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My parents are die-hard cruisers. They have been on 16 cruises and currently, have four more booked. As I said, DIE. HARDS. If you even mention the word “cruise” in a conversation with them, be prepared to experience a full-on timeshare style sales pitch on why cruising is the bomb. So two years ago we decided to take their advice and book our first cruise. I had been on party-type cruises when I was younger but my husband had never been. We were both quite skeptical as I couldn’t imagine what we would do on a cruise that wasn’t a floating party and he wasn’t sure about being “trapped” on a boat with 3 000 other people for a week. We were also nervous about feeling claustrophobic or getting seasick but, honestly, we have stayed in hotels in Europe and New York where the rooms were quite a bit smaller than our suite on the cruise ship. And we didn’t experience motion sickness at all. Most of the time we hardly noticed the ship was even moving.
Our first cruise was a 6 night Western Caribbean Cruise on the beautiful Caribbean Princess. We chose Princess based on the recommendation of my parents who are loyal Princess Cruisers. This cruise set sail out of Fort Lauderdale and took us to Belize City, Belize; Roatan, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico before returning to Fort Lauderdale. We had an amazing time touring the countryside and Mayan Ruins in Belize, snorkeling at West Bay in Honduras and bathing in the sun in Cozumel. But we also had a blast on the cruise ship. We booked our second cruise this past January and sailed back to the Caribbean this time on the Royal Princess visiting the Bahamas, St. Maarten and St. Thomas. On this second cruise, we admitted to being in love with cruising and were already planning the next cruise before we disembarked!
Many of our friends are skeptical like we were when we suggest cruising but it hasn’t taken us long to discover the appeal. So for anyone who isn’t quite sure about cruising, we’ve come up with our Top 10 reasons we love cruising with a little help from my parents.
Our Top 10 Reasons We Love Cruising
Variety
Nothing beats waking up in a new destination almost every day but only unpacking once! It was hard to believe that one day we were watching airplanes while sipping Coronas on Maho Beach in St. Maarten and two days later we were swimming in beautiful Megan’s Bay in St. Thomas. Cruising is a convenient way to travel the world and visit bucket list destinations. It’s true that there is only a short time in each port but it’s a great way to learn the lay of the land in a place you may want to visit again in the future. I had always wanted to visit Belize and would definitely go back there for a vacation but I don’t think we would have ever thought to travel to Honduras which would have meant missing out on snorkeling at one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Not only are there hundreds of destinations to choose from, but there are hundreds of cruise lines to choose from also. We have really enjoyed our two Princess Cruises because it caters to our style of vacation but you can research the cruise line that caters to you and your lifestyle.
Luxury
A cruise ship is a 5-star floating hotel where you will receive
Cuisine
You will not go hungry on a cruise ship. The variety and quality of food choices are amazing. If you only ate at the buffet and the dining room you would not be disappointed nor run out of new food to eat. But check out the specialty restaurants for an additional but incredibly reasonable price and experience excellent meals as well. We ’ve eaten at the Crown Grill, Sabatini’s, Alfredo’s and the Crab Shack and were never disappointed. There is absolutely everything you can imagine available on a cruise ship and you can easily find choices to suit any dietary preferences. I’m pretty sure you can eat pizza by the slice and ice cream at any time of day and the Trident Grill on the Lido Deck is grilling up hamburgers and hot dogs all day long. I love the fries from the Trident Grill! One of our
Entertainment
You will not be bored on a cruise ship. Bands, lounge music, comedy shows, musicals and movies under the stars are just a small list of how you will be entertained on a cruise ship. Personally, we love sitting in a lounge enjoying martinis or wine and watching a quartet or piano player. If that’s a little too mellow for you, there’s always more lively bands getting people out on the dance floor in the Piazza or a DJ in the night club. The casino is always a fun place to hang out as well.
Service
I can honestly say that the service on the cruise ship is second to none. From your very own cabin steward who freshens up your room twice a day to the attentive and entertaining bartenders and servers, every employee on the cruise ship goes out of their way to make your time on the cruise as pleasant as possible. We love that the bartenders and servers quickly learn your name and make you feel like you are the only two people on the ship.
Activities
Whether it’s gambling, basketball, tennis, wine tasting, yoga, dance classes, Scrabble or pool-side games, there is something for everyone on the ship. Personally, our
Pampering
What could be better than unwinding with a massage, facial or straight razor shave at the spa? On our last cruise we signed up for the Enclave special and it was heavenly. Every day we’d head down to the spa for a soak in the jet tub and then relax in one of the steam rooms. The peace and tranquility were just what we needed to truly unwind.
Serenity
You will be overcome with peace while sitting on the balcony at night looking up at the stars and watching the moon’s light dance across the water. Close your eyes and all you hear are the waves splashing. We enjoyed heading up to our cabin with a nightcap or tea and sitting on our balcony reminiscing about the day. I love being out in the ocean and feeling completely alone (except for the 3000 other people on board of course). We also loved starting our day having coffee on our balcony with a view of the new port or an island on the horizon.
Disconnect
Your cell phone is not going to work while out at sea and the wifi packages can be quite expensive so disconnecting tends to be the only option. It takes a couple of days to get used to not checking your phone all of the time but soon it feels amazing to be able to leave your cell phone in your stateroom; unless you’re taking pictures or using the Princess App to make sure you’re not missing out on any fun activities that day.
Relaxation
Once I board a cruise ship, my stress melts away because all of the planning is done! We don’t have to worry about finding accommodations, transportation or looking for good places to eat at each new destination. Everything we need for a glorious vacation is on the ship. And if we’re interested in an excursion all we have to do is pick one and show up to the meeting point and the cruise line takes care of the rest.
We have fallen in love with cruising as one way to travel and see the world. There are many cruises on our bucket list including South Asia, South Pacific, Canada & New England, The Pacific Coast, Alaska and every Caribbean cruise there is offered. We would also love to take a River Cruise on the Danube someday.
5 Must Haves When Cruising
| 1. Towel Clips | . Turkish Cotton Bath Beach Towel | 3. Herschel Supply Co. Classic X-large Backpack | 4. YETI Rambler Tumbler | 5. Snorkel Mask DasMeer Full Face |
The Beach Towel Clips are useful on the beach especially in the Caribbean where it can get a bit breezy but, we’ve also learned they come in very handy on the cruise ship. As is the case at any resort, the game of saving beach chairs at the crack of dawn happens on the cruise ship also. Seeing as how everyone uses the same cruise ship towels, the clips make it easier to identify your beach chairs.
We love the Turkish Cotton Bath Beach Towel because they are incredibly lightweight for your beach day excursion. You are welcome to take beach towels from the ship on your excursions but they are really big and bulky. These Turkish Cotton Bath Beach Towel will fit in your backpack. You are definitely going to need a backpack on your excursions. We love Herschel Supply Co. Backpacks because they are a Canadian company but also because they are well made and have many extras that are convenient for travel and exploring.
We like to have travel mugs like the YETI Rambler Tumbler on the cruise ship for the fruity cocktails we enjoy by the pool. They keep your drink cold and the lid adds some extra protection. A YETI Rambler Bottle with Cap is great to have for your water when going on excursions.
When on a Caribbean cruise, there are many opportunities to snorkel. We like to have our own snorkel masks for hygienic and comfort reasons. This mask is GoPro compatible which is super fun.
Ok… I’m sold!
We could tag along if you need some moral support. 🙂
Yes! I said I would NEVER go on a cruise and then ended up on one a few years ago. We are totally hooked now and go every year. It is perfect for families too.
Thanks for leaving a comment. I agree…it’s a perfect way to travel with a family.
Going on a cruise in November….I can’t wait for all the fun food!!
Thanks for the list!!
Can’t wait to disconnect!
Thanks for leaving a comment. You will LOVE cruising. The food is to die for.
I went on my first cruise this past February and I am SOLD!! I had all the same fears as you, but have already booked my second. I agree with you in “there is no better way to see the world” Bon Voyage!
Thanks for leaving a comment. Our fears where all unfounded for sure. We couldn’t believe how much we fell in love with this type of travel. We flip through the Princess flyers all the time dreaming about our next cruising adventure.
Reading this makes me excited to plan my husband and I’s first cruise!
Thanks for leaving a comment. You will LOVE it I promise.
Too funny – we just planned our first Western Caribbean cruise! My husband and I have been visiting our favorite island (St. John, USVI) for years and never thought to try something new… our teenagers, however, convinced us that this was something we just HAD to try. Wish us luck!! And thank you for the info!
Thanks for leaving a comment. We know people who LOVE St. John as well. We will definitely head there the next time we are in St. Thomas. In fact, that might be a great place to head to and stay for a week. You will love the cruise!
Will have to try Princess Cruise lines next time we take a cruise. Thanks for the amazing review!
Thanks for leaving a comment! We really enjoy Princess.
We have done many islands and love cruising too! Never been to Belize and will add that to our bucket list for sure.
Thanks for leaving a comment. Belize is beautiful. There are many excursions to choose from that can include a tour through the jungle to the Mayan Ruins or snorkeling along some of the most beautiful coral in the world. Enjoy!
I am getting excited for our first cruise! Loved reading all the great reason’s to cruise!
Thanks for leaving a comment. You will love it! I look forward to reading about your experience.
Some great tips. My husband and I have been on one cruise and we are dying to go back again. It was absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We couldn’t agree more.
Thanks for leaving a comment! We dream about another cruise every day.
I’ve only cruised twice myself (the family only once), but I’m hooked! The family, in fact, is eager to set sail again!
Thanks for leaving a comment! Cruising is truly addicting.
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