Cruise critics are wrong about nearly everything | Opinion

Cruises are under the microscope again after a hantavirus outbreak this April aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. Eleven people around the world had confirmed or suspected cases tied to the cruise, and three of them died.

Reports of yet another awful virus fill me with dread. I hope hantavirus doesn’t become COVID-19 2.0. But one thing is certain: It won’t dampen my desire to go on a cruise.

I’ve always wanted to take my kids on a cruise. For a mom who wants to play, relax and keep tabs on her four favorite people in one contained environment, it seems like the ideal vacation. I can picture it now: gourmet buffets, sunbathing on deck while the ocean swells beneath us, poolside fun and a margarita in hand (for me, not them).

In 2021, after years of saving, I booked a cruise for myself and my four kids. COVID-related issues forced me to cancel it. We still haven’t had the chance to go, but I’m holding out hope that we will.

I feel oddly defensive of cruises. The hantavirus outbreak has stirred up fresh disdain, but I see your cruise criticism and raise you one affordable, joy-filled family vacation: a floating buffet of fun in the middle of the ocean.

What could possibly go wrong?

Virus outbreaks, crime and worse at sea

Stories of terrible things happening on cruise ships are everywhere. Virus outbreaks seem especially horrifying given that hundreds of passengers are packed together in close quarters, though ironically, that contained chaos is also part of the appeal for this single mom. Beyond the hantavirus outbreak, a late April norovirus outbreak sickened 115 passengers aboard another cruise ship.

Cruises also seem to attract their share of criminal activity. Reports surfaced this month about an April raid in which 27 cruise ship workers, including some from Disney Cruise Line, were deported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection over child pornography-related offenses. In another case, a Florida teenager was charged in April with sexually assaulting and killing his stepsister aboard a cruise, tearing a family apart.

Perhaps most alarming of all is the sheer danger that comes with being aboard a massive ship at sea. People seem to go overboard on cruise ships with unsettling frequency. In April, a crew member went overboard 12 miles off Cape Cod and still hasn’t been found.

Cruises are worth the risk

Of course, bad cruise headlines dominate the news, but cruises remain wildly popular for a reason. They can’t be all bad. Cruise Lines International Association reported in 2025 that the industry attracts travelers of all ages, with Gen X and millennials leading the way.

An estimated 37.7 million people were projected to take cruises in 2025, and 82% of cruisers are repeat customers. Cruising is also a $168 billion global industry, offering vacations that can be surprisingly affordable. A seven-night Caribbean cruise in April 2027 ranges from about $630 to $7,900 per person, depending on the cabin and package.

Take that, haters.

But I don’t want to go on a cruise just because millions of other people do. To me, it looks like the ultimate family vacation, especially for a larger family like mine.

Sure, amusement parks are fun, but eventually the kids scatter and everyone ends up baking in the Texas heat. I love the beach too, and it’s certainly easier now than when my kids were little and I spent the entire trip doing headcounts: one, two, three, four – repeat. But teenagers want more to do, and frankly, better food.

Cruises seem to offer the sweet spot: entertainment, relaxation and enough variety to keep everyone happy.

As for the risks, I view cruises the same way I view many things in life: through a simple cost-benefit, risk-reward analysis.

Life is unpredictable. Viruses can break out anywhere. Disaster can strike when you least expect it.

Of course, it’s wise to be cautious and avoid intentionally putting yourself or your family in harm’s way. If I knew there was a hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship I was boarding, would I still get on? Probably not. The same goes for severe weather, like hurricanes.

But one of life’s most basic truths is that everything is a trade-off. That applies to parenting, vacations and family fun too. If motherhood has taught me anything, it’s that good and bad can emerge from the very same situations.

A spontaneous road trip can bring laughter and unforgettable memories, or whining and a car accident, sometimes all at once. The beach or pool can pose risks, or become the place where your child learns confidence, joy and a lifelong love of the outdoors.

I would never recklessly endanger my children, nor would I suggest others do so. But life is meant to be lived. Avoiding experiences simply because danger exists is a recipe for missing out on joy, connection, growth and some of the best memories families make together.

That’s why I still want to go on a cruise, despite all the negative headlines. To me, it sounds like pure joy: my entire family together in swimsuits, sampling seafood buffets, racing down water slides and laughing until our sides hurt, all together on a floating city of fun in the middle of the ocean.

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.