A Case For Cruises: Why Plant-Based, Minimalist, Penny-Pinching, Introverted People Like Us Recommend Them So Highly

Jenny Tanner
3 hours ago
14 min read

My husband and I just returned from another cruise. As has happened so many times, I felt thoroughly rejuvenated, rested, and re-energized for the weeks and months ahead. So powerful was my contentment and delight at yet another successful cruising experience, I feel compelled to share why we love them so much!

How we cruise is a little different from most people I've visited with. As the title implies, my husband and I are not high-rollers by any stretch of the imagination. We HAVE had the privilege and opportunity of traveling all over the world (not on cruises) from Africa and Asia, to Europe, South and Central America, and more, because of some extraordinary, unexpected circumstances and opportunities, but still prefer to do it simply, affordably, and with as little fanfare as possible. We travel with backpacks only, keep expenses minimal, and try to stay flexible with our plans. We go mainly for the cultural enrichment and, often, unforgettable memories with loved ones. Is it possible to love both forms of travel -- destination and cruising? It is for us! Cruises attract us for a different reason, which I'll outline below.

We've enjoyed cruises for about 10 years now, and sailed on four different cruise lines on ships that are old and new, in every type of room from balcony to interior, and everything in between. We have loved each experience, but I'll try to give an idea of our perception of the strengths of each cruise line and room.

In this post, I'm going to share all the details: the whys and hows, our tips and preferences, and information for people like us. Regardless of your personality, we believe there's something for everyone on a cruise!

Choosing a Cruise

Before I delve into this, I need to point out that our main purpose in cruising is usually just to get away. Like seriously, get away. On a cruise you are disconnected from the internet (unless you pay extra for it, which is possible), and the pace of activity is less frantic. There's plenty to do and plenty of entertainment, but it's more the old-fashioned kind: games, sports, cards, reading, live shows, live music, walking, physical exercise, dance and art instruction, and friendly competitions like ping pong and dance-offs. Believe me, it can be SO refreshing to enjoy those "old" activities that have become almost obsolete in a digital world.

Because of the "getaway" factor, we often don't care WHERE the cruise destination is. We just choose something really inexpensive and go. The one we just returned from was booked almost spur of the moment because we were feeling the relentless pressure of holiday revelry, unusual family demands, and heavy work responsibilities. We knew that a week away under the blue sky, listening to the rhythmic murmur of the sea, would bring down our blood pressure and soothe jangling nerves. Boy howdy did it work! We didn't even leave the ship at two of the three ports. That's not our usual mode of operation, but it was just what was needed for this trip. The ports were places we've been to before and our usual sense of FOMO was tempered by our need for rest.

My husband likes to search for affordable cruises on a website called, "Vacations To Go" . Sometimes, we let that be the determining factor for where and when we go. If we find a really good deal, we jump on it (if possible). Conversely, if there is a particular destination or time we want, he can easily filter the area, cruise line, price, etc. to find just what fits our budget. For instance, I wanted to do a New England cruise in the Fall. My husband searched through the website for a time and ship that fit our preferences and was affordable. It worked out perfectly!

Even though we're thoroughly introverted, we do enjoy visiting with other cruisers (at the airport, on the ship, in port, etc.) to find out destinations and cruise locations they have loved. We have learned so much that way! One thing cruisers love to do is talk to each other about favorite ships and destinations. You'll start to notice patterns in the recommendations of different people and that helps steer you to really good trips.

Transportation

It's not always possible, but a huge preference we have is leaving from a port where the airport is close to the cruise terminal. We absolutely LOVE that. We're huge fans of public transportation in all our travels, and to be able to take public transportation from the airport to the ship and back is the best! Three popular cruise port cities in North America that are perfect for that are San Diego, Ft. Lauderdale, and Vancouver, Canada. I'm sure there are others we don't know about yet, but those are some favorite spots to embark for us.

We usually do a quick search online for travelers' suggestions on the best way to take public transportation from the airport. We are so thankful for the youtubers, bloggers, and others who offer that kind of advice. It's super helpful in all our travels! The same advice is really helpful for the ports we visit while on the cruise. It is still a surprise to watch people pay for transfers, shuttles, or Ubers when they could literally just cross the street and take a city bus or walk a half block to the metro. It saves us a ton of money.

Travel Agents

We are fans of going through a travel agent. It will be no extra cost to you, but their assistance can be invaluable. We have gone through a few agencies and agents and been pleased with them all. They will help you find deals, do the work of booking, make helpful suggestions, and share their wide experience in travel. Our travel agents have helped us choose a better room, answered questions, and find good deals. They are usually widely-traveled themselves and can make recommendations for tours and experiences.

On our latest cruise we even visited with a travel agent on board who gave us great information about activities to do at the ports we were stopping at, as well as future trips she recommended based on our interests. She was awesome to talk to! Since she's from Thailand (a place we have visited and loved), she had unique insights we hadn't heard before.

A travel agent can even help you with your room choice on a ship. They'll tell you where it will be the most quiet, or have the least movement, etc. Super helpful.

Choosing a Room

Ships typically have different room options ranging from a windowless interior room, an interior room overlooking a promenade or interior atrium, an oceanview room with a large or small porthole or window, and a balcony room. You can book suites and single beds, king beds for couples, or beds for multiple people. Balcony rooms that are adjoining can open up to share with neighboring rooms in the case of family reunions, etc. Some suites are luxury layouts with lots of extra amenities, even outside of the room experience (such as for rewards members, etc.). So many choices!

How do you decide? In our opinion, we're open to ANY type of room just to be able to cruise affordably, with balcony rooms being our most favorite (no surprise). However, we usually choose an oceanview room because we've discovered the extra expense to be minimal, but we value SO highly the natural light in the room. In the cruise we just took, our porthole window was teeny -- but adequate for our needs. We have done a windowless interior room once, and an interior room overlooking a lighted (and busy) interior promenade several stories high. That was much less depressing, because it gave the mental illusion of being an outside window.

Try as I might, I can't completely enjoy an interior room without windows. The one time we booked one, it drove me crazy not to know (intuitively) what time of day it was or what was going on outside. People have a lot of tricks to make it more bearable (like keeping the TV on the channel with the camera at the front of the ship), but I struggled quite a bit. I'd still do an interior room if it meant the difference between going or not going, but the minimal cost of an upgrade to at least a small porthole is well worth it to me.

Balconies are usually enough of an extra expense to keep us from booking them, but a couple of cruises back we were offered an upgrade for no extra cost to a balcony with an "obstructed view". We've taken that offer twice before and found the obstruction to be of no real consequence to us. It's such a treat to be able to step out on a balcony and feel the breeze and watch the moon on the water that when possible, I'll always pull for a balcony. Sometimes though, the cost difference is just too great, in which case I am perfectly content with oceanview.

I'll never forget one of our first cruises when we had a balcony room and I happened to wake up at 3 am just as we were sailing under the Golden Gate bridge into the San Francisco Bay. I stepped out on the balcony and drank in the magic of it. There are no words to describe the serenity of that moment.

Packing

This is a topic on which I suspect I will differ from almost everyone else who cruises. We love to pack LIGHT! As I've already mentioned, we always limit our luggage to a backpack and a personal bag. Cruises are no exception.

We've gotten pretty good at squeezing a lot into that backpack. We also use these compression bags which help a lot. Because of minimal luggage, I'm not able to take a lot of different shoes, dresses, etc., which are so popular with the cruising crowd. Most cruise lines feature dress themes each night, like "white night" or "tropics night', with casual dining nights interspersed with more formal nights.

What I've noticed is that while many people still enjoy following those themes and dressing up formally, there is actually a wide array of dress on all ships we've sailed on, so no one need ever feel out of place.

I, personally, am a fan of dressing up! If I have an excuse to wear a formal dress or gown and sparkly shoes, I relish it! Because of that, I do squeeze in one nice dress and pair of shoes, but they get squished right in with the other clothes. We take swimwear and all the usual clothing, with an emphasis on comfort and clothes that we can be active in. I find that I wear my sneakers or tevas almost the entire time because we walk walk walk on ships. Depending on the destinations, we usually take shorts and pants, light comfortable shirts, and a down jacket for the cold. Regardless of where you go, there will likely be times when a down jacket is just right on deck on a chilly morning or evening, but when not in use it compresses down nicely. For colder destinations, I always take a beanie and gloves as well. If I forget those on a cooler trip, I miss them terribly!

Once we used the ship's laundry service on a longer cruise. I didn't really like how they smelled when they came back, so we typically just take a small pouch of laundry detergent and wash any needed laundry ourselves in our sink, and hang it to dry in our shower. Works great!

Cruisers, in my experience, are pretty happy tolerant people, so you will feel comfortable in whatever clothing you decide to bring. Besides that, I love seeing the fancy gowns and outfits that many cruisers wear. It is a lot of fun!

Food

You've probably heard people talk about the endless quantities of food on a cruise. They are not wrong! However, it works best for us to practice at least SOME moderation on these trips. What we've found is that it is just as pleasurable to enjoy some of the healthier offerings on the ship as it is the less healthy options. Eating everything in sight has never been a great choice for me. I've tried both over the years -- ha ha -- and eating too much junk definitely overshadowed the enjoyment of the trip as I dealt with poor sleep and a troubled digestive system.

A couple of our YouTube videos and blog posts are devoted solely to eating plant-based on a cruise. They come from the perspective of my husband and I, and our son and his wife. They explain just how varied and delicious the options are, and which cruise lines have the best vegan food.

Though we are mostly plant-based, I do sometimes allow myself to sample animal-based dishes out of curiosity or nostalgia, but treat them very much as a condiment instead of a staple. I follow the PlantWhys plate on cruises, which means every meal starts with vegetables, and has fruit as well, with protein and grains or potatoes making up the other half of the plate. By filling up on plant products, I limit the damage inflicted by less healthy options as I find I don't have much room for them! Mentally though, I also feel satisfied that I got to at least try other foods. It's hard to have such an array of tasty things all about and not ever eat them. This moderate approach works really well for me.

I also drink a lot of herb teas, something I learned from many of my Asian co-passengers on board my favorite cruises. It keeps me hydrated, is comforting and soothing, and helps curb overeating.

Additionally, cruise lines typically offer a wide array of delightful Indian, Asian, and other international dishes. Oh how I love curries and stir fries and other vegetable and legume-packed ethnic delights. They are absolutely delicious and typically healthier. Most cruise lines are getting better and better at catering to the plant-based crowd.

In the end, even if all I ate was salad, fruit, and plain food (which I don't), it would still be a HUGE treat because someone else prepared it all for me! For me, it's one of the core delights of cruising. It's also one of the reasons cruises deliver so much bang for your buck. For the cruising price, you enjoy lodging AND food every day, built into that price.

Exercise

I still don't know how it happens, but it is common for us to accumulate almost 20,000 steps a day on a cruise, sometimes more. We love to walk walk walk, and just getting to the places you want to go, without any pre-conceived exercise plan, will boost your step-count dramatically.

We also have a funny little preference for taking the stairs at all times. For instance, our room on the last cruise was on Deck 4, and the food and activities were largely on Deck 13. We ended up climbing those stairs (a considerable number of them) repeatedly all day long every day.

All the ships we've been on have a walking track, typically on one of the top decks of the ship, and most of them have also had a Deck (usually in the middle, like Deck 5, 6, or 7) that allows you to walk the entire perimeter of the ship. It is a marvelous sensation to walk for exercise on a ship. The gentle rising and falling of the ship is a feeling like no other, while the view is unbeatable. We enjoy those walks around the ship in all kinds of weather. It can't be imagined -- it has to be experienced!

In addition, all ships have fully equipped gyms with exercise classes available, or just free time to work out on your own. They are usually positioned at the front of the ship with windows looking out over the sea. Delightful! There is dancing and dancing instruction, many many places to stroll like art galleries and shops, upper decks, and countless places to explore.

You can play a little pickleball, basketball, ping pong, etc. for added physical activity. On ships we've sailed with recently, we've enjoyed rock-climbing walls, driving ranges, a flow-rider, volleyball, and more. One of the newer ones had a full indoor sports court for pickleball, volleyball and more, with a full range of activities like foosball and table tennis besides. It was the most exciting place on the ship and we spent a lot of time there, if not playing, then watching various competitions and contests. It was also very family friendly.

Port Activities

We have opted to enjoy our own activities at most port locations, but that doesn't mean we don't think ship-sponsored excursions are a bad thing. We may try more of them in the future. But since we like to keep costs down, we've managed so far to build our own port experiences and been very satisfied with that.

For example, at a stop in Cozumel years ago, we had gotten a hot tip from some of our kids about a prime snorkeling location. Instead of booking an excursion, we walked (some of our friends took a taxi) to the location with our own snorkeling gear and spent hours enjoying some of the best snorkeling we've ever experienced. While we were there we watched several excursions come and go, and felt glad to be able to stay in the water to our hearts' content. At some point we climbed out and ate tacos at a local beachside stand. It was so much fun.

Before our trip (or sometimes right there on the ship as soon as we have cell service in a new port) we research activities online and find our own way to prime locations. This does mean a little more stress and work finding transportation, etc., which is why this mode of exploration may not be for everyone. We prefer public transportation where it feels safe and understandable. Another aspect of ship-sponsored excursions is safety and the fact that they get you back to port on time without you having to carry the stress for that.

Our most favorite way to enjoy port destinations is walking, when possible. It has allowed us to see so much of towns and cities that we would have otherwise missed. Since we're a little bit laid-back, we don't always have a hankering for the zip-lines and dolphin experiences (though we've done plenty of those in the past), but love to see the local culture, architecture, and historical sites. And gardens -- I love gardens! Usually taking food off the ships is discouraged, so we eat a hearty meal before we get off the boat and then just wait until we get back on to eat again. We do always take a small backpack with water, hats, wallets, etc. with us when we're in port. It makes it easy to get around but we have everything we could ever need in the bag. Sometimes we're pretty hungry when we make our way back to the ship, but we do love the free food so we wait!

Which Cruise Line is Best?

Our new travel-agent friend from Thailand said it best: It really depends on what you are looking for. We have loved every cruise we've been on, for different reasons.

Overall though, our favorite is Royal Caribbean, by a hair. For the most part they have excellent food, good activities, are family-friendly, affordable, and have good entertainment. It seems to be a cruise line specializing in being active and fun, while still having a bit of an upscale feel (vs. being just a "party boat").

Holland America had the best food we've ever had, and we enjoyed it immensely. It was an older demographic, which we found to be an advantage, actually, because it was quieter and more easy-going. I was mildly annoyed that they had staff serve the food at the buffet instead of letting us serve ourselves. I can see that as an advantage from a health standpoint, but not worth the trouble, in my estimation. The ship was older, but we loved the layout and all the places we could find to enjoy sunshine and solitude.

Princess had great food and entertainment, and is known for being high-quality for international and Alaskan cruises. We were on an older ship, but liked how spacious it felt and the service. Sometimes they are a little more expensive.

Norwegian was enjoyable, had good food, and we enjoyed it thoroughly, but did find the entertainment lacking and thought the food offerings were a little limited in comparison. Having said all that, we'd happily go on Norwegian again if we found a good deal. The staff were amazing, but we've found that on every ship we've sailed with. It's definitely one of the highlights: the international crew and staff.

Conclusion

When we book a cruise, our main purpose is almost always to rest and let the wonder of the sea experience rejuvenate our minds and bodies. It really does calm and rejuvenate us on a cellular level. Because of that, our priorities are:

Being able to find quiet places to read, journal, talk, and take in the view
Plenty of opportunities to exercise and walk
Healthy food (and tasty food too)
Affordability
Cleanliness and compatibility with fellow passengers

There's no doubt in my mind that cruises can become one of your favorite forms of travel too. Despite negative things you may have heard, or even fears you may have (like me being petrified of the water), I highly recommend at least trying it! You'll likely be VERY glad you did!

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