AI Planned My Cruise
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from years of traveling, it’s that planning a cruise can feel like a full-time job. You’ve got to choose the ship, map the itinerary, compare cabins, juggle budgets, research excursions, and still find time to decide whether “smart casual” means jeans or not.
So, for Episode 19 of AI for Everyone, I decided to do something a little reckless: I let artificial intelligence plan my entire cruise.
The Digital Travel Agent
I started with a single prompt:
“Plan a Mediterranean cruise for two adults who love culture, food, and relaxation.”
Within seconds, AI spit out an itinerary that would have taken me hours to piece together.
It recommended a cruise line, mapped ports, suggested excursions in each city, and even proposed a few restaurants near the docks — complete with local dishes to try.
It was like watching a travel agent who’d consumed the entire internet.
And to be honest… it wasn’t bad.
What AI Got Right
✅ It knew our vibe. The itinerary leaned into culture and food — Athens, Santorini, and Naples — with long port days instead of endless sea time.
✅ It saved time. No spreadsheets, no tabs open across three booking sites. Just clean, readable suggestions.
✅ It surprised me. One of the excursions it found — a small cooking class on a family farm outside Mykonos — was something I’d have totally missed.
For pure efficiency, I was impressed.
What AI Missed
Of course, it wasn’t perfect.
It didn’t know that the “luxury” ship it picked was full of toddlers during school holidays. It didn’t realize I prefer a cabin midship to avoid the roller-coaster feel of the bow. And it completely skipped the detail that “relaxation” to me means no karaoke bar within earshot.
That’s when I realized: AI can’t yet personalize the things that make travel truly ours.
The Sweet Spot
The best approach might be partnership.
Let AI do the heavy lifting — researching ships, comparing itineraries, finding those hidden-gem excursions — then let your human judgment fill in the emotional blanks.
AI can narrow the world down for you. You still get to decide what feels right.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just about cruises. It’s about seeing how AI fits into everyday life in ways that are actually useful and fun.
If you can use it to plan a trip — to sort, simplify, and even inspire — maybe it’s not the cold, intimidating technology everyone fears. Maybe it’s just a really smart assistant who doesn’t need coffee breaks.
Watch the Episode
🎧 Catch Episode 19 of AI for Everyone:
💡 And if you want to experiment with AI yourself, grab my free Beginner’s AI Starter Kit → aishow.io/free
Final Thought
AI may not know the difference between port and starboard, but it does know how to plan a pretty good vacation.
It won’t replace your travel instincts — or the joy of discovering something unexpected at sea — but it can give you a head start.
And who knows? Maybe the next time you set sail, your travel agent will be an algorithm.
Did you know? Joel delivers AI keynotes for organizations that want their teams to actually understand and use AI. Learn more.
