Cruise Control

Cruises tend to elicit strong feelings — people either love them or hate them. I can see the downfalls of the seasick, cramped feeling, but I for one am a fan. Here are six reasons why:

1. The low cost. It’s pretty tough to get to multiple countries for less than $500 on anything but a cruise — never mind having all your meals and accommodations covered.

2. The towel animals. Yeah, I’m an adult, but coming back to your room and finding a different animal every night (how do they do it?) is fun times.

3. The entertainment. Where else can you watch a musical, see a comedy show, hit a concert, sing karaoke, play trivia games, dance, and climb a rock wall all in one place? I got to fulfill a lifelong dream by participating in a “Singing Bee”-type game, and I was totally cruising to a victory until they pulled out a Paula Abdul song no one knew, then gave the next person something classic like “Margaritaville.” Whatever. I did win the version where you wrote the lyrics down on a piece of paper, so my competitive thirst was quenched.

4. The unlimited food. I’m not a big eater, but there’s something so lovely about being able to get pizza at midnight and not even have to pay for it. (Never mind the fact that I should not be consuming that many calories at midnight.)

5. The dressing up. I like wearing dresses, but I work from home, so I mostly wear sweats. And pajamas. And sweats that I use as pajamas. So I fully embrace the opportunity that a cruise ship affords to dress up every evening.

6. The schedule. When I travel, I usually pick a few things that are musts and then leave the rest up to spontaneity. But there’s something about that little itinerary you get every day on a cruise that I adore. There’s an element of suspense, and it has a camp-like feel to it, and who doesn’t love camp?