For someone who went 55+ years saying he’d never go on a cruise ship, I’ve now been on enough of them (six) to have an informed opinion.

Thing I like about cruises:

• Having someone wait on you at every meal and snack is nice. Service on cruise ships is typically good, and on this Windstar cruise it’s superb.
• Simplicity – the positive side of having fewer choices. You can park your control-freak mode, because your world is reduced to just a few choices each day.
• Seeing the big picture of multiple places. That’s my personality – in any new city or building I always want to scout across the whole thing first, and only then settle in to a single spot. A high-level skim over multiple options suits me.
• Seeing things I would never otherwise see. The fjords of Norway, the jungles in Belize, the Lanzarote vineyards, Alaskan glaciers…these are all things I would have missed if not being dropped off on a cruise. I suppose that’s the fundamental argument for this travel mode.
• The food options – now more of a distraction than a feature. Now that I’m eating better and much less, the infinite food of a cruise ship is now right on the border of positive/negative.
• Educational lectures we’ve experienced on certain ships.
• Day drinking with no stigma. The bar is always open on a cruise ship.

Things I don’t like about cruises:

• If it’s not going well, you’re stuck. There are no good bail-out options.
• I still have not experienced a really comfortable cabin. The cabin furniture is functional, but just not that comfortable. Couches aren’t large enough to stretch out on; there are no recliners.
• The crowds. I’ve been on big ships with 4000-5000 people, and it’s a zoo. And I’m just not a people person. I envy those who can sit down with a bunch of strangers and come away with a bunch of new friends, but that’s not me. The small ship format that we’re on right now (300-ish people) is much, much better.
• The seemingly-random blocking of international TV news at certain ports.
• The hidden cost of travel insurance. For the Antarctica trip I cancelled recently, trip insurance was going to be $12,000. For a 12-day cruise. That seemed crazy to me, and the fact that I hadn’t factored the cost into my mental spending threshold was the final straw. The whole insurance industry is a corrupt mess, and travel insurance is a great example.
• The shows/performances on the larger ships. It’s just not my thing. K loves them, so I go to a few, but I mostly just grind my teeth and hope for a short session.
• Paying for Internet service. This trip the Internet service is good (thanks, StarLink), but it’s $35 per day. That’s sooooo 1999.

Net of it all, I’m going to be a LOT more selective about taking a cruise from here forward. I don’t love the experience, and I’m right on the border of disliking it. Big ships are probably out – shorter itineraries on small ships will be my preference. And I’ve now visited enough wineries and wine regions in the world that touring new ones is a little boring. I could give the lecture. The Wine&Sex thing yesterday was certainly unique, but as elderly cruise ship passengers we were only offered the wine part. Good move on their part.