How to Take the Vacation You Never Thought You Could Afford

Calling all travel-lovers! Are you always dreaming of your next destination, but aren’t always sure of how to afford it?

If you’re one of the many millennials who have a wanderlust for international travel, chances are the answer is a resounding yes.

You’re not alone: Millennials love to travel, especially to international locales.

Statistics show that millennials take more vacations than any other generation. In fact, over 80% of millennials take a vacation every year, and over 60% take 2 to 5 vacations per year.

What’s with all the travel temptation? Some of the top reasons you might love to travel include:

Experience new cultures: 86% of millennials travel to immerse themselves in other cultures.

Relax: 47% of young travelers cite this as their primary reason for travel.

Party: 44% of millennials make sure to prioritize some partying when they travel.

Mix business with pleasure: The average millennial takes 7 to 8 business trips a year, and are commonly building in some sightseeing while they’re at it.

One of the factors shaping the millennial travel bug is financial capacity. In the U.S. alone, the generation has $200 billion in spending power.

The other is social media. A large majority of millennials find ideas for trips on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. And pretty much every single one of those vacationers (a whopping 97%) post about their travels on social media, inspiring their friends to take trips, too.

But no matter how much you love to travel, glamorous globetrotting isn’t free.

Financial Barriers to International Travel

Nearly 50% of millennials say the cost of travel is the number one reason they won’t take a trip. At the same time, they’re the generation most likely to take on debt to make their trips happen.

Even though younger people spend less on accommodations when they travel, they’re still willing to pay extra for special experiences and luxurious meals, which adds up.

Millennials’ favorite international travel destinations are primarily in Europe, Mexico, and Asia. A two-week trip to Europe for the average millennial travel style will cost about $4,000.

A low-cost trip to Asia can cost as little as $50 a day. But with a plane ticket, even the very cheapest trip with stays in shared rooms at low-end hostels will still run $1,500 for 1-2 weeks.

If those numbers sound a little scary for your budget, cruising could be your path to a dream vacation.

Cruise Ships: Your Path to International Travel on a Budget

You want to visit international destinations and see new sites, experience new cultures, taste new great food, and fit in some world-class partying…but you want to do it all on a budget. Booking a cruise could be the way to make it happen.

The average cruiser spends about $1500 on a 7-day cruise. But with a little planning and budgeting, you can go on a 7-night cruise for as little as $900.

The biggest perk of traveling via cruise ship is that you can visit multiple international locales in a single trip. Here are just a handful of examples of international cruises with multiple bucket list ports of call:

Mediterranean Voyage via Celebrity

Stops include the Colosseum in Roma and Leaning Tower in Pisa in Italy, the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, and the stunning Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Middle East Meandering via Oceania

A 10 day journey with stops at jewels of the Middle East, including Dubai, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar.

South American Adventure via Celebrity

Explore Machu Pichu in Peru, snorkel in the waters off the Galapagos Islands, and relax with a cocktail on the beaches of Costa Rica on this 2-week cruise.

Scandinavia, Russia, and the Baltic Trip via Norwegian

This 9-night cruise will take you from the famed Tivoli Gardens of Copenhagen to serene Baltic country, including stops in St. Petersburg, Estonia, and Helsinki.

Asian Journey via Celebrity

Two weeks on this cruise will give you the opportunity to walk atop the Great Wall of China, stand in awe of Mt. Fiji in Japan, and in between witness the excitement and beauty of Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore.

And that’s just a sampling. There are cruises to explore Africa, Australia and beyond.

How Cruising Makes Epic Adventure a Breeze

Visiting multiple bucket list destinations in one trip like this might seem like a dream that maybe, just maybe, you’ll one day be able to pull off. But since cruising makes planning an epic multi-country excursion such a breeze, there’s no reason not to make it happen today.

When you book a cruise, pretty much every aspect of your trip is taken care of for you. Just get yourself to the ship (and we can even help with that). From there, the entire itinerary is taken care of to ensure you can make the most of each stop. Plus, your meals are included in the fare price.

Of course, customization is available for just about every part of your cruise vacation. Want to upgrade a meal? Hit one of the many luxury dining options available on most cruise ships.

Looking to visit an under-the-radar attraction at one of the ports of call? A full day in port will allow you to vacation your way and knows there’s always a delicious dinner and comfortable cabin to return to each night.

And if you need to get some work done while you’re on vacay, Wi-Fi access is readily available on board, and most cruise ships offer workspaces where you can tap out some emails or take a Skype call.

You get all that for less than most international trips. And the details are planned for you.

Other benefits of a cruise vacation for millennials include:

Easy access to dietary needs

• If you’re looking for a gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegetarian meal, they can be hard to find reliably in a lot of international destinations.
• Cruise ships cater to every dietary need so you know you can always find great food that suits your palette.

Cruises for every lifestyle

• Cruising is not a one-size-fits-all vacation option.
• There are cruises catered to honeymooners, singles, and adults looking to party without kids screaming down waterslides (but we won’t judge if you want to give it a try).

Stress relief

• The health benefits of cruising don’t stop at the vitamin D you get from the sunshine.
• An all-inclusive, planned cruise provides a relaxing, stress-free vacation, and stress relief is important to maintaining good overall health.

Make it magical with upgrades

• You can customize your cruise with upgrades like private dinners served in your cabin, spa days, and onshore excursions to get the exact trip you’re looking for while still staying on budget.

What International Destinations Can You Visit On A Cruise?

There are cruises in pretty much every part of the world. You can take cruises from Central America and Mexico to South America, European and Egyptian river cruises, Mediterranean cruises, and cruises spanning Australia and Asia. Many of these cruises stop at multiple international destinations, so you can cross a lot of items of your bucket list in the span of a week.

And the nice thing is that with CloudblueTravel.com, you can explore all of these cruise options and more in one convenient place. We help people find, customize, and finalize the vacation of their dreams. Our agents will make sure you find the right cruise line and specific ship that fits your style, select the perfect cabin, and help you book your trip for the best possible price.

Contact us to now book the international vacation you never thought you could afford »

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