I need to start this post off with a confession. It is true that I am a bit obsessed with learning as much as possible about the cruising industry (just ask my wife who humors me quite often). It is also a fact that I truly enjoy helping people plan incredible cruise vacations. However, it is also true that up until 3 years ago I had so many concerns when it came to cruising that I wouldn’t even consider it when people brought it up to me as a viable vacation option. Why? Let me count the ways…
For starters, I grew up in Vermont and, for the better part of my life, was completely clueless about the ocean. In fact, most of my oceanic knowledge came in the form of movies such as Jaws and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
In contrast, when my wife was a kid, “cruise” and “vacation” were basically synonyms. That is just how it goes when you are raised in south Florida and have 2 major ports of call within 1 hour of your house. Family vacations? Cruise. Milestone birthdays? Cruise. Sure there would be a day-trip to Disney tucked in there somewhere, but cruises were definitely the vacation of choice.
Fast-forward 15 or so years and it was now time for my wife and I to decide what our family vacations would look like. My wife’s family naturally gravitated toward the idea of cruising while I (tried to) offer up land based options, like the chilly coast of Maine in the summer! When I would rattle off my list of cruise concerns they would look at me like I was the one with eight arms! Well, given the fact that I am writing this blog, you can probably figure out who won that battle.
When I reluctantly agreed to go on our first family cruise a few years back, it didn’t take long for me to realize that all of my concerns were completely misguided! In fact, most were the complete opposite of what I thought.
Because I don’t want anyone to make the same mistakes I did, below are some of the truths I learned that completed debunked my previously held concerns.
Swimming in the Caribbean is amazing
So, I thought I didn’t like swimming in oceans. The real deal is that I don’t like swimming where I can’t see through to the bottom. Solution: swim in the Caribbean where the water is the most brilliant blue I have ever seen. In fact, one of my new favorite places on earth is a beach in Cozumel were the sand is made entirely of ground conch shell (cool to the touch) and water amazingly clear. Oh, and it turns out Jaws and the massive Kraken are things of science fiction! Who knew?
The food on cruise ships is really good
With so many people to feed, I figured the food would be adequate. It turns out I was just flat out wrong. Not only are there an extensive number of dining options but the food is really REALLY good! The only real concern is whether or not you will fit in to your clothes by the end of the trip!
Cruises offer great value
For the record I tend to lean more on the frugal side so I think a lot of things are expensive. However, after doing some cost comparison, cruises tend to run 30%-40% cheaper than land-based options! Why? Well, lodging AND meals AND transportation between ports AND entertainment are all included in the cruise cost. Sure, there are various levels of cruising that can increase cost (e.g. staying in a suite vs an oceanview room), but on the whole, cruises are extremely economical.
Cruises are NOT overcrowded
There are some ships out there that hold over 5,000 people. However, aside from a few situations that require the entire population on board to do the same thing (e.g. muster drill, disembarkation), these ships are so big that people are able to spread out. If the sound of 5,000 people still makes you a bit claustrophobic, then you may want to consider a “smaller” ship (in the ballpark of 3,000 people). We recently went on a ship with just over 3,000 people on board and there were times it felt like we were on a private charter!
There is SO much to do on cruise ships
My concern that the only thing to do would be hang out at a pool (which isn’t the worst thing in the world) turned out to be way off base. Ships these days have incredible broadway-style shows, interactive kids camps and a plethora of activities (think ice skating, bumper cars, rock walls, laser tag and go karts...yes...go karts). For the health conscious, most ships have running tracks and beautiful fitness centers and spas.
You rarely, if at all, feel any sort of rocking of the boat
Although I typically don’t get seasick, the potential of doing so was concerning. What I learned is that cruise ships are so large these days and fitted with stabilizing technologies that it is extremely rare to feel any sort of motion. However, if you are very sensitive to motion sickness, might I suggest non-drowsy dramamine. My mother-in-law tends to get sea-sick on smaller boats and she will occasionally take this as a precaution if there are slightly rough seas. In the 16 years I have known her, she hasn’t been sick once...and they are on cruise ships a total of about 50 days a year!
In summary, all of my preconceived notions of why I wouldn’t like cruising turned out to be just that, preconceived notions. The truth of the matter is that cruises are all-inclusive resorts with wonderful food, great entertainment and numerous activities all at a very reasonable cost. For these reasons (and a whole lot more that will be addressed in future posts) I am a total cruise convert. And to think I put up such a fight. Man am I glad I lost that battle!
