If you live in South Florida you've no doubt seen cruise ships docked or out on the open seas, heading to or coming from somewhere nearby or far away.
And if you're new to cruising or have only been on a couple of Caribbean adventures, you may not realize how many different types of cruises and ships there are.
From huge ships like the Icon of the Seas that can hold up to 7,600 passengers to smaller luxury vessesl with fewer than 100 passengers on board, and from heading up and down Florida's coast to across the world, the types of ships and destinations are nearly limitless.
When many think of cruising, they might picture big beautiful ships that are resorts at sea, with thousands of passengers on board enjoying the food, drinks and entertainment.
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"For a lot of people that megaship experience is really what they’re looking for. This is the big cruise ships, you see them all the time out of South Florida," said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of the Cruise Critic website.
From Carnival to Norwegian, MSC, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Disney, Celebrity, Holland America, Virgin and more, all of the major cruise lines are right in South Florida's backyard.
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Ken Muscat, the managing director of Scenic Group and someone who's worked in the cruise industry for 30 years, said that means more options for cruisers.
"I think that's one of the greatest things about the cruise industry. It's so diverse and there really is something for everybody," Muscat said.
Muscat said the bigger ships may have more appeal for a wider range of travelers.
"I think the big ships are catered best towards multigenerational travel," Muscat said. "You've got families, you've got the grandparents that are coming along from both sets of parents, you've got the young kids and these big ships offer so many different alternatives for everybody."
He also said the smaller ships have something to offer as well.
"Now, we're also seeing this trend of smaller ships and new brands that are coming into the industry that are offering these ultra luxury or very premium kind of products," Muscat said.
McDaniel agreed.
"They are very inclusive. The service is top notch, and the dining is excellent," she said. "These small ships can take you to more remote places around the world, smaller ports. So you’re going to see different places than you might see with some of these megaships."
Smaller ships might provide a sunset sailing into St. Barts or a stroll in the sand on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands.
Companies like Scenic, Regent Seven Seas, Emerald, Ritz Carlton, Silversea and Explora Journeys offer these five-star sailings out of South Florida and other ports in the Caribbean, just a short plane ride away.
If you're up for a longer plane ride, you can venture on board a river cruise to explore the winding waterways of Asia and Europe.
"The food is wonderful, the wine is flowing. But every day you're in these small little ports," said Michelle Fee, CEO of Cruise Planners. "And you get to experience that by stepping off the ship and you're right in the little, quaint town."
And since there are two international airports in South Florida, there's another cool cruising option: expedition cruises.
These are bucket list trips with exotic, once-in-a-lifetime destinations.
"They typically will do longer cruises, world cruises, or visit places all over the Med[Mediterranean], Antarctica, the Arctic, the Galapagos, very exotic ports of call," Muscat said.
With more and more companies offering expedition excursions, these remote destinations are more accessible than ever before.
"I’m a firm believer that there is a cruise and a cruise ship for every single person on the planet," McDaniel said.
