Why I’ll be going on a cruise this year

June 23, 2017
Jess

For those who know me, the idea of me going on a cruise may seem ridiculous. After all, I’m the kinda girl who backpacked solo around southeast Asia, spent 10 hours on a boat from Siem Reap to Battambang in Cambodia (with my mum), and regularly took 12 hour bus rides.

But while I’m proud of the months I spent roughing it, and I still believe in $6 bunk beds in Asia, I’m no longer willing to get on a bus for more than two hours. Yup, you read that right. Two hours. Why? Because I don’t sleep on any moving transportation (unless it’s a night train with a full, lie-flat bed, and I also get bus sick. That’s a miserable combination.

The truth is, the closer I get to 30, the less likely I am to stay in a hostel anywhere. Instead of months of travel, I now prefer to take shorter trips, but prioritise my comfort. One of my biggest problems has been stepping away from my work while travelling. I find it really hard to do this since I work for myself and I’m trying to keep up with deadlines, but my goal for this year is to take at least one work-free break so I can truly refresh.

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One of the big reasons why I want to go on a cruise is because I can treat it like a digital detox. Sure, I could get wifi on board, but it would be a hassle and I’m definitely going to disembark and see new places whenever I have the opportunity.

I’m also someone who hates to pack, and I’m the type to destroy my hotel rooms- I end up with clothes everywhere as I hunt through my bag. For this reason, visiting multiple destinations ends up being a nightmare as I feel like I’m continually packing and unpacking, instead of just enjoying myself.

On a cruise, you only have to unpack one time. And once you’ve unpacked, you wake up each day in a new and wonderful destination. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a dream to me.

My mum has also always wanted to take a cruise, and once she has retired, I’d love to take off and embark on a round the world cruise with her. Talk about some serious bonding. This is an incredible way to see the world, particularly if you don’t like the idea of constantly wasting travel days in the airport and in bus and train stations.

I also love the fact that even when you’re at sea, there’s so much to do. The latest cruise ships are packed with food choices, entertainment, gyms, spas, libraries, running tracks, climbing walls, pools, water slides, and more. No matter what you like to do in your downtime, taking a cruise is an excellent option.