Cruising 101

Why choose a cruise?

Convenience

A lot of travelers (seriously, 34.6 million people went on a cruise in 2024!) like cruising because it takes a lot of the hassle out of their vacation. With cruises, so much is wrapped up in the package that it makes it easy to stay busy—or not, if you’d rather—without scrambling to order an Uber or make a reservation every night. Most cruises have a great assortment of

dining and entertainment options right on board, so you never even have to leave the ship if you don’t want to! Of course, you can also add on excursions: exciting, often exclusive

activities the cruise line sets up for you. Recently, the Smileys got to kayak in the Balearic Sea on an excursion during their European cruise. Read more about it in Smiley Travel's newsletter for July 2025! 

And now, read below for some reasons cruises might be the right choice for you!

Less Stress

Cruises stop in multiple ports, allowing you to see several destinations, but you never have to pack your suitcase! This one is a huge plus for me, because I’m not a super organized person and trying to keep a suitcase in order on a multi-destination road trip is a real challenge for me. Being able to get comfortable and know I have a “home” for the entire trip? Game changer!

Irreplicable Experiences

Whale watching off the coast of Alaska? Seeing the Norwegian Fjords from the deck of a riverboat? There are some views that can only be seen from the water. Pictured Rocks, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is a great example of this. When my husband and I went on a Michigan road trip we booked a special boat tour to see the colorful cliffs. It was so worth it!

There’s also exclusive places like Perfect Day at CocoCay, a small private island that’s only available to Royal Caribbean cruise ships. If you’re going on the Smiley Cruise in November, you’ll get to have your own Perfect Day at CocoCay!

Affordability

In some cases, cruises can be more affordable than a normal vacation. I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out. Most components of a cruise are prepaid. You can book the cruise, your meal and drinks plans, even your excursions well in advance and pay it off before your trip even starts. You can (and should) book your flight to the port and any other accommodations you need in your departure city months before the ship departs. With a little discipline—I know, not something any of us want to think about on vacation!—you could avoid a lot of the costs associated with travelling. Because cruise packages include your dining, drinks, a bevy of entertainment, and other on-ship perks, you don’t need to budget for eating out or going to shows. You have the option to add your excursions and extras to your package when you book and we encourage Smiley Travelers to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime experiences some cruises offer through excursions. You can always choose to upgrade your dining experience for an evening, or add an extra excursion after you’ve departed, but most Smiley Travelers say they never felt like that was necessary. 

A Chance to Fan Out!

Themed cruises are vast and varied and hugely popular! Whether you like music, food, or scifi there’s something for you. In April of this year, Creed hosted a tour with Norwegian that featured grunge rock concerts from the band itself and some of their friends, like Hoobastank.

If food is your passion, Silversea Cruises S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) is right up your alley. Created by former editor-in-chief of Saveur magazine, Adam Sachs, S.A.L.T. promises one-of-a-kind dining, cooking classes on ship, and unique culinary excursions. 

For me, though, the coolest themed cruise of 2025 was the Comic-Con cruise. Hosted by Felicia Day, plus featuring guest celebs like Warwick Davis and George Takei, the cruise featured costume contests, trivia nights, and autograph and signing nights with the celebs. I would have been fangirling so hard!

Did I inspire you to give cruisin’ a try?

Get with Smiley Travel to learn more about which cruise is best for you!