Jan115

Welcome, JR! I have not been on the Sunshine yet, but I hear she's made a nice transformation over from "Destiny". Enjoy the cruise and please tell us all about it when you return.

Me, too, Shari. Don't feel bad.

Nice review! Thanks for sharing your cruise experience. I also took my first RCI cruise in October (on the Brilliance) with my adult daughter (like you, because my husband was working-LOL!). Although the food was my least favorite at sea), I would definitely cruise RCI again.

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As the holiday season approaches each year, I wonder aloud to those who will listen: Wouldn’t it be great to combine two of my most favorite things in the world: Christmas and a cruise vacation. From the moment I picked up a copy of John Grisham’s “Skipping Christmas,” at the library, I knew that book was written with specifically me in mind. If you haven’t read the book, or seen its weaker film version (“Christmas with the Kranks”), the story is about a couple that decides one year to forego Christmas altogether and plan a cruise. Ultimately, the whole plan goes up the chimney when their daughter decides to come for a visit over the holidays. Don’t think for a minute that this intriguing idea hasn’t crossed my mind a few times. I certainly don’t mean to ban decorations and all other holiday things from our midst, as the fictional family had in mind. I greatly enjoy gift giving, holiday music and Christmas decorations, the tree and celebrations with the family. We simply would be absent from the festivities for a week or so in the days surrounding Christmas – the busiest time for meal planning, cooking, baking and clean-up. What if we were to just skip all that and sail away on a cruise ship to a warm, tropical place, where there were no dirty dishes to clean and beds to make? Now that’s what I call a gift! My husband has always been the traditionalist in our marriage. He believes in family and traditions – the ones we have grown up with and the ones we’vd created for ourselves. Not that I don’t believe in these things. I most certainly do. It is, after all, all about the family. But it still won’t stop me from dreaming about doing something a little different. I imagine my husband and I having a fun little debate: “Home for the Holidays vs. A Christmas Cruise.” With some key points and arguments, I imagine it would go something like this: School Break Him: I don’t want to spend my entire school vacation week away from home. Me: I thought that’s why they called it “vacation” – so you could go away and leave all the work behind. Festive Décor Him: What about the tree and all the decorations? Me: Our tree has gone from a rambling 6-foot spruce to 4-foot table twig, and the decorations come out right after Thanksgiving and stay up long past Christmas. The boughs of holly and dancing Santas will still be here when we get home. Besides, wouldn’t it be fun to see a cruise ship decked out in holiday splendor? Seasonal Music Him: My idea of Christmas is spending a relaxing night in front of the fire with Christmas music flowing from the stereo. Me: No one likes holiday music more than me, keeping it going well into January. Load Mannheim Steamroller and Jazzy Wonderland up on your iPhone, and you’re good to go! Just think, honey - instead of experiencing chestnuts roasting on an open fire, we’ll be two lovebirds roasting in the Caribbean sun - or, better yet, chilling under a shady palm tree! Christmas Dinner Him: What about the turkey, ham and mashed potatoes? Me: I spend the entire Christmas day in the kitchen while you’re lounging in the recliner with your eggnog and newspaper in front of the fire, playing with whatever new electronic gadget Santa left under the tree. I say give me a break, and let’s have someone else cook us a four-course meal and clean up afterwards. A White Christmas Him: It won't feel like Christmas without snow. Me: Even though we live in New England, I can barely count on one hand the number of times we’ve had snow on Christmas in the past 36 years of marriage. Lots of people all over the world celebrate Christmas in warm, tropical places - without a flake. Snow is cold, slippery, a pain to shovel and leads to heart attacks and broken bones. A cruise is pure relaxation and good for the soul. Gift Giving and Tradition Him: We need to be home for our traditional Christmas Eve and Christmas Day family gift giving and gatherings. Me: Our gifts to each other will be the cruise, and we’ll give our gifts to the family when we get back. That way, we’ll have a Christmas after Christmas. Besides, as every devout Christian will tell you, Christmas begins ­on Christmas Day and doesn’t officially end until the 6th of January; hence, the 12 days of Christmas. The Religious Meaning Him: I won't think of missing church services on Christmas Eve. Me: Did you know that cruise ships have religious services? Yes, they do. So you can celebrate the birth of Christ at sea. Besides, you fall asleep and snore in church. Family Him: What about the kids? What will they do? Her: Let’s see … our oldest has her husband, baby and her own new traditions to begin, and the younger two offspring will get together for Chinese food, video gaming, watch movies, sleep late and miss the holiday anyway. And if they do decide to wake up and partake in some festivities, there are plenty of relatives in a 5-mile radius who would be more than happy to share some holiday joy. Baby's First Christmas Him: We have a grandchild now, and it will be his very first Christmas. Why would you want to go away and miss this momentous event? Me: OK. Good point. No argument there. So who wins this debate? I do, of course. Are we cruising this Christmas? Absolutely not! Christmas with our grandson on his very first Christmas trumps a cruise any day! My dream Christmas at sea will just have to wait until next year's lively debate. Photo Credit: MSC Cruises USA

Oh my … I hope she didn't send pictures!

It's always refreshing to hear about big-name Broadway shows coming to cruise ships. Love it!

Tim, thanks for sharing your cruise with us. It really is a very beautiful ship, and I was glad to see what it's like in a tropical setting, thanks to your great slideshow. I have to say I did find the Windjammer to be packed and it difficult to find a place to sit. But we were in the cold October Canadian weather, with a significant amount of rain to boot, so needless to say, only the hardiest of souls ventured out on deck, making most of the indoor public areas pretty crowded. Thanks for the memories!

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Decked out and dancing under a clear sky or in an elaborately decorated lounge, water views galore, champagne flowing, a live band playing, balloon drops and maybe even fireworks. If that sounds like your kind of New Year's Eve celebration head to a cruise ship. There is still some space available on these cruises, near and far. Where will you ring in the New Year? Australia/New Zealand Guests onboard Seabourn Odyssey will be sipping complimentary champagne after cruising all day in New Zealand's breathtaking Milford Sound and Fjordlands National Park, then spend New Year's Day among the bird life of sparsely populated Oban, N.Z. Bahamas Mickey and friends will entertain cruisers during a deck party on the Disney Magic. Bonus: You spend the first day of the New Year docked at Disney's Castaway Cay. Caribbean Passengers on the Azamara Quest will be ringing in the New Year in high style in the harbor of chic St. Barth's, with views of the island's fireworks display. South America Book the New Year's cruise on Silversea’s Silver Cloud and say hello to 2014 while sailing in the Chilean Fjords. Asia Passengers on the SeaDream II will spend New Year's Eve in Phuket, Thailand, where Paris Hilton will be hosting a star-studded beach party. Bonus: Fireworks and traditional lighted lanterns. Europe Passengers on the AmaWaterways river ship AmaPrima will spend New Year's Eve docked in lively Amsterdam. Tahiti As if visiting paradise is not enough, those celebrating New Year's on the Ocean Princess can also screen college football games on New Year's Day (complete with a junk-food buffet). Myanmar Talk about an exotic way to start the New Year: passengers on the river ship Road to Madalay will celebrate New Year's with a chef's feast and live band, after first touring the U Bein Bridge in Mandalay and King Bodawpaya's pagoda at Amarapura. Mexico Revelers on the Carnival Miracle can get an early start on New Year's Eve with a day in the fun-in-the-sun destination of Cabo San Lucas, enjoy a party at sea (complete with free champagne, party hats and noisemakers), and return to Cabo for New Year's Day. Hawaii Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America will spend New Year's Eve off the Big Island, meaning passengers may spot eruptions of Kilauea volcano — talk about starting the year off with a bang! By Fran Golden (USA Today, "10 Coolest Cruises for Celebrating New Year's") For more cruise news & articles go to http://www.cruisecra....com/index.html Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more Photo credit: PRNewPhoto/Crystal Cruises View full article

If these people are this miserable while on a relaxing sea voyage, imagine how awful they must be at home in their home life. Ugh!

I just had to chime in here... With all due respect, Jan -- and I have a TON of that for you! -- I am a smoker... And I don't think I am at all thoughtless or ill-mannered. I only smoke in designated smoking areas, I never, ever throw my cigarette butts anywhere but an ashtray, and I don't leave the designated smoking area with a cigarette still lit. I would classify as "thoughtless and ill-mannered" those who completely disregard "no smoking" signs, those who toss butts overboard like the ocean is their ash tray, and the worst to me -- smokers who make it a point to go and sit in one of the precious few designated smoking areas left, and then go for the Oscar with their dramatic fake coughing and fanning. Smoking is still legal, and we can all coexist... The bingo halls have done a fantastic job at making that possible. The two closest to me both have glassed-in, separately ventilated areas for smokers, and everyone is happy. just my .02, -gina- After I posted, I re-read it and wondered how long it would be before someone called me out on the smoking issue. The words "thoughtless" and "ill-mannered" are too harsh for smokers who obey the rules. When I wrote this, I was thinking of the times before the new rules when there were smokers above, below and both sides of our balcony fogging up my fresh air. You're right, we CAN coexist, so I stand corrected.

Karen, you're too funny - LMAO!

Good point about the early exits at the shows. Reminds me of concerts I attend - especially parents hearing their kids perform, leaving when their kid is done playing, so by the time the second half of the show starts, there are only a handful of people left. You're right - it's rude and insulting to the performers.

They can be found on every sailing - ill-mannered and thoughtless individuals who can’t be bothered with rules, regulations or just plain common sense. Here are my top ten most rude and annoying fellow passengers. 10. The Smoker. I almost left this one off the list. After all, cruisers have spoken up in recent years, and the cruise lines have listened, with fewer places to light up. That still doesn’t mean I have to like it when I have to wait until “smoke free” night in the casino to play the slots or walk through a cloud of smoke on the promenade deck. 9. The Chair Slider. I’m on a different sleep schedule than most and like my head to hit the pillow just as others are heading up to the Lido deck for some late night action. Thus begins the scraping and screeching of deck chairs across the deck floor. Little known to the nighttime revelers, there could be folks (not necessarily party poopers!) just below their feet trying to get a little shuteye. The same goes for daytime poolside activity and people looking for quiet time in the cabins below them. 8. The Racer. This applies mostly to the kids, of course. Parents: I can’t emphasize enough – instruct your children on the importance of not racing around the ship. The result is not always exhilarating, kids. Instead, you might trip and land on your face, injure someone else, or break something. Your parents and the cruise lines will be sued, and no one comes out happy. 7. The Inebriated. I like to party as much as you, but please don’t drink so much that you become loud, obnoxious, fall down and otherwise cause a scene. If you happen to be passed out in a bar on shore and wake up just as the ship is leaving port, I’ll be all to happy to wave goodbye. 6. The Cell Phone Chatterbox. I like the olden days when no one had cell phones onboard, or if you did, you shut it off out of respect for others and because it was too damned expensive to use. Nowadays, with everyone and their kid having a smartphone, everybody’s jabbering – at the dinner table, in the elevators, in the lounges, at the pool and everywhere else. I don’t care to hear about what happened on your date last night, what you might be missing at home or your obscenities. You’re not missing anything, by the way – you’re on vacation! If you need to talk, please text. At least I can close my eyes and look the other way. 5. The Loudmouth. This particularly pertains to folks standing around in the hallways with their friends and neighbors right outside your door yammering away in their noisy playground voices concerning plans for the next day or what they’re doing for dinner. Please, neighbors – use your church voices. Meet in your cabin or in a public space to have your gathering. Let the rest of us get our beauty sleep or just enjoy the peaceful quietness of our personal space. 4. The Whiner. Apparently nothing is good about their vacation, and you just wished they had stayed home. The food is bad, the cabin’s too small, the comedian was stupid, the pool is too cold, the ship is too hot, the deck is too crowded, the drinks are watered down, the tour was lousy, the staff is rude, the lines are too long … I could go on and on. These people don’t complain to the right people, either. They complain to their fellow passengers – you and me. Well guess what, Willy Whiner – we don’t want to hear your rants and rages about things you can do little about. 3. The Door Slammer. Some people are rude while others are just loud by nature. In fact, I’m married to one. The door slams, the dishwasher door slams, the draws slam, and even the toilet seat slams. He doesn’t mean to, that’s just how he is. So, as part of our cabin orientation on the first day, I gently remind him to go easy on the doors. I wish other Slammers would get the same gentle prompts. 2. The Slacker. You know them – the couple who’s late for dinner. This, of course, pertains to traditional dining, where everyone dines at the same table at the same time with the same dinner companions each night. Everyone is seated, menus in hand – except for the Slackers. With no regard for others, they meander in when they feel like it. Well, to let you know, my husband (you remember – the Door Slammer), doesn’t like to be kept waiting, especially when it comes to dinner, and you can bet he’ll give you the evil eye when you finally decide to arrive. And, now – the number one most hated and despised person on the ship: 1. The Chair Hog. There are two kinds of Chair Hogs: The Deck Chair Hog and the Show Chair Hog. The Deck Chair Hogs arrives at the pool deck before breakfast claiming their perfectly positioned lounge chairs with a personal object – such as a towel. If the lounge chair is not perfectly positioned, they move it to their location of choice – thus becoming a “Chair Slider”, as well. So now they are doubly hated and despised. After a four-hour breakfast, the Hogs finally show up, disregarding the glares of those around them. The Show Chair Hog saves chairs for their entire circle of friends – a whole row or two. Please do the rest of us a favor. If you have a whole posse arriving to the theatre for a show and you all want to sit together, then meet up and walk in together. Let’s even up the playing field when competing for a seat at the theatre. By Janice Neves, CruiseCrazies Contributor For more cruise news & articles go to http://www.cruisecrazies.com/index.html Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more Photo credit: Janice Neves View full article

I could never understand why people do this. If I want to haul my own booze, I'll go camping. If you're a light drinker, just budget for alcohol. If you're a heavy drinker, buy a package. Besides, with my luck, I'd get caught and sent to the dungeon. I do bring a bottle of wine, however - legally!

Thanks for sharing, Linda. We had the same problem getting late into Belize in 2003 on Imagination and missed our excursion. Sorry you couldn't take your excursion. I agree - you really need a tour for this port. Glad you had a nice cruise!

It's always sad to hear of these fine old ships going out to pasture.