I spend the majority of every cruise I take in the same place: my balcony. Whether I’m reading a book, sunbathing without the crowds of the pool deck or watching the sunset, a stateroom with a veranda offers a private space to enjoy ever-changing scenery and the close-up crash of waves. Balconies back on land simply aren’t the same.
Cruises offer a unique way to vacation, offering accommodations, transportation and activities all in one, with a range of distinct features that keep guests coming back. With some distressing stories around cruise ships lately, USA TODAY asked six frequent cruisers about their favorites.
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Here’s what they said.
1. Waking up in a new place
Mike Smith and his partner have a morning routine when they sail. “We wake up in the morning, and I go, ‘OK, favorite part,’ and ‘favorite part’ means getting out of bed – and we always get a balcony room – and we rip the curtains open as fast and hard as we can, and then it lets all the sunshine in, and it usually reveals where the new port is,” he said.
Smith, who teaches American Sign Language and makes travel content on his Instagram account, cited one particularly memorable morning in Mexico’s Cabo San Lucas. “And it was like that iconic, almost screensaver background of the Cabo peninsula just jutting out, gorgeous.”
2. Access to hard-to-reach destinations
Jordan Taylor, one half of JJ Cruise, said that cruise ships can help guests get to destinations that may be challenging – and cost-prohibitive – to reach otherwise.
“I love the ability to fly to Miami and then head to the Southern Caribbean, or fly to London and go up to the Norwegian fjords, or there are parts of Alaska that are really difficult to get to,” he said. “I think cruise ships have opened up a world to everyone to make places accessible and easy to get to, whereas it might be more difficult without them.”
3. Making friends from across the globe
Taylor’s husband and the other half of JJ Cruise, Jared Dailey, said he realized over time that while passengers and crew members hail from all over, “it’s kind of a small world on every ship.” He has found friends at sea.
“It could be on a Caribbean sailing for five nights, or it could be around the world, and you’re in a new culture like Japan, and you’re just finding people that you’re meshing with, you’re clicking with, and building those lifelong friendships,” he said. “We’ve seen that the more we cruise, the more we know people from around the world and get to know what their backgrounds are, and it’s just kind of a beautiful thing.”
4. Having a shared experience
RacQuelle Major-Holland, owner of Major Adventures Travel Agency, similarly said that cruises “naturally and effortlessly” bring travelers together.
“No matter your background, career, or where you come from, once you’re on that ship, you’re just someone enjoying the journey,” she said. “And there’s something really special about that shared energy: thousands of people choosing to slow down, have fun, and experience the world together.”
5. Starting the day at sea
“My overarching favorite thing about cruising is sitting out on the deck at sunrise as we slowly cruise in the middle of the ocean, feeling the breeze on my skin while I’m doing my morning meditation,” said Heather Schlueter, who documents her retirement travels on YouTube with her husband, Paul. The pair aims to spend one-third of the year on cruises.
6. Falling asleep to the waves
“No matter which cruise line, one of my favorite aspects of cruising is being gently rocked to sleep at night,” Paul Schlueter added. “I love hearing the boat quietly creak with the movement of the ocean as I drift off to sleep. I sleep better on cruise ships than anywhere.”
This story was updated to refresh headlines.
