I went from working on cruise ships to taking more than 20 a year as a guest. Here's my biggest advice to cruise passengers.

• J. Alexander, who used to work for cruise ships, took more than 20 cruises last year.
• He said his favorite cruise was to Antarctica and that Royal Caribbean is his favorite cruise line.
• He said there is a cruise for everyone and urges travelers to do a lot of research before choosing.

This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with J. Alexander, a former cruise ship crew member-turned-YouTuber who runs the channel The Shiplife, which has more than 195,000 subscribers. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.