1) Vacation Value — Cruises offer great value for your vacation dollar because the fares include nearly everything you’ll need for a fantastic trip: food, accommodations, daytime and evening entertainment and transportation between destinations. Some cruise lines also offer additional perks (such as free drink packages, shore excursion credits, or free onboard spending money) to bring added value to your vacation experience.

2) Visit Multiple Destinations in One Vacation — When you choose to cruise, you unpack once and your floating hotel takes you from city to city or from island to island . No need to mess with trains or ferry schedules, or lug your suitcase along unfamiliar streets. Every morning, you’ll wake up in a new place ready to experience a whole new destination. Can’t decide between the Bahamas or Mexico, or France or Spain? Why choose? Pick an itinerary that visits all the cities on your wish list. Cruising is the ultimate “tasting platter” of the travel world.

3) The Food — Highly touted as one of the most popular reasons vacationers flock to cruising, the variety of food options are endless and also of incredible quality (if you choose the right cruise line, of course). At any time of day  you can find cuisine to suit even the pickiest of eaters! Dine in the main dining rooms, splurge on a specialty restaurant (most ships have multiple exciting specialty restaurant options scattered around the ship), or opt for noshing in the comfort of your stateroom with room service…so many choices and you can try them all! Cruises are also the perfect time to try new foods from all around the world. Many cruise lines offer cooking classes to showcase cuisines from the ports of call on your specific sailing, so don’t hesitate to take advantage!

4) Family-Friendly — From toddlers to teens, grandparents to grandchildren, family cruises are fun for all ages. If you’re struggling to find a vacation that your 6-, 10- and 16-year-olds will all enjoy  (and boasts excellent adult activities, too) ships now have extensive kids’ facilities, split by age and filled with fun activities to keep busy. Teens have their own hip hangouts, far away from the play areas for younger children. Each family member can spend the day enjoying their own age-appropriate activities, then come together for dinner or  an shore excursion as a family unit. Parents can even sneak in a romantic dinner alone by taking advantage of late-night hours in the kids’ club! Many cruise lines also offer babysitting services as well.

5) Provides Vacation Variety — Cruise ships these days are designed to keep even the most finicky travelers happy. Want to pamper yourself at the spa while your spouse hits the casino? Or lounge by the pool while your kids play basketball. You can attend an educational lecture on various ports of call, a wine tasting or a dance workshop; paint pottery, play bingo, learn a new language or practice your yoga skills. If you’re hungry, dine at a casual buffet, a fancy sit-down restaurant, sushi bar, or steakhouse. Feel like being entertained? Catch a movie, a stand-up comedian, a Broadway-type show or live music performance. And if all you want to do is nothing while the ship sails from port to port, you can do that, too!

6) Cruise Ships are like Floating Cities — If you’re worried about being stranded in the middle of the ocean for days on end…RELAX! Cruise ships are like floating cities with everything you could possibly want onboard. Today’s ships are connected with Wi-Fi, cell service and satellite TV so you can stay in touch with dry land during your cruise (if you even want to). A variety of onboard shops sell the toiletries you forgot to pack, medical centers can provide medicine or a doctor’s services if needed, and laundry facilities are available, so no need to over-pack. Of course, there’s also the fun stuff like spas, multiple restaurants, swimming pools, theaters and discos.

7) Enjoyment For All Traveler Types — The ideal cruise ship for one person may be a mega-ship outfitted with onboard rock-climbing walls and outdoor movie theaters, while another will prefer an smaller, more intimate ship with upscale ambiance. Luckily, all those different types of cruise ships exist. From relaxing walks around a city to adventurous hikes for those looking for an adrenaline rush, cruise ships also offer unlimited options for shore excursions making for a customizable vacation to remember. There’s a cruise experience to suit every traveler type!

Honorable mentions: No housekeeping, leave it to the cruise line; Being “unplugged” for a while (you can skip out on the internet package if you prefer!); Family togetherness; Travel the world without flying (for those in close proximity to cruise departure ports); Party time (all-you-can-drink beverage package options and numerous bar facilities onboard); and lastly, meeting people from all over the world and making lifelong friends!

Are you ready to choose cruising as your next vacation? Contact me today!

Written by Casey Cote: Casey Cote is a travel agent with Destinations to Explore. She loves planning incredible vacations at no cost to you. To book your next cruise, all-inclusive resort vacation, family getaway or honeymoon, contact at Casey@destinationstoexplore.com. You can also find her on Facebook!