Cruise Life vs Home Life

[mamaofami]

The biggest difference for me is that on a cruise I sit and watch the ocean go by. At home, I have to drive to the shore.

[Typhoon1]

At home, I almost never eat three complete meals a day.

[Saphire]

Cruise & Home:

 

Always get up early -- between 4 and 5 AM

 

Wow, KK, so early! Did you get up at that time when you were working and it is still ingrained in you?

Our body clocks are pretty 'set' due to work schedules, so we are up early too, but not that early!

[Mumsysailor]

Just saw this thread quoted on the Cruise Critic Facebook page:cool:

 

We always have a room service breakfast - saves DH bringing it to me in bed at home. We rarely eat lunch or have something very light. We have several courses including dessert and none of it cooked by us. :)

 

We don't think about work and escape the phone. :cool:

 

Mumsy.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

We don't eat dinner out much, only an occasional lunch, so our big treat is going "out to dinner" on the ship complete with a bottle of wine. And this happens every night for 7 nights :D......just wonderful.

[Lovely other]

i asked my husband for his response to this, his are ..

 

1. he gets to read a book or two - never has time at home

2. gets to go to sleep and wake up with his wife

3. gets to see his wife smile again :D

4. food, food and more food - that would explain his 14lb weight gain in florida

5. none of our usual to and fro routine over going out - usually it goes something like "do you want to go out for dinner?" i don't know, do you?", "if you want to, where would you like to go?", i don't know, where would you like to go?" ...we end up just staying in :rolleyes:

[NoWhiners]

No beds to make.

No grocery shopping.

No meals to plan and cook.

No dishes to wash and dry.

No dusting, vacuuming or floors to wash.

No laundry to do.

No lawn mowing.

No weed pulling.

Nothing to do except relax and enjoy.

 

all this plus:

 

no walking/feeding the dogs (as much as I love them)

no constant worrying about the older dog (diabetic, blind, now with a huge tumor in her abdomen).

 

We leave the dogs in good hands, coordinate with the vet on what to do if something happens, and try to relax. Not easy but we try...

 

ML

[arewethereyet]

I eat healthier, and less, at home - eat too much, and things I don't normally eat, on board.

 

I'm a little obsessive about exercise at home - lazy as crap on board

 

I get up earlier at home - sleep in (a little) on board

 

I drink less wine at home, and no other alcohol - more wine on board, still no other alcohol (maybe the occasional beer in football season)

[hattack]

I keep to my morning exercise walk at 630 am whether at home or sea....difference is on the ship I have the incredible view of the ocean, the sunrise and the breeze and alot of new walking partners..difference at home I listen to my MP3 player loaded with my favorite jazz artists on my morning walk....on the ship, no MP3 player and I will probably meet one of the artists on my walk

 

At home, I make my bed when I get up...at sea, I have to fight the urge not to make my bed (cabin stewards get upset for some reason:o)

 

I live by myself, so I eat all my meals alone in front of my 42 inch tv screen....at sea, I have all my meals with incredible 3000+ fellow cruisers and can watch tv on the huge LED screen on the lido deck

 

At home I check my computer alot....at sea, I leave my tablet at home and never go to the internet cafe

 

At home I can't afford gym membership...at sea, I go to the gym everyday

 

At home, to save money for my cruise, I never go out and in bed by 10pm...at sea, go to concerts everynight and get back to my cabin around 0500 am, if I am lucky

 

At home my GF lives in a city 1500 miles from me...at sea, I can reach out to her alot:D

 

At home, I stress alot with everyday challenges...at sea, not a care in the world

 

At home, I wish I was on my cruise everyday...at sea, I wish I didn't have to go home

[dmcfad2]

1. A delicious full Room Service breakfast with fresh-baked chocolate croissants within a few minutes of that alarm clock ringing. Home - are you kidding?

2. Safely and peacefully traveling more than a thousand miles. Home - following-to-close advice, bathroom stops, worries about how high the aircraft is flying, squeezed into the aircraft window by a middle-seat football player, police with radar guns, hotel reservations for seven different nights, etc..

3. Room Stewards cleaning three times a day. Home - cannot expect that.

4. Enjoying the scenery, sea, and wildlife. Home - mountain, sand, prairie dogs...

5. Incredible number of food choices/buffets. Home - would have to go to a number of restaurants on the same evening while avoiding all of the drunk drivers.

6. One phone call a day from the Neptune Lounge to ask if I am enjoying myself. Home - receiving sales calls at home, office phone never stops ringing, and text messages..

7. 82-MPH waves and 50-foot seas in a typhoon. Home - I live in a desert.

8. Bread pudding and ice cream cone everyday. Home - once a year if I can find bread pudding and home freezer not large enough to hold 17 flavors of ice cream.

9. HAL itinerary is brief. Home - office hourly calendar controls every activity.

10. Room Service 24/7. Home - reminded that I have two feet and two hands.

11. Ice bucket is filled three times a day. Home - see above.

12. Limited cable channels. Home - overwhelmed with choices and the fear of missing something important.

13. Afternoon naps. Home - have to post the "Meeting do not disturb" sign on my office door.

14. Enjoying the cruise. Home - planning the logistics of the next cruise.[/quote

 

You made me laugh. :)

[RuthC]

5. none of our usual to and fro routine over going out - usually it goes something like "do you want to go out for dinner?" i don't know, do you?", "if you want to, where would you like to go?", i don't know, where would you like to go?" ...we end up just staying in :rolleyes:

I'd forgotten about those conversations. I was able to put an end to it, though.

DH: "Do you want to go out to dinner?"

RuthC: "Yes!"

DH: "Where do you want to go?"

RuthC: names three places, of different types, in three price ranges. says: "Pick one."

DH: either chooses one, or RuthC does, as she heads for the door. :D

[maggiekoolcruiser]

1. A delicious full Room Service breakfast with fresh-baked chocolate croissants within a few minutes of that alarm clock ringing. Home - are you kidding?

2. Safely and peacefully traveling more than a thousand miles. Home - following-to-close advice, bathroom stops, worries about how high the aircraft is flying, squeezed into the aircraft window by a middle-seat football player, police with radar guns, hotel reservations for seven different nights, etc..

3. Room Stewards cleaning three times a day. Home - cannot expect that.

4. Enjoying the scenery, sea, and wildlife. Home - mountain, sand, prairie dogs...

5. Incredible number of food choices/buffets. Home - would have to go to a number of restaurants on the same evening while avoiding all of the drunk drivers.

6. One phone call a day from the Neptune Lounge to ask if I am enjoying myself. Home - receiving sales calls at home, office phone never stops ringing, and text messages..

7. 82-MPH waves and 50-foot seas in a typhoon. Home - I live in a desert.

8. Bread pudding and ice cream cone everyday. Home - once a year if I can find bread pudding and home freezer not large enough to hold 17 flavors of ice cream.

9. HAL itinerary is brief. Home - office hourly calendar controls every activity.

10. Room Service 24/7. Home - reminded that I have two feet and two hands.

11. Ice bucket is filled three times a day. Home - see above.

12. Limited cable channels. Home - overwhelmed with choices and the fear of missing something important.

13. Afternoon naps. Home - have to post the "Meeting do not disturb" sign on my office door.

14. Enjoying the cruise. Home - planning the logistics of the next cruise.

 

So true ! Funny too.

[kakalina]

Home: Up at 5am

Cruise: Up at 5 am

 

Home: Healthy oatmeal and fruit breakfast

Cruise: Eggs, sausage maybe toast or potatoes

 

Home: All household chores

Cruise: No household chores

 

Home: All day with DH (retired)

Cruise: New people, time apart, social activities

 

Home: Hot desert

Cruise: water, water everywhere and ports too.

 

Home: Healthy food

Cruise: Exotic healthy food

 

Home: gym

Cruise: treadmills with a view

[sevenseasnomad]

Home: a drudge who goes back & forth to work

Home: a wife who rarely sees DH since he's on the road 6-8 weeks at a stretch

Cruise: a princess who enjoys being waited on

Cruise: a princess who enjoys being with her prince charming of almost 44 years 24/7

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

2400 at home on a ship 4000 calories

[tangerinebunny]

Afternoon ice cream in the Lido vs one peanut-butter cracker at home.

[tdk1938]

Home: Up at 6 am west coast time

Cruise: Up at 6 am ship time (could be 3 am west coast time when we were in Carib)

 

Home: Go to gym after breakfast.

Cruise: Go to gym before breakfast (swing by buffet and drink a glass of freshly squeezed OJ on the way to gym).

Home: Spent hours in front of PC.

Cruise: Spent hours on deck chair with iPod.

Home: Cereal with fresh fruit and coffee.

Cruise: Muesli, fresh fruit, egg white omelet and coffee.

 

Home: Fresh fruit for dessert.

Cruise: Bread pudding, Crème brûlée or chocolate cake etc.(Stuff that not good for you).

[CI66774]

Home - work 60 hours per week

Cruise - work out 60 minutes per day

 

Home - toss and turn in bed thinking of work assignments

Cruise -the gentle tossing and turning of boat lulls me into unparalleled sleep

 

Home - dinner consists of whatever isn't turning green in the fridge

Cruise - dinner consists of whatever is turning my head as the waiters walk by with their trays of yumminess

 

Home - Wear sweats and tennis shoes to the store

Cruise - wear a sarong and flip flops to the shore

[Aegis1984]

After finishing my cruise on the Zuiderdam, I went home, sat on my throne and promptly said to myself, "Holy cow, my bathroom is HUGE!"

 

The next day, I went to the kitchen, grabbed a plate and then waited for about 2 minutes before I realized I wouldn't have the fine folks from the Lido deck dishing me out some penne alfredo.

 

Lastly, I had to prepare my own ice cream cone and unlike on the cruise ship, I didn't have any waffle cones.

 

I felt so hard done by at home, where on the ship, I didn't at all.

 

Actually, I did get a bit disappointed when I couldn't get the seat I wanted in the Explorer's lounge. You know the ones I'm talking about, right in the library.

[Wakepatrol]

Home- Go Go Go

 

Cruise- Go nowhere

 

Home- look at stacks of books and magazines I don't have time to read

 

Cruise- read everything I can get my hands on

 

Home- maybe sneak in a 15 minute nap once a week

 

Cruise- Nap on the promenade deck daily

[1of4]

No comparison!

 

Home: up at 4:00 Monday through Friday and drive 172 km round trip through all weather

 

Cruise: sleep in until 6:30 or 7:00 and don't have to drive anywhere no matter what the weather (but I am sure it won't be snowing unless we are on my bucket-list antartica cruise)

 

Home: eat greek yogurt and fruit at my desk once getting to work, eat lunch at my desk and am rushing home to make dinner so the family can get to whatever activity is on the docet

 

Cruise: We eat what we like, when we like and love every bite since I don't have to make it or clean up and wash the dishes.

 

Home: no time for reading or relaxing

 

Cruise: Children safely in the hands of Club Hal I head for the deck or the library and read, work on puzzles. I go to Techspert classes, cooking classes and general do what I want. I have choices!!

 

Home: bed by 9, after trying to get there by 8:00. Kids tuck me in!

 

Cruise: We pick up the children from Club Hal at 10:00 and we all head back to the cabin to share our day's adventures.

 

I choose to cruise anyday!!! HAL take me away!!!

[mtnmommy]

I have pre-teen and teenage kids. On a cruise, I don't spend all day in my mini-van and, most importanly, I don't do LAUNDRY! (Ah, those beautifully folded clothes nestled in tissue paper in the brown wicker basket...it's bringing a tear to my eye.)