The Last Word on Travel: Is A Cruise The Holiday For You?

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The Last Word with Matt Cooper 10 min 2 speakers 3 chapters transcribed 1 month ago
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

Matt Cooper 0:00
The Last Word on Today FM. For The Last Word on travel this evening, Sarah Slattery from thetravelexpert.ie wants to talk about the perceptions and realities of going on a cruise for your holiday. Good evening to you, Sarah.
Sarah Slattery 0:15
Hi, Matt.
Matt Cooper 0:15
How are you? Very good.

What types of cruises are available and who are they best suited for?

Matt Cooper 0:16
Now tell us, why would a cruise holiday, in your view, suit some people who might not think of it?
Sarah Slattery 0:23
Well, I think the first thing I think people should think about is think of it in the same way as you think about a land-based holiday, that there really is a kind of cruise out there for everybody. So if you like a boutique hotel in a real quaint upmarket area, or whether you like a lively, all-inclusive resort with music all day long and non-stop 24-hour drinks at the bar, you know, it really depends on the type of holiday you like. And for some people, they have a misconception that a cruise could be one thing. But actually, there's so many different types of cruises from small little yacht cruises and river cruises right up to the big cruise ship I was on recently, the biggest cruise ship in the world.
Sarah Slattery 1:01
So there really is a huge variety for people of all ages. It's actually a really good multi-generational holiday for grandparents, parents, kids. It's really good from that point of view because usually on a cruise ship, there'll be something to cater for most demographics.
Matt Cooper 1:17
Yeah, because there is a perception, isn't it, that cruise ships are for the retired and they most certainly are not for families.
Sarah Slattery 1:25
Yeah, in fact, it's so different now. The great thing about it is, I think, is cruise companies have kind of switched on to the fact that, you know, people who like, you know, retired people who like to, you know, cruise on Norwegian fjords or maybe go on a river cruise or a nice smaller cruise ship with really good food are not the same people who are going to like these massive big family cruise ships. So they are kind of creating cruise ships specifically for families. And there are other cruise ships that would be maybe a lot more adult focused. I mean, you've even got Virgin Voyages that are purely adult only now. So it's actually, it's really developed insofar as you can literally pick the type of cruise that suits the type of holiday you're looking for.
Matt Cooper 2:07
Well, I think, again, the perception might be that you're at sea for the entire duration, be it a week or two weeks. But tell us about the multiple places that you can get to visit.
Sarah Slattery 2:17
Yeah, if you haven't cruised before, I'd say definitely go for a med cruise because A, it's closer and cheaper and easier to get to. And usually in a seven-day cruise, you'll probably stop at a different port six out of seven days. You may just be cruising one day. That's usually your typical Mediterranean cruise itinerary. You don't have to get off every day. In fact, if you don't get off... The ship can be really nice and quiet if you want some chill time. There's usually offers on the spa. But if you want to get off and visit a different place each day, you can do that. So that's usually a good suggestion for a first time cruiser because they're not sure whether they're going to like being on board all the time.
Sarah Slattery 2:54
Sometimes there's this feeling that you're going to be kind of stuck on a ship, but it's not like that at all. You can get on and off when you dock. particularly in the Mediterranean. Different thing now, if you're looking at a transatlantic cruise where you're cruising for days on end at sea, that may be not necessarily for first-time cruisers, I would think.
Matt Cooper 3:10
And then if you do get off, do you just look after yourself or do you go on what could be expensive organised excursions?
Sarah Slattery 3:18
It really depends on where you stop. I would say, you know, if you go for somewhere like the Amalfi Coast and you want to see a few, you might stop, you might want to see a few different places. You might want to go to Positano and Ravello. I would say maybe book an organised tour there. Or if you want to go to the Cinque Terre and you want to see the different villages, I would say definitely book a trip.

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