Why Cruise?

If you've never been on a cruise, you might be wondering what all the excitement is about. Is it really worth it?

As a family who has been cruising for years, we can confidently say: Yes!

Here are some of our favorite benefits:

You Unpack Once

Cruising makes traveling less stressful. Instead of packing and unpacking at every destination, you unpack your suitcase once and your room becomes your home for the entire trip. Meanwhile, the ship takes you from one destination to the next. It's a pretty great feeling to wake up in a new place without having to drag your luggage through another airport, find another hotel, or figure out how to get from point A to point B.

You Get Multiple Destinations in One Trip

Why choose just one destination when you can visit several? Depending on the itinerary, a cruise can take you to multiple cities, islands, or even countries — all while you have a "homebase" to sleep every night.

There's Something for Everyone

This is especially important when you're traveling as a family. Not everyone wants to do the same thing on vacation — and that's okay. On a cruise, one person can relax by the pool while someone else goes to a show, tries an activity, hits the kids' club, works out, casino, or grabs a snack. Our kids have their own favorite parts of cruising, and we have ours. Everyone gets to have the vacation they want while still spending plenty of time together.

The Food Is Everywhere

Let's be honest: vacation food is part of the fun. On a cruise ship, you have so many dining options right at your fingertips. Whether you're looking for a quick breakfast, a casual lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner with the family, or something sweet later in the evening, there is usually something available.

Sea Days Are Surprisingly Wonderful

At first, the idea of spending an entire day at sea might sound boring. It isn't. Sea days have become some of our favorite days of a cruise. There's nowhere you need to be and no sightseeing schedule to follow. You can sleep in, sit by the pool, enjoy a meal, participate in activities, watch the ocean go by, or simply do absolutely nothing.

Cruising Can Be Great for Families

Family vacations can be complicated. Different ages mean different interests, different energy levels, and different bedtimes. Cruising helps simplify some of that. There are activities for young children, older kids, teenagers, and adults, which means everyone can find something they enjoy. Families can spend the day together exploring a port and then split up for a few hours to do their own thing before meeting back up for dinner. You can show your children different cultures and worlds without having to deal with all the drama of packing, traveling, and unpacking with every new place you arrive in. For us, cruising has allowed our children to travel from a very young age and experience places and cultures they might not otherwise have visited.

You Don't Have to Plan Every Minute

There is certainly plenty to plan if you want to — but you don't have to. You can book excursions, specialty restaurants, shows, and activities months in advance. Or you can wake up each morning and decide what sounds fun. Some days are packed with adventures. Other days consist of breakfast, the pool, lunch, a nap, and absolutely no idea what time it is. Both are perfectly acceptable.

Cruising Makes It Easy to Try New Places

One of the biggest advantages of cruising is that it lets you get a taste of several destinations in one vacation. You might discover that you absolutely love a particular port and decide you want to return for a longer land vacation someday. Or you might realize that a destination isn't really your jam — and you've only spent a day finding that out. Either way, cruising can be a great way to explore.

It Becomes More Than a Vacation

For our family, cruising has become more than simply getting away for a week. It's become something we look forward to together. We have favorite ships, favorite ports, favorite meals, favorite traditions, and plenty of funny stories from our time at sea. Our children have grown up knowing that a cruise is something our family does, and some of our favorite memories have happened aboard a ship. What started with a transatlantic honeymoon cruise eventually turned into a family tradition of taking two or three cruises whenever our schedules allow.

So, should everyone cruise? Maybe not. Cruising isn't for everyone, and that's part of what makes travel so much fun. But if you've never tried it, we'd encourage you to give it a chance. You might discover that you love waking up somewhere new, watching the ocean from your balcony, having endless food choices, exploring new destinations, and coming home with a suitcase full of souvenirs and a camera full of memories.