5 Reasons a Cruise is the Best Honeymoon Option
You and your fiancé have sent out the wedding invitations, chosen the cake, and nailed down the color scheme. As a soon-to-be newlywed, your next big decision should be the least stressful of the all: where to go on your honeymoon.
There are few things as romantic as ending each day of your honeymoon with a sprawling sunset at open sea. But when you choose honeymoon cruise, the romance isn’t restricted to the start and end of the day.
More and more millennial newlyweds are turning to cruises for their honeymoons. From Celebrity and Norwegian to Princess and Windstar, many cruise lines cater to honeymooners, offering a seemingly endless list of romantic activities to suit every taste — private multi-course dinners, couples spa treatments, touring exotic destinations, amazing onboard night life…should we keep going?
Most newlyweds don’t have an endless budget to work with — especially after just springing for the wedding. The average cost of a wedding is around $30,000, and that’s not including the honeymoon.
The average couple spends around $4k-$5k on their honeymoon. And for newlyweds who choose a cruise, this budget goes a long way.
Cruises allow honeymooners to explore their dream destinations, indulge in world-class dining experiences, and be immersed in new cultural experiences at an affordable cost.
From the irresistibly romantic atmosphere and ease of an all-inclusive trip to the variety of destinations and cultural experiences, here are the top 5 benefits of a honeymoon cruise.
1. Stay on Budget
The average cost of a cruise is just $212.80 per day per passenger. That includes your room, food, drinks, onshore excursions, and more.
And if you really splurged on your wedding, you can save money by just choosing a few select onshore excursions. Plus, lot of cruise lines allow you to bring at least one bottle of wine or champagne on board with you, too, which means you can toast on a budget.
Or if you’ve been saving for a blowout, you can also customize your trip to go big. Think a luxury suite with a private balcony, spa treatments, dining at onboard specialty restaurants, and more.
That’s the beauty of cruising: you can design a dream vacation that fits your budget.
2. Satisfy Every Tastebud
It’d be a bit of a downer if you planned a two-week honeymoon in France only to realize that the groom isn’t really into escargot after all, and the bride is more of a whiskey gal than a wine connoisseur.
On a cruise, you don’t have to worry about your destination choice being a disappointment when it comes to finding a tasty morsel to indulge in. Cruises offer a boatload of dining options, both onboard and to be sought out at each stop.
Cruise through the Mediterranean to dive into the famous cuisines of Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. In the Caribbean, you’ll get a chance to dig into jerk chicken, red beans & rice, and more.
Beyond port of calls, your ship itself is packed with sure-to-please options for activities and dining: chicken tenders and mac & cheese for the kid at heart to lamb with mint au jus and honey lemon salmon for when your palate desires a touch of refinement.
Did we mention that most of the food options onboard are included in your ticket price?
3. Customize for a One-of-a-Kind Adventure
No matter your cruise style, cruises offer endless flexibility and opportunities for customization.
Looking for 12 relaxing days of island-hopping and tanning in the Caribbean? Or do you prefer sipping un caffè in the south of Italy? Or maybe you have a hankering to explore Egyptian treasures by river…why not all three?
Choosing where to go is just the beginning. Each day on your cruise, you’ll choose from an array of onshore excursions and onboard activities.
Onboard, you can start your day scuba diving with sharks, getting a spa treatment, and devouring sushi. By night, bet on 32 red in the onboard casino while sipping a martini, bobbing your head to live jazz after dinner, and getting your giggles on at a stand-up comedy show.
The variety of onshore excursions is endless. Imagine anything from zip-lining through rainforests and hiking through Mayan ruins, to shopping in exotic markets and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef.
You can also decide to extend your trip by exploring the city and region near your ship’s port of departure. That means you can spend the day exploring the winding cobblestone streets of Lisbon by day, and hop back onto your ship at night for an evening of live music and dancing.
Not able to get away for a long honeymoon? With a cruise, you don’t have to spend two months (or even two weeks) away to celebrate your union. Some couples opt for a “mini-moon”, which is more like a long weekend of fun.
4. Make It Magical with Much-Deserved Upgrades
Imagine boarding your cruise ship and making your way to your cabin to find a bouquet of roses, a chilled bottle of champagne, and a box of truffles waiting for you on the table.
Romance packages on cruise lines like Royal Caribbean provide special touches to make your stay truly unique.
After you’ve sipped a glass (or three) while your ship gets ready to leave port, you can arrange to have a private dinner for two served on your cabin’s balcony.
And for a day when you just want to relax onboard, you can plan a couple’s spa day, complete with professional massages.
Here’s the real kicker: with a cruise line registry, you can give your family and friends the option to gift you with everything from the spa day and romance package to a room upgrade and excursions as wedding gifts.
5. Take the Work Out of Planning
A wedding is a far from simple event to plan. From choosing a venue and sending out the invitations to figuring out food, flowers, a dress, and more, the big day takes a big effort.
A cruise vacation means your honeymoon can be a piece of cake (one you don’t have to get custom-made by a boutique baker).
Since most cruises are all-inclusive, all you need to worry about is booking your cruise and getting to the port of departure on time. Some cruise lines even help handle your accommodations before and after your cruise, plus transportation to and from the airport, hotel, and ship, and more.
Once onboard, you won’t have to argue or make sacrifices about where to eat — your ship will have a variety of options for every taste.
Then there’s the onboard entertainment. Movies, comedians, piano bars, musicals, live bands, and more make every night of your cruise a great date night without the hassle of looking up where to go and what to do.
Planning Your Honeymoon Cruise and Beyond
A cruise makes planning your honeymoon easy, but you know what makes it even easier? Booking it with the cruise travel experts at CloudBlue.
Our travel agents know the ins and outs of every honeymoon cruise — from the benefits of each ship to the best time to travel to which destinations. We can give honeymooners insider tips that we’ve learned from our years of experience helping other newlyweds plan their dream vacations.
The answer to “Will you marry me?” has already been answered. But there are some other questions to be asked and answered before booking your honeymoon cruise.
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