Matters needing attention in cruise tourism

1, don't add the word "luxury" before the cruise! On the leaflets of major cruise companies, the word "luxury cruise" is flying all over the sky, such as five-star hotels floating on the sea and enjoying global cuisine. "Luxury" seems to have always been tied to "cruise ship", but this is also the biggest misunderstanding of cruise ship. It's not just cruise companies that mislead us. In movies like Titanic and If You Are the One, cruise holidays are really attractive. This is deck dancing, playing mini golf, rock climbing or sea yoga, which is a slightly exciting cocktail party event. In a word, luxury is not only a material enjoyment, but also a feeling of luxury.

Take the romantic five-night and six-day tour of Tianjin-Jeju-Fukuoka Costa in June this year as an example. The standard cabin ticket starts at 2999 yuan/person (booked 30 days in advance). Imagine a six-day cruise holiday, less than 3000 yuan. How can you expect a five-star room or luxurious food? In fact, even a 654.38+ 10,000-ton super-luxury cruise ship, the cabin is only three stars according to hotel standards. According to the survey, many passengers feel lost after the cruise holiday because of their high expectations. There are indeed super-luxury cruise ships in the world, but they usually have a small tonnage, a 30-square-meter boutique cabin and lobster for dinner, but the average fare per person per day is about 450 US dollars, which is about three times that of ordinary cruise ships. Fortunately, cruise tourism is not "expensive is good". In recent years, the competition in China cruise market is fierce, and there is also vicious competition among companies to reduce prices. For tourists, the advantage is that the boat fare is cheaper, and the disadvantage is that other services are discounted accordingly. But on the whole, cruise tourism is still valuable. Tickets around 3000 yuan include transportation, room, catering, entertainment and other services. On average, only 500 yuan is available every day. If you travel on shore, I'm afraid 1 day is not enough. Therefore, the cruise holiday of China passengers is valuable, even if it is not luxurious! All we need to prepare is to adjust our mentality and not give ourselves an "ultra-luxury" fantasy. 2. The bigger the tonnage of a cruise ship, the better? Take it for granted that the bigger the hull, the better. Generally speaking, there are two ways for the cruise industry to measure the size of cruise ships. One way is to divide the size of cruise ships by tonnage, including small cruise ships with less than 50,000 tons, medium cruise ships with 50,000-70,000 tons, and large cruise ships with more than 70,000 tons. Another way is to look at the number of passengers accommodated. Cruise ships with more than 2000 passengers are usually considered as giant cruise ships. The bigger the cruise ship, the more space passengers can get and the higher the freedom of choice, which is beyond the capacity of large opera houses and other non-large ships. However, a large tonnage inevitably means that a large number of people can be accommodated. If you want to enjoy a quiet environment and better service, a cruise ship of medium tonnage may be more suitable. Compared with large cruise ships, small and medium-sized cruise ships have the following advantages: they can sail to smaller places, it is more convenient to board and leave the ship, and passengers can easily understand the facilities on board and other passengers. But one thing is certain, that is, the bigger the ship, the smoother the navigation. 3. Is the cheapest inner cabin too unfair? Cruise cabins are usually divided into three categories: inner cabin, sea view room and deluxe sea view suite, and the inner cabin is the cheapest cabin. But in fact, on the same cruise ship, the difference between the tickets is only in the cabin, and other entertainment, catering and other enjoyment are exactly the same. Few cruise ships treat passengers differently. So the inner cabin is actually a good choice. In recent years, the design of many cruise companies tends to be "entertainment" logic: most people take the cruise for entertainment, and the cabin is "just a place to sleep", so even luxury cruise ships will compress the space in the cabin and free up more areas for entertainment (this of course has the consideration of reducing the cabin to accommodate more guests). And most passengers really don't sleep in the cabin. If you want to see the sea view, you can go to public areas such as decks, libraries and concert halls. As long as you play well, there is nothing to care about in the inner cabin of 10 square meter. Even some tourists who like to sleep late choose the inner cabin, because the light at sea in the morning will not affect their rest. Special reminder, it is best to be familiar with the cost performance of each class when choosing courses. For example, the distance from the center of the ship to the bow and stern is the same, and the sway of the center of the ship is the smallest and the most convenient (you know, on medium and large cruise ships, it takes hundreds of meters to walk from the cabins at both ends of the ship to the central elevator); Usually, the higher the floor, the better the landscape, but the higher the price, and the cabin on the high floor is rickety and close to the deck, which makes more noise; Generally, the more expensive cabins are at the stern, so it is convenient to see the scenery and you don't have to eat against the wind, but this position eats the most waves. Entertainment: 1. Will cruise holidays be boring? If the purpose of your cruise is just to see the sea, then watch it quietly. If not, you will have plenty of time to find that the cruise ship is a floating holiday resort. At present, most China tourists have not formed the concept that "cruise ship itself is a tourist destination", and they expect more from the other side and upstream. If they don't get off the boat, they will feel that they have come for nothing. In fact, shore sightseeing is just an adjustment of cruise travel. The entertainment on the cruise ship begins with opening your eyes and lasts until midnight. Such as swimming pool, jacuzzi, jogging track, gym, mini golf course, disco, dance course, library, shopping center, health club, spa, musical, casino, etc. Of course, the premise is that you are really willing to plunge in and feel an unrestrained and interactive cruise entertainment culture, otherwise it will be boring. Entertainment performance is the strength of Costa Cruises. For example, Costa Cruises Classic, a two-story cross-deck theater, can accommodate nearly 600 people, and there are two 45-minute Broadway musicals and acrobatic magic shows every night. The performance team comes from a professional cruise entertainment team in South Africa, and is especially good at creating a lively atmosphere. Special reminder: the name of the cruise director is generally printed on daily programs and generally translated into the cruise director. You can consult him for all entertainment programs, but you have to consult the service desk for other things, because the cruise director is actually only responsible for entertainment programs, which is one level lower than the hotel manager in administrative level. 2. Cruise holidays, Xian Yi for all ages? Cruise vacation is promoted as a leisure vacation suitable for all ages, including families, couples, young people and the elderly. Cruise holidays are relatively easy for the elderly, and there is not too much hard work to travel; For families with children, the high chairs, small tableware, children's recreation room and trusteeship services that can be seen everywhere on cruise ships also reduce the travel burden of parents; Cruise honeymoon or wedding is a popular way for young couples to travel now. There are also many companies that choose to hold annual meetings and reward tours on cruise ships ... It seems that people of different ages can find good things. But in Xian Yi, not every cruise ship is old or young, and different cruise companies have different characteristics. Carnival Cruise Company has the largest number of ships and the largest tonnage. Its Costa Cruises are especially suitable for young people to travel with prizes. The original company is an Italian company, which still adheres to the European style and flaunts the Italian style. Italian food is naturally much more comfortable than American food, and there are attractive Italian handsome guys who can create an atmosphere on board. The entertainment programs of Star Cruises are rich, but a large number of Broadway musicals and magic acrobatics are obviously not attractive enough for the elderly. The entertainment programs of the Dutch-American cruise company pay more attention to the cultural atmosphere, and the atmosphere on board is much quieter and more elegant, which is suitable for the elderly. Norwegian cruise ships are famous for their delicious food. There are more than 65,438+00 restaurants on the new ship, and there are always enough tables when dining ... It should be noted that not all tourists of all ages are free to board the ship. All cruise companies will set a threshold for the age of the guests, and usually measure the age requirements according to each cabin. For example, Costa Cruises and Star Cruises stipulate that each cabin should be at least 1 265438+ for tourists. 3. Can I gamble at will on the cruise ship? Everyone knows that China loves casinos. Naturally, gambling is also one of the most popular recreational activities on cruise ships. There is a certain age limit for activities, and visitors are required to be at least 18 years old to enter the casino. In order to cater to the preferences of China tourists, foreign cruise ships, including Costa Cruises, have added mahjong to their ships. If you want to play mahjong, you can go to the chess room, which provides free mahjong, and some even install automatic mahjong tables. Cruise vacation is expensive, and you don't care about any entertainment at all. Playing mahjong by the window of the sea for five or six days is worth it as long as you are happy! Gambling on cruise ships is legal, and there are usually 2 1 points, roulette, slot machines and other games. However, for legal reasons and to avoid competition with onshore gambling, casinos are usually closed when cruise ships dock. Need to be reminded that the cruise ship is a closed space. When tourists have nothing to do on it, they are easily tempted by gambling. Psychologically speaking, it will give tourists a hint that they will be fine when they get off the boat. 1, it is best to take a new ship, especially the maiden voyage? Many passengers like to take new ships, even on their maiden voyage. However, maiden voyage is not a good choice. According to the statistics of relevant departments, in the past few years, the maiden voyage of 1/3 was cancelled. It is not easy to put a huge ship into operation. It may be that the contractor has no time to deliver the ship, or there may be problems with the equipment on board, such as wet paint, unfinished decoration, unskilled service personnel and inadequate service, all of which may happen on the new ship. If you want to try a new ship, it is suggested to choose "the third water" and "the fourth water" when the software and hardware of the ship are on the right track. When the tsunami happened, the cruise ship was very dangerous? Cruise tourism has a low probability of shipwreck, but once it happens, it is a catastrophe. Moreover, the security of cruise ships is not as strict as that of airports, and the risk factor of hijacking ships does exist. But on the whole, cruise travel is safer. The biggest potential disaster of cruise ships is fire, so passengers should pay attention. In addition, don't ignore life-saving exercises when boarding the ship. On the contrary, when a typhoon or tsunami occurs, it is safest on a cruise ship. Even if there is a tsunami nearby, there is no danger, because the current moves on the seabed and becomes a tsunami after landing. The cruise ship has left the tuyere, and at most it will eat some waves. Tips: 1. Do I need to exchange foreign currency in advance? Generally, international cruise ships adopt the "cashless" system, using a consumption card (usually the room card that guests get when they board the ship). According to the length of the route and the class of the cabin, a certain amount of cash is pre-stored as a payment card for all the expenses of the guests on the cruise. The balance in the card is insufficient, so you can renew it at the service desk. To open a cruise card, you must provide a credit card, such as American Express, MasterCard and VISA. Once started, the whole cruise holiday spending can be swiped with the boarding card and recorded on the card. Of course, you can also pay cash on the boat to open a cruise card. Every passenger will have a coded list of consumption records, which will be sent to the cabin at the end of the cruise holiday and the night before disembarkation, including the list of each consumption. If passengers have no objection to the account, they will charge it off by credit card on the morning of leaving the cruise ship. You can use an international credit card or cash a traveler's check on board. However, it should be noted that if you want to spend money ashore, you'd better exchange local currency on the boat, and you can exchange the unused currency back when you come back, which saves a lot of trouble. 2. Tickets are all inclusive, and everything is free? A cruise ship is by no means a ticket. The cruise quotation will clearly tell you what services are included. Usually, a ship ticket includes 5-7 days of room accommodation, meals, free facilities on the designated ship, and participation in the designated entertainment and activities on the ship. Usually, all kinds of games, activities, song and dance performances and theme dances in the evening are free, while hot springs and beauty salons, laundry, medical centers, as well as chefs' dishes, satellite TV and Internet use, personal yoga classes and so on. You need to pay in a la carte restaurant. In addition, personal expenses such as port fees, visa fees, shore sightseeing and photo purchase also need to be paid extra. There are also different items that need to be paid separately in different cabins. The simplest example is that six meals a day should be selected according to different cabins. Some restaurants on cruise ships are free for some cabin guests, while others charge. Generally, the higher the level, the more free items are included. When spending money on a cruise, you'd better ask in advance. 3. Cruise tourism focuses on international port "shore tour"? In terms of routes, cruise tourism is generally divided into scenic spots and tourist routes. China tourists prefer to choose port routes, and a wonderful "shore sightseeing" tour of international ports is very important for them. According to an insider, the biggest difference between China cruise passengers and western cruise passengers is that when the ship docked, China passengers all disembarked to play collectively, and those who stayed in the swimming pool and deck were always foreigners. This is related to the concept of travel. But in fact, if you do your homework in the port, the shore tour can be wonderful. However, at present, cruise routes in China market usually need to buy a shore tour package to disembark. In order to cater to the interests of Japanese tourists, Costa Classic and Longman added many port cities on the 20 10 summer route between China and South Korea, such as Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Okinawa, Kagoshima, Jeju Island and Busan. The most worthwhile places to visit are Okinawa and Kagoshima. It should be pointed out that the shore tours sold by cruise companies usually cost more. For the promotion of reduced fares, the profits that cruise companies can get are already very meager, and they have to share them with travel agencies and agents. Shore tour is one of the important sources of profit, and there is still a certain degree of tying. Some routes pass through more port cities, and the shore tour adds up to almost the same as the ship fee. For example, on the South American route of a Norwegian cruise ship, once a helicopter landed on the Antarctic shore, the fare was as high as 2000 US dollars/person, almost equal to the fare of a cruise ship for 15 days.