If you’re currently planning your next vacay, you may be grappling with the classic internal struggle involved with choosing what type of vacation to go on: sea or land? And while both cruises and resort stays have their merits, let’s be real. Trying to decide between the two is a good problem to have. But I’ll be the first to sing the praises of a sea vacation every single time this conundrum comes up.
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Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or this is your first sojourn, sea vacations suit every stage of wanderlust. Why? Ask and you shall receive. Here are all the reasons sea travel can top a land-based vacation you may be considering.
1. The convenience
You can’t beat having everything loaded onto the ship, ready and waiting for you in your stateroom when you arrive. No dragging your luggage around from destination to destination, either — all the logistics are taken care of upfront so you can get straight to enjoying your vacation.
2. The food
Yes, you should absolutely try the local cuisine when you pull into a port. But can we all just agree that having practically every type of delicious food at your fingertips while at sea is the stuff dreams are made of? If you’re a mama traveling with a picky eater, this likely rings especially true.
3. The degree of selections
When you vacation by sea, you have so many choices — many of which can be made last-minute without having to worry about prior reservations. Where you are going to eat, how you are going to spend your day, what kinds of activities you are going to participate in… you have complete control over your agenda, and it couldn’t be easier to map out the trip that suits you best.
4. The entertainment
Looking for something fun to do in your downtime? Well, how about dinner and a show? Or a game of bingo in which you could win enough cash to make up for what you’re probably going to drop into the slot machines? Speaking of which, how much fun is a vacation with a built-in casino on board? Sea vacations offer high-class entertainment mere minutes from your stateroom door.
5. The efficiency
There’s nothing worse than feeling like your vacation is slipping through your fingers, and that feeling can certainly be exacerbated when you’re sitting around waiting for your next planned activity to begin. Sure, you could always use downtime for a little R&R, but it’s nice to have options. With sea vacations, there doesn’t have to be any lag time — not only does the ship keep traveling while you sleep so you can awake to a new destination, but there is quite literally always something to do when you find yourself with a free moment.
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6. The inclusivity
It sounds trite to say there’s something for everyone on a sea vacation but, hey, it’s true. I’ve traveled by sea with my nearly 90-year-old grandmother and my small children, and everyone found something to keep them content for the duration of the trip. That kind of inclusivity is priceless.
7. The people
If you love meeting new people, you’re in luck — because cruise ships boast such large and diverse populations of passengers, there’s never a shortage of fascinating new friends to make. Not only does being on a ship with so many people give you the opportunity to make acquaintances from many different walks of life, but it also gives you ample time and ways to get to cultivate your burgeoning connections with those new buddies.
8. The variety
Variety is the spice of life, as they say, in which case sea vacations are arguably the most diverse form of travel. In addition to the aforementioned food and entertainment, there are also seemingly endless options where onshore excursions are concerned. Taking in Machu Picchu in South America? Yes, please!
9. The ease of seguing
A vacation inherently includes times when doing nothing sounds like your idea of heaven and heading to your stateroom to hunker down for a bit is just the ticket. But what if you catch your second wind mid-siesta and decide you want to reallocate your hour of slumber? On a sea vacation, that simply requires walking out your door and choosing the direction of your ideal activity.
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10. The view
Last but not least, let’s talk about that view. If at any point during your vacation you want to see the stunning blue waters of the sea, you don’t have to hail a cab toward the coast or lug a ton of gear to the nearest beach access. You’re already there — simply take a look out your stateroom window or head to the deck for the ultimate ocean view.
This post was sponsored by Princess Cruises.
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