We all have that dream vacation, whether it’s visiting a beautiful island with white sand beaches and crystal clear blue water, exploring a foreign city, checking out some ancient ruins, or skiing at a winter resort, there’s a vacation for everyone.

A really popular vacation in the past few years has been a cruise vacation, and there are many reasons why. They’re not your average vacation—you’re able to see so many different places on just one trip, choose the length of your voyage, and where you want to go. There are so many benefits to a cruise vacation, and many of them are worth the extra splurge to have the vacation of your dreams that you’ll be able to remember for a lifetime.

However, cruise vacations aren’t that perfect, and there are many reasons why they might not actually be worth your hard-earned money. There’s the fact that you’re confined to a ship with so many people, the risk for illness, and all of those extra add-ons that they seemingly forget to tell you about. Here are ten reasons to splurge on a cruise and ten reasons why it’s not worth it.

20 Multiple Places, One Trip (Reason To Splurge)

Perhaps one of the best things about a cruise vacation has to be the fact that you are not stuck in one place for your entire vacation. Depending on the length of your cruise, you can visit several different places.

The best part being that you only have to unpack your suitcase once!

Sure, when you’re in one place for several days, it gives you a lot of time to fully explore wherever you are. However, if there’s not much to the place, you can easily get bored. When you’re on a cruise, you pull into a port in the morning, explore the place all day, and you’re back on the ship on your way to your next destination. It’s a really good way to see the world without a bunch of other hassles.

19 Fun For The Family (Reason To Splurge)

Not all vacation spots are for the whole family. Some are for adults only, while others allow kids but don’t completely cater to them. If you have children and aren’t looking to do the typical Disney trip, cruises are a good vacation for you. Cruises definitely cater to kids, so there’s fun for the whole family. They have separate sections that are just for kids, like pools and play places. They even have kids centers, where adults can drop them off and enjoy some time to themselves while their kids are having their own fun. There are even certain ships that are made specifically for kids. Disney has its own cruise line, and it’s basically Disney World at sea. Cruise vacations are definitely fun for the whole family.

18 So Many Options (Reason To Splurge)

Deciding on a cruise vacation can be a little overwhelming as there are so many options to choose from. There are a number of cruise lines to pick from, such as Royal Caribbean or Celebrity, and each line has a number of ships. They all range in size—the bigger the ship the more there is to do on board. While the smaller ones still have things to be done, they’re just not as flashy and over-the-top as the others. There are also a range of locations to pick from. Each ship has its own location and itinerary (they do switch every now and then) and length of the vacation.

You could take a two week Mediterranean cruise, nine days in Alaska, five in Bermuda, twelve in the Caribbean, or even set sail through Europe.

There are so many adventures to choose from, not just the Caribbean.

17 Good Value (Reason To Splurge)

Cruises definitely get you your bang for your buck. As we previously stated, you get to see multiple places in just one vacation, and that’s already a great value right there. Many cruise lines also offer packages on big groups and good booking rates on multiple people in a cabin. There are good deals out there for cruises. You just have to look for them. Booking far in advance also helps lock down a good rate, as well as booking your next vacation while on board. There’s a lot included when you book your cruise vacation, so you definitely get the most for your dollar.

16 The Gourmet Food (Reason To Splurge)

One of the big things that people talk about when they go on a cruise vacation is the food that is offered. First of all, there’s so much of it. You’ll never ever go hungry when you’re on a cruise ship.

From the buffets, to the snacks, to the sit-down dining, there’s gourmet food everywhere you turn.

There are theme nights, specialties, and they are willing to cater to all of your dietary needs. There are places that are open 24 hours, and of course, there’s also room service at your beck and call whenever you want it. No matter what time it is when you’re hungry, we can guarantee you that you’ll be able to get something to eat.

15 So Many Activities (Reason To Splurge)

There’s an endless amount of activities on board a cruise ship. There are people that are in charge of making sure that you’re entertained and never ever bored. Every single day, there’s a schedule with a list of things for passengers to do, and honestly, there’s no way you could possibly ever be bored. Even if you’re not into the scheduled activities, there are still other things to do. Some ships have rock walls and sports centers where you can play basketball and soccer or even roller skate or play mini golf. Some of the newer ships have surfing and skydiving simulators, ice skating, and even bumper cars. There’s something for everyone and nothing but endless fun.

14 The Adventure Of A Lifetime (Reason To Splurge)

Keeping all of this in mind, a cruise vacation can be the ultimate vacation of a lifetime. Just think about it, you can visit so many places in just one trip. It’s like multiple trips in one. Not to mention, you have the opportunity to visit some unique places, like Europe or the Mediterranean, or even cold places like Alaska or Canada. The choices are endless. Whether you’re a thrill-seeker, looking to zip-line across canyons, hike up mountains, or explore ancient ruins, or someone just looking to relax and escape the real world for a little while, sailing the sea is quite the adventure of a lifetime, and it’s one that you should definitely take.

13 The Best Of Both Worlds (Reason To Splurge)

Going on a cruise is basically the best of both worlds. For people who love the water, you’re out to see for a few days, surrounded by miles and miles of beautiful blue waters. Who wouldn’t love that? When you’re bored of the sea, well, you’ll most likely make port at one of your many destinations, and off you go to explore your destination. Again,

it’s like two vacations in one, half spent sailing the ocean, half spent exploring your new destination.

Not a fan of the ocean? Not to worry. As long as the weather is good, the ship is big enough that it doesn’t really rock back and forth that much. Once you get your sea legs, you’ll definitely enjoy the best of both worlds.

12 Five-Star Accommodations (Reason To Splurge)

Of course, cruise ships are really known for their food and dining. It’s something that almost always comes up when you talk about a cruise vacation. The food is spectacular, and there’s so much of it that you’ll never ever go hungry. That’s not the only five-star experience you’ll have while you’re on board. You’ll have your own cabin attendant to make sure that your cabin is clean and has everything you need. All of the staff on board are trained to take care of all of your needs, no matter what they are. You’re a guest and they truly cater to you. From the very beginning of your trip to the very end, you’re treated like the king or queen that you truly are!

11 The Experience (Reason To Splurge)

There’s no other experience like sailing the ocean on a floating city. Cruises are a unique vacation because they bring the luxuries of a normal on land vacation to the beautiful oceans all around the world. There’s no driving or flying required, so sailing to a destination is an adventure all in itself. Depending on where your cruise ship sails to, you could also be visiting some dream vacation spots that a lot of people could only dream of visiting.

There’s also the wonderful staff on board that are there to cater to your every want and need,

providing you with the best possible vacation that you could ever have and making for an experience that you’ll always remember.

10 Add-Ons (Reason It's Not Worth It)

Although cruise vacations get you a lot of bang for your buck and include a lot, there are a lot of things that cost extra. Yes, you get the luxury of gourmet food, but some of it costs extra. A lot of cruise ships have specialty restaurants that you can dine at, but there’s a catch—you have to pay a separate fee to dine at them. There are also other luxuries that you have to pay for, such as the spa and any shopping on board. There are also drink packages (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic) that you can purchase for “unlimited” drinks throughout the duration of the cruise. If not, you have to pay for each drink as you drink them. Not everything is free, and nine times out of ten, something on the ship comes with an extra price tag.

9 Not In Port Long Enough (Reason It's Not Worth It)

Sure, while on a cruise vacation you have the opportunity to visit a variety of different places, depending on the itinerary of your ship. However, there are some downsides to visiting so many places in a certain amount of time. Cruise ships are on a schedule, and they stick to it since they have to make sure that they get to the next destination on time. As a result, there’s not much time spent in port. Oftentimes, cruise ships dock in the morning, stay all day, and depending on when they get to the next destination, they leave in the afternoon or the night. Therefore,

if you’re visiting a big city or a place that you’ve never been before, you might not have a lot of time to fully explore everything.

As a result, you might not get your money's worth in that way.

8 Internet Packages (Reason It's Not Worth It)

Obviously, floating in the middle of the ocean, there’s no WiFi in the middle of the sea. The cruise lines know this, and they definitely use it to their advantage. There’s WiFi on the ship that is available for use. However, you have to pay a pretty penny for it. Cellphones don’t work in the middle of the ocean either, so without it, you’re not going to be able to use your phone at all. Many cruise ships sell internet packages for their passengers to buy, and a lot of them are per device. Many people are willing to shut off their technology and enjoy their vacation, but many other people can’t do that, and as a result, they have to pay a price.

7 Professional Photos (Reason It's Not Worth It)

While on board, you have your own personal group of paparazzi following your every move, taking pictures of you partaking in activities, perfect photo ops, and even formal portraits.

Of course, all of these photos can be yours...for a price.

Every photo they take of you is put on display, and you’re able to go through them and buy the ones that you want. In the day and age that we live in, we’re constantly carrying around a camera, so why not take our own photos? Sure, it’s nice to take a formal photo with your family, but all of the other ones seem so silly. Just another way for the cruise lines to make money, we suppose.

6 Confined To A Ship (Reason It's Not Worth It)

One of the downsides of cruising is the fact that you’re pretty much stuck on the ship until you make port. Therefore, if you don’t exactly get your sea legs and get a little seasick, well you’re kind of stuck and have to deal with it. There’s nowhere to go when you’re floating in the middle of the ocean, and that can bother some people. When you’re on vacation on land, you have the ability to travel to other places outside of your resort and see what cities around your vacation area have to offer. There’s a little more freedom that way, which is why some people might not like cruise ships that much. We have to admit, cruises definitely aren’t for everyone!

5 Getting Sick (Reason It's Not Worth It)

Cruise ships are confined spaces, with a lot of people sharing things and touching the same things. As a result, the potential risk for sickness spreading is very high. In recent years, many cruise ships have had outbreaks of norovirus. As a result,

depending on how many people who have gotten sick, ships have had to turn around and come home early,

and many have had to quarantine the sick passengers since it’s easy to spread the sickness. No, it doesn’t happen on every ship, but it is very possible for it to happen with so many people in one place. It’s just the risk you’re going to have to take while on your cruise vacation.

4 Too Crowded (Reason It's Not Worth It)

The bigger the cruise ship, the bigger the crowds. A lot of people tend to flock to the bigger ships since they have a lot more things to do and have flashy things like a surfing simulator or bumper cars. However, these ships hold a lot more people than other ones do, and as a result, the crowds can be a little overwhelming. Unfortunately, if you want to take a spin on the surfing simulator or try the bumper cars, you’ll have to wait in line for quite a long time as these activities are popular, and there are thousands of people on the ship. This can lead to complaints and a lot of unhappy customers. So, before booking your next cruise on a huge ship with the flashy activities, think about all of the lines you’ll have to wait in. Not fun at all.

3 Alternative Dining (Reason It's Not Worth It)

As we mentioned before, a lot of cruise ships offer alternative dining at specialty restaurants (which as we mentioned earlier in the article, do come with additional costs). What many people might not realize though, is that these specialty restaurants cost a separate fee. Some ships have steakhouses and gourmet Italian food, as well as restaurants from celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver. Of course, this all sounds nice, you want to eat the best food, you’re spending all of this money on vacation, and you want the best of the best.

And you definitely can have the best of the best... for an additional fee.

Is that really worth it to you?

2 Tiny Rooms (Reason It's Not Worth It)

You can get some really good deals when you’re booking your cruise vacation. However, many of those good deals are for rooms that are very, very tiny. These rooms are called inside rooms—they’re at the bottom of the ship and some of them don’t even have windows. If you’re not claustrophobic at all and are willing to stay in really close quarters with someone, then we say go for it! Some people have no problem with the tiny rooms, as they’re never really in them if you’re always running around doing things. However, many might not be happy in the close quarters. Is the tiny room worth saving the money?

1 More Expensive Solo (Reason It's Not Worth It)

It's true. Many people like to travel solo, believe it or not. They feel like traveling alone means that they have no one holding them back and that they can do whatever they want, when they want. However, on certain cruise lines, it’s actually more expensive for a guest to decide to travel alone. They do offer cabins for single travelers, but

many cruise lines will charge you a single supplement that can be a percentage of your total fare.

It’s important to keep an eye out for that if you’re traveling alone. You definitely don’t want that up charge.