Cruising|Pad Patter 9.1.2017

[catschwartz]

Have been on 2 and would go again. Our first cruise was a land/sea Alaska one. That was great, not out on the sea long since we did inside passage and a lot of travel was at night. Had always wanted to see Alaska, and figured if we were traveling that far, we should add the land part to the cruise. My second cruise was just this summer. I am not a beach person, and really don't like the heat. I am also not a sit and relax person- I always am doing something like hand crafts, or something even while watching TV. I really didn't think I would like a warm weather vacation, but my daughter wanted to go on a cruise and on one of the big ships. She had a baby who was 8 months at the time, and her husband couldn't go, so my husband and I said we would go. Well the big ship has plenty to do! One of the things I liked on our first cruise was that all of the meals were delicious and I didn't have to figure out dinner for the whole time! That was also a plus on the second cruise. We did splurge and get a loft suite. I have a walker, rented a scooter, we had a car seat, a stroller, bed for the baby. It was more expensive than 2 rooms, but we just didn't figure everything would fit! I am definitely spoiled and will have a hard time not having the extra suite perks, but it was still fun. I do like to swim, so I did that on one beach, and my daughter and my husband did excursions while I got to stay on the ship and go around with the baby on my scooter, and he loved it!
Probably one tip I would give you is go online and look for a group about the cruise line you are considering. My daughter did a lot of research. There are videos people took of most of the room types so you can see what it will look like, she joined a group that then had a small welcome party onboard, with door prizes, and since then I still follow a facebook group for new and past people on the Allure(the ship we went on) and people give a lot of tips on that site.
(Sorry for the book I wrote) Good luck on deciding! PM me if you want more info

 

[bbymks5]

I would LOVE to do the Alaskan cruise!!

I'm also afraid I'd have an experience like @tkradtke with extreme rocking which would make me sicker than a dog. Or my luck, I'd be on a cruise where someone is killed or goes missing...which happened to the family I use to babysit for, they were on the most recent one where the hubby killed his wife b/c she wouldn't stop laughing at him

 

[Sokee]

I don't do well with seasickness. Our boat rocked so much, the pool was like a wave pool at a water park sloshing from side to side .

This is what I would be so afraid of!!! I get car sick really bad!............................ would you be paying all this money to just get yourself sick!?

 

[kimingvtx]

I realized today that I said ok to a January cruise!!! What was I thinking! Today after church, I told my husband that I would have to take my laptop on the cruise and we would have to buy some internet time for MOC. He said ok -- whatever you need to do! So I'll be scrapping MOC, but some of my pages may be done quickly, or while I'm sitting on the balcony with an adult beverage at my side! Should be interesting.

 

[bcgal00]

I've never been on a cruise I didn't love and have been on 5 so far but can't afford the cost now with the dollar exchange so no cruises for me for a few years I think.

 

[A-M]

In two days I head off on my 3rd cruise and my husband's second. We are just taking a 4 day one in celebration of our 25th Wedding Anniversary.
My husband was hesitant two years to take a cruise with me but I knew he would enjoy it and he is hooked. If we were rich we would do more cruising but we are not rich so this one coming up may be our last.

 

[StefanieS]

I simply adore cruising even though I occasionally get seasick - I take my meds and all is fine again. My favourite was the Alaskan one. We have another booked for the end of this year (Singapore to Hong Kong) and we can't wait.

 

[kimingvtx]

We are just taking a 4 day one in celebration of our 25th Wedding Anniversary.

Happy Happy Anniversary Anne-Marie! A cruise is a great way to celebrate!

 

[cookingmylife]

We have taken quite a few in our 16 years of marriage. First was the requisite Alaska one which was his way of introducing me to Alaska, one of his favorite places - to fish. We had overcast weather the entire time, so the rinky-dink towns did not do much to impress me. We could only see a few miles off the coast but the glaciers were spectacular. Next was a Panama Canal cruise that clarified to dh that he would not go and bike the Canal. WAY too hot and humid. both of these were Holland America and were to places we had no interest in traveling on our own. One day port stops were enough in coastal Mexico and naturally (?) Cartagena Columbia was cancelled. Other passengers said that's always the case but they still put it on the itinerary. ???

Better were the transatlantic cruises we took to England on our way to a week or two in England. Yes, a lot of sea but I scrapped and we both read, and oh did we eat. Plus we arrived relaxed and the fare was often cheaper or equivalent to flying. Those were Cunard and that's our favorite line along with Holland America.

One long (23days?) round northern Europe that was my favorite. Lots of cities to explore and it gave dh a good overview of many places I'd already visited in my first marriage. Then in 2009-10 we had a Christmas trip to London and came home on Cunard's Queen Victoria. That was awful as they had sold very cheap rates in England and had a lot of passengers who came on after a heavy night of drinking who continued to drink and drink and shortly after that we had an outbreak of NOVOVIRUS. Other passengers said that some of those people were already sick when boarding. I was fine but dh got sick and was in quarantine for 2 days. Many of the places on the ship were closed off, and food became very limited. Not a lot of fun. The only cruise we took since then was a river cruise, Amsterdam to Budapest and that was really good but two weeks was too long imho.

While we may not take another one together - his snoring and my not so deep sleep any more - I may take one on my own since the cruise lines are getting better on reducing or eliminating the single supplement. There is one that goes up to the Northern British Isles, e.g. Lewis and up to the Shetlands that interests me.

 

[Sokee]

I realized today that I said ok to a January cruise!!! What was I thinking! Today after church, I told my husband that I would have to take my laptop on the cruise and we would have to buy some internet time for MOC. He said ok -- whatever you need to do! So I'll be scrapping MOC, but some of my pages may be done quickly, or while I'm sitting on the balcony with an adult beverage at my side! Should be interesting.

This will be you when you complete layouts on your balcony! Sounds like fun to me!!! And you can go out and take photos when you need them for a challenge!

 

[enjoyyourpix]

Today after church, I told my husband that I would have to take my laptop on the cruise and we would have to buy some internet time for MOC. He said ok -- whatever you need to do! So I'll be scrapping MOC, but some of my pages may be done quickly, or while I'm sitting on the balcony with an adult beverage at my side! Should be interesting.

Love this!! I'd totally be down with just sitting with my computer and scrapbooking for a week. Think they'd look at me weird if I asked for a space to set up my big iMac? LOL. Since Alaska is the US, you'll probably have cell phone coverage when you are at the ports. As long as you can get the challenges, you probably won't need to use much internet. You could even upload them all when you got home. What a fun vacation to look forward to!

 

[bestcee]

which happened to the family I use to babysit for, they were on the most recent one where the hubby killed his wife b/c she wouldn't stop laughing at him

Oh my! But I do figure it's like anything. Flying, driving, there's bound to be a few things bad, but the odds are in your favor for good.

internet time for MOC. He said ok -- whatever you need to do!

Where are you going? And how fun! I love that he just said "OK".

Those were Cunard and that's our favorite line along with Holland America.

As a child I always wanted to do the QE2 around the world cruise. I still want to do one of the grand tours. Not because I think it's inclusive of everything I want to see, but because it would be a nice taste of everything. And there's something romantic to me about crossing the Atlantic by boat.

 

[kimingvtx]

Where are you going? And how fun! I love that he just said "OK".

This cruise is one from Galveston to Jamaica, Grand Caymon, and Cozumel. Then my husband has booked us on one from Vancouver to Hawaii in September 2018. Did I mention that he LOVES cruising?

 

[jk703]

I love cruises. So many things to do, keeps everyone happy, and occupied. Makes us try new things, and go and do, rather than stay in the room! We prefer a balcony so we can be outside even when we are in our room, and with kids, extra space. I think we've been on 5 or so. I would love to do more, but cost is the only downside for me!

 

[AmaG]

DH and I went on an Alaskan cruise last month! Dream vacay. Alaska is majestic!