What MAKES your cruise for you?

[Hei1980]

After many many cruises, we are now at a point in our lives where we just book suites and enjoy sailing the seas in our YACHT!....we hardly see the shows or even eat in dining rooms...we get our food to eat on deck or bring back to suite plus our wine and hunker down for the length of the cruise...we get off at the ports, get massages, buy drinks then back to the ship...this is working for us sexagenarians :>))

 

OK..we are with you!

[pjinaz]

I love spending time with my husband without all the worries of everyday life. Also love the dining room experience, even though it isn't what it once was, it still is fun to try different things and if I don't like it, I don't eat it and can try something else.

[LBumb]

also, i love the excitement leading up to the cruise.

love the feeling of walking on and the first impression of a new ship.

however, i hate the feeling of cruise withdrawal.

[Texarribean Chick]

I wake up in DH's arms every morning; but there is just something awesome and hilarious about watching him stumble around the dark cabin to catch our morning wake up coffee delivery. Then we put on our comfy CCL white robes and sit on the balcony and take everything in.............the sea, the motion, the breeze and especially EACH OTHER!

 

:D

[NorthGeorgiaCruiser]

Cell............Phone.............OFF! :D

[sjn911]

This is a great thread...reminds me how much we can each have what we want...solace on a deck, balcony or private place you can always find...

 

Surprising yourself with an aimiable group of folks you look forward to just being with for a meal a day...

 

The ease of having entertainment there...good or bad..something to go and chill at after dinner..wonderful when going solo....

 

Seeing unique new places ..especially in tropics..

 

Tours are easy....there..right off the ship!!

 

Just the elimination of most logistics..yes there is some..but nothing like a road or air trip and all the planning and driving involved...

 

Coffee and cozy in my cabin..love having a place with a bed that is moving....taking me around...i just love that..my little rest place morning, noon and night...that gentle (usually..LOL) motion....

 

New friends....always new friends,,Sarah

[Emmasnana07]

I'd have an easier time thinking of things that don't make my cruise. We've only been on 4, almost 5 but even when not so great stuff happens, it makes my cruise. It's always a unique experience and we know that we'll be talking and laughing about the dumb things that happen as much as the beautiful sunrises from our balcony with our coffee, sitting in our bathrobes of course.

DH was in the Army for 20 years and all of our leave/vacation time was spent driving...everywhere.....visiting friends and family that wanted to go here or there. When he retired and we tried cruising he said, that's it. I'll never vacation any other way!

Everything "makes" my cruise, it feels like such an indulgence. It's too bad I haven't won the lottery yet!!

[Sh1035]

My balcony and watching the sunrise,sunset,the movement of the boat, the ocean. I live on the beach and have a hot tub and pool..but something about that balcony and the ocean on a cruise.

[BooBooMonkey]

I love that cruising is so much different than my everyday life that I can actually forget about my everyday life for a few days!

 

I love going to the Lido for coffee around 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning. This is my quiet time. I watch the sun come up, watch and listen to the crew making their preparations for the day, and write in my cruise journal (which eventually helps me write my review). I often meet people like me on early days too...a couple of others who value the quietness of the Lido that early and we sometimes strike up a conversation and share our experiences about the cruise.

 

I love that we can eat in a restaurant every meal, or order room service. We almost never go out to eat at home, as we choose to spend our dollars on other things. Whether the buffet or the MDR (we've never done an upcharge restaurant), I am happy to be there eating food I didn't have to go get from the store, cook, or clean up after!

 

Haven't decided on the dining. We've done fixed times with groups of friends/family, strangers, and a table just for us 2, or for we and our kids. We've also done "anytime", but on NCL, not Carnival. This time, we signed up for anytime, but changed to fixed/early. We enjoy having the same wait team every night. Will be interesting to see what configuration we end up with! It will be just DH and me on this cruise.

 

Last, but not least, Cruise Critic helps make my cruise! I love reading CC before my cruise...helps it come faster!

[Mist_ynight]

I love hearing all the comments :)

 

Koval there are 6 of us and I don't know them that well. What happened was my gf and I planned a cruise together without our husbands, we invited my gf's elderly mother along with us and now my gf's niece and two sisters booked as well so that makes 6 of us. I only know them from a couple visits to my gf's house. They will be joining us for dinner but my gf already told them we will be eating at a large table. I just hope it's not uncomfortable for the people sitting with us since we are a large group ourselves. My gf is the same as me and loves the socialization with a table of strangers, half the fun is getting to know them throught the cruise. I've never cruised with more then one person before so it should be a fun experience!

[TriciaEMTB]

Towel animals made my cruise. I looked forward to them every night!

[Sarapdot]

A deck lounger and the warm Caribbean sun with some tropical music. LIVE IT

 

 

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[mrsbean1990]

Doing a whole lot of NOTHING. :p

 

Sea days are the best, in my opinion.

[shootr]

[Mist_ynight]

LBumb I have to agree with you, I love the excitment leading up to the cruise!

 

Tricia I've only ever cruised princess so I've never had the towel animals. I'm really looking forward to them on my upcoming cruise!

 

Shootr take the beer and cigar out of that equation and I enjoy the same thing. My husband and I spent lots of time sitting on the balcony watching the water on our last cruise.

[sachmo9085]

I have to be honest that I would be crushed if Carnival stopped serving the amazing warm chocolate melting cake or stopped making me towel animals =) Really though, I love shutting my cell phone off and knowing that it will be off for at least the next few days. Also knowing that I won't see/hear/have to deal with my boss for a week always makes me happy =) I don't know as that there is much that would ruin my cruise outside of horrific weather so that I couldn't wander in the ports or really rough seas. *Sigh* All this talk makes me want to book another cruise and I just got back from my latest a couple months ago.

[Ladysilver]

I have to say it's watching the ship cut through the beautiful turquoise blue water. The sounds, the smell of the sea air...Then there's the fact that I have someone waiting on ME for a week!! :D

[VirtualCEO]

Knowing that my access to email/internet is VERY limited and that my cell phone can't ring!

[h_blond2]

I live for laying up top and not being able to see land in any direction!!

[k2excursion]

The fun atmosphere, with the group dances, the silly games, and the great shows! And, WATERSLIDES!!!

 

What makes certain cruises stand out for me is being able to make connections with other people, whether it be staff or fellow guests.

[Sh1035]

 

Who allowed socks on the ship!!!!!

[mom2boys97]

We just love meeting up with our Cruising friends and enjoying the time away from work and stress from life.. And most important just spending time with my Husband...

[sjn911]

Love this thread....I also loved about day 3 which I relaxed a whole lot more,,,,can not wait to do a 1 week better yet 2 weeks gotta do it,...each day doing a little more of a whole lot of nothing..water gazing with tunes on...ahhhhh...Sarah

[vivavegas]

Just being on the boat!:D:D

[Cobra1365]

While we thoroughly enjoy cruising with our circle of friends, being away from the hub bub with my wife is truely what makes it special for me.

 

Now from the ship/actual cruise aspect, we love to get on board and once we settle in, we go to the main lobby and watch people get on board... you can always tell the first timers by their expressions when they first walk into the atrium!

 

Then there is the balcony in the morning...I'm an early riser, my wife sleeps in...so, I love to sit out there with my book and just relax.

 

We also play this little game where we sit along promenade and as we see people walk along, we put careers with them....that guy is a doctor, that guy is a salesman etc. On one cruise we labeled a guy that we saw repeatedly (very distinguished looking fellow) as the CEO of a corporation. He was called up on stage with a couple other folks by the CD one night. They had him go back stage and dress up and when he came out, he was wearing a purple speedo and a boa and had to dance around. He put on a hilarious routine. The CD finally asked his name and what he did for a living...he was a Pastor!!!