Carolyn Spencer Brown is the chief content strategist of Cruise Critic and a bit of a legend among both cruise-industry execs and cruise-loving travelers. Every year, she goes on dozens of cruises, ranging from two-day previews (which — she argues — don’t actually count) to immersive two-week adventures. And often, when she's onboard, she hosts gatherings for Cruise Critic readers.
"I think that what really sticks with me about cruise is that on ships you can, if you want, build communities, make friends, meet new folks who stretch your own boundaries," says Brown.
But here's a dirty little secret about one of the best-known figures in cruise journalism: She gets seasick on anything that floats.
READ MORE: "The 20 Best Cruises To Take In 2019"
"A blind date on a sailboat off of Key Biscayne was a disaster," she recalls. "On a naval destroyer in Norfolk on a massive vessel that never even left port, I wound up in the captain’s quarters, prostrate (to be honest, my mom was equally queasy, so I’m assuming it’s inherited). I was not a natural choice for the genre."
In fact, when Brown got her start as a contributor to the Washington Post’s travel section in the mid-1990s, there was no such thing as “cruise journalism" and she had neither taken a cruise nor aspired to take one. "My forward-thinking editor felt that cruise travel was turning a corner from being a sector meant for 'newlywed and nearly dead' to a more vibrant mode of seeing the world," she says. "And he wanted someone who wasn’t a natural ship person to tell that story."
Her editor asked if Brown had a problem with seasickness. "Of course, I said 'no,' and it’s the only time I ever lied to him," she says. "I really wanted the work."
Ultimately, cruise became a lifelong passion. She even met her husband on a cruise.
What does she love about cruising? "I love that you can treat a cruise itinerary as a tapas menu for travel — dip in and sample ports of call, see what resonates, where you’d like to come back for a longer visit," says Brown, whose role at Cruise Critic involves conveying the passions of cruise and telling the story of what cruise really is, all from new perspectives.
Also appealing: "the convenience of visiting so many different places without the hassles of planes, trains and autos, and without having to unpack a thousand times."
For people who want to follow in her career footsteps, Brown says that it's a lot easier now than when she started. "What’s really different in a fresh way these days is that people from various perspectives are choosing to be cruise journalists, a job that really didn’t exist 20 years ago," she says. "Social media, whether it’s blogs, Facebook, Cruise Critic’s boards and community, Instagram or Twitter (or most likely a combination of some or all), has been the great equalizer. Anyone with an Internet connection and a passion to write about cruise can have a voice."
In order to succeed at this profession, Brown says it's also important to know who your audience is, and then serve it honestly and authentically. "If you are a consumer-focused advocate, make sure you’re thinking first about your readers," she says. "In too many cases, we see folks trying to curry favor with cruise lines and that’s just not going to help build a trust in your audience — they won’t stay around long if they can’t sense honesty in your writing."
We got Brown to share her honest and authentic advice on the most intriguing cruises for non-cruisers. And guess what? There are ideas here that even experienced seafarers will love.
10 Best Cruises for Travelers Who Haven’t Cruised
Authentic at Sea as Well as Port: Viking Ocean Cruises in Norway
What makes Viking Ocean Cruises unique on its Norway itineraries is that the line is inspired by, and influenced by, its founder and president, Torstein Hagen. He’s Norwegian, and his roots are all over each of the four ships in the line’s fleet. The marriage of Viking’s Nordic sensibility — via menus, eateries, artwork and even a Nordic-centric spa and itineraries that call at both popular and lesser-known but equally interesting Norwegian ports — elevates the experience, particularly but not limited to Arctic Circle towns and villages. Its Midnight Sun voyages, when the sun never really sets, are a huge draw for Viking, but even more intriguing is the fact that the line is offering the polar opposite, dead-of-winter voyages, too.
Best for Undiscovered Beaches: Windstar on the Panama Canal
You’d think that a Panama Canal cruise is all about the transit, and sure, you spend a day sailing from lock to lock and learning the history of this feat of engineering. Also a delightful surprise, from Windstar, which offers one of the few seven-day Panama Canal cruise itineraries (most are longer trips that also call at ports in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and various Caribbean islands), was the fact that the other ports on the itinerary were comprised of secluded beaches or sailing destinations. There was lots of watersports, hiking and an unforgettable raft ride down a Costa Rican river.
Best Way to Cruise Like a Local: MSC in the Mediterranean
Interested in European culture and lifestyles? There’s no better way to experience them, from the inside, then when they — and by "they" I mean, primarily, Italians, Germans and Spaniards — are on vacation. My trip on MSC’s Fantasia in January, when it was as cold in Italy’s Genoa as it was at home (and where it snowed in Barcelona, which I've never seen otherwise), was so much fun. They all celebrated late in the evening at the disco (you couldn’t miss the line of baby carriages, with babies all asleep despite the din), and just a general conviviality onboard that mirrored what we’d experienced on land trips in Italy.
Best for Country Immersion: Indonesia on Ponant
On Ponant, a luxe-oriented expedition line, the most exotic places, like Antarctica, are of primary focus. But you can’t go to Antarctica year-round, so the ships need to visit other places. We loved that on this cruise, we were steeped in the culture and traditions of Indonesia and that in many cases the ports weren’t ready for the big ships. That made the trip all the more special because we felt like we were seeing Indonesia before the onset of tourism.
When You Want to Feel Like a Character in a 1940s Movie: Cunard Queen Mary 2
Cunard’s QM2 cruises all over the world, but the experience it offers that’s absolutely unique is a regularly scheduled series of crossings between England’s Southampton and New York. It’s a throwback itinerary; an homage to the pre-jet airplane days, when the only way to cross the Atlantic was to cruise. These days, the experience has adapted to contemporary norms (there’s a fabulous spa, cruising’s only planetarium, and themed dinner dances), but it still has that throwback feel. When you cruise for six or seven days without a port in sight, you have a lot more time to decompress. And also to dress; Cunard’s one of the last bastions of really dolling up and feeling glamorous.
When What You’re Seeking is a Sybaritic Resort That Floats: Regent Seven Seas’ Explorer
In an era in which cruise lines are boasting, somewhat humbly, about being hotels that just happen to float, Regent’s new Explorer unequivocally is all about the glamour onboard. For just 750 passengers, this ship doesn’t feel at all small, and actually has a lot of space, which it uses to offer more dining options than any other vessel per square foot. Its all-verandah cabins are generous with space and are edgy and arty, with cushy and comfortable balconies. And the food, well the culinary scene is just about too good — you’ll definitely need to spend some time in port (on active excursions) or at its Canyon Ranch gym, to stay balanced. It’s an effort we’re willing to make.
Favorite Cruise-on-a-Budget: Norwegian Sky
Whether your constraint is dollars or time, Norwegian Sky’s three night Bahamas’ getaways is a quick tonic to your soul when you need one. It’s not so much about the ports of call but just getting out on the water, away from the pressures on land, at a seriously good value price (on Sky, all beverages are included in the fare, which doesn’t hurt).
The Place I’ve Gone Again and Again (and Will Go Again): River Cruise on the Rhine
My favorite itinerary to repeat, over and over, is a river cruise on the Rhine (the Danube’s a close second). I love the mix of small villages and cosmopolitan cities, the towpaths that run alongside and are perfect for cycling, and the craggy castles that look down on the river from lofty perches. The best time to go? It’s a toss-up between summer, when the temperatures are warm and the scenery is lush, and Christmas markets (between the end of November to late December), when every place along the river comes alive with lights and music and handmade crafts to buy and gluhwein (mulled wine) to sip. It’s magic.
Port of Call That Started a Lifelong Passion: Helsinki
On my first-ever visit to Finland’s Helsinki, the appeal of the city paled next to more dramatic ports, like St. Petersburg, Copenhagen, and Stockholm, on our Baltic itinerary. It just didn’t resonate. Fast forward a couple of years when I met my Finnish husband in Italy’s Naples (the christening for Costa’s Mediterranea, on one of my first assignments for Cruise Critic). He took me home to meet his family and it was then I started to appreciate Helsinki’s quiet charms. These days, I have my favorite city haunts, shops, markets and cafes. And we usually find time, at least during summer months, to venture beyond the city limits to spend time at Teijo’s family’s cabin on the lake. It’s our happy place. You don’t have to have a cabin to appreciate the sheer beauty of the Finnish lakes, which sprawl over quite a significant bit of geography.
One Place We’d Love to Find the Perfect Cruise Itinerary (We’re Still Looking): South Africa.
It’s an amazing place, with food, wine and culture, but few cruise lines sail there, and mostly on world cruise segments. At this point we haven’t found the time to make a long trip like this would require, but we’re working on it.
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