A Texan’s guide to planning a cruise this summer

Cruises are becoming more and more popular because they allow vacationers to travel to multiple countries in a matter of days. My family has been on a cruise every year for the past three years, so I am not quite an expert yet, but I have had my share of experiences and have a decent understanding of how cruises work.

As a Southerner in the Houston area, I am used to Galveston Beach water and can say with confidence that returning to Galveston after the cruise is one of the most depressing feelings in the world.

The sea days

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Sea days are the days when the ship is sailing to the ports. These days consist of trivia, karaoke (mostly people who think they sound like Whitney Houston), hairy chest contests and hundreds of people tanning…like for hours at a time. Is that safe??

The food

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There are plenty of food options on a cruise including 24-hour pizza and ice cream/frozen yogurt. Just think about it. No cooking or washing dishes for the duration of the cruise – it does not get any better than that.

The passengers

When sailing out of the Port of Galveston, the passengers on the cruise are 90% Texan, which means the country song trivia events are packed and you better move when country line dance songs come on. Also, beware of children on board the ship – they are crazy and full of sugar from the ice cream and the candy shop.

Sail and sign card

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Your sail and sign card is a major key (literally) when it comes to cruises. This card gets you on and off the ship, serves as your credit or debit card on the ship and most importantly, gets you into your room after an exhausting day.

The ports

If you’re a daredevil like me and you’re willing to participate in water excursions even though you cannot even float, then you will love cruises. So far, my family has visited Jamaica, Mexico, The Cayman Islands, Belize and Honduras, and all have been breathtaking.

We have done activities ranging from helmet diving in Cozumel, Mexico, to climbing the Dunn River Falls and going on a bobsled in Montego Bay, Jamaica, to making new animal friends in Honduras. The possibilities are endless. My only advice would be don’t do anything too crazy or else you will end up stuck in jail in another country.

The towel animals

Cruises are known for leaving a different towel animal in the room every night. They are absolutely adorable, but unfortunately, cannot last forever. By the way, it’s not as easy as it looks. I took a class on my first cruise, and my towel dog looked like a sad koala.

The shows

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There is a wide range of shows put on by a set of performers every night on the cruise. My personal favorite was a Divas show I saw last week.

Overall, cruises are a great getaway and a great way to meet new people (especially since you are stuck on a ship with 4,000 strangers). It allows for people to experience new adventures and travel the world.

I suggest everyone goes on a cruise at least once in their life. You will not regret it.