My idea of heaven is dancing on a cruise. If you've never cruised before, you might be wondering "What's so great about cruising?" GIad you asked! I have six great things I want to tell you about. If you have cruised before, compare your list to mine. Do you love the same things about cruising that I do?
Cruising offers many delights in addition to dancing. Here are just a few:
Unpack once. Unpack one time and you have a comfortable base from which to explore multiple destinations without having to board trains or airplanes.
Luxurious transit. It’s a very enjoyable way to get from one destination to another. You can’t enjoy a soak in the hot tub on a plane, train, or bus.
Activities. There are plenty of activities provided by the cruise ship, things like trivia games, dance classes, or bingo. There is usually a casino if you would like to try your luck.
The food. Don’t get me started! Buffet meals on the lido deck, meals where you order off the menu in the main dining area. If you have cruised before, you probably know by now that, depending on the cruise line, you can order as many appetizers and desserts as you like, and up to 2 entrees without any extra charge above your cruise fare. Carnival used to allow people to order unlimited entrees with no extra charge, but changed their policy to two after too much food was being wasted. There was a bit of an uproar among some Carnival cruisers about this new policy. If you are still hungry after your unlimited appetizers, desserts, and 2 entrees, you can always go up to the buffet on the Lido Deck and get something more to eat. There are also extras like, depending on the cruise line and ship, free pizza and ice cream, cakes and cookies. There’s plenty of variety, from Mexican cantinas to burger joints, chicken restaurants, barbecue places, a deli for sandwiches and wraps, or Mongolian wok where you choose your own noodles, meat, veggies and sauce. All of these are available on some lines and some ships for no extra charge. If, after all that, you feel the need for additional variety, you can visit specialty restaurants that do charge an additional fee like Italian restaurants, steakhouses or sushi bars. And how about those sea day brunches and afternoon teas with cakes, cookies and scones? In short, you won’t go hungry on a cruise, or if you do, it’s your own darn fault!
Ports of call. You can visit exotic locations, including Caribbean islands, Mediterranean cities, northern European destinations, Hawaiian and South Pacific Islands, South America, Africa, and more than I can list. You can purchase an excursion from the Cruise line, purchase an excursion after you get off the ship, or simply explore on your own. I have had good experiences with watching YouTube videos about the ports I was going to be visiting and then using Google Maps to map out a walking tour for myself. I used this method to explore Trieste, Italy and Messina, Sicily. (Yes, I know Sicily is in Italy.) Rick Steves provides free resources on his website, and a free app you can download to your phone. Then you can download free walking tours for various European cities. If you download them, you can listen even without having cell service in the place you are visiting. I had great walking tours of Naples, Italy and Barcelona, Spain listening to Rick, and also a fantastic tour of the Naples Archeological Museum. Look for the app here: Rick Steves Audio Europe Travel App for Android, iPhoIne, iPad, and iPod
Cruising can be super affordable. With all the things included in your fare, cruising can be a bargain, For example, on October 30 of this year (2023) I will be boarding a 17-night cruise in Barcelona which will end at Port Canaveral, Florida. The total fare, including port fees and taxes, is about $47 a night, and I am traveling solo! You can’t stay at the Motel 6 for that!
If you want to give cruising a try and want help finding a bargain cruise, give me a call or send an email. I love shopping for bargains! (I can also book a more luxurious cruise for you if that is your preference!)
In conclusion, cruising is really fun! What’s even more fun is dancing on a cruise. I’ll talk about that in my next post.
Have you cruised? If so, what are your favorite (or not-so favorite) things about the cruise experience? If you haven't cruised, what questions do you have about cruising?
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