May 1, 2026, 6:10 am | Read time: 8 minutes
Many people love taking vacations on a cruise ship. Others, however, could never imagine doing so. TRAVELBOOK editor Katharina Regenthal tried it herself and spent four days cruising the North Sea.
First, I must clarify: This wasn’t exactly my very first cruise. However, I was probably 14 years old the last time I was on such a ship. The memories have since faded, I’ve gotten much older, and a lot has changed with cruises over time. So, you could say this was my first cruise—as an adult. And during my trip, several things surprised me, both positively and a bit negatively.
Lounging and Hardly Moving? Not a Chance!
As I mentioned, I’ve been on a cruise ship before. But what I apparently completely forgot: The distances on such a ship are long—very long! Just quickly going from the cabin to the dining room? Depending on where your room is located, that can take a while. I was lucky because my cabin was just a few meters from the elevators and stairwell. Others, however, needed a few minutes to get there.
But it wasn’t just for meals that you had to cover long distances. Even getting to the top deck to the pool could take some time. By the end of the sea day, I had a proud 7,000 steps on my watch—not bad for a cruise, I think.
Also interesting: A cruise employee reveals secrets
Fun Comes at a Price
There’s plenty to experience on a cruise ship. I couldn’t get bored because the selection of leisure activities was truly vast. There was a bowling alley (yes, really!), a small 4-D cinema, a basketball court, a casino, theater, and numerous gaming options. And the selection of restaurants was really large. However, and here’s the catch: Most of it costs extra. Just a quick round of bowling? Costs extra. Going to the steak restaurant instead of the “normal” one? Costs extra. And that’s the case with many things you can experience on a cruise ship.
To avoid getting a terribly long bill at the end, I was given a tip on board: It’s best to book the appropriate packages in advance so you don’t have to pay extra later. This is especially true for drinks or restaurant visits.
Cabin Is Not a “Normal” Hotel Room
In the cabin, I immediately noticed a few things that are different from a “normal” hotel vacation. Closet doors and drawers have a mechanism that ensures they close. Logically, if it sways, you don’t want all the doors to fly open. However, you have to be a bit more careful so that the doors and drawers don’t slam loudly every time, disturbing the neighboring cabins.
Additionally, the rooms are carpeted. In any other hotel room, I honestly wouldn’t have found that particularly great. Here, however, the carpet has its justification. The cabins are all in very tight spaces. The fabric absorbs some of the noise. Also, as I was told on board, fire safety is a big issue on a cruise ship. A fire is the worst thing that can break out on a ship. As beautiful as wood is, there are safer materials.
Fire, Illnesses, and Life Jackets
Perhaps just as bad as a fire on board are illnesses that spread quickly. Imagine something like the norovirus spreading, and passengers and crew could potentially get infected. Catastrophe! That’s why hygiene is a top priority on board. Unlike in a normal hotel on land, there’s always a crew member with disinfectant at the entrance of the buffet restaurant. Everyone who wants to enter holds out their hands and must disinfect them. A good concept, I think. Because the disinfectant dispensers are often ignored by some.
And another, in my opinion, interesting point that I noticed in the cabin: The life jackets are no longer there. At least not with the cruise line I was traveling with. I vaguely remember that there used to be a joint safety drill, and we had to go to an outside deck with life jackets. Nowadays, it’s handled differently. I had to watch a safety video and then find my station, where I would need to go in an emergency. A crew member then scanned my card—done. The life jackets are also located all over the ship, but not in the cabins. The reason: If the ship were to list, passengers would have to go to their cabins to get the life jacket. Impractical and dangerous!
Robots Are No Substitute
Nowadays, you often come into contact with topics like artificial intelligence or robots. On board, I got to experience it in real life. There was a bar where a robot named Rob mixed the drinks. And what can I say? It’s definitely a funny thing, and of course, I tried it. But Rob is quite slow. I much prefer the real crew members—especially since they were consistently friendly and cheerful.
Time Plays (No) Role
On a cruise ship, time flies by—sometimes almost too quickly. And then you should take a closer look. Because it happened to me. I thought I had another hour until dinner. But since we were sailing so close to the English coast, my phone logged in there and adjusted the time zone. Not so easy in this case to set an alarm. On board, I got a tip for the problem—which at least provides a temporary solution when you have no idea what time it actually is: the corded phone in the cabin. It also displays the current time, which doesn’t automatically change.
“On river cruises, everyone has something going on with everyone else.”
Robots Provide Entertainment on This Cruise Ship
The Feeling of “Home”
During my little trip, I naturally asked myself why some people go on a cruise over and over again, often with the same cruise line. I could imagine that for many, it feels like “coming home.”
Just like my parents used to go to the same vacation spot in the same hotel year after year because “the vacation starts right on the first day,” people keep going on the same ship. The only difference: Depending on the route, you discover entirely different places. On board, however, you have the same or at least similar “hotel.” You know where the restaurants are, where the pool is, and where you can have a nice drink in the evening. On the ship I was on, this familiar feeling was further supported: Everywhere on board, there was a specific scent in the air. The soap, the shampoo—everything smelled like the cruise line’s signature scent. If you ever encounter this scent outside, you’d immediately think of vacation.
From Now On, Only Cruise Vacations?
Overall, I found the experience of being on such a huge ship simply crazy. On the very first night, I had such intense dreams—if there weren’t already a creepy Fitzek thriller about a cruise ship, the dream would certainly have been a good start for one. And yet, I would actually go on a cruise vacation again. However, under certain conditions.
I would definitely not book an inside or window cabin, but always one with a balcony. This feeling of being so close to the water and being able to look out at the sea and hear the waves in the morning is simply special. Although the cabin is relatively small, it never felt cramped thanks to the view.
Before such a cruise, you have to be aware of what kind of vacation you want. Relaxation and rest? That’s certainly possible thanks to numerous spa offers. However, they cost extra. If the ship is just a means to see many new places, you must also be aware that you only have a few hours in each city. Is that enough? Or would a weekend trip be more suitable? Also, the question of whether you prefer to travel in the south, in warmer areas, or rather in the north is important. I realized for myself: The north was ideal. I didn’t feel bad spending more time indoors. Also, I didn’t mind not using the outdoor pool because it was too cold. In the south, that would definitely have been different. I would have probably planned a pool day and been disappointed if either the weather didn’t cooperate or I couldn’t get a lounger.
So, for me, it was an ideal combination of a bit of city, a bit of relaxation, and just getting away.
The trip was supported by “MSC Cruises.” Our standards of transparency and journalistic independence can be found at www.axelspringer.de/unabhaengigkeit.