I recently went on my first cruise. Before heading down to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, I didn't know what to expect. I had heard that the food is great, the service is excellent, and the whole experience would be unforgettable. What I didn't realize was that I could raise my standards substantially and still be impressed. Now here's why Royal Caribbean is a great choice for a vacation:

1. Royal Caribbean cruises are really affordable. Even some of the five-night cruises are easily under $250. This price even includes a breakfast and lunch buffet as well as a three-course nightly dinner where you can order as many appetizers, entrees, and desserts as you want.

2. Cruises are a great way to travel to other countries without long drives or boring flights. There's always something to do, whether it's live entertainment, a swim in the pool, a soak in the hot tub, or food to eat.

3. Nightly dinners in a formal setting along women to get their dresses and stilettos out of the closet and men to dress up in a suit and tie. Especially coming from Iowa, there aren't a whole lot of black tie events to get fancied up for, so having an excuse to dress up is always fun once in a while.

4. Royal Caribbean offers first class entertainment. While on the ship, there were plenty of options for entertainment, and the entertainment offered was really good. We saw Kivi Rogers, a comedian who has been featured on TV multiple times. We also saw Marcus Terell & The Serenades, a semifinalist act on America's Got Talent.

5. Applying for the Royal Caribbean credit card also has its perks. I ended up with $100 in onboard credit which covered all of my additional purchases on the ship.

6. The housekeepers do a great job. Housekeeping cleans every room twice per day. Housekeepers also often leave towel animals for guests.

7. The food is so good. The menu is extensive, and dinner is a great opportunity to try new things, because dinner is included in the price of the cruise. If you don't like something, you can just order something else.

8. Dinner service consists of a primary waiter and a waiter assistant. Guests never have to wait for service. Waiters and waiter assistants are constantly refilling water, offering fresh rolls, and removing dishes.

9. When you're not sipping on drinks or trying new food, there are other great places to go. The ships have great hands-on activities to do such as rock-wall climbing, gambling in the casino, attempting to surf on the FlowRider, and getting in a workout looking out over the ocean.

10. The views over the ocean are unbelievable. Whether it was walking around by the pool or running on a treadmill in the fitness center, there were great views to be seen everywhere.