The One Type Of Cruise You Should Avoid Booking (And Why It's Easy To Do By Accident)

Whether you're looking to get away for a weekend or an entire week, a cruise is one of the best options for easily exploring the world. With shore excursions, unlimited food, and plenty of amenities on the boat itself, a cruise is both relaxing and entertaining for all ages. So, it should be no surprise that many cruises are themed, giving guests even more of an incentive to book a ticket. For example, you may want to hop aboard a music cruise to enjoy live tunes while partying on a boat.

But what if you wind up on the wrong type of cruise? You may sign up for a trip wanting a regular experience, but your vacation ends up unexpectedly being overshadowed by a group that doesn't align with your interests or travel preferences. In that case, you've probably found yourself on a charter cruise by accident. Both full and partial charters are designed to center around a particular theme, but not all guests on the ship know or approve of it. In many cases, the cruise partner won't disclose the charter, so you won't find out until you're about to disembark from the port. If this sounds less than ideal for your vacation, let's break down how it happens and how you can avoid a disappointing vacation.

Chartered cruises fall into one of two categories: full and partial. On a fully chartered cruise, a company or organization takes over the entire ship, meaning only invited guests are allowed to board. For example, a major corporation may charter a cruise for an executive retreat or an event organization may take over a ship to offer a unique ticketed experience. As you might imagine, these charters are expensive because they're not open to the general public.

Partial charters are much more common and are popular for large groups traveling together. Many themed cruises are partial charters, so the organizers take over part of a ship for their own themed entertainment. These cruises may be centered around superheroes, musical acts, or singles-only trips.

While you can definitely make the most of a themed cruise, a partial charter may only take up a large portion of the boat. So, if you don't love the theme they've chosen or are trying to meet other singles, you might not have a great vacation. Some themes may not align with your personal preferences, or they may be more adult-oriented, making it tricky for families with small children. Regardless of whether you're on a chartered cruise or not, you can still partake in the scenic activity Rick Steves claims is one of the best parts of cruising.

Don't get us wrong — themed cruises can be a lot of fun when you know what you're getting yourself into. However, most cruise lines don't disclose whether a group or organization has partially chartered a ship, so if you're not trying to be on a themed cruise, you may not have much of a choice. No matter how much you plan ahead of time (including what to pack for your cruise), you may have a wildly disappointing experience.

Beyond sharing a cruise with a group you may not want to hang out with, booking a partial charter comes with a few other issues. If the group is big enough, they may take over entire sections of the ship, including the stages, clubs, and restaurants. This limits what you're able to do on the boat at any given time. Additionally, if the group partakes in shore excursions, they may rent out all available time slots, so you won't be able to do what you like on land, either. Larger groups may also bump you to a different type of cabin than what you're expecting (or paid for).

Fortunately, you don't have to roll the dice when booking your next cruise vacation. Instead, you can be proactive so there are no surprises. First, you can look up your itinerary and see if there are any themed cruises that overlap your dates. Second, you can call the cruise line directly and ask about partial charters. Finally, if you use a travel agent to book your vacation, they may have information about these charters so you can plan accordingly.