Cruise ship loners: my butler is going to get a workout....

[Galer99]

We, too, spend a great deal of time in the cabin because it's a great break from our "people intensive" work lives. But this thread answers one of the great questions we have always had on a cruise. When you're sitting in one of the lounges ready to disembark and you always see a lot of people that you haven't seen during the whole cruise and you say to each other (or to yourself): "Where have these people been this whole cruise?" Well, we now have the answer: IN THEIR CABIN!!!

 

Cabin Rats Unite! (Of course then we would have to come out of the cabin and that sort of defeats the whole group purpose, doesn't it??)

[cruiseacecat]

One more for membership in the cabin rats club. Although I love meeting new people and would never want to have dinner in my cabin, I do spend a huge amount of time on my balcony. Breakfast, sunning, reading, just watching the sea. Nothing in the world gives me more peace. Just love it. :)

Anne

[bobbyleduck]

I am so not a cabin rat, but I can't say I fall into any of the other categories listed on this thread.

 

1. I am not a partier, at least not if alcohol is the number one activity of the party animal. I've never had a drink of alcohol. Now, don't get all sensitive on me. I had 15 operations before I was 15 years old and all alcohol, even beer and wine, reminds me of the ether they used during my surgeries. I can't get past the smell. I have no problem with being around friends or family who enjoy a drink, or two, or three, or (well you know what I mean).

 

2. I hate bingo! I don't go to art auctions, trivia contests or shopping shows.

 

3. I don't eat in my cabin. Of course, I don't eat in my bedroom at home, either. I enjoy the company of people and go to the dining room every chance I get. Eggs Benedict are my favorites, followed by a dessert waffle. WWWAMW!

 

4. I am a people person. I make friends easily, because I really like people. There is so much to learn from others, especially people who aren't just like me, people from different walks of life, and people from different places. I enjoy being around other people, whether it be while dining, at a show in the theater, at the movies in the cinema, on deck near the pool, in the T-Pool, or lounging on the secret deck way up at the top of the 12th deck.

 

5. I am FRUGAL. I abide by my own definition of what is frugal, and it isn't necessary to impose that definition on the rest of you. We had a very nice verandah cabin onboard Infinity last March/April (Thank you Mom), but we are back to our usual inside cabin for our Trans Atlantic cruise in December.

 

6. I am a big fan of Cruise Critic and all the new friends I've made. We became quite the group onboard Infinity, and in fact at least 12 of us (all new to each other when we boarded Infinity) are cruising together aboard Millenium in December. We hope to more than double the size of our cruising buddies after that cruise.

 

Now, I don't know what group that puts me in, but as long as it gets me on the ship I have no problem.

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[goofysmom99]

We, too, spend a great deal of time in the cabin because it's a great break from our "people intensive" work lives. But this thread answers one of the great questions we have always had on a cruise. When you're sitting in one of the lounges ready to disembark and you always see a lot of people that you haven't seen during the whole cruise and you say to each other (or to yourself): "Where have these people been this whole cruise?" Well, we now have the answer: IN THEIR CABIN!!!

 

Cabin Rats Unite! (Of course then we would have to come out of the cabin and that sort of defeats the whole group purpose, doesn't it??)

 

LOL!! Great observation!

[cechase]

We always book a Royal Suite on Celebrity. The advantage is that one can take a nap in the bedroom while the other reads, listens to the CD's that we bring, or just gaze at the sea as it passes by on our balcony.

 

We always populate our bar with bon voyage liquor packages from Celebrity for those lovely en suite cocktails. We love to have breakfast served at our dining room table or even out on the balcony.

 

We love the space and my dear Nedra loves having a "ladies bath" in the jacuzzi tub.

 

However, we do venture out. In our six cruises on Celebrity, we always go to Roundevous Square for cocktails one hour before dinner and always meet so many interesting and marvelous persons [early sitting always]. And we do go shopping, as well as to the casino where we are active participants. [On our last three cruises Nedra and I have each come home with more money than we went with!]

 

But, at night there is nothing like having one of the two suite doors open and drifting off to sleep to the sound of the vessel going through the water. Fresh air and soothing noises - they are priceless.

[raudacruise]

Ex

We always book a Royal Suite on Celebrity. The advantage is that one can take a nap in the bedroom while the other reads, listens to the CD's that we bring, or just gaze at the sea as it passes by on our balcony.

 

We always populate our bar with bon voyage liquor packages from Celebrity for those lovely en suite cocktails. We love to have breakfast served at our dining room table or even out on the balcony.

 

We love the space and my dear Nedra loves having a "ladies bath" in the jacuzzi tub.

 

However, we do venture out. In our six cruises on Celebrity, we always go to Roundevous Square for cocktails one hour before dinner and always meet so many interesting and marvelous persons [early sitting always]. And we do go shopping, as well as to the casino where we are active participants. [On our last three cruises Nedra and I have each come home with more money than we went with!]

 

But, at night there is nothing like having one of the two suite doors open and drifting off to sleep to the sound of the vessel going through the water. Fresh air and soothing noises - they are priceless.

 

You guys are starting to scare us;). Minor differences:

 

1. We do late seating.

2. MaryBeth stays away from the Casino.

3. You have some affinity for a college I cannot name ;).

 

Agree with 100% of your post after that. Breakfast in suite or on the balconey is heaven. And having the doors open, well some times we sleep out there (be careful about where the bathroom is).

 

FYI, I was in Vegas about two weeks ago. Stayed at Ballys (free) and managed to win enough to cover the airfare, ticket to LOVE (at the Mirage) and still have $500 left.

 

See you in Barcelona unless you can scarf up tickets for the OSU/MU game in the big house (spelled in lower case for obvious reasons). Depending on how the season goes this might be a "playoff" for the NCAA title.

[anniecat]

now I don't feel so odd...DH loves to sit on the veranda, reading, snoring, and watching the world go by. I like to find a quiet spot and add people-watching to the above list. Of course, I don't snore in public:eek: And I'm always up for a good board game.

So, we'll join the cabin rat club halfway.

[greatful]

Unless money is an issue Cabins are the only way to cruise. I'd rather not cruise than have to have an inside.

 

Sunrise on balcony, Breakfast on the balcony AM, Some Lunches on balcony, Afternoon wine and cheese etc on balcony, sunning, relaxing, watching sunset on balcony, balcony after dinner with late night snack from room service. I could go on and on. Life as I know it is good, very good.

[twocc's]

Glad you have found that cruising offers different things for different people.:)

[mpb43]

3. R & R-the category I can be found in. We are the cabin rats and we like things calmmmmm. We can also be found in the spa, library, sunning in a deckchair or some out of the way pocket of the ship curled up with a book. We're the people you maybe bump into once on the cruise and never again....mostly a middle age working crowd that need a break from the 40 hour work week and 2 hour commutes.

 

Boy, does that sound like me. Just went on my first cruise last month and spent a lot of time in my cabin and on the veranda. Sure, I enjoyed going to dinner and walking around a bit afterwards. But no doubt, the reason I LOVED that cruise was those days sitting with my husband or kids, reading, and watching the beautiful world go by.

BTW, I live outside Washington D.C., am in my mid-forties, and have a horrific commute. :)

[bobbyleduck]

Boy, does that sound like me. Just went on my first cruise last month and spent a lot of time in my cabin and on the veranda. Sure, I enjoyed going to dinner and walking around a bit afterwards. But no doubt, the reason I LOVED that cruise was those days sitting with my husband or kids, reading, and watching the beautiful world go by.

BTW, I live outside Washington D.C., am in my mid-forties, and have a horrific commute. :)

 

That may be part of the reason I don't need anything beyond an inside cabin. I'm 52, retired for 10 years, live in Bend, OR, and only commute two or three times a week, a few miles, to my volunteer job as a financial educator . For those of you who are unfamiliar with Bend, it is 160 miles south east of Portland, across the Cascade Mountain Range, and in the center of the state. Nearly 1/2 of the population of the eastern side of the state resides in Bend and that is only about 75,000 people. If you got a chance to watch the Senior Golf Tournament (The Tradition), which just ended about 50 minutes ago, then you have an idea where I live. It's less than a half hour from my door to the Cross Water Golf Course.

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[mpb43]

bobbyleduck,

I'm sorry if I implied that I need a balcony cabin. When I read the thread, I interpreted to mean that there are many different people with different personalities who enjoy cruising. My first cruise last month was with a large, mulitigenerational family group from 4 years to 70 years of age. We were all in various rooms, from insides to suites. We all enjoyed our accomodations and the stateroom differences were really a nonissue among our group. Some of us loved to be out an about on the ship, while others (like me:o ) were content with quiet time. I think a wonderful time were had by all. This was the third cruise this year for my aunt who was in an inside cabin. I, on the other hand, have been lurking the Celebrity boards planning my next cruise to Alaska which will be in 2009. I have found that I love to cruise, but it can be enjoyed in many different ways.

[bobbyleduck]

bobbyleduck,

I'm sorry if I implied that I need a balcony cabin. When I read the thread, I interpreted to mean that there are many different people with different personalities who enjoy cruising. My first cruise last month was with a large, mulitigenerational family group from 4 years to 70 years of age. We were all in various rooms, from insides to suites. We all enjoyed our accomodations and the stateroom differences were really a nonissue among our group. Some of us loved to be out an about on the ship, while others (like me:o ) were content with quiet time. I think a wonderful time were had by all. This was the third cruise this year for my aunt who was in an inside cabin. I, on the other hand, have been lurking the Celebrity boards planning my next cruise to Alaska which will be in 2009. I have found that I love to cruise, but it can be enjoyed in many different ways.

 

You're so correct. Our last cruise was with family (nine of us, from 47 - 69) and we all had verandahs (Thank you Mom). My parents had one of the FOVs on Infinity and it was great to spend time with the whole family, and occasionally a few friends, on their verandah. I am by nature a very social person, so any opportunity to join people in any other part of the ship is welcomed by me. I didn't intend to infer anything from your post, but did use it to point out some additional reasons why "I" am not a Cabin Rat.

 

Keep dreaming of that next cruise and as always:

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[bubbie617]

I'm sure RCL and Carnival offer entirely different pax bases.

 

I don't mean to change the topic of this thread, but this statement sounds very arrogant to me. My husband and I have done more than 30 cruises on RCCL. We have also cruised on Celebrity 5 times and Princess twice. We are booked on Azamara Quest for two weeks in November.

 

What makes you think that the passenger base is so different on Celebrity? We love both Celebrity and RCCL. Each offers a wonderful vacation. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

 

We love the time we spend in the cabin. Our cruise vacations are "decongestants for the mind", and we love the quiet of the balcony. There are many other RCCL passengers who feel likewise.

 

Frankly, I find the passenger population to be fairly similar on all mass market lines. Is that a negative? Of course not. We live in a high rise condominium at home. Are we the same as all the other people who live here? Of course not. We are not friendly with everyone in the building. The same way we pick and choose our friends at home, we pick and choose the people we want to spend time with on a cruise ship.

 

I'm sorry I went off topic, but I just couldn't let that statement alone. If you want everyone on your ship to be just like you, buy a yacht and then you can choose the people with whom you sail. :p

[emcee207]

Maybe it's just my bad litttle mind but every time I re-read the title of this post I laugh;););)

[emcee207]

I meant to say "title of this thread";)

[amagar]

Half cabin rats, I suppose. You won't see us, usually, on deck until about 2 p.m. We're in that 40 hour (50, really) two hour commute crowd.

 

We're in another category, though, too -- table for 2 in the dining room. Not anti-social. But vacations are the only time we regularly eat together because we work different hours. These are precious moments.

[CatServants]

Maybe it's just my bad litttle mind but every time I re-read the title of this post I laugh

 

:DNaughty! Naughty!! Naughty!!!:D This gives a whole new meaning to the "activities of Cabin Rats"!;)

 

Poseidon - Excellent thread! I love it! It's so nice to know there are sooooo many cruisers out there who love their cabin time. So many Cabin Rats! I'm not a freak!:eek: Breakfast in my room? Not at home. ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED on a cruise! Reading/relaxing IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY instead of doing something productive? Not at home. Absolutely required on a cruise (recommend doing with feet up, while watching the beautiful world float by, listening to waves/music in the background, with a satisfied Cheshire Cat grin on face). Dinner in my room (preferably served by an attentive butler) after a long day of (shore excursions/swimming reading/relaxing/just being a basic Cabin Rat) life? Not at home. ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED 1-2 times per week on a cruise. My life as a Cabin Rat is very good...it gets me through the other 50-51 weeks a year.

 

I guess as the saying goes, "Whatever floats your boat." Pun intended!:)

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Denise

 

PS - I'm SOOOOOOO glad no one took offense at the term "Cabin Rat"!:o

 

Denise

[prosenbl]

We tend to be cabin rats as well. Last year we were on the Constellation and there was a small noro virus outbreak (October). After dealing with all the hand purifying and rules in the dining room and buffets, we stayed in our FV cabin for 3 days - meals included. Two of the days were sea days, and one was the Royal Carib private island. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and I was so happy that I had paid the extra money for the FV room.

[misterbuds]

We always get a balcony. To us it's worth every penny. We love to just relax on the veranda and enjoy the scenery and privacy. We have friends and relatives tell us they always get an inside. They say "We're only in our room to sleep." I always tell them, "If I had inside, I wouldn't want to be in the room either.":D

[PoseidonGodoftheSea]

:DNaughty! Naughty!! Naughty!!!:D This gives a whole new meaning to the "activities of Cabin Rats"!;)

 

Poseidon - Excellent thread! I love it! It's so nice to know there are sooooo many cruisers out there who love their cabin time. So many Cabin Rats! I'm not a freak!:eek: Breakfast in my room? Not at home. ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED on a cruise! Reading/relaxing IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY instead of doing something productive? Not at home. Absolutely required on a cruise (recommend doing with feet up, while watching the beautiful world float by, listening to waves/music in the background, with a satisfied Cheshire Cat grin on face). Dinner in my room (preferably served by an attentive butler) after a long day of (shore excursions/swimming reading/relaxing/just being a basic Cabin Rat) life? Not at home. ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED 1-2 times per week on a cruise. My life as a Cabin Rat is very good...it gets me through the other 50-51 weeks a year.

 

I guess as the saying goes, "Whatever floats your boat." Pun intended!:)

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Denise

 

PS - I'm SOOOOOOO glad no one took offense at the term "Cabin Rat"!:o

 

Denise

 

Thanks Denise!! I knew we'd be the laughing stock; and I learned a while ago if you want to start threads in a forum you have to be able to take whatever gets thrown at you! I laugh at things too. I laugh at the Karaoke contestants that had tee many martoonies as I walk by the lounge. I laugh at the seriousness on the faces of the bingo players who paid thousands of dollars to play a game found in almost any church basement. And just the thought of a hairy chest contest has me rolling on the floor!! So if the non cabin rats out there wanna go ahead and laugh...fine, then laugh!!

 

And the term Cabin Rat is the best term I've heard all year; thank you for improving my vernacular.

[Lemur]

As for me, nothing beats hanging out in that little oasis of tranquility called my cabin.

 

So, place me firmly in the Cabin Rat category, but shouldn't it be the Cabin Rat Pack rather than Club? ;)

 

Lemur

[LuLaLuvlee]

Teeheeheee no 'cos if it was a pack one might think that we went about in groups. ;)

[psychboss]

My DH and I are a real mix. Our stateroom is very important to both of us, just as a hotel room is. We both spend a fair amount of time there. DH spends more time than I do as I love the pools in the afternoons and he does not. We both love the private verandah. LOVE to sit and read and watch the sunsets, we sleep late so don't see the sunrise. It is the BEST thing about cruising - there is something for everyone!

We are news junkies so our TV is on a lot to the CNN (Communist News Network) would much rather have Fox News, but it is all we can get!

We are REALLY, REALLY hoping that during our 11/26-12/7 Constellation Cruise that they will have the Army-Navy Game. We already know that it is shown around the world, so it should not be hard for them to get it off of a satellite, if they want to. It is THE GAME OF THE YEAR for us.

[Muushka]

My DH and I are a real mix. Our stateroom is very important to both of us, just as a hotel room is. We both spend a fair amount of time there. DH spends more time than I do as I love the pools in the afternoons and he does not. We both love the private verandah. LOVE to sit and read and watch the sunsets, we sleep late so don't see the sunrise. It is the BEST thing about cruising - there is something for everyone!

We are news junkies so our TV is on a lot to the CNN (Communist News Network) would much rather have Fox News, but it is all we can get!

We are REALLY, REALLY hoping that during our 11/26-12/7 Constellation Cruise that they will have the Army-Navy Game. We already know that it is shown around the world, so it should not be hard for them to get it off of a satellite, if they want to. It is THE GAME OF THE YEAR for us.

 

Ah. Another Fox News junkie. I feel your pain.:)