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Cruising Pros and Cons: Is a Cruise Right for You?

Heard conflicting stories about cruises and not sure what to believe? I break down the pros and cons of cruising so you can determine for yourself if a cruise is right for you.

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As someone who has traveled my entire life, I never even considered taking a full cruise vacation until a couple of years ago when my family was looking to take a group trip that could accommodate everyone while visiting multiple destinations. Truth be told, I took a short 3-day cruise to the Bahamas when I was living in Florida in my 20s, and didn’t particularly like it.

Flash forward 25 years, and now I have a whole new appreciation for cruises because there are SO MANY options. Gone are the old-school cruises (unless that’s what you’re looking for.) Nowadays we have adult-only, high-tech modern cruises like Virgin Voyages, expedition cruises such as National Geographic or the straight-up bougie luxury cruises like the Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection. It’s no longer a one-size-fits-all category. There is literally something for everyone.

So, if you’re looking for the real skinny on whether or not you should consider a cruise vacation, I am going to list the pros and cons below. This way you can weigh your options and see what’s right for you!

 

Pros:

  • Convenience and relaxation

    Not everyone finds flying to multiple destinations or train hopping during the same trip particularly relaxing. When you're on a cruise, you only unpack once and get to settle in for the duration of your trip. No train tickets, scheduling cabs, packing/repacking, or arranging transport. It is all done for you. Ahhhhhhhh, so nice!

  • Wake up somewhere new every day

    If you're not tied to the idea of being in one city (or even one country) for an extended amount of time, then you might love a cruise. You can wake up and be in Sicily one morning and then, after a good night's sleep, wake up in Montenegro the next. Few other modes of transport can get you to a different adventure every day like a cruise can.

  • Great for multi-generational group travel

    Does your group have a combination of kids, parents, and/or grandparents? Cruises have entertainment to accommodate all age brackets, whether it be the nightclubs and casino at night, or the spa and trivia games during the day. Depending on the cruise, you also have kid's clubs so that your babes have their own entertainment during the day while you enjoy a spritz by the pool. 

  • There is nothing like being on the water

    I can only speak for myself here, but walking out onto your balcony or one of the ship's decks and looking at the beautiful blue water is one of the most relaxing things in the world. Picture waking up during a sunrise and stepping onto your private balcony for your morning cup of java...then seeing some dolphins swim by. It puts beachfront hotels to shame because you are literally ON the water. There is nothing quite like it. 

  • You never have to stress out about food

    This can probably be clumped into the "convenience and relaxation" section, but if you've ever been in a foreign country then you know it can be stressful to have to search and find a restaurant each night. If you're traveling with a group, then you also know that getting everyone to pick a place to eat is like trying to herd a gaggle of feral cats.  The vast majority of all cruises have food included in your fare. That means you have access to the buffets, main dining halls, etc. You never have to worry about where your next meal is going to come from. It's all at your finger tips.

Cons:

Are you ready for the cons? Their really aren’t that many, but for some these might be deal breakers.

Here we go:

  • You don't get to spend much quality time at any one port.

    The downside of waking up in a new port every morning is that you don't get to have much quality time in any one place. There are a couple of exceptions like Virgin Voyages that do overnights in ports such as Mykonos and Ibiza, but for the most part you only get around roughly 8-10 hours in a port. And depending on how far away it is from your desired excursion, you might be spending half of that on the bus getting there and back. Example: You might be in Italy spending the day docked at the Livorno port (Tuscany), but if you want to see Florence, that is a 3-hour round trip from Livorno. Depending on which cruise line you're on, that means you are on a bus just as long as you're in the city. That's something to keep in mind. 

  • You might not feel the local vibe as much as you want.

    Even if you choose a 10-day cruise around Italy or Greece, you are most likely going to be on a cruise line that has a U.S. headquarters because the U.S. is the cruise line capital of the world. What that basically means is that even though you are in Europe, you will probably be hearing American music by the poolside, smelling hamburgers and hot dogs at the outdoor grill, being served Napa Valley wine at the wine bar, and some of your speciality restaurants and meals will be international foods such as Mexican or Asian food. Depending on the cruiseline, it may feel like you're still in the States in many respects. For some people, that is incredibly comforting because it's familiar. For others, that doesn't fly because they want to feel like they're away somewhere else.

  • Many cruise lines make your cabin mate purchase a drink package even if they don't drink alcohol.

    This is another one that varies cruise line to cruise line. Depending on which company you go with, you might quickly learn that if you want to purchase a drink package for yourself that includes alcohol, then your cabin mate might be forced to buy one as well even if they don't drink. This is an unnecessary expense for many people, and is usually enforced in order to keep people from scamming and only buying one package and then sharing it with others. Fortunately, cruise lines like Virgin Voyages don't do things like this, and hopefully more cruises will also move in that direction. But for now, read the fine print when booking a cruise on your own to see if that's the case.

 And that’s a wrap!

Hopefully you’ve found this info helpful! If you’re interested in learning more about the various types of cruises and cruise lines, shoot me an email at [email protected], and I’ll help you out!

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