Why We Think Everyone Should Take a Cruise at Least Once

I'm going to be upfront with you: before Melissa and I went on our first cruise, we were skeptics. We thought cruises were for retirement-aged travelers who wanted to eat buffet food and play shuffleboard. We thought the ships would be overcrowded. We thought it would feel like a floating tourist trap.

We were completely, embarrassingly wrong.

That first cruise converted us both instantly — and now it's the cornerstone of everything we do at Passport Royale. Here's what changed our minds, and why I think every traveler owes themselves at least one cruise.

You Unpack Once and See the World

This might sound like a small thing, but it's actually one of the biggest advantages of cruising. Pack your bag once, unpack into a comfortable cabin, and then wake up in a completely different destination every morning.

Think about what it would take to do the same trip on land: flights between islands, new hotels every two or three nights, constantly hauling luggage through airports and taxis. On a cruise, your hotel moves with you. You have your bed, your bathroom, your favorite spot on the balcony — and a new port city waiting outside every single morning.

The Value Is Genuinely Remarkable

Modern cruise fares include your cabin, all your meals, most entertainment (Broadway-caliber shows, live music, comedy clubs), access to the pool, gym, and amenities, and all the transportation between destinations. When you break it down, it's extraordinary value compared to building a similar itinerary on your own.

Yes, you can spend more money — specialty restaurants, shore excursions, drinks packages, spa treatments. But the baseline experience of being on a cruise ship is already full and rich without spending a dollar beyond your fare.

There's Something for Everyone

One of the most common things I hear from people who haven't cruised is "I don't think it's really for me." And I get it — the idea of being stuck on a ship with thousands of strangers sounds limiting. But modern cruise ships are the opposite of limiting.

On a large Royal Caribbean or Norwegian ship, you'll find waterslides, rock climbing walls, go-kart tracks, escape rooms, multiple pools, dozens of restaurants, casinos, spas, live entertainment every night, and more. Smaller, boutique ships like those from Azamara or Viking offer a more intimate, refined experience focused on immersive destinations and fine dining.

Whatever your travel personality — adventurer, foodie, beach lover, culture seeker, relaxation-obsessed — there's a cruise style and cruise line that fits you perfectly. That's the part of my job I love the most: matching the right traveler to the right ship.

Shore Excursions Open Up the World

A cruise isn't just a ship experience — it's a gateway to real destinations. In a single 7-night Caribbean cruise, you might snorkel the reefs of Cozumel in the morning, explore a centuries-old fort in San Juan that afternoon, and watch the sunset from a hilltop in St. Thomas the next day.

The best shore excursions go beyond the tourist trail. Cooking classes with local chefs in Rome. Zip-lining through the rainforest above Labadee, Haiti. Whale-watching off the Alaskan coast. Dog sledding on a glacier outside of Juneau. These are bucket-list moments that happen to be part of a cruise day.

The Food Is Better Than You Think

Cruise food has a reputation — and modern cruise lines have spent the last decade aggressively working to change it. The main dining rooms on most ships are genuinely excellent, with rotating menus, real chefs, and table service every night. Specialty restaurants run the gamut from sushi and steakhouse to Italian and Japanese teppanyaki.

For casual dining, the variety is staggering — pools-side grills, pizza, international stations, fresh salad bars, and the ever-present buffet with more options than you'll be able to try in a week.

The Feeling of Waking Up at Sea

I saved the best for last, because it's the thing that's hardest to explain until you've experienced it. On sea days — days when you're sailing between ports and there's nothing but ocean in every direction — there's a feeling of peace and perspective that's unlike anything else in travel.

You're completely disconnected from the noise of daily life. The horizon stretches in every direction. The ship hums quietly beneath you. You're nowhere, and everywhere, all at once. Melissa and I have spent hours just sitting on our balcony watching the water go by, not saying anything, just being present in one of the most beautiful environments on earth.

That feeling is what keeps us coming back. And it's what I want every traveler to experience at least once.

Ready to Try Your First Cruise?

If you've been on the fence about cruising, I'd love to help you take the leap. The first cruise is the hardest decision — every cruise after that one is easy, because you'll already know what you've been missing. Reach out and let's find the perfect first voyage for you.