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Honeymoon Cruises. Is a honeymoon cruise right for us?

by Mike_W

A honeymoon cruise can perfect mix of economy, adventure, relaxation and pampering, but is it right for us? Here are some things to consider before your embark.

If you are planning your wedding then congratulations and all the best for your big day! Most likely amongst all the stress of venue research and invite designing, a small amount of brain matter and a significant amount of daydreaming is being dedicated to the honeymoon. Unfortunately for many of us the planning for the wedding day itself gets cluttered with details and people pleasing, and it is the honeymoon that becomes the light at the end of the tunnel. However, the honeymoon brings pressures of its own. Like the wedding, we only get one shot at it and everyone wants to start the marriage off on the right foot.

There are so many honeymoon options out there that in many cases the world is your oyster when it comes to planning yours. For example, the happy couple could embark on a cruise, snuggle up at a bed and breakfast, sun themselves at a resort, go on an extreme road trip, or grab a backpack and head off on a wildly intrepid journey.

So what is the right honeymoon for you?

So what is the right honeymoon for you?

Well, of course the answer depends entirely on the couple. There will obviously be other factors to consider, such as budget and how strenuous the wedding day was – lying on the beach may be the only activity you can face. My wife and I debated long and hard about what we would do for our honeymoon. Our dream was to train around Europe. For us, the honeymoon was a chance to indulge our love of travel. After a few years of being in one place we were desperate to explore a little more of the world.

Unfortunately the budget calculator disagreed with a trip to Europe being a realistic option and we ended up deciding on a Caribbean cruise that visited four countries. Our hope was that it would be the perfect mix of economy, adventure, relaxation and pampering.

I hope you find this article on what I discovered to be the positives and negatives on a honeymoon cruise helpful in deciding whether a cruise is the right choice for your first vacation as a married couple.

Here are some things to consider before making your big decision:

You’ll make friends

It’s a great American pastime to make friends on cruises and never see them again.

Making friends on cruises is almost unavoidable. They say no man is an island, well on a cruise ship at sea, the same could be said of a couple. If you don’t interact with others on the cruise, the two of you will feel a little lonely as everyone else laughs and jokes with each other. Maybe you’ll wonder why no one is making friends with you, or maybe you’ll be glad to be focusing all your attention on your soul mate.

There’s nothing wrong with making friends on your honeymoon. The chances are that the couple you meet will be celebrating an occasion of their own and together you’ll make sure each pair gets the attention they deserve on their special trip. Of course, there is also the practical matter that you’ll usually have someone nearby to capture all those magic moment with your new spouse on film.

However, the negative is that, like it or not, eventually you will compromise what your do on your honeymoon for the sake of your new friends, whether it be sacrificing a romantic dinner you had planned, changing your excursion or having to leave the love nest because you had made plans.

If you embark on a honeymoon cruise, you may end up sharing more of your time than you had intended.

Line to Embark on the Cruise Ship
Line to Embark on the Cruise Ship
Party on the Cruise Deck
Party on the Cruise Deck

You’ll be surrounded by people

When you picture your honeymoon cruise, probably nothing sounds as romantic as you and your spouse looking out into the ocean, drinking in that sea air and sipping a pina colada. However, you might also inadvertently overlook the fact that you are effectively onboard on a floating town, probably with a population of well over 3000 people. A significant portion of these people are the friendly cruise ship staff, doing everything in their power to make your trip as special as possible. However, a far greater number of the population is there to get in the background of your pictures, talk loudly as you eat your romantic dinner, and make the lines excruciatingly long and to dawdle from place to place, getting in the way in groups so large you can’t overtake them.

A honeymoon cruise can be a very romantic trip, but make no mistake; you will be sharing that experience with thousands of others too.

"Relaxing" by the Pool
"Relaxing" by the Pool

Relaxation is in the eye of the beholder

On the ‘come-down’ from the wedding all you and your spouse probably want to do is sleep. Where better to recover from the stress and magic of the wedding than on a cruise ship? Well, if that’s what you need then there is probably a great deal of places more suitable.

While technically no one is making you get up any time, there will be days you will be setting your alarm. Ships often dock at their ports at 7am or 8am, so if you want to make the most of the location or you have an excursion you may find yourself with less sleep than you want to. Also, it is impossible to sleep through lots of footsteps running past your door, rushing to get on shore.

One of the great things about cruising is that you can combine relaxation and activities. However, be realistic that there will be times when you feel a little rushed.

Dinner and a show every night
Dinner and a show every night
Cruise Dining Room
Cruise Dining Room
Cruise Dessert
Cruise Dessert

Reasons to make your honeymoon a cruise

So, perhaps a cruise isn’t the romantic, uber relaxing vacation you thought it would be, but that doesn’t mean you should rule it out as an option. There are plenty of reasons to choose a cruise ship for your honeymoon destination.

Three course romantic meals every day

For many couples the time spent in the cruise ship restaurant is one of the highlights of the cruise. In a beautiful dining room with an ocean view the happy couple can enjoy the sort of meals they would only dream about back in the real world. The bill and tip is all taken care of, all you have to do is enjoy the food, the scenery and each other’s company.

Dinner and a show every night

One of the great things about cruising is the onboard entertainment. You’ll be surprised at the caliber of some of the onboard singers, dancers and comedians. A week onboard a cruise ship feels like a year’s worth of dates back home.

It’s as romantic and relaxing as you want it to be

As mentioned earlier, being surrounded by people and making new friends may not be the most romantic of vacations, nor would all the activities make for the most relaxing. However, these are only factors if you let them be. Don’t want to spend time with other couples? Don’t talk to them. Don’t want to surrounded by people? Avoid peak meal and tendering times and consider getting a balcony room.  There’s only as much pressure to get the most out of the cruise as you want there to be.

My wife and I loved our honeymoon cruise. Perhaps we indulged too much in the pitfalls of spending too much time with others and trying to get too much out of the cruise. Other couples needn’t do this if they don’t want to. We also stayed on an extra few nights at our final port to make sure we had enough r r and r – romantic rest and relaxation!

I hope you found this article on honeymoon cruises helpful in planning the most important vacation of your lives. Remember, the honeymoon will be what you make it and be sure to enjoy each other’s company and not put too much pressure on yourselves.

Cruising on a Honeymoon Poll

Help our newly weds out, is a cruise the right choice for a honeymoon? Tell us why in the comment section below.

More Cruise Articles

If you are thinking of going on a cruise, then you are considering one of the most cost effective and easiest ways of traveling available. But are they the right vacation for you?
Are you new to cruising? Check out these top ten tips for newbies.
Updated: 09/20/2012, Mike_W
 
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Honeymoon Cruise Comments

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QuantumLouie on 11/14/2012

It has been a long time since last I went on a cruise. Probably 12 years ago when I graduated from High School. I hope I don't have to get married to enjoy one again. :)

Mike_W on 09/23/2012

Thanks Dustytoes! We had a great time on our cruise. However, even though they are great for a holiday and if you are celebrating something, we still needed to think about whether we would recommend them for a honeymoon. A honeymoon needs to be extra special, so requires a little bit more thought about the type of holiday you choose.

dustytoes on 09/23/2012

Okay, this is the page I was looking for. Thanks for the insightful look at a honeymoon cruise!

Mike_W on 09/09/2012

Hi Mira, thank you for that nice feedback :) Yes, there is certainly a lot of info about cruises out there,

Dustytoes, that's a good point about seasickness - I might add something else to the article. We had pretty calm waters and was just a little rough on a couple of the days. Totally agree that all couples have different ideas of a honeymoon - I hope this article helps them decide on or rule out cruising as an option. Thanks for your comment.

Mira on 09/09/2012

This is a very good, well-grounded article about cruises. I've read some easy lit on cruises -- not very useful!:-)

dustytoes on 09/09/2012

You didn't mention having any sea-sickness so I guess you had calm waters. I think that it would be up to each couple and what their idea of a honeymoon is. You have made some very good points about the pros and cons of cruising for a honeymoon.

Mike_W on 09/08/2012

Thanks for the comment Katie. I'd recommend a cruise for any vacation, honeymoon or not :)

katiem2 on 09/08/2012

Well if I ever get married I will certainly keep the honeymoon cruise in mind. :)K

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