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The Caribbean — especially The Bahamas — is among the most popular and most desired cruise destinations.
I've visited the region many times and I get why — it's got tropical weather and dreamy beaches with turquoise waters. Although I still love these ports, they've lost their appeal to me now that I've been on more than 50 cruises.
In my opinion, the area's numerous beaches are remarkably similar and offer a lack of diversity when it comes to available shore excursions.
As an adventure seeker, I want more from my cruise vacations. So, I now skip these sunny hotspots, instead opting for sailings that are just as gorgeous but offer a better value.
Here's where I'm cruising these days.
When it comes to a cruise locale with awe-inspiring beauty, a rich cultural heritage, active excursion opportunities, and a good value for my vacation budget, it's hard to top Scandinavia.
Sailing through the Norwegian fjords is one of my favorite cruise experiences to date — the breathtaking views surrounds the ship in all directions, offering endless photo opportunities.
I also find the cooler weather makes it a refreshing alternative to the oppressive summertime heat found in the Caribbean.
In my experience, it's also more affordable to cruise this pricey section of Europe than to explore it on land. Plus, many cruise lines run discounted sailings to places like Iceland and Norway, especially during shoulder seasons.
Amanda Adler
When I'm craving an elevated, more personalized experience, I opt for a river cruise.
These smaller ships, which generally hold around 150 passengers, sail to charming towns I'd be unlikely to visit otherwise, which is especially delightful during the European Christmas market season.
Although these options tend to be on the pricier side, the low number of travelers means I get a higher level of personalized service and an amazing selection of freshly prepared meals that larger ships can't easily offer.
Many US cruises to the Bahamas tend to be about a week long or just a few days, but I've found I enjoy longer journeys.
So, no matter the itinerary, I now tend to book lengthier sailings — ideally ones longer than a week. By doing so, I get to see a lot of ports while enjoying plenty of downtime during days at sea.
I especially like repositioning cruises, where the ship starts in one region but ends in a different one. Since ships are traveling far, these cruises are often two weeks or longer.
One of my favorite trips is still a 15-night transatlantic sailing I went on with my son, who was 2 at the time. With so much downtime on sea days, we were able to take naps, read books while watching the waves, try new foods, and leisurely explore the ship.
Since then, we've continued looking for deals on longer repositioning cruises that allow us to capture these types of valuable memories.
Amanda Adler
Although I've secured great pricing on international cruises, I'm often looking to sail closer to home in the US. Fortunately, many cruise lines sail to remarkable domestic ports.
Alaskan cruises are renowned for their splendor, making them an obvious — and wonderful — choice, but one of my other favorite itineraries is sailing along the New England coast.
Some of these ships stop at storied cities like Boston and ports with easy access to Maine's Acadia National Park. These cruises often travel to delightful destinations in Canada as well — and, if you go in the fall, you're likely to see wonderful foliage.
I've also enjoyed sailing from the West Coast with itineraries stopping at California's beautiful Catalina Island. Next, I'd like to sail around Hawaii, as cruising seems like an efficient and relatively affordable way to see multiple islands in one trip.
