The first time an editor assigned me to a cruise, I sniffed. "I'm an adventurer! I don't like to be told where to be and when, and least of all, with a bunch of strangers." I was astonished to be proven wrong, and to learn what, in 2026, an estimated 21 million U.S. travelers already know.
A cruise, especially a luxury one, is one of the most efficient, stress-free ways to see the world. I loved unpacking my bags only once, and delighted in the coffee bar 20 steps from my suite. Above all, I reveled in the silence of the open sea.
