Jan115

You're right, Jason - Glacier Bay, alone, floods the social media pages.?

Virgin sounds like it's going to be very innovative, and with an adults-only concept, they have more freedom to be creative. I'm thinking they will wait and see how marketing and sales go with the adult version before they roll out a family ship.

I like the cruising "green" concept and the strides that Virgin Cruises is taking to achieve this. I remember how upset people were on Norwegian in June on the Epic over the elimination of straws for their frozen drinks. I hope cruisers will be more accepting of Viking's awareness of the environment that they were on Norwegian.

The TV studio sounds interesting and would be a lot of fun! ?

I didn't start cruising until after my kids were grown, so I never experienced shipboard life with my little ones. These are all excellent tips to ensure fun for the kids and sanity for the parents.?

Exactly my point, Shari! Don't knock it, until you've tried it, right??

I’ve heard all the excuses in the book on why a cruise is a bad idea. Most of the time, I hear them from people who swear they hate cruises but have never stepped aboard a ship. Well, I have at least one argument for each and every naysayer, and here they are, in no particular order. Cruising is boring. All you do is lie around and eat. Gone are the days of shuffleboard and chess. These things are still available, but so are high energy activities, as anyone who has cruised a mega Royal Caribbean ship will tell you. Roller skating, ice skating, zip lining, surfing, rock climbing, are the order of the day. Fitness centers are state of the art, and entertainment features real, live Broadway shows. Boring? Hardly! So eat your fill, and then go burn off those calories with a workout in the gym or a whirl around the dance floor. Cruise ships are full of loud, rude people who line up at the buffet like cattle and load up their plates - multiple times. Granted, it may seem that way at peak meal times, and people can seem unrefined and downright barbaric. There are other ways to enjoy the variety of cuisine on a large ship. Try a leisurely, no-rush, breakfast or lunch in the dining room. Order room service. Try a light lunch at an onboard cafe, such as the fabulous International Cafe on Princess ships. Go to the buffet earlier or later when the crowds have died down. Finally, if a big ship full of thousands of people is not your scene, choose a smaller ship or an upscale, luxury line. Viking Ocean cruise ships, for instance, hold less than 900 guests. Compare this to a ginormous Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas with over 6,000! Better yet, try a Europe river cruise with less than 200 people on board, for a quiet, more intimate experience. There is a cruise for every type of personality. You just have to look for it, or seek out an expert cruise agent to help match you with the right ship. I hate boats. No, this isn’t the canoe you flipped over in the lake. With the big, resort-size ships of today, you won’t even feel like you’re on one. Really! I’ll get seasick. There are so many motion remedies on the market, there is bound to be one that will give you the relief you need. By choosing an interior cabin on a low deck, mid ship, you’ll feel the least amount of motion. If you have a higher toleration for motion, and want to splurge, get that balcony, but choose a mid-ship location. I don’t want to take a tour with 200 other people on a long, hot bus ride. You don’t have to. Depending on your level of comfort, you can hire a taxi right off the ship to take you where you want to go. If you like the camaraderie of others, have your travel agent find you a small-group tour. If you have the bucks, hire a private guide - depending on where you are and what you want to see, this is well worth the expense. Sometimes just a stroll in port or a snack and a cold one overlooking the view or the town square are all you need to get a feel for a place. I don’t want to be stuck on a boat for a whole week. If you’re not entirely sure about this cruising thing, try a shorter 3-5 day itinerary to get your feet wet. I have a feeling you’ll end the cruise wishing you had more days. I’ll only get a glimpse of a destination. This may be true, but only if you don’t plan ahead. Most people disappointed in a cruise destination are those who didn’t choose what they want to see, and plan on how they would see it. You don’t have to see everything - choose one or two highlights to focus on. Instead of arriving at a port and wasting time fumbling with maps and figuring out what to do, research the destination well in advance of the cruise and make a plan. It will make the whole experience much more enjoyable, and you can always come back another time, by land or sea, and check out what you missed - or decide it’s not worth a re-visit. Noro Virus! Cruise ships have gotten a bad rap in recent years over the occurrence of noro virus. Yes, the close confines of a ship can assist in spreading the virus, but so can a hospital, a ride on a bus, a school cafeteria, a resort, and even your own home. Ships are doing a good job of sanitizing and spreading the message of good hygiene practices like hand washing and hand sanitizing (and no way more evident than the “washy washy” girls at the buffet on Norwegian Cruise Lines). Guests should do their part, as well. I’ll be forced to socialize. Nothing is further from the truth. By nature, cruising is a social kind of vacation. Rest assured, though, that no one is going to force you to play trivia, watch some dudes in a hairy-chest contest, or do anything you don’t want to do. If reading a good book in a quiet place is your type of relaxation, then go for it. There is even a library on board! If a slice of pizza is your idea of a 4-course meal, then there’s no need to suffer through forced conversation in the dining room if that’s not your thing. It’s your vacation - do whatever makes you happy! There is a whole ocean of ships - from the largest mega resort at sea, to the smallest expedition style ship. Take a look at cruising with an open mind, and with a little research and help from the experts. you’ll find the perfect vacation for your lifestyle and budget. Photo Credit: Pixabay

Enjoy the Bliss, @Palmdesertguy! Norwegian has become one of my favorite cruise lines, and in fact I’m cruising to Bermuda on the Dawn next month from the East Coast. One day, I hope to cruise the Mexican Riviera from your neck of the woods - have a great cruise!??

Welcome to CruiseCrazies @Palmdesertguy! Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or planning your first, we welcome your comments, cruise stories and questions and look forward to seeing more of you around our friendly community! ??

Welcome to CruiseCrazies @Silly1! Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or planning your first, we welcome your comments, cruise stories and questions and look forward to seeing more of you around our friendly community! ??

Welcome to CruiseCrazies @Roseanna! Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or planning your first, we welcome your comments, cruise stories and questions and look forward to seeing more of you around our friendly community! ??

I think this was posted somewhere else here because I remember the comment I made, which I’ll state again. I’m not fond of the trend of these humongous mega ships cruising Alaska waters. Maybe it’s just my personal opinion that Alaska is so much more about the destination, and a much better fit to the smaller vessels. Coral Princess and NCL’s Pearl , Jewel, and the mid-size HAL ships, for instance, are a good size. I’d even say that the Princess Grand Class are okay, but that’s as big a ship as I like to see in Alaska. I can understand the cruise lines’ marketing to Alaska due to its popularity, but ginormous ships like Ovation of the Seas, Bliss and Joy just don’t belong.

What? No Alaska on the list? ? Kind of surprising, since Alaska is the next most popular cruise destination after Caribbean and Bahamas.

Welcome to CruiseCrazies @MDSchmidt! Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or planning your first, we welcome your comments, cruise stories and questions and look forward to seeing more of you around our friendly community! ??

Welcome to CruiseCrazies @cchris! Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or planning your first, we welcome your comments, cruise stories and questions and look forward to seeing more of you around our friendly community! ??

Welcome to CruiseCrazies @Mich62! Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or planning your first, we welcome your comments, cruise stories and questions and look forward to seeing more of you around our friendly community! ??

Welcome to CruiseCrazies @cdnmr! Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or planning your first, we welcome your comments, cruise stories and questions and look forward to seeing more of you around our friendly community! ??

Welcome to CruiseCrazies @mrscndrake! Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or planning your first, we welcome your comments, cruise stories and questions and look forward to seeing more of you around our friendly community! ??

I know what you mean about a repo. My husband works in education (even though he’s officially retired), and my job limits my vacation time, so we haven’t been able to do a repo yet simply because they cruise when we can’t. For now, I’ll have to live vicariously through everyone else’s.?

Hi Cruznuts - I’ll jump on the Welcome Wagon, as well, and extend a warm welcome. I hope you enjoy the friendly conversation here on CruiseCrazies. I am in the 40-something anniversary club, too - it’ll be 41 years of marriage bliss next month for my husband and I.? Now that you mention the Grand Princess, our first cruise was aboard the Grand in 2001 to the Western Caribbean. A few years ago, we were on Grand again from San Francisco to - not Hawaii, but to Alaska! We have our local “just to cruise” destination, too - Boston to Bermuda, which we’re doing again next month. Looking forward to hearing more about your upcoming cruises. Enjoy your September cruise on the Liberty of the Seas!

I like the big NCL ships, but not in Alaska. I’m seeing a trend of super mega ships cruising the Alaska waters, and replacing the Pearl in Seattle is probably based on the fact that Alaska is becoming so popular. I love the small ships in Alaska, as do a lot of other people, and the presence of these humongous ships in the small Alaskan ports just seems wrong to me.?

Shari, you're leaving behind a jacket just reminded me of another vacation regret - I must have blocked it out of my mind ... While in Alesund, Norway, I inadvertently left behind my backpack on a bench we were sitting at. David had gone back to the ship while I went to check out a couple of shops. I suddenly realized I didn't have my backpack and probably had left it on a bench we were sitting on. Of course, when I went back to see if it was still there, it was gone. Fortunately, I carry everything of value on my person, so the only things in there were my rain jacket, David's sweatshirt, sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses, and maybe a map and sightseeing flyers. I do miss the jacket, though - it was a new LL Bean rain jacket. I replaced David's beloved New England Patriots sweatshirt when I got home, so he wasn't mad for long.?

Shari, it begins in Basel, Switzerland and ends in Amsterdam, with various stops through Germany. My brother and his wife booked it, so I thought I would tag along with my daughter since David has no interest in river cruising. ?

Nope, but that’s just me. ?

Thanks @CraigSollitt for telling us about the Enclave. You are right - it’s part of the Lotus Spa. It seems to be similar to Norwegian’s Thermal Spa. Maybe I’ll check it out when I’m on the Regal in October.