Some people love to take cruises and some vacations are more hotel based. Which is the best? Now that question can be as loaded as any political question of late. Personally, I like both! But to me they have different objectives.

Benefits of Cruising

Getting a taste of multiple locations

Even some short cruises allow passengers to see multiple cities/locations some of which can be quite a distance from one another.   After our wedding, my wife and I landed in Barcelona and sailed on a Princess cruise through France, Monaco, Italy, and Greece to our final stop of Istanbul in Turkey.  To cover this distance in a car or trail and utilizing hotels would have been much more challenging to US citizens who had never been to Europe before. 

With this cruise we were able to get a taste of different cultures, cities, and cuisines.   Most of our tours were shore excursions arranged by the ship, so we didn’t have to do as much research to find key locations, pay entrance fees, and arrange travel from the port.   Being escorted in a tour also provided a measure of safety for us, especially being newbies to foreign travel.   Spending a few hours in Barcelona, Nice, Monte Carlo, Pisa, Florence, Naples, Venice, Athens, Kusadasi, and Istanbul allowed my wife and I to enjoy flavor of these locations and, also, to put our metaphoric toe in the European water.  We learned that travel didn’t look quite as difficult as we imagined, the people were friendly, and which locations we enjoyed more than others.   This learning curve was vital for me growing up in Russell, Kansas which had a population of 5000 people, many of whom likely have never been outside of Kansas before, and a cruise made it much easier.

Cruises also allow passengers to visit multiple locations that are otherwise more difficult to visit except on a cruise.   Of course, you can rent a boat to travel between islands in the Caribbean or rent a motorboat to do your own river tours, but is that really practical for most people?  I am not a master mariner, have my own yacht, or know marinas where I can park one.   But I can get on a cruise and visit many islands in the course of a week and enjoy the sights along the way.   If you really fall in love with a location, you can then plan a return trip.   Cruising helps you gain a perspective of what you love and enjoy, and just as importantly, what you don’t.

Controlled Environment

Why are there Hilton’s and Marriott’s around the world?   American’s like consistency.   We don’t always like to be “surprised”.   I see many tourists flocking into McDonalds or Burger King during vacations.  Why, well it may be they want a low cost lunch to ease the pain of travel meals, but likely too would be they know what they are getting.  It tastes familiar. 

Cruises allow many to enjoy travel with the comfort, food, and safety they want to have when traveling to foreign lands.   I remember being in the Netherlands for business with colleagues and the local restaurant’s menu had an offering called “chef’s surprise”.   I was skeptical as I thought it was likely to be a mishmash of yesterday’s food.   Local’s told me the chef’s surprise was common in the area and allows for the chef to make something they like and, also, not change the menu daily.  I tried the surprise along with my colleagues and the meal was delicious.

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Similarly, on a business trip to China, our hosts took us out to several Chinese meals many of which sported wonderful offerings.   However, my western palate was not used to eating fried pork lung, duck feet, or other items they found particularly delicious.   While I don’t mind trying new things, I must admit that both my colleague and I were happy to go to Pizza hut in Beijing for a taste of the familiar. Cruises can be a refuge with familiar food, a typical US hotel style room, and given safety checks, an oasis of exclusivity that provides one with a perception of increased safety.

Cost

Many Caribbean cruises can allow passengers to go for a weeks’ vacation for around $100 per day.   Of course, this depends of class of cabin booked, with inside lower cabins being less expensive compared to upper outside cabins/suites with balconies.  But with all meals included (except for special restaurants), room and travel between stops, this $100+/day is a bargain compared to booking your own multicity travel with meals.  This doesn’t include the bonus cruises offer with daily entertainment and scheduled free activities.   Cruises are definitely a bargain for most travelers!

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Downside of Cruises

Sharing germs

You are on a boat with lots of people.   You are floating with 2000+ of you newest best friends.  While most of the time the size of the ship doesn’t typically make this overwhelming, but there have been news stories where norovirus has spread quickly within the confined petri dish that is a ship.   These occurrences are rare, and I have been on several cruises without incident, other than having a wonderful time.  Cleanliness and a good immune system is good to have when traveling anywhere. 

Limited time per port stop

Most cruises only stay in a particular port 12 hours or less.   Every day the docks are booked with another cruise ship, so you only have a limited time per stop.   When my wife and I were on a tour in Italy, our guides most common word was “Andiamo”.    Last summer, my daughter and I (and a couple others) were left behind on a tour when we were capturing a few more pictures in Segovia.   We eventually caught back up with our group but missed viewing the inside of the towns church.  It was a small price to pay but we learned to keep an eye out for our guide and one for photos.  

This rushed pace is typical for many tours.   Again, cruises, in my opinion, offer a tapas-like snippet of a town or locations.   If you enjoy it and want to spend more time at leisure taking in sights, capturing photos, or just having a beverage and people watching, you need to revisit the town on your own time.  

I did exactly this when we enjoyed a 1/2-day tour of the Rome and ½-day Vatican tour.   My daughter and I revisited Rome and spent 3 days taking our time to see the sights, digging deeper in the cultural heritage.   But if I had never been able to revisit Rome, I would have been happy to know I saw the highlights, albeit at apace.

Getting to know the locals and enjoying the local cuisine

With a finite time per harbor stop, a deadline for ship departure, plus pre-paid meals on-board, cruisers often find it hard to find time to enjoy a local meal (especially dinner), sit in a bar and chat with locals, or simply to see the city lights at night. 

Cruises are an amazing way to quickly, inexpensively, and safely see many sights that would otherwise be difficult to see on your own.   They provide travelers with lots of exposure to people and places even if it is only a vignette.    While cruising isn’t for everyone, I do recommend them for inexperienced travelers, travelers looking to go to many unfamiliar places, or those that simply like the regimented controlled environment of cruising.   My wife and I started our honeymoon on a cruise and, while we have enjoyed many other non-cruise vacations, are looking forward this summer to celebrating our 20^th wedding anniversary on a cruise to Alaska.  Let me know your thoughts on Cruises.