Years ago, horse and buggy travel restricted folks to more local destinations, then came trains, planes and automobiles. With the end of Covid restrictions, the travel industry has seen a huge uptick. People like me (in my 60s) are flocking to cruise ships, while the Gen Z population is seeking travel platforms, according to TimeOut.com, more focused on mental health, concern for the environment and inspiration. More and more are interested in “dry vacations,” in other words—alcohol-free travel—and they are embracing new technologies when it comes to planning trips, with 60% looking to Tik Tok for inspiration, 40% booking vacations as a direct result and 51% using AI-generated itineraries.

60+ or Gen Z, it’s all about location. Gen Z travelers are eyeing Italy, Greece, the UK, France, Spain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Brazil as their top destinations—and they’re paying to offset their carbon emissions. For those 60+, the top choices are Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean—and expedition cruises. We seniors are looking for adventure.

My husband and I have done a number of cruises. We visited Antarctica and the Arctic and Greenland on “expedition ships.” Definite adventures! We cruised the Norwegian Fjords, the British Isles and the Baltic Sea (when we could still go to Russia). We tried to see Australia and New Zealand, but ended up stuck at sea for 10 days because of a “red growth” on the bottom of the ship that had to be cleaned off in international waters. We saw Auckland and Sydney and missed most everything in-between, but that’s a different story. Recently we returned from a three-week trip to Alaska, and we’ve already booked our next adventure—a three week river cruise through the old iron-curtain countries with a final stop in Prague.

We’ve found it perfect for learning about other cultures, seeing places we haven’t seen or experienced, and feeling youthful while working within our new limitations. Schlepping 50 lb. suitcases in and out of cars and hotels is no longer fun, the hostels of my youth aren’t really geared for someone my age, and forget saving pennies by sleeping on the overnight trains. Bottom line, we can get on our ship, unpack once and see an amazing number of places. We’ve met interesting people all over the world and experienced incredible things—riding RIB boats and kayaking in Antarctica and the Arctic, hiking in to see the black bears in Alaska. And we know, after a day of pushing our physical limits, we’ll have a good meal, a massage and sauna available (if needed) and a comfortable bed to sleep in so we can get up and go at it again the next day. There are myriad of educational and entertainment offerings on board—lectures on the areas we’re visiting, the wildlife we’ll see, the culture and the history of each locale, musical programs.

Granted, you want to choose wisely. We cruise on small ships. It’s more expensive. Larger ships are often more economical, and offer lots more entertainment options (casinos, roller coasters, bars and multiple pools). Do your homework!