There is no denying the beauty of a hot air balloon floating in front of the most stunning of backdrops. With that said, there is actually an annual festival that thousands of people attend in order to marvel at these inflatable balls of beauty.

New Mexico sets the stage for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Having run since 1972, this unique festival attracts many people from around the country and beyond to feast eyes upon the biggest hot air balloon event in the world.

While the landscapes of New Mexico are breathtaking all year round, the hundreds of hot air balloons only add to the Land of Enchantment’s sheer natural beauty. With a variety of bright colors taking over the New Mexico skyline, the choice of balloons has become more creative with each year.

These days, you can expect to find balloons designed like iconic characters such as flying pigs, Darth Vader, and The Incredible Hulk. As each year progresses, designers of these air balloons find new and exciting ways to make the next year’s event even more memorable than the previous one.

During this majestic fiesta, there are events happening both at day and night. When the sun sets, balloon pilots turn on their burners at the same time, creating a dazzling effect, illuminating the New Mexican sierra.

Visitors actually have the opportunity to take part in setting up the air balloons. With the event steadily increasing in the visitor numbers over the years, the most recent event welcomed a staggering 800,000 people.

While many are happy to enjoy the main events at the fiesta, individuals and groups alike are able to book private balloon tours, providing an exhilarating floating experience across the New Mexico landscape.

You can find more information about the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta online, both on the official fiesta website as well as on New Mexico’s official tourism site. The event also has Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages.

Going on a cruise is an item that’s found its way onto many people’s bucket lists. A sea-cation is an enchanting way to travel. But, as the popular saying goes, ‘All that glitters is not gold’ — and the same applies for cruise ships.

On your cruise, you will encounter two types of danger. It won’t take you long to realize which one of these dangers is more severe in nature. As per a CNN report dated July 2019, 18-month Chloe Wiegand fell out of a cruise ship window while being held by her granddad.

Every ship, irrespective of its size, is vulnerable to some degree. No ship is completely immune to danger. While we’re all aware of Titanic’s fate, there are several other incidents that largely go unreported or underreported.

This picture is proof, as it features a sinking cruise ship. After one look at this, we have so many questions about the safety of the passengers and the crew. Who would want to watch their vacation end like this?

When we said pests, we didn’t mean nosy and annoying co-passengers, although they can be defined as pests too. Because a cruise ship carries passengers from different parts of the globe, pests such as bed bugs, lice, and cockroaches are a common sight on cruise ships.

Bed bugs, as you can see in the picture, are known to multiply faster than the speed of light or sound. Additionally, they cause many skin-related problems and infections.

This seemingly innocent image has a terrible backstory. On the surface, this picture is of a ship elevator with some caution tape. But, there’s actually more to it. As per WGNO, this particular image is a still from a video made by a passenger on the cruise.

In the video, the doors of the elevator can be seen opening and closing randomly due to a technical error that resulted in the tragic end of an electrician, who was trapped inside the elevator.

The sea is normally considered to be safer than land, right? Wrong! This image, which was taken by a passenger on board, will make you reconsider.

The cruise ship is only a short distance away from a New Zealand volcanic eruption. As per the Coast Mountain News, the photographer had initially assumed that the volcano was actually just smoke being emitted from some factory.

The traffic at sea can be pretty daunting and just as unnerving as traffic on land. And, every cruise is expected to observe the traffic rules and abide by all the traffic regulations.

If you don’t believe us, here’s an example of an accident. In 2019, a cruise ship captain was arrested for breaking the traffic rules. His misjudgment led to a nasty crash resulting in the loss of over seven lives.

Cruises are one of the worst environmental offenders, as they significantly contribute to the pollution levels in the environment. So, if you’re a green traveler, a cruise won’t fit in line with your philosophy of travel.

They not only cause air pollution, but also pollute the aquatic reserves by discharging oil, sewage, and non-biodegradable waste into the water. This level of pollution creates havoc for marine life thereby causing a marine imbalance.

A cruise ship can be your biggest nightmare if you’re an introvert as you’ll see a lot of people virtually everywhere. A cruise ship is often fully booked so expect to see a lot of people on your journey.

A large number of these vacationers are noisy and often uncontrollable. So, be prepared to forgo your inner peace — and embrace the chaos, should you decide to take that journey on a cruise.

Cruises have been polluting nature since their inception. Let’s delve a bit deeper into that. In 2017, a humpback whale was found impaled on a Princess cruise ship as it pulled into a port in Alaska.

And, this is not a one-off incident. There have been countless news stories that link cruises and cargo to the destruction of marine life and whales in particular. Sadly, not many people know about this.

If you’re expecting uniform weather with pleasant sunshine throughout the entirety of your cruise, prepare to be let down. The weather at sea can be quite fickle, especially depending on the area that you’re in.

So, expect indecisive weather or weather that can change at the drop of a hat. All you can do is either mumble about it or take it in stride.

Some of the ship captains cannot be trusted at all under any circumstances. They will abandon the ship (including you) at the slightest hint of a problem. There have been many instances where this has happened.

During one of these incidents, a captain decided to save himself first after a crash. He fled from the scene leaving the others to fend for them. Captains like him definitely don’t deserve to have such a respectable position.

Some of the cruise ships have horrible bathrooms. The toilets often make a scary sound each time you flush. But, don’t let that dissuade you from flushing after every use. There are other problems that you may face when it comes to using a cruise ship bathroom.

Some may be extremely dirty, others may have strange objects jammed inside the toilet, and then there are those that leak icky things — like this bathroom! So, how about the holiday cruise?

Yes, you will live by the motto, ‘No showering is the new showering’ during your time on the cruise. In most cases, it would be due to the circumstances in front of you. Confused? Read on.

Apparently, the showers do not work half the time — and if they do, they just sputter out enough water to wash your face.

Don’t fret — your bathroom is not the only place in the cruise that’s full of filth. During your stay, you’ll discover many places that are filled with copious amounts of filth (we just don’t know where to begin).

This filth can lower your immunity and make you fall sick easily. So, cruises are definitely not for you if you’re someone who loves cleanliness.

A hazard or two is always lurking around the corner. Some of these hazards are due to the build and poor maintenance of the ship. A few of these hazards can also be attributed to the carelessness of fellow passengers on board with you.

The Business Insider reported one such hazard that took place on a Carnival cruise ship. A fire in the cruise’s laundry room caused a handful of injuries before it could be contained.

There have been a lot of instances in which cruise ships end up getting stranded for days, weeks, and months across the globe. Once a cruise ship is stranded, the living conditions on the ship start worsening, eventually leading to a rather negative atmosphere.

This, in turn, can impact the mental health of the passengers and trigger anxiety, panic, and a host of uncomfortable feelings. When cruise ships are stranded, it often does not paint a pretty picture.

As we mentioned earlier, the weather conditions in the sea are largely unpredictable — and ever-changing. Temperatures can change at the drop of a hat. These unfavorable weather conditions can dampen your spirit and play spoilsport during your time on a cruise.

In many cases, violent storms have been known to cut short a trip or even extend the trip by days on account of being stranded in the middle of nowhere.

If you think you’re safer inside a cruise ship, think again. As per a news report in Lipstick Alley, an eight-year-old girl fell from the second floor of a balcony on a cruise ship.

She didn’t survive the fall and passed away before the medical staff could even attend to her injuries. If this doesn’t convince you of what we said about safety, we don’t know what will.

There are people who think that a sea-cation on a cruise will help materialize their dreams of coming up close and personal with marine life. We hate to burst your bubble but most of the time, you will be greeted by the vast blue sea.

Oceans are notorious for presenting nothing for their visitors but beautiful shades of blue.

Most of the rooms on cruise ships are more or less cramped. This means that, if you’ve booked a room with a friend or family, you have to make do with the space you get.

These cramped rooms can be an issue if you’re claustrophobic. And if the room doesn’t have any windows, it’s that much harder to tell what time it is.

Depending on the cruise line and the package that you choose, food aboard a ship can be absolutely delicious. On the other hand, though, it can also be largely sub-standard and not that great in terms of taste. So, it’s strongly advised to gain a sense of what you’d be eating if you (still) decide to embark on your cruise trip.

The food is normally cooked in large quantities for the guests and crew. This means that because the chef and cooks have to make food for thousands of guests thrice a day, they tend to focus on quantity rather than quality.

Cruises can cause seasickness if you’re one to get easily squeamish or nauseous. Cruises are also a breeding ground for contagious infections and ailments owing to their contained spaces and a disregard for cleanliness.

This makes us circle back to the previous point we made about the hygiene levels in the washroom and other areas of the ship. If you have a weak immune system, it’s a wise decision to cancel that cruise journey rather than suffer later.

The pools on cruise ships can be highly unsafe. And no, we’re not just talking about the hygiene levels here. Although that makes for a compelling argument!

But, we digress! Pools on cruises, in general, are one of the crowded areas on the ship — and this can result in all types of mishaps.

The strength of any entertainment line-up is gauged by the performer(s) it has. While we’re all supportive when it comes to fresh talent, we feel that it’s better to have a mix of established and new names in the line-up — ya know, just in case.

The sad truth is that a lot of ships have a music line-up that’s often sub-par. Therefore, it’s strongly suggested that you do your research before booking a spot on that cruise.

For the most part, you will find an older demographic on board with a few millennials and Gen Z’ers here and there. But, let us warn you — the overall demographic on the cruise is predominantly geriatric.

This, in turn, will slow you down, especially if you’re expecting a younger crowd on board. There are other places you can go to connect with a younger crowd.

Cruise ships are known to monitor their guests’ and crew members’ moves by installing high-tech cameras in strategic locations throughout the ship. While this is important, it can make you feel like you are being ‘watched’ all the time. That’s never a good feeling.

According to a 2018 news item published in Business Insider, a couple claimed to have found a security camera installed in their cabin and washroom. This is a blatant invasion of privacy.

Pirates are very much a real thing and one of the major menaces you can possibly encounter during your sojourn at sea. And they are not necessarily as dishy and flamboyant as Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean.

In 2017, a group of Somali pirates targeted several ships in the Indian Ocean. According to a 2020 report published in the think tank publication The Conversation, global sea piracy at the moment is witnessing an upward trend and is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

The reports of cruises and cargo ships colliding with fishing trawlers have been increasingly common. And often, these collisions result in the loss of human life.

One of such notorious collisions in the history of cruise mishaps was a 1992 collision of a passenger liner with a striking trawler. The incident took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — causing injuries to 70 people on board.

In one of the earlier points, we talked about the bugs and pests on cruise ships and how they can be a nuisance. There have been a few instances when snakes have made their way onto the ship.

While this feels like the plot of some twisted movie, it has happened in reality. In 2015, a cobra was found on the New Jersey bound container ship and, in 2016, another snake was found on a cargo ship in Aberdeen harbor.

While psychos who slash people make for the perfect protagonist in spine-chilling horror movies, there have been some odd instances when they have made their way onto the passenger ships. Isn’t that a scary thought?

A 2012 Fox News report mentioned one such person named Israel Keyes, who boarded The New Orleans cruise liner. Luckily, no untoward incident occurred and all the passengers were safe and sound except for one. However, it had left those on board quite rattled by the whole incident.