18 Reasons You Should Go on a Cruise

Easy trip planning

Have you ever sat down to plan out a trip and worked through all the details of what needs to be done before you go? If you have, then you probably know how long it can take. If your family is like mine, when we travel, we make a day by day plan of what we are going to do throughout our trip. While this can make your trip run smoothly, it also takes a lot of planning on the front side. If you choose to go cruising though, once your cruise is booked, there is not much you have to do before you get on the ship. All the activities, meals and relaxation is taken care of by the cruise line making it one of the top benefits of choosing this kind of trip. 

You don’t have to worry about driving

When you are cruising, everything you want to do is just a short walk away. You will not have to worry about figuring out how to drive somewhere or how long it will take because everything you want to do is on the ship (there are maps located around the ship to help you find where everything is). And if you plan to do an excursion, transportation to where you need to be is also often included. 

Cruising is (Almost) All inclusive

When you purchase your ticket it includes your room cost, all your meals for the trip, and free entertainment options. There are many different food options available to you for free onboard the ship. These meals are available at each meal time as well as pretty much anytime in-between. Besides the free options, the ship will also have specialty restaurants that are available for a fee if you want to splurge on something extra special or have something to celebrate. For my family, we found that there were so many options that were already included in the price of the ticket that we didn’t even consider paying for a meal at another restaurant. Not only will you have all kinds of free food options, the shows and activities are also included for free (mostly). There are some ships that offer specialty experiences for an additional cost but like with the food options, there are so many no cost activities and shows you don’t have to spend extra unless you want to.

Room service is available for your cabin

Don’t you just love the feeling of coming back to your hotel room when you are on vacation and the whole room is tidy and neat. It’s so relaxing! When you cruise you also get to enjoy the benefits of room service and get that great feeling coming back to a clean room and made beds each evening. While you are out and about throughout the day, your room attendant will reset your room so it’s ready to relax in that afternoon and evening and you might even find a fun towel animal when you return.

There is always something to do

If you want the activities without the planning, cruising might be the vacation for you. Every day there are a variety of activities to choose from. Using the cruise line app you can find activities like trivia, arts and crafts, get togethers, shows and much more. All you need to do is check the schedule each day or the night before. You can even favorite activities on the schedule to help you keep track of the things that look interesting.

There are many shows to see

For most, if not all, of the evenings you spend on the ship there are shows that you can go see. Often times each evening will have more than one showing so that you can work it into your schedule and around your dinner time. Most of these shows are pretty big productions and the singers and dancers are very talented. Depending on the cruise line you travel on, they may even have an ice rink with an ice skating show.

Adult only areas are a great place to relax

If you are traveling with a group of adults or just by yourself, you will love the adult only areas on board the ship. These areas are usually quieter than the rest of the ship and from my experience, less crowded. They can be a great place to bring your book, grab a lawn chair and relax. The calming atmosphere is great!

Fitness center and track are available on the ship

If exercising is part of your regular routine you won’t have to give that up on board the ship. Most ships are equipped with a fitness area as well as a walking/running track. It is fun to see how they designed the track around the ship. I love it when the track is at the top of the ship and you can look out at the ocean while you’re walking. If you want to see more about your ship, or are trying to decide which ship to go on, YouTube videos are a great resource for watching ship walkthroughs.

Cruises are good trips for families

There are many family friendly activities aboard cruise ships including mini golf, kids clubs, water slides, pools and more. Again, a great way to see what is offered is to look up on YouTube a tour of the ship you plan to be on. There are many YouTubers who will walk you through the different decks and describe what you can see and do there. Just search for the ship you are thinking of going on and see what information you can find.

Cruising is a good way to celebrate holidays

Holiday cruises can be a hassle free way to enjoy time with your family and celebrate. All celebrations and events are planned and put on by the crew. All you have to do is show up! I went on a cruise over New Years and it was so much fun! I highly recommend it. And a bonus, you don’t have to drive home after a late night New Years Eve party. 

New foods are available each night at dinner

One thing you will likely never do is run out of new options for food to try at each meal. Each night’s dinner menu has different choices from the night before so you will always have something new to try. Most nights there are also vegetarian choices on the menu, which is a great option to have. If you have any allergies or diet restrictions, just be sure to let your waiters know before ordering so they can assist you with what to order.

There are a lot of lunch options

Along with the dinner options, cruise ships offer many different dining choices for lunch. Besides the buffet that is open at many different times throughout the day, there are usually different kinds of restaurants serving everything from Tex-Mex to burgers to bbq. Each ship is different so be sure to check out what kinds of restaurants there are before you go. Most of the restaurants are free to passengers but there are specialty lunch and dinner places if you want to pay a little extra.

Free ice cream

One of the best parts of being on a cruise is the free ice cream anytime throughout the day. The most common flavors include vanilla and chocolate but others may appear in the ice cream machine on occasion as well. Grabbing ice cream is a nice treat once or twice or three times throughout the day, so why not make it one of your first stops right after you board the ship.

The weather can be great

Cruising can be a wonderful respite from the cold weather in the winter or the warm weather in the summer. During winter time you can head down to the Caribbean or over to the Bahamas During summer, you can cruise up to Alaska to escape the heat. There are so many great options to get a change of weather and temperature from where you usually live. Who wouldn’t want to have a little sunshine during the gloomy days of winter!

You get to meet people from all over the world

People from all over the world travel by cruise ship. Not only will you get to meet people in the countries you visit, but you will also meet people from all over the world on the ship itself. It can be fun to listen to and get to know people from other places.

You get to travel to new places (explore with a guide through excursions)

Cruising can be a great way to travel to new places and countries without having to take a long flight or deal with major time changes. It can also give your mind a feeling of ease as the cruise ship staff will give you helpful information, like what time you should be back at the ship or what you should bring with you, before you disembark. If you want to explore countries that you dock at, port excursions are a great way to do that. Guides will take you on adventures or share history with you about the places you are visiting. Check your app to see the different options available for purchase. Pro Tip: Booking your excursion before you head out can help guarantee you a spot as they sometimes sell out.

Spend time on private beaches and islands

Most cruise lines offer sailings to their private islands or beaches. Not only will you get to enjoy a beautiful beach, you can also have a day on the sand almost hassle free. Because the cruise line usually handles lunch while there, all you need to do is pack up the items you want with you throughout the day and head off for fun. When I traveled to Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas with Carnival Cruise Line it was one of my most enjoyable beach days I have ever had. It was so relaxing to grab my towel, my book and find a beach chair to hang out in. I highly recommend it.

It feels like a vacation!

One of the top reasons I would recommend a cruise is how relaxing it can be. There is something for everyone. If you want to sit around out on one of the decks and read or take a nap, you can! If you want fun family activities, they’re there! If you want to try all kinds of food, eat up! You can let your responsibilities go and enjoy the fun! 

In conclusion, I only have one question for you…when will you be setting sail?

– Pepper and Passports

If you are new to cruising and want to see the difference between “set time” and “your time” dining check out this article here – https://pepperandpassports.com/cruise-dining-options-pros-and-cons-what-to-choose/

And if you want help booking your cruise or want a free quote reach out to my travel planner Myra Williams at m.Williams@magicalvacationplanner.com . She can help get you set up and her services are free.