Cruising
Top 5 Reasons to Cruise
When it comes to cruising, people seem to fall into one of two categories. They either love cruising or are hesitant to go on one. I am the former. I went on my first cruise as a teenager on a family vacation and liked it right away. I revisited cruising in my late 20s and have been on several since. If you're on the fence whether to cruise, below are my "Top 5 Reasons to Cruise" to help decide whether to experience one of your own.
1) Being in a Different Place Each Day
My favorite part of cruising is being in a different place each day. It's exciting to look outside and see your new surroundings. To step foot in a new place with a fresh start ready to take on the day. The ability to see more places more efficiently in one trip is a benefit of cruising. While cruises limit the time in each place as a result, in my experience the day provides enough time to see the highlights and get a good feel for it.
2) Efficient Way to Travel
The efficiency of cruising is a big plus. Traveling to a new destination while you eat, sleep, or enjoy the ship effectively uses every hour traveling. Cruises save time spent in planes, trains, and automobiles and getting to and from airports and train stations. Cruises also often dock or tender close to town providing quick access within walking distance, or to transportation and excursions. Time at sea is also a great perk of cruising.
3) Economical Way to Travel
Cruises are an economical way to travel for the level of experience. While there are a wide range of cruise prices, some start as low as $100 / person / night. Even if 2x+ that, the cost is typically well worth it for the accommodations, food & beverages, amenities, entertainment, and transportation. Each of which can be a couple hundred dollars, which creates great value when bundled together for much less on the cruise.
Having access to a short list of curated excursions through the cruise allows you to easily experience the destination highlights with door-to-door service. Excursions take the work and potential stress out of planning, navigating, and executing a plan on your own. While I don't typical love the idea of group tours, I enjoyed all the cruise excursions I took and made memorable experiences.
5) The Entertainment
The included Entertainment on cruises is certainly a highlight. From singers to dancers, musicians, comedians, circus performers and more, cruises have a great variety of options to keep you entertained onboard. Being able to enjoy an assortment of live entertainment each night makes for a great end to the day. In my experience, the quality of the cruise entertainment is typically impressive and a highlight of the trip.