<p class="ingestion featured-caption">My kids loved all the activities on our expedition cruise to Iceland. Jamie Davis Smith</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>After my kids begged to go on a cruise, we took two within a couple of months.</li><li>I preferred our smaller expedition trip over the traditional <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-caribbean-wonder-icon-of-the-seas-not-for-everyone-2024-4">megaship cruise</a>.</li></ul><p>Earlier this year, my kids' relentless pleas to <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scared-solo-cruise-how-to-make-it-great-frequent-traveler-2024-7">take a cruise</a> reached a fever pitch.</p><p>The thought of being trapped on a boat never appealed to me, but my children's friends continued to regale them with tales of megaships with multistory slides and unlimited access to ice cream.</p><p>Eventually, I relented and booked a weeklong <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hated-cruises-changed-mind-royal-caribbean-wonder-of-the-seas-2024-9">voyage on Royal Caribbean</a>, which owns the largest cruise ships in the world.</p><p>The trip was fun, and I left with an appreciation for how easy cruising makes <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-places-to-go-in-europe-travel-planner-favorite-destinations-2024-10">travel planning</a>. But the megaships weren't for me — I wanted more.</p><p>I searched for a cruise that fit my adventurous spirit. Two months after our first cruise, I found what I was looking for.</p><p>I booked a <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/luxury-arctic-cruise-seabourn-ship-suite-amenities-photos-2023-10">small-ship expedition to Iceland</a> with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions. It had all of the conveniences I cared about, but I didn't feel like I had to compromise my other preferences.</p><p>When it was time to disembark, I had already started planning my next expedition. Here's what converted me into a (certain kind of) cruise lover.</p>