Are cruises worth it? Here are the pros and cons of cruises (2024)

Everything in life has pros and cons, whether you're debating moving to a new city, starting a job, or even taking a vacation!

If you're new to cruising, you are probably wondering if they are worth it or not. Would you enjoy everything that a cruise has to offer, or are you better off booking a land-based vacation?

Cruises are very affordable, relaxing, and convenient. You get to see multiple countries and cities without unpacking your suitcase. Others, however, argue that they may feel trapped onboard a ship or might worry about seasickness. Additionally, there's not as much flexibility and onboard expenses can quickly add up.

Are cruises worth it? Ultimately, the answer depends entirely on what kind of vacation you’re looking for and how you like to travel. Here's a list of the pros and cons of cruising to help you decide.

Pros

Cruises provide the ultimate convenience

One of the most convenient perks of cruising is being able to unpack your suitcase one time while still visiting multiple destinations. There’s plenty of storage within cabins to utilize space, so you don’t need to worry about repacking until your cruise is over.

Also, everything you need to have a fabulous vacation is found in one place when you cruise. Your hotel, transportation, entertainment, and food are all located onboard. There’s very little logistic planning that needs to be done when you cruise.

Of course, you'll have to plan what you want to do in port. However, that is another great convenience of cruising: you can do whatever you want! Do you want to take a cruise that visits different culturally rich places, or would you rather take a cruise to The Bahamas and lounge on the beach each day?

Ability to see multiple places

If you tend to get restless staying in one spot for vacation, then you should seriously consider cruising. Your itinerary will visit multiple places, making it very easy to see lots of new countries and cities. You get a taste of different cultures, and you will find plenty of variety when you cruise.

This can be a huge advantage, especially for places that can be traditionally difficult to visit. For example, if you are interested in traveling to St. Petersburg, Russia, this typically requires a tourist visa; however, those on a cruise and organized shore excursion can visit visa-free! This is both convenient and cost-efficient.

Moreover, you may find a place that you want to return to on an extended land-based vacation since you cannot see everything a port has to offer in eight hours. Maybe you love the beaches of St. Maarten and wouldn't mind returning and staying at a resort. Perhaps you fell in love with the culture of a specific European city.

A lot is included in your base fare

When you’re on a cruise, pretty much everything is included in your cruise fare. In addition to your lodging and transportation, the cruise fare includes delicious food, amazing entertainment, and tons of activities.

Foodies will love the large variety and high quality of food available. Families with kids will appreciate all of the onboard thrills available on bigger cruise ships, and guests of all ages will be wowed by the entertainment available.

With so much already included in your basic cruise fare, this truly creates a more inclusive atmosphere than other vacations. Of course, there are plenty of ways to spend money onboard and in-port, but the basic cruise fare is still very inclusive. You can have as much at dinner as you'd like without worrying about racking up a huge bill!

Cruises are an affordable way to travel and take a much-needed vacation

One of the reasons I love to cruise is that they are very affordable. You can find cruises that are as cheap as $40-$50 per day. When you consider that this includes food, transportation, and lodging, it’s hard to find another vacation that’s equally as affordable.

I’ve found that all-inclusive resorts are sometimes double the price of cruising, although they offer fairly similar experiences in my opinion.

Even as college students on a tight budget, my (now) husband and I found cruises to be way cheaper than independent travel. We were able to see multiple countries and have a safe, comfortable place to come back to each night.

While you can find dirt-cheap accommodations in certain places, combing back to your cozy cabin each night is comforting and reliable.

There are so many opportunities to relax

Because cruises are so convenient, you have very little to worry about. There’s tons of flexibility and free time when you cruise because everything is taken care of.

You don’t have to worry about where to eat or how to get to your next destination. Parents don’t need to worry about finding activities and entertainment for their kids. You can rest easy knowing that the crew wants to pamper you and ensure you have a wonderful experience.

If you like to have a packed vacation with nonstop activities, you can book your days full of fun both onboard and in-port. Those who prefer to kick back and do very little planning will find cruises equally as worthwhile.

You can do as much or as little as you want! This is also a reason why cruising with a bigger group works well, as everyone can find a balance that works best for them.

High-quality food and entertainment

Another reason that I love cruising is all the high-quality food and entertainment available onboard. While visiting different ports and spending the day exploring, it’s so nice to feel pampered onboard.

With so much food available, there is always something new and exciting to try. As major foodies, we eat like royalty when we cruise! Gourmet dining and multi-course meals aren't in our normal routine, so this makes our vacation feel extra special. In addition to what's included, you can splurge on specialty restaurants for even more options!

The entertainment is also incredible onboard a cruise ship. Some of the bigger and newer ships even have Broadway-style musicals, like Six, Disney's Frozen, Mamma Mia, and more.

Entertainment can also include ice skating performances and water shows with high divers and synchronized swimmers. You can also expect to see comedians, acrobats, jugglers, singers, dancers, and more!

Some cruise lines are known for their entertainment offerings over others, which is why it is important that you do your research prior to booking anything. You wouldn't want to book a cruise on a specific ship just to learn that the show you were hoping to see is on another line.

It's easy to plan a large group vacation

Cruises are great for family reunions because they're easy to plan. If you have a lot of people in your group, you may even qualify for a group rate and save additional money on your cruise fare!

During the day, everyone is able to do what they want. You can, for instance, relax by the pool while others test their knowledge at trivia in the morning and meet up later in the evening for a delicious dinner in the main dining room!

One person in your party can reach out to the shore excursions team for assistance in planning your days ashore, too. Maybe a private tour will be better than trying to find a single excursion that everyone can agree on.

Cons of taking a cruise vacation

Choppy seas

Since your cruise ship is, indeed, sailing the ocean, you can be subject to choppy waters. Weather can be unpredictable and change at a moment's notice. While most newer ships are designed to mitigate motion, those with sensitive stomachs might not appreciate the ship’s rocking.

Packing Dramamine is always on my list for cruising, as there’s nothing worse than feeling nauseous on vacation. Choppy seas can be a huge bummer, especially if the crew decides to close the top deck.

You can't forget that you are on a moving vessel in the ocean. This doesn’t happen often but should be considered when deciding if a cruise is right for you.

Your time ashore is limited, so you most likely won't get to do everything that you want to do

Seeing a variety of ports can be a pro for many cruisers but only having limited time in port is usually a con for others. The ship normally arrives at a new port in the morning, between 6am-8am, and departs in the evening. You might also need to be tendered to the port from the ship, which cuts into your time on land.

This means you can’t see much more in the city than the basic highlights on a day tour. Those who like to be immersed in a city’s culture might feel lackluster towards cruising.

Some itineraries will feature longer port stays than others; it's actually becoming increasingly more popular to have multiple days in port. Cruise lines are trying to accommodate these cruising wishes. One example is offering a late stay in Santorini, Greece so cruisers can catch the incredibly beautiful sunset on the Greek Island.

You can also find sailings with overnight stays in certain ports, like Bermuda and the Holy Land. If you're worried about not having enough time, ask your travel agent to help you find sailings with overnight stays.

Lack of control

Once you step onboard a cruise ship, you are at the mercy of the cruise line and the captain’s decision-making. Your itinerary can be changed at any time, which is highlighted in the contract you sign when booking your reservation. If, for instance, you opt to cruise during hurricane season, you are potentially risking a storm impacting your itinerary.

For example, Hurricane Lee disrupted multiple itineraries during September 2023. Carnival Magic was not able to cruise to Bermuda. Instead, she went from Norfolk, Virginia to Half Moon Cay, Nassau, and Freeport.

You also don’t have control over the cruise ship’s sailing schedule. If the ship is departing port by 7pm, you will need to be onboard when the cruise line requires. If you aren’t back in time, you will miss the ship and can expect to wave goodbye from the port as it leaves you behind. Ultimately, you don’t have the freedom to stay in the port and explore at your own pace.

Cruises aren't actually all-inclusive, and you might end up paying more for expensive shore excursions, drink packages, and internet

Although your basic cruise fare is very inclusive, most cruise lines do not include port tours, internet, or alcohol onboard. This means you’ll need to pay for each of these a la carte if you want to have access to these amenities.

This is the case on most cruise lines, but not always. For example, Celebrity Cruises has moved to a more inclusive pricing model to include unlimited drinks and internet. Certain loyalty programs will also include perks for returning cruisers to help mitigate the cost of cruise add-ons.

Those who want to drink will need to debate whether it's worth it to buy a drink package or not. They're a great deal if you're a bigger drinker; however, those who only have a few drinks before or after dinner won't benefit from paying for a package.

Internet is available as a daily charge or package, even though it is often very slow. Newer ships have integrated higher-speed internet, which is a welcome change. Some cruise lines have different packages, too, meaning that the base Internet package might not include all the features that you're hoping for, like music and video streaming.

The high price of shore excursions can also offset the affordability of cruising. These are very convenient options that are operated in accordance with cruise lines and usually ensure you won't miss the ship if your tour is running late.

The shore excursions offered through the cruise line are usually much more expensive than independent tours because of the convenience and ensured safety.

Cruises can often feel crowded

Cruise lines are building bigger and better mega-ships that can hold thousands of passengers. Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Wonder of the Seas, can hold an astonishing 7,000 people onboard when sailing at full capacity. This doesn’t even include the 2,300 crew members needed to operate the ship!

With so many people onboard, some cruisers might feel overwhelmed and like they are trapped on an overcrowded ship.

Ships are designed to feel open and ensure passengers do not feel trapped, but those who struggle with claustrophobia might want to reconsider cruising. Researching cruise ship size and capacity might help with choosing the right itinerary and sailing.

Cruises can feel repetitive

If you choose to sail on the same ship or visit the same places, your cruise will most likely feel repetitive, as you won't have as many new experiences.

Let's say that you went on a 4-night cruise to The Bahamas last year onboard Carnival Conquest. Even if you're sailing on a different Carnival ship, you might want to visit new ports. Thankfully, there are plenty of destinations, cruise lines, and ships to choose from.

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Are cruises worth it? Here are the pros and cons of cruises (2024)