What’s Your Travel Style
My husband and I are avid travelers. We recently came back from a Western Caribbean cruise and asked ourselves: What’s better? Cruises or destination trips?
You might be a cruise person if…
You like to dress up and go to a fancy dinner every night. The main dining room features a different menu each night with many appetizers, entrees, and desserts to choose from. If you’re really hungry you can order multiple entrees from the menu. Alcohol and soft drinks aren’t included, but typically you can use your room key as a “drink card” and put drinks on 
your tab. This process is very convenient, but as my husband and I found was way too easy to rack up money on the final bill.
You are a social person. Cruises are full of tourists from all across the country and some international. The ships are crowded and they offer many group activities where you can’t help but socialize with other guests.
You like free, cheesy shows and bingo. Cruises boast many on-board activities like bingo, casinos, wine tasting, karaoke, spas, and nightly entertainment. The nightly shows are very campy, and the cast is not always so talented, but they’re definitely worth a look and a laugh. Speaking of entertainment, if you like to dance, most cruise lines have a disco; that is if you like watching middle-aged people and teenagers do their interpretation of the “Soulja Boy.”
You like to visit many places on one trip. On a seven-day cruise, you may visit up to six ports of call. So, if you’ve been wanting to visit an island, but you’re not sure you’d want to stay there for a week, the ports of call are a good way to get a look-see.
You might be a destination trip person if…
You like relaxing without being on a timetable. To me, there’s nothing more relaxing than lying out on the beach all day with a book and a cocktail and no time constraints. Or waking up knowing that you don’t have to do anything, but if you choose to, it will be on your terms.
You like culture. While cruise ports of call provide a snap shot of a locale, I’ve found that it takes a lot more than one day to learn about a location’s culture and take full advantage of what it has to offer. You can interact with the locals and see how they live, experience native cuisines and nightlife, and leisurely take in the sites. Staying for at least a few days in one destination is worthwhile to soak up the culture.
You like privacy. You can rent a private villa or condo, or stay at a hotel, which is still less congested than cruise ships. You can go on group excursions or private ones by personal taxi. You can eat whenever you want, wherever you want, with whomever you want, unlike on cruise ships, where you’re assigned to a table with strangers unless you travel with a large group and make prior arrangements.
What am I?
I am definitely a destination trip person. While I enjoy the food, activities, and ports of call on cruise ships, I like to make up my own rules as I go along. There are so many options with destination traveling that you can tailor your vacation to meet your needs. You can do an all-inclusive package where food and drinks are included, or opt to eat at different venues every day. Housing accommodations are plentiful, too, from villas, condos, cottages, hotels, or even staying with family. You can make your trip as busy or relaxing as you want.
I also enjoy being immersed in cultures different from my own. Not only do I learn a lot, but I feel like I’m in a different world. After all, isn’t that the point of a vacation—to escape reality?
