Gallup reports nearly half of U.S. adults now abstain from alcohol, and cruising is quietly reshaping itself around that shift.

Sober cruising is emerging as a significant travel trend, driven by a growing number of travelers who want alcohol-free experiences while sailing on mainstream cruise ships. This guide explores the cruise lines that best support sober, non-drinking, and alcohol-free guests who still want the full cruise experience. These are not alcohol-free ships; they are well-known cruise lines where choosing not to drink is both comfortable and widely accepted.

Ready to explore the world without the booze? On Friday, February 27 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, The Sober Curator is taking over SOBER AF Zero Proof Bottle Shop in Tacoma for a night dedicated to all things sober travel. We're talking books, packing hacks, crafts, mocktails, and a room full of people who prove every single day that you don't need a drink to see the world.

Whether you're planning your next adventure or just dreaming about one from your couch, this is a Friday night worth leaving the house for.

"The Disenchanted" is a short but powerful novel about talent, ego, and self-destruction. It is loosely based on Budd Schulberg’s real experience working with F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood during the 1930s. The book tells the story through the eyes of a young writer who is hired to help a once-great novelist finish a movie script. What begins as admiration slowly turns into disappointment.

The first time I heard the title track, I didn’t just listen — I stopped.

Within the opening lines, Ross Hopman delivers a gut punch:

“When no one’s watching am I even safe from me.
I’m the great director of a movie no one’s meant to see.
I can still fuck up and still be loved.
When no one’s watching can I be who I’m meant to be?”

That song brought me to tears the first time I heard it. Not because it’s dramatic. Not because it’s loud. But because it’s honest.

And that honesty sets the tone for the entire album.

The functional beverage space is booming right now, and it's no secret that the sober and sober-curious communities are paying attention. Brands are popping up left and right claiming to deliver mood boosts, social energy, and that elusive "buzz without the booze" through adaptogens, nootropics, and mushroom extracts. Some of these beverages contain THC. Some don't. And for those of us in recovery, that distinction matters. A lot.

Margaret Cho has been open about her winding road to recovery for decades. In 2016, what she thought was a birthday celebration turned out to be an intervention staged by friends who had watched her opioid and alcohol use spiral. She stayed in treatment for a year and a half and has been sober since. Cho had actually been sober for more than a decade before that relapse proving that recovery isn't always linear. Now over eight years sober, Cho says her sobriety "feels like another life" and has completely shifted how she sees herself. "I thought that the party would be over, but actually when you put all that stuff down, the party begins," she's said. She's described her sobriety as "a constantly evolving project" and "an ongoing piece of art you have to keep applying yourself to." The comedian, who has also spoken publicly about surviving sexual abuse, trauma, and anti-Asian racism, continues to use her platform to talk honestly about how these experiences intersect with addiction and mental health.

For anyone struggling, know that help is available: 📞 1-800-662-HELP (SAMHSA Helpline).

Sometimes the best product reviews don't happen at your kitchen counter. Sometimes they happen in a luxury cabin in the mountains, surrounded by a group of boss babes in sweatpants, with laptops open and brunch on the table. Let me explain.

In the Celtic calendar, early February marks Imbolc, the seasonal turning associated with the goddess then saint, Brigid. For many people, February is when the year begins to feel long. The energy of January has worn off. Spring is being advertised everywhere, but the ground is still cold and the days can still feel heavy.

I did not expect a Scottish castle full of reality stars whispering about murder to become one of my weekly rituals, and yet here we are.

This season of "The Traitors" is peak television. Cloaked figures slipping into a turret under cover of darkness. A Round Table where grown adults deliver dramatic speeches at Shakespearean levels. Alan Cumming sweeping into the room like he has been personally styled by Rachel Zoe for a cover of Vogue: Castles Edition. His dog Lala wandering through scenes like a small, furry executive producer. Housewives serving full personality before coffee. Gamers analyzing and foreign alliances. And for reasons that remain unclear, a castle full of people under psychological stress fighting for salmon at breakfast - if there is any left.

I spent one year and four months fully committed to Narcotics Anonymous. Meetings, sponsorship, step work and strict abstinence. I followed the rules. Later, I transitioned into a harm-reduction pathway. But I did not leave the Steps behind. The principles I learned there are the foundation of my recovery and the framework I now use to manage my mental health.