I explain cruising as traveling to different places while staying at the same hotel for the entire trip!

Getting seasick and being claustrophobic were my two biggest reasons to not go cruising. But so far those fears have no basis. And just being on the ocean is very therapeutic for me. I so love cruising! At 74 years old I wish I would have started cruising much younger!! And I wish I could convince my family to come with me! They are missing out!!

How can anyone say that cruising is not a real vacation? It like a triple vacation. You have the trip (short or long) to and/or from the port, the ship itself is a vacation, the ship takes you to different destinations every day. You unpack once and can wake up in a different port, city, state, country or continent every day…it’s the best type of vacation….

My wife and I went on our first cruise in June. For me, beyond the travel to get to the port, it was the easiest vacation I’ve ever been on. The only rule was don’t miss the ship. It was fun to get up each morning and plan our day and being able to see a show each evening was like being on a date the whole week.

Growing up I definitely thought it was a "rich" person thing to go on a cruise. Getting seasick was a fear but I didn't have a real issue with it. Which was surprising since I can get motion sickness at the movies. (No joke) I'm very glad I decided to go and now I'm hooked. I don't get to as much as I would like, but I'm making plans as much as possible.

I think you're underestimating the value of "just" sleeping, eating, and hanging out by the pool...🤣 I leave Sunday on the Allure of the Seas and cannot wait! Your videos have been invaluable in getting me and my wife ready to go. Great videos!

It’s all about the Eating & Drinking!! You decide how much or how little you do when cruising. It’s Great!!

We just completed our very first ever cruise. I was afraid of getting seasick since I am not a 'water' person. I took along meds just in case, and surprisingly was NEVER seasick at all. I did laugh at your statement about 'bad things happening". Our sailing presented us with a hurricane (the very capable Captain and crew diverted us and we actually never felt anything of the hurricane). On that same day, a medical emergency developed on the ship and we again had to divert to the Grand Caymans to allow the sick person to be taken for medical treatment. We ended with an announcement from the Captain explaining the diversion for the medical emergency and that we had actually had to turn around for a 3 hour water search for a man overboard! I have laughingly stated that we hit a trifecta on our first ever cruise! The man overboard was just as you stated-someone doing something extremely foolhardy and that everyone is warned to NOT do. Long time cruisers we met onboard asked us if this run of 'unfortunate incidents' would keep us from cruising in the future. Our answer- "no! In fact, we are currently studying and making plans for another cruise in 2024!

This will be my 1st cruise on Royal Caribbean,can’t wait to go the ship looks amazing and so much fun 🤩 I’m looking for to having a blast next year for my birthday I’m November 2024 🎉🎉

Before I took my first cruise, I thought cruising was just for old people. The only person I knew who went on cruises was my grandfather. I thought of cruising as dining, theatre shows, art auctions and ballroom dancing haha 😂 I was offered a chance to go for free on a cruise with a friend and although I wasn't sure I would like it, I decided to go because hey, free holiday! I was completely blindsided by just how different cruising was to my expectations. We went on Voyager and it was nothing like I expected. I loved it and have not been able to get enough of cruising since 💙

You really hit the nail on the head with that last one. I hate when people say that "cruising is not really traveling" 😡 YES, IT IS!! 🥰

Only reason my one coworker gives to not wanting to Cruise is the time schedule for ports.

I explain cruising in a different way to people I know. I say it's a place where all my meals are there, if I want to have a drink, or some, I can, and I can go back to my room whenever, or as little as I want. I am at my own leisure and ocean view balcony is extremely calming and relaxing. I wish I had started sooner, but I always had a fear of the ship sinking... That has yet to happen.

Like # 669 just came back from my very first cruise sailing on independence of the sea from CocoCay, Bahamas 🇧🇸

You're correct. The mainstream media is not the best for corredt information,not just about cruises but any.

I always would agree with you about price…. But not anymore…. All inclusive in Cancun at a nice hotel right now is way cheaper then a cruise…. .. there are a lot of channels out there right now saying royal Caribbean has gotten to expensive. And all the up charges are getting ridiculous! I love cruising but it’s def gone up in prize a lot. Thanks for The video Matt!

So many younger people are going to Vegas nowadays, instead of cruising… As a relative cruising neophyte, but a Vegas “expert”(well not really, but I’ve been there probably 70 times in the last 30 years as a southern California native) I would tell anybody that would listen that the majority of the bigger cruise ships nowadays, such as the oasis class on royal Caribbean, are very similar to an upscale Vegas resort for experiences!

Cruising can be anything you want it to be. I think of it as country sampling. You travel to different locations and spend a day there. If you like the area, you can always go back for a land vacation. But on the ship, you can do absolutely nothing and just watch the water or literally be busy every minute of the day. There is truly something for everyone.

The idea that cruise travel is not immersive enough is very much up to the individual. We have gone on cruises where we explored on our own, and found immersive, cultural experiences. I’ve also been on land vacations where, walking along a beach even in a small town,everyone seems to be just hanging out at all inclusives and not exploring the surrounding area at all.

Totally agree with the eating healthy part! I actually lose weight when I go on cruises because I'm on my feet more. Exploring the ship, on the walking track, on shore excursions, going to scheduled shows/events. Also by avoiding cakes on the cruise. Still got to enjoy entrees/amazing appetizers. I mean, if all you're doing on cruises is eating, drinking and lounging by the pool, who can you really blame!

I will be off on my third cruise in a few weeks, cruising from Sydney to the South Island of New Zealand . It will be my first solo cruise. I will be using My Time dining because I don't enjoy the idea of eating with strangers. I'm grateful that cruise ships have so many options for dining. It is true that a cruise is what you make it. I don't personally think that sailing on a resort type ship to a tropical resort type destination to spend the day at the beach is real travel but it's fine for those that enjoy it. If you live inland and never go to the beach it probably does feel new and exciting. Luckily there are many cruises that take you to places where you can explore and visit interesting places alone or on a tour. Of course a one or two day port stop cannot be as immersive as a land based holiday but it is a goo "taster" experience.

I love when people tell me how to travel. It's as easy as just going somewhere

One misconception I had before I went on a cruise was that everyone just drank and gambled on a cruise. I don't drink or gamble, so I wasn't sure there would be activities I would like. But I'm glad I was wrong. I love cruising so much!

I took my first cruise way back in 2002, on the Celebrity Century (now the Marella Explorer 2). I had resisted cruising up until that point because I thought I would be bored on a cruise ship. But I quickly learned that there is so much to do on a cruise ship that you don't have time to be bored. Lately I've really been getting my cruise groove on, having done three cruises since April 2002, most recently on Mariner. Fair to say at this point I have my routine down now for when I'm onboard. Next cruise is coming up in November, on Silhouette which will move me into Elite/Diamond territory.

Thank you for your helpful comments, Matt. I've shared this video with a non cruising family member, hope it helps them consider taking a ship trip.

I love Cruising, it’s the best & I always choose Royal Caribbean 👌

So tired of trying to explain these myths to people 😂😂. Everytime I say we are going on another cruise we hear isn’t that for old people or don’t you get bored? Also the dress code you mentioned is spot on I used to bring so much clothes just incase but now shorts shirts and slippers the whole trip. Even restaurants really don’t care your wearing shorts they just want the money

We love cruising and I am not bothered about having things to do. I take my knitting and a couple of good books and I am good to go. I need a rest from my hectic job. We have done RC once on the Independence and it was great but I am not sure about these new huge ships though. I have a friend (who has never cruised) who said that she thought that cruise ships sailed at 70 mph and she was worried about falling over! We have been seasick a couple of times but it did not put us off.

I never had misconceptions or anything about cruises, I just could not get my mother to go on a cruise because she always heard stories about crime situations and so on. Well I finally did talk her into it, however before I got the chance to arrange it, which I was getting ready to do, she passed. Anyway, in 2018 I said the heck with it and booked a cruise for myself. I have gone every year since except during the bad year. Cruising was always a dream of mine and in 3 days Im going to be realizing another dream. Ive never cruised with Royal but, Since that first sailing there was one royal caribbean ship I went nuts over when I seen it and said I will get on that ship one day. So on the 27th I will be walking down the gangplank jumping straight on to the Allure of the seas.

the thing about if cruises are expensive or not can depend on if you have to take a flight since flights are often expensive

I used to think cruising was “dumb” & you wouldn’t get the same feeling from flying. Then took a cruise & honestly, it’s not the same but I do love cruises! It’s a different experience & that’s just fine with me. Plus it’s a great way to hit up a bunch of new places 😊

I would say, there is a big concern now from long-time cruisers about the extra charges on things that used to be free or increased pricing. I personally understand inflation not only hits businesses on land, but also on sea as well, but NCL charging for mini golf? I mean, is it a fancy mini-golf area? Are we going to no longer have ANY dining places or meals included? In the past, having at least some dining options and 'extras' included in the price really helped plan the vacation. If they are going to charge more or extra for things, then I would expect the base price to go down. If the base price went down (you only paid for the room/ticket, nothing else) then okay. But to charge and charge and charge is getting out of hand. I am not saying EVERYTHING should be included, of course, it has never been that way, but I don't think charging for certain things without reducing the base price is fair. Alternatively, increase the base price a little to include things that used to be 'free' or included. The newer ships will of course be more expensive, they have to make back the money they paid for the new ship, which is high in demand and has more things to do. They may price themselves out of the market - there could not possibly be 7K people that could afford a $8K per week vacation week after week year after year - eventually, the demand will go down post COVID and prices will have to come down a little in order to attract customers. There are still a lot of people with vacation money to spend, but that won't last forever, and people probably won't put up with so many extra charges forever. Even the RCCL admits to that.

"Cruising isn't real travel". I mean.... cruising is "Travel light". And that's fine! I think "Travel Light" is better than no travel at all. But let's be real here. Going on a cruise, and stopping for a day at a given port is not the same as picking a region and exploring it for weeks. Example, if you take a European ocean cruise, stopping at "Rome", you're really going to Civitavecchia which is at least an hour away (longer with traffic). So you get off the ship, get on a bus and spend at least an hour getting to the city center and finally going on a walking tour or exploring on your own. But you have another hour drive back to the port, so you're limited to maaaayyybe 8 hours in Rome (almost certainly less). There's just no comparing that to spending a week in Rome. But it's not trying to be either. Cruising is like getting a taste of a lot of different places that will *hopefully* inspire you to return for a deeper look and experience.

I have cruised about 50 days in total. I'll tell you -- I get seasick every time. I use patches, ginger, looking at horizon, getting in the pool, sea bands, dramamine. Sometimes all at the same time. I still love cruising, but it definitely can be pervasive in some people. I wouldn't let it dissuade anyone from cruising.

The annoying part is the people spreading these misconceptions are people that have never cruised.

As a physician I will say that the scopolamine patches are highly effective but they often cause significant enough side effects (dry mouth, blurry vision/light sensitivity) that people can't wear them for the full 3 days they're supposed to. Meclizine (non-drowsy Dramamine) is also effective and tends to have fewer side effects. A Disney cruise I was on recently had those pills available for free outside the medical facility onboard. Not sure about Royal Caribbean though.

Been Cruising [ 89 Cruises ] since 1973 and still confuse at times ... SO JUST Cruise ON !!!

As to the point on the video about claustrophobia, people aren't going to know until they try it whether that is an issue for them. I have only been on one cruise. I did find our room very claustrophobic. I dealt with that by spending as little time as I could in the room and trying to make most of that time in the dark. The ship was large but the longer the trip went on the more claustrophobic I became. I felt relief every time I stepped ashore. I am open to another cruise but it would have to be to an area I really want to go to and I would want a port stop every day. Sea days do not agree with me.

It just takes one cruise to get people hooked. The few people I know who criticized cruising became converts after one sailing. One of my male anti-cruise friends (called cruises human Petri dishes) took a three-night cruise on RCL in February 2023, he’s going on his THIRD cruise this year over Thanksgiving, because he can get off the ship and visit his family. Of course, now he thinks he knows everything about cruising…

Number 10 isn't a misconception. Excursions "give you a taste", of the Port of Call City, not enough time to full appreciate the city's history and culture. Having said that, going to multiple vacation spots in a week is something which cannot be easily replicated on land. So it is a tradeoff.

I enjoy cruising because the cost is reasonable and I can do everything or nothing. It is my vacation. Cruising offers many options to those who sail.

So I went on my first cruise 4 yrs ago and it was the WORST experience and I actually said I'd never go on another one. However every single person I have spoken to since has told me that it's literally NEVER as bad as what i had experienced (just my luck lol). It was a carnival ship and it had some "mechanical issues". They were handing out vomit bags, the ship couldn't dock at either of our ports.....it was TERRIBLE. However we love the idea of a cruise and I am going on a RCCL in 2 weeks and have been bingewatching your channel. Here's hoping this one is a better experience :)

Also the news makes people think everybody will get sick/norovirus if you go on a cruise. In reality it’s a rare occurrence.

My wife and I love the cruising.. however our "group" of friends hold all of these ridiculous thoughts in one way or another.. including 'boring' from someone who's favorite thing is sitting reading and doing puzzles... Another one states claustrophobia in that she "can't get off the boat if she wants to" .. whatever that could mean.. So my wife and I go cruising on our own and have stopped discussing\sharing it with them.. it's frustrating. When they say "how was your trip?". "Fantastic". Is the answer and then we change the subject.. I'm not wasting my time and breath on watching them not really care anyway..

Too many people will make me claustrophobic. No huge ships for me. There has been more people overboard this year, fights and other things.

Looking forward to our next RCL cruise in January '24!!!

I want to go on a solo cruise

I do agree that cruise not being travel is a fair argument at least in the US. Just not that much to do in the caribbeans thats not touristy stuff. Similar with alaska. You also often don't have that much time to travel far from the port do things and come back depending on the ships departure schedule. I've heard europe cruises are better if you want to explore the local towns though?

Cruising is travel on rails. Still fun to see other countries.

Getting ready for my first ever cruise in a few weeks. My concern: crowds and noise. I don't like crowds, parties, or loud music. I'm in an interior cabin so planning on spending most of my time around the ship. Am counting on some tranquil decks and low keyed bars.

For those who do get seasick, I highly recommend wearing Sea Bands while cruising and eating ginger chews when you feel queasy

The worst thing about cruising is the elevators. The 2nd worst is the VERY LOUD music and whatever on the Promenade. I had to leave a restaurant because of the volume. It seems that the volume is aimed at those who are hard of hearing and drunks who can handle loud music.

As a beach lover cruising does not appeal to me at all!! Interesting video!

Not being able to eat healthy is not true, you are able to. Im ate gluten and dairy free so my options were limited but it was healthier. I usually had salads as a starter and then a normal meal as a main course and vegan ice cream or fruits as desert. The portions weren't thay big and we barely went to the buffet. I didn't gain any weight at all.

We tried a cruise and found it to be… boring. Time on shore goes by quickly and after a couple days you realize - I’m stuck on this ship and on someone else’s schedule for the vast majority of my vacation. You sail away from wonderful locales, each time thinking - I wish I could have stayed longer, that dinner place sounded so incredible, that show would have been fun to see,… We haven’t been on a cruise since.

I went on my first cruise, but I had to stick to the higher end because I hate crowds. 300 people I can handle.

08:56..... y'all see the rug on that dude's head entering the MDR? Whoa.

Great video

Cruises are crowded. Elevators packed, buffets packed, often with no tables available at peak times. Better to go early, as soon as it opens. Many venues are completely sold out. Want a massage? Book it early. Virtually, every place is crowded on a ship.

Do you advice paying monthly for a cruise or do a one time payment

I disagree (somewhat) on three points as someone who has cruised and will cruise again but has also extensively travelled by land. 1. The argument that experienced cruisers don't worry about sea sickness suffers from selection bias. People who suffer seasickness and have an awful time probably don't cruise again. The only way to know if you suffer and how well the drugs help is to cruise and see for yourself. Some people don't want to risk a terrible vacation (no matter how unlikely it is) and that is fine. The risk that you are sick the whole time is really low and the drugs do work well but to say you have cruised 187 times and never had a problem only tells me that YOU are not prone to seasickness. It does nothing to help my (theoretical) fear. 2. The cruising is better value argument depends largely on what kind of traveller you are. I will say for my wife and I cruises represent our most expensive vacations. That doesn't stop us but it is just a fact for us. To get what we want out of travel on a cruise we will need a junior suite, others will be happy in an interior suite. Some may struggle to get the entertainment they value on land, whereas we don't really care about the entertainment. We are happy in little 3 star local greek hotels on the water on islands you have never heard of. Others will want American style hotels and 5 star resorts. So the value proposition is very individual and could be better or could be worse. We are going on a cruise next year, so obviously we still see value in it, but the comparison is apples and oranges and one is definitely not "better value" than the other. 3. It is not snobbish to say that cruises are less culturally immersive than land travel. In the caribbean I don't think it is as obvious, but in Europe you just are not getting the same cultural experience on a cruise that you will get on a land based trip. That isn't to say that one is better than the other, on a cruise you can see a bunch of snippets of culture, but visiting Rhodes or Dubrovnik during the day when the population doubles with cruise guests vs visiting at night are two different experiences. Also you are really not experiencing a place retreating back to american food on board in the evening. For many this is preferable, some culture shock but not too much. So I am not saying one is better than the other but it is a fact that travelling by cruise ship will be less culturally immersive than land based travel. There is a difference between vacationing and travelling, and both have value. Cruise ships could actually do a lot better at bringing the local culture on board in the form of food and entertainment. I could probably write a lot more and give a better nuanced argument on these points, but this is not the place for an essay. Suffice to say that people should try cruising but it certainly isn't for everyone for a number of reasons and that is ok.

Now that I'm retired, I'm thinking I'm too OLD to cruise. I'm not wanting to walk the decks of a ship as big as Disney World and with just as many kids. 😕

I have had most of the misconceptions. Many people still do. I do think there is an older crowd but its likely because of where I cruise and when. I am not sure about people who worry about dressing up. Nothing wrong about looking nice, taking an effort is not a horrible thing. I wear dresses almost every night. Usually a mix of casual and business classy style. I never opt for random seating with strangers.

The sea sick thing is real. Except those silly bands don’t work. Either get the patch or take meds. I don’t get sea sick on huge ships like cruise ships but will on smaller ones when stationary and rocking. So when on smaller ones or when riding on a bus in the Caribbean islands I take Bonine as it’s isn’t drowsy for me. My wife took the patch and loved it.

7:51 What the heck is a “silent disco?”

You can’t deny the lack of freedom/ exposure to the culture you have on cruises compared to land travel. They do a good job of making you forget, but at the end of the day it’s an illusion. A Window shopping style of traveling

One thing that may stop some people from cruising is thinking that (thanks to unlimited drinks) there are too many drunk people onboard. I'm sure that varies from one cruise to another, but is there any truth to it?

I remembered carnival sat me and my boyfriend with another couple I was extremely pissed about that I don’t know these people why am I sitting next to them

Our very first cruise is booked for March 2024. Yes I am still a bit concerned about seasickness tho neither of us have ever shown any signs of motion sicknesse in the past. We have fkown, been on fishing boats of different sizes and travel by land. My other concern is being so far from land. Will we feel anxious I wonder.

Ummm….cruising is EXPENSIVE. Just like every other vacation venue. However, I feel I get more bang for my bucks with cruising.

If you want to avoid gaining weight....Skip lunch and skip dessert at dinner.

When you leave the port for the day, what do you need to get back on the cruise. Getting ready for my first cruise

I live in Chicago. I am going to Caribbean next month. And we are only 2 adults. This is going to be our first trip. Could you please recommend which ship is better? Thanks

Man, these cruises are getting insanely expensive. Our Icon cruise has more than doubled in price since we booked it. Stop running cover for these guys.

Bad things do always happen on cruise ships carnival cruise ships

I am most concerned about who I'm trapped on a boat with. I've seen too many videos of bad behavior on cruise ships. One one hand, I don't want to be judged or preached at by the snooty. Certain people love eye-rolling and heavy sighing. On the other hand, I don't want to share space with people who order half the menu at a restaurant and then run out on the bill.

All true points. However the topic of people being allergic to tailored clothing these days is a separate conversation lol

@9:42 i think you mean fortunately? lol

I have been on 23 cruises and love this style of vacation, but i don't consider it traveling. Spending a few hours in a port doing an excursion or buying a t-shirt just isn't my definition of "traveling".

UP NEXT

Cruises are expensive if you don’t live near a port. One has to consider the cost of a round trip airline ticket, and hotel for the night before, with the cost of the cruise itself. There are also numerous add ons that have to be included. Cruises are deleting more and more things that were once standard. Drink packages are overpriced, specialty restaurants as well. If you don’t mind bland buffet food you’re fine.

If I have to take medicine to vacation then it’s a no for me.

I cruise quite a bit and it's not real travel. You don't have time to learn the the culture and most places that cater to cruises only offer tourist attractions.

If you go star class, there is a lot of flexibility in the dress code.

For me it would be dress code confusion.

But there are still over-represent old people who take cruises, so its not wrong.

1970's Love Boat forever, I have had 5 mia tai, give me a shotgun I'm going to shoots some skeet.

Sorry... you are not going to find a better vacation value than a transatlantic cruise! And only boring people are bored on a cruise. LOL

10:13 …except the Costa Concordia…