Cruising for Geocachers

April 3,2017

John Bishop

tl;dr -  Cruising is a great way to see multiple destinations efficiently and quickly ramp up your Country count.  Cache several islands and only unpack one time- a stress free adventure!  AMS Travel Sales includes a free .GPX file for each island on your itinerary.  

If you're like me, you enjoy the adventure of geocaching- the new places, new sites and clever hides.   You also get a big kick out of watching your smiley count grow and grow.  Well, how is that country list of yours looking right now?  One or two?  Let's make adding some country souvenirs a goal for this year!

If you live within driving distance (4-5 hours) of a cruise port, you'll find that cruising is the most cost-effective way to travel.  Without the added expense of airfare involved, the amenities included with a typical cruise vacation make it a very economical way to travel.  

There are more active cruise ports in the US than you may be aware.  Of course, there are several in Florida-  Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Port Canaveral and even Jacksonville. There are cruise ports in South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, California and several in the northeast- Boston, Baltimore, New York and New Jersey.  Live in the Northwest- Seattle and Vancouver are popular ports of departure for Alaska cruises. You are closer to a cruise than you think!

If you've never cruised before (and there are a LOT of you that have not) let me go over what's included on a typical cruise ship.

Meals- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and more.  You'll never go hungry on a cruise ship- believe me.  There are dozens of restaurants on the largest cruise ships.  Some of them cost extra, but there are always complimentary dining options. 

Entertainment- Broadway shows, Las Vegas style revues, musical features, magicians, comedy shows, acrobats, sometimes even high diving or ice skating are just a few of the highlights when it comes to entertainment options on cruise ships.  Family oriented lines like Disney Cruise Line offer character experiences as well.  For the most part, all of these acts are included with your fare.  

Kids Programs- All of the major cruise lines have some sort of children's programming.  Family oriented lines have more resources devoted to entertaining your little ones, but even luxury lines realized that if you offer a program for little ones- the parents are more likely to book.  For families, I like to recommend Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean or NCL.

Casino-  Most major cruise lines (Disney is the only exception) offer casinos.  You'll find a host of table games, slot machines and more in their casinos.  Some cruise lines offer special 'Casino Rates' to their frequent cruisers to entice them back onboard.

Nightlife-  Cruise ships offer an array of bars and nightclubs. You'll never pay a cover charge to enjoy the music and dancing that on many lines goes well into the wee hours of the morning.  Sports bars are also common, so you can keep up with your favorite team while you're in the middle of the ocean.

Pools and Water Areas-  You'll find extensive water play areas on many of the cruise ships marketed today.  These keep getting larger and more innovative.  These areas are where you'll find the engineers working tirelessly to come up with new ways to entertain the guests.  It's an 'arms race' of entertainment.  Each new ship that comes out has more outlandish and amazing features-  indoor skydiving anyone? The newest ships have full on waterparks on their top decks complete with massive twisting slides and water coasters. Some Royal Caribbean ships also feature Surfing Simulators known as Flowriders.  No charge to access these amenities. 

Duty Free Shopping-  Interested in a great deal on jewelry, alcohol or tobacco?  Cruise ships have large shopping sections where you can score great deals on items and avoid the duty (tax) when you return.  In most cases, you're limited to $800 of duty free merchandise.

You see, your cruise fare gets you access to all of that!  If you were to add up what a full day of meals, entertainment, nightlife, children's activities and what it would take to provide transportation to so many different destinations you'll find cruising to be a great deal!  What's more, you'll have access to geocaches in each of your ports of call.  Even the cruise lines' private islands have them.  The Caribbean is teeming with caches.  Many of them, especially virtual caches, are within walking distance to the cruise port.

If you'd like to know more about Caribbean Cruises or other destinations (Alaska and Europe are also GREAT places to geocache and we can offer you cruises there as well) just let us know in the comments below or send in a Quote Request! Let AMS Travel Sales match you with the best cruise line for your geocaching needs.