Your golden years are a time to relax, celebrate and soak in all the wonderful things life has to offer without the pressures of a job. Retirement and good living should ideally go hand-in-hand, so many people choose to get out and see the world once they no longer have a 9-to-5 to worry about. Sure, you could hop on a plane, juggle passports and checkpoints and pour over the internet hoping you translated that hotel name correctly, or you could opt for an easier solution: cruising.
Here are four great reasons why your next vacation should hit the waves:
1. There's No Learning Curve
Cruising is very friendly and easy for first-timers, unlike other forms of global travel. Writer Mary C. Hickey explains in AARP Magazine that while she traditionally preferred an unstructured style of outing she feared she'd lose in "ship life," she happily found that cruises could still accommodate that need. Cruise directors, special staff appointed to each boat to make suggestions and help you with your itinerary, make the transition from shore to shore a seamless one.
2. They Aren't One Size Fits All
Whether a small, intimate excursion appeals to your sense of adventure or you're leaning towards the decadence of a "floating city' like the Explorer of the Seas, there are cruises for every preference and budget. In addition, cruises leave from ports of call around the nation, ensuring that you don't have to fly out to a distant domestic shore if you don't want to. Miami, New York, Boston and Hawaii are all ports to consider—and there are dozens more too!
3. They're Very Economical
When you travel on a land-based vacation, you have to worry about tickets, transportation to and from stations, gas if you're driving yourself, hotel reservations, dinner reservations, and so much more. The preparation can be so exhausting that by the time you get to your vacation, it hardly feels like a vacation. When you book a cruise, on the other hand, you have a place to stay, delicious meals and drinks just steps away, shopping, games, entertainment—and that's just if you stay on the ship!
Most cruise lines also have separate experiences and excursions you can book at each port of call, ensuring you get the most out of your journey. Cruise Critic on NBC News also highlights how easy this tack is for those concerned about language barriers—the cruise line offering the extra itinerary will usually appoint a translator for your trip as well as land transportation.
4. There Are Exciting New Options
Cruising isn't all about massive ships on the ocean; smaller, more intimate versions called Barge Tours are taking Europe by storm. Don George explains in AARP Traveler that these smaller ships travel rivers alongside towns and inlet villages to offer travelers a leisurely taste of the countryside to indulge in life after retirement and good living. While they are less inclusive than traditional cruises—you'll need to arrange your own transportation to the ship itself—they offer the pleasure of boat travel without the crowds of larger ships.
If the hassle of research and preparation has been keeping you from getting out to see the world, don't let a great opportunity pass you by—choose a cruise instead. You've planned your whole life for a stress-free retirement and good living experiences, and it's time to enjoy the benefits of all that hard work.
Once you're standing on the boat deck with the crisp, fresh breeze running over your skin and a breathtaking scene in front of you, you'll wonder why you ever traveled any other way.
