30s – Emma Cruises

There are many reasons you should take a cruise in your 20s/30s. A lot of people seem to think that cruising is just for the 'newly wed and the nearly dead', cruise lines are desperately trying to shake off this reputation. There definitely are some cruise lines which are for the older generation but there are increasing numbers of cruises catered to young adults and families. I was so fed up of telling people that cruises aren't just for old people that I started this blog. 1) You'll get to explore so much more of the world! A cruise holiday is quite unlike any other because you can see a lot of countries in a very short period of time. I have been to, I think, around 30 countries which would not have been possible if it wasn't for the cruises which I have been on. Cruising also means you get to go to countries which you wouldn't normally choose to go to. I recently cruised to Honduras and Belize which were both not destinations I would have purposely booked a holiday to. Having a short visit to each country does mean that you can pick your favourites and return to the ones which you liked most. Gran Canaria is one which I would like to return to having only been on the island for 1 day. 2) You'll (probably) get to drink a lot of alcohol and go to a lot of bars. If that is what you want to do of course! More and more cruise lines are offering unlimited beverage packages, in I believe, an effort to attract a younger market. Most large cruise liners have upwards of 10 bars which means that you never have to drink the same thing twice. It can also be a good way to try new drinks without the risk of not liking them. If you have the unlimited beverage package and get a drink you don't like then you can just put it down and move on! 3) Food. If you love food you will love cruising. There are multiple restaurants serving food 24 hours a day. What is not to love?! Many cruise lines are getting rid of the set table, set time, approach in favour of freestyle dining. I would definitely recommend choosing a cruise line with freestyle dining as it gives you so much more freedom and is much more relaxed. I always choose freestyle dining where I can, I couldn't think of much worse than having to share a table with strangers and make polite conversation! 4) There is so much to do onboard. Ziplines, surf simulators, water slides, ice skating, rock climbing, ropes courses... the list goes on and on with more things being added to each new ship. If you pick the right cruise line, you'll never be bored. Just look for the ships with big slides on top, that is usually a good sign! 5) You don't have access to the internet. This might sound horrible but it is actually really really nice. A week away from technology can be really fun, it is great knowing that work can't get hold of you and you have a fabulous excuse for not answering your emails. Cruise ships technically do have internet but it is the satellite type which seems to cost about £3 to answer an email. From my experiences is not worth it at all. I definitely consider the lack of internet on a cruise to be a benefit rather than a drawback. 6) Broadway shows. You get to see broadway style shows in the theatre along with various performers. Dancers, jugglers, musicians, comedians and more. It can be like going out for the evening every evening. Throw in some of your friends and the drinks I mentioned earlier and you will make tons of memories which you'll remember forever. 7) Cruises are great for young families. Most cruise lines have kids clubs which cater for children usually from around 3 upwards. In balcony cabins the sofa is usually a bed which is perfect for families as it means you only need one room and similarly in the inside cabins there are usually beds which flip down from the walls. Kids love bunk beds! On most cruise lines there are a lot of child-friendly food options, meaning that the adults can dine in the formal restaurants while the kids eat pizza and ice cream in the buffet. 8) Cruise lines also have themed cruises. I recently spotted a Coronation Street cruise which I am more than tempted by. Coming up in 2017 NCL have a kiss themed cruise, a rock cruise, a walking dead themed cruise and a kids redneck pirate themed cruise! I have never been on one of these but I can imagine it would be a lot of fun. They often have actors from the shows on the ships too. I would recommend the following cruise lines to people in their 20s/30s based on their more relaxed approach to cruising: NCL Royal Caribbean MSC Carnival Princess Thomson Celebrity Disney (if you have small children or are just a big Disney lover) Please let me know in the comments if you have taken a cruise in your 20s/30s and if you have any reasons you would add to the list. :)