Cruise ships pamper you. Everyone is treated like kings and queens. Transitioning back into your everyday life can be challenging. This is easier if you fly home after a cruise because the “romance of air travel” has become “the romance of bus travel.” If you live in your homeport, the transition can be abrupt your first day back when no one unfolds and drops a napkin into your lap at breakfast! I recall it was Celebrity Cruises …
Different cruise lines have different personalities. Oceania and Regent promote fine wine and dining. Virgin Voyages does not accept passengers under age 18. Saga Cruises targets the 50+ market. Cunard does something unique. It delivers Britishness, that English experience, at sea. How do they do it? Let us start by defining what the British experience is to many Americans, especially us in the Baby Boomer generation. Britishness is the England we see on Public Television. If you …
No one wants to dress up anymore. The cruise industry is listening. If people dress up to go into the office or wear a uniform working at a hospital, they want to dress however they please while on vacation. I also want to eat, but on my own terms. What are my options for casual dining? If you step ashore, the answer is easy. You walk into McDonalds or Starbucks and order at the counter. You get …
We have made great friends while on cruises. Many friendships have continued for years. The longest one I recall happened 17 years ago. We still talk every week. Some of the people we know have “done the world” as they say amongst themselves. Although we have not yet taken a 100+ night voyage (our cats would not understand) they have shared several experiences. How many people travel? Although the ship might carry 2,500 or 3,500 people, the world …
Cruises are wonderful vacations. I start packing one or two weeks before our trip. We know people with a “cruise closet” where all their holiday leisure and formal wear is stored when they are not traveling. There are also little things that are easy to forget. Years ago, the joke was “Did I remember to turn off the stove!” Things have changed, but not by much. Is your passport current? You might think a passport is like your …
Not everyone finds it easy to make new friends. Some people see a stranger as a friend they have not met yet. That’s me. It might not be you. The strategies vary depending on if you are a couple traveling together or a singleton; however, it is easy to make new friends, especially on sea days. 10 ways you can meet interesting people: Mealtime. When you head into the dining room, ask to be seated at a …
August is here. There is still time to get away on vacation. Should you fly to a resort destination or book a cruise? Let us start with the assumption you live in or near a homeport city. Now we consider the pros and cons. Total expenses. What is your vacation going to cost you? Let us assume you are getting away for a week, possibly adding in the weekend at the other end. Assuming you would take …
We are a quarter into the 21st century. Messaging back home is focused on texting, email and other Smartphone based solutions. It’s been said younger people don’t use their phones to make calls. The post office must be wondering if surface mail is worth the bother anymore. Step onto a cruise ship and communication works differently. The key instrument is not your phone, but that curious fixture on the wall outside your cabin. They are often called …
Everyone wants to cruise when the weather is perfect. Everyone wants to vacation when the weather is perfect. Airfares are high when the weather is perfect. There is a good case to be made for cruising when the crowds are gone – between peak and off-peak seasons – also known as the ‘shoulder’ season. Cruise ships try to avoid bad weather. They have excellent navigation and weather tracking gear. The officers are experienced, often having sailed this route …
The phrase “… who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing” is part of a famous Oscar Wilde line in a play describing a cynic. Some people think if it’s expensive, it must be the best. Today, it has been said Millennials and Gen Z value experiences over possessions. When you travel, enjoying traditions can become experiences and these traditions define a timeless luxury. Some cruise lines deliver this experience. How do they do …
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