what frequent – Six frequent cruise passengers describe the small, repeatable moments that make cruises feel worth it again and again—waking to a new port through open curtains, stepping onto a veranda for private views, finding friendships onboard, and settling into sleep as
By morning, the decision is already made.
Mike Smith says his favorite part of cruising is simple: waking up in a new place and immediately tearing the curtains open to see what the next port looks like. He and his partner keep the same routine when they sail, making the ritual part of the trip itself—sunlight first, then the reveal.
“OK, favorite part,” Smith said. “And ‘favorite part’ means getting out of bed – and we always get a balcony room – and we rip the curtains open as fast and hard as we can, and then it lets all the sunshine in, and it usually reveals where the new port is.”
For Smith, the balcony isn’t just a nice upgrade. It’s where he spends much of each cruise—reading a book. sunbathing away from the crowds of the pool deck. watching the sunset with waves close enough to feel present. He contrasted that experience with balconies back on land, saying they simply aren’t the same.
One particular morning stands out: Smith recalled Mexico’s Cabo San Lucas, saying the view looked “like that iconic, almost screensaver background of the Cabo peninsula just jutting out, gorgeous.”
That sense of arrival—of being carried to somewhere new while still having a private space to watch it happen—shows up again and again in what seasoned cruisers say they love.
For Jordan Taylor, the appeal is less about the view and more about access.
Taylor. one half of JJ Cruise. described how cruise travel can make destinations reachable in ways that are otherwise hard or expensive. He cited the idea of flying to Miami and heading to the Southern Caribbean. flying to London and going up to the Norwegian fjords. or visiting parts of Alaska that are difficult to reach.
“I love the ability to fly to Miami and then head to the Southern Caribbean. or fly to London and go up to the Norwegian fjords. or there are parts of Alaska that are really difficult to get to. ” he said. “I think cruise ships have opened up a world to everyone to make places accessible and easy to get to. whereas it might be more difficult without them.”.
On board, Taylor’s husband, Jared Dailey, said the upside becomes social.
He described what he has come to understand over time: even though passengers and crew come from everywhere, “it’s kind of a small world on every ship.” Dailey said he’s made friends repeatedly, from short Caribbean trips to longer sailings that cross into entirely different cultures.
“It could be on a Caribbean sailing for five nights. or it could be around the world. and you’re in a new culture like Japan. and you’re just finding people that you’re meshing with. you’re clicking with. and building those lifelong friendships. ” Dailey said. “We’ve seen that the more we cruise. the more we know people from around the world and get to know what their backgrounds are. and it’s just kind of a beautiful thing.”.
RacQuelle Major-Holland, owner of Major Adventures Travel Agency, pointed to that same sense of togetherness—though she framed it as something that happens naturally once you’re onboard.
“Once you’re on that ship, you’re just someone enjoying the journey,” Major-Holland said. “And there’s something really special about that shared energy: thousands of people choosing to slow down, have fun, and experience the world together.”
Even when the ship is still, the day can feel like it’s moving. Heather Schlueter said her favorite part of cruising is sitting outside at sunrise. watching the vessel glide through open water while she does morning meditation. She documents her retirement travels on YouTube with her husband. Paul. and said the pair aims to spend one-third of the year on cruises.
“My overarching favorite thing about cruising is sitting out on the deck at sunrise as we slowly cruise in the middle of the ocean, feeling the breeze on my skin while I’m doing my morning meditation,” Schlueter said.
Paul Schlueter added a final routine that keeps pulling him back—sleep.
“No matter which cruise line, one of my favorite aspects of cruising is being gently rocked to sleep at night,” he said. “I love hearing the boat quietly creak with the movement of the ocean as I drift off to sleep. I sleep better on cruise ships than anywhere.”
Taken together, the details sketch a cruise experience built from repeated comforts: private space on a veranda, the choreography of sunrise and new ports, shared time with people who didn’t start as strangers, and the quiet physical rhythm that carries travelers from day into sleep.
For these frequent cruisers, the fascination isn’t one big spectacle—it’s the return of the same small moments, trip after trip, until the next departure feels inevitable.
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