Boring. Old-fashioned. Crowded. College students and Spring Break. These were just some of the words that came to mind when I thought of cruising. Mind you, I’d never been on one before, but when has lack of experience ever prevented anyone from having an opinion? The only things I did know about cruising came from hearing other people’s stories. Cruising facts (according to my friends):
1. You eat a lot on cruise ships because there is always food available.
2. Sea sickness is a real thing, but Dramamine is a life saver.
3. Shore excursions – they’re better than the ship.
Now I’m not saying that the stories I’d heard should be used to form a well rounded opinion, but it’s all I had to go on! So to me, cruising was basically this: A floating buffet. And if you’re lucky enough to keep down your food due to motion sickness, maybe you could enjoy the few hours you were allowed off the floating city during which time you could go visit some crazy bar in Mexico
So what changed my mind about cruising? I actually went on one! The previous ho-hum attitude I had about cruising was gone and replaced by a new appreciation for this relaxing way to vacation. Now that I’ve taken a cruise I want to play Fact or Fiction with my previous cruise ideas.
1. You eat a lot on cruise ships because there is always food available.
Fact. This is true. There is always food available on board a cruise ship. Whether it’s the buffet, room service, or 24 hour pizzeria… you won’t go hungry. The best part about this endless opportunity to ruin your diet is that the food is actually good! The cruise line people are smart and they follow trends. Look at what’s on TV nowadays… Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, Rachael Ray, etc. etc. etc. The list goes on! People like food and they like quality food. Cruise lines meet these demands and they take it a step further.
Some of the newly launched “mega ships” have upwards of 20+ restaurants to choose from. This is on top of the regular dining option that is included. You can find every type of cuisine too! Sushi to steakhouses. Kid-friendly menus and special dietary menus too. I promise there is something for everyone. Feeling guilty? Check out the cutting edge athletic facilities on board!
2. Sea sickness is a real thing, but Dramamine is a life saver.
Fact. However, this is something that is really easy to remedy. Promise! As someone who makes myself car sick when I’m driving, you can be assured that I know a thing or two about motion sickness.
Motion sickness remedies come in different forms. The 2 most popular are pill form and patch form. Either one can work miracles for your vacation. My suggestion is this... if you buy the pills, buy the 12 hour kind and take one every night before going to bed. That way if it makes you drowsy it’s no problem. Also, every morning you’ll wake up feeling fine. If you buy the patch, wear it! I had a cousin who went on a cruise and said she was feeling fine, so she took the patch off. Big mistake! If you feel fine that means it’s working. Duh.
3. Shore excursions – they’re better than the ship.
Fact and fiction. It really depends on what you like to do. Without getting into great detail, shore excursions are what you do off the ship to experience a port. Trying to keep the cost of your vacation down? Not a problem. You can still have a great time in port without taking a tour or renting a jet ski.
Cruising is the universal vacation option. It’s affordable and you can add extras if you want to do it up big. It’s for families, honeymooners, retirees, adventurers, church groups, soccer clubs, college fraternities, golfing foursomes, alternative lifestylers, family reunions, biker gangs… get my point? Try it! You’ll like it and if not, you can always go back to Grandma’s house next year.
