If you cruise/travel A WHOLE LOT, why?

[CruiserBruce]

12 minutes ago, clo said:

I may have to consult with you 🙂  That's the only continent I haven't visited...and I worked for QANTAS in SF!  We ARE very fortunate, aren't we?

Yes we are. If you have questions, just ask. Been down under about 7 or 8 times, including two cruises. Went on our honeymoon there a very, very long time ago...just made us want to go more!

[clo]

Just now, CruiserBruce said:

Yes we are. If you have questions, just ask. Been down under about 7 or 8 times, including two cruises. Went on our honeymoon there a very, very long time ago...just made us want to go more!

Thanks.  PS:  I remember when Petaluma was mostly chicken farmers/ranchers.  What a change, huh?

[clo]

1 minute ago, fyree39 said:

San Ramon

It was called "San Remote." 🙂

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, clo said:

I don't really 'get' going to the same area time after time. I hope someone here talks about it.  

 

I can do that, meaning go to the same place again.  If I liked the place of course.   For example, I think it would take quite a few visits before I would get tired of Paris.  Same for other places.  Mrs Ldubs on the other hand, would prioritize new places over places we've already been.   

[Kartgv]

One of the reasons we travel as much as we can is that we realize  travel will not always be a possibility.    We'll soon reach our 365th night on a cruise ship, visiting much of the world.   We've driven across the US several times, and across most of Canada, spent lots of time in Hawaii.  Two years ago we had a serious health scare that caused a couple of cruise cancellations.   Now we're recovered, back to cruising but recognize some increased physical limitations.    The point is...travel while you can; with a little luck, there will be a time when staying at home or doing only short close-to-home trips will be the only thing possible.    

Edited July 19, 2019 by Kartgv

[clo]

5 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

I can do that, meaning go to the same place again.  If I liked the place of course.   For example, I think it would take quite a few visits before I would get tired of Paris.  Same for other places.  Mrs Ldubs on the other hand, would prioritize new places over places we've already been.   

Oops, sorry, I wasn't specific.  I can't see doing the Caribbean (cruise) time after time.  Or Mexico (cruise).  Or???  But, you bet.  Paris.  Barcelona. Budapest (best meal ever!).

[ldubs]

7 minutes ago, clo said:

Oops, sorry, I wasn't specific.  I can't see doing the Caribbean (cruise) time after time.  Or Mexico (cruise).  Or???  But, you bet.  Paris.  Barcelona. Budapest (best meal ever!).

 

Oh, OK.  Gotcha.  Mexican Riveria I can do cause those are always going to be a large family group.  So it is as much about being together with our large family as it is the destination.  Caribbean, I couldn't agree more. Don't even want to go the first time. Haha.  

 

[clo]

1 minute ago, ldubs said:

 

Oh, OK.  Gotcha.  Mexican Riveria I can do cause those are always going to be a large family group.  So it is as much about being together with our large family as it is the destination.  Caribbean, I couldn't agree more. Don't even want to go the first time. Haha.  

 

Now I "gotcha" you.  Our family doesn't travel together and one branch would likely loathe a cruise.  (They like to climb mountains, backcountry ski, etc.)  And our very first cruise were two B2B Southern Caribbean ones (a post- 9/11 story).  At about day 16 I wanted to jump overboard.  Oh, and they were all different ports except St. Thomas IIRC.  Thanks for the convo.

[annnmarie]

My personal story is, I seem to have changed several times on this subject ! As a family we traveled with the children and did "traditional" land travel, Disney, landmarks, did a world's fair once, Florida and Alabama beach resorts, etc. THEN, we got our first taste of cruising, and with that we got the addiction to the sea really bad ! Kids too, they'd beg for cruises rather than toys (still their preference as married grown adults). Of course we could not just cruise any time all the time then. Pre retirement, and as empty nesters, was the next stage, the "just can't get enough stage", and the "longer the better" stage, at LEAST 3 weeks. And then, gradually, cruising began to be a very different experience. only a few passengers passed the time with fascinating conversation, sitting in deck chairs outside you cabin (not out in a lido area that looked more like a water park (and I LOVE water parks), but passengers roller and ice skated, the menus changed completely. Gradually you no longer ordered from the long list of vegetables, the long list of potatoes, good quality caviar, exotic fruits, HUGE shrimp cocktails, REAL crabmeat, decadent deserts, all went away with the REAL maple syrup, all the things I did NOT have at home and made it so special to cruise....all went away, replaced by artificial maple "flavored" "syrup", go carts, coasters (and don't get me wrong, I LOVE the aqua coaster of the Disney Fantasy !), I DO ice skate on RCCL a LOT, but.... my point is, I now find I love and miss my Florida home, I miss my daily golf games (golf on a cruise is a time consuming and always expensive option, and with rental clubs, just not worth it for me), and I miss our Florida beaches (usually, we have had a couple disappointing years of red tide which I won't debate here), and I just really like my house, art, books, "my things". So now, I am kind of back to maybe three weeks tops, but I'm ready to go home for awhile after two weeks or after doing a back to back or a side to side. I used to HATE leaving the ship, hubby too, he was content to just be at sea for any length of time. Now that I have the time to do the 186 day "round the world" I dreamed of and saved for, I am not interested....LOL. Life it funny that way I guess. I'll be cruising 5 weeks in a two month (8 week) period of time this fall.... I'll be ready to just enjoy my home for awhile and then will probably be ready to cruise again in Jan. or Feb. What I like is the typical ad line, unpack ONCE, I live in Florida so usually don't have to worry about packing with the flight in mind so can take all the "junk" (books, my personal snorkel gear, all kinds of shoes.....LOL ! But sometimes yes, I do leave from other areas so that is differedulacking and planning. My hubby loved no chats with hotel concierge about tickets, dinning, cabs, even money exchanges, loved the clean air and lack of the "bee hive" atmosphere of land resorts. But much of that is not longer true. Ships have every amusement park gadget, love them, but I really think it is the lack of basic things I CAN have at home...and I know some with just jump all over me, but the food is no more "exotic" than anything I have at my home, the pies and cakes are often not a good as mine (isn't that terrible of me...LOL...to brag), but I miss the desserts on cruises that were so different than anything I usually had access to. Now I sure don't starve, but the food is no different than any run of the mill restaurant, even the upcharge ones, good food, but I really expect people to jump all over me for even writing this, but few people were cruising back in the early 70's when we discovered it, and most today can not imagine what a special experience it was, you felt like the only person on board a yacht. So, still love to cruise, but back to enjoying a "mix" again. Just enjoying my home, driving over to the beach and reading....like we "used" to do on ships, before we could go bowling, skating , or play in the bumper cars....LOL ! I might add to this, while I life to sail the monster ships and I that that a lot, but a week or a B2B and I am ready to leave the "the mall", then the next cruise I usually am seeking out the smallest vessels still sailing today so I an get my "old days" fix where the main entertainment is reading in a deck chair (not a sun lounge), enjoying intelligent conversation with others from all over the world and from whom I can learn new things and always the dinner each evening was THE event of the day.....gee, maybe some will say "she's just getting old"....LOL.... and based on some of the nasty things people say about others on these boards, some may question who I think I am that I can't accept plain old genuine artificial imitation maple syrup.....so I bring my own when not using a flight ! The chef used to keep it for me on Freedom of the Seas... put my name, table and cabin on it like a fine bottle of wine...LOL... and then apologized that he was no longer allowed to order real maple syrup.

 

 

[clo]

12 minutes ago, annnmarie said:

My personal story

I will reply tomorrow but your "personal story" is glorious.  Thanks so much.  Cath

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, clo said:

I just copy and post.  I've actually found this site easier than some.

It's very easy to do with the mobile version of CC on an iPhone. You start or respond to a thread and click "choose files," which gives you a choice of camera or your existing photos.

[sverigecruiser]

4 hours ago, clo said:

And also putting aside money for assisted living, easily $100k/yr.  (We chose not to get LTC insurance.)

 

For many years when I was young my plan was to move to the US. I'm glad that I never did when I read this!

 

$100k/yr for assisted living is not something I want to save for!

[DarrenM]

If income allowed it, I would leave home for the cruise on day 1 and still be there 365 days later.

 

And I quite like my home life. But it dosent compare to being on the sea relaxing.

[marco]

We love to experience different cultures, food, art, architecture, people etc.  Also, we ave relieves out of the US who we visit frequently. However, even though we've done it, I don't like being away from home more than 2 to 3 weeks or so at a time.  A 38 day segment of a world cruise was just a little bit too long for me.

[Extra Kim]

We travel as much as possible but we still work and doesn't have unlimited vaccation days..

 

Longest we have been away from home is 25nts. 21nts onboard the Legend Of The Seas and then some time in Florida plus travel time from and to Sweden.

 

I think that this year will be the year with most days away from home.

Did a cruise on Harmony of the seas in January 2nts in Florida, 7nts onboard and one night getting back home.

 

In May we cruised on Independence of the seas. One night in Florida, 14nts onboard and one night in Stockholm.

 

In September we are doing a cruise on Radiance of the seas. One night in Vancouver, 10nts onboard, 5nts in Honolulu and one night getting back home.

 

In December we are doing a cruise on Jewel of the seas, 7nts from Dubai.

 

A total of 50nts away from home, if I could I would have done more.

 

[sanger727]

I understand the OPs point of view. I usually take a vacation once a year ranging from 2-4 weeks. And right now that’s enough/all we can really do since I’m still working. I have a relative who travels a lot. She takes 2-4 week trips several times a year. And to me, that sounds more stressful than relaxing. She did have a job where she traveled a lot so I think that’s a big part of why that works for her. For me, I suspect traveling that much would take some of the ‘special’ out of it. For example, maintaining my health is one of the most important things to me. I eat healthy most of the time and exercise most days. Taking a couple weeks of vacation a year is little enough that I don’t mind splurging with eating junkier food,  drinking more, and exercising less than normal. If I spent 25-50% of the year traveling, I wouldn’t be able to do that.

[Joebucks]

I'm 33 with no kids, and have a job that gives me a fairly generous amount of paid time off. So I'm fortunate I can travel quite a bit, but nothing longer than 10-14 days. I don't even want long ones to be honest. I like having more to look forward to, and cannot wait an entire year for a vacation.

 

Started the year in NYC for a few nights around NYE, did 1 Bahamas cruise, 1 Carribean cruise, went to Charlotte for a weekend, went to Vegas for a weekend, went to Albany for a weekend, have 10 days in Hawaii coming up, and trying to fit in 1 more cruise. The only tough part is getting everyone else to take off as much time!

[Blondilu]

11 hours ago, clo said:

You certainly can.  Do you travel a lot?

Not as much as I'd like.  

[evandbob]

Longest - mid January to mid March, Australia, New Zealand and Cook Islands land vacation.  Saw so much, but impossible to see it all.  Would go back.  Also, the furthest we've traveled from NY.

 

Most frequent - maybe 20 times western Caribbean itinerary.  Love snorkeling, and there are so many great snorkel sites in these ports.  Rarely see the same thing twice, even in the same location.

 

Frequency of travel:  at least 6 times a year, usually more.  Then there's the travel bi-annually for family holiday and birthday celebrations.  Enough travel to warrant an annual travel insurance policy.

 

Travel brings us experiences of new food, new culture, new language, and new sights that we don't get to sense in our hometown. And since the future isn't guaranteed, we don't put it off anymore.  We just did our 1st TA, and have a Norway fjord and a Southern South American cruise booked, hopefully we'll still be able to fully enjoy them when sail dates come around.

[iancal]

Travel changed the way we eat.  After retiring we started to travel. Many of the countries we visited had better food.  Fresher, less processed foods, fewer junk food outlets.  We typically eat where the locals do.  We gradually changed our eating habits.  On the road and at home.   We are both much healthier for it.

 

We also realized that if we wanted to travel to the places on our list we had to be in much better shape.  That meant loosing weight and exercising.  Who wants to be tipping the scale well above their recommended  weight while squeezing in to an economy seat on a plane for hours.  Or running to catch a train or a ferry.   So we trimmed down and feel so much better for it.

 

Lots of benefits to travel that are not as obvious as others.  Not to mention how it broadens one's outlook and acceptance of others who are different, do things differently from our norms, or have different views on life issues. 

Edited July 19, 2019 by iancal

[clo]

7 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

$100k/yr for assisted living is not something I want to save for!

I base that on my late MIL almost 10 years ago paying $5k/mo for an apt. and two meals a day.  No other assistance needed.

[clo]

3 hours ago, Extra Kim said:

A total of 50nts away from home, if I could I would have done more.

 

So it sounds like almost all your travel is cruises?

[clo]

2 hours ago, sanger727 said:

If I spent 25-50% of the year traveling, I wouldn’t be able to do that.

Good point.

[clo]

19 minutes ago, iancal said:

Not to mention how it broadens one's outlook and acceptance of others who are different, do things differently from our norms, or have different views on life issues.

Came across this yesterday:

[iancal]

Very timely!