‘I Will Never, Ever Go on a Cruise’

A Meatball at Sea

For the May 2024 issue, Gary Shteyngart spent seven nights aboard the biggest cruise ship that has ever sailed.

I’ve never written a letter to the editor before, but rare are the times I’ve read an article more hilarious, brilliant, and incisive than Gary Shteyngart’s on his escapades at sea. I was moved, entertained, and wowed by his keen observations. But mostly I’m grateful to him for reinforcing a promise I made to myself: I will never, ever go on a cruise.

Jennifer Ripley
Menlo Park, Calif.

I laughed out loud several times while reading Gary Shteyngart’s account of his experience on the inaugural voyage of the Icon of the Seas. As someone passionate about cruising, I recognized the truth in much of what Shteyngart wrote. I’m also a travel agent, and the thought of sailing on the