, hot and cold meals and even late night treats. Even room service is included. Drinks are what will cost you but with P&O everything was in £’s and it was what we would expect to pay in our local pub or restaurant anyway. It was really, really affordable. Plus there’s good quality tea in your cabin anyway.
   

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3. Ability to Explore
   What we really love about cruising as a young couple is the ability to see lots of different places in a short amount of time and whats more there are excursions at every port to cater to everyone. Or, you can just go and explore on your own which is what we really love to do. Just having a wonder around, taking in a new culture, trying new food, enjoying our day really. Our next cruise is in August and as well as a few coach tours there is the chance to ride a cable car up a mountain and ride in a RIB boat along the Fjord.

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4. Kids Club for young families
   We’ve yet to take Mini Kat on board a cruise with us but we will be next year knowing that she can have loads of fun with us, eat whatever she wants, whenever she wants and have a great time playing and making new friends in the kids clubs, which are supervised so they can stay there whilst you’re on the ship. If you do disembark at port you do need to take them with you! Lots of our friends have young children and the idea of a kids club appeals to them. An area where they can have fun whilst you relax.

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5. A chance to dress up
   With P&O cruises they have a couple of casual and black tie events so it gives everyone a chance to dress up for dinner in glamorous attire. I love getting ready for a great night and with cruises that can include pre-dinner drinks in a cocktail bar, a five course meal followed by a live show in their on board theatre. Or perhaps there will be a comedy gig you want to make, or a film you want to see – our next cruise has an open air cinema and I love the idea of relaxing under the stars with a great film. I love a chance to get glammed up and feel good about myself and a gala dinner is a great reason to do so.

So there you have it, five reasons why I think cruises are for young, or at least in our case, younger couples. They’re also a really affordable way of holidaying. Mainly because all of your food is included in the price you pay and each time we’ve booked a select price with P&O we’ve gotten free on board spending money to go towards drinks and other purchases. It gave me and my partner a chance to get away and enjoy ourselves for a couple of nights and we can not wait to go on our next cruise. Two months and counting!