I love to travel deep. I love to learn about customs and cultures and try all of the food and drinks and just dive deep into new terrain.

Sometimes though, I just want to chill. I don’t want to deal with customs and immigration, I don’t want to deal with hotels and taxis and running everywhere. I want to sit and enjoy a frozen cocktail on a boat. A cruise is the best way to do that. Some travelers love to hate on those who cruise and say they aren’t true travelers, though I like to think it is just a different type of traveling.

Rooms

There are MANY types of rooms on a cruise. I’ve had a balcony suite and an interior room. Obviously, a room with a balcony is ideal, but those are usually more expensive and tend to sell out quickly.

Cruise Hack: If you’re going with a group, the rooms set the price per person. You could have one person book the more expensive room and the other person on the trip book the less expensive room (both pay half), then just both stay in the more expensive room. So instead of paying $745/pp, you could pay $618 (the cheapest room is $491/pp, balcony room is $745/pp).

Very poor quality photo of our balcony room on a cruise in 2011

I’ve loved every room on a cruise I’ve had. If you get claustrophobic though, I’d recommend a room with a balcony or at least a window. The interior rooms have no windows and can get a little tight-feeling. However, on the new Royal Caribbean cruises, they have a screen that live streams footage from the front of the boat so it “feels” like you have a window or balcony. Very nice touch.

Drinks & Food

I always gain weight on cruises… The food is always absolutely killer. On the last cruise I went on in 2019, we got the meal plan that included reservations at some of the specialty restaurants and that was such a unique experience! If it fits in your budget, I would definitely recommend that!

If you think you’ll have more than 5 cocktails or sodas a day on a cruise, the drink package makes sense financially. This is what the Royal Caribbean website says is included for the Deluxe Drink Package, “Enjoy unlimited drinks and options all cruise long*. Start the day off with a premium cup of joe, sip on a poolside piña colada, rehydrate with a fresh juice and wind down with the perfect wine pairing or classic cocktail. – Plus, receive a 40% discount on bottled wines priced up to $100, and a 20% discount on wine prices above $100. Onboard pricing is currently $63.00 - $89.00/per day for 2021-2022 sailings.”

One cocktail can be up to $15. I always think I’ll have a mimosa or two at breakfast/brunch, a cocktail or two by the pool, a glass of wine or two at dinner, then after-dinner drinks. Even at $89/day, it comes out to be cheaper than paying for them at a pay-per-drink deal.

Always Making New Friends

I’ve made new friends on every single cruise I’ve been on and I still keep in touch with some! You’re on a boat with these people for days at a time! Making friends is one of the best parts of cruising. I love meeting up with them by the pool or at the bars later in the night and just getting to know new people! It’s much easier making new friends on a cruise than traditional traveling in my opinion.

Different Traveling Style

I like cruising when I don’t want to deep dive because you get to quickly experience different places. You get a high-level view of a destination you maybe wouldn’t typically (personally) wouldn’t want to stay for longer periods of time. Most cruises also offer multiple port stops. I went on a Greek cruise in 2014 and we ported from Venice, stopped in Kotor, Montenegro, then Athens, Corfu, Mykonos, and Argostoli Greece. The cruise ticket was $800 if I recall correctly. You probably couldn’t visit all of those places on $800 if you weren’t cruising.

So. Many. Activities.

The ships now have SO MUCH to do! Theater, movies, bars, bingo, trivia, casinos, dance clubs, parties, pool games, ice-skating shows, game shows, karaoke, fitness classes, and educational classes just to name a few. There is always something exciting happening on a cruise. Some require you to book ahead of time, especially for the shows, but I definitely recommend them. Also, THEY’RE INCLUDED IN YOUR TICKET!

Quite a few cruise lines now have their own islands in the Caribbean with activities there. We went to Coco Cay with Royal Caribbean and it was so nice. So many things to do, places to eat and drink, and gorgeous beaches.

Personalization of Your Trip

I also love cruises because you can make your trip as packed as you want. There are so many things happening on the boat (see above) and when you get off the boat, you have so many excursion opportunities! My favorite has been a catamaran cruise in Jamaica.

You can truly be as lazy or as scheduled as you want on a cruise and I love that.

The Benefits of Cruising