Ten days ago I stepped off my 14th cruise in Hamburg. Fifteen days in Norway, five nights of northern lights, traveling solo. And as I picked up my suitcase, something made me smile: not that many years ago, I was one of those people who said cruises were for retirees.

I wasn't joking. I really believed it. I thought I'd be bored, that it wasn't my travel style, and that I had nothing in common with the people who take cruises.

In this post I'll tell you what scared me before my first cruise, what changed my mind, what that first day was like, what really happens with seasickness, when I knew this was for me, and what's changed from that first cruise to this last one. And if you have the same fears, what I'd tell you.

In my case, it wasn't exactly fear. It was something worse: I was convinced it just wasn't for me.

The biggest thing was the idea that cruises are for older people. That it would be incredibly boring. That I wouldn't like it. I like to travel at my own pace and discover places my own way, and I pictured a cruise as the opposite: everything scheduled, everyone doing the same thing at the same time.

There was also the feeling that I had nothing in common with the kind of traveler I thought took cruises. Someone who only wants the buffet and a lounge chair, with no interest in seeing the places. I thought: no, that's not me. No way.

And yes, there was a bit of nervousness too. I'd never been out in the middle of the ocean. I didn't know what that would feel like. I figured it might make me a little queasy.

Today I know almost all of that was wrong. But back then I didn't. And I think plenty of people who've never taken a cruise think exactly the same.

The funny thing is, cruises weren't foreign to my family. I have two aunts who cruised quite a lot. Two people I care about a lot. And still, it was never on my radar.

I think that happens a lot: if something isn't on your close circle's radar, it usually doesn't make it onto your list of things to try. The environment you grow up in shapes much of what you do. And in mine, cruises just weren't there.

Until my partner said something that changed everything: "Do whatever you want. I'm taking two cruises a year."

That stuck with me. She was going regardless. The question was whether I wanted to share those moments or stay on land with my prejudice.

So I swallowed my pride. I said: fine, I'll try it and see.

Mine was like a scene from Home Alone. I was Macaulay Culkin running around a huge place that suddenly felt like it was all mine.

My first cruise was on the MSC Grandiosa, sailing from Valencia, Spain, around the Mediterranean. On day one I explored every inch of it. I read the brochure, studied the deck plan, and by the end of the day I knew where everything was.

I was amazed by everything I saw. The central promenade with its giant LED ceiling. An Irish pub. The gym, huge and full of light. Everything blew me away.

I still have great memories of that ship. I still think it's a great ship for a cruise, even though it's a few years old now. And I remember that first day in detail, the way you remember things that truly surprise you.

That guy running around the ship had nothing in common with the one who said cruises were for retirees.

Honestly: in 14 cruises, I've never been seasick. Not once.

On two cruises, there were moments when the ship moved a bit more. I'm talking half an hour, an hour at most, over a whole week. And on this last one in Norway, with the storm we had, you could feel it more. Even so, it was nothing like what people imagine.

Something that surprised me when I started: the ship moves less because of the sea than I expected. What moves it most is usually the wind. Such a tall ship acts like a sail, and that's when you feel it.

Here's how I explain it to everyone. Does a car move? Of course. Do you feel it move? Of course. Does that make you sick? No. Does a plane move? Of course. Do you feel it? Of course. Do you get sick? No. A ship is the same: of course it moves, and of course you sometimes feel it. But that doesn't mean you'll get seasick.

Could you get seasick? Maybe. You won't know until you try. Will it be so bad you'll want to get off the ship? I seriously doubt it. I don't know anyone it's happened to. And I've traveled with, and recommended cruising to, lots of people, including people who get carsick. They all tell me the same thing: "You can barely tell it's moving."

No. And I found that out on the second day of my first cruise.

We were leaving Barcelona at sunset. There was a DJ party on deck as the ship pulled out of port. I'm not really a party person, but it was fantastic.

In the middle of it all, we ended up talking with an Italian couple. Since I speak Italian, the conversation flowed right away. We talked about life, about cruising, about personal growth. With the sun setting over the sea and the city fading behind us.

Right then I thought: "This is for me."

Because I love people. I love meeting new people. And a cruise is, without a doubt, the best way I know to do it. You meet people from everywhere, with time, without rushing, in a place where everyone's in a good mood because they're on vacation.

Are there older people on cruises? Of course. There are also young couples, families, groups of friends and solo travelers. It depends a lot on the ship, the route and the time of year. But the idea that cruises are only for retirees is just that: an idea. And it's wrong.

From the first to the fourteenth, I've changed more than the ships have.

On that first cruise, I wanted to see everything. Now I don't rush anywhere. I know my way around ships, since they're more or less alike, and I focus on what matters to me.

I used to try to get the most out of everything. Now I get the most out of it by enjoying what I like, and plenty of things I just don't care about anymore. On my last cruise, fifteen days long, I went to one or two shows. They're really good, honestly, but at that hour I'd rather be doing something else.

That doesn't mean I don't try new things. I still do. But now I choose. And choosing is exactly what I didn't know how to do on that first cruise, when everything was new and I wanted to take it all in.

That it's normal. I felt it too, even if I disguised it as "that's not for me."

That seasickness will probably be far less than you imagine. That being out in the middle of the ocean, the thing so many people dread, is the opposite of what you expect: it's total peace. And that the idea of cruises being boring and only for older people is something you'll disprove yourself the moment you board.

I won't tell you that you absolutely have to try it. I get that not everyone has to like the same things. But if you're reading this post, it's because somewhere, even if you're nervous, you're curious. And I'd tell you: follow that curiosity and try it. I don't think you'll regret it.

I started out saying cruises were for retirees. Fourteen cruises later, I still remember that Italian couple, that sunset leaving Barcelona and the feeling of having been wrong. I've rarely enjoyed being wrong so much.

What held you back, or is still holding you back, from taking your first cruise?

Subscribe and get every new post straight to your inbox.