Should I go on a cruise for my next vacation?

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Hey travelers, welcome back to Talk Travel to Me. This week I'm flying solo and answering the question: why should I choose a cruise for my next vacation? So let's just jump right into it. I have three main reasons that I think you should consider a cruise for your 2026 vacation. First off, cruising really is a choose-your-own-adventure. It can be incredible for couples, kids, friend groups, multi-generational families, and even solo travelers. It is one of those situations where you get to choose: do you want to have nightlife activities? Do you want to just spend the day relaxing in the spa? Do you want to get off at every port of call and do all kinds of excursions? Or do you want to just kind of take life as it comes?

The cruise line and the ship make the biggest difference in your overall experience, and this comes into play in a whole bunch of different ways when we talk about the personality of the cruise line. Virgin Voyages, for example, is adults-only. It's a little more hip, it's a little more edgy, but also people like me are really comfortable and fit in really nicely in that space too, so it's not too edgy. Carnival typically is a party ship—that is going to be your most economical option. But also we've got new things popping up like Margaritaville at Sea. Those are really like party ships, so they appeal a lot to younger travelers, although I will say Carnival does have some of their newer ships that are more geared towards families. But, you know, they still have that 'fun ship' kind of reputation for a reason.

You can also think about the ship making a difference in how old it is; the cheaper the cruise, usually it means it's the older ships. I have a lot of clients that will come to me and say, 'Hey, I saw this great deal on a Royal Caribbean cruise and it was $399 for five nights.' I already know we're talking about Serenade of the Seas or another of the really older ships, which can be a match for you depending on what you're looking to do. But if you're thinking Royal Caribbean and you've seen the commercials with the water slides, the FlowRider, and the indoor skydiving thing, none of that is happening on that $399 ship. So your choose-your-own-adventure starts right in the beginning with the actual ship and the itinerary that you choose.

The itinerary is also a really big one because people will come to me sometimes and say, 'Hey, I saw a great deal from Boston to Bermuda. It's great, we don't have to fly, it's perfect for our first cruise.' It's really not perfect for your first cruise. The reasons are that it's an older ship, because Boston can't accommodate the new, nicer ships, so you're going to get an older, smaller ship. And then also, I don't understand the science of it, but I can tell you the seas are incredibly rougher in that Boston to Bermuda area of the world as compared to, let's say, a Bahamas cruise or an Eastern, Western, or Southern Caribbean cruise. Those waters most of the time are very smooth. Boston to Bermuda is rough. So if it's your first cruise, the price looks good, and the idea that it might be a five-night cruise where you get to go to Bermuda and spend some time there sounds good, but it's one of those scenarios where you've got to think of all the different pieces.

Obviously, if you're traveling with kids, you're going to want to choose a ship that's going to have activities that are going to keep them really interested. Norwegian, for example, does have the newer ships that have go-karts on the top deck, water slides, and all that kind of thing. Royal Caribbean, especially the Oasis and Icon classes, has amazing, amazing activities for kids of all ages. So there is this solid choose-your-own-adventure formula that allows everybody that's on vacation to pick and choose what it is that they want to do. That's kind of one of those things that I really want people to think about regarding why you should choose a cruise—because it gives you a lot of options right out the gate.

The second thing that I think is a really big consideration, especially in 2026, is affordability. Now, it's true that most cruises are basically like all-inclusives. I say basically because some cruise ships have more of an all-inclusive feel than others, and I'll get specific with that. But it is important to understand when you see that cost in an ad or an email from a cruise line and it says something like '$999 a person,' you have to look a little deeper. The reason for that is, let's say a cruise on Disney Cruise Line—almost everything is going to be included in your cost right upfront. All of your meals are included in the main dining rooms, the childcare kids' club things are included for kids three and up, and all of your onboard entertainment is included in that cruise fare. Now, if you want to add on a meal at an adults-only specialty restaurant, that's an upcharge, but they don't do dining packages or even alcohol packages on Disney Cruise Line. So that is one of the most all-inclusive feels that you can get.

Virgin Voyages also has packaging that includes almost everything upfront, including Wi-Fi. You get a package that includes all of your meals, and they don't even have traditional specialty dining restaurants on Virgin where you pay extra—they are all specialized galley concepts, so there are no additional costs there. With them, they don't have a standard drink package, but you can buy a prepaid bar tab. You can basically say before you even leave home, 'I'm willing to spend $500 on alcohol and specialty drinks on the ship,' buy that ahead of time, and then you go. So it's all paid for upfront with that all-inclusive feel. Now, when you look at cruise lines like Royal Caribbean or Norwegian, they do tend to nickel and dime you. It may look great at the outset, but you have to plan around those extras to figure out what your experience is truly going to cost. If you want to go to specialty dining or add an unlimited beverage package, you just pay for that upfront, and that takes away a little bit of always feeling like you have to have your wallet out.

In general, cruising is one of the most, if not the most affordable vacation options because everything is bundled in that cruise fare price: your accommodations, your stateroom, your dining, and your onboard activities. A lot of the cruise lines have Broadway-caliber shows that if you were going to go see in New York, it's going to cost you $150 and up depending on where your seats are. These cruise ships have the Broadway-style shows and comedy clubs with no cover charge. Royal Caribbean, especially the Icon class, has amazing water shows and ice skating shows. They have something spectacular just about every night that you can go and really dive into, and there are no extra costs for those types of entertainment options.

My husband and I went out for dinner recently on land, and it cost us like $120 for an appetizer that we shared, our two entrees, and a dessert that we shared. That was $120 for one night. When you're on a cruise, even if you're going to one of the cruise lines with upcharges, the traditional main dining rooms are completely included in the price of your cruise fare. Everybody gets an entree, everybody gets appetizers, and everybody gets desserts. You can even order two entrees if you want! You don't have to think about the price while dining; you just order what you want. You're not going to look at the menu and go, 'Oh, do I want the prime rib or should I get the salmon because the salmon is cheaper?' It's all handled. That's what I mean when I talk about affordability—you make a decision at home about what you're looking to spend, plan around that, and then you aren't breaking out your wallet constantly.

Of course, there are always going to be opportunities for you to pay more, because it wouldn't be a capitalist society without it, right? But the idea that you can go on a ship and spend no extra money is a very real thing. I have done it. And as your resident bougie girl, I can tell you that it absolutely is possible to go on a ship, not pay a single extra penny, and have a fabulous time. On any of these cruise lines, you could also choose to drop money on a massage, get your hair or nails done at the spa, or register for a beverage tasting of your choice. Disney Cruise Line has a lot of those where you can pick your favorite type of adult beverage and go to a seminar specifically for that. You could also go on port adventures or shore excursions when your ship is in port. In many ports, it's perfectly safe to hop in a cab or take a public city bus to a beach or a museum, but you could also spend a lot of money on organized excursions. There is one that I have been eyeing for when I finally take my Greek Isles cruise, which is on my very short list of what needs to happen soon—there is a private yacht experience for the day for you and up to 11 of your friends. It is extraordinarily expensive, but it's an experience that I feel like you just need to have in the Greek Isles.

Going back to the choose-your-own-adventure vein, the entire process from the planning to the actual execution on board offers so many options. When I talk to people about what to do for your next vacation, you probably want those options. You don't want to be forced into, let's say, going to a single land resort where all you can do is what's there on the property for seven nights. I say that, but to be honest, I know that if that's the specific vibe you want for a particular vacation, cool. But it's important to think about all the pieces. A couple of other concerns that come up when people think about cruise vacations—some people think, 'Oh, I'm going to be bored.' Based on all the reasons I just mentioned, I think you'll be really hard-pressed to be bored on a cruise. If you're a reader, bring your books—there is nothing like sitting on deck and hearing the ocean as you read. Get lost in your book and really enjoy that feeling. That's not boring! If you like shows, you have all the nightly theater options. Personally, I love trivia—you'll catch me running from one trivia game to the next. I love that the ships have different versions of game shows, too. Disney actually has 'Match Your Mate,' and you can go and either participate or just sit in the audience and enjoy the show. I have honestly not talked to a single person that's actually gone on a cruise and felt bored. It's just not happening.

Another big thing that you might be worried about if you've not cruised before is motion sickness, because you hear a lot about that. First, I want to say if you get motion sick in a car, that doesn't mean you're going to get motion sickness on a cruise ship. I also feel that if you get sick on a smaller boat, like on a whale watch—I have friends that absolutely experience that—when they get on board an actual modern cruise ship, there is none of the motion sickness that they experience on those smaller boats. It's like comparing apples to pomegranates; it's just a completely different type of motion that you're feeling. We also know that if you are prone to motion sickness or if it's something you're nervous about, we go back to the idea of the ship and itinerary being the most important piece of that puzzle. So we're going to avoid a Boston to Bermuda situation to minimize it, and we're also going to look at specific mid-ship, lower-deck areas for your stateroom location to minimize movement as well.

I can say I have sailed over 30 times, 18 of them on Disney Cruise Line. The Norwegian Pearl, which is the one that I took from Boston to Bermuda—I didn't get sick, but everybody around me did. That was an older ship in a very rough sea situation. We did have a storm; we went in April and there was a nor'easter coming in that affected the ship in a very big way. Because of its advanced age, I kind of describe it as being like a toy ship in a bathtub—it was just all over the place. I've also been on a cruise ship where there was a hurricane far out at sea. It was not anywhere near us, so we actually had beautiful weather, but it was affecting the swells a bit. But that was one of the brand new Disney Cruise Line ships that had state-of-the-art mechanical stabilization systems that they deploy so that you feel it less. The stabilizer fins actually look like whale flippers when they come out underneath the hull, and they have that ability to combat what's going on in the natural world and make the ride smoother.

If we're thinking about motion sickness, those are the first things that we go to: the ship, the itinerary, and sometimes the time of year so that we're avoiding peak hurricane season and winter storms. The other thing that we do is look at secondary options, like pressure-point wristbands, which are fabulous. It's a completely non-medicated way to do it—you put these Sea-Bands on each of your wrists and it somehow magically keeps you from feeling the motion. We also have over-the-counter options like Dramamine and Bonine. Bonine is my favorite because it doesn't make me drowsy. And actually, I'm going to back that up a little bit and say I haven't taken any motion medication to cruise since my very first one back in 2014; I'm just not susceptible to it anymore. But my husband, my friends—a lot of them will just take a Bonine every single day just in case, and there's really no reason not to since it doesn't affect you in any other way. Dramamine, even the non-drowsy formula, kicks my behind, so I avoid that one. But then you also have people that really have good luck with ginger chews and ginger tablets. Ginger ale, interestingly enough, might help you just because you have a psychological thought about it helping—that placebo effect—but there's not really enough real ginger in standard ginger ale to physically stop nausea. If you're looking for a natural food option, green Granny Smith apples really do help as well. And here is a trick I learned from a crew member on a ship: if the seas are really rocking, the best place for you to be is in a body of water. So get in the pool, get in a hot tub, or even draw a bath in your stateroom if you have one, because floating in the water lessens the gravitational effect of the ship's sway on your body. I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV, but these are all things that will be beneficial to you if motion sickness becomes a concern.

Another concern that has come up for a lot of us, especially in 2026 when we want to do the best we can for our planet, is the environmental impact of cruising. This I completely understand, and if you have questions about this, I would highly recommend that you reach out to me. I can give you some resources with real, accurate information about what the impact of cruising in this modern time period actually is. There are absolutely cruise lines that I personally avoid and talk to clients about avoiding because of their environmental footprint, but there are also many, many cruise lines out there now that are aggressively repurposing and reducing waste. Some of them are actually able to repurpose, reuse, and recycle up to 100 percent of the waste generated on board. They do that by sorting recyclables, but also by converting food waste into energy to help power the ships. Crazy, right?

A lot of cruise lines have been explicitly recognized for their efforts to protect marine life by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—NOAA—and the National Marine Fisheries Service, so they are doing great things. The vast majority of modern cruise lines employ advanced water conservation systems and produce their own fresh water on board by processing seawater through reverse osmosis desalination. All of that means they are sourcing water out there at sea without drawing from land-based municipal supplies. There is a huge emphasis in the cruising world now on making sure that we are doing the best that we can for the planet. They are pursuing goals like net-zero emissions by 2050, building new ships that have much smaller environmental footprints, and pivoting to sustainable liquefied natural gas or biofuel options. It's just an interesting topic, and I think it's something that warrants genuine information-gathering and reading rather than just hopping on YouTube vlogs and listening to the haters. It is a very valid concern, and there is real, provable data out there about what's being done rather than just believing the negative hype.

So in the end, why do I think you should choose a cruise for your 2026 vacation? Again, it is great for couples, kids, friend groups, and multi-generational families. That choose-your-own-adventure flexibility combined with the affordability mix is really where it's at for me this year. I can get people a much better value and a fabulous experience on a cruise ship as compared to almost any other type of vacation right now, and that includes land-based theme parks. Theme parks can be really expensive right now and sometimes don't give you as well-rounded of a relaxing experience. Now listen, you know I am always going to be a theme park girl. I love theme parks and I'm not downing them, but I just had an experience where I was gone for 10 days total—I spent six days at a theme park and then four nights on a Disney cruise ship. I loved my theme park time; there is nothing like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot anywhere on the ocean! But the pure relaxation, the fun, and the absolute lack of schedule pressure that we experienced on the cruise was just incredible. I played a lot of trivia—I didn't win a single game, but that's OK! We had fun with our group, we had fun with our fellow cruisers, and it's just a really, really solid choice that brings you that ability to relax, have fun, and not feel like you have to run twenty-four-seven. So there we go!

And that is one more question unpacked. If you have a travel stumper you want me to tackle, or if you're ready to let a pro handle the heavy lifting for your next getaway, send a text to the show, come find us at mickyguru.com, or take a peek at the show notes. We're also getting real active on Instagram and TikTok under Talk Travel to Me Pod, so pop over there and say hi too. Follow us and be part of the conversation! I will see you next week when I'll be answering the question: what do you actually need in your theme park bag? It's not what you think. See you real soon, traveler.

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