Is Cruising Right for You?
While cruising can be a fun and efficient way to travel, it’s not for everyone. In this post, I’ll go over both the pros and cons of cruising as well as some questions to consider helping you decide whether cruising is right for you.
Is Cruising Right for You: Pros of Cruising
1. You can see many destinations in a short amount of time
If you’d like to visit several countries in one trip, cruising allows you to do this efficiently. Stopping in major ports and cities allows you to get a feel for several different cultures without wasting time flying from destination to destination.
2. You only have to unpack once
Visiting more than one place is fun and exciting, allowing you to experience many different things. If you were to do this without a cruise, you’d be constantly packing and unpacking, which can be tiring. Arriving to your cabin and being able to unpack once and get settled in is a much more relaxing way to travel.
For people that are differently abled, this also saves the hassle of finding multiple accessible places to stay. Accessible cabins are also nicely set up to meet your needs with grab bars, roll-in showers, and room to maneuver your mobility devices.
3. Cruises are pretty much all-inclusive
Think of a cruise as a floating hotel that also includes meals and entertainment. There is no shortage of things to do and places to eat. Being able to transfer to a new destination while you are enjoying your vacation is also practical and time-saving.
Activities can include going to the gym, trivia, shows, classes, rock climbing walls, golf simulators, swimming and water slides, going to the spa, surf simulators, sky diving simulators, go-cart tracks, arcades, and more. Just know that activities will vary from ship to ship and cruise line to cruise line.
4. Cruises can be scenic
Depending on where you are traveling to, cruises can offer an interesting and scenic view. Some places that come to mind are sailing through the Norwegian Fjords, cruising the Na Pali coast in Kauai or Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. There is something quite peaceful and amazing about sitting out on your balcony and taking in the scenery as you enjoy your favorite beverage or snack.
5. It’s a fairly affordable way to travel
When you consider everything you get on a cruise, it can be cheaper than doing a land vacation and paying for everything separately. This can be especially true if you plan to go to a pricey destination (think Hawaii, Norway, Tahitian Islands, Bora Bora etc.). With a cruise, you get lodging, entertainment and meals included in the price. Compare that to the cost of those individual items for a land vacation and you may be surprised. There are of course even more ways to save money on accessible cruises, which you can find here.
6. Standard levels of Accessibility
Just because someone is differently abled, doesn’t mean that their desire to travel to amazing places is diminished. Unfortunately, there are still places around the world that really aren’t the best at offering accessible services. In this case, cruising is a great option as there are standards for accessibility.
Having known accessibility features can make it easier to visit destinations that have limited resources. Finding accessible tours at these places may still present challenges, but you can feel a little more confident visiting them knowing you’ll have guaranteed accessible accommodations and restaurants.
7. Restaurants are allergy friendly
Many cruise lines are able to accommodate various food allergies, oftentimes with a separate kitchen to help avoid cross-contamination. This is especially helpful if you want to visit a foreign country but don’t speak the language to be able to convey your needs.
Reviews on how well specific cruise lines accommodate food allergies vary, so make sure to pick the one you feel most comfortable with. Also, make sure to notify the cruise line in advance of your allergies. This can be done by completing a special needs form, or sometimes right in the cruise lines app.
In addition, it’s always a good idea to let the Matre D know at the restaurant, and often times they will have you pick out your next day’s meal the night before. Many recommend trying to get the same table/server each night as well to avoid having to explain your needs every night and for consistency.
Is Cruising Right for You: Cons of Cruising
1. You have a short time in each port
Typically, on a cruise, you’ll have about a day to explore a port. This can be disappointing if you are really enjoying that destination or want more time to be able to try the local cuisine and experience its nightlife. While there are some stops where a ship will dock overnight, these tend to be few and far between.
2. Stops are limited to towns along the shore
If one of the cities you’d like to visit is inland, then it will be hard or impossible to visit via cruise ship. Sometimes, there will be a port nearby, but it may still take several hours to drive to that inland town and then you have a very limited time there. Examples of this would be the port of Livorno for the town of Pisa (Italy) and the port of Le Harve for Paris.
3. Waters can get rough causing sea sickness
There are people who get motion sickness fairly easily and worry that they will get sick on a cruise. Mother Nature is unpredictable, so there is no guarantee that you won’t have rough waters. While there are several options to help prevent seasickness, some people don’t want to have to deal with that anxiety on their vacation.
4. Places can be crowded
Cruise lines are moving towards bigger and bigger ships these days, which means more passengers on their ships. If you don’t like crowds or being around a lot of strangers, cruises may feel very uncomfortable for you. In addition, if you have a diagnosis of PTSD, you may experience more triggers (depending on what your triggers are).
If you do want to try cruising, I recommend sailing on a smaller or mid-sized ship. Since capacity has been lower due to the pandemic, it may feel more relaxed sailing now vs. when ships are at maximum capacity.
5. It’s easy to gain weight
There is food pretty much everywhere on a cruise. While it’s great to be able to try new foods and indulge in some amazing-looking desserts, it’s not uncommon for passengers to gain 10-15 lbs. during their vacation. For people who are watching their weight or with health issues that can be affected by weight, controlling your urges can be challenging.
There is no limit on how much food you can order or request, so it’s very easy to eat more than you’re used to. While it is possible to eat healthily while on a cruise, it won’t be easy when everything looks delicious!
Some Final Questions to Ask Yourself
Do you enjoy being out on the open ocean?
Are you ok with just getting a taste of a town/port?
What type of vacation do you want to have?
Would cruising help you visit a destination that you may not otherwise feel comfortable visiting?
Is Cruising Right for You?
The decision of whether cruising is right for you is a personal one. Sometimes, a specific cruise line may not be a good match, but you’d enjoy cruising when you find the line that’s right for you. Other times, cruising may just not be the type of vacation for you. If you think you’d like to give cruising a try, check out my tips for booking a wheelchair accessible cruise. After considering the pros and cons of cruising in this post, I hope that it helps you decide whether this is the type of travel you’d like to try or not.
