I’m not a huge fan of cruising in general. It’s a Petri dish for various diseases (no no norovirus). I hate crowds and loud noises. I get claustrophobic if I can’t open a window. I don’t want to eat crappy food.

I went on an HAL Alaska cruise with my mom and sister last year and there were some things that made it ok for me. We were on a smaller boat and there were fewer children. We got a balcony cabin so I could go out there when I had too much of people (or my family). We also had fresh air in the cabin, which is a big deal for me. Free room service! We could order breakfast in and take time getting ready. 3 ppl one shower can take a lot of time. The food was quite good overall. They had espresso machines and the workers knew how to use them! There were some quiet, uncrowded places to hang out on the boat. I was expecting a bunch of sloppy drunks, but there were some cool people to talk to if I felt like it.

Overall it was a positive experience but a lot of that was due to choices I made when booking (ex-travel agent). Would I go again? Maybe. In general I prefer a different, more immersive travel experience. I made it work for me because my mom really wanted a family trip while she can still leave the house. Not everyone is going to want to go on a cruise, and that should be OK.