Small or large ship, number of cabins and passenger capacity, or the diversity of activities and shows on board, choosing your boat before leaving is a key step. How to find your ideal boat for your cruise, deciphering.
You are about to leave on a cruise and thus choose your ideal partner, the one who will accompany you for the duration of your trip: we want to talk to you about the boat you will choose for your trip on the waves. Given the huge choice, here is a small checklist of the different large families of cruise ships on which you can cast off.
The liners
With a capacity of between 500 and 3,000 passengers, these ships are the descendants of the transatlantic ships of the early 19th century. But yes, you know them! If we talk to you about the Titanic, the image immediately comes to mind? Keep it because the resemblance is close.
The liners are distinguished by the stacking of decks on several floors with many cabins and services/activities for the passengers. So on board, you will have the choice to choose the cosy nest of your stay between a single cabin, generally not equipped with a porthole or porthole, but which is nevertheless well arranged with many mirrors to enlarge the space of the 15m2 that composes it.
If you wish to have an eye on the sea around you, opt for an outside cabin which will be equipped with a porthole to allow your gaze to be lost in the immensity. Finally, if you wish to go out from your cabin to a private terrace, you will have to choose a cabin with a balcony or a suite.
The proposed area will be about 35m2 and will allow you to enjoy all the equipment (TV, air conditioning, lounge area, closet). You will enjoy your cabin with two distinct spaces, calling for relaxation and comfort during your cruise. Little advice, make sure that your balcony cabin does not overlook the areas dedicated to passenger walks, so that you do not spend your entire trip with the curtains drawn!
Megaships
All forms of superlatives will be used to describe this type of boat. More imposing, heavier, more activities and more passengers, they are the new faces of the cruising landscape. These floating palaces such as the Harmony of the Seas or the Allure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) have become both real amusement parks on the water and real destinations in themselves.
Climbing walls, zip lines, free-fall simulators, whirlpools, so many activities are available to the 5,000 or so passengers that the boat can accommodate. These monsters of the seas thus offer an unparalleled quality of accommodation and quantity of entertainment. Because of their size (imposing, you will have understood), the ports of departure such as Marseille, Barcelona, Fort Lauderdale are carefully chosen to accommodate these mastodons and ensure the safety of the passengers.
Sailboats / clippers
Here, the change of atmosphere is assured, since you will try to sail on the waves by hoisting the sails (and sometimes the engine if the wind is not there). The human size of these yachts, such as the Star Clipper, Star Flyer or Ponant, can accommodate from 50 to 230 passengers.
These large sailing ships have the advantage of being able to reach inaccessible places that you will not be able to discover on board a liner. Thus, Havar (Croatia), Fuchal (Portugal), Porquerolles Island or Piran in Slovenia are among the intimate ports of call that will be proposed to you. On board a clipper, you will certainly notice the charm it exudes thanks to its masts and rigging, all in a contemporary and comfortable interior and an intimate atmosphere that you can find on a private yacht.
So, to enjoy this cruising experience to the full, you can also become the deckhand of your own voyage by helping the crew to raise the sails or climb the mast to enjoy the panoramic view of the ocean. These stars of the seas will take you on board for an experience full of tradition and modernity, departing from the ports of Cannes, Venice, Lisbon, or Barcelona for example.
The shipping ships
Aboard these ships, you will discover the most remote corners of the world such as the Arctic region proposed by the companies Quark Expedition and Hurtigruten. Equipped with a reinforced hull to resist the ice (it wouldn't be a question of getting stuck) here, the experience will be in the discoveries made during the stopovers, promising you a total change of scenery. Icebergs, polar bears, penguins will be part of the trip!
If you wish to find more warmth, expedition cruises are also organized on the Galapagos Islands archipelago with the National Geographic company. A true adventurer of the seas, on board the expedition ships, you will not find any discotheque or casino but rather libraries and classrooms where the scientists on board will come to bring you their knowledge to better describe the landscape and the fauna that will reach out to you. To take part in this extraordinary adventure, you will have to plan to join your boat in regions of the world that are already "exotic" because of the change of scenery they provide, such as Reykajavik, Guayaquil (Galapagos) or Ushuaia (Argentina).
In conclusion, whatever your desires, these giants of the seas will be able to meet them to shape your cruise in the way you wish to sail. In an intimate atmosphere, or surrounded by activities, you will be able to explore the most famous or remote regions of the world. Now all you have to do is choose the first or the next type of boat you will be on. We trust you!
