Daniela Caputo’s Destinations: Take a cruise for your next trip

Daniela, you mentioned that you’ve never experienced cruise ship travel. Allow me to share with you my take on this….

Today’s cruise ships are fewer floating hotels and more entire cities. This is a multi-billion-dollar industry where all the ships have their own theatres, casinos, restaurants, fitness centres, spas, and some also have bowling alleys and skating rinks!

I prefer this type of vacation as I can visit several countries or cities in just one week. And I don’t have to worry about transporting my luggage from hotel to hotel.

I am the type of traveller who arrives at a new destination and, within one day, I will have seen all the interesting tourist attractions and I will look forward to the next port of call for more sightseeing adventures. I usually book my excursions myself with online shore excursion companies because it’s less expensive than the ship and I make sure that these companies guarantee “back to ship on time” (because if you are late getting back, the cruise ship leaves without you). And this gives me peace of mind that if something goes wrong, the tour company will make sure I get back on the ship at the next port of call. In recent years, most cruise ship lines are offering “all inclusive” packages, such as unlimited beverage packages and pre-paid gratuities so you don’t have to pay extra once you are on board.

I find that the food on board a cruise ship is superior to that of an all-inclusive resort. There are several more options, with speciality restaurants, several different venues for entertainment, and many bars throughout the ship to enjoy a cocktail. Most of the shows are free and the quality of the shows can be compared to Broadway.

If relaxing is more your thing, you can do so by one of the several pools and hot tubs on the ship. For me, this type of vacation lets me relax on days at sea and when in port, I can choose what I want to visit.

Dora Paventi, retired and enjoying life

Montreal Event Planner has become the go-to authority in the event planning business, not only because of its reputable success, but also because of the expertise and professionalism of owner Daniela Caputo, who combs the globe on a regular basis to find the best destinations for her clients (and our readers!).