Cruise Life – My Experience

~ stashy

So what’s it like to go on a 7-day cruise? I’ll admit that I’m not keen on all-inclusive resorts, or packaged vacations because I feel trapped. I do not like being herded around like cattle for meal time and activities. I know a lot of people who have gone on cruises and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, so we decided to give it a try.
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We went on the ship Vision of the Sea, which is part of the “Vision” class of ships from Royal Caribbean. We chose the cruise line based on a lot of discussions with friends and the top 3 recommended cruise lines were Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. Celebrity Cruises was our top choice but it did not have any remaining sail dates for 2016 to the destinations we wanted.
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I had jokingly said that I would name this post “Cruise Life for Type A Personalities” – I wouldn’t call myself a true “Type A” personality, but I do have some traits. It takes me a while to relax whenever we go on vacation. On a 7-day vacation, it probably takes me 2 days to stop pacing the hotel room, and then another 2 days to stop waking up at 6am. 😛 So how did I find cruise life?

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Taken in Santorini, where cruise ships can’t dock at port due to shallow waters.

Our ship had a capacity of 2,050 passengers and had over 700 crew members. It’s on the mid to small range compared to other ships but we were glad – I just couldn’t imagine dealing with the hoards of people constantly.  Note: this post focuses on life on the ship itself, not my vacation experience overall. We lived the “cruise life” primarily in the mornings and evenings, and the 2 full days we were at sea with no port stops.

What we liked:

• Being able to visit so many places in a relatively short period of time and at a reasonable cost (Venice, Dubrovnik, Ephesus, Santorini, Olympia). We estimate that if we were to travel by land or air to all these places, add in cost for food and hotels, it would have cost at least 25% more.

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Our room was the “King stateroom with balcony”. We weren’t expecting a sitting area too.

• Being able to sleep in the same bed / room for the whole trip. The bed and pillows were really comfortable as well!

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Eating breakfast on our balcony as we arrive at port in Santorini, Greece.

• Having a private balcony – out of the 7 days, we ordered room service 4 times so we could take advantage of eating breakfast on the balcony. The sound of the ocean was also a fantastic white noise for sleeping! If we go on another cruise, we will book a room with a balcony, no question.

A big hunk of salmon.
A big hunk of salmon.
Pasta shells stuffed with spinach and cheese.
Pasta shells stuffed with spinach and cheese.
Shrimp and rice.
Shrimp and rice.
Quiche, one of my favourite foods.
Quiche, one of my favourite foods.

• Variety and quality of food on board – they had themes for each night (Chinese,  British, Mexican, Spanish, Indian) and the overall quality of the food was very good. Definitely better than resort food. Side note: I heard an American cruiser ask, “What’s the difference between Mexican and Spanish food?” *smacks head*

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Our table was right in a corner which was fine by us!

• Option to sit by ourselves in the dinning room – I know, I know, that’s so antisocial. But we’ve heard horror stories of people being stuck at tables with people they didn’t like (tables are assigned and they’re the same for the duration of the trip). We experienced one uncomfortable instance of this when we went to the dinning room for breakfast (rather than room service or the buffet) and were randomly seated at a table with 10 other people – for that whole meal, no one spoke to anyone not in their own party. *awkward*

• Automatic flat rate daily gratuity ($13.50 per guest per day) made for worry-free tipping to restaurant and house cleaning staff.

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Each passenger is assigned a “Sea Pass” which acts as your “everything card”. It’s your ID, room key, and payment method for anything on board.

• Check-in and check-out process was smooth and hassle-free. This is definitely not their first rodeo – they’ve fine-honed the process, provided guests with clear instructions, and were well staffed to handle the volume of people.

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I have more pictures of the sky than I care to admit. 😛

• Beautiful views of the ocean and sky especially at dawn and sundown. I do really enjoy being near water – I suppose that’s because I’m a Cancer in the zodiac? 😉

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View of a sunrise from our room.

What we didn’t like:

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This was the scene in the center of the ship when we arrived on the ship – all the tables were set up with stuff to sell us.

• Constant upselling! We felt hassled as soon as we stepped on board: drink packages, specialty restaurants, excursions, internet packages! We are not cheap people but we like getting value for money – we already paid thousands of dollars for the cruise, why are we looking to book $75 per person at an “upgraded” restaurant? Our waiter in the formal dinning room constantly tried to upsell us – so much so that we ended up opting out of eating in the formal dinning room in favour of the more relaxed environment in the buffet dinning room instead (they offer the same food, just not served to you or presented as nicely).

• Rip-off prices for internet. $13 USD per day for 1990’s dial up technology or $18 per day for high speed. Did I mention those prices are per day? 😮 We had already vowed to be “off the grid” for the trip but it just goaded me every time I saw the signs advertising the internet packages. On the last night, the SO insisted that we check-in for our flight while at sea but of course that cost money. Guess how much? $10 USD for 1 hour. We almost needed the entire hour for the simple act of checking in because of how slow the internet was. 🙄
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• Activities and entertainment were not enticing to us. Cruising is really geared toward a more mature demographic, no matter how they try to market it as. We had no interest in the games, live shows or contests. We don’t gamble either.

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We liked hanging out in this central area to people watch… on one of the formal evenings, there was the opportunity to meet the Captain of the ship. You should have seen all the ladies hanging onto his arms, it was very entertaining. 😆

• Formal evenings. On our 7-day cruise there were 2 formal evenings. We knew this in advance and I did pack a couple of dressier outfits and I was able to convince the SO to at least bring a sports jacket. But these cruise people took formal evenings seriously!  😮 They wore tuxedos and evening gowns and got professional photography done. That is so not our scene. We could have gone into the formal dinning rooms with the clothes we had but we didn’t want to feel uncomfortable, so we opted out of both formal evenings. We went to watch the Avengers movie on the big screen instead. 😛

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The main pool area was the mecca for loud drunk people. It only looks deserted here because it was the first day, before most people had boarded.

• Noisy common areas. We were challenged to find places to park our butts on the ship that weren’t full of drunk obnoxious people. We wanted to find places where we could read or just chill. (And not to hide away in our room!) We spent a great deal of time at the indoor pool area – the outdoor (main) pool was super noisy.

Random Notes:

• No one got left behind at any of the ports due to tardiness that we heard about. However, on the first day at port, there was a passenger who opted not to continue with the cruise due to health issues. And on the last day which was a sea day, we were advised that the ship had to make a slight detour back to Dubrovnik because one of the waiters suffered a heart attack. The captain kept us updated on his condition and advised us on the morning of deboarding that he was in stable condition, and that the the medical team on the ship basically saved his life! 🙂

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The shampoo and shower gel were essentially the same thing. I checked the ingredient list and only 1 ingredient differed between them. The shampoo contained Glycol Distearate as its 2nd last ingredient while the shower gel did not.

• Toiletries are not provided automatically. I noticed on the first night that we had no shampoos or shower gels – these are not items I typically pack for trips since I assume they would be provided. So I rang up the Guest Services and they advised that these items were provided “by request”. Within 2 minutes, 2 young men came by with handfuls of various toiletries including shampoo, hair conditioner and shower gel. They do not provide body moisturizer though.

• I did over-packed clothes (but not makeup!) because I was really worried about the weather being hot and needing frequent change of clothes, but that didn’t materialize. I wished I had brought one warmer outfit – it got quite windy on the ship in the evenings when it’s full steam ahead. I had 3 outfits that I didn’t end up wearing.

• Neither of us experienced motion sickness – we had packed Gravol but didn’t need them at all.

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This is our muster station – we were #7.

• I learned a bunch of new terms: muster station & drill (emergency exercise), stateroom (another word for cabin / room), tender (small boat that ferries people from cruise ship to port if the ship isn’t able to dock at port due to shallow waters), gangway (the ramp where you get on and off the ship)

Source. They were hawking the Lava Flow one day - people were grabbing them up like they were bottles of water. :o
Source. They were hawking the Lava Flow one day – people were grabbing them up like they were bottles of water. 😮

• The drink package was not worth it to us. Only coffee, tea, water and juices are included in the ticket of the cruise. Anything else: alcoholic (beer, wine, cocktails) or canned drinks (Coke, Sprite etc) cost additional. There is an option to buy unlimited drink package which is $55 USD per person per day. This would only be worth it if we drank a minimum of 7 drinks a day – no thanks. We were quite happy with the regular offering – our favourite was the lemonade! (which we now referred to as “cruise lemonade”) The SO did buy some beer and glasses of wine a la carte. I didn’t drink a lick of alcohol on the entire trip. o_O  The last time I had alcohol, prior to the trip, the rash on my legs flared up (probably due to the blood vessels) so I didn’t want to risk it.

• We were warned about the abundance of food and the risk of gaining 3-5 lbs on the cruise. Not me! I instated the “Salad Protocol” in which lunch and dinner had to start with a bowl of salad. Then I ate whatever I wanted. Since I’m a carbs and dessert junkie, my plates often looked like this:

4 key food groups: pasta, corn, pastry, potatoes
As my friend would say, it’s a plate full of beige food.
Some mousse thing.
More mousse things.

On the last sea day, we had 6 meals: 😆
1) Breakfast in our room at 8am
2) Second breakfast / snack at the pool cafe at 10am
3) First lunch at noon at the Windjammer Cafe
4) Second lunch at 2pm back at the pool cafe
5) Early dinner in the Windjammer Cafe at 6pm
6) Official dinning room supper at 9pm

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The dessert section in the Windjammer Cafe.

We were one meal shy of being hobbits! 😉

• I read 3½ books during the cruise! This is a feat in itself since I hardly ever read full blown books. The core books I read were all by female comedians – I’ll do a combined book review soon.

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I knit socks using the 2 circular aka “Magic loop” method. The pattern is a free one from Knitty, called Reverso.

• I also knitted. Yup, I took knitting with me on the trip – I’m making socks. It’s a small project so it is very portable.

• Basically while on the ship when we weren’t eating or sleeping, I was either reading or knitting and listening to music on my headphones. The SO was content with lazing around on the deck chairs (he read 4 or 5 books, I can’t keep track. THICK books too!) but I wandered the ship on my own quite a bit just to walk around. I tried in vain to find stuff to buy at the duty-free shop – none of the makeup or jewellery appealed to me enough for me to fork over my Sea Pass!

Bottom line:

The cruise was a means to an end. It got us from port to port but actually being on the ship didn’t hold a strong appeal for me. Read more about my overall trip here (photos) and here (my collab post with Joyce where I detailed our visit to Ephesus Turkey).
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So, would we go on another cruise? Yes. We agreed that 7-days was our limit for cruising. And ideally we’d like to see multiple countries similar to how this itinerary was set up.

Have you been a cruise? How did you find it?

60 thoughts on “Cruise Life – My Experience”

        1. It’s really not that hard, you just have to think of the item being worked on being in the middle, rather than at the ends of the needle. The good thing about knitting is that you can always rip out and restart – no harm done! Definitely I’ll post a picture of the socks when I’m finished. 🙂

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  3. For some reason the idea of a cruise has never appealed to me too much, I can just imagine myself feeling claustrophobic by being stuck on board! Also wouldn’t be into the whole formal evening scene, avengers is much more my scene too.
    For how expensive cruises can be I definitely think I’d expect toiletries to be provided, although I always end up taking my own shampoo and conditioner as my hair often freaks out at cheap ingredients!
    Well done on having 6 meals on your last day, girl after my own heart ha!

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    1. Yes, I was feeling stuck on board especially for that final day. I do really love the idea of waking up each morning at a new place though – much easier than flying.
      Ugh, the formal evening stuff was so… tacky to me. I don’t know why it was the highlight for so many people. I did notice that other younger people opted out (I specifically noted a UK couple I assumed newlyweds also not dressing up both evenings and they also went to see the Avengers!)
      The multiple meals were a great way to get a taste of a lot of different things! I just like a sampling of everything. 😛

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  4. The trip itself looked amazing and I’m glad you enjoyed it, but this post confirms that I never want to go on a cruise! Plus, I get sea sick just thinking about boats.

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  5. I love that you are 6 meals the last day 😂 That’s so great lol! I’ve never been on a cruise before but id like to try it out. Especially the destinations you visited. I love the idea of seeing different countries in one trip. But I feel like being surrounded by drunk people everywhere would ruin the relaxation. You’re pics look beautiful. And I’ll have to remember to get a room with a balcony whenever we try a cruise!

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    1. Eating out of boredom… lol! I highly recommend the itinerary we did – really great way to sample those places and if you love it, you can always go back later for longer stretch.
      Big yes on the balcony – it made it more bearable! 😉

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  6. Great review & pictures. We’ve been on 2 RC cruises to the Caribbean. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The first one was our first kid-free vacation so we went a little wild 😜. I think I had more alcohol there than in my entire life 🙈 and mostly dessert drinks 😂 I totally agree that the balcony is a must, it was our favorite place on the ship. It’s a means to an end…exactly. I loved being able to see all those places in one trip.

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    1. Well, I imagine it’s a different perspective when you’re on vacation to get away from your kids! 😆 I can appreciate that!
      It’s so funny, because I was talking with a coworker about the cruise – he’s older and has been on at least 20 cruises – and he was saying, oh well you young kids probably want to go on a booze cruise. Um no! 😛 Granted, those dessert drinks did look really tasty!

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      1. I’m actually shocked that you didn’t drink at all because it’s so tempting. Especially those slushy umbrella drinks. Lol. We joke now and call it speed drinking. We would get drunk in an hour (from 2 drink) then eat, sober up, and do it again. After the first cruise I learned my lesson.Lol. We also did every excursion known to mankind the first time. The second one we felt less pressured and had the same attitude about paying for extras when it’s supposed to be all inclusive. It’s really not. I’m glad you guys had a great time. You should try a 9 day, you have way more time on the boat to just chill.

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  7. I cracked up at parts of this. So, I did ONE cruise years ago and I’d say everything you described? Dead On. Hasn’t changed. We went on an Alaskan Cruise with Princess. The formal evenings? Total Joke. I was like WTF. I think it’s kind of for that old school crowd, you know the ones that still get dressed up to go on an airplane? MY DAD – dresses up to go on a plane? ME? I’m borderline pajamas. I don’t need my underwear up my butt for 4 hours on a flight. So, formal evenings are for my dad! LOL. And did they do the whole ice sculpture food display carving thing? Where herds come through and marvel at the art? LOL

    I really did like we could get a private dining table – we did that every night. Food was OK but it was NOT 5 star like The French Laundry in Yountville or Per Se in NYC. It’s still food being prepared for 2000 people – so that kind of over-rated for us. We loved getting to go to several cities and our room was comfy. But the rest of the ship was like a floating gawdy Vegas Casino. Lighted stairwells in a cheesy way. OMG, and the chocolate fountain… NOT impressive but there was a lot of folks on the ship that thought it was like the most fantastic thing they ever saw in their life.

    I’d do it again to get to a bunch of Greek Islands or something but to date we haven’t. And we went like 17 years ago. You got to go to so many great places! That’s the awesome part!

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    1. Oh yeah, cruising has definitely NOT changed in 17 years! Yes, still the gaudy Vegas casinos, the lighted stairways! During those formal evenings, I was wondering if it was a glimpse into my future? Will I salivate over a ship captain and want to wear my most spangliest outfit and have my photo taken with him? WHO KNOWS.

      You’re right, the food wasn’t outstanding but really good considering they were feeding thousands of people. I couldn’t fault them for the variety and overall quality.

      We did NOT have ice sculptures or chocolate fountains but we did have a soft serve machine and you would have thought that thing dispensed liquid gold. By the 2nd last day, that machine was busted from overuse. I hate soft serve so I opted for Ben & Jerry’s instead (that cost extra money but whatever).

      Definitely do it to visit all the ports – I highly recommend this particular itinerary to see so many places!

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  8. This was such a interesting read! The only people our age we know who’ve gone on a cruise have gone with their families, not as a couple, and family vacationing is always completely different experience. It’s interesting to read your take on a cruise as someone younger, going as a couple.
    I’ve never done any all-inclusive trips, and I’d like to try once just to see what it’s like!
    The room is actually quite nice…and that balcony! I guess it’s definitely worth the money to get a room with a balcony.
    A pat on the back for you for not having 6 meals every day! I think I might have done so 😛 Your food choices are right up my alley though, I’m also a carb and dessert junkie! The upselling would be SO annoying, though, especially during mealtime. There’s nothing weird or antisocial about wanting your own table. Being forced to eat with strangers is AWKWARD unless you happen to be sitting by someone who is super social and talkative.
    So what is even the point of the formal evenings? People get dressed up and get their portraits taken…what else? Dance? I think I’d like to attend one just to say I got use out of the few evening dresses I own but have never had a chance to wear 😛 LOL at your comment about women hanging onto the captain!
    Random, but I like the yarn you’re using to knit the socks!

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    1. There were a lot of groups on the cruise – some looked like families, others look like retirees who probably travel together regularly.

      Haha, I don’t think we could manage 6 meals daily. There’s just so much you can stuff yourself before you get sick. At first I was so excited by the dessert buffet – I wish I’d taken more pictures but they have ice cream, cakes, pies tartes – oh and the best part was every night they had a slow cooker / hot plate that had some type of hot dessert like apple crumble or chocolate pudding and warmed up sauce to drizzle over top – SO GOOD.

      The portrait thing is a whole side business for cruise ships, I had no idea! They have a portrait studio inside and they sell the prints for a hefty price. Also, another side business they have is art auctions. HIDEOUS ART, mind you. But they were selling for thousands of dollars so what do I know? There’s no dancing on the formal night, it honestly is to dress up, take photos and eat. And meet the captain. 🙄 When I was researching for this post I read some reviews online and they’re STILL gushing over the captain online!

      Re: yarn – thanks! I’ve been saving it for a while. I bought it in Germany ages ago (for some reason, yarn was realy cheap in Germany? Like 50% what it would cost here).

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  9. Heh, I love the bit about eating like hobbits.

    I’m definitely more of a type B personality, but this post basically confirms that we’ll probably never go on a cruise. LOL. Although I guess it would give me the chance to use this fancy evening dress I bought years ago and have never had the opportunity to wear!

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    1. Is your dress spangly?! The spanglier, the better! 😆
      I have a few dresses I reserve for weddings and such and even THOSE are not fancy enough for the formal nights!

      A cruise can be useful if you want to hit up a bunch of places… but I think if you’re already in Europe, it’s fairly easy to country hop.

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  10. Guess Captain Steubing still has a way with the ladies. 😂

    I’ve never been on a cruise but I’d like to go on even a 3 day one just to scratch it off the bucket list. I’d love to do a Disney cruise. 😂

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  12. I went on a cruise in 2010, on the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas the year that that ship started running, and I have very mixed feelings about it. I enjoyed going to several places and the food was good, but I enjoy being in a place long enough to really explore it and get to know the area, even establish some kind of routine. And, especially because it was the ships inaugural season, it was SO expensive. But, it was a family trip and then it turned into a wedding so… it was out of my control unfortunately.

    After going to a couple resorts, I much, much, much prefer that. I like to go to adults only ones which I find are quieter so I can relax and read. I try to alternate trips between relaxing resorts and going somewhere that involves more exploring/physical activity lol I don’t ever really partake in any of the entertainment for both resorts and the cruise I went on, I much prefer reading or going on excursions.

    I too found it a bit chilly on the ship, even during the day I found there to be a bit of a chilly breeze and I went on a Caribbean cruise and it was May so you would assume it would be hot outside.

    I think there is definitely some pros to cruises, and I get why some people really enjoy them. But I don’t think they are for me. Really enjoyed this post, I agree with you on basically everything, haha! As I was reading I’m pretty sure I was nodding along, good thing I read it at home! 🙂

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    1. Thanks for your thoughts on this, Robyn! I think it’s important to share both the good and bad of cruises and all inclusives.

      I much prefer leaving the resort / cruise too! Or reading / chilling. All those activities are so… like, camp activities for adults! That’s what I said to my bf at one point, I felt like I was at a camp for adults who were forced to be there. 😛

      I thought that it would be so hot on the ship especially since we were in the Mediterranean. And yes, even day time it was breezy and I complained about the wind hurting my eyes so I couldn’t read outdoors – that’s why we had to find shelter inside. I’m such a princess, lol!

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  14. Sounds like you had a wonderful time overall! Your room looks spacious yet cosy and the private balcony must have been a nice addition! I detest slow internet so I understand your frustration.

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  15. This was such an interesting post to read. I remember thinking while reading your recent China Glaze nail post if you’d post about your trip (and then bam!).

    Most of the people I know aren’t big cruisers so it was nice to read something with so much depth. I’ve considered taking a cruise for the ‘value’ but I think I’ll skip it. The hubs is not a fan of boats anyways lol. Who knew your fellow cruisers would take formal evening so seriously?! And $55 a day for unlimited drinks and $18 for unlimited internet… I can’t even deal haha

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    1. Haha, I could read your mind — ooooh! 😉

      Yeah if your hubs doesn’t like boats then skip cruising. I think that it will be a few years before we entertain doing another cruise. We have lots of other trips we want to do before “resorting” to another cruise again. Those extra costs really do add up!

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  16. I have been on two cruises and I really enjoyed them!!! I like the fact you can visit lots of places and get a taste of them and go back for a longer visit. The first was a Caribbean cruise with my mom almost 30 years ago. It was a small boat, I swear it looked no bigger then the Toronto Island ferries!!! But let me tell you we had an amazing time, the service was excellent!!! The boat and crew where from Dubrovnik, they usually do Mediterranean cruises but that year they decided to branch out to the Caribbean. Oh, I have to add… Yugoslavian men are drop dead gorgeous!!! Then a couple of years later I did a Mediterranean cruise by myself, what an experience!!! I could not afford a single room, so I was paired up with another single woman, which made it very interesting…she hooked up with the Captain the second night and I never saw here again, so I had the room to myself. Since I was travelling by myself I choose to dine with other guests and I meet so many people, some I still keep in touch with. Our stops included Rhodes Island, Egypt, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ephesus…it was a trip of a lifetime that I will never forget!!! I would love to do an Alaskan cruise, but I not sure hubby is up for it, so I just might go it alone like last time!!!

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    1. Oh my gosh Liz, that story about your roommate hooking up with the Captain is HILARIOUS! 😆
      I’m so glad you had amazing times on both your cruise trips. It really is a fantastic way to see many places in a shorter span of time. I’d definitely consider doing another cruise in the future – we did consider the Alaskan cruise as well since they offer 3 or 4 day ones. You should definitely ditch the hubs and go solo! 😉

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  17. Cruising definitely has its pros and cons. If I could find one that avoids formal nights altogether I’d be ecstatic! That soft serve machine wash after lunch stop every day I was on mine. My family and I split one beverage & internet package between us and it worked out fine. I only got one of the bar drinks since everything else they featured seemed too sugary. Speaking of, Lava Flows are overrated! If I can save up for a Disney cruise, I’d probably go on that next.

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    2. It’s good you were able to split the cost of the packages – that makes a lot of sense.
      The funny thing about the soft serve machine was that my SO found it right as soon as we stepped on board and we were exploring the ship. I was sitting down drinking some water, and he disappears behind this planter, then reemerges with a soft serve cone and a big grin on his face like he’d found gold. And, since he worked at McDonald’s as his first job, he prided himself on his soft serve skills – it’s all about twisting the base as you go, apparently. 😛

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  18. Man, reading this was like reading my own cruise experience! Is it because we are both cancers? 😂 The food all looks so yummy, but I agree that time on the boat (not out exploring the ports) can be really dull and even annoying unless drinking, gambling, and forking over obscene amounts of cash are your favorite three hobbies.

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    1. Yup! You said it. I think if I was drunk on the whole cruise, my perspective would be completely different. My post would have just been a series of “wooohoooo! I love everyone! I can fly!” 😆 And I’d probably have to give up buying makeup and skincare for a few months because of the obscene spending.
      Nice to meet a fellow Cancer! 😀

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      1. I near had a panic attack at the thought of not buying any makeup or skincare for a few months😅 did I just invent a new trigger warning? Lol cruises and no-buys, the hardest first world problems 😜 been kind of wanting to save up for a cruise solely to travel a bunch of places cheaply

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  22. So interesting to read your take on cruises! We’ve always been curious about them but because I easily get seasick, we’ve never taken the plunge. Like you I think there’s things I would really like about them and others not so much. I don’t know how I’d feel about being “stuck” on a ship for a few days at a time- that’s one of the reasons why I hate flying, I don’t like knowing that I’m “trapped” with no way to escape.

    The breakfast on the balcony sounds/looks awesome though! Did you leave your balcony doors open at night or could you still hear the ocean with them closed?

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    1. If you get seasick, then nope to a cruise! Don’t even risk it. I only get motion sickness if I’m trying to read in a moving vehicle. I had no issues on the ship.
      Usually if I’m flying on a long haul flight (10+ hours) I just knock myself out with Gravol or flu meds… that’s really the only way to pass the time! 😆
      We left the balcony door open for a breeze but we could also hear the ocean with it closed too!

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  23. Sounds heavenly!!! My eyes drooled on the dessert! I am a huge dessert person.. your room service food looks delish but Im allergic to seafood except fish so I was like..😔 Glad you had such a great time.. if I’m in that cruise, you will end up finding me at the Casino.. hahaha hopefully the have the Penny Slots.. lol

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  24. I really really enjoyed reading this! I don’t think I’ve ever said this but you’re a great writer. You have a way of stimulating the readers interest. I went on a cruise a really really long time ago when I was a girl…like maybe 10. Like you, I have no interest in being herded like cattle. Lol. But I might consider cruises again in the future…Alaska or Family Reunion kind of trip. 🙂

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    1. Thanks so much! ❤ I suppose I write like I'm sharing things with friends so I want people to get something out of it. 🙂
      Ooh Alaska is a cruise that we would definitely consider doing – it's not too long so you won't feel like cattle!

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