Travelling and Vacation
I guess I can say that I'm very lucky and have gone to a lot of different places. However the Hive Learner prompt today is about pretending to be a travel blogger and writing about the last vacation we were on.
That's tough for me. Should I talk about the last two weeks I spent at my property in Rosswood? It was certainly time away from work, but it was also time working on a place I intend to spend a lot of my retirement. Should I write about the staycation I did in Vancouver? The weekend getaway to Sun Peaks? My trip to the Philippines where I went to get my winter home ready for when I retire. Weekend getaway to Victoria? Getaway to Seattle?
At the end of the day what is travel blog worthy?
In that regard I think I'll write about the last time that I played "Vacationer" or "Tourist". Which would have been last Spring when I went on a cruise to the Bahamas and spent the weekend at Fort Lauderdale.
Cruises: Love them or hate them
I mention the cruise because people on cruises are absolutely tourists. Their life on board the boat doesn't resemble real life in any way. They invade towns and for the day they buy souvenirs, take pictures, and generally annoy the locals. The worst type of tourists but absolutely tourists!
Because the cruise passengers spend very little time in the town. They don't buy food in the restaurants much. They don't spend money on hotels. They typically don't bother with taxis. In short they give no economic gain to wherever they go....and that makes them kind of like a plague on the town.
So much so that I've heard about some people who are charging boat passengers to wander through their shops if they don't purchase anything.
Even on board it is close quarters with a lot of people crammed together, all watching the same shows, eating in the same areas, swimming in the same pools and living in tiny little cabins.
Still...
I enjoy the cruise
It is nice because I can bring my sons and they can do their own thing most of the day but we can still meet for dinner or entertainment. We don't need to worry about them going out late because I know exactly where they will be. For me I can do as much or as little as I want and I never have to worry about chores!
Cruises Floating Hotels
Now the rooms on the cruise are really quite small.
but if you learn to pack light it is no problem whatsoever. We had a room with a balcony (costs extra) but that little extra space and being able to smell the sea air is very nice. Prepare for a teeny tiny washroom.
But
And
Be prepared to do some walking. The ships are very large so getting from one place to another can take some planning and walking. Side note: don't walk through public areas or you will have to mill through huge crowds which takes forever. The side hallways are very direct although they lack much charm :)
With lots of Entertainment and Amenities
However since this hotel is on the ocean they also include lots of things to do.
Pools and People
Pools are certainly front and center on top. But with the pools come the people. There are a LOT of people hanging out on deck. If you want quiet time by yourself this is certainly NOT the place to be.
Place for sports
Want to play basketball or other court games? Your in luck they have nice courts to play on. Just remember that the ship rocks .. so you may have a reason why your shot missed by a bit ;) The ship moved of course. In addition the crew organize games and mini tournaments for the passengers so there can be friendly competition as well.
Place for the kiddies.
With playgrounds, guided activities, plus staff led babysitting / playdates you can drop off your children and explore. Or if they are really young, at least plunk them down in an area and relax for a little while.
But the venues and live entertainment are more interesting for me.
Well, some of them anyways.
The bars and dance floors aren't my thing but they have many of them on board.
Shopping in the midsection of the deck
Luxury goods shopping if you don't mind spending a fortune is also there.
Now I could also show pictures of the Spa, the Fitness Center, The VR Arcade, The bowling alley, the hot tubs and so many other different things to do....but for me it all boiled down to 3 things I liked to do.
Food, Live Entertainment, and Excursions
Now there is a LOT of food on board. There is "Fine Dining" or buffet style food. There is live entertainment nightly. Usually music, theater or comedy. There are also numerous points of interest along the way.
Food
Now if you choose the buffet style food... The lineup of food is almost endless
Served breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus snacks all day long you can and probably will gain weight on a trip. On a week long trip I've read the average guest gains 4.5kg (10lbs). Endless food probably isn't a good idea but it is tasty for sure!
As an example this was my son's breakfast and he went back for two more helpings. Probably not exactly healthy
As or the fine dining? Much more regimented in terms of timing and meal. However, the portion sizes are a little more sane and a little easier not to gain weight.
Onboard Entertainment.
There are multiple venues for entertainment and they are really quite nice.
Plus every night becomes a date night
The excursions
Now on our trip we primarily stopped at Ocean Cay island. Which is a private island owned by the company which owns the ship
What's better than spending a day out with the family on the beach?
Spending a day in Nassau
Well, perhaps spending a day with the family exploring a new city. In this case Nassau.
Wandering down the streets of a new city exploring what's around each new corner is pretty exciting.
Or trying to find the perfect souvenir to take back home.
Travel Time
Now if you have made it this far you probably understand why I should never be a travel blogger. I can't follow a theme or make an interesting travel post.
Plus there is so much more that goes into the vacation.
There is the time spent getting to your destination. There are the airports, the hotels, the side excursions and so much more.
Telling about all the details can be very overwhelming and probably quite exhausting to read.
In the end I do love travel. I love getting away from the regular routine and I love seeing new places. However the logistics of travelling can be overwhelming.
This cruise is certainly one I would repeat. However it was a very short cruise because my sons wanted to spend more time on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. Moving from airport to city to ship to new city just got exhausting.
Would I do s short cruise like this again? Sure, but only if I was spending more time in the port city (in this case, Miami). More likely though I'd rather have a much longer cruise where I go from one place to another.
Going from Brasil to Italy on a ship? Yes please, looking forward to that. 25 days on a ship going from South America to Europe with many stops in between. Horray.
Going from Manila to Vancouver? What an awesome way to come home from the Philippines (my other home). In just a couple days I'll be heading to Manila on a 16hr flight (ugh) and I'm not really looking forward to sitting so long. How much nicer would it be to just sit and relax on a cruise from one place to another rather than having to deal with the hassle and cramped spaces of an airport?
Any thoughts?
Of course some people hate cruises. They have so much food and other waste. They are a breeding ground for germs so if one person gets sick many people do.
Thanks for reading and as always feel free to send me a comment.
And for @sej you mentioned wanting to enjoy luxurious places with the excitement of lots of people. Would this qualify?