Thinking of taking a Mini Cruise?
I have finally managed to get Luke to write me a post and his chosen subject was Mini Cruises! So read on to find out the pros and cons of a Mini Cruise. Enjoy!
Mini breaks, our thoughts on them.
We love them! And if I’m honest we’d be happy on a cruise to nowhere as the ship can be the destination in itself. Many of our cruises have been mini breaks, but by doing so many we know which ships we love and others maybe not so much, anyway here’s the pros and cons to help you decide if they’re for you.
The pros…
Well firstly what you have to remember is that not everyone can afford a full week’s cruise, so it’s kind of a nice way of letting everyone experience an element of cruising without breaking the bank.
Secondly, they’re an ideal way to sample a cruise line or in general sampling a cruise all together, especially if you have not done one before and you just want to dip your toes in the water so to speak. Perhaps you’re not sure of a ship? Maybe you’re not sure if you’ll like it compared to others in the same fleet? Whatever doubts you have, perhaps giving the ship a go on a mini break is worth it, especially if the ordinary itineraries are lengthily. Why commit to a long cruise and hate it? Try the ship, first before ploughing all of your hard-earned cash into it
Thirdly mini breaks are ideal to celebrate that special occasion, may it be a significant birthday or an anniversary or even a hen or stag party.
Then there’s the fact you can often sneak in a cheeky mini break without using much or any annual leave at all… bonus!
Have you been on a night out lately? I mean a good blow out at home can easily set you back a considerable sum, let alone hitting the streets of any city in the U.K on a weekend break, and being on a ship means everything is within easy reach, no taxi’s needed! including your late-night munch and bed.
Perhaps you’re on a longer cruise and just fancy extending your cruise? We took this option for our honeymoon, it was ideal. We spent the week together as a newlywed couple taking in the epic sights of the Norwegian fjords, then we had one hell of a party with our friends to finish off the cruise by them joining us on a mini break to Guernsey. The back to back element of this cruise worked out brilliantly too, the whole process was easy for us as we didn’t even have to move cabin or go to the second muster.
The cons…
Firstly, although this is going to sound like a contradiction to what I said earlier, a mini break cruise gives you the feel for a cruise ship/line but don’t judge them too harshly. As I mentioned we done a back to back normal cruise followed by a mini cruise, the atmosphere did change, you could sense the dread felt by the crew leading up to it. These cruises are known as party cruises, we’ve been on some and they have been relaxing and ideal for those wanting to sample for etc Bruges for the day. We’ve also been on some pretty lively ones too, with some rude behaviour thrown in to the mix, but this behaviour wouldn’t put us off, the point I’m making is not to assume that every cruise will be the same, the crew can be regulated but the passengers can’t (to an extent).
Secondly, they’re not long enough! It feels as though as soon as your holiday starts- BOOM! Its over before you know it, and this can feel a bit disheartening especially if you’ve been excited leading up to the cruise, counting down the days etc as we all do. It can certainly be a bit of a thump when your back in Southampton so soon. Just saying…
Then there’s your commuting to and from your cruise… did you drive? Those two nights of drinking and partying have just been cut short to one (2-night cruises). I suppose the partying doesn’t have to stop but the drinking certainly will, you leave your rooms and disembark pretty much as soon as the ship docks and it’s all go for the crew, they have to do a complete turnaround in just a few hours.
I hope this gives you an insight to a mini cruise. If you have not tried one – give it a go and if you are new to cruising and want to dip your toe in the water (don’t fall in!) these mini cruises can be a great way to test your sea legs! We thoroughly recommend them, a great way to see Guernsey during the summer, or sample the Christmas Markets in Bruges.
