Have we cruised too often; do we know too much?

[Lady Arwen]

My DH and myself started cruising in the mid '80s and still going strong....we're booked into 2019. I remember the first couple of times we went to St. Thomas (early cruises were all to somewhere in the Caribbean) and how exciting it was! Bring on St. Maarten! Adore Aruba! etc, etc. Now, you'd have to pay us to sail to the Caribbean. Is this the fault of the cruiselines? Nope! We've changed even more than the ships. We appreciate seeing interesting and out of the way destinations (hence, our upcoming Prinsendam cruise). We like decent food, a comfortable cabin and good service. No rock walls, no giant slides, no celebrity burger joint! HAL seems to be able to provide exactly what we need to enjoy ourselves at a good price and varied itineraries. Land vacations, especially beach ones, hold no interest for us anymore. As long as there are ships sailing, we will be, too.

[ithaca gal]

I, too, have asked myself how many millions of people would trade places with me (on a cruise ship) in a heartbeat.

 

Also, I tend to overlook minor errors on a ship because I know how hard these people work, day after day after day without coming home at the end of the day to a sympathetic ear of a family member. This is not to say that I would not complain about an important issue.

 

It SO helps to have a sense of humor in the face of adversity. On a November cruise, my Sis and I sure needed one. The person who checked us in at FLL just could not seem to differentiate between the two of us! (We do NOT look alike -- one of us is blonde, the other brunette. One of us is fifteen years older than the other. Our names are not similar in the least.) She continued to ask which one of us was "this name", "Your birthday is May?", etc. She then handed my passport "back" to my sister. We finally got it sorted out and had a laugh with the agent.

 

Well ........ when we boarded the ship, I happened to look at the photo that pops up on the screen. Oops! I pointed out that it was my sister's photo on my card, not mine. (Her photo DID appear on her card.) I was asked to show my passport, allowed to board and sent to Guest Services to get a new card with the correct photo.

 

When we went to Guest Services, we found that Sis's account had MY credit card on it and vice versa. Okay, another laugh. I then went to Explorations Café to get a latte and mentioned the 4 Star discount (I asked because we also had been given a beverage card as a promo and I wondered if the discount could be used with the card). The barista politely informed me that I didn't qualify for the discount because I was only 2 Star. Nope -- Sis is 2 Star, I'm 4 Star. Another trip to Guest Services for a corrected card and another laugh.

 

A few days later, we decided to go to the pop up Sel de Mer and I made the reservations for us so that we could enjoy the 50% discount. I checked our bill the next day, only to find that the discount was not applied. When I checked with Guest Services, I was told that my Sis made the reservations, therefore there was no discount given. I sighed and explained that I had made the reservation because we knew that I was entitled to the discount and she wasn't. (This time the laugh was smaller.)

 

Yes, these hiccups were exasperating after a while but we both knew that no one was trying to make us crazy and that those who were trying to correct the errors weren't necessarily the ones who made the errors. I will admit that it was getting less funny with each day.

 

Nevertheless, we kept saying to each other "We're on a cruise!"

 

I'm not always a saint when things go wrong, but sometimes, while standing at Guest Services, I say "Better that this happened to me than someone who has a short fuse!"

Edited January 29, 2018 by ithaca gal
clarification

[bleacher04]

Here's another "like" for the OP! :D

[OlsSalt]

OlsSalt, we don't always see eye to eye on issues but you always bring some interesting thoughts to the table. I have a question for you: what are the things that make flying so onerous now? Are they mainly discomforts due to issues of increasing age or are they related to airline services?

 

I ask because I figure I still have about 25-30 years of traveling in front of me. Flying to me is just a minor hassle. What makes it miserable for you?

 

Yes, it is age (75) - osteo-arthritis makes it hard to find a comfortable position in cramped quarters for long flights. Moving up to Economy Plus and just getting the extra leg room makes a big difference. Planes now eliminating reclining seats so the passenger in front of you not longer puts his head in your lap will help too.

 

But even more so, it is the long lines standing, undressing, juggling moving parts along the way, crowds, pushy people, no overhead, and very long distances to gates and between gates and the amount of time now required to arrive before departure - making the travel day itself now so much longer.

 

I used to handle 12-14 hour trans-pac or trans-atlantic flights with no problems. All told, the amount of time and hassle is a relatively small time lost, in ratio to the trip itself. But it is time with no redeeming features other than getting to the destination. I also remember half-empty planes where you could stretch out, and showing up a few minutes before take-off and strolling right up to the gate.

 

I remember giving myself two hours to get to LAX from Santa Barbara, find parking and get to my flight on time even if they were closing the doors. (True) So my travel history goes way back. Travel is a chore today but the necessary ingredient so we persist, we endure .... so I need an attitude check to go with my often failed Pre-Chek.

 

I probably need to dose with ibuprofen ahead of time (don't like to take drugs of any sort) and enjoy being cheap instead of comfortable. What travel is today is what is travel today. So that puts me in the crowd of complainers who miss the "good old days" too. As if that mattered. Thanks for making me pin down how much my own frustrations with the reality of travel today is exacerbating my own subjective experiences. And appreciating the irony that I travel because I am not getting any younger, even though getting older makes travel harder.

 

What amazes me today is how I traveled around the world before Rollaboard suitcases, and later how I could travel anywhere with just one Rolaboard that I could hoist up into the overhead all by my self. So loss of upper body strength has been an aging compromise too. Stubborn frugalness is part of my package too - a lot of these travel impediments could be lessen or even eliminated with the sprinkling of more travel budget money on getting there, rather than being there. Work in progress.

 

Not yet ready for the "wheelchair" access in airports but if they keep making them longer and harder to manage, it may be the next logical step. We rarely see many people "our ages" (Me 75-DH 80) standing in those long lines. Do they not travel or have their found ways around all of this - HAL still fills its ships with people "our ages" so others similarly situated do get to their final destinations somehow.

 

But my last connection through Denver just about did me in - and that is another story. Late departure, short connection - dumped outside in the snow at a remote gate, had to negotiate an exit icy ramp with my carryon- three flights of stairs to get back into the airport level and then I am sure miles of walking to get to the connecting gate only to have the gate changed during my journey to one even further out. I was shaking with physical exhaustion and worry about a missed connecting flight and that was allowing coming in a day ahead of time. Should an "old lady" have been forced to endure that? I don't know.

 

My advice for your future: keep your upper body strength, cardio endurance, and hope you don't have osteo-arthritis in your genes for continued flight comfort - or budget for business class. But I bet you already know this.

[dogo88]

I've read a lot of threads on this forum and other mass market lines' forums regarding cutbacks through the years that at one point or another have impacted or annoyed many a loyal and long-time cruiser. That these cutbacks have happened is undeniable. But I wonder if they disproportionately affect those cruisers who have cruised for many years or who cruise many times (or for many days at a time) each year?

 

We all know it's impossible to get that same "rush" from something one does over and over as compared with the first time (or first few times). And there's that old saying: "Familiarity breeds contempt." I sometimes wonder if we have not just become too expert, too knowledgeable for our own enjoyment....

 

I hear a lot of complaints from frequent cruisers about things that to me seem relatively nit-picky or at least are not deal-breakers. (I'm not talking about nonfunctional plumbing but about things like the lack of trays in the buffet area.) Sites like Cruise Critic sometimes provide more granularity than I think is really needed. Does one really need to know if a specific type of mustard is offered onboard in advance? And is there really only one cabin on the whole ship that I must have (and book 18 months in advance) in order to get the most out of my vacation?

 

I think the internet has led to a certain hypercriticality. We read of others' less-than-perfect experiences, so we go into our cruise already aware of what COULD go wrong and perhaps even anticipating that some untoward event will happen. If I had a dime for every review I've read on CC where the poster claims their cruise was ruined because a server stood on the wrong side of them whilst removing a plate or because a steward did not leave them a towel animal each night.... Or, heaven forbid, the weather was bad. :confused:

 

I made a decision a few years back to only cruise about once each year, out three vacations. So -- two land trips, one cruise. That seems about right to me. The two land trips let me appreciate the things I can't do when cruising, such as more opportunities to try local food and experience evenings in a location once the day-trippers and cruisers clear out. (It's amazing how much more pleasant Venice and Florence are then, for example...) But when I cruise, I conversely appreciate the ease of visiting several disparate places at one go, without having to spend a lot of time with packing/unpacking hassles and the logistics of getting from place to place. And it scratches my itch to be on the ocean -- which, let's face it, is a very pleasant way to travel.

 

And just maybe, because I only cruise once a year or so, I can choose to travel on a ship or line that really ticks the boxes on my list of musts: smaller ship, good itinerary, enrichment speakers, good value (particularly with regard to solo pricing and what's included). There ARE some ships and lines out there that still offer a traditional cruising experience -- it's just not going to come very often on a mass market ship.

 

Agree? Disagree?

Agree!

 

Cruise too much? No way.

Know too much? Only in my dreams.

 

I agree that Cruise Critic is slowly morphing into Cruise Complainer where posts point out a negative and the two camps fight over who is right/wrong. "Jeans in the MDR" seems to be the last long post winner. Sometimes I think people need a hobby and this forum shouldn't be it.

 

We took a bit of a different approach to mixing land and cruise vacations. For us HAL grew stale. So we opted to try other lines. Found differences, but a lot of similar likes. So now we do a HAL cruise followed by another line. Gives us the experience to compare and appreciate the good and bad of both.

 

Dan

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Yes, it is age (75) - osteo-arthritis makes it hard to find a comfortable position in cramped quarters for long flights. Moving up to Economy Plus and just getting the extra leg room makes a big difference. Planes now eliminating reclining seats so the passenger in front of you not longer puts his head in your lap will help too.

 

But even more so, it is the long lines standing, undressing, juggling moving parts along the way, crowds, pushy people, no overhead, and very long distances to gates and between gates and the amount of time now required to arrive before departure - making the travel day itself now so much longer.

 

I used to handle 12-14 hour trans-pac or trans-atlantic flights with no problems. All told, the amount of time and hassle is a relatively small time lost, in ratio to the trip itself. But it is time with no redeeming features other than getting to the destination. I also remember half-empty planes where you could stretch out, and showing up a few minutes before take-off and strolling right up to the gate.

 

I remember giving myself two hours to get to LAX from Santa Barbara, find parking and get to my flight on time even if they were closing the doors. (True) So my travel history goes way back. Travel is a chore today but the necessary ingredient so we persist, we endure .... so I need an attitude check to go with my often failed Pre-Chek.

 

I probably need to dose with ibuprofen ahead of time (don't like to take drugs of any sort) and enjoy being cheap instead of comfortable. What travel is today is what is travel today. So that puts me in the crowd of complainers who miss the "good old days" too. As if that mattered. Thanks for making me pin down how much my own frustrations with the reality of travel today is exacerbating my own subjective experiences. And appreciating the irony that I travel because I am not getting any younger, even though getting older makes travel harder.

 

What amazes me today is how I traveled around the world before Rollaboard suitcases, and later how I could travel anywhere with just one Rolaboard that I could hoist up into the overhead all by my self. So loss of upper body strength has been an aging compromise too. Stubborn frugalness is part of my package too - a lot of these travel impediments could be lessen or even eliminated with the sprinkling of more travel budget money on getting there, rather than being there. Work in progress.

 

Not yet ready for the "wheelchair" access in airports but if they keep making them longer and harder to manage, it may be the next logical step. We rarely see many people "our ages" (Me 75-DH 80) standing in those long lines. Do they not travel or have their found ways around all of this - HAL still fills its ships with people "our ages" so others similarly situated do get to their final destinations somehow.

 

But my last connection through Denver just about did me in - and that is another story. Late departure, short connection - dumped outside in the snow at a remote gate, had to negotiate an exit icy ramp with my carryon- three flights of stairs to get back into the airport level and then I am sure miles of walking to get to the connecting gate only to have the gate changed during my journey to one even further out. I was shaking with physical exhaustion and worry about a missed connecting flight and that was allowing coming in a day ahead of time. Should an "old lady" have been forced to endure that? I don't know.

 

My advice for your future: keep your upper body strength, cardio endurance, and hope you don't have osteo-arthritis in your genes for continued flight comfort - or budget for business class. But I bet you already know this.

 

Amen! Well said....!

I find myself repeating this phrase often:

"Getting there is NOT half the fun anymore"

Flying is a pain in the butt. A means to an end. We fly when we have to but we don't enjoy it anymore. Try to be positive but we find we are just relieved when the flying part is over. Uncomfortable seats, the security mess, ridiculous fees, people fighting over space in the overhead bins, smelly people, rude people, crazy people who didnt take their meds, inconsiderate people, the baggage circus, and then you have to worry if the wings are going to fall off the plane, if the pilot is drunk, if the pilot will land at the correct airport and on the correct runway, etc etc etc....! It's just no fun anymore!!!!

[baggal]

Perhaps it is because I am getting older, and sometimes I don't particularly like the things that were special about HAL going away, but every single time we cruise, I often stand somewhere looking at the ocean (or dinner, or the pool, or the lido or the shops or the ports) and say to myself that there are no doubt millions and millions of people who would give anything to change places with me at that moment, or for the week.

 

In less than 9 weeks, we are fortunate enough to be taking our two sons, two daughters in law and four grandchildren (the whole family) on a week's cruise to celebrate our 50th anniversary. I plan to smile the whole time. How lucky we are to make it to 50 years, and how lucky we are to be able to spend the kid's inheritance on such a wonderful memory.

 

Every time we step on board a cruise ship, I say a little prayer for all those who have not had our good fortune.

 

Phyllis

 

"Like" button

[JRG]

Good OP post. It good from time to time to ask "Have I stayed too long at the Fair?". Too much (excess) of anything is not good in this life and cruising is no exception.

 

 

We too vacation at a land/cruise ratio of 2 to 1 per year. We decided early in life that we weren't going to wait until we were old before we started traveling and were lucky to get a head start. After a couple of years, we decided to slow down and build in our backyard a resort style swimming pool with waterfall and massive rockslide, mountain lagoon style with exotic tropical palms and palapa style outdoor kitchen and firepit. We built it and guess what, we still kept traveling. So much for slowing down.

 

 

What we've learned is that its good to have balance in your travel philosophy (and your life). Its an easy trap to get to close to the Forest for the Trees, and lose your objectivity. Unfortunately, I see a lot of that in the attitudes of a lot of posters here, especially the dyed in the wool Hal cheerleaders, who have their objectivity blocked by their pom-poms. It doesn't create any problems for us as I can understand how that happens.

 

 

We have reasonable expectations about cruising. We don't have to have superb service in cabin stewards or waiters, only the basics work for us. Therefore we don't need to complain here about the minutiae or immaterial items that get broadcast on this forum.

 

 

Keep cruising in perspective and enjoy it, don't fight it or you'll never be able to really enjoy it.

Edited January 29, 2018 by JRG

[OlsSalt]

Amen! Well said....!

I find myself repeating this phrase often:

"Getting there is NOT half the fun anymore"

Flying is a pain in the butt. A means to an end. We fly when we have to but we don't enjoy it anymore. Try to be positive but we find we are just relieved when the flying part is over. Uncomfortable seats, the security mess, ridiculous fees, people fighting over space in the overhead bins, smelly people, rude people, crazy people who didnt take their meds, inconsiderate people, the baggage circus, and then you have to worry if the wings are going to fall off the plane, if the pilot is drunk, if the pilot will land at the correct airport and on the correct runway, etc etc etc....! It's just no fun anymore!!!!

 

You just sent me on a search for that slogan - "getting there is half the fun" which I just learned came from Cunard Lines marketing. Which for them, probably still holds true today - get on the ship in London, get traditional service and get off in NYC - you are there, there. http://cruiselinehistory.com/history-of-the-cunard-line-getting-there-is-half-the-fun/

 

Too bad this slogan morphed over to airline expectations because it appears only a cruise would be "half the fun": not plane rides. Here is a list of other airline slogans - who get an A for effort but more like a D+ for execution. It is also a kick how enduring that phrase is and is used a leading line for all sorts of life experiences: http://www.thinkslogans.com/slogans/advertising-slogans/airline-slogans/

 

And a BBC documentary showed how now long-gone Pan Am airlines indeed did work very hard to make ..... getting there half the fun. Chills, starts with Route 66 theme and then - Frank Sinatra singing Come Fly with Me as their big birds take off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPaCT0pMlQY

[sail7seas]

I dislike flying so much that I doubt I will do that much travel in the near future.tFlying is is such an agony (even in first class- such as that has been reduced to these days. . not worth it to me. at this point. not that many places I want to visit or revisit that much. I have a very short 'bucket list'. I have invitations to join friends on their trav els and while I greatly appreciate that, I have declined most..

[CJcruzer]

Perhaps it is because I am getting older, and sometimes I don't particularly like the things that were special about HAL going away, but every single time we cruise, I often stand somewhere looking at the ocean (or dinner, or the pool, or the lido or the shops or the ports) and say to myself that there are no doubt millions and millions of people who would give anything to change places with me at that moment, or for the week.

 

In less than 9 weeks, we are fortunate enough to be taking our two sons, two daughters in law and four grandchildren (the whole family) on a week's cruise to celebrate our 50th anniversary. I plan to smile the whole time. How lucky we are to make it to 50 years, and how lucky we are to be able to spend the kid's inheritance on such a wonderful memory.

 

Every time we step on board a cruise ship, I say a little prayer for all those who have not had our good fortune.

 

Phyllis

 

what a nice post! and congratulations on your milestone anniversary.

[cruisemom42]

Flying is a pain in the butt. A means to an end. We fly when we have to but we don't enjoy it anymore. Try to be positive but we find we are just relieved when the flying part is over. Uncomfortable seats, the security mess, ridiculous fees, people fighting over space in the overhead bins, smelly people, rude people, crazy people who didnt take their meds, inconsiderate people, the baggage circus, and then you have to worry if the wings are going to fall off the plane, if the pilot is drunk, if the pilot will land at the correct airport and on the correct runway, etc etc etc....! It's just no fun anymore!!!!

 

I guess part of the issue is that I am too young to remember when flying WAS fun. :')

 

My first trip to Europe when I was in high school was scheduled to start the week the US Air Traffic Controllers went out on strike. We slept on the floor of JFK airport. Next trip was right after the 1985 Flight 191 Dallas crash when all of the Lockheed Tri-stars were grounded for a safety inspection. Guess what -- huge delay out of ATL airport; can't remember how long, but it was at least 24 hours.

 

And if I recall correctly, on the way back from that trip, we were on standby in Logan airport to get home and didn't make the first (or second or third) plane either.

 

So flying is what it is. I can put up with it to get where I want to go. (I guess all those long 12-hour car trips to South Florida as a kid helped me learned to just sit still and read. ;)) I'm well-trained at going through security lines.

 

And on the bright side, last year was supposedly the safest ever for air travel.

 

But I do understand the issues of getting older. My parents, loyal HAL cruisers for ages and ages (probably as far back as anyone here) kept traveling up to their late 80s. In fact their last trip was a Prinsendam fjords cruise. I just hope I can do the same. I'm willing to do what it takes to keep traveling -- although the cost of business class tickets would be hard to cough up, so I'd probably look at TAs and TPs to get me where I wanted to go.

[scopewest]

My sister the psychiatrist nurse said that after a while, people expect you to hold the Kleenex while they blow their nose. That's the feeling I get reading some reviews. Be grateful you can take that many cruises, and if you're starting to nitpick, I'll be happy to take the cruise for you so you can stay home and not have to put up with (fill in the blanks).

[Stratheden]

What bugs me is the people who have to know who will be their captain, hotel manager, cruise director, menus, etc.

I have asked who the cruise director might be - reason being that I would cancel if one particular cruise director was scheduled. I could not have spent 22 days with this person making announcements everytime something was scheduled.

[Copper10-8]

Perhaps it is because I am getting older, and sometimes I don't particularly like the things that were special about HAL going away, but every single time we cruise, I often stand somewhere looking at the ocean (or dinner, or the pool, or the lido or the shops or the ports) and say to myself that there are no doubt millions and millions of people who would give anything to change places with me at that moment, or for the week.

 

In less than 9 weeks, we are fortunate enough to be taking our two sons, two daughters in law and four grandchildren (the whole family) on a week's cruise to celebrate our 50th anniversary. I plan to smile the whole time. How lucky we are to make it to 50 years, and how lucky we are to be able to spend the kid's inheritance on such a wonderful memory.

 

Every time we step on board a cruise ship, I say a little prayer for all those who have not had our good fortune.

 

Phyllis

 

Tops! :)

[navybankerteacher]

Thanks for the interesting responses so far.

 

I'm not trying to downplay the idea that you can have a bad cruise. I've had one. It's hard for even a super-upbeat person to overcome cabin temps in excess of 90 degrees on a cruise (with no solution offered) which also happens to have a huge affinity group onboard whose idea of fun is to block the entire pool deck and sing company songs. :eek::eek::eek:

 

But I'd venture to guess that 90% of the things obsessed about here on CC are not really going to ruin a vacation.

 

OlsSalt, we don't always see eye to eye on issues but you always bring some interesting thoughts to the table. I have a question for you: what are the things that make flying so onerous now? Are they mainly discomforts due to issues of increasing age or are they related to airline services?

 

I ask because I figure I still have about 25-30 years of traveling in front of me. Flying to me is just a minor hassle. What makes it miserable for you?

 

A good follow-up to your original post; and it does suggest a reflection upon (I would not call it a response to) it.

 

Flying has changed over the years - I think even more than I have. Reduction in comfort and service come immediately to mind - but in fairness need to be balanced by reduction in cost (at least cost relative to that of alternative activities).

 

The same applies to cruising. So, just as I now find Amtrak an increasingly attractive alternative to flying, I also find land vacations an increasingly attractive alternative to cruising.

 

All said, cruising is not as fully satisfying as it used to be but as Laverne (or was it Shirley?) might have said: "It's better than having a lit cigar put up your nose".

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

I guess part of the issue is that I am too young to remember when flying WAS fun. :')

 

My first trip to Europe when I was in high school was scheduled to start the week the US Air Traffic Controllers went out on strike. We slept on the floor of JFK airport. Next trip was right after the 1985 Flight 191 Dallas crash when all of the Lockheed Tri-stars were grounded for a safety inspection. Guess what -- huge delay out of ATL airport; can't remember how long, but it was at least 24 hours.

 

And if I recall correctly, on the way back from that trip, we were on standby in Logan airport to get home and didn't make the first (or second or third) plane either.

 

So flying is what it is. I can put up with it to get where I want to go. (I guess all those long 12-hour car trips to South Florida as a kid helped me learned to just sit still and read. ;)) I'm well-trained at going through security lines.

 

And on the bright side, last year was supposedly the safest ever for air travel.

 

But I do understand the issues of getting older. My parents, loyal HAL cruisers for ages and ages (probably as far back as anyone here) kept traveling up to their late 80s. In fact their last trip was a Prinsendam fjords cruise. I just hope I can do the same. I'm willing to do what it takes to keep traveling -- although the cost of business class tickets would be hard to cough up, so I'd probably look at TAs and TPs to get me where I wanted to go.

 

I guess it is a bad thing to remember when it was "fun". I was much younger, and the world was this big bright wonderful place that needed exploring! I remember the long 12++ hour car trips to Florida when I was young too. And I cope with and make do with the current state of the airports. I manage quite well IMO for a "senior" but I remember when! I have also slept on floors of airports in snowstorms, and been delayed and cancelled and re-ticketed a bunch of times and struggled to get home.

However, just the act of trying to get somewhere now is a chore. I don't complain, I just deal with it, but wish it were better.

[Peckishpixie]

We get a Veranda and a few good books and that's pretty much how I spend the week on board. It would be tough to cut back ocean air and early English literature is the same as it always was so I can say I haven't felt any cutbacks. Part of why we chose Holland this year was that a reviewer on cruise critic said "there is nothing at all to do but read a book. I was so bored" and i knew then it was the line for me.

[RocketMan275]

OP I like how you are thinking. I sometimes read on here the complaints some people have and I think "wow, these people must live really charmed lives if all they have to complain about is___________(insert any number of stupid complaints)".

 

Why does it matter what type of tea is available, or if they have a certain brand of whatever. I always think one of the nice things about travel is trying new things.

We haven't cruised as much as some on CC, but we have done a few, and we can honestly say that we have never had a bad cruise.

 

I read one post where a woman bragged about booking two suites for her party. After boarding, she learned the cruise line only served pepsi products which RUINED the entire cruise. She insisted that she should have been notified of the pepsi products at booking and that the cruise line owed her ......

[chill6x6]

Perhaps it is because I am getting older, and sometimes I don't particularly like the things that were special about HAL going away, but every single time we cruise, I often stand somewhere looking at the ocean (or dinner, or the pool, or the lido or the shops or the ports) and say to myself that there are no doubt millions and millions of people who would give anything to change places with me at that moment, or for the week.

 

In less than 9 weeks, we are fortunate enough to be taking our two sons, two daughters in law and four grandchildren (the whole family) on a week's cruise to celebrate our 50th anniversary. I plan to smile the whole time. How lucky we are to make it to 50 years, and how lucky we are to be able to spend the kid's inheritance on such a wonderful memory.

 

Every time we step on board a cruise ship, I say a little prayer for all those who have not had our good fortune.

 

Phyllis

 

+1

 

I haven't cruised nearly enough! So thankful for each and every time I am fortunate enough to step on a cruise ship. There's something about the whole process of boarding a cruise ship that screams vacation and excitement. I love it. A cruise is one of the few vacations that really do "take you away."

 

For me a cruise vacation is like a puzzle and just as therapeutic while you are putting the pieces together. Picking the cruise line/cruise, before/after lodging, excursions, car rentals, flights....how lucky am I to be able to do that? Finally, once aboard it can all sink in....the ocean, the sounds, the ambiance.... I'll take it!

[chill6x6]

if you (me, we, all of us) confine yourself to a hard shell of the same cruise line over and over, or even worse: To a few ships of a cruise line, yes, you get it.

The "expertise" and "knowledge" can be imaginary. In fact 90% of the cruise life may be passing by.

Go where cruise life goes, change cruise ships, change colors, break stereotypes. There is still so much to do!

Enjoy your cruise!

 

^^^^^

this!!!

[knbcruisers]

I came across this thread in the "trending " section and think it is great. DH And I are early 50's and manage a cruise every few years. Took our 1st in 2004 after DH gave in to all his teacher friend telling him he would love it. Chose Princess hoping there'd be less kids during a school vacation week and were upgraded to a mini suite on the Golden. We were hooked within a few hours! Have a total of 5 cruises and partial transit of PC on Princess coming this March. I love cruising for the ease...unpack once! And our experience has been that the staff tried very hard to say yes to any request. We are loyal to Princess after a mediocre cruise some years ago on NCL, but we'd change to another line for the right price/ date/itinerary combination. We are still working so vacations are dictated by DHs school calendar. We have been camping for several years and love that as our dogs get to travel with us and the GKs like it. Believe me if you want hassle free travel don't get travel trailer!! But like everything it has pluses and minuses and we find the plus outweigh the inconveniences every time and that is our primary method of land travel. Cruising allows me to get a little pampering in at a fair price and takes us to places we can't get to in the camper[emoji6] and we love being at sea. Like the other posters here, when things get annoying it's good to remind ourselves how fortunate we are to do any of this travel. When I moan about the cost or some other annoyance I remember what my 92 year old aunt told me last year...."don't wait to go, go while you can move and enjoy the experience, not when age puts too many limits on what you can do, or worse you died young and you're not here at all to share travel with the ones you ❤️. I see how happy our office assistant is to go tent camping and kayaking with her DH and kids... an upgrade to a pop-up would be a big deal to that family. The key is to maintain perspective on the blessing you have not the one you didn't get![emoji846]

 

 

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[Marigold252]

If you (me, we, all of us) confine yourself to a hard shell of the same cruise line over and over, or even worse: to a few ships of a cruise line, yes, you get it.

The "expertise" and "knowledge" can be imaginary. In fact 90% of the cruise life may be passing by.

Go where cruise life goes, change cruise ships, change colors, break stereotypes. There is still so much to do!

Enjoy your cruise!

This really hit home today! We love HAL and keep a future cruise deposit on hand for our next adventure. But next month these 2 old fogies are going with friends on a party cruise - Carnival! Told my 4* HAL friend about the cruise and she wants me to report back to her if they have the rolled washcloths in the public restrooms. HAL has a way to fall.

 

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[Daisyloo]

I read one post where a woman bragged about booking two suites for her party. After boarding, she learned the cruise line only served pepsi products which RUINED the entire cruise. She insisted that she should have been notified of the pepsi products at booking and that the cruise line owed her ......

 

 

Ridiculous complaint in my eyes. I can't believe some of the complaints people have.

 

I wonder if the crew sits around in the crew bar comparing the ridiculous things they hear the passengers complain about! Maybe the dumbest complaint wins them a free drink!

[Mrs. Nic]

This was right on time for me and I thank you! I am at that point (less than a month out) from a cruise we are doing with our whole family (first time for them) and over-thinking everything. Our excursions are booked, our meals are planned and we got the best staterooms we could afford. I need to let it be!! Thank you for a really thoughtful post.