7 Reasons Cruises Don’t Suck (Especially When They Ship from the West Coast)

Sure, planning a trip is fun, but if you’re pressed for time—or have no idea how long it takes to get from point A to point B—leaving the details to someone else is more fun. Because nobody wants to risk having bad intel foul up their hard-earned vacay time.

Check Out: SilverSea’s Anchorage to Vancouver 10-day cruise

Sure, most trips have internet connectivity, but no one will be able to prove you wrong when you come back without checking work email if you just mumble something about “spotty internet,” “solar flare disruption” and “darned ocean storms.” So think of taking a cruise as an optional digital detox.

Check Out: Norwegian Cruise Line’s Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles 7-day cruise

Let’s say you’re headed up north for some cool breezes. Want to go deep-sea fishing or diving for sea urchins or take a sled dog across an icy slope? Those are the kinds of outdoor activities you can opt for on a cruise. Bonus: There’s no reading endless Yelp reviews to weigh the merits of one vendor over another, since they are all vetted by the cruise line.

Check Out: Princess Cruises’ Voyage of the Glaciers 7-day cruise

With activities tailored to please everyone from rambunctious elementary schoolers to sullen teens, cruises give kids their own special areas where they can make new friends. And you can have frozen cocktails by the pool.

Check out: Carnival Cruises’ Hawaii from Long Beach 14-day cruise

Don’t waste time worrying about where you’ll dine or how you’ll catch a flight to your next destination. When you’re on a cruise ship, the captain is steering you toward your next stop while you sleep, so it’s a super-efficient way to travel.

Check Out: Royal Caribbean’s Panama Canal Eastbound 15-night cruise

Travel with your huge extended family (cruises are super-popular for family reunions) or book passage on a ship that caters to singles. Or pack a novel and a bathing suit and cruise south to get a tan. It’s all good.

Check Out: Norwegian Cruise Line’s Baja Beach Break from Los Angeles 5-day cruise

Forget the buffet cliché: Today’s cruise lines employ big names like Nobu Matsuhisa (Crystal Cruises), Thomas Keller (Seabourn) and Curtis Stone (Princess Cruises) to take onboard dining—both casual and fancy—to the next level, with nary an ice sculpture in sight.

Check Out: Princess Cruises’s Pacific Wine Country 6-day cruise