Should we just get back to basics?

[Aplmac]

No matter how many times I cruise

every night I try to find a quiet place outside and marvel at the night sky.

You are right there is no words to describe it.

Awesome? From which is derived the newly-coined 'word'.... "awesomeness"?

 

.

[Sparky2]

I also love the first view of the ship which will home for two weeks when we do a B2B.

[Racegirl6]

I was thinking of coming up with a post like this. I have not cruised in 10 years and we are on the Victory in September. I am truly just looking forward to getting away and cruising with our DD this time. Just to get away from it all. Thanks OP this is great.

[oneboysmom]

No cleaning, no cooking, no chauffeuring anybody anywhere, no laundry, no grocery shopping, no work. It's all about me for 7 wonderful days! My biggest decision is what entree I want for dinner.

 

Well said!!!!!! As a single Mom, I do it all at home. So to get away and have it all done for you, its a dream!

[JavaHutBum]

Ships that pass in the night.

 

Now that I think of it, this happens on a cruise both literally (a ship) and figuratively, fleeting friendships or romances.

[princess di44]

Taking an afternoon nap in the shade with the warm breeze hitting your face and the smell of the sea

[girlsjustwannacruise]

loving the comments :). This is why i started this thread.

I am glad there are others who feel the same i do about cruising and i am really thankful that i can afford to take my kids to see parts of the world that i might not be able to do on my budget otherwise... or maybe i could-- but not nearly as often as i get to do it go if we cruise instead.

I would also like to add that feeding my 151/2 yr old 6 ft 2" teenage son might be a reason for the cut backs, lol. So i am sorry!!!

:o

And last but not least,

I am aware every day that not only am i getting older, but so are my children and family vacations might be a lot harder to organize in the future, with my kids going to college, getting married and having their own lives going.

[swedish weave]

I think it is great how the positive thoughts generated by this thread make the negative stuff you read on the boards just fade away !!!

[SunshineCruiser24]

What do I love about cruising?

 

I can go down a water slide, and then go find a quiet peaceful place to break out my kindle. I don't even have to move when I'm thirsty because a waiter will be by shortly for a drink order.

 

I can spend the night relaxing or go see shows, go dancing, and play games.

 

There is always something to eat without the cooking or clean up

 

The pizza is great!

[crusinpsychRN]

Reading! I rarely read at home (please note: I'm on the computer..a lot!), but on my last 7-day cruise I read 3 novels.

 

I take paperbacks and when I finish them I put them in one of the little cabinets next to the bed for the next person.

[crusinpsychRN]

Relaxing on the balcony is my absolute favorite thing to do. I always end up doing too much. I have accumulated 15 ships on a stick and a bunch of medals for trivia. One cruise I was so busy the last day going from one activity to another. It reminded me of Dirty Dancing and all the silly things they had scheduled.

[grublet22]

I feel the same way when you get to lock that cell phone up! It's all about ME! My favorite thing is that "DING" when you are stepping onboard.....I know when I hear that the fun is about to begin! :)

[LaShea]

Mine would be sitting on our aft balcony watching the wake and drinking a glass of wine at sunset!!

 

Come on Sept. so I can get on my aft wrap on the Triumph!:D

[wmowan8485]

Love, Love, Love this thread!! :)

[marshhawk]

DH and I sit out on the back deck at the end of the Lido restuarant, with tea and a late dessert, and a smoke, and we watch the stars rise out of the ocean. They must live in the ocean during the day, making the water sparkle, and then when the sun goes down, they rise up to sparkle in the skies. The repititious sound of the waves on the hull of the ship, getting off in a port that you have never been in, and knowing you have now seen something new, or getting off in a port you know, and being able to help other people. Having someone bring you tea and cakes in the afternoon, ordering that second lobster, a chocolate on my pillow....

sunrise and sunset- seeing another ship at night, and knowing that we are never alone.....

[Jeafl]

I like knowng that if I want to do absolutely nothing all day that it's ok to do just that.

 

I like knowing that if I am in the mood for a tropical drink any time of the day or night, it's easy to get one and no one thinks I'm an alcoholic for drinking during the day! :-)

 

I love not having to decide what to cook or do dishes.

 

I love walking on the deck late at night when almost everybody else is inside.

 

I love coming back to the room late at night and the lights are dim and the bed is turned down for me. It always looks so cozy.

 

And most of all, I love the fact that if there are misbehaving kids nearby I don't have to deal with them. I teach special ed and it's usually my responsibility to keep them in check.

[larkz]

I enjoy watching the happy chatter of other families and friends who are sailing together, many who are experiencing their first cruise ever, talking about what they did, and what they'll do tomorrow.

[meluvtogocruise]

I feel the same way when you get to lock that cell phone up! It's all about ME! My favorite thing is that "DING" when you are stepping onboard.....I know when I hear that the fun is about to begin! :)

 

Gotta love the "DING"! :)

[omalley16]

Gotta love the "DING"! :)

 

Am I weird for liking the "ding" of the elevators? I find that a lot of fun. Unfortunately (or not?) we will all be on deck 6 this time, rather than decks 1 and 6, so probably not going to use the elevator that much, even though it is really convenient. :(

[Seago2]

Gotta love the "DING"! :)

 

...aaaand I always look at DH and say "I love the smell of Purell in the morning" a la Robert Duvall in Apocalypse now :D

[bridgetjonesni]

I understand that a lot of people are upset with 'changes' that Carnival has made, but is it a state of mind? I never cruised in the 1990's when people were more pampered, and more entertained, but i really feel that for the money i am paying to cruise that i am given enough- no more- than money can buy.

 

I couldn't agree more. It's always disappointing when something you love changes, but as someone who took their first cruise last year, I don't really notice the "cutbacks" that those who have been cruising for years do. The price of cruising these days is much the same as/cheaper than land-based vacations, but you have the advantage of seeing the world at the same time, so I don't begrudge paying a bit extra for certain things. The things I do notice when I'm on a cruise:

• Not being all stressed out at work
  
• Not having to cook or clean
  
• Being able, on a whim, to go swimming or for a walk to enjoy to sea air
  
• Sitting on a lounger reading a good book and sipping a cocktail or a latte in the middle of the day when I'd normally be chained to my desk (and no, I don't mind paying extra for them - wouldn't I have to do the same on land anyway?)
  
• Standing on deck as the ship pulls out of port, watching a new place you've just explored fade into the distance
  
• Taking the time to actually enjoy a good sunset
  
• How many more stars you can see at night when you're at sea
  
• Having real talks with my loved ones - at home we're all so busy with work, studying, TV, the Internet, etc, that conversations tend to be about practicalities rather than current affairs, goals, dreams, aspirations, etc - it's nice to have the chance to reconnect
  
• Leaving my worries at home - it's not like I can do anything about that broken roof tile or read my credit card bill until I get home anyway, so why worry about it?
  

[thatsonofa]

Here are some of my favorite things about night time on the ship:

 

Sailing through a fog cloud in the middle of the night. I don't know why I hope that we get to go through one so much but I love looking out into the fog and once we were lucky enough that we passed by a cargo ship in a fog cloud so close that we were able to talk to the people on the other ship, and we were not yelling. I guess it was a little mysterious not knowing what was 20 feet ahead because of the fog and it was so quiet. It was awesome!

 

Climbing to the highest deck on the ship in the middle of the night and just taking in how awesome and quiet the ocean and sky are and how you can look in all directions but only see water and stars.

[blondietink]

The fact that I don't have to cook, clean, make the bed, drive anybody anywhere, go grocery shopping, etc. for the duration of the cruise. I can actually relax at least a little bit unlike other vacations that are lots of work and planning every minute of the day, like Disney World.

[happy cruzer]

So yes Back to Basics is a very good thing. But on vacation you tend to want more than basics. Many mention the balcony or look out the window. An inside cabin might be considered basic. Reading and relaxing are great too but if you try, you can do those at home.

 

Vacation time is to me for stepping out of the ordinary. Enjoying good food (not just food made by someone else, you can get that at fast food places) and live music (not just recorded music, can get that on the radio). It doesn't have to be elaborate but different from exactly what you can enjoy at home, if you just will.

 

We do like to keep it simple and stress free on vacation. Not too many planned activities. Go with the flow and enjoy the nice things offered on the ship.

[Buttercup's Mom]

The fact that I don't have to cook, clean, make the bed, drive anybody anywhere, go grocery shopping, etc. for the duration of the cruise. I can actually relax at least a little bit unlike other vacations that are lots of work and planning every minute of the day, like Disney World.

I like this too!! We also enjoy being able to have meals together as a family!:D