12 Reasons to Take a Cruise Over Any Other Type of Trip

With cruise deals abound, it’s possible that your entire vacation at sea will cost the same as a week of hotel rooms on dry land during a road trip. Only, on a cruise ship, there are no parking spots to find, gas tanks to fill up, turnpike tolls to pay, or traffic to suffer through. One of the best reasons to take a cruise is that you are essentially getting your transportation for free while you traverse the waters of the world.

Have you ever been out to eat and have seen something on the menu that you had never tasted before, something that sounded delicious, but was pricey to try, and…what if you don’t like it? On a cruise, almost all of your food is included, meaning you can try anything and everything, and if you don’t like it, no worries. Simply ask your server for something else. Cruising is the perfect opportunity to finally try Indian cuisine, ramen, sushi, souvlaki, frog legs, foie gras, or anything else that looks and sounds yummy, with no financial risk at all.

Where else, aside from inside the actual U.N., a place in which regular people are not afforded the opportunity to access, can you spend time and interact with people from hundreds of different countries? A typical cruise ship will have a crew from upwards of 100 countries, allowing you to chat with and learn about wonderful people from Indonesia to Ukraine, and South Africa to Argentina. Cruising can break down walls between nationalities, and build bridges toward empathy and understanding instead, in both children and adults.

Planes, trains, and automobiles isn’t just a legendary comedy film from the ’80s. These are also extremely stressful ways to travel the world. One of the benefits of cruising is that it’s a completely stress-free way to move around the planet. You don’t have to look up directions, panic at the sight of a roundabout, or make decisions about when to leave to avoid rush hour coming from or going into your next destination. Just sit back on the deck, watch the sunset, sip a beverage, and relax.

Aside from Virgin Voyages, Celebrity, and some of the higher-end cruise lines, it costs extra to have WiFi access onboard the ship. Therefore, cruising represents your best chance to truly disconnect from the life you left behind on land. Skip the 24-hour news cycle and the conference calls with your boss, and leave the hectic nature of everyday life behind while on your cruise vacation.

There is no vacation on Earth more kid-friendly than a cruise on a big ship. There’s soft-serve ice cream and pizza all day and night, camps to play games, make new friends, and have scavenger hunts, movies under the stars, water slides, pools, arcades, and so much more. There’s no way kids will be bored or have a bad time on a cruise, and because you can send them off to camp for free, your family vacation can quickly become a couple’s only trip at the same time!

Whether you’re in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, or Scandinavia, you will have the unique chance to visit multiple destinations, explore a variety of cultures, try out different languages, and check off more countries on your list, all without having to repack and haul your luggage around from town to town. Cruising lets you see the world and get a taste of all the wonders that are out there waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.

Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Virgin, and Norwegian have purchased or developed entire islands where you can live like a movie star by spending days on these private islands. These exclusive hideaways feature North America’s tallest waterslide, a tethered hot air balloon, zip-lining, bonfires on beaches, hammocks, swim-up bars, snorkeling, world-class SCUBA diving, and so much more. Because they are accessible only via cruise ships, private island destinations are one of the best reasons to take a cruise instead of another type of trip.

Imagine if you booked a trip on land and had to buy tickets to or paid for admission to waterparks, multiple Broadway and original theatrical productions, concerts, dance clubs, character meet-and-greets, go-karting, movies, roller coasters, surf simulators, carousel rides, bumper cars, and indoor skydiving. That trip would end up costing a small fortune! But on a cruise ship, all of that (and more) is included complimentary.

Many older, smaller ships venture north to America’s Final Frontier, but the brand new Discovery Princess is now also sailing into Alaska, meaning you can have a luxurious experience and see glaciers, whales, seals, and eagles from the comfort of a cruise ship. You can plan and book a trip on land to see Alaska, but it’s a long way from anything else, will not be cheap, won’t have hot tubs, and likely will not have free fresh seafood waiting for you every night.

There are casinos on many cruise ships and once they hit international waters, the slot machines come alive, the tables begin taking action, and you have the chance to win serious cash. No other trip lets you see the world during the day, and double down at night.

Watching movies outside is fun but doing so from inside a car at a drive-in movie is not as glamorous or comfortable as people make it out to be, plus those are few and far between anymore. One of the reasons to take a cruise is the chance to lay out on a deck chair with popcorn, ice cream, and/or a beverage of your choice and watch a selection of the latest action, superhero, and kids movies under the stars. It’s truly magical to snuggle up with your partner and/or your children for an outdoor movie at sea.