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Meh, to each his or her own — but since I dropped a different comment on cruises a bit ago, allow me to extend and expand my remarks.

First, I love being out on the water. I’m not rich enough - nor do I have the free-time - to own a proper ocean goer. I *used to* have a fairly low end boat kept in a slip on Lake Michigan, but that was an absolute money hole. Nowadays, just a little fishing boat with an outboard and a trailer... but ocean > (big/great) lake > river/pond/small lake. I’ve accepted - for now :-) - even the bottom end is simply the most cost-effective, since I lack the budget room to waste money on higher ranks. Though, I *do* enjoy teasing my kids — “Go ahead, tick me off... your inheritance will cover a nice cabin cruiser!”

Second, though — and I’ll thank my wife for this - I do enjoy taking cruises. A boat like this? Skeptical. I also hate the silly “onboard activities” and generally - though exceptions always exist - not a bit fan of “port call excursions”. A few are great, most are bad, a few are complete grifts. The missus and I have reached a happy medium where we usually pick a few we can agree on.

Third/ultimately? It’s the rare trip where I don’t even bother bringing my laptop. A true chance to completely unplug and ignore the world. Most cruise ships? The on-board restaurants are actually quite good. And if I decide to grab a bloody mary for brunch? I can do that, too. Love my grandkids - but when we do big family cruises? They go off to their entertainment parks; I get to read a book by a pool sipping on a gimlet.

Don’t get me wrong - if I’m doing a vacation to visit a place? A cruise is NOT the way to do it. But if it’s the annual vacation without a destination in particular?

I completely understand why many people hate it... but for me? Here’s my money. Now leave me alone. I’ll sip boat drinks, lounge about, enjoy just sitting on a balcony with a book, and the only thing I have to *plan* is maybe dinner. Maybe I’ll throw some cards at a casino. Maybe I’ll saunter to a bar to watch a game.

Let me repeat - all the things people hate about cruises/cruise ships? They’re not wrong. Lord knows Jimmy Buffett wouldn’t approve, but it’s the closest my life and responsibility’s allow me to that escapism fantasy.