Have you ever wanted to go on a cruise vacation but weren’t totally sure if it’s right for you and what you want?

I’ve compiled a list of the pros and cons of cruises for you to consider when deciding if you want to go on a cruise vacation!

Personally, I am a huge fan of cruising and it’s one of my favorite ways to vacation.

I’ve been on multiple cruises in the past and am happy to share a list of my opinion of what are the pros and cons of cruises!

Pros

-You Get Many Options

You can pick and choose what it is you want to do throughout your vacation.

You can attend the planned activities, go grab food, sit by the pool, listen to live music, get off the boat and go on excursions at the port, watch or participate in competitions, see a comedy show, etc.

It’s nice you can have a schedule or just relax and not worry about time.

-There’s Always Something Happening

Going along with my point of having options in what you want to do, there is literally always something happening on the ship. Especially on days when you’re at sea.

-The Restaurants & The Food

What’s awesome about cruises is there are a lot of options of where you can eat for all of your meals. You can grab different types of food in the buffet, go to a fancy sit-down restaurant, eat at the sushi bar, or an Irish pub. I really love that there are so many different options to choose from.

The food is also pretty amazing and one of my favorite parts of cruising. I especially love that I can try different and fancy foods I wouldn’t normally order!

Also, on the cruises, I’ve been on they had ice cream machines around the ship and you can get a cone whenever you want! Hell, you could have 5 a day and nobody is going to stop you!

-Live Music

One of the perks of cruising is there is usually some sort of live music, as well as entertainment for that matter. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s a ton of fun to hang out, drink a glass of wine, and listen to some live music when I’m on vacay.

They also have piano bars on the boat, live music by the pool, and live music in spots around the ship!

-Easy to Make Friends

It’s pretty easy to make friends when you’re on a cruise! A lot of people have similar interests and you will probably see the same people at the same events you go to. Say hi and make a new friend!

-You Don’t Have to Drive Home

Meaning, you can totally have a couple of drinks because you don’t need to find a ride home. Get it? Because you’re on a boat? LOL!

Okay, I know that joke was super lame, but seriously, cruises are meant for you to relax and have a good time. I’m not saying get shit faced, but having a couple of drinks if you want is totally okay!

-The Staff is SUPER Nice

I mean, like, over the top extremely nice. Workers on cruises have literally the best customer service I’ve ever experienced.

I think I’ve only run into one or two grumpy employees, but it’s rare and far between.

-The Shows

The shows are usually top-notch. Pretty much all of the entertainment is included and you can see some awesome shows. I once got to see the Blue Man Group on a cruise and a hypnotist!

They also have all sorts of shows, such as music, comedy, musicals, dancing, etc.

-Beautiful & Clean Boat

So, I can’t speak for cruises I haven’t been on, but every cruise I have been on so far have been very well kept and very clean!

Even if there is a mess on the floor, it is usually cleaned up quick by the staff.

-No Cleaning

One awesome perk of going on a cruise for your vacation is you don’t have to do any cleaning. Granted, that’s true on most vacations.

However, on the cruise you get your room cleaned twice a day, a bucket full of ice, and you can usually pay to have your laundry cleaned. I also love unpacking on a cruise and putting my clothes in the drawers to keep my cabin organized!

-Daily Itineraries

Every night you will get a daily itinerary for the next day of everything happening on the boat.

I usually take a few minutes to look at it with my travel partners a.k.a. my family and we decide what we for sure want to do, what we want to check out if we are bored, and what we don’t! It makes planning the next day pretty easy!

-You Won’t Need Cash on The Boat

You can have everything put on your room key so you don’t need to carry around your wallet or cash!

You need your room key to get back into your cabin anyway, so it’s nice they let you charge any extra expenses to it!

-See Interesting Places

What is also great about cruises is you can spend the day in one country, and the next somewhere else!

You can also choose different excursions on different islands you are visiting. They usually have options to sightsee, relax on a beach, scuba dive, snorkel, sailing, swim with dolphins, etc.

Cons

-Crowds

One of the downsides of cruising is there are a lot of people on the boat.

The boat is definitely big enough where it won’t always be a problem. One thing you will probably run into is it can sometimes be hard to use the elevators because they are often full.

You will also find that for popular events it can be hard to get a seat. So you will want to go to shows early so you can get a seat, or book seats ahead of time if they allow it.

You will also most likely have to wait when going to a popular restaurant and even finding a spot by the pool can be difficult on days at sea.

-The Boat Could Leave You

Okay, so this one is important if you’ve never been on a cruise.

Signs are posted in the elevators and around where you get off the boat of what time you HAVE to be on the ship when visiting ports.

If you aren’t on the boat at that time, the boat will leave without you. Yikes!

-Drinks are Expensive

If you don’t pay for the drink package, the drinks can get pretty pricy.

Some drinks are reasonably priced, but you really don’t get very much bang for your buck. They’re typically pretty small and full of a lot of ice.

-Seasickness

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can get pretty motion sick. If you do as well, you may have some issues on a cruise.

My motion sickness can usually be cured with some Dramamine but I know that’s not the case for everyone. Some seasons are better for cruising if you are easily seasick, and some are terrible.

I would avoid going in the winter if you get pretty bad seasickness. Usually, the water is pretty choppy and can cause the boat to rock more than you would expect.

-Lack of Internet & Cell Reception

So, it totally depends on the cruise, your cell phone provider, and your cell phone/data plan. Most cruises will let you pay to use the WiFi, but that can get a bit pricy.

Personally, my cell phone plan only let me use my data and get cell service from specific islands within my plan, otherwise, I was offline for my vacation. But that’s not always a bad thing!

-Rain

Rain on your cruise sucks. Rain on days you’re at sea sucks even more. Like most people, I love chilling by the pool, sitting in the sun, and drinking a margarita on days the ship is at sea.

However, when it rains it’s pretty hard to do that. Most activities are inside, but most of the time the pool, hot tubs, and other ammenities are located outdoors.

-Tiny Cabins

The cruise cabins are generally pretty small. However, the bigger ones will cost you more. You may find the cheaper cabins are quite tiny!

-They Don’t Allow Water Bottles

This one also depends on the cruise line, but all of the ones I’ve been on don’t allow you to bring your own water onto the boat.

You can bring an empty water bottle, but they have signs all over that say you aren’t allowed to fill up your water bottles at the water station. Fun hint: I still fill up my water bottles and have yet to get yelled at, you just need to be sneaky about it.

Now, you can definitely buy water bottles on the boat and get cups of water with your meals. However, I’m the type of person who loves carrying around a water bottle and having it in my cabin.

-No Pets

Obviously, service animals are the exception, but if you’re someone that loves to go on vacation with you fur child, cruising might not be for you.

I honestly think a cruise would be WAY more fun if you could bring your pets, but that’s just my two cents.

Do you have your own pros and cons of cruises? What are your thoughts? Did I change your mind about going or not going on a cruise? Let me know in the comments down below!