Modern cruises are just the logical extension of a hammock, a glass of sweet tea and a BLT with your favorite chips.
What mindless idiot gets in a rabbit hutch and thinks its a vacation because he can eat ?
Excellent. Very good description. I will use that.
I am a retired ship master, having been a captain of a super tanker and a super containership. Sailed third mate on an old trans Pacific passenger ship (not a cruise liner) and have taken a cruise on an Italian liner that was so old they burned it at the dock for insurance (year after).
Me. I love cruises and I love to eat. I agree that it does not sound like fun on the surface but when you are actually on that ship, even though you might be with thousands of others, you truly feel like royalty during that time. The passenger to crew ratio on many of these ships is close to 1:1. Or at least it seems that way. I leave my cabin for five minutes and when I return, I have fresh fruit, mints on the bed and everything cleaned up. I have no idea how they do that. When I'm lying by the pool, fresh towels magically appear every time I leave to take a dip or get a drink. And yes, you can eat 24/7 - even at midnight there are buffets laid out.
I highly recommend Royal Carribean. I've been sailing with them since 1987. I took a Carnival Cruise once and it was a huge step down. But that was years ago and I hear they've improved quite a bit.
But one thing for sure, from the time they take your luggage at boarding to the time you get your luggage back at the end, you don't have to lift a finger for anything. Just make sure you bring lots of tip money (all paid at the end of the cruise).
If you ever get a chance, read David Foster Wallace's "Shipping Out" which is a parody of how they pamper you on a cruise. It's supposed to be funny but he's not exaggerating all that much.
It’s much nicer than a rabbit hutch. I like going somewhere without having to be the driver, having someone else handle the food and the cleanup. It does bother me that the really big cruise ships are floating cities, but generally cruises are pleasant.
I like road-tripping in the family car, also, but then I have a lot of responsibility for the safety and happiness of my fellow travelers. So, a cruise is a nice change of pace.
Yeah, we went on a large cruise ship as part of a family event about a dozen years ago. No. Thanks. Not my cup of tea.
Modern cruises are just the logical extension of a hammock, a glass of sweet tea and a BLT with your favorite chips.
Our last cruise was to the Canadian Maritimes out of NY Harbor. The first night out, I found myself in the steam bath drinking ice water looking out a picture window watching the sun set over the North Atlantic while listing to Pavarotti sing Nessun Dorma piped in over the sound system. Not bad, $600 for two for an inside cabin for five nights, I thought.
