Cruising represents one of the most versatile and value-packed ways to explore the world, offering travelers the perfect blend of comfort, convenience, and adventure. While cruises sometimes get dismissed as superficial travel experiences, our recent conversation with veteran cruiser Babs Dearmond revealed why these floating resorts might be the smartest way to see multiple destinations without the logistics headaches of traditional travel.
Babs discovered cruising after her husband passed away, seeking to escape cold Ohio winters without simply retreating to Florida. Her first Caribbean cruise with her daughter became the gateway to an enduring travel passion. What hooked her immediately was the sense of freedom—especially in the pre-smartphone era when being at sea meant truly disconnecting from work emails, calls, and responsibilities. Standing on the top deck that first morning with nothing but beautiful blue water surrounding her created what she describes as “a wonderful feeling of escape and freedom and true relaxation.”
While Caribbean cruises remain popular for first-timers and snorkeling enthusiasts, Babs has expanded her horizons considerably, embarking on Mediterranean voyages, river cruises through Europe, Pacific journeys from Hong Kong to Bali, and partial Panama Canal transits. The beauty of cruise travel lies in its ability to function as a floating hotel, allowing travelers to visit multiple destinations while only unpacking once. As Babs put it, “if you want to see the world, there’s really no better economical and easy way to go from place to place.”
One of the most compelling advantages of cruise travel is the opportunity to sample destinations briefly. While some travel purists criticize the limited port time (often just 6-8 hours), this “sampling” approach lets travelers determine which places deserve a dedicated return visit. During her Mediterranean cruise, Babs discovered that while Egypt wasn’t her cup of tea despite its bucket-list pyramids, Turkey was an unexpected delight that warranted future exploration. Jerusalem and the ancient streets of Pompeii delivered profound experiences that might have been logistically challenging to arrange independently.
Understanding cruise pricing requires some savvy navigation. The advertised base fare typically includes your cabin, meals in the main dining venues, basic beverages (water, coffee, iced tea), and entertainment. However, additional costs can include gratuities (usually $15-20 per person daily), specialty dining, alcoholic beverages, premium coffees, Wi-Fi, and shore excursions. Babs recommends calculating the total cost per day per person to make meaningful comparisons between different cruise options. While loyalty programs exist similar to airline and hotel rewards, the benefits for occasional cruisers tend to be minimal.
Repositioning cruises represent one of the industry’s best-kept secrets. These one-way journeys occur when cruise lines move their ships between seasonal markets (such as from the Caribbean to Mediterranean). Typically half the price of regular cruises, these extended voyages offer a civilized way to cross oceans without jet lag or cramped airplane seats. Babs recently traveled from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton, England, visiting rarely-seen ports like the beautiful Azores while enjoying days at sea filled with relaxation in the spa, origami classes, and nightly entertainment.
For travelers considering their first cruise, Babs recommends starting with a 5-7 night Caribbean itinerary to get comfortable with shipboard life. However, she emphasized that cruising’s greatest strength might be for international travelers who want to explore Europe, Asia, or South America without worrying about language barriers, currency exchanges, transportation logistics, or daily packing and unpacking. “It’s a magical way to see the world,” she concluded—whether you’re using the ship primarily as a relaxing destination itself or as a convenient base for global exploration.
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