To intentionally misquote Hamlet: To cruise, or not to cruise…that is the question.
But more seriously, I grew up cruising from a young age. My first one was when I was around six or seven years old, and since then, I can fairly say I’m kind of an expert, at least at ocean cruising.
Some ports, like Viejo San Juan, I’ve visited more times than I can remember and can easily navigate the region by memory. I can encourage travelers who are new to cruising, giving them my not-so-secret tips to stave off sea sickness (it’s Sea-bands, always Sea-bands) and a year ago, had the joy of bringing two of my best friends on their first cruise, where they visited the Caribbean, explored the amazing world of all-you-can-eat cruise food and experienced some of the region’s wildlife, including dolphins and flying fish.
It’s a gift and a privilege I haven’t taken for granted.
Yet sometimes we cruise-heavy travelers can get cruised out. I experienced this first-hand last year, when I traveled on three separate trips, all cruises. While I wouldn’t change a thing about any of them, I did end the last cruise with a sense of not seasickness (or the coronavirus I contracted during my trip), but cruise sickness.
I was tuckered out, and ready for a break.
I think that’s okay.
Cruises are amazing experiences, often filled with opportunities to grow closer to the people you’re with, discover plenty of new sites and places and meet people you would never have met otherwise.
But they’re also really busy—at least, they are the way I like to cruise. I like to do as much as I can, see as much as I can, and that means that my cruise vacations are often busier than my regular life, with early mornings, more active days and longer nights.
And after several consecutive cruise trips, I found myself yearning for a different experience, one where I can sit and bask in the sun of just one place, where I can rest, explore and discover as much as I could about a single part of the world, and at a much slower pace, without worrying about what I could be missing when the ship pulls away from port.
So if you’re like me, and you cruise a lot, it’s okay to take a rain check when a good deal comes through in your inbox. It’s okay not to jump at the chance to cruise with some friends when they ask you if you’ve already maxed out your mental limit.
It’s okay, because there is more to travel out there than cruising.
Cruisers love cruising because they feel they’re seeing more of the world, more conveniently. They believe they can save money and not worry as much about food or other transportation costs. They can sit back without planning every step in their journey. That’s definitely part of the fun.
Yet they can also forget that there’s more to travel than seeing the world by boat. That sometimes, cruisers miss discovering a sense of place in their haste to check every place off their lists. I know, because I’ve experienced it myself.
So this year, while I’m still looking forward to some amazing cruise experiences, I’m also looking forward to taking a slower journey, one where I can sit and watch the sunrise over a new horizon—without having to worry about disembarkation time. A journey where most of the people I meet aren’t just fellow travelers, but the locals who call this place home.
I’m ready to dive off the deep end in a new destination. What are you ready for?
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