Guest Author - Lisa Shea

If you're considering taking a cruise, here are 10 great reasons why a cruise may be perfect for your getaway.

Unpack Once
No matter how many different places you go to on your cruise, you only unpack once. You get your room set up, you learn where everything is, and you are set. From that point forward, you simply enjoy the ride.

Designated Driver / Captain
If you enjoy lounging and drinking, you never have to worry about making it back to your room. The captain does all of that steering-stuff for you. You can drink by the pool, drink wine with dinner, have cocktails under the stars, and then wander home again.

Fancy Dinners and Dresses
If you love to dress up, a cruise is definitely for you! Many cruises have formal dinners every night, where you can pull out those gorgeous dresses you have hanging in your closet, or press that tux you've been dying to wear. Relive the days of the elegant movie stars.

Meet New Friends
Because you are on the same boat for so many days, you can really become good friends with your passengers. Many people have made life-long friendships on cruise ships.

Gamble the Night Away
If you're into gambling, most cruise ships offer a wide variety of options. You can hone up on your BlackJack skills or play the slot machines. It's like Vegas, but with nicer ports of call.

Visit Exotic Locations
Usually if you travel you have to worry about negotiating foreign roads and not getting lost. On a cruise ship, you are brought right to the doorstep and usually have excursions easily available to guide you safely through each site.

Easy Payments
Most cruise lines let you simply charge everything back to your room that isn't included in the main price. Instead of worrying about losing cash, you just pay that one bill off at the end. It makes your wallet-tracking much easier.

Have Fun
Cruise ships always have something going on, from game shows to lessons about wine to pool parties. It'd be hard to get bored on a cruise ship.

Relax
There are always chairs on the deck, nooks in the lounge, and other locations to just sit back and soak up the sun or read.

Stay in Shape
If you want to, you can walk around the Promenade, work out in the health club, do laps in the pool, and take walks at every port you reach. You can easily use your cruise to get into far better shape than when you left home!

There are of course some concerns to keep in mind when you're cruising - read through the Cruising Concerns if you've never been on a cruise ship.