Why a cruise deal is king this Black Friday
When Black Friday shopping, one market swarms with more deals than most – holidays. And when it comes to holidays, there’s one expanding market that outshines all others. It’s time to bag a cruise
When it comes to booking a holiday this Black Friday, few options eclipse the multifaceted glory of a cruise. Where other travel options fail, the cruise industry offers bliss and euphoric adventure, all in one package. Unpack once and let each ship show you the world.
Let’s face facts, air travel offers the joyless shuffle of Pink Floyd’s meat grinder. Forced onto the conveyor belt and through cramped security, while being judged as an extremist by power-hungry security officers for wearing shoes, you’re then poured into a seat too small for Hobbits and served food deemed unsuitable for prisons. It’s not the glamourous experience once broadcast by the likes of Concorde.
Don’t start on about road trips, either. Unless you enjoy the false promise of ‘freedom’ and a marathon number of fast food outlets, churning your jaw amid heavy traffic and GPS confusions, then gear-crunching likely isn’t for you. Bus or train travel? No. Just no. We have no words for the suffering caused by those transport choices.
A cruise, however, sidesteps all this nonsense. No other option delivers an unbeatable cocktail of inclusions, relaxation, and exploration, while also preventing a logistical headache as you dash between locations. And then there’s the value for money…
Fact: Cruising offers the best value
One ticket to rule them all. With one ticket, you’ve got accommodation, entertainment, dining and transport all wrapped up. Your bank card doesn’t need to run and hide with every meal, show or route. Your banking app won’t be red hot with spending alerts, but that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on quality.
Cruise dining is a whole new category of bliss. Seeking a gala five-course dinner? You’ve got it. Midnight pizza binge? No problem. Industrial quantities of tea and wine? Easy-peasy. Airport facilities and those sketchy motorway services simply cannot compete, unless you employ a masochistic streak.
Land-based holidays often leave you at the mercy of overpriced burgers or culinary gambles, where the menu appears to have been crafted on a dare and everything arrives served with chips. In contrast, every meal feels like a sensual victory lap when on a cruise. You can enjoy cuisines from all corners of the world without ever leaving the ship. For some, you don’t even need to move decks!
For those who have accessibility needs, cruise ships are often engineered to be a step above. When the difference between paradise and torment rests with empathic staff and no-fuss assistance, wheelchair-friendly layouts and accessible cabins, cruising trumps the patchwork availability of many land-locked destinations.
Fact: Relaxation and exploration make the ultimate combo
A cruise gives you the rare luxury of doing as little, or as much, as you please. If your idea of a holiday involves sipping cocktails and lounging in the sun, or if you prefer diving headfirst into snorkling trips, adventure, historic city tours and ziplining, then you’re set to be fully catered for.
When compared to the classic hotel situation, where you’re stuck in one location or riddled with anxiety about making the planned day trip work for everyone, cruise excursions offer pre-organised and thoroughly vetted experiences that spares you the drama. There’s no shady tour operators here, nor a need to fumble through Google Translate to discover the desperate whereabouts of a toilet.
Then there’s the joy of waking up in a new place everyday, without the constant need to pack and unpack your case. There’s no need to play musical chairs between beds, heaving suitcases across the streets, or wrestling with rental cars that smell strangely like regret.
Cruises allow you to glide effortlessly between destinations - today, a sun-drenched Caribbean island; tomorrow, a charming European port - while you sleep in luxury that moves with you. It’s a city that travels and can take you to places inaccessible by any other means.
For those with mobility issues, this feature is especially golden. Cruise terminals are generally designed with accessibility in mind, and you’ll never face the nightmare of being abandoned at the bottom of a flight of stairs in a remote train station.
The ship itself? Ramps, elevators, and staff trained to assist ensure that every passenger, regardless of physical ability, can enjoy the experience fully.
Fact: Airports and roadtrips are stressful
If we described a bustling center of frustration where time slows down, but your stress levels skyrocket, it would sound akin to something from a Stephen King horror. This is, basically, an airport.
Ask yourself: why fly when you can sail?
By the time you’ve removed your shoes, watched a TSA agent confiscate your toothpaste, and endured a three-hour flight delay, you’ll wish you’d booked something else. Cruises offer the exact opposite.
You arrive, check in, and a smiling member of the crew hands you a welcome drink. It’s almost comical how much smoother it all feels. And once aboard, there’s no turbulence to rattle your nerves, just the gentle rhythm of the sea.
Even driving holidays, often praised for their “freedom,” have a hidden villain: the road itself. Endless hours of staring at tarmac and fuel station pit stops lose their appeal around mile 400. Cruises, in contrast, transform travel into leisure.
Instead of a cramped car, you’ve got sun decks, theatres, spas, and infinity pools. Instead of roadside diners, you’ve got gourmet restaurants and open-air buffets. Who’s winning now? If you want to play by Top Trumps, your Porsche may have 640 horsepower, but Cunard’s QM2 churns out 157,000 hp. Take that, Stuttgart.
Fact: Luxury and accessibility for all
The accommodation on modern cruise ships is another game-changer. Even the so-called ‘basic’ cabins are often more comfortable than up-market hotels, with thoughtful touches, ocean views or private balconies.
For those who crave opulence, suites rival five-star resorts with personal butlers, Jacuzzis, and exclusive lounge access. For travelers with specific needs - whether it's wheelchair access, dietary restrictions, or sensory-friendly environments - cruise lines go out of their way to provide tailored experiences. Compare this to the occasional shrug you might get from a hotel front desk clerk when you ask for extra support.
All this comes without sacrificing entertainment. Onboard theatres rival Broadway, with nightly shows and live music. Gyms and spas keep you fit and pampered. And the kids? They’re off enjoying water slides, game zones, or supervised clubs, freeing parents to enjoy a rare moment of uninterrupted relaxation. Good luck finding all this variety in a standard resort or Airbnb.
Fact: Cruising is the ultimate Black Friday deal
At the end of the day, a cruise holiday simply offers more: more inclusions, more convenience, more destinations. It blends relaxation and exploration in a way other vacations only dream about.
Whether you’re sunbathing in the Mediterranean, savoring sushi at sea, or learning about ancient ruins on a guided tour, there’s a seamlessness to cruising that makes other forms of travel feel like a logistical chore.
So why settle for the chaos of airports, the monotony of road trips, or the stationary boredom of a single resort? A cruise isn’t just a holiday—it’s the best parts of travel distilled into a floating paradise. And with a Black Friday cruise deal, it’s the best value holiday on offer.
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About Gillian Carmoodie
Gillian has been a part of the heritage world for longer than she would care to admit. From piloting pre-war racers across Montlhéry and traversing the Cumbrian mountains with an Edwardian automobile, to flying a WWI Tiger Moth and obsessing over all things shipping, Gillian lives for history.
When not buried in a book or lost to the archives, you'll usually find her under the bonnet of her classic Rover or exploring the old shipyards of the North East. When partaking in work for RNLI, Land Rover or RRM, Gillian mostly runs on high-octane Earl Grey.
