Foolproof Arguments For Convincing A Non-Cruiser to Cruise

We all have friends and family who, for one reason or another, will stubbornly refuse to go on a cruise any time the topic comes up. We admit that cruising may not be a suitable vacation for anyone with a fear of open water, but if their reasons are a fear of subpar food, lackluster service, or a general lack of things to do, we have the perfect response for the most common excuses:

1. For Picky Eaters: The Food is Way Better Than You Think

Reason For Not Cruising: “Cruise ship food is terrible. It’s just endless buffets and barely edible entrees.” 

What to Tell Them: Cruise ship dining is way more than just buffets. Even if some of the options aren’t great, ships can have up to 20 unique specialty restaurants serving up everything type of cuisine imaginable. 

If All Else Fails: Resort to shameless name-dropping. Even the most hardcore foodies will start involuntarily salivating when you mention the names Jamie Oliver, Roy Yamaguchi, Curtis Stone, Thomas Keller, Guy Fieri, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, and Michael Schwartz, all of whom have launched a celebrity chef restaurant on a major cruise line. 

2. For the Busy Parents: Kids Activities and Childcare Options

Reason For Not Cruising: “My kids will get bored” or “I don’t want to deal with keeping track of them on a huge cruise ship but I can’t leave them at home.”

What to Tell Them: Families are among the most coveted demographics by the major cruise lines, and they will move mountains to get them on board and keep them happy. Newer ships come fully equipped with onboard water parks, age-appropriate kids clubs, onboard activities from go-karts to ropes courses, and character partnerships with kids brands like Dreamworks and Dr. Seuss.

If All Else Fails: Onboard babysitting. Parents can’t resist the idea of having time away from their kids (whether they admit it or not), and most cruise lines have in-cabin babysitting services during the day and group babysitting in the youth club spaces at night. 

3. For the Easily Overwhelmed: Cruise Ships Come in All Sizes

Reason For Not Cruising: “Cruise ships nowadays are too big and crowded.” 

What to Tell Them: It’s true that the newest ships are enormous, but they’re also designed in such a way to spread these crowds out across the ship, avoiding bottlenecks and human traffic jams. We regularly see reviews from first-time cruisers expressing their surprise that the ship never felt like there were 4,000+ passengers on board. 

If All Else Fails: While they may not have all the new bells and whistles, old ships (which tend to be much smaller) actually have some advantages over newer ships. And if even they seem like too much to handle, there are always river cruises.

4. For the Easily Bored: There’s Always Something to Do

Reason For Not Cruising: “I’ll get bored on the ship” or some variation of “Cruising is for old people”.

What to Tell Them: If you find yourself getting bored on a ship, you really have no one to blame but yourself. Between the constant activities, shows, and parties, plus four square meals a day followed by napping on the lido deck, you’ll be lucky to experience half of what a cruise ship has to offer on a seven-day cruise. 

If All Else Fails: Would cruise ships add features like rock walls, go-karts, surf simulators, ropes courses, and bumper cars if they really were just for elderly vacationers? If they did, we can only hope we're that cool when we retire.

5. For the Spoiled: There’s Nothing Like Cruise Ship Service

Reason For Not Cruising: “I’d rather just go to a resort for the excellent service.”

What to Tell Them: Working for a cruise review site means we read a lot of reviews. (Like, a LOT of reviews.) We regularly see crew members being complimented by name, along with plenty of stories of these hardworking staff going above and beyond their job description to make passengers feel at home. And just to prove we’re not cherry-picking the best examples, when we compile the data, the average scores for service are ALWAYS the highest among any other category (dining, entertainment, cabins, etc.).

If All Else Fails: If your friends really don’t want to “rub elbows with the riff-raff”, tell them about the new ship-within-a-ship concepts like Norwegian’s Haven, Celebrity’s Retreat, or the MSC Yacht Club, where they’ll have access to private pools, lounges, and concierge services. Once you get them on board, you can pull a Jack Dawson and show them how much fun we common folk can be.