Forget politics and religion. Cruises may actually be the most hotly contested topic at your holiday table.
It’s no secret that travelers either passionately love cruises or hate them with actual fury. There’s rarely an in-between.
“I can’t imagine an absolute worse way to spend a vacation than being stuck in a floating box with 1,000 other people,” said Jane Moran, a jewelry designer. That was her reaction when she went on a first date with a man who worked at a large cruise line and bragged that he could take her on a free cruise.
It turned out to be their only date. “The first-date guy was so upset about my response, he legit got up and walked away, leaving me with the bill,” Moran said.
“(Cruises) feel too confined, with limited opportunities for genuine exploration,” said Samantha Firth, CEO and founder of solo travel company Travelling King, after she took her one and only cruise to the Mediterranean in 2019.
On the flip side, there’s Lisa Peplinski, who is retired and has a convenient second home in Florida, close to many cruise ship ports. She’s been on dozens of cruises on various lines and can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t be as obsessed as she is.
“You only have to pack and unpack once instead of dragging suitcases around as you visit different countries,” Peplinski said. “Entertainment is fantastic and you meet people from all over the world.”
There’s also Susan Michael, a retiree who in 2024 booked a cruise to Alaska, one to Fiji, a transatlantic cruise from Lisbon, two Caribbean cruises, a cruise from South Africa and a Spain-intensive cruise.
“Our favorite cruise line is Azamara because of the small ships, engaging crew and inclusions (tips, drinks),” Michael said, “but it’s a bit more expensive than the regular mid-price cruises.”
Thanks to vacationers like Peplinski and Michael, cruises are crushing it. According to the Cruise Lines International Association’s 2024 industry report, nearly 32 million passengers sailed last year, surpassing 2019’s numbers by 7%. And 82 percent of people surveyed for the CLIA report who have cruised say they will cruise again. Cruise capacity is expected to increase by 10 percent from 2024 to 2028, according to CLIA.
But the idea of crowded buffets, claustrophobic rooms and guests being herded like cattle is still a major deterrent for travelers who have strong negative opinions about cruising.
“I hate the feeling of being stuck and only able to explore what has been curated for me,” said Emily Taffel-Cohen, owner of Mugsy PR. “I like to explore and go off track and be curious and find random spots we weren’t expecting.”
Cruise lines are starting to adapt to accommodate even the most unlikely sailors.
Sure, Royal Caribbean launched two massive ships in 2024 complete with ice rinks, multiple swimming pools, dozens of restaurants and more bars than anyone should visit in a span of a few days. It’s a theme park-like atmosphere that delights kids, teens and some adults.
And yes, many cruise lines have a reputation for catering only to the wealthy, providing an ongoing stream of caviar and champagne.
But some companies are trying to appeal to a broader audience with varying sizes and styles of cruises.
“Cruising continues to evolve,” said Stewart “The Cruise Guy” Chiron, who owns a marketing company specializing in the industry. He has been on more than 300 cruises, including about 50 after the height of the pandemic.
“There are ships of all sizes sailing to desirable destinations around the world,” he said.
American Cruise Lines is expected to launch two small ships in 2025, each with a capacity of just 125 guests, a huge difference from Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, which can accommodate 7,600 passengers.
Last year, American introduced national parks cruises, which stop in Alaska parks and along the Tennessee River, depending on your itinerary.
Carnival is trying to be more casual, launching ships without dress codes, though passengers still need a shirt and shoes to enter the restaurants.
Ships also have been placing a larger emphasis on sustainability, with some staying in port for multiple days to allow for a more relaxed, slower vacation.
Small-ship expeditions are on the rise, and passengers appear to lust for these: The CLIA reports that small-ship expedition itineraries rose 71 percent from 2019 to 2023. These ships are able to travel to more unique spots because of their size.
The variety of options may lure some to massive sailing cities, while others try tiny riverboat sailings. As long as they’re getting on board, cruise lines are happy.
Aaron Saunders, senior editor of news and features at Cruise Critic, a ship review site, said the assortment of choices is an attempt to turn cruise haters into cruise lovers.
“Cruise lines are more diverse now than they used to be,” he said, emailing while onboard the Viking Mississippi. “Not every cruise appeals to every person.”
After Debi McCoy retired, she and her husband hopped aboard ship after ship.
“It’s our vacay of choice,” McCoy said. “With that said, not all cruise lines are our vacay of choice. We’ve sailed on five different lines. Some were one and done, and a few were someday again.”
McCoy’s favorite has been Holland America, with which she logged more than 200 days total. She said it has the friendliest crew.
Dominic Brown, a food and travel blogger, has visited 41 states and about a dozen countries. Although his family had long encouraged him to take a cruise, he had resisted. He thought it would be impossible to enjoy a destination if he had only a few hours there before he had to hop back on the ship; and as a self-described explorer, he didn’t think his travel style would mesh with cruising.
But after continued family pressure, Brown took his first cruise with Royal Caribbean. It was an 11-night southern Caribbean cruise that stopped in Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Aruba and Curacao.
To his complete surprise, he loved it, finding that docking at a port for seven to nine hours was enough time to explore.
“I was shocked at how much I enjoyed my first cruise experience,” he said, adding that he now craves cruises and took a 16-night transatlantic cruise in September from Amsterdam to Boston with stops in Iceland, Greenland and Nova Scotia.
More people have had similar reactions.
Annette Dolan took her first cruise in 2007 and was instantly obsessed. She cruises once a month and has traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, the Caribbean and Mexico.
“No cooking, no dishes or house cleaning?” Dolan asked. “I was hooked.”
Danielle Braff is a freelancer.
