So we asked the real experts—older Americans who have walked the lido deck—to share their stories. About a time they experienced a brag-worthy vacation. And about a time things could have gone better.

Before you head off into uncharted waters, learn from these travel tales. Bon voyage!

I TOOK a seven-night Carnival cruise to Mexico from Galveston, Texas. The first day, they did a presentation on their shore excursions and drew one name to win a free experience. My then-husband and I won the big prize: two passes to Isla Pasion, a private island off Cozumel. That spoiled me! Now every time I cruise, I expect to win the big prize, and am disappointed when I don’t. My advice to others: Always go to those presentations and enter the drawing. You never know. —Michael Palmer, 52, Henryetta, Oklahoma

Study the brochures: Every cruise line will say it’s the right one for you and there’s something for everyone, but there are clues to tell you more. Look for advertising photos that showcase people who appear to be of your age, Palmer says.

MY LAST CRUISE, to the Dominican Republic, was my least favorite. There were too many kids. The Jacuzzi was filled with kids who never got out, and parents weren’t really supervising them. It wasn’t spring break or anything, but what we didn’t realize upon booking the trip was that the cruise line was running a special where kids cruise for free. So make sure you know what kind of cruise it is, and whether any special packages might alter the typical vibe or passengers on board. —Yvonne Howard, 53, Smyrna, Delaware

I WAS ON a 12-day Princess cruise, leaving from the U.K. and going to Ireland, Scotland and all the way around the British Isles. It was port-intensive, so we spent more days at port than at sea, on excursions that included castles and cathedrals—top tier. —Jazminn Davis, 64, Pittsfield, New Hampshire

Ask an expert: There are so many cruises out there; it’s easy to go down a rabbit hole looking at them. A cruise expert can help you narrow it down, Davis says. They ask questions, such as how far are you willing to travel to the departure point and your desired port-to-at-sea ratio, and find the right fit.

MY WIFE calls me a human GPS because I can find my way around anywhere. When I retired, we went on an Alaskan cruise with Princess, and we would walk into the port towns and talk to people. We wouldn’t take an excursion offered by the ship. In Ketchikan, we saw what looked like a run-down little store, but the sign said “radio station.” And we talked to the DJ and found out that he knew my brother! The best experiences are just getting to know the locals. —Glenn Kessler, 67, Sugar Land, Texas

Variety is the spice of life: Do something different every day of your cruise. Go to karaoke night even if you don’t sing, Palmer says. If cruising alone, do activities where you meet others. You may make a friend to cruise with again.

IN 2007, we wanted to go to Antarctica. My partner, John, had retired four years before and this was our way to start exploring the world. We called Lindblad Expeditions Cruises, but Antarctic cruises were sold out for the season. They suggested going to Svalbard, Norway, instead. We’d never heard of it but we said, “Let’s do it!” That first cruise to a destination that wasn’t our first choice became our dream trip. We saw over 30 polar bears. We saw walruses. We had a blue whale right alongside the ship. We went past these bird cliffs that probably had 100,000 birds nesting on them. I kayaked for the first time. The naturalist said to stop paddling once in a while and just listen and I’d hear the “ice crispies”—which is the air being released out of the glacial ice. It really does snap, crackle and pop. —Annabelle Lee, 68, Thousand Oaks, California

Manage your money: Carolyn Spencer Brown, former editor in chief of Cruise Critic, is a fan of package pricing for amenities. “As we get older, we want less hassle,” she says. “We want our brains at rest when we’re on vacation, not totaling up sums of extra fee options. ”

OUR GOAL was the destination, Alaska. But we learned an important lesson, which is that you shouldn’t put four people (two adults and two teenage boys) in one stateroom. We didn’t realize how small the room was going to be. We had two sets of bunk beds in our room. There was no place to chill out. So, the journey is as important as the destination. —Ranu Muttreja, 56, Philadelphia

Create extra storage: Rooms can be tight, but bringing a few small items can maximize space, traveler Jazminn Davis says. The ship’s walls are metal, so take magnetic hooks to hang purses, hats, sandals and more. A portable, over-the-door shoe rack keeps shoes out of the way, and a netted shower bag can be used to hold your products in a tight cabin bathroom.

I STARTED scuba diving in the 1960s. I was inspired by Lloyd Bridges and Sea Hunt and taught by a Navy frogman. These days, although we’re still certified divers, Donnelle and I tend to take snorkeling trips. We booked a Caribbean cruise, and learned about age limits for “active” shore excursions. A snorkeling trip in Costa Maya had a 65-year age limit. We called and questioned that. Even in our 80s, we’re capable snorkelers. We jumped through hoops, and even sent a letter from our doctor. Eventually they OK’d us. But when we checked in, the guy with the clipboard told us we were too old, and they put us on a silly glass-bottom boat tour instead. We were so annoyed and insulted. We prefer sailing on lines that don’t discriminate against older cruisers. —Dale Leatherman, 80, Northern Virginia

HAVE YOU ever been in Kansas and seen its miles of flat plains? Imagine that as tulips and that’s what it was like visiting the flower fields on Viking’s Tulips and Windmills cruise in the Netherlands. Tulips to the left, to the right, tulips behind you, in red and orange and yellow. Just unbelievable beauty. I learned so much on this tour, not just about tulips, but about Van Gogh and Rembrandt, World War II history, and the technology that exists to help prevent flooding in a small country that’s partly below sea level. The cruise is only available for a few weeks, but don’t go the first couple of weeks; you’re not guaranteed the full flower experience because of the weather. —Rachel Sinnett, 74, Rockville, Maryland

Be weather-aware: Michael Johnson, 71, of Fredericksburg, Texas, remembers traveling on a cruise from Boston to Montreal in mid-October. “I had visions of relaxing on a big veranda, looking at the fall colors," he says. "But it was cold and drizzly.” At one shore excursion, he asked a sales clerk at a store in Maine when she thought the storm would end. “She looked at me with a puzzled look and said, ‘This isn’t a storm, this is the weather!’ ”