Cruises have been a major part of my life for as long as I could remember. My family loves going on cruises to escape the real world as it has endless options to make your trip great. A lot of people don’t understand how cruising can be such a special and amazing experience. Here are eight reasons why you should consider planning a cruise for your next vacation.

1. You travel to many different destinations in one vacation

What’s cool about cruises is that you can visit many different countries in a short span of time. Depending on how long your cruise is, you can visit up to three countries in only a week! It gives you great opportunities to explore other cultures.

2. You can eat unlimited food at any time of the day

I would be lying if I said that the food was not one of my favorite parts of the cruising experience. Most food is free and you can access it whenever you want. That means that you can quickly grab an ice cream cone at 10 a.m. or a slice of pizza at 1 a.m., which becomes a favorite habit after a few days on the ship.

3. The entertainment will keep you amazed throughout your whole trip

Between comedy shows, piano bars, and musicals, your schedule is jammed packed with amazing entertainment that everyone will enjoy. You’ll remember the talented entertainers long after your cruise and it’ll be a highlight of your trip.

4. There are countless activities for all ages

Some of my favorite activities include karaoke, BINGO, trivia, dance lessons, and more. There is always such an eclectic group of participants at these events which make them even more fun.

5. You can meet different people from all around the world

When I was younger, I loved going to the kids’ clubs and making friends. I even keep in touch with a few of them today! Now that I’m older, I love meeting people of all different ages and cultures at these events and spending my vacation with them.

6. You can explore secret places on the ship

Throughout my vacation, you can often find me aimlessly wandering around the ship with no real destination. These ships are so big that even when you’ve been exploring for a few days, you are always finding new places that they don’t advertise. These are usually the best places to relax as they are less crowded.

7. There are countless options to choose from

You can go on a four-day cruise to Bermuda or you can go on a fifteen-day cruise to Alaska! There are so many options, not only with length and destination, but with cruise lines too. Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian are among some “family-style” cruises while Celebrity and Princess usually include mostly older crowds. My personal favorite is Royal Caribbean, but every cruise line is great for different reasons.

8. The scenery and ship itself are beautiful

The amount of detail included in the ship’s architecture is simply stunning. You will notice the tiniest details day after day. In addition, you are surrounded by the ocean. One of my favorite sights of all time is from the back of the ship where you can see the foam in the ocean created from the ship moving through it. That view in itself makes cruises completely worth it.