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The Pros and Cons of Cruises

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A cruise can satisfy the greatest wanderlust, satisfy your favorite (and newfound) food cravings and open new horizons and interests you never thought possible. But you can also fall for tourist traps or miss the authentic culture of the places you visit.

If you’ve never cruised, talk to others who have more firsthand insights. Their perspective can shed even more light on the experience you can expect.

Going on a cruise has pros and cons, and it may be worth reviewing them before your next sailing. Let’s look at the pros and cons of cruises.

A good deal

Cruises can be costly, but you get more than just a great view of the ocean. Cruise bookings often include your:

Accommodations.

Some drinks.

Entertainment.

Recreational amenities like pools and waterslides.

Other onboard activities.

You can step aboard the ship and not spend a penny if you play your cards right.

There are plenty of ways for cruises to pull more money out of your pocket on board (think: spa, specialty restaurants, upgraded drink packages, shore excursions, shops and casino), but you can still have plenty of fun without spending an additional dime.

Cruise lines are reinventing their onboard options, and specialty restaurants tap in to the talents of well-known chefs and restaurateurs. This can take some of the boredom away from the same dining rooms, but it comes at a cost.

For the most part, however, if you find a good price on the cabin, the number of inclusions that come with it can quickly drive down the cost of an overall vacation. Of course, the more you spend on the cabin (some of those luxury suites, for example), the lower the bargain you'll get.

» Learn more: Are cruises all-inclusive?

Entertainment and education galore

You read that right — you can learn something educational on a cruise.

Many cruises have port talks, destination immersion lectures covering the history and culture of a place, art galleries and trivia games. You can learn something on board, and then when you’re ashore, you can explore the destinations you visit.

Cruises are a great way to learn more about the world, meet new people and learn from them, too.

And there is more entertainment than you can shake a stick at on board and ashore. From musical performances to game shows and cinemas, you can easily fill up your schedule.

Every ship is different, so it is important to review what is available on your sailing if staying busy is your goal. Otherwise, bring a book and watch the world float by from the deck.

On sea days (when the ship is traveling between ports), it’s like having your own resort with pools and activities included in the overall cost of your vacation.

» Learn more: The best cruise lines

Maximize your time

A cruise can introduce you to many places at once without your worrying about unpacking and repacking between destinations or paying for transportation between cities.

You unpack once and then are on your way, with all of the details handled for you — from immigration protocols to where to go and when.

The cost of a cruise includes a preplanned journey to some of the most popular points within a region and your transportation between them.

For example, your itinerary may have multiple Mediterranean cities or several European capitals.

There’s something quite relaxing about waking up each morning in a new city. And when you return after a day of exploring, housekeeping has cleaned your room.

A cruise may be a great option for less-frequent travelers because the cruise line is essentially “holding your hand” along the way.

Even better, some stops may be hard to reach by land — like many Alaskan ports — or expensive to reach independently, like some Greek islands or pricy ports in the Caribbean like St. Barts.

» Learn more: 6 cruises where you don't need a passport

Family and group travel come easy

Cruises are an easy option for groups traveling together. Unlike on land, where it can be hard to find restaurant reservations for large groups or find one activity that suits every interest, cruises have something for everyone.

People can branch off to do what they like on the ship and then meet back up an hour later without worrying about traffic or safety issues for kids.

» Learn more: What's the best deck on a cruise ship?

Lots of people

While this varies by ship — some enormous ships have so much space that there are plenty of areas where you’ll be one of only a few people — crowds may flood popular areas.

For example, people vying for their moment in the sun may swarm the pool deck and families may descend on the water park area simultaneously.

Lines can form at popular buffets or restaurants at meal times, and when it’s time to go ashore (or disembark after the cruise), you’ll be one of many waiting in line.

If you’re not willing to pay for specialty venues or you’re on a smaller ship that doesn’t have many free dining options, you may find that the dining rooms become repetitive. Menus change daily, but the setting does not. The window views at dinner will vary by destination, though, adding a bit of pizzazz.

If you make an effort, it is possible to find different things to do each day on almost all larger ships. River cruises, on the other hand, are much smaller and tend to feel more repetitive.

The same premise appears with the destinations for repeat cruisers. Because the cruise line plans itineraries, you may visit places you have been to multiple times if you sail often enough. It becomes harder to exclusively visit “new-to-you” places.

If it’s the latter you’re after, planning your own trip may be a better option.

» Learn more: Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival: Which is right for you?

One price is not always just one price

If you loosen your purse strings easily, spending more than you realize aboard a ship is possible.

A few cocktails by the pool each day, an extra tour or specialty restaurant dinner another, and before you know it, you’ve paid twice as much as you thought. It’s wise to board a ship with a budget in mind and plan your sailing accordingly so you don’t overspend without realizing it.

» Learn more: Best credit cards for cruises

Tourist traps

Cruise lines are often important economic engines for destinations. You may find yourself dealing with tourist traps, such as shops by the port, and beginner tours organized by the cruise line.

If you want the most authentic experience, it might be worth studying local guides and tour options online in advance to find something more authentic without falling for what’s waiting for you right at the port.

If you’re going on a shore excursion through the cruise line, you can count on being carted to places designed for large groups rather than hidden gems. Many tours often include a stop at a local shop or business that may be presented as authentic, but locals will tell you it is not.

This trend is amplified because travelers usually have only one day at each destination. As a result, time is of the essence to visit the most important sights without wasting it at tourist traps.

Frequent cruisers, however, will tell you that you should use a cruise to determine places you want to return to by using it as a sampler to explore many destinations. They also suggest planning what you want to do so you can hit the ground running.

Exploring independently or with a local guide (not booked through the ship) can often be your best bet. It also has the added benefit of directly supporting a local business or guide rather than funneling that cash through the cruise line.

The pros and cons of cruises, recapped

It’s unfair to decide how you feel about a cruise without trying one. Even those who insist they wouldn’t like one may end up having a good time.

Perception is not always reality, and you can be better prepared by considering all of the pros and cons of a cruise in advance. Talk with people on either side to get answers to your questions.

Not every type of travel is for everyone, but the ever-expanding cruise industry keeps adding amenities, perks and destinations. That alone speaks for itself.

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What’s the Best Month to Cruise? Pros & Cons of Sailing Each Month of the Year

Let’s get one thing straight right at the start. There is no bad time to cruise . Whether you want to have a summer vacation or a winter getaway, the weather somewhere in the Caribbean is always warm and welcoming.

That said, with our experiences having sailed seemingly every month on the calendar, we have found there are definite advantages and disadvantages to sailing each month of the year. For example, cruises in August offer the ability to sail when the kids are out of school (meaning entire families can travel together). On the other hand, August is also notorious for hurricanes disrupting travel to Caribbean ports.

As you’ll see below, there are trade-offs with each time of year to sail. No month is perfect. However, many of the potential downsides are manageable in our opinion — and shouldn’t deter you from taking a cruise when it fits your schedule and budget.

Taking a Cruise in January

Pros : We like sailing in January as one of the biggest advantages of cruising this time of year is price. During this time of year school is in session and many people are back at work after a holiday break. That means it’s difficult for many to cruise. Cruise lines typically have discounted rates to fill up the ship in January; the same cruise departing at the height of the busy summer can cost hundreds of dollars more than in January.

As well, when winter has gripped most of North America, the Caribbean still offers a warm getaway with lots of sunshine. It’s a welcome change from the snow and cold see in most areas.

Cons : If you are a family, it might be tough for you to take a January cruise. It will usually mean the kids have to skip a few days of school to take the trip. In addition, if you have to fly in for your cruise, there are chances of winter weather causing delays to your schedule. You’ll want to make sure you plan your flight to arrive the day before your cruise, just in case. 

As well, this time of year trips from the West Coast will still be cool and Alaskan cruises don’t start sailing until April/May.

Taking a Cruise in February

Pros : February offers the same advantages to sailing as you see in January. Fares are normally discounted, with the ability to save hundreds on a cruise by sailing in February versus the height of the summer season. It’s also cold in most of the United States and Canada, making a warm getaway awfully enticing.

Cons : Like January, you might find it difficult to take time off after the holidays to enjoy a cruise. Doing so means spending vacation days early in the year and/or having the kids miss school. There are also still strong snowstorms in many parts of North America during February, meaning it’s possible that getting to the port can be an adventure if you have to fly in for your cruise from a northern city. 

As well, even if sailing to the Caribbean, the pools and water on a ship may still be too cool to enjoy fully. Don’t plan on spending much time in the water in our experience.

Taking a Cruise in March

Pros : With warmer weather and Spring Break, a cruise is on many people’s minds come March. In fact, if you are a Spring Breaker, this is a great time to sail as a cruise offers an affordable getaway to the beach without having to worry about flights or hotel. Just hop on the ship and start your vacation.

As well, if you’re headed to the Caribbean, March can be warm — but not too warm compared to the heat of the summer months.

Cons : If you aren’t a Spring Break fan, then this might not be the best month to sail. Cruises — especially shorter trips (3-5 days) — will have a younger crowd and more of a party atmosphere. You’ll also see a spike in prices starting in mid-March as cruise lines raise prices for trips that coincide with Spring Break.

Taking a Cruise in April

Pros : April represents one of your last chances to get a deal on a cruise before the busy summer sailing season. Discounts and deals are still available up until about mid-May, giving you the chance to save a bundle on a trip compared to sailing just a month or two later. As well, the threat of snow is diminished in northern parts of the United States and hurricane season isn’t here yet for port cities. It’s hard to find better weather than what you get in April.

Cons : After Spring Break, it’s back to school and work for most people. That means many have a tough time taking a trip at this time a year. That’s unfortunate because April is the “Goldilocks” of cruise months for the Caribbean — it features affordable prices, good weather, and is before hurricane season gets cranked up, which always adds a wildcard to travel in the Caribbean.

Taking a Cruise in May

Pros : Heading into May, cruisers hitting the Caribbean can start to experience some warmer weather both at home and on their cruise. While the water and beach are typically warm enough for swimming and laying out even during the coldest winter months, it is a few degrees warmer in May, which can make it more inviting to hit the beach. For example, Cozumel’s average high in January is 83, compared to 91 degrees in May. If you’re the type who loves warm water, May is when things start to heat up.

Cons : If you wait until too late in the month, you’ll start to see higher prices for your cruise. The end of May marks the start of the summer cruising season, and fares start to jump up. One place where you can save? Cruises to Alaska typically start their season in May, and it’s the cheapest month to sail to that region . We’ve sailed Alaska this time of year and highly recommend it.

Taking a Cruise in June

Pros : If you want a summer getaway with warm weather and water, June is a great choice. Hurricane season starts June 1st, but it’s still rare that you’ll have a chance of a hurricane this early. Meanwhile, the Caribbean is starting to heat up so you can have a true beach summer vacation without worrying about it being too chilly either on the ship or in port. Also, with the kids out of school, you can take them on your trip without worrying about absences.

Cons : With schools out of session and the popular summer vacation season, fares spike for June and through the rest of summer. You’ll usually be paying more for the same cruise compared to taking it earlier in the year. As well, if you aren’t the type that likes to cruise with families on the ship, then keep in mind that summer months typically see an influx of kids.

Taking a Cruise in July

Pros : Like June, you’ll find warm and sunny days filling July. And with the kids out of classes, you’ll have the opportunity to sail without missing school, making it an ideal time to cruise if you are traveling with kids. While it is warm in the Caribbean, regular afternoon “pop-up” showers can help cool things off during the heat of the afternoon. This also represents the height of the Alaskan cruise season, offering the most options (albeit at higher prices) of the year.

Cons : The biggest negative with sailing in July is hot weather. On sunny days, it can get downright hot in many Caribbean ports. If you aren’t used to the heat and humidity, it can be draining. As well, you should start to look out for hurricanes and tropical storms during July — especially if traveling later in the month. While cruise ships will avoid any storms, they can be unpredictable and cause changes to your itinerary.

Also, just keep in mind that you should expect the highest cruise fares of the year during this time.

Taking a Cruise in August

Pros : Consider August the last hurrah if you want to be able to cruise with the kids out of school. While the weather is hot, being able to travel as a family without missing school days is the biggest draw of sailing in this month. If the kids don’t start back until September, then you can sometimes find deals late in the month that can save you considerably on your cruise fare.

Cons : Similar to July, you can run into weather issues in August. Specifically, the heat and humidity is at its worst in the Caribbean during August. While afternoon showers can cool things off, they are not a guarantee. You also have to start worrying seriously about hurricanes. Late August is reaching the peak of hurricane season. While the chances are low that your specific cruise will be hit by a storm (cruise lines steer clears of storms as much as possible), it could disrupt your trip if a hurricane hits a port of call.

Taking a Cruise in September

Pros : With the busy summer cruise season past, students back to school, and summer vacations in the rear view mirror, September offers a “shoulder” season of sorts. While the Caribbean is still warm — perfect for those that want to hit the beach and the water — cruise fares are heavily discounted versus the expensive summer months. In other words, you get the warm weather of the summer with the lower prices of the fall. As well, your cruise is likely to have fewer kids onboard. It’s also the last chance to sail Alaska for the season, when crowds are fewer and fares are generally cheaper.

Cons : September actually marks the peak of hurricane season. Historically, the first week of the month is the busiest for storms and then activity quickly drops off later in the month. Still, even if your ship isn’t directly impacted by a storm, it can cause issues at Caribbean ports.

Taking a Cruise in October

Pros : If you’re not wanting to deal with heat, then October is a great time to visit the Caribbean. While the humidity is always a factor, October sees the start of a cooling trend in the weather. As well, while hurricanes can occur in October, the season is largely over so you don’t have to worry about them disrupting your trip as much. Finally, cruise prices also fall during this time of year, meaning you can book a solid deal without spending a bundle.

Cons : It shouldn’t be a surprise that April and October are two months that we consider great times to sail. Like April, the biggest con is that it can be difficult for people with kids to travel without taking their children out of school for a few days. Apart from that, the month sees good weather and cheaper fares, and it’s before the harsh winter hits many places in the U.S. and Canada, disrupting air travel to the port or the weather in the port city.

Taking a Cruise in November

Pros : By the time November rolls around, people are starting to think of warmer weather, especially if you live in a cold area. Taking a trip during this month can lead you away from the cold and gray to the warm and blue. It’s also a great time to find cheap cruises, apart from trips that sail during the Thanksgiving holiday (which are more expensive).

Cons : Scheduling around the Thanksgiving holiday can be tough, and if you have to fly to your cruise during the busiest travel time in the United States, it can mean dealing with long lines and delays at airports. Apart from that, November is a great time to book a cruise with cheap deals and nice weather in the Caribbean and The Bahamas.

Taking a Cruise in December

Pros : The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of the absolute cheapest times to sail. With many people not looking to travel between these two major holidays, cruise lines slash fares. It’s not unusual to see a trip costing 50% less than a comparable trip during the summer. Needless to say, cruising in December is also a big draw for people wanting to get away from the snow and cold of many places in the north.

Cons : Trying to fit a cruise between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be tough for many schedules. And while many people take a cruise during Christmas itself, those trips are more expensive. If you are traveling by air, be ready for the possibility of delays due to weather and holiday travel crowds.

What Are the Least Expensive Months to Sail?

If you want to sail for cheap, then we suggest looking at months like January, February, April, May, September and October . We find that rates during these months tend to be less expensive than for the same cruise if headed to the Caribbean. During these times fewer people are traveling, leading to generally lower cruise fare.

If headed to Alaska, then the months are more limited. The season runs largely from May through September. In this case the ‘shoulder’ months of May and September offer the lowest prices.

So Which Month Is Best to Cruise?

As mentioned above, there is no “bad” time to sail. However, if we had our pick, we would suggest either April or October if you need to fly into a cruise port . The generally good weather and low prices combine to make it a cheap and easy time to sail.

If you are within driving distance of a port, then you can expand these months to include early winter months and later fall months. During these times the weather on a cruise will be warmer than back home, prices are very affordable, and if driving, you can get to the port without worrying about airline delays.

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The Pros and Cons of Cruises

We often strive for premium airline cabins and posh hotels to make our experiences as comfortable and luxurious as possible.

Meanwhile, cruises offer a different type of travel experience that fuses transportation, accommodation, dining, and entertainment.

In This Post

Why consider cruising, the pros of cruising, the cons of cruising, cruise reviews.

Like many of you, I’ve often chased the travel experience more so than the destination. If you’ve been around Miles & Points for a while, you’re likely to have chosen a destination because of the airline and/or aircraft that flies there.

Cruising allows you to return your focus back to the destination, without having to sacrifice the luxurious travel we are all often in pursuit of. 

Cruises are similar to an all-inclusive hotel experience, in that you’re always well-fed and watered. At the end of the day, you don’t need to venture very far to find a place to lay your head.

The key difference with cruising is that every day offers you a new destination to explore, depending on the itinerary of your cruise. Those seeking to check off a lot of countries in one trip should look to a cruise, as it often gives you the chance to explore multiple locations in one trip.

And while it’s true that you may not get the full breadth and depth of the location due to the short time of each stop, it certainly provides you with enough of a flavour and feel so that you can decide if you’d like to come back in the future.

Over the course of about 10 years, I’ve taken five Disney Cruises. I quickly fell in love with the idea of cruising, and while some of these benefits may not resonate with everyone, they certainly do for me.

In my experience, the food on cruise ships has always been a highlight. While it’s true that I’ve had some subpar meals, for the most part, the food has been excellent in the restaurants and buffets that I’ve enjoyed over the years.

Most cruise lines have long since figured out that the primary driver of many cruisers is the food. Cruise lines have made significant investments in the recent past to ensure that the food quality is consistently high.

Each cruise line will have a different focus on food, but most will have elevated cuisine to keep cruisers coming back for more. 

Meals are always a part of the basic cruise package, but most cruise lines will have restaurants on board that offer an elevated culinary experience for a nominal price.

For example, on Disney Cruise Lines, depending on the ship, you can make reservations at Palo (Italian cuisine), Remy (steakhouse), or Enchanté (French cuisine). It’s not uncommon for these premium restaurants to be led by Michelin-starred chefs.

Entertainment

Many cruise lines know that after food, entertainment is what attracts cruisers. Royal Caribbean has high-flying water acts from Cirque du Soleil, while Disney features Broadway-quality musicals and fireworks at sea.

As ships are essentially floating cities, it has become commonplace to find go karts, rock climbing walls, ziplines, skating rinks, waterslides, and even indoor skydiving on some ships.

Cruise lines have made it a priority to give you numerous entertainment options as you sail to your next destination.

Family Time

In a world where families are so busy with their day-to-day activities, having a chance to reconnect is a very nice change of pace. When I look back at all the places I’ve been and the things that I have experienced, the happiest times have always been with my family.

So, being “forced” to be together isn’t a bad thing at all. Imagine going out to eat with your family, hanging out by the pool, watching a movie together, playing cards, shopping, and sometimes just relaxing in the same space with your loved ones.

Cruising gives you that, and in the event that you need a break, you can always escape and take in some of the entertainment offered by the cruise.

An Opportunity to Disconnect

One of the things that I thought that I’d hate about cruising was the fact that I’d be disconnected from the world.

Back when I started cruising, internet access on board a ship was definitely possible, but usually cost-prohibitive. That has since changed quite a bit, with access to internet being significantly cheaper, but I’ve discovered that I absolutely love being disconnected from the world.

I find that being disconnected forces me to relax and to refocus on my family. I have a teenage daughter, so it’s not uncommon for all of us to be head-down into a phone or laptop during our day-to-day interactions.

Once we’re on a cruise, our screen time diminishes to almost zero, which is refreshing for us all.

New Destinations

Cruising can open up the world for many travellers, and I am no exception. Through cruising, I’ve been to many of the Caribbean nations, and have plans to someday take a European cruise to explore the Nordic countries and the Mediterranean.

I’ve always liked the idea of falling asleep in one country and waking up in another. I’ve done it with planes, trains, buses, and cruise ships, and I can tell you that cruise ships offer one of the most comfortable and efficient way to see multiple destinations in one trip.

Depending on your personality type, many of the things I’ve listed as pros may actually be cons for you. For example, disconnecting may be a terrifying idea for some people, but I changed my mind once I experienced it for myself.

Of course, cruising isn’t perfect, so here are some of the possible negative elements about cruising.

The cost of cruising, and specifically cruising with higher-end cruise lines like Disney, can be jarring for some.

It isn’t uncommon to see prices between $200–$300 (USD) per person per day for a cruise. Of course, that price can vary greatly depending on the cabin you choose, the time of year you go, and the ports you want to visit.

Similar to airline pricing, many factors are at play, so if you’ve dug in and have a good understanding of airline economics, you should have a decent understanding of cruise pricing.

There are certainly deals to be had if you know where and when to look, but some travellers may feel that it’s yet another thing to learn about, and that they’d prefer to stick with airlines and hotels. 

Limited Loyalty Programs

Unlike airline and hotel programs, cruise loyalty programs aren’t nearly as lucrative. Status is often based on how many times you embark on cruises, and there’s no other way to earn status except by cruising.

Just like with airlines or hotels, the benefits of each cruise loyalty program are different.

As an example, Disney’s Castaway Club status provides you with things like early booking windows for future cruises, preferred dining and activity reservations, and merchandise discounts while on board.

Once you hit Platinum with Disney’s Castaway Club, you’re entitled to a free meal at Palo, which on my most recent cruise on the Disney Wish, amounted to $45 (USD) per person.

This isn’t a particularly great value, considering you must have sailed 10 times with Disney to become Platinum.

Getting Sick

Remember two and a half years ago when COVID was a new word to everyone? Remember how many people got sick on cruise ships?

Well, that happened because you’re often in close quarters and indoor environments with people that may or may not make the best decisions around hygiene.

With cruise ships often housing 3,000 – 5,000 people at a time, it’s not hard to imagine how contagious people might infect others at a higher rate than in other circumstances.

Getting sick has been and always will be an issue with cruise ships, even though many cruise lines make it a practice to encourage good hygiene amongst their guests with disinfecting wipes and hand washing stations everywhere. 

Even with these measures, not everyone partakes, so you can’t be sure that you won’t get sick on a cruise. If you do get sick, come prepared with a handful of over-the-counter medications to reduce the impact on your trip.

With the vast majority of Canadians being vaccinated against COVID-19, one can take solace in the idea that if you do indeed test positive while on board, your symptoms should hopefully be mild.

Ancillary Costs

Many cruise lines are excellent at separating you from your money while on board. There are various ingenious tricks that are used to get you to spend more.

One of the more interesting ones is called the “Fresh Wallet”. Once you book your cruise, you’ll be inundated with offers to pre-pay for things like tours, drink packages, upgraded dining, activities, and even gratuities.

It has been found that people who pre-pay for these items before the cruise often forget that they’ve already spent a significant amount of money. So, when they board the ship, they have a “Fresh Wallet”, and are almost 100% more likely to spend on board than those that don’t pre-pay.

The $15 martini that’s made by a robot, or that cute dress that’s only $145, are further examples of opportunities to part ways with money on board a cruise ship.

Want to add a nice bottle of Chardonnay for $89 at dinner? Why not –  you’re on vacation!

If you aren’t careful, you could end up with a bill for $1,000 more than you planned when you got on your “all-inclusive” sailing, and that’s not even taking into account your casino losses. The good news is that all of this is well within your control, so just be mindful of what you buy on board.

Dining Partners

Depending on the size of your sailing party, you may be seated with strangers at dinner, and you may or may not get along with your dining partners.

We’ve mostly had good luck with our dinner partners, who have ranged from people that have become family friends to folks that we definitely didn’t exchange contact information with.

Depending on how social you are, this may be a significant downside to cruising. If your interaction goes sideways, though, you can always ask to be moved to another table.

Here at Prince of Travel, some of our writers have either taken cruises or are considering cruising in the future, with a range of interesting offerings from Disney, Ritz-Carlton, and Virgin, among other brands, on our radar.

You can look forward to upcoming reviews from the team to help you understand if cruising is for you and your family. I’ll be writing a review on our recent four-night cruise on Disney’s newest ship, the Disney Wish, that was just launched in July 2022.

Our team member Amy will be providing her thoughts on Disney’s second-newest ship, the Disney Dream, and other team members are exploring everything from Alaska cruises to river cruises in Europe.

Cruising has a lot to offer, and it can represent different things to different people. Some try cruising and say “never again”, while some become obsessed and Google phrases like “how much does it cost to live on a cruise ship in retirement?”

For my family, cruising has been a lot of fun, and it has given us some cherished memories that we wouldn’t trade for the world. Whether or not cruising is for you is going to be hard to decide until you’re on your first sailing.

We hope that this primer and our future cruise reviews arm you with enough knowledge that you can make an educated decision on your first cruise.

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We just came back from our first Disney cruise in August, and have already booked our next one for January haha. If you have young kids, like top quality food and service, and just want a vacation where everything is taken care of, there’s nothing better! 🙂

You missed one of the biggest pros : quality of alcohol. I have been on 12 cruises and to many 5-star resorts. You simply cannot get the selection of alcohol at resorts as compared to cruise ships. 60 brands of beer vice 4 at a Sandals for example? The differences are crazy and mean a lot to me. Wine is another great example. If you enjoy the finer things in life then often cruising is unparalleled.

I’d add another cons to your list: cruises are a environmental disaster.

The best choice is probably none at all but this can help choose the “better” option. https://foe.org/cruise-report-card/

Disney cruises are wonderful! Might have been some of the only people on a Disney cruise in January… 2020.

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Pros and Cons of Cruises

If you’ve never been on a cruise you may be wondering if it’s the right type of vacation for you. And you’re not wrong to question that. While we enjoy cruising, there are aspects that can be frustrating. To help you out, we’ve compiled our pros and cons of cruises to help you understand just what you’re getting yourself into with a cruise vacation.

We’ve been on seven cruises together over the past nine years: two Alaska cruises, four Caribbean cruises and a Bahamas cruise. Prior to that, I went on a Hawaiian cruise and Grant had done two Caribbean cruises. Additionally, we have a Southern Caribbean cruise booked for 2025. I don’t know when it happened, but I think it’s safe to say that we are now “cruisers.”

After a combined 10 cruises, we’ve learned a thing or two. This means that we know what to expect and we can often find ways of making the not-so-great things at least a little bit better. So, here we go with our pros and cons of cruises.

(Disclaimer: When we link to places where you can buy our stuff or places we stayed, we are using special codes that earn us commissions on the sales at no additional cost to you. Please see our  Review Policy   for more information.)

The Pros of Cruising

Pro: you can easily see several cities or countries.

We always love a good road trip. And, let’s be honest, a cruise is a bit like a road trip on the water. Sitting in one place really isn’t our thing. We like staying busy and seeing as many different places as possible when we travel. That’s exactly what you get with a cruise.

Even on just a four-night cruise, you will typically visit two or three different ports. Make it a week-long cruise and it could be up to 5 or 6 stops. For anyone looking to see several different cities or countries, a cruise is a great way to do that. In fact, we have now been to 20 countries and 10 of those were on a cruise.

Of course, for some people, that might sound overwhelming. It really isn’t too bad, though. Plus, there are a ton of cruise itinerary options. When booking your cruise, just choose an itinerary that fits your preference in terms of how many stops it has compared to the number of “at sea” days.

Check out our Comprehensive Guide to Planning a Cruise.

Pro: You only have to unpack once

While we love a good road trip, even we will admit that unpacking and repacking every day or two can get old quickly. On a cruise ship, your room moves with you so you only have to unpack one time. This really might be the biggest perk of cruising!

I’ll be honest, we often take advantage of this and pack more than usual. On non-cruise vacations, we typically try to pack into as small a bag as possible since we move around a lot. With a cruise, we feel as though we can take a bit more with us since we’re not moving often. 

That is especially important on an Alaska cruise where you will need warm layers, even in the height of summer. Even on a Caribbean cruise, you’ll likely want casual clothes for sightseeing, nicer clothes for dinner, several bathing suits and maybe even workout clothes. Having room for all of this is nice!

Pro: Seemingly unlimited food and sometimes drinks

While every cruise line and even various ships are different, one thing you can almost always count on is a lot of food and drinks on a cruise. In addition to the main dining room, you’ll typically find a couple of casual options such as the buffet or maybe a pizza shop at no additional cost. You’ll also generally have two or three specialty restaurants at a small charge. Some ships even have a couple of complimentary specialty restaurants.

Regardless of whether it is included or costs extra, you certainly will not go hungry on a cruise. Additionally, you can usually get food at just about any time of the day or night. And, yes, the food is typically very good. Of course, this depends on your personal preferences and expectations. I’ll just say that we’ve never been disappointed by the food on a cruise.

When it comes to drinks, you’ll usually find a bar around just about every corner. If you know you’re going to drink a lot, check into the prepaid drink packages. These are usually available for soft drinks only, mid-level alcohol and premium alcohol. You can sometimes even get a drink package included at no additional charge. This is especially true for Norwegian Cruise Lines.

If getting unlimited drinks is important to you, be sure to look for that perk as you are booking your cruise.

Read our advice on How to Not Lose Your Waist on a Cruise.

Pro: Numerous onboard activities for cruisers of all ages

The number of onboard options definitely depends on the size of the ship. That said, even the smaller ships will do everything they can to keep you entertained, especially on days at sea.

The Norwegian Sky was probably the smallest ship we’ve been on and it had plenty to keep us busy for four nights. There was a casino, nightly shows, trivia contests, art auctions, various sports courts and special activities for kids.

Read our review of Cruising the Bahamas on the Norwegian Sky.

Larger ships will have activities such as rock climbing, mini-golf, or broadway-style shows. Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas , which is a good-sized ship but not their biggest, even had a wave/surf simulator. And the Norwegian Breakaway has a ropes course.

On at-sea days, you’ll often find games and classes throughout the day. We particularly enjoyed the martini tasting class on our Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Pearl . Similarly, we have participated in wine tastings and scotch tastings on several cruises.

Some of these activities (such as the drink tastings) will have an additional charge just to keep the number of participants reasonable. Many of them are free, though.

Pro: Easier to manage the details of the trip

Planning a trip can be overwhelming; especially a trip with several stops. That gets significantly easier on a cruise. All you have to do is book the vacation and then just get on the ship and enjoy the ride. 

Granted, you’ll probably want to book a few excursions and maybe plan a dinner in one of the specialty restaurants. Still, when compared to a typical trip with three or four stops (or more), the details are much easier to manage. The itinerary is planned for you, the food is right there and you’ve got plenty of activities to keep everyone happy.

You even get to bypass immigration when getting off and on at the non-US ports you visit.  Sometimes you will have to pass through an immigration area but they generally just make sure you have your cruise ID card with you. Don’t get too excited, though, you will still have to go through customs when you return to the US and disembark.

Still, with everything booked all in one place, it makes for a much easier process.

The Cons of Cruising

Con: lots of people in one place.

One of the biggest complaints about cruising is just the sheer number of people in one place. Of course, when you’re on the ship everyone is “stuck” there. And while there are some large cruise ships, that’s still a lot of people in one relatively small place.

Even when you get off the ship, almost everyone else will be getting off the ship too. There might even be a couple of other ships in port with you. Thus, even on land, it might be difficult to avoid the crowds.

Plan your activities carefully, though, and you’ll be rewarded. When we visited Nassau, there were several cruise ships in port. And, yes, right around the port was very crowded. We opted to head out to Fort Charlotte, which is a couple of miles away. Honestly, once we got a couple of blocks away from the main shopping area we immediately felt the relief from the crowds. 

Check out our article on how to spend one day in Nassau.

Even on the ship, you’ll likely be able to find a quiet spot to “hide” if you explore enough. Each ship will be different, but every ship we’ve ever been on has had at least one bar that we could generally count on to be quiet with good service. That said, we had difficulty finding a “quiet bar” on the Norwegian Breakaway .

Read about our Western Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Breakaway .

Yes, the pool and the buffet will just about always be crowded. You’ll just have to accept that. Just don’t be afraid to look around for a quiet spot. You’ll likely find it – and a lot of other interesting parts of the ship too!

Pro Tip: Spend the first afternoon of your cruise exploring the ship. That way, you don’t miss out on any hidden spots during your trip!

Con: Food can get repetitive

One of the best parts of a cruise is unlimited, free food. Unfortunately, that food can get repetitive on a long cruise. That’s why specialty restaurants are so popular now. While it can be annoying to pay more for a meal, sometimes it’s worth it by the fifth night.

Most cruise dining rooms have a set standard menu with the same classic dishes offered nightly. In addition, you’ll find “specialty” dishes that change nightly. Typically, the menu changes enough to keep it fresh. Sometimes you just want a change of scenery, though. Or, perhaps, you’re just not interested in anything on the menu one night.

Having the option of specialty dining is nice at those times. We particularly enjoyed Moderno, a Brazilian steakhouse onboard the Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Breakaway. The Italian restaurant aboard the Adventure of the Seas was so good we went twice in one week. Onboard the Regal Princess , we had some of the best pizza ever at Alfredo’s! And, sometimes, you just want something fun like Johnny Rockets, also on the Adventure of the Seas .

We have found a few complimentary specialty restaurants, others charge a flat fee and some have a la carte pricing. Yes, it’s a little annoying to pay extra for food when you could get it for free. But, sometimes it’s worth it for the variety.

Con: Additional costs can really add up

One somewhat common myth about cruising is that it’s an all-inclusive vacation. The truth is that for most ships, a lot of costs are included but there are many optional costs that can add up quickly.

In terms of food and drink, you certainly can get away without paying any additional costs. You’ll probably want to pay for at least a few drinks, though, even if that is just soda or coffee. Yep, even soft drinks often cost extra on a cruise. You can pay for drink packages ahead of time, though, which will reduce your onboard charges.

Another likely expense is excursions. In each port, you’ll have a variety of options for things to do. You can book your adventures on your own or through the ship. You can even explore the port on your own. 

Exploring on your own is free, other than any shopping or museum entrance fees you might opt for. Guided tours or excursions can cost just about anything. I’d say most tours will cost at least $80 a person and can cost up to several hundred dollars, depending on the activity.

As mentioned previously, some onboard activities may cost extra as well. Even with a prepaid drink package, wine tastings usually carry a small fee. 

Finally, don’t forget transportation to and from the port and possibly lodging before and/or after the cruise. The good part is that you are very much in control of these costs.

Con: Less flexibility with your itinerary

When booking your cruise, think about the itinerary carefully because you won’t have any control over it later. For instance, we have been to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and really don’t feel the need to return. It is a popular stop on many Caribbean cruises, though. 

One cruise we’ve had our eye on is a Southern Caribbean cruise to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. This, of course, is a fairly lengthy cruise if sailing out of South Florida. Fitting it into our school breaks has proven to be difficult thus far. So, when we discovered the new Norwegian Viva would sail there from San Juan, we jumped on it! That cruise is booked for February 2025 with our friends, Dave and Jen.

Finally, be prepared that your itinerary could change for any reason. If you are traveling during hurricane season weather can always prompt a change. My feeling on this, though, is that it’s better to be on a ship that can typically avoid a storm than stuck on an island that you can’t get off.

On our Bahamas cruise , Norwegian informed us as we boarded that the itinerary changed to include the same ports but in a different order. That really was not a big deal but we certainly would have preferred the relaxing day on the beach at the end rather than at the beginning.

The most significant change, though was our 5-night Western Caribbean cruise on the Regal Princess . It was originally supposed to be a 3-night cruise to the Bahamas. A few months before the cruise, Princess completely changed the itinerary at no additional cost. While it did require us to take a day off work, we jumped on the opportunity to see more places for the same price.

Choose an itinerary you know you will enjoy. If it changes, well, that’s just part of the adventure of travel. And, if there is a particular port you’re not excited about, know that you can stay on the ship. In fact, that is a great time to actually enjoy some peace and quiet in the main areas.

Con: Destinations are often overly touristy

Let’s be honest, most cities with a cruise port make the vast majority of their money off of tourists. They do that by offering adventure activities and shopping opportunities that may or may not be authentic to the region.

With that, it can sometimes be difficult to truly experience the local culture. We have found that exploring on our own offers the best opportunity to try the local cuisine or experience a local tradition. 

When you get off a cruise ship, the vast majority of the time you’ll find the same duty-free stores at every port. You’re almost guaranteed to find stores selling perfume, jewelry, electronics and alcohol. While I love a good duty-free liquor store, I’d much prefer to visit a local distillery with a unique spirit that I can’t get at home. 

If shopping is your thing, you’ll have plenty of opportunities on a cruise. Most cruise ships will even offer the opportunity to shop with an expert or provide shopping tips the day before each port. If you just want to find a local souvenir, you may have to get off the main drag. Most of the time you can find the local stores just a couple of blocks away from the ship.

The Final Pro: Most cruises have something for everyone

If you’re not sure you’ll enjoy cruising, I say give it a try and find out for yourself. You can start with a short and inexpensive three- or four-night cruise. See what you like and don’t like. 

For those who like adventure, choose a couple of excursions that will give you the opportunity to explore and try something new. If you prefer to sit on the beach, that is almost always an option when in port. Or you can just stay on the ship. These are also great ways to save money!

If you’re traveling with a large group, there are plenty of activities for everyone. When we traveled with Grant’s family on an Alaska cruise in 2018, we enjoyed doing things all together on some days and choosing separate activities on other days. 

Most ships have a kids’ activity center for those who want or need child care. Some ships have an adults-only pool and lounge area. You’ll certainly find a variety of bars on a cruise. To balance that, most ships also offer AA meetings. There really is something for just about everyone.

Final Thoughts on the Pros and Cons of Cruises

Just like any other type of travel, cruising has its pros and cons. I’m sure everyone can find something that they love and something that they hate. Don’t let someone else’s thoughts influence you if you’re never been on a cruise. In fact, I’d even say you need to take at least two cruises before you really decide if it’s for you or not. Every cruise line is different and every ship is different. 

When you’re choosing your vacation, weigh the pros and cons of cruises to determine what you can and can’t live with. Really don’t like crowds? Choose a smaller ship. Want to stay busy when you’re on the ship? Choose a large ship with a good variety of activities. Want to see as much as possible? Choose an itinerary with a large number of ports. 

If you’re new to cruising, do your research and don’t be afraid to ask questions. We use Cruise Critic when we are researching a particular cruise or boat. While there certainly can be frustrations when cruising, it really is a great way to travel.

Travel Resources

What do you use to find a flight.

We use Skyscanner to find deals on flights. Skyscanner has a great interface and compares tons of airlines for the best pricing and routing. That said, it does not always have every airline and some airlines will have better deals on their website. Still, Skyscanner is a great place to start. Click here to search for a flight.

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We typically stay at Hilton properties , so we use the Hilton website . You can find good Hilton Honors discounts or AAA discounts for a hotel there. We make great use of our free night certificates from our Hilton Honors American Express. Click here to book a Hilton property.

If there are no Hilton properties available, we use TripAdvisor to read reviews and book the hotel. We find we can get the best price that way. Click here to search for a hotel.

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What if I need more space than I can get at a hotel?

We use Vrbo for the times when we have rented a cabin for a weekend getaway, like this cabin in Townsend, TN , or needed to rent a house for a large family vacation. We had a great experience with them in terms of refunding deposits when COVID hit and will continue to use them. Click here to search for a vacation rental.

Who do you use for rental cars?

As a general rule, we book with Hertz for rental cars. We have had nothing but good experiences with them. Plus, we really like unlimited mileage and not worrying about crossing state lines. We have even rented from Hertz overseas in both Slovenia and Croatia . Click here to book a rental car.

How about booking a cruise?

We have found some amazing prices for booking a cruise through Cruise Direct . We have saved a lot of money on our cruises compared to what we found elsewhere, making a last-minute Bahamas cruise even cheaper. Click here to book a cruise.

What if I want to rent an RV?

We highly recommend Outdoorsy for RV rentals. We rented a camper van for a week to visit Rocky Mountain National Park for the elk rut and Custer State Park for the Buffalo Round-Up and had a blast. The program was easy to use and we really enjoyed the freedom of having a camper van for that trip. Click here to rent an RV.

What do you use for booking tours?

We don’t often book tours. Typically, we like to do stuff on our own. That said, there are some experiences you can’t have any other way. So, when we do want to book a tour, we always check Viator first. Click here to book a tour.

Do you use anything to get discounts on the road?

We make extensive use of both Good Sam and AAA on the road. Good Sam is normally regarded as a discount card for RVers at campgrounds and Camping World but anyone can use the 5 cents off a gallon at the pump at both Pilot and Flying J. Click here to get a Good Sam membership. We have had AAA as long as we have been married and it has more than paid for itself in discounts at hotels, aside from the peace of mind of having roadside assistance. Add in paper maps and the ability to get an international driver’s license and it is more than worth it for any traveler out there. Click here to get a AAA membership.

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Are Cruises Worth It? The Pros and Cons of Cruising

The upfront cost of a cruise may sometimes be a little steep. Even if you’re not booking an all-inclusive cruise , you could pay thousands of dollars per person. When you could book flights and a hotel room for less, are cruises worth it?

It depends on who you ask, and there are a lot of factors to consider. For some travelers, cruises are more than worth it and a favorite way to travel for many good reasons. For other travelers, a cruise isn’t their ideal dream vacation.

Here are all the pros and cons of cruising. They will help you decide which camp you fall into if you’ve never cruised before and are considering booking your first.

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Table of Contents

The Pros of Cruising

Short on time and just want to make a quick pros/cons list? If so, here are the pros you should consider. For more details, though, keep reading. 

• You really do get a lot for your money.
• There’s no need for you to plan.
• You can see more destinations in one trip.
• Cruising appeals to a lot of people. 
• Cruising can take you to places you otherwise couldn’t go. 
• You don’t always need a passport.

You really do get a lot for your money

Don’t just take that seemingly expensive cruise fare at face value. While it may seem like a steep price for a vacation, it’s crucial to consider everything you get from a cruise. 

Compare it to the cost of a bundled hotel and flight. While a bundled hotel and flight gives you literally just a place to lay your head and transportation between two destinations, the cruise fare gives you so much more.

• Accommodations
• Dining 
• Entertainment
• Transportation between multiple destinations 

Considering how these types of costs really add up on a traditional vacation, you might realize cruising is actually an outstanding deal . 

There’s no need for you to plan

If you loathe the idea of planning an itinerary for your next vacation, you might just love cruising. 

On a cruise, you never have to think about what you’ll do next. There’s always something going on, and it’s all contained within the ship, so there’s no real itinerary needed. Decide what you want to do, right now. Maybe that’s laying by the pool, heading to a bar, or checking out a workshop. Whatever it is, do it, wash, rinse, and repeat. 

You can see more destinations in one trip

Again, if you want a vacation that takes you to multiple destinations, you’ll have to do a fair amount of planning on your own. But, that’s not the case with a cruise. 

Whether it’s a Caribbean, Mediterranean, South Pacific, or New England cruise, you can easily see a handful of destinations in one trip. There’s no extra work. You just show up before the cruise departs, sit back, and enjoy the ride. 

Cruising appeals to a lot of people

Despite the cons that do exist, cruising appeals to a lot of people. The average cruise ship offers something for just about everyone. Foodies can find world-class dining on many cruise ships. Families find tons of kid-friendly fun. Couples can enjoy adult-only spaces and spa treatments, etc. If you’re planning a family or group trip, a cruise will likely offer something for everyone. 

Cruising can take you places you otherwise couldn’t go

Especially if you cruise on a small ship or with a specialty cruise line, you can find cruises that will take you to parts of the planet that you otherwise wouldn’t or couldn’t go — whether due to geography, lack of access, or just cost. From tiny islands in the Pacific to remote beaches in the Mediterranean, glaciers in Alaska, to even Antarctica, the right cruise can take you far. 

You don’t always need a passport

That’s right. It is possible to see some Caribbean islands without a passport — so long as you’re on a cruise. 

Cruising without a passport does require other documentation. However, if you already have that documentation, don’t have the time to wait for a new passport, and want to escape to a tropical foreign locale ASAP, a closed-loop cruise (a cruise that starts and ends in the same U.S. city) is worth considering. 

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The Cons of Cruising 

But not everything is rosy in the world of cruising. Here are the cons that might make you change your mind about booking that cruise.

• You might not get as much for your money as you expect.
• This isn’t a mode of travel for the free-spirited, spur-of-the-moment traveler.
• It can be difficult to really immerse yourself in a destination.
• Cruise ships are crowded.
• Cruising isn’t exactly sustainable. 
• Cruising forces you to unplug.

You might not get as much for your money as you expect

Remember how we said that cruising is an outstanding deal? Well, it definitely is. However, even though you get dining, entertainment, activities, and more included in your base cruise fare, don’t roll up to the ship expecting an all-inclusive experience (unless you book an all-inclusive cruise ). You’ll have to shell out extra for specialty dining, alcoholic beverages, spa treatments, and shore excursions (among other costs).

(Think you’ll just bring your own booze aboard the ship? You’ll need to know the rules for bringing alcohol and food on a cruise .) 

This isn’t a mode of travel for the free-spirited, spur-of-the-moment traveler

If you don’t like travel schedules and prefer to just show up at a destination and see where the wind takes you, you might not like cruising. Yes, you do have your pick of cruising activities during sea days when the ship is docked. However, when you’re touring a destination, you must get off the ship at a particular time (And, that may take even longer if the port you arrive at has tendering ). You must leave the destination at a specific time. Then, it’s off to the next island (or similar destination) on the itinerary. There’s no room for flexibility.

It can be difficult to really immerse yourself in a destination

If you love to immerse yourself in a destination — get to know the locals, wander the neighborhoods, spend days soaking it all in — then cruising might not be a fit for you. With the limited hours you have on shore, you won’t get enough time during a cruise. Not to mention, most of the shore excursions that cruise lines offer center around activities that some seasoned travelers might consider tourist traps. 

Cruise ships are crowded

Because cruising does appeal to so many people, cruise ships can get crowded. If you don’t like crowds, you may feel claustrophobic and frustrated on the bigger ships. And lines? Prepare for them everywhere, from the buffet to the elevators.

Cruising isn’t exactly sustainable

While, admittedly, more ships and cruise lines are switching to more sustainable fuels and eco-friendly operations as a whole, overall, the cruising industry is not kind to the environment. If you’ve been making a concentrated effort to reduce your carbon footprint or only travel in an eco-friendly manner, cruising may test your values. 

Along those lines, cruises aren’t typically sustainable from a community perspective either. Since cruise lines often focus on taking cruisers to enjoy a few tourist trap activities in a destination, before heading off to the next stop, cruisers don’t necessarily benefit the local economies. If you want your travel to benefit local economies as much as possible, travel directly to a destination and then spend money with local businesses. 

Cruising forces you to unplug  

While most cruises offer WiFi to some degree, cruises aren’t exactly known for their stellar WiFi service. If you’re the type of traveler who absolutely must post vacay photos to their social media account as soon as possible, you’ll be frustrated. Additionally, if you’re traveling but just can’t step that far away from work for the time being, you won’t have a great time.

Cruise Deals: If the cons of cruising do not scare you, be sure to Browse Ongoing Cruise Deals .

Would a Certain Type of Cruise Be Right for Me? 

Weighing the pros and cons and not sure about this whole cruising thing? All of the above cons considered, it’s worth noting that there are exceptions. Just because general, mainstream cruises on the most popular lines might not be to your liking, there could very well be more niche, specific types of cruises that you’d love.

For example, consider taking a more intimate, small-ship cruise if you’re worried about cruise crowds. Some small ships are limited to just a few hundred passengers, which is much more palatable when compared to mega ships that hold an easy 6,000 passengers.

Similarly, if you don’t like the thought of chilling by a cruise ship pool filled with screaming kiddos, opt for an adults-only cruise.

If you find cruise ship buffets and off-Broadway entertainment a bit not your style, look at luxury cruising options that focus on fine dining, immersive shore experiences, and educational seminars. 

Just as a popular, major cruise line cruise ship offers something for everyone, you can find plenty of other niche-specific cruise lines and ships that cater to select audiences.

If you’ve read our above breakdown of the pros and cons and still can’t decide if you’d like a cruise, try comparing a cruise to a stay at an all-inclusive resort. The experiences are incredibly similar — except one’s on the water. If you’ve enjoyed staying at all-inclusive resorts in the past, you very well might like a cruise.

Yes, cruising is one of the safest modes of travel, much safer than train or automobile travel and comparable to air travel.

For your first cruise, opt for convenience. Choose a cruise that leaves from a port that you can access easily via either a drive or a quick flight with no layovers. Aim for a cruise that’s about a week long, which will be just long enough to allow you to visit a handful of ports, but not so long that you’ll be excessively miserable if you determine you don’t like cruising.

Instead of asking when the best time to cruise is, you should ask where’s the best place to cruise based on when you’re traveling.  For example, if you want to take a summer cruise, try Alaska for the balmier temperatures and wildlife, or Bermuda, which is so far north that it’s not a great fit in the winter. If you want to cruise in the fall, try New England for the leaf-peeping. Spring cruises are popular in Europe before the summer crowds arrive. For the winter, try Southeast Asia or the Caribbean, where the weather is nicest (just be prepared for the crowds in the latter).

Editorial Disclosure:   Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.  

By Holly Riddle

Holly Riddle is a freelance travel, food, and lifestyle journalist who also dabbles in ghostwriting and fiction. Her work appears in publications ranging from Global Traveler to Golf Magazine, Mashed to Forbes, and Bloomberg. When she’s not writing, you can find her exploring the mountains near her home in the Adirondacks. Her favorite travel destinations include Chicago and New Orleans.

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Should You Take a Transatlantic Cruise?

 LOIC VENANCE / Getty Images

Transatlantic cruises rank among the most iconic types of travel. They generally fall into two categories. The first type is a regularly scheduled transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2 , the only cruise ship that routinely sails back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean between New York City and London (Southampton). These cruises run between late April and early January and take about six or seven days in each direction because the ship does not have any ports of call. The Queen Mary 2 crosses the Atlantic about 50 times a year on this week-long route.

The second type of transatlantic crossing is a repositioning cruise for ships that sail in the Caribbean, Central America, or South America in the winter and in Europe for the rest of the year. Most transatlantic repositioning cruises sail in the spring and fall months, but travelers can find one or more ships crossing the Atlantic every month of the year. These crossings are usually longer than a week since they include a few ports of call in the Caribbean or the Atlantic Ocean.

Both types of transatlantic crossings are different than a cruise where the ship is docked at a new port of call each day. Travelers planning a transatlantic cruise vacation need to think about the pros and cons of what it's like to be out of sight of land for days at a time.

Pro: Bargain Prices

TripSavvy / Linda Garrison

Cruise lines follow the sun, moving most of their ships to another part of the world to help guests enjoy the best weather and most daylight on their vacation. Because these repositioning cruises are often longer (10 or more days) and include only a few ports of call, the cruise lines usually reduce the price per day to attract more travelers. The ships have a "captive audience" on sea days, and onboard guests tend to spend more money on drinks, gambling, and in the retail boutique shops. So, cruise lines need to have the ships full when making the crossing.

When planning a repositioning cruise across the Atlantic, be sure to check out the cruise right before or after your transatlantic crossing. The cruise lines often discount these cruises for those willing to book back-to-back.

Pro: No Flying

Fred Bahurlet / Getty Images

A long flight across the Atlantic is stressful, tiring, and often not a good beginning or ending to your vacation. A transatlantic cruise at the beginning of your vacation can get you into a relaxed mood, and one at the end of your vacation can help ease you back to the normal work life. North Americans with more vacation time can cross the Atlantic at the beginning of their vacation, travel around Europe via land or on another cruise, and then take a second transatlantic cruise back home. They only have to drive or fly to the embarkation port.

Pro: No Jet Lag

Simon Marcus Taplin / Getty Images

One of the factors every traveler loves about a transatlantic cruise is the lack of jet lag when arriving at their destination. Since continental Europe is about six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in North America (depending on the time of year), ships traveling westbound lose an hour almost every day. Those traveling eastbound gain an hour, making some cruise days 25 hours long! Although losing or gaining an hour each day can be a little disconcerting, it's far better than the jet lag you can get from flying across the Atlantic.

Pro: Learn Something New

Cruise ships on transatlantic crossings offer many educational, entertaining, and fun activities on the many sea days. For example, guests can take classes in computing, photography, cooking, bridge, fitness, or ballroom dancing. Or, they can attend lectures on a variety of topics that expand their knowledge on history, travel, health, music, or art. Smaller ships and more luxury brands tend to feature more guest lecturers and educational opportunities than larger ships do. 

Pro: Relax and Unwind

When arriving home from vacation, many travelers often complain that they "need a vacation from their vacation!" Although many are surprised at how quickly the sea days fly by on a transatlantic cruise, no one is forcing guests to do anything other than whatever they want to do. Some guests bring along an e-reader full of novels, while others catch up on movies, try their luck in the casino, or spend time unwinding in the spa or fitness center. On a transatlantic cruise, someone else is cooking and cleaning up after you. Guests can sleep in as long as they wish or go to bed right after dinner. It's their choice.

Con: No (or Few) Ports of Call

The traditional transatlantic crossing of the Queen Mary 2 does not feature any ports of call, leaving New York and arriving in Southampton seven days later (or vice versa). 

Most transatlantic repositioning cruises taking the southern route between the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas make stopovers at ports of call in the Caribbean, the Cape Verde Islands, and the Canary Islands. Ships crossing the northern route might stopover in Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, Bermuda, Newfoundland, or Atlantic Canada.

While you won't have as many ports of call as on a seven-day Caribbean or Mediterranean cruise, some of the ports are unique and can only be seen on an extended voyage like a transatlantic crossing.

Con: Weather and Rough Seas

Weather can be a major concern for some travelers planning a transatlantic cruise. On traditional cruises, ships are sailing most nights and in a different port each day. They often are not far from land, so even though the weather can be rough, it doesn't last long.

Crossing the Atlantic can be different since the ship might not see land for several days. 

The good news is that modern cruise ships have amazing stabilizers, so most guests won't feel the wave action. Those who are prone to seasickness should have a variety of remedies to prevent or treat this malady. 

It's no guarantee, but transatlantic cruises in the summer months usually have the best weather, although hurricanes and tropical storms can affect ships sailing either the southern route or northern route.

Believe it or not, there are cruise travelers who love stormy weather and rough seas. A transatlantic crossing in the winter months of November through March is ideal for these die-hard travelers. They can get a good price and might even "enjoy" a storm!

Con: Passengers Tend to Be Older

Holger Leue / Getty Images

A general rule for cruises is the longer the cruise, the older the passengers. This is not surprising, because senior travelers have more time off and more disposable income. Although many younger travelers enjoy socializing with seniors, most transatlantic crossings are not "party" cruises. The bars and discos probably won't be packed after midnight like on shorter voyages where travelers are trying to cram as much as possible into their vacation time.

Con: Too Much Free Time

Although most travelers can get into the rhythm and routine of a transatlantic cruise, some people feel almost claustrophobic when surrounded by water 24 hours a day for several days. This feeling is rare, but a transatlantic cruise might not be for everyone. If you can't wait to get off the ship each day when on a traditional cruise moving from port to port, you might not embrace several consecutive days at sea. If you are a self-starter who appreciates free time alone or doesn't require constant entertainment, you probably will come home planning your next transatlantic voyage. 

Is a Transatlantic Cruise For You?

If you consider these pros and cons and your own personality type, you can decide if a transatlantic cruise is the right vacation for you. Since this type of cruise is often a good bargain, offering no-jet-lag travel and the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate, a crossing might be a perfect cruise vacation for you.

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• Cruise Advice

11 Pros and Cons of a Cruise Vacation

Doug Parker

• April 11, 2017

We’ll be honest – there’s always the flipside of any coin (or method of travel), and cruise vacations are no exception. Of course, we believe that the benefits of cruising heavily outweigh the downfalls, but in the spirit of being impartial, we give you a list of some pros and cons of a cruise vacation. We hope this will help you decide what vacation is right for you, and we certainly hope it’s cruising!

Getting to Sample Cities

What better way to get the sampler of a region than to cruise through it? You get to visit different ports with quirks, amenities, and cultures while returning to your cozy ship at the end of the day.  Hate a particular port? Choose itineraries that don’t stop there. Do you love a port? Make sure to book future cruises that include a call there or – if you want to get a deeper feel for it – head there for your whole vacation.

Dozens of Itineraries

This point is being modest; of all the cruise itineraries in the world, there are probably at least a hundred or more. You aren’t limited to just one type of cruise. Go where you’d like to go. Want to go to Bermuda, Europe, Asia, Australia, Alaska, or the Caribbean? Then go. There’s an itinerary for everyone.

Unpack One Time

A cruise is like a road trip, but you don’t have to keep packing and unpacking . There’s something awesome about unpacking once for the whole trip and not repacking until it’s time to go home. Sit back, relax, and let the crew take you and your floating home away from home to the destinations.

Cruise lines are consistent with each other.

Most cruise lines out there have the same process and basic cruising concept . Entertainment, food, ports, and activities on the ship are fairly consistent. Why does this matter to you?

For one main reason: it’s easier to switch between lines if you find a different itinerary you like or want to try something new, and you’ll still know what to expect. The world is your oyster when it comes to cruise vacations. Chances are, if there is a place you want to go that touches a major river or ocean, a cruise line stops there.

Variety of Dining Options

You may be thinking, how does this compete with a land-based vacation? There are always more restaurants ashore.  

While true, how many choices could you have if you stayed at an all-inclusive resort? Or how much money would you spend trying a new cuisine each night at various restaurants in a city?

Nowadays, large cruise ships tend to have a lot of venues on their ships, many of which are complimentary, and several more that only require a small cover charge. Italian, Asian, Mexican, French, and even good old American comfort food – chances are there will be a large variety of cuisines available to you on your cruise.

Options to Pick Your Accommodation

There are lots of choices when it comes to choosing a stateroom on a cruise ship.  You can splurge for a suite, opt for balconies (and save some money if you choose an obstructed view!), or go with a window, porthole, or interior cabin.

If you already know how much a cruise will cost, you can always find a stateroom to fit your budget. Lots of ships also have cabins that grant special access to more intimate, private areas on the ship, such as the Family Harbor staterooms on Carnival Vista that include a shared family lounge, The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Line that has several exclusive areas, or spa cabins on several lines that grant extra privileges in the onboard spa.

Meeting New Friends

Since everyone on the ship is sharing that ship for the duration of the voyage, you have a great chance of making new friends. Whether it be the couple you’re sitting with for dinner, a family you click with by the pool, or a guest sitting near you at the bar, if you want to find friends on a cruise, you will almost always find them.

The best part is that you’ll be able to see them again throughout the cruise and maybe even stay in contact with them afterward. I know people who have gone on future cruises with people they met in past ones.

Onboard Experiences

The crew on your ship want to make your vacation the best it can be, and you’ll find a lot of special experiences during your cruise. Whether it’s chocolate-covered strawberries that you find in your room for your anniversary or even an amenity that the ship offers, such as a mixology class or epic waterslide, there are lots of ways a cruise vacation is different from any land-based ones, and that makes it extra special.

Cons of a Cruise

Slow Internet

Because cruise ships rely wholly on satellites for internet access, it tends to be much slower than the internet at home. We would argue that a great aspect of any vacation, especially a cruise, is a great time to unplug and enjoy spending time with your travel companions. However, the internet may be necessary if you need to stay in contact with someone back home or be available if anyone back at the office has a problem. Be patient with it, and don’t use it more than you must. After all, you’ve got a vacation to enjoy!

Pricey Drink Packages

This is only a con if a drink package isn’t worth it.  If it would be and you plan on drinking quite a bit, it can be quite a deal. When planning your cruise, see what beverage packages are offered and determine whether one would be worth it.  It won’t be worth it if you only drink a few cocktails or glasses of beer daily.  

If you plan on drinking three at lunch and five after dinner, you may want to consider it. Purchasing a package is based on personal preference, and each cruiser – and cruise line – will be different.  

Drinks are more expensive on a cruise ship, so remember.  It’s also important to consider that you probably won’t utilize it as much on port days and that if you buy a package, anyone of legal drinking age in your cabin must also purchase one.

Not Enough Time in Port

One downfall to being on a cruise instead of traveling on a cruise ship is that there isn’t much time in port. A ship will often only be at any port for 10 hours, meaning you probably won’t be able to squeeze too many activities into that time.

Or, if you’re just having a relaxing beach day, the last call to get back onto the ship will seem to come all too soon. One way around this is to find itineraries that include an overnight stay in a port, which is exciting because you can experience nightlife there, too.

Hidden Costs are Everywhere

Long as the days of paying a set price for your cruise and just throwing a couple of extra dollars down for drinks and at the casino. These days, cruise lines aim to get the money from your pocket to theirs.

Final Thoughts

A cruise vacation just never seems to last long enough, does it? We hope you’ve found some of our points here helpful and that they can aid you in deciding what vacation is right for you and give you some extra information about cruising that you may not have known before.

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• Holland America Cruise Line: Pros and Cons

I’m an enthusiastic cruiser who’s taken about 20 cruises on four major cruise lines (Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Carnival). A friend and I recently completed my first Holland America cruise on the Zuiderdam and compiled a list of Holland America Cruise Line pros and cons (good and bad features).

Good Things about Holland America Cruise Line

• We originally  booked an inside cabin to save money and were offered an upgrade to a balcony cabin for $250 each (which we took!)
• A group of white synthetic leather-like lounge chairs around the pool was incredibly comfortable.
• The larger pool had a open/close roof, so you could sit by the pool if it rained. (However, when the sun was out they normally didn’t open the roof all the way and the space was incredibly humid and hot.)

4. Every other cruise ship we’ve been on has photographers who take photos of guests and print and display them in a gallery for sale. Zuiderdam used a digital photo viewing system where, using facial recognition, all a guest’s photos were automatically grouped. You just swiped your room card and could view all your photos and order a digital copy ($19.99) and additional prints, and could also order custom gifts like coasters, mugs, etc. with cruise photos on them. It was fun to crop and play around with our photos and see what they’d look like on the gift products; however, in the end, we weren’t at our most photogenic and didn’t buy any… You had to buy a digital copy of each photo, too, before you could have them printed or make custom gifts with them — so it was $19.99 plus the price of those things.

5. Holland America offered a $25 package — called something like Luggage Direct — to have your luggage delivered to the airport at the end of the cruise before debarkation and boarded on the plane. All you had to do was pick it up at your destination (even if you had connecting flights). We both did this to avoid the hassle of going to a huge terminal to pick out our suitcases, going through customs with them, getting them to the airport, etc. — and it worked well.

6. Although there wasn’t any drawers in the cabin to store clothes — other than the two night stands — the storage closets each had adjustable shelves in them as well as hanging areas.

7. Our sliding glass door to the balcony had a key and could be locked using it. That seemed safer than the slider lock other ships use.

8. The ship’s decor was beautiful and understated (in a good way).

9. The exterior elevator doors were gorgeous! They looked like a mix of gold and silver carvings.

10. Elevators had “day-of-the-week” carpets in them — very helpful on a cruise when you forget what day it is!

11. Carpeting throughout the ship had thick padding, giving it a plush, luxurious feel.

12. Spiral staircases in the atrium were carpeted; it looked pretty, felt good and made them feel safer.

13. The ship had many, many well-decorated lobbies with comfortable seating – clear down to and including on the first floor. We didn’t have time to sit in them all!

14. Our room had a full bathtub, which made the shower area much larger.

15. Our room had motion-activated floor lights on the floor across from the bathroom which was helpful for middle-of-the-night trips, and a great safety feature.

16. Our room had abundant electric plugs and USB sockets! (See caveat on #19 below.)

17. The ship shops offered a nice travel charm bracelet deal where cruisers could get a chain and five travel-related charms for $10. (The promotion for it was, however, confusing – with multiple offers of free and discount chairs that weren’t easy to understand.) My friend did get a charm bracelet and was happy with it.

Bad Things about Holland America Cruise Line

1. This cruise line clearly caters to elderly, sedentary cruisers. We’re over 50 but active and fun-loving, so it wasn’t a good fit for us.

2. This ship had very, very limited onboard active and fun activities. I guess it was relaxing — but we thought it bordered on boring. You’d enjoy it if things you like to do on vacation include going to teas, playing bridge and chess, listening to live classical  music performances and seeing evening shows featuring dancers. These things put me to sleep… but we did sit in comfortable chairs and read a lot of books. And we did the two line dancing classes.

3. Zuiderdam, because it’s a smaller ship, had no chairs at all available in the inside, large pool area many times. Lots of people put towels on the chairs and were nowhere to be seen. We resorted to sunbathing on decks with chairs that were nowhere near a pool — and the sun got to be scorching very fast! Or we sat on our balcony (which we – thankfully – had).

4. There was no poolside entertainment. Princess cruise line has outdoor movies by the pool, live bands, etc. but this ship had none. They did play some piped in music.

5. Zuiderdam also had very limited seating in the casual dining room. Many days we had to ask other people if we could share their table so we could sit and eat at all, which wasn’t comfortable for any of us.

6. The ship was way too cold onboard, so we had to wear jackets all the time. I’m from the South where they like cold air conditioning in the summer, but this was too cold for me!

7. The onboard lectures and events focused on subjects like swollen ankle reduction, wrinkle reduction and arthritis pain. In fact, they repeated the swollen ankle discussion so it must’ve been popular.

8. We ordered large bottles of water for our room in advance, since we’ve done it in the past and it was easy to put them in the refrigerator and take them along to shore excursions and drink from them all day. It also saved money over buying a bottle of water while leaving the ship ($4.10 each for a small bottle of water on Holland America!).

However — we were horrified to see that the large bottles were glass and had caps that had to be removed with a bottle opener (like old Coke bottles)! We had no bottle opener – because it was never mentioned when we ordered them – and had to run down the room stewart or take a bottle to a bar to have a bartender uncap them. Every time. And once the bottles were opened, they couldn’t be resealed, carried along, and used all day either. As a result, about 8 of the 12 bottles of water we ordered, we never used – so that ended up costing us money, not saving money…

9. Our cabin was small. We couldn’t both walk across the room at the end of the bed at the same time. The balcony seemed smaller than usual, too – and was cramped if you sat on the chairs facing forward. At the end of the week, we discovered it was roomier if we put the chairs on each end of the balcony (facing each other) with a coffee table/foot rest in between.

10. No 24/7 self-service ice cream was available. It seemed like a cost-cutting effort to control portions because a server had to scoop it, and it was limited to meal times. How much more could it cost to let people serve themselves?

11. There was absolutely nothing to snack on after 9:30 when the dining rooms closed. We actually went to bed hungry several nights – and finally had to go to the ship store to buy snacks. Who goes hungry on a cruise ship????

12. The formal dining room meals were not great.

13. The formal dining room dessert selection was small and bad. No cheesecake – ever!

14. The ship library was extremely small with a very limited number of book selections.

15. Ship communications announced nightly live theater performances for the entire week at the beginning, unlike other cruise lines. That was fine – except there were only three nights with comedians and/or illusionists (the shows I enjoy), so it was kind of a downer…

16. The steps on the interior staircases were very narrow, making it necessary to “walk like a penguin” when traveling up and down them. Maybe everyone used the elevators?

17. The bathroom sink in our cabin sprayed water all over the countertop every time it was used – so it was wet, messy and annoying.

18. Plastic cards with a bar code used for onboard payment, departure/return to the ship and to enter the cabin had a very poor quality print job on them. The ink wore almost completely off both of our cards early in the week – making it necessary for us to go to guest relations to get new ones. Have never seen that problem on a cruise line!

19. The abundant electric plugs in our rooms wouldn’t accommodate either of our hair dryers! They were placed too close other items and the hair dryers had a “stem” on them. When we were forced to use the hair dryer provided with the cabin that used foreign voltage, the cord wouldn’t stay in the plug. As a result, we had to manually hold the plug in the socket and dry our hair with the other hand. 🙁

20. Formal dining room service was slow and not up to the standards we expected.

21. Communication about events wasn’t good; the daily newsletter said, for example, that bingo tickets would be sold at a certain time. They didn’t mention that the bingo games also took place then. The written and verbal instructions for the mandatory back-to-the-U.S. immigration meetings said it was OK to take official government ID (which to me means a driver’s license) but when we got in the long line and waited to get to the front, the person then said we must show our passports). The time changed an hour one day on the cruise and we didn’t know anything about it!

Overall Conclusion

Cruising is inherently fun, especially if you go with someone you like – and this cruise was fun. The shore excursions and beaches were good, we got some sun and warm weather in the middle of winter, and vacation always beats being at work!

Although the vacation was nice, we will never travel on Holland America cruise line again.

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• Mediterranean Cruise: Touring Athens
• Mediterranean Cruise: Fabulous Venice
• Mediterranean Cruise: The $847 Hotel Room
• Mediterranean Cruise: Weird Incidents
• Mediterranean Cruise: Souvenirs from Italy and Greece
• Mediterranean Cruise: Palma de Majorca
• Mediterranean Cruise to Malta
• Mediterranean Cruise to the Greek Islands and Venice: Off to a Bumpy Start
• 16 Ways to Save Money on Cruises
• 12 Reasons Cruises are Better than Land Vacations
• Why I Love Solo Cruising
• Celebrity Equinox Review: 14 Cool Features

2 Responses to Holland America Cruise Line: Pros and Cons

I’m glad you got back before you had to worry about the virus. Today I heard from another friend who just cancelled her family cruise to New Zealand!

The fancy door reminded me of this one https://carnegiemuseums.org/magazine-archive/1996/sepoct/feat4.htm at the Carnegie donated by the third Koch brother.

I laughed out loud when you mentioned the lecture topics.

Yeah, cruising now is kind of scary! We’re so lucky to have traveled when we did! And that’ sad people are having to cancel their vacations now.

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Is Norwegian Cruise Line Worth It? Pros & Cons

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Are you considering booking a Norwegian cruise and wondering if it’s worth it, or even the right cruise for you? Planning a cruise is not one size fits all, and there are different cruise lines to choose from.

Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its high quality entertainment, fun onboard attractions and a relaxed “freestyle” of cruising environment.

As someone who has cruised with Norwegian several times, I can share both the pros and the cons of doing an NCL cruise.

With that being said, here are the pros and cons of Norwegian Cruise Line.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click and buy that I may make a commission, at no cost to you. Please see my disclosure policy for details.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Pros Of Norwegian Cruise Line

Here are the positives of going on a Norwegian cruise:

Entertainment

Norwegian cruise ships are known for having amazing entertainment. Compared to other cruise lines, you can see that Norwegian invests a lot into their theatre and production shows.

Inside the theatre onboard Norwegian cruise ships, the lighting, sound and set design is among the best at sea. Additionally, Norwegian has great entertainers like singers and live bands, magicians, comedians and illusionists.

On past cruises on the Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Joy , the entertainment has been phenomenal.

When cruising with Norwegian, you will never get bored! In particular in the evening time, there are always a variety shows and musical performances happening.

Free at Sea

The Free at Sea promotion is one of the best benefits when cruising with Norwegian. This perks program, which has a free beverage package as an option, is very popular among Norwegian cruisers.

While the Free at Sea promotion changes at times throughout the year, overall the basics remain the same. With Free At Sea you can get a free beverage package, free specialty dining, free wifi (not unlimited), free shore excursion credits and discounts on 3rd and 4th passengers (on select sailings).

At times, you may even find a free air promotion. Always check with your travel agent or on the Norwegian website for current free at sea promotions and to find the best options for you.

Related: Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea Perks Explained

Beautiful Ship Design

NCL cruises are very nice looking and the cruise line has great ship designs. The interior of Norwegian cruise ships are decorated tastefully and appeal to many.

Those who cruise with Norwegian often like how the casino is in a central location and the bar areas are all close together.

Something unique on select Norwegian cruise ships is The Waterfront. This is an outdoor boardwalk area which has bars, restaurants and seating areas, where on many other cruise ships this would be a simple promenade deck.

Norwegian cruises also have many lounge areas, bar areas and activities on the upper decks. This design is perfect as there is always something to do onboard the cruise.

Norwegian’s newer cruise ships, like Norwegian Prima, continue to innovate, which amazing beautiful and unique spaces onboard. All Norwegian’s recent ship builds, as well as refurbished cruise ships, have elegant and modern interiors. The decorations, lighting and architecture give Norwegian cruise ships a very beautiful look.

Variety of Restaurants

For those who like cruise food, Norwegian has a variety of restaurants onboard their fleet. The included restaurants are the main dining rooms, buffet and the Local (pub style restaurant).

When it comes to specialty restaurants, Norwegian has a lot to offer. Specialty restaurants do have an additional cost, however they are a significantly better culinary experience. You can also get free specialty dining as a perk with Norwegian’s Free at Sea promo.

On many Norwegian cruises you’ll find Cagney’s Steakhouse, Teppanyaki, OceanBlue (sea food) and La Cucina (Italian food). Depending on the cruise you are on, there can be many other specialty restaurants as well.

If you’re celebrating a special occasion on a cruise, going to a specialty restaurant is a great way to celebrate!

Flexible Dining

Norwegian Cruise Line was an innovator in flexible dining, with it’s Freestyle cruising concept. With Norwegian, you won’t have traditional early or late seating in a main dining room .

Instead, you be able to choose which dining room you would like to eat at, whether it’s included or has an extra charge. While you can go to the free or included restaurants at any time, there may be a wait for a table without a reservation. Specialty dining is best with a reservation, as the restaurants are quite popular.

However, having dining options and being able to eat at your own schedule, may enhance your cruise vacation experience.

Variety of Activities

Whether you’re a young cruiser or an older cruiser, there are activities for everyone onboard a Norwegian cruise. On a sea day, there are poolside activities that are fun to watch or participate.

Throughout the cruise, there are activities like trivia, karaoke and themed parties which are super fun for young and older guests.

For those who like thrills, Norwegian has some of the best waterslides at sea, as well as ropes courses and virtual reality games.

On select Norwegian ships, there is laser tag, go-karting and escape rooms. These activities are a fun time for the whole family.

Related: 6 Best Norwegian Cruises for Families

Great For All Ages

Norwegian Cruise Line is great for all ages. Whether it’s for young families with kids, adults or senior cruisers, there are activities that are fun for all ages.

Families will appreciate the kid’s club on Norwegian . This is a great place to leave your children in a fun, safe and supervised environment. As someone who has cruised since I was 4, I always enjoyed the kid’s club and it was a great place to make friends!

Norwegian cruises also have activities like water slides, ropes courses, mini golf, laser tag and some newer cruise ships even have go-karting.

For adults and older cruisers, there are plenty of lounges and bars to relax and have a drink. There are also be activities like trivia, Deal or No Deal and art auctions hosted throughout the cruise.

Spice H2O, an adult only outdoor area is a great place to hang out with friends or make some new ones. Sit back and take in the sun on a lounge chair with a frozen drink, or head into a hot tub.

On cruises with warm weather, Spice H2O will turn into an adult only club in the evening times. There are some great parties and events, which are a really fun time on a Norwegian cruise.

Good Bars and Drinks

If you like to drink, then you will have a great time on your Norwegian cruise vacation. Onboard a Norwegian cruise ship, there are many bar areas, many with different themes.

For example, on the Norwegian Joy there was The Cavern, which is a a Beatle’s themed bar. Every night there would be a very talented Beatle’s cover band playing. People were sitting with a drink while listening to live music and enjoying the show.

There was also the Sugarcane bar, a mojito bar. This bar served fabulous fresh mojitos, and cruisers could dance or watch the live band.

Malting Wine & Whiskey Bar is another bar, and this one was more quiet and had an exclusive feeling to it. It’s a great place to sit and talk with new friends.

The drinks on Norwegian cruises are also very good. They have an extensive menu of drinks. Plus, if you request a drink that’s not on the menu, they will make it for you.

Related: Norwegian Cruise Line Beverage Packages: What’s Included and is it Worth it?

Friendly Crew

One of the great things about cruising with Norwegian is the friendly and helpful staff. At the bars, the staff members are talkative and jovial. The restaurant waiters and staff are very helpful.

The crew always seems genuinely happy, which really makes the cruising experience better.

Variety Of Staterooms

The variety of staterooms on Norwegian is a major plus. If you’re on a tight budget, you can book an inside cabin , which is still a very nice, albeit small. There are also ocean view cabins, balconies , mini-suite options and even studio cabins for solo cruisers.

If you have a bigger budget, you can book a Haven Suite, which will give you access to a private pool area, private lounges and a restaurant for Haven guests. The Haven, ship within a ship concept, is a nice option for those who like a special experience, and prefer to keep away from the crowds.

Since Norwegian has such a wide variety of staterooms, this makes the cruising experience enjoyable for everyone.

Related: 15 Best Tips for Cruising in an Inside Cabin

Great Casino

Many guests love Norwegian because of the casino. The casino onboard Norwegian cruises is large, has an enclosed smoking area (on certain ships) and even has a small buffet.

It’s in a central location, which makes it convenient for those who want to play in the casino. In the evening time, the casino is quite busy and the passengers love it!

There are slot machines, blackjack tables, poker tables and even a high roller room. If you like to gamble, then you will love the casino onboard Norwegian Cruise Line, as well as the Casino at Sea program.

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Cleanliness

Norwegian cruises are very clean. In the main areas, you can often see crew members disinfecting the elevators, railings and bathrooms, to ensure that the ship is always clean.

Even the pool areas, hot tubs and sun deck are always clean, which makes the cruising experience a lot better.

People who cruise with Norwegian tend to be relaxed and fun to be around. Norwegian is also the “freestyle” cruise line, with a relaxed dress code .

Norwegian attracts families, young adults and those who are young at heart.

In the evening time, there are both older and younger people dancing at the club. During busy times of the year, Norwegian cruises can be real party ships and tons of fun.

At times, new cruisers may think cruising is for snobs. However, on Norwegian, almost every passenger is super friendly and is just looking to have a good time.

Related: Norwegian Cruise Line Dress Code: What to Wear on a Freestyle Cruise

Cons of Norwegian Cruise Line

Although there are not many, there are still a few negatives about cruising with Norwegian.

Extra Charges & Fees

A major con about cruising with Norwegian is that there are a lot of extra charges onboard. When it comes to a cruise vacation, many people like cruising because it’s mostly all-inclusive.

However, this just isn’t the case with Norwegian. Norwegian charges for many things onboard, like certain activities, specialty restaurants and the vibe beach club (a private quieter adult area).

If you’re cruising with kids on Norwegian , it can get quite expensive, as the activities can really add up. For example, each virtual reality game on the Norwegian Joy costs $8 and only lasted for 2 minutes.

Unless you get an unlimited pass (which has an extra cost of up to $199), these activities can really add up.

There are drink packages included in the Free at Sea promotion, however you should be aware that there are extra costs of a gratuity on the value of the package. This can be more than $20 a person, per day for the Open Bar package. As well, not all drinks are included, so you may want to purchase a Starbuck’s package for coffee, which costs about $15 per day, and you have to get it for every passenger in your room.

If you’re trying to keep to a budget and save money on your cruise , it’s important to be aware of the potential extras and plan accordingly.

Mediocre Included Food

The included food on Norwegian can be hit or miss, especially in the main dining rooms. If you’re someone who loves to eat well on vacation, you may want to reserve a few specialty restaurants.

While you’ll always find fast food style options and a pretty good buffet, in my experience the included main restaurant isn’t meant to wow you.

If you’re a foodie, this is something to consider and plan for.

Crowded Pool Areas

Norwegian is unfortunately known for having crowded pools and pool areas. On a nice sunny day, it can be hard to find a lounge chair by the pool, or even a chair in the pool area.

While this can be an issue on other cruise lines as well, the pool areas on NCL are just not their strongest point. Perhaps this is because some of the deck space is used for other attractions and activities, and there are fewer pools.

Of course, this problem can also be solved by paying for the Vibe Beach Club. This is a private area which is available to a limited amount of guests.

Compared to a few other cruise lines, Norwegian internet packages are more expensive. However, even with the premium, most expensive wifi package, our experience was that it was very slow.

This is a downside to Norwegian is you need to do some work while on vacation, or just like to have good wifi while you cruise.

Lines for Popular Activities

On a busy sailing, you can expect lines for the most popular activities . Naturally, when you have over 4,000 people on a cruise ship, you will have to wait for some of the cool waterslides and attractions.

However, for activities like Go-Karting, you can skip the line by paying for the Go-Karting Unlimited Pass ($199 for the whole cruise).

Video: Norwegian Free at Sea Explained (free perks)

Related & Popular Posts:

• 30+ Best Activities on Norwegian Joy
• Norwegian Cruise Line Dress Code: What to Wear on a Freestyle Cruise
• 75 Genius Cruise Hacks and Tips
• 6 Best Norwegian Cruises for Families
• 33 Fun Things to Bring on a Cruise
• Norwegian Cruise Line Beverage Packages

Final Thoughts on Is Norwegian Cruise Line Worth It?

Well there it is. The pros and cons of Norwegian Cruise Line!

There are a lot of reasons why you may really enjoy a Norwegian Cruise, but also a few things to be aware of so you aren’t disappointed. When it comes to choosing the right cruise for you, it really comes down to preference and your wants and needs.

There are a ton of things that are really great about cruising with Norwegian. If you like all these things, then a Norwegian cruise is worth it!

In this post, I shared the pros and cons of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Do you think cruising with Norwegian is worth it? Please let me know in the comments below.

Happy Cruising!

P.S. If you found this helpful, please don’t keep it to yourself ;-). Please share on Facebook or PIN to your favorite Pinterest board (share buttons at the top). Thanks so much!

Author Bio:  Ethan Schattauer writes about fashion, travel and college advice on the website  WhatToWearMen.com . As a frequent cruiser, Ethan shares his unique perspective on what cruising is like for teens and young adults.

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Are Cruises Overrated or Worth It? – Pros and Cons You Need to Know

When considering a cruise many people feel overwhelmed trying to weigh up the pros and cons!

There are multiple positives and negatives to taking a cruise vacation – and cruises aren’t for everybody.

I believe that almost everybody will be able to find a cruise line that will suit them .

Having said that, cruises can be expensive. It can be a large investment – not just of money, but also of time.

In this article, we look at the pros and cons of cruising, based on the cruises I’ve taken.

An Easy and Enjoyable Way To Travel

• You only have to pack and unpack once! I love the fact that I only have to unpack once, and the ship takes me to a new port or country nearly every day.
• Travelling the world by cruise ship is SO much easier than travelling by any other means of transport . Once you are on board, there are no traffic jams or flight delays to worry about.
• Usually, transport is a means to an end, a way to get from A to B. On a cruise, the journey is the adventure.

If you wanted to visit multiple European countries in a week without cruising you’d spend a LOT of time traveling either by car or by train.

You’d have to carry your bags with you, and constantly be unpacking and repacking.

On a cruise, you can visit a new country every day without ever having to move your bags !

You Can Visit a Lot of Countries in a Short Period of Time

• If you take a classic “Mediterranean Loop” cruise, you can easily visit three or four countries in a week. I regularly cruise to the Mediterranean. We often visit Italy, Spain, France, and Malta. It is so easy – but it may be a different story if you tried to make that journey without cruising!
• It’s a great way to try different countries. If you see somewhere you like, you can arrange to return and spend more time at a later date. Of course, there may be some places you visit that you don’t like at all – and you need never return!
• There are so many different cruise lines, you are bound to find one that suits you and your family perfectly. From casual cruise lines like Royal Caribbean to more traditional cruises with Cunard, there is something available to suit everyone!

Cruises Offer Great Value For Money

There is a LOT included in the price of a cruise.

If you were to take into account the transport, accommodation, food and entertainment costs for an equivalent land trip – cruising almost always comes out as better value for money.

To learn more about this, check out this post: Cruises vs All Inclusive Resorts – Complete Comparison

A cruise fare on a mainstream cruise line usually includes:

• The cruise – sailing between ports
• Accommodation – room cleaned at least once, sometimes twice a day
• Food – breakfast, lunch and dinner – and of course snacks in between!
• Entertainment – theatre shows, trivia, gameshow, bands, musicians etc.

How Cheap Can Cruises Be?

I LOVE a good bargain. I usually pay around £100 per night for my cruises but I have cruised on a number of occasions for under £50 per night.

It would be difficult to find a hotel on land for £50 a night in the most popular cruise ports!

In February 2022 I took an MSC fly-cruise from the UK to the Caribbean.

It cost only £580 /$740 for a week – Including flights!

Return flights from the UK to Barbados were costing over £700 at that time, so basically, I felt like I was cruising for free! To find out more about that trip, watch the video below:

On a Cruise, You Can Visit New Places You May Not Have Even Considered!

I’ve been to a number of places which I may not have ever visited if I wasn’t on a cruise! Being on a cruise gives you some added security. You always have a point of contact and a phone number to ring if you get into trouble! You can visit places which you might otherwise be a bit nervous to do. I took a cruise a few years back from Singapore to Tokyo, and it was INCREDIBLE. I never would have decided “Oh I think I’ll go to Vietnam today…” if it wasn’t for the fact the cruise ship stopped there!

For nervous travellers, a cruise is a great way to explore the world.

Cruises Are Relaxing

There is nothing quite like sitting on a balcony and listening to the sounds of the ocean. Cruising gives you the opportunity to do as much, or as little as you’d like.

Life can be busy and stressful and I find that cruising is the best way to relax.

When I’m on a cruise, it’s probably the only time in my life when I sit still and take some time to do absolutely nothing !

When I’m in the middle of the ocean I stop worrying about work and all land-based problems feel a million miles away.

Often, I don’t buy the cruise ship WiFi, and so I am forced to put my phone down and be out of contact with the outside world!

I can use my mobile data when I reach most ports – but it is nice to have some time when people just can’t get in touch with me!

On a Cruise, There is So Much Food!

The quantity and variety of food available on cruises is definitely one of my favourite parts.

On some lines, food is available 24 hours a day.

There are usually some “Speciality Dining” options which cost extra but there is no need to visit these restaurants if you don’t want to.

I often don’t pay for any extra food when cruising and prefer instead to eat the food included in the cruise fare.

Occasionally I will eat in a speciality restaurant if it is a special occasion – like a birthday, or there is somewhere I particularly want to try out for my Youtube channel.

Free food options available on most cruises:

• The Main Dining Room – Dining times will either be fixed or “freestyle” – when you just show up to eat when you are hungry. I, personally, prefer this more relaxed option!
• Buffet – This will be open at all meal times, and usually open for snacks in between.
• Poolside Grill -Many ships have free food available by the pool – usually burgers, hot dogs, chips/fries etc.

On a cruise, it isn’t unusual for me to have breakfast, elevensies, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and late-night snacks!

If you want to avoid cruise ship weight gain I have another post all about that. 7 Ways to Avoid Cruise Ship Weight Gain.

Cruise Food is of High Quality

It isn’t just the quantity of food which is impressive. The quality of food onboard cruises often far surpasses food that I have had in restaurants on land.

If I’m on land and I go out for dinner that is usually the highlight of my day. On a cruise, you can eat out for dinner, lunch, breakfast, and in between! It’s brilliant!

Other perks:

• Not thinking about what to have for dinner!
• Everyone in your family/group can choose different meals.
• No washing up/doing the dishes- just get up and leave when you finish.
• No nasty bill at the end!

Cruises Have Great Entertainment

On most cruises, there will be a show in the theatre each night. The show is usually performed twice so that everybody can have an opportunity to see it.

If the ship has fixed dining, I would normally choose the early sitting to eat, then go and see the show in the theatre afterwards.

I live close to London and love going to the theatre but even the cheapest tickets can set you back £50 each. Add to that the cost of the train fare, it makes an expensive evening out!

The theatre shows onboard aren’t usually full-length musicals or Broadway productions but they are all of high quality.

The fact that these are included in the cruise fare makes it brilliant value for money. I usually watch theatre shows on most nights.

The Entertainment Continues Around The Ship

The entertainment in the theatre is usually only the start. There are lots of other options on offer!

Entertainment varies from one cruise line to another, but they have things like:

• Language lessons
• Dance lessons
• Fitness classes
• Art classes

The amount of entertainment onboard does vary by cruise line – but most cruise lines will have pretty busy schedules.

Of course, not everything is going to be to the taste of every guest – but I would challenge anybody to go on one of the big cruise lines like Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line and not find something that they will enjoy.

Cruises Are So Convenient

On a cruise your cabin is within easy walking distance to great restaurants, multiple bars and theatres. There are pools, spas and wonderful ocean views too – so there is something for everyone within a 5 – 10 minute stroll. Celebrity Edge’s “Solarium” I truly don’t believe that any other way to holiday/vacation is as convenient as a cruise! If you were to stay in a resort on land you’d either have to go out of the resort in search of food or eat in the same resort restaurant every night.

Even if you were to take an all-inclusive trip it’s unlikely you’d have as many dining options as you would on a cruise ship. Some cruise ships have 15+ different restaurant options!

Everything is within walking distance – and wherever you travel in the world, the food and entertainment options come with you.

Imagine being able to travel around Europe and be followed by your favourite restaurants, bars and entertainment. It’s crazy to think of it that way – but it’s amazing.

Cruises Are Great For Kids

All of the big cruiselines have kids clubs. These are free, and ensure that your children have a great cruise holiday too! They can make new friends and learn new languages, and you can have some adult time, safe in the knowlege that they are happy.

I cruised as a child and had the most amazing time. Cruising gave me a sense of freedom that I had never really had before – which I really enjoyed.

I was 11 on my first cruise and being able to go to the buffet for pizza with my brother and cousins while my parents went to the main dining room was AMAZING.

Cruise lines have lots of things to keep kids happy !

Cruise Ships Have Kid’s Clubs

Most cruise lines will have kids’ clubs. These are usually split into age groups with a group for babies/toddlers, children, and teenagers.

• At the start of the cruise, parents need to sign up their children for the kids club and from this point, the children are able to enjoy the kids club facilities and events.
• The kid’s clubs separate children by age group and have age-appropriate activities for all.
• The kids club rooms are usually full of toys and games, so children are more than happy to go and explore them!

Many Cruise Ships are Designed With Kids in Mind

Many ships are now designed specifically with children in mind.

• Some have water parks, ropes courses and slides on the top decks.
• They often have specific play areas inside.
• They may have games courts and arcades
• It is important to do your research before cruising so that you can pick a ship that suits you and your child.

Some ships have much more to offer children than others.

To learn more about the cruise lines I personally recommend for families, read this article next:

The Best Cruise Lines For Families (Tried & Tested, Pros & Cons). 

Food, Glorious Food!

Most cruise lines will provide a kid’s menu in the main dining room.

On occasion, I have thought that the kid’s menu actually looks nicer than the adult version!

Some cruise lines also have a “Kid’s Corner” section of the buffet.

When I was on the Costa Smeralda, they had a specific area where children could eat with their families. MSC is great for children. The MSC “Kid’s Corner” breakfast has doughnuts in it. I may, or may not, have snuck in to get one for myself! I am a big child after all…

Italian cruise lines seem to cater to children and families very well! They often have very cheap fares for children too.

Find out more about my recent cruise on Costa Smeralda here. I even found Peppa Pig by the inside pool – she was speaking Italian of course!

You Might Get Seasick on a Cruise

I do get quite travel sick and have on occasion been seasick when cruising. It certainly isn’t pleasant! I HATE the idea that potential cruisers may be put off of cruising because they fear feeling seasick. The majority of the time you cannot tell that the ship is moving at all. If you don’t get travel sick in car or coaches I doubt very much you’ll get seasick on a cruise ship. Having said that, if you end up cruising in bad weather or a storm you may need to take some steps to treat seasickness.

If you do think you might be seasick the following tips can help:

• Avoid too many sea days
• Pick a central cabin
• Book a balcony
• Choose a mid-sized ship
• Don’t eat too much food or drink
• Find fresh air whenever you can
• Bring medicine!

I have a full post about how to prevent and treat seasickness. Check that out here:

13 Cruise Seasickness Tips (From Somebody Who Gets Seasick). 

Choosing the position of your cabin onboard can also help. Some cabins will move far more than others!

To find out the best location for your cabin if you are worried about seasickness, read this article:

What is The Best Cabin Location on a Cruise For Avoiding Seasickness? (I’ve Tried Them All!)

You May Experience Cancelled Ports and Itinerary Changes

Taking a cruise can be a little bit like a Magical Mystery Tour! The itinerary you book may be changed at any time.

There are a number of reasons why this could happen – and I think I’ve had most happen to me! It is written in the contract of all cruise lines that they are able to change the ports at any point.

Ports could be cancelled months in advance, I’ve had this happen to me when our cruise line felt it would be unsafe to make stops in Turkey. Our ports were changed for the Greek islands.

I’ve also had ports cancelled the day before – and some even cancelled on the day of the port call.

This was due to bad weather. Ports which require tendering are more likely to be cancelled due to weather.

Cruise ports are most likely to be cancelled because of the following reasons:

• Political unrest
• Bad weather
• Booking mistakes
• Overbooking of cruise ports

You usually aren’t entitled to any compensation if your itinerary changes, although some travel insurance will provide ‘missed port’ cover.

For more information about this, check out this post which delves deeper into the question:

Do You Get Compensation For Missed Cruise Ports? 

On Cruises You’ll Have Limited Time in Ports

One of the biggest negatives I see of cruising is that your shore excursions are normally quite short and almost rarely include onshore nightlife. You can certainly tick off a lot of destinations but you probably only ever scratch the surface of each location. On the up side it’s a good way of identifying places you’d like to revisit and get to know better .

The fact that you usually leave before the evening definitely is one of the biggest downsides to cruising.

Cruise lines are now becoming increasingly aware that passengers would like longer in port and some are now offering longer stays and overnight stops.

On a typical cruise, you’ll arrive at maybe 8 or 9 am and leave at 5 or 6 pm. Of course, this varies a lot – but that is the typical time for the ship to be docked – based on the 50+ cruises I have been lucky enough to take.

The average cruise length is 7 days.

Overnight Stops Are Increasingly Popular

During the Baltic cruise I took with Marella we spent a night in St. Petersburg which meant that we had two full days to explore.

When I cruised from New York to Bermuda on the Norwegian Prima , Bermuda is the only place we visited, and we were docked there for multiple days.

Bermuda is a great place to visit, so we were very happy to be there, and used the ship like a “floating hotel.” Find out more about Bermuda and all it has to offer here:

8 Reasons Why Your Next Cruise Should Be To Bermuda – Tried And Tested

I also took a short cruise with Celebrity, advertised as “two days” in Amsterdam. We docked at 2 pm one day and left at 10 am the next! – I would hardly call that two days …

Even though we didn’t get two full days in Amsterdam, it was nice to be able to wander around Amsterdam in the evening and enjoy the nightlife.

To find out more about port stops and my experiences, read this article next:

How Long Do Cruise Ships Stay In Port? (My Experiences of Short Stays to Multi-Day Stays)

Cruise Ships Can Get Busy

Some cruise ships can get very busy! It not much fun when you can’t get a seat in the buffet or in the bars. The important thing is to make sure that you choose a cruise ship and a cruise line to suit you. Ships, and different cruise lines vary greatly. In my experience, the cheaper the cruise fare, the more passengers there are likely to be onboard.

Some cruise lines will be very relaxed, with very little entertainment. Others will have parties which go on late into the night, every night !

To avoid the crowds. I always try to cruise outside of the school holidays. I don’t have any children so it’s easy for me to take a week off in November or February.

Cruise ships don’t usually cruise at full capacity, but they cruise much closer to capacity when all beds in every cabin are fully utilised.

Many cabins can sleep up to 3 or 4 people – but mostly only have two adults sharing them during term time. In the school holidays that same cabin often holds two adults and two children.

Some people do find cruise ships overwhelming. The new mega-ships are very large and can hold 6000+ passengers. I personally really enjoy the mega-ships – but know that they aren’t for everybody.

I recently took a cruise on Celebrity Edge. I was amazed by the amount of room per passenger – we never struggled to get a seat in the bar or a sunlounger by the pool.

The cruise fare was far more than on a similar cruise with MSC, even though it went to virtually the same ports.

We were paying extra for the space available and the higher number of staff to guests.

To find out more about that fantastic ship, watch this video next:

Shore Excursions Can be Expensive

When you add on things like shore excursions, the cruise can get really expensive, really fast!

The prices of shore excursions organised by the cruise can be SO expensive.

There are a few perks to booking a shore excursion directly through the cruise line and many do so because:

• It is by far the easiest option
• There are a large variety of excursions and activities offered
• The cruise ship will wait for the excursion if it is late back

There are, however, a number of other options. When cruising you don’t have to take any excursions at all.

I’ve been on a number of cruises where I haven’t taken any organised excursions and it has been absolutely FINE!

Do Your Own Thing!

In a lot of ports, you are able to completely do your own thing. I usually prefer this option.

This is a bit more difficult in ports in the Caribbean, where everything seems to cost money – but in most European ports you can walk around or take public transport.

Doing your research before the cruise means that you will know what you want to see and do, and won’t have to miss out on anything.

Third-Party Excursions

It is also possible to book excursions through other third-party companies.

These are organized for cruise guests and are usually similar to the excursions organised by the cruise line.

The main difference is that the cruise ship would not wait if an independent tour was running late. The ship would depart at the scheduled time.

To avoid this problem I recommend arriving back at the ship a couple of hours before the ‘all onboard’ time.

Another thing to think about is that if that port is missed for any reason, you may lose your money. Check out the terms and conditions of the excursion company, and see if you can get a refund if you can’t make it to the port.

You May Put on Unwanted Weight!

We’ve all heard the stories about people who go on cruises and come away 20lbs heavier!

It is possible to put on a lot of weight when cruising due to the unlimited food and often frequent drinking – but it isn’t necessarily going to happen.

There are a number of ways you can avoid gaining weight on a cruise (if you want to):

• Set Yourself a Stair Limit
• Pre-Plan Exercise Classes
• Hop on a Bike
• Get Out of Your Food Comfort Zone
• Drink Smart
• Use a Step Tracker
• Head to The Gym
• Do some laps of the promenade deck, or top deck every evening before bed!

Almost all cruise ships have Gyms, and these are usually free to use.

Some cruise lines also have exercise classes onboard.

Some exercise classes have an extra charge, but some are included in the cruise fare. I particularly enjoyed doing Zumba on sea days during my Princess cruise.

You’ll be surprised how much exercise you actually do on a cruise.

If you’re on a big ship simply walking around the ship and up and down the stairs can add up to a lot of steps. On one cruise I managed to walk up 99 flights of stairs in a day!

For more information about how I’ve managed to avoid ever putting on weight on a cruise check out this post: Avoid Cruise Ship Weight Gain (7 Easy Things You Can Do). 

Cruise Internet Access Can be Pricey!

Purchasing internet on a cruise can be really expensive – and it can also be quite slow and unreliable. Broadband speeds have improved a little in the last few years, and i have been able to have Youtube “Livestream” whilst actually at sea!

Whilst on a live stream on Celebrity Edge the Captain interrupted by making his announcement into my cabin! Luckily he was a very funny guy…!

You can never rely on the Broadband though. I recently asked for a refund for my WiFi on P&O’s Iona, as I had paid for 24 hours and it was totally unusable! They didn’t argue…

I usually see cruising as an opportunity to disconnect, being offline for a few days can be very liberating!

There are a number of ways you can buy internet when cruising. WiFi is included on some premium cruise lines.

• Buy Internet by The Megabite
• Buy Internet by The Minute
• Buy Internet For The Day or whole cruise

Most cruise ships have internet cafes of some kind or you are able to use the internet on your phone/laptop/tablet.

If I do purchase an internet package I will usually buy a ‘Social’ Package that allows me to access sites like Facebook and Instagram.

There are various Wi-Fi packages available, and the price varies from one cruise line to another.

Alternatives to Onboard Internet

If you don’t want to purchase an internet package you could find WiFi in the ports you visit and use the roaming on your mobile/cell phone.

I’m from the UK and have a mobile phone contract with Three, Three allows you to ‘roam’ in a number of countries at no extra charge – so I often do this.

You don’t have to buy the cruise ship’s WiFi to use the Cruiselines App!

Cruise ships are moving far more towards Apps for things like daily schedules and menus. Find out more about that here:

You Don’t Need to Pay For Wi-Fi To Use a Cruise Line App – Here’s Why

You do Have to Share The Ship With Other Passengers

Another “Con” (and I’ve had to think hard to find this one) is you sometimes find rude or obnoxious people, full of entitlement, speaking to staff as if they were their personal servants.

I hate that. There is never any need to be rude or demanding – on a cruise ship or anywhere else.

I have encountered my fair share of rude passengers on cruises. I suppose that is to be expected when you get SO many people together in one place.

I was cruising on the MSC Meraviglia recently when a man caught my attention for very rudely shouting at the waiters. It turns out that his wife had ordered a starter as a main and it had arrived before his main did.

The waiters were of course very apologetic and offered to take it away until his main was ready.

If this happened to me I wouldn’t have even mentioned it – but this man was VERY upset. His wife actually ended up crouching beside him on the floor hugging him and letting him know that it would be okay… it was all very odd !

The staff on cruise ships work incredibly hard !

They work really long hours and certainly deserve to be treated with kindness.

I always try to be extra kind to make up for the rudeness of others.

On Cruises There Are Often Extra Charges

Cruises aren’t normally all-inclusive, and any extra charges will be added to your onboard account.

Generally speaking, the more you pay the more you’ll have included in the cruise fare – which makes perfect sense.

There are extra charges for a number of things on board, most are optional and can be avoided:

• Spa Treatments
• Casino Spend
• Speciality Dining
• Some Exercise Classes
• Most Drinks
• Room Service
• Medical Treatments

There are some cruise lines that advertise their fares as ‘all-inclusive’ although this doesn’t usually include everything .

River Cruises

River cruises generally include more in the cruise fare than ocean cruises. Most will include drinks with meals, WiFi and excursions.

Of course, the cost of a river cruise can be two or three times the price of an ocean cruise.

There may only be a hundred passengers onboard though – there could be thousands of passengers on your ocean cruise! That is why it is more expensive in the first place.

It took a budget river cruise with Tui . ( Ocean Cruises run by the same company are called “ Marella ” Cruises.) Find out all about this river cruise, and whether it was good value for money here:

Cruises Can be Expensive For Solos

When cruising solo you will usually have to pay a ‘solo supplement’. This is a charge that cruise lines add to make up for lost income in terms of things like drinks and casino spends.

Cruises are usually priced per person – based on two people sharing a cabin.

When you see a cruise deal which says £700pp this is assuming that you will be sharing a cabin with another person. If you were to book this alone it may cost you double.

Some cruise lines do have specific solo accommodation which means that you just pay a set price. Cruise lines with solo accommodation include:

• Holland America
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• P&O Cruises
• Royal Caribbean

I was lucky enough to stay in the most amazing solo balcony cabin onboard Saga’s ship “Spirit of Discovery.” Find out all about that here:

To find out more about cruising solo, and which lines suit solo travellers best, click here:

Best Cruise Lines For Solo Cruisers (Tried & Tested, Pros & Cons!

Cruises Are VERY Addictive!

Cruising is seriously addictive. It may only take one cruise to get addicted and then that is it! Every spare penny you have will go towards cruising ! Life may never be the same again! I actually started this website because I needed somewhere to share my cruise photos and stories. My friends in my real life couldn’t care less about the dining options or entertainment on a certain ship – but lucky I have many friends in my Facebook Group, and Youtube followers who do! Join our friendly Facebook group here: Facebook group

Before You Go!

To find out more when is the best time to cruise to get a cheaper deal, read the article below:

When is the Cheapest Month to go on a Cruise? (Real Examples) – Where and When I Travelled

Taking out cruise-specific insurance when you cruise is a must. Find out why, and how to arrange it here:

Cruise Travel Insurance – Why You Need it and How to Get It: (Step by Step Illustrated Guide)

If i have convinced you that cruising would suit you and your family, let us help you book your perfect cruise!

Click on the link below, and our friendly knowledgeable partner travel agents will help! It never costs more than booking direct, you may get a cheaper deal, or extra perks – like onboard credit that the cruise lines won’t offer you!

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Ever wondered how the mainstream cruise lines compare? Cruise lines won’t tell you this, but I will.

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Too hip or just right? Here's what it was really like sailing on Virgin Voyages for the first time

With a nighttime show called "Never Sleep Alone" that awards golden condoms to participants, an onboard tattoo parlor and in-room music and lighting settings with options like "get it on" and "hangover mode," adults-only Virgin Voyages clearly caters to a kid-free crowd. Still, I had no idea what to expect as I stepped onto Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady .

Leading up to its maiden voyage in 2021, Virgin Voyages marketed itself as the cruise line for vacationers who otherwise weren't interested in traditional cruising. It aimed to appeal to those who were young and hip, wanted to party and craved an atmosphere without little kids running around.

Up until recently, I'd only ever sailed with Disney Cruise Line — and with my kids in tow. However, the Virgin Voyages concept has intrigued me since it launched.

Could Richard Branson's edgy Virgin Voyages truly be a perfect match for trips without kids? Or, would I feel completely out of place and overwhelmed by the rock star attitude featured throughout the cruise line's ships?

There was only one way to satisfy my curiosity — I booked a sailing on Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady.

Would the four-night cruise from Miami , with stops in both Key West, Florida, and Bimini, Bahamas, impress me enough to consider Virgin Voyages for future trips? Here's what I took away from the experience — and whether I'd cruise with Virgin Voyages again.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

There's a surprisingly diverse crowd on board

Like many people, I went into my cruise expecting most passengers (or "sailors," as the line calls them) to be millennials based on the flashy marketing I've seen from the line. Much to my surprise, though, there was a fair mix of people on my sailing.

Sure, there were millennials in their late 20s, 30s and even early 40s — including me, as I fall within the oldest bracket for that generation — but for every 27-year-old on board, there was also someone close to 70 years old like the cruise line's founder, Richard Branson.

Last year, Tom McAlpin, the president and CEO of Virgin Voyages, told TPG's resident cruise expert Gene Sloan that on early sailings of Scarlet Lady, the average passenger age was in the 50s, with plenty on board in their 60s and 70s. Based on my trip, I'd say that is still a pretty accurate representation.

After a few days on board, it became clear that what passengers had in common wasn't the age listed in their passports but rather the shared desire to have a good time. For the most part, my fellow cruisers were a diverse, inclusive and vibrant group of vacationers who were all eager to strike up conversations with others, regardless of age.

Related: First look: 10 things I love about Virgin Voyages' new Valiant Lady cruise ship

The adult-oriented persona isn't as extreme as you might expect

While there is a "Scarlet Night" celebration featuring lots of red lights and sailors donning their best scarlet-colored attire, the atmosphere on board is far from what you'll find in Amsterdam's Red Light District.

The entertainment we experienced fell somewhere between PG-13 and R, though we admittedly headed to bed by 11 p.m., so perhaps offerings leaned more X-rated as the night went on.

There were a couple of shows that I wouldn't want to see with, say, my parents, such as the previously mentioned "Never Sleep Alone." During that event, participants were awarded golden condoms that granted access to a post-show VIP party. However, those adult activities were easy to spot on the agenda, so you could easily skip them if you wanted a more tame cruise experience.

Beyond the evening entertainment, the vibe was similar to what you'd find in Las Vegas . The pools, restaurants, spa, casino and exercise classes all featured plenty of skimpy outfits and adult-oriented jokes and innuendos, though you could avoid anything that was too outside your comfort zone.

Related: 5 cruise lines to try if you just can't stand being around kids on vacation

Dining options are plentiful (albeit hit or miss)

As far as I'm concerned, cruises are for eating — and Virgin Voyages offers numerous places to dine on Scarlet Lady.

In addition to featuring more than 20 grab-and-go spots and traditional sit-down eateries, there's the large Galley venue with various vendors arranged in a way similar to what you'd find in a food court or buffet.

Given all the options available, there were more places than we could try on our first Virgin Voyages cruise. Still, we sought to sample as much as possible during our four-night sailing.

If you're looking for a traditional sit-down experience, six onboard restaurants accept reservations for dinner: The Wake (which serves steaks and seafood), Razzle Dazzle Restaurant (a contemporary venue with vegetarian and American fare), The Test Kitchen (a laboratory-style eatery), Pink Agave (where gourmet Mexican cuisine is on the menu), Extra Virgin (an Italian-inspired venue) and Gunbae (which specializes in Korean barbecue).

Your cruise price covers dining at all of these spots, plus the quick bite options on the ship. However, some restaurants offer buy-up options labeled as "treat yourself" dishes that cost extra. For example, a half-dozen oysters at The Wake are going to set you back an additional $20, but the steak and clam chowder are 100% included.

Besides the main restaurants, there's the previously mentioned Galley, where you can savor everything from sushi roll bento boxes to 24-hour diner food. It is a hybrid of a grab-and-go and dine-in experience, meaning how you order will vary depending on which station you visit.

Additionally, you'll find casual spots that serve ice cream, pizza, poke bowls and more. You can also order room service; the food is complimentary, but there's a $5 delivery fee.

While I appreciated the array of options at our disposal, I found the quality of the food and service to be hit or miss. Some restaurants I loved so much that I went back a second time; at others, I took a solitary bite of food before deciding to move on.

For example, the tuna poke bowl I excitedly tried at the Sun Club Cafe was patently awful, and the sushi rolls at The Galley were disappointing, reminding me of what I'd find in my Texas grocery store.

Similarly, The Wake was lackluster, to say the least. While some fellow cruisers we met enjoyed the restaurant, it was extremely underwhelming during our visit, serving the worst shrimp and grits I've ever had. Not to mention, the service was slow and seafood options were surprisingly limited for a restaurant that claims to specialize in steak and seafood.

It wasn't all mediocre, though.

Gunbae's Korean fare was not only delicious but served in a setting that was an absolute blast to experience. It really captured how Virgin markets itself by offering staff-led drinking games and communal seating that encourages socializing. We had such a great time there that when we walked into a quiet and sparsely populated restaurant on our last night, we turned around and went back to Gunbae for a repeat experience that was just as memorable as our first visit.

Pink Agave was another standout restaurant. It didn't offer as much of a party vibe as Gunbae, but it still felt lively and served a solid selection of Mexican dishes.

Related: Cruise ship restaurant nirvana: The 9 best meals you can have at sea

The cabins are decent but could be improved

Unless you splurge on a pricy RockStar suite , you'll be placed in a cabin that looks modern but otherwise seems fairly standard, other than the fancy mood lighting.

Our Sea Terrace cabin was spotless and stayed true to the modern theme featured throughout the ship, but it wasn't the most comfortable spot on the whole.

While we enjoyed the red outdoor hammock that was shockingly comfortable and not merely a cute, Instagram-worthy gimmick, as well as the selection of in-room movies, which ranged from the original "Top Gun" to newer releases like "Elvis," the rest of the cabin left a lot to be desired.

The bathroom was quite small, to the point where it bordered on being a claustrophobic experience.

The bed was also rather hard and uncomfortable for my personal tastes, so much so that by the last night of our trip, I was ready to return to my more inviting setup at home.

Additionally, unlike Disney Cruise Line, where cabin attendants make it a point to get to know you and your preferences, Virgin Voyages lacked the same personalized service. I never interacted with a person in charge of our cabin, as it would be serviced while we were out (after pushing a button that sent the request to the crew) by a person that, to us, remained nameless and faceless.

Related: Virgin Voyages to debut cruise loyalty program in 2023, with temporary perks available now

The private beach club is top-notch

While other ports of call vary based on the sailing, a constant for Scarlet Lady is a stop at its private beach club in the Bahamas.

Situated on the island of Bimini, this spot was, in a word, fabulous.

Although it's not quite a private island like Royal Caribbean's CocoCay and Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Cay, that doesn't really matter. You'll feel like you're in an exclusive setting after taking the open-air tram from the ship's dock to the modern, beautiful beach club.

The club offers a couple of large pools, ample lounge chairs and towels, plenty of bars and a picture-perfect beach. A swim-up bar would have been nice, but that's being picky.

During your visit to the club, any drinks you order are charged to the ship, so bar tab credits you have during your cruise will work here, too. The food, which ranged from snapper steamed in a banana leaf to a salad featuring Bahamian mango and macadamia, is included, though some dishes were better than others. I loved mixing the curry, rice and snapper I ordered all together to create a pretty tasty bowl.

On-island entertainment is available as well, though I can't speak to what happened as the afternoon wore on, as we hit our sun quota by midday. However, rumor has it there was a pool float party that occurred after our departure.

Related: Virgin Voyages hopes to draw cruise newbies like me: Here's my first impression from its first sailing

You won't find the usual cruise experience on board

Virgin Voyages does not simply give its amenities and activities quirky names — like "Lick Me Til Ice Cream" for the onboard ice cream shop. The overall experience is a bit different than what you'll come across on traditional cruise lines.

To start, there are no drink packages — and that was a big complaint I heard on the ship from folks who were used to sailing with other lines that offer unlimited drink inclusion options . Instead, Virgin Voyages offers a bar tab that you can load before you sail. Sometimes bar tab credit is also included with the sailing as part of a promotion.

Blessedly, there are no keycards and associated lanyards to keep up with but rather adjustable bracelets that look like friendship bracelets from middle school. Unlike the ones from your childhood, these have built-in technology that opens your cabin door, allows you to charge things to your account and more.

There are also no set dining times, restaurant rotations or dress codes, though you can — and should — make dinner reservations. As a result, you can dine at whichever restaurant you prefer at a time that works for you.

Other than the cabin cleanings, the crew was more noticeable, too. We saw crew members on the basketball courts, eating in The Galley and just generally out and about around the ship even when they didn't appear to be on the clock, which helped create a more relaxed atmosphere.

Additionally, we didn't have to worry about extra tips, taxes or fees. Tips for the crew, spa services and more are factored into your cruise price, so what you see on the menu really is what you can expect to pay.

Another noticeable (and welcome) difference was how laid-back the line was with announcements and disembarking. Outside of a welcome announcement from the captain on the first day, we didn't hear another peep. On the last day, you just had to be off the ship by a respectable 10:45 a.m., so you could still go to a workout class, play some air hockey and have brunch without feeling rushed to depart.

Related: 21 tips and tricks that will make your first cruise go smoothly

Bottom line

Despite some underwhelming aspects here and there, such as some design choices we didn't love and a very crowded pool area, we had a great time.

The late-night spicy ramen, social atmosphere and fun ports more than made up for any hiccups. For us, it was like a four-day long party without the hangover.

In fact, we had such a great time that before disembarking Scarlet Lady, we put a $300 deposit down on a future Virgin Voyages sailing so we could receive $900 in discounts and credits the next time around.

It's safe to say that overall, the cruise was absolutely worth it — and one we can't wait to do all over again.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

• Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises Pros and Cons

by Gary Bembridge · November 11, 2019

What are the pros and the cons of cruising with Princess Cruises?

Interested in going on a Princess Cruise? I’m on board one at the moment, so I thought it’d be a good time to share with you what I think are the pros and the cons of cruising with this cruise line.

Watch my Princess Cruises Pros and Cons Video

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TxR6NGUgsZ0

Let’s start first of all with the pros.

#1 Size of fleet and cruise options

I think one of the biggest pros of Princess Cruises is their size and the range of opportunities they give you, both in terms of size of cruise ship but also destinations. At the moment, they have 17 ships but have many more coming – in the next couple of years they are going to have over 20 ships. The ships are quite small, with just under 700 guests, up to what I’m on now (Sky Princess) which has an incredible three thousand six hundred and sixty guests.

They have a lot of options in terms of size of the ships and most importantly, pretty much anywhere in the world you want to go, you probably can do it on a Princess cruise!

One of the most important regions for them is Alaska. In 2019, they have been visiting Alaska for over 50 years. What’s interesting about Princess is that they also own different lodges so you can also do land-based activities as part of a whole Princess cruise, with land and cruise combined vacations.

They even have specific train journeys which will take you off the ship and to the various parts of Alaska on a land-based trip.

They cruise everywhere – you will find them in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Australia, the South Pacific, Mexican Riviera, they go through the Panama Canal, Canada and New England and World Cruises.

You can do anything from a three or four-day cruise to up to over 100-day cruises on Princess.

So, there’s a huge range in terms of ships and itineraries and pretty much anywhere in the world you want to go you’re probably going to be able to go on a Princess cruise. That’s a huge pro in my opinion.

#2 Luxury travel at an affordable price

I think the second big Pro is the type of cruise Princess provides.

They offer a luxury type of travel, but at a more affordable price. They compete with lines like Celebrity and Holland America – they’re at that sort of quality and range but very affordable.

You have a wide range to choose from, such as big palatial suites (available on Sky Princess). These are monstrous big two-bedroom Suites, and they have balcony suites (where I was staying). These are the main class of cabins. They also have ocean view cabins, they have inside cabins, as well as suites and mini suites.

#3 Luxury travel at an affordable price

Another big Pro about Princess is that they offer a traditional cruise experience, and they don’t go for lots of gimmicks and some of the funky and unusual ways of cruising. They offer a pretty traditional cruising experience.

So, if you are the sort of person that likes a traditional cruising experience with the sort of activities you would expect (like production shows, quizzes, bingo) and facilities (like pools, fitness centre, casinos, spas, kids clubs and all the traditional things that you’d expect on a cruise ship), you’ll have it. You’re not going to find big resort ships with water parks and rock-climbing walls, go-karts, ice rinks and all that kind of resort stuff.

You’ll find it runs a fairly traditional cruising program, so even down to dining where they still have the traditional early and late sittings, or you could also choose to have anytime dining. There are some nods to modern cruising trends, but overall, it’s a pretty traditional experience. If that’s the sort of cruise you like, and I think that’s a big pro, there’s not a lot of fancy bells and whistles around the Princess experience.

Part of that is a lot of their entertainment and activities are enrichment focused. They have partnerships on excursions with brands like the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. They additionally have guest speakers on board with cooking classes and demonstrations, which I think is a big pro if you’re looking for that.

#4 Ocean Medallion App

Another really big pro of Princess Cruises is an innovation, and that’s the Ocean Medallion device and the app.

Princess Cruises is the first cruise line to introduce this sort of device, which is wearable.

Their fleets are slowly being converted to work with it, and ships like the one I’m on now Sky Princess have been built with it integrated into the whole system.

It’s designed to make the cruising experience more personalised and much smarter.

For example, the sort of things you can do with Ocean Medallion is it helps you check-in much faster. Then, because you’ve uploaded all your information like passport details and photograph, you either get sent the Ocean Medallion in advance or in some countries you have to pick it up when you check-in, but you get onto the ship really quickly.

The device also then becomes your cruise card, so it’s the thing that you’ll clock in and out of the ship on, using it to buy things with.

It also does a couple of unique things. For example, as you head towards your cabin, it recognises you and unlocks your cabin! You can also use it to do things like order drinks or buy things (wherever you are on the ship) and get it delivered to you.

As it is a smart device, the crew are able to track you down.

So, you can be sitting by the pool, and you can order a drink and they know where you are. It also means that over time, the crew get to know your preferences and can start to tailor service much more for you.

The Ocean Medallion also helps you unlock a whole lot of features, both on the app (which you can have on your smartphone) or on big interactive screens around the ship.

Here you can do things like look at the daily program and you can plan your activities, track your friends and family (you could find out where they are on the ship and can message them and arrange to meet them), and can also play various interactive games like bingo.

This smart device is really designed to make your cruising experience much more personalised because the crew can start to know your preferences, but also to simplify and speed up a lot of the activities around the ship.

I have a video about the whole Ocean Medallion process, but certainly that whole smart technology is making the whole cruising experience smoother, more personalised and easier. That’s a pro point from me.

So, what are the cons of cruising with Princess Cruises? Here are a few points that some people may view as a downside.

#1 Fares are not all-inclusive

The first one, and probably I think the biggest one, is that the fact that their fares are not all-inclusive.

When you book a Princess cruise you need to be aware of what the extra charges are.

Your fare includes obviously lots of dining options – casual dining options and formal dining options like the main dining rooms. On the ship I was on you have things like the Salty Dog Grill, Slices Pizza, Alfredo’s Pizzeria, World’s Fresh marketplace and an International Cafe.

There’s lots of food included. All your entertainment is also included and access to pretty much all of the facilities are included, with one key exception which is The Sanctuary which is a quiet space where you do pay to have access.

So, what’s not included?

Gratuities are charged extra and they’re normally added on board, although you can, depending on when you’re booking, prepay those in advance. (Gratuities at the time of writing were $16.50 per person per day in a suite, $15.50 per person in the mini suite in club class, $14.50 per person per day per guest in an interior ocean view or balcony staterooms).

You’ll also have gratuities of 18% added to drinks you buy and things like the spa.

Excursions are not included and those obviously are extras and you decide how many of those you do.

Drinks are also not included. They do have various drinks packages though which will include both alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, sodas and coffees. For example, they have a premier beverage package which is $59.99 per person per day, they have a premier coffee and soda package which is $19.99 per person per day, and a classic soda package which is $9.99 per person per day. There are also some dining options that are not included within the price which are a couple of speciality dining options.

These differ slightly based on the ship but, for example, I will give you examples on Sky Princess which I’m on when I’m writing this.

They have one of the Princess classics which is the Crown Grill which is a steakhouse, there’s Sabatini’s (which is a really nice Italian restaurant which is extra) and across many of the ships, they also have the Ocean Terrace seafood bar which is sushi, and the Bistro sur la Mer which is a seafood restaurant.

They also have a gelato shop where you do have to pay extra for as well.

So, of the downsides of the Princess cruise fare is once you’re onboard, there are going to be quite a few extras like gratuities, drinks, specialised dining and excursions and the other big one of course is Wi-Fi.

They are introducing really fast Wi-Fi as they roll out the Ocean Medallion and they have Medallion Net (which is a really fast Wi-Fi), and at this current moment this is $9.90 per day. I must say it was really fast Wi-Fi and I was very impressed with the Wi-Fi.

So those are the main costs that you will be paying extra above your fare onboard Princess.

#2 Aimed towards couples and a more mature crowd

The next main con is that Princess probably really caters more for couples.

It is a slightly more mature crowd and as mentioned earlier, it’s for people who like a traditional cruising experience. It is a more mature couples experience.

I’m not saying that it doesn’t have families onboard (you’ll get quite a few families on board and many multi-generational families on board during the summer and Christmas holiday season period) but the overall experience, the entertainment, the food and the excursions I think are really very much for that sort of older couples crowd.

There are probably other lines that cater even better for families then Princess Cruises do.

It really is very much a mature couples experience.

Another downside of Princess Cruises is if you’re a solo traveller, Princess Cruises doesn’t really cater for you.

There are no solo cabins on-board their ships, and they don’t (unlike some lines) offer lots of solo discounts. You’re likely to find you going to be paying up to 100 percent surcharge if you are going on a Princess cruise! So certainly, as a solo traveller, Princess cruises is probably a downside because there’s not a lot of flex in terms of finding a good fare through a solo cabin or deals. However, they do cater for solo travellers on board, as they’ll have things like solo traveller meet-ups.

#3 Dress code

The last con of Princess Cruises is for those people who have an issue with dressing up. As Princess Cruises are fairly traditional, they do have a dress code.

Most of the nights are ‘smart casual’, so they describe it are the sort of things you’d wear out for an evening in a restaurant. They do ask men for example to wear slacks not jeans, although you probably can get away with dark smart jeans in practice.

I certainly saw that a lot across the cruises that I’ve been on on smart casual evenings. They do expect men to wear things like collared shirts or long-sleeve shirts and ladies the sort of equivalent. They also have formal nights where you’ll find everything from tuxedos through to suit and tie and that is the expectation.

You’ll normally find there’s a formal night roughly once every five days, so if you’re on a cruise of five to seven days you’ll have at least one formal night and there is an expectation and requirement that you stick to the dress code.

So, if you’re the sort of person that hates dressing up and you want to be able to wear jeans or shorts, then definitely Princess Cruises is not the right cruise line for you.

So, it really depends on what you’re looking for – Princess cruises has both pros and cons.

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Gary Bembridge

I grew up in Zimbabwe, but I have been based in London since 1987. My travel life spans more than three decades and that includes more than 95 cruises. In 2005, I launched Tips for Travellers to make it easy and fun for people to discover, plan and enjoy incredible cruise vacations. And the rest, as they say, is history. I have the largest cruise vlogger channel currently on YouTube, with more than 3 million video views per month.

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I drove a Lexus TX550H+ plug-in hybrid for a week — here's my pros and cons

V ehicles from luxury brands wouldn’t be my first choice because they’re out of my budget, but after driving a Lexus TX550H+ for a week, I now have a better idea of what makes luxury vehicles different. What I’m more excited about is the fact it's technically the first PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) I got to drive as well , which makes it all the more special. Why's that? Well, I think it's the type of vehicle that could convince more people of the potential savings of electric cars .

Being behind the wheel of this three-row SUV was intimidating, especially when it’s much higher off the ground than most other SUVs — rivaling pickup trucks like the Ford F150 Lightning that I also test drove not long ago. The first day was mainly getting a feel for its handling and being accustomed to all the car tech inside. I didn’t realize it at first, but I eventually got a better idea of what makes luxury brands different.

Rightfully so, it's on the pricier side with its starting cost of $78,050. That puts it well into luxury brand territory, so here’s my pros and cons about the Lexus TX550H+.

All-electric power at your disposal

Naturally, the coolest thing about the Lexus TX550H+ is that it offers an estimated all-electric drive range of 33 miles. This is in addition to its standard 29 mpg fuel economy of the hybrid system that powers the car with a combination of electric and gas power.

But the nice thing here is that you can essentially drive it on all-electric power, then recharge it overnight to hopefully have it back to 100% when you need it the following day. By doing this, it could have a tremendous impact on saving you money long term if you don’t have a long commute each day to work.

Helpful HUD in the windshield

One feature that signifies the Lexus TX550H+ as a luxury vehicle is the heads-up display that projects glanceable information directly onto the windshield. This feature gives it that futuristic appeal that I haven't experienced in other vehicles because not only does it show me how fast I’m driving, but it will also display other notifications and alerts that don’t distract me.

I’ve also found out that it works well with turn-by-turn navigation of the car’s built-in navigation system. Rather than relying on the touchscreen display to see them, they come up in the head-up display — including directional arrows that point me where to go.

Digital rearview mirror

I quickly had to adjust my normal driving behaviors, like having to lean over my shoulder to see who’s in my blind spot. That’s because the Lexus TX550H+ offers a digital rearview mirror that gives me a wider field of view of who’s behind me.

It’s useful for changing lanes on the highway because flipping the lever underneath the mirror activates it. At night when I’m blinded by the headlights from the car behind me, switching to the digital rearview mirror makes it easier to see who’s there.

Automated parking keeps it in between the lines

I can confidently park in a spot all on my own, but others may find it challenging. That’s where the Lexus TX550H+’s advanced park system kicks in to automate the entire process, always keeping the vehicle in between the lines when it’s done.

I tried this out in a parking lot with painted lines for each spot. After pressing the corresponding button on the dashboard, it proceeded to show me the aerial view of the nearby spots — I then selected where to park.  From there, the TX550H+ took complete control of the wheel and steered it ever slowly into the parking spot. Perfect each and every time I've tried it.

Apple CarPlay & Android Auto support

Even though I wouldn’t necessarily classify this one as a feature exclusively tied to luxury vehicles, I cannot begin to tell you how I love vehicles that provide the option of which infotainment system I can use in the car. Lexus has its own thing, but after pairing my iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pixel 8 Pro , I had the option to use CarPlay and Android Auto respectively.

These are big changes for me coming from a decade-old stereo system that doesn’t even offer Bluetooth, so I find it neat that I can quickly order a coffee at the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts through CarPlay. Beyond that, it feels like my phone is what’s powering the entire experience inside of the Lexus TX550H+.

Headlights have their own personal washers

Nothing screams quite like a luxury car than headlight washers. I didn’t even realize they were there when I first engaged the washer fluid to clean up the windshield after letting it sit a few hours outside my home. I quickly peeked to the area immediately around the driver side headlight because I recognized a mist in that vicinity.

Turns out that the Lexus TX550H+ cleans up the headlights with their own personal washers, which keeps the surface clear of debris so that the headlights shine with maximum brightness. This is the kind of thing that I don’t see in most cars, so it’s definitely a feature I associate with luxury vehicles.

Dynamic radar cruise control

There’s no denying the automotive advancements between my 15+ year old car and the Lexus TX550H+, it’s honestly night and day. Out of all the features, dynamic radar cruise control has to be what truly defines the experience of driving a luxury vehicle. After enabling it through the steering wheel controls, this feature basically takes complete control of the car — by maintaining the speed limit I set, while applying necessary acceleration and braking.

I was nervous when I first tried it, so I made sure to keep my hands barely holding onto the steering wheel as the TX550H+ drove all on its own in the highway. However, I do want to make the distinction that this is a driver assistance feature — and not one that fully automates the driving experience.

No option for a sunroof or moonroof

You’d think that a vehicle that starts off at $78,050 would have a sunroof or moonroof standard, but it doesn’t. This is the one thing that bewilders me because most people would probably think it would come with one. There isn’t an option to even get one if you really want it. For a luxury car, sunroofs and moonroofs both seem like lock-in features — so I’m really surprised here.

Hybrid mode fuel economy could be better

Seeing that it’s a hybrid vehicle, I was expecting a bit better fuel economy than its combined 29 mpg estimate. Sure, the 33 mile all-electric range is wonderful for short trips daily, but I wish the Lexus TX550H+ got closer to the 40 mpg range that I see in other SUV hybrids — like the Toyota RAV4 Prime I got to see at the New York Auto Show 2024 .

More from Tom's Guide

• I just spent my first year with an electric car — here’s the pros and cons
• Ford F150 Lightning vs Tesla: 5 ways I think Ford's EV wins
• I used an electric car to drive to my brother’s wedding — and I barely made it

Park Port Canaveral

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500 Thurm Blvd

Cape Canaveral, FL 32920

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Absolutely the best place to park when leaving out of Port Canaveral. What an amazing Crew. Lynnea is the first face of arriving and What an amazing personality all smiles and welcoming. I have never once worried about my car being safe! the Crew and Drivers very friendly and personable quick drop offs and they arrive on time early to return. Great value always! usually a discount as well. Try them you will be glad you did!

Lynnea at entrance amazing! Always greets with beautiful smile, energy, explaining procedure thoroughly. Shares excitement with us making us feel our vacation has already started before even getting on the ship.

We parked here on September 17th for a cruise. We were able to park under a tree close to the loading area. It is outside parking, but we did not have any problems. The air conditioning in their van was nice and cool and the driver was friendly and drove safely. Our Cruise ship was 2.5 hours late getting in, yet there they were waiting for us! The directions when getting off the ship and finding them were clear and concise. They were much less expensive and convenient than parking at the port. We will definitely be booking with them again.

We parked here for an October cruise on Disney and there were pros and cons to this location. The pros are that it is conveniently located, the shuttles ran fairly regularly, and there are even restrooms at the parking location. The biggest con we have, was the confirmation receipt said that you show your receipt to enter the parking lot, then you drop off your luggage to a luggage valet and they assist with getting your suitcases out of your car then load the shuttle for you. Being a grandma and traveling with my sister, both of us really needed this assistance and planned to tip generously. When we pulled into the parking lot they seemed to not be aware of a valet service but told us we could find one of the guys in a blue shirt to ask for assistance. They seemed to be standing around talking to each other, so though we waited for a bit no one seemed available to help so we parked and then still could not find anyone to assist so we struggled with our luggage to the shuttle stop. In fairness when our shuttle arrived they did load for us so we were grateful and happy to tip for that. However on the return trip home there was no one at the parking location at all to assist with unloading. The shuttle driver was a petite woman about the same age as us and she said she would hand down bags but when she lifted mine, it got away from her and tumbled down the steps to the pavement. She offered to pay for anything broken inside but fortunately my souvenirs were packed careful and there was no damage, except the scuffs on my suitcase itself. Overall, would I use this location again, yes as long as I am not expecting baggage assistance.

Leaving for my cruise today, I pulled up to the booth in your parking lot and was greeted by Lynnea. she made us feel so welcomed and so valued! I drive a Jeep and have the ducks on my dashboard. She promptly told me she loved my ducks! I told her we were going on Royal Caribbean and she said let me give you a Royal Caribbean Duck. it made my day that someone would be so kind! Lynnea is definitely the right person for the booth! Thank you so much!!!

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Sell my car, car research, sign in, the pros and cons of hard-top convertibles, these solid-roof models mimic traditional coupes with an open-air twist..

QuickTakes:

• What is a hard-top convertible?
• Pros of a hard-top convertible
• Cons of a hard-top convertible
• Popular hard-top convertible vehicles

Hard-top convertibles enjoyed a brief moment in the sun starting at the end of the 1990s and lasting until the end of the 2010s. With their blend of coupe-like  looks and security, alongside the open-air fun of a traditional softtop, many brands quickly latched on to the advantages these folding roof designs offered.

However, convertibles are now available in just a handful of current vehicles, especially for retractable designs. If you're thinking of picking up one of these rigid-roofed rides for yourself, here are a few pros and cons of hard-top convertibles to consider.

What Is a Hard-Top Convertible?

A hard-top convertible is, strictly speaking, any vehicle that features a rigid roof that can be retracted or otherwise removed to enjoy open-air motoring. There are two primary types of hard tops that you'll find among both used and new vehicles.

The first is the retractable hard top, which automatically folds metal or composite roof panels into a storage space behind the cabin — or, occasionally, in the trunk — at the touch of a button. In this way, they mimic traditional soft-top convertibles that use a fabric top instead.

The second type of hard-top convertible is a vehicle with a roof that must be lifted entirely from the car. Rather than retracting for storage, these tops are held on by clips that must be buckled and unbuckled. This type of design was popular on old-school SUVs such as the original Chevrolet Blazer and Ford Bronco and continues to be an option in a handful of modern off-roaders, such as the Jeep Wrangler .

Pros of a Hard-Top Convertible

There are several advantages that a hard-top convertible has over one with a soft top. Since the roof is often made of the same materials as a standard coupe, it's much better at resisting weather than a fabric design.

This protection makes many hard-top convertibles a solid choice for buyers who want to avoid the sun and heat driving during warmer months and not worry about the effects of snow, ice, or colder inclement weather. At the same time, hard tops are better at insulating against not just the great outdoors but also sound, reducing the amount of road noise that enters the cabin.

Hard-top convertibles are much more secure than their soft-top counterparts, which are an easy target for thieves. Cutting into a fabric roof with a knife offers instant access to a convertible's cabin, and the costs associated with a major top repair can be high.

That security also applies while driving, where a solid metal or composite roof provides much better protection in the event of a collision than a soft top.

Finally, some hard-top convertibles mimic features found in fixed-roof vehicles that soft-top models can't match. These include built-in sunroofs or full glass panels above the passenger compartment.

Cons of a Hard-Top Convertible

Retractable hard-top convertibles almost always suffer a weight penalty versus their soft-top cousins. The extra mass is due not just to the roof panels themselves but also to the more complicated and robust mechanisms required to support the top while it is being folded out of sight.

This extra mass can reduce overall fuel mileage and performance. In addition to being heavier and more complicated, a retractable hard top's mechanical details are also more expensive to repair, in general, if something fails during the course of ownership.

Consider that while a soft top is relatively easy to compress into a smaller space, a retractable hard top requires much more room to store. The additional hardware means most folding hard-top convertibles have seriously compromised trunks when the roof is folded, which can limit the amount of luggage that comes along for the ride on a weekend trip.

Removable hard-top designs come with their own set of complications. Once the tops are lifted off the vehicle, most models require you to store the roof somewhere safe. Not only does this take up space in your garage or driveway, but it also means that should you run into any bad weather, you'll likely have to head back home.

Larger vehicles featuring lift-off tops can sometimes require more than one person to remove them safely due to their size and weight. If you live alone, this can make it more challenging to enjoy open-top driving spontaneously.

These issues, combined with the additional cost required to manufacture, are some of the reasons the number of new hard-top convertibles has been reduced in the market.

Popular Hard-Top Convertible Vehicles

Although lift-off tops had been around since the early days of the automobile, the first power retractable hard top to hit mass production was the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner, which was sold for the 1957 to '59 model years and was considerably more popular than the low-volume Playboy retractable convertibles that debuted a decade earlier.

Until the retractable hard-top convertible resurgence in the 1990s, few manufacturers followed in Ford or Playboy's footsteps. While lift-off hard tops became popular on SUVs in the late 1960s, the 1996 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class roadster reignited the retractable hard-top market. Other manufacturers, such as BMW, Chrysler, Infiniti, and Volvo, also jumped on the trend.

Jeep and Ford offer lift-off hard-top options for their respective Wrangler, Gladiator , and Bronco SUVs today. However, the list of retractable hard-top convertibles has shrunk to the Mazda MX-5 Miata RF , the Chevrolet Corvette , and several Ferrari and McLaren supercar models.

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The Argument for and Against Horizon 3 Having Multiple Playable Protagonists

The next Horizon game could spice things up by having multiple playable characters, but there are potential downfalls that could come from this.

• Horizon Forbidden West reveals a malevolent AI threat to Earth, meaning Aloy must save humanity again.
• Guerrilla Games could offer multiple playable protagonists in Horizon 3 to revitalize the gameplay.
• Introducing multiple protagonists could bring fresh perspectives but may complicate the elaborate plot.

The Horizon franchise is far from over. Horizon Forbidden West ends with the threat of a malevolent AI on its way to Earth to extinguish humanity. Once again, it is up to Aloy and her friends to save life on Earth.

With Horizon Forbidden West , Guerrilla Games proved it could start with the baseline of Horizon Zero Dawn and do things bigger and better. However, that may not be enough for Horizon 3 . It may be a good idea to switch things up and offer multiple playable protagonists, although this comes with some possible downsides.

Why Horizon Forbidden West’s PC Sales Performance is a Big Deal

The pros of having multiple protagonists in horizon 3.

Although Aloy is born and raised as an outcast, she earns a few friends throughout her adventures. This includes folks like the Oseram Erend Vanguardsman, Kotallo from the Tenakth tribe, Alva from the Quen tribe, and even Sylens, a character that continues to be a mysterious figure and something of a rival to Aloy. Playing as one of Aloy's friends will give players a different perspective on events, as Aloy's friends are members of varying tribes.

It would also emphasize one of the main themes of the franchise, which is that, despite her upbringing, Aloy is not an outcast, and she is not alone. Most importantly, she cannot do what she needs to accomplish alone, and she needs the help of her friends. There's a strong cast of characters to choose from, and each of them could offer insight that may not be obvious to Aloy while applying their unique skillsets in new game mechanics.

The Tribes of the Horizon Franchise

There are several tribes Aloy comes across during her journey. Each of the tribes have differing worldviews and ways of living which set them apart. For instance, the sun-worshipping Carja tribe is one of the biggest and most advanced, while the Nora tribe seldom leave their Sacred Land. The fierce Banuk tribe live in The Cut which is snowy, and the Quen are obsessed with the Old Ones and their relics.

The Cons of Having Multiple Protagonists in Horizon 3

Aloy is a beloved character, and she has become one of the most recognizable protagonists in PlayStation's roster . This is not for nothing. She's fierce, independent, and unrelenting when it comes to accomplishing her goals. Playing as a different character may be unpopular with players who want to stick with the iconic heroine.

Another problem that arises is that things could get confusing if there are multiple protagonists. The franchise's plot is complex enough as it is, considering the full story spans centuries and stretches to outer space with the Far Zeniths . Switching away from Aloy and introducing even more perspectives could increase the complexity too much, making the story harder than ever to follow.

What's in the Horizon Franchise's Future?

Although a third Horizon game has yet to be officially confirmed, Forbidden West ends on a cliffhanger that all but confirms a threequel is on the way. Guerrilla Games has also confirmed that a multiplayer Horizon game is in development . It will reportedly feature a new cast of characters and a unique stylized look.

There are many directions the third mainline Horizon game could go, and having multiple playable characters is one of the options. It could be a fantastic choice for Guerrilla Games to make if implemented correctly, but there are several potential pitfalls to look out for as well.

Horizon Forbidden West

Aloy returns in the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn. Forbidden West follows the now iconic machine-hunter as she embarks to the aptly named Forbidden West to attempt to find the source of a powerful plague that is destroying all that it infects.