How much will it cost me?

I’m a cruising sceptic. Tell me, why should I spend my holiday on a ship?

Seasickness. Cabin fever. Floating rest homes. Many of us have preconceived notions about cruising, and Brett Jardine, commercial director at Cruise Lines International Association Australasia, has heard them all.

‘‘Many of those myths couldn’t be further from the truth,’’ he says.

Did you know, for instance, the average age of cruise passengers across New Zealand and Australia is now below 50?

‘‘The reality is, there’s a cruise out there for everybody. You’ve just got to find the right one.’’

There are plenty of reasons why you should choose a cruise over other forms of travel, says Christine Elgar, cruise specialist at Cruiseabout Howick. Her pitch? ‘‘You have everything included. It’s really good value for money. You unpack once. You have all your meals included, all your onboard entertainment. You don’t have any jet lag to worry about. Your holiday starts straight away.’’

Ok, you’ve got my attention. So, what types of cruises are there?

Let’s keep it simple. Cruising can be broken down into four main styles.

There’s round the world cruises, which will quite literally take you around the globe. You’re likely to be onboard for more than 100 nights, making many port stops along the way. These cruises tend to be fantastic value, and are great for meeting people, Elgar says.

Island-hopping cruises take in a smaller section of ocean, like the Caribbean, or the Pacific. You can expect all of the classic tropical holiday

One of the biggest misconceptions is that it’s an expensive way to travel. Actually, it’s one of the best value holidays out there, says Elgar.

‘‘I think $150 a night is a good average to look at. And even that can come down.’’

Cruising can be as luxurious as you want it to be. Elgar says she recently had clients who were cruising around Antarctica, South America and the Galapagos Islands for a cool $30,000 per person.

‘‘But when you look at what they’re ‘I think $150 a night is a good average to look at. And even that can come down.’ getting out of it – that included flights from New Zealand – it’s actually good value.’’

A good rule to follow when looking at cruises is the smaller the ship, the more expensive it’s going to be, Elgar advises.

But the good news is if you book in advance, you don’t have to pay in full straight away.