something you quite enjoy about your cruise vacation...

[elcuchio24]

On 10/15/2019 at 6:43 AM, thesmiths said:

Good For you guys. Enjoy.

Here are a couple more to get you excited!

All taken on our 8 day from NYC.

 

NYC, best sail away in the US in my opinion 

[Florings]

The excitement of embarkation!   The sun, sky, sea.  The food - prepared and served and the dishes done, and it's not ME doing it.    Laying on a lounge chair reading a good book, sometimes sun and sometimes shade, maybe dozing a bit.   Dressing for dinner every night and enjoying my DH company with no TV or phones.   Sleeping in a bit.  Watching some wonderful entertainment.  Enjoying tropical islands.

 

Yes, everything....except packing up the night before the cruise is over - from then on 😟

[Joebucks]

I could list a lot of things. If I was to sum it up, the biggest reason is the total package I can get for under $1000pp. I don't need to "splurge" to have a good time. This allows me to do it multiple times per year. AIs are often compared to cruising because for some people, the trip is centered around 24/7 alcohol. AIs are great, but some of the top ones are a pretty penny, and you will not have the same level of entertainment. Some try to recreate that fun, but the atmosphere just isn't the same.

 

The food, the atmosphere, the sea, the comedy, the events, the beach, the fun, different locations each day. It's tough to beat. I love a good disconnect from work and the rest of life, but I'm sorry, you can disconnect on any trip. Just because the cruise more or less forces you to, isn't a leading benefit of cruising. Now if you are having that much fun that causes you to forget it all, that is something!

 

I also can't stand driving around on vacation. Vacation time is limited. The time wasted in getting a rental/returning it, driving to venue A, driving to venue B, finding a taxi, looking for parking, circling the parking garage, etc is all time I don't want to spend. It's another reason I enjoy a good "private port" that the beach is right off of the ship.

[James4me]

On 10/14/2019 at 7:06 AM, Out of Iowa said:

We were at Red Lobster recently to celebrate a family birthday.  The entree prices on the menu seem to have increased since my last visit:  I saw lots of items in the $18-25 range and had to read through to the end (Lunch selections and some one-evening, early-bird specials) for entrees $12-15. 

 

This got me thinking, "When we are on a cruise, in Carnival's main dining room, I really, really enjoy not being handed a bill at the end of the meal."  This makes me feel good to know it is included, pre-paid, even pre-tipped (although I give more at cruise's end if the service was notable)."

 

What is an aspect of your cruise vacation that makes your day?

Everything.  Just getting away.  Not worrying about anything except where is my drink I ordered 2 minutes ago 😄

[beachbum53]

On ‎10‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 1:17 PM, silvercrikhix said:

i quite like the “nots” of cruising. Not driving, not cooking, not cleaning, not making the bed, etc.....

 

Also, no yard work, no telephone, and best of all, NO getting up at 5:30 in the morning to go to work.

 

[PhillyFan33579]

On 10/14/2019 at 11:43 PM, christyran1228 said:

Not getting the bill after a meal is a really good one. 🙂

 

Something I never, ever do at home:  

 

Ice cream after breakfast ...

Ice cream after lunch ...

Ice cream after snack ...

Ice cream after dinner ...

Ice cream before bed ...

 

At least not all in the same day.  Lol

I am similar to you, just replace ice cream with alcohol. 😀

[Joe817]

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I am similar to you, just replace ice cream with alcohol. 😀

Hahahahahahahaha. That right there is funny!

[reeinaz]

On ‎10‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 2:36 PM, ecarbine said:

Actually in a broader sense, doing a whole lot of stuff you just don’t do in your everyday life: multiple appetizers, entree’s and deserts for instance!

My waistline begs to differ

[SurfCat]

Thanks for the positive topic.

 

I enjoy having my wife and my adult children all together since the kids live in different cities now.

[BTromboneFrack]

Waking up in the middle of the night and listening to the ocean as we sail to our new destination - then going out on the balcony for awhile and seeing other ships on the horizon, the stars at night and the clouds as they try to obscure the moon.   The warm breeze and the hiss of the ocean below us is sometimes better than sleep itself.

[Joe817]

14 minutes ago, BTromboneFrack said:

Waking up in the middle of the night and listening to the ocean as we sail to our new destination - then going out on the balcony for awhile and seeing other ships on the horizon, the stars at night and the clouds as they try to obscure the moon.   The warm breeze and the hiss of the ocean below us is sometimes better than sleep itself.

Wow! How poetic and absolutely true. 

[cincicruisers]

I agree with all of the above.

 

I really enjoy being around happy people.  On a cruise people say hello and smile.  At this time and age people are too busy to be friendly with strangers.  On a cruise everyone is on vacation and in good spirits.

[trummy]

2 minutes ago, cincicruisers said:

I agree with all of the above.

 

I really enjoy being around happy people.  On a cruise people say hello and smile.  At this time and age people are too busy to be friendly with strangers.  On a cruise everyone is on vacation and in good spirits.

This is one of the best things. We have made several lasting friendships while on cruises.

[jdemps]

I enjoy not having to drive, navigate or park.  Also, cruising is really cheap compared to land based vacations at about $450 per day all in for the two of us!

[desiree741]

Definitely the views and relaxation.

Spending quality time with my daughter, she is 15 now so doesn’t have much time for mom lol

Sitting on my balcony with a daiquiri and a book.
Being a single mom and government employee, budget is the biggest concern. 

Cruising gives us the opportunity to plan and pay for over time. And once it’s paid for it’s paid for we don’t have many other expenses except some extra tips,  gas and parking fees.
We have several ports within driving distance so easy access. 
Not having to be at work.

47 more days!

 

[marshhawk]

I love going to the Make it with Michaels (feels like camp).  I love sitting in quiet areas and listening to the waves lapping the ship.  I love the fact that I can plan the cruise, make a down payment, pay it off monthly, plan the excursions, study the ports,

trying  new things in the MDR, or Lido, having the area to take a walk without a being harassed.   I love that I can still afford to cruise, and that when we are at sea, I see my rather ill DH get involved with wanting to be alive. And that makes me very happy. 

[cc75]

I love looking out over the ocean at the perfection God has created.   I also like being able to spend time with the family without the craziness of daily life.

[zencruisers]

I love being unplugged from everything. We don't realize how much stress our phones cause until we are out to sea.

 

[<3_2_Cruise]

My favorite part of the cruise is relaxing in my lounge chair, looking out over the ocean, while enjoying a cocktail. 

[vicky3vicky]

I agree with pretty much everyone! But.... I  also love all the planning, and packing, and researching the ports, and studying the menus and deciding what I am going to order in the MDR every night, for the entire year and a half between every cruise. I love reading Cruise Critic, and packing and unpacking over and over again. I love spending the 2 weeks before the cruise cooking and freezing many of our favorite dishes so that I can slowly ease back into cooking when I get back.

 

I love planning things to look forward to right AFTER the cruise. After our November 2, Journey cruise, one of my Nigerian Dwarf goats will be in heat, and we are excited to get her pregnant. [baby goats are cuter than cute!] to start planning Christmas, to see our animals, and to work on next years AutHaven. When I get home, my middle son [ who will be staying at our home while we are gone, taking are of the chickens, goats and dogs] will have put the seed catalogs, which I will order next week, on my bed, and have everything set up for a fire in our fireplace. 

 

I also look forward to booking my next cruise within 2 weeks after coming home. 

 

Then, when time passes, as I am mucking the barn, I will be thinking about my upcoming cruise. When I am feeding worm tea to my beautiful vegetable garden plants, I will be figuring out the best way to optimize my miles and points to get the best airfare and hotels. And when I am helping to birth a baby goat [or three!] I will be thinking about....helping to birth baby goats.

 

I am a very frugal [not cheap!] person [which, with our income is a really good thing] and no way could I justify spending all of those thousands of dollars for a 2 week vacation. No way! But when I onsider that I am 'enjoying" my cruise a little bit every day before I even step on the ship, it is a heck of a deal! [ and something nice to think about when a dentist is poking around my mouth]

[Etta1213]

16 hours ago, marshhawk said:

 I love that I can still afford to cruise, and that when we are at sea, I see my rather ill DH get involved with wanting to be alive. And that makes me very happy. 

This really touched my heart. We had to call off our cruise a week ago due to  illness. None of us knows how many cruise days we still have ahead of us.

How very precious the time together is, observing God's magnificent creation! 

Edited October 22, 2019 by Etta1213

[marshhawk]

6 hours ago, Etta1213 said:

This really touched my heart. We had to call off our cruise a week ago due to  illness. None of us knows how many cruise days we still have ahead of us.

How very precious the time together is, observing God's magnificent creation! 

Etta, I am sorry that you had to cancel a cruise due to illness.  I think we have "changed" three cruises, and while I am pretty sure we can make the next one, not sure about the ones after that.  I book them in advance so that DH has something to look forward to, and I get a break.  I used to be the first one to start a roll call, and now I don't.  I wait until we know what is going to be happening next.  Right now I am supposed to be calling his heart doc to see if he can get off his meds long enough to have another surgery.  All the best to you and your family, hope everything turns out alright.

[cruznjan]

Everything!

[beshears]

Good question.  Since I have been blessed to cruise 19 times, I could say a lot, but I won't.  I live in Missouri, and here, we never know from one day to the next what the weather is going to be.  When I was growing up, I always seemed to know the different seasons of the year, but they seem to run into each other now.  As for cruising, I remember a statement from one of the men I was with on our first cruise, and it has stuck with me ever since.  Cruising is just relaxing, and doing what YOU want to do, people waiting on you, if you want, for when you get back home from the cruise, it is "Back to Campbell's soup!!!"

[mek]

My husband is a very picky eater and I never have to have the "where are we going to go for dinner?" argument, oops I mean discussion,  every night.

Edited October 22, 2019 by mek