Posted: 07/16/2012 | July 16th, 2012
So what does this nomadic backpacker think of the cruise he went on? DET VAR HÄFTIGT. It was so satisfying that when it came time to head home, I didn’t want to leave. Jag missade det. I was surprised, because before I left, I didn’t really have high expectations for my cruise. After all, a cruise ship is simply a floating resort. how great could all that sitting around and kicking back really be? Wouldn’t it get boring?
Uppenbarligen inte.
I think cruises make for great vacations; everything is taken care of for you, and you just need to show up for dinner. and that’s exactly what my cruise experience was like. It was filled with buffets, cheesy entertainment, lots of drinking, and large amounts of time at the pool. A cruise was pretty much everything I thought it would be.
But who would have known that could be so much fun! Not only did I find the whole experience fascinating and a great opportunity to people-watch, but I actually liked being on the ship itself.
I wanted to stay longer.
What I Liked
Starbucks – being able to get my iced tea lemonade every day after the gym? Lycksalig.
The gym – being able to actually go to the gym every day? even a lot more blissful. (Though I only went three times.)
The buffet – So lots of food options, so much eating. The ship had everything I could have ever desired, including a great salad bar. I think I ate healthier that week on the cruise than I have in months.
Sushi – The Oasis of the Seas had a Japanese restaurant, and being able to get my sushi fix in the middle of the ocean was heavenly.
The friendly staff – The members of the staff on the boat were utterly amazing. The bartenders at the Schooner bar were hilarious; our room attendant was friendly and helpful, and put up with my million requests. but the real prize goes to our dining room attendants, who were some of the best servers I’ve had in recent memory. They made exceptional conversation, it was interesting to learn about their lives back in India, and overall, they took good care of my friend and me. They deserved that extra tip!
The rising tide bar – In the middle of the ship, there’s a little bar that moves between the 5th and 8th deck. Cheesy but surprisingly fun.
The adventure area – rock walls, tiny golf, and wave pools = fun.
Late-night dining – Pizza at 3am? dessert at 1am? You had me at “please make me fat.”
The comfy beds – I didn’t expect much from the boat’s accommodation, but I was pleasantly shocked at how well I slept. The bed featured one of those foam mattresses, and I rarely wanted to get up.
The casino – I actually made a lot of of my friends at the casino bar. It [turned out to be] one of the best spots to meet people.
Daily trivia contest – A daily chance to show off my knowledge of arcane facts for cheesy prizes? exceptional (I say in a Mr. Burns voice).
What I Didn’t Like
The lack of a motion picture theater – They played motion pictures in the outdoor theater once a day, but why couldn’t there be an operational motion picture theater on the boat? If this is an enjoyment complex on water, why can’t we go to the movies? It’s not like people are going to hide in their room 24/7. It would have been great to take a break from the sun with some popcorn and a flick. Come on, royal Caribbean (RCCL), Disney cruise ships have them!
Not enough pool area – 6,000 people on the ship and there are four tiny pools that were always crowded and loud. seems like this would have been the most evident thing to include when you’re creating a new ship!
Hairspray: The musical – RCCL paid a lot of money to have these cast members do on the Tony awards to show off what you could see on the boat. But, really, when I saw the show on the boat, all I could think was “this sucks!” poor casting, poor voices, poor everything.
Being nickel-and-dimed – When I went on my cruise years ago, everything (except alcohol) seemed to be included. now it seems that anywhere you go, things cost extra. RCCL really knows how to take money from you, with shopping sales, extra restaurants, expensive on- and off-board activities, charging for soda ($45 dollars for a week!), and $4 bottles of water.
No complimentary water in Labadee – RCCL’s private resort area in Haiti only had complimentary water during lunchtime despite the cruise log saying that water would be provided. Apparently, they indicate for a fee. seems hazardous when temperatures are 90+ degrees!
Small showers – The bathrooms in the rooms were kind of small. You could fit inside them, but there was no stretching out.
The buffet closing – I didn’t get why the buffet closed in the middle of the day for an hour. What happened to all-day buffets?! how am I going to get fat if the buffet is closed?
My friend Jason asked if I would go on a cruise again. and you know what, I would. I ett hjärtslag. before I went, I wondered if I would I hate my cruise. would I be able to cope wmed en sådan sanerad resemiljö? Skulle jag kunna relatera till människor vars idé om “resor” är en resa till Señor Frogs?
Det gjorde jag – och jag glädde till och med mig själv. Även om det inte var bäst (ingenting någonsin är), var kryssningen inte den fruktansvärda upplevelsen som jag tyckte att den hade chansen att bli. Jag är en kryssningskonvertering nu och kommer snart att gå på en igen.
För ofta är det bra att dra sig tillbaka från din normala rutin. Ofta vill du bara sitta med en frusen drink i handen och få en solbränna.
Och det visar sig att en kryssning är det bästa stället för det.
Obs: Royal Caribbean täckte kostnaden för min kryssning.
Hur man reser världen på $ 50 per dag
Min New York Times bästsäljande pocketbok för World Travel kommer att visa dig hur du bemästrar konsten att resa så att du kommer av misshandlad väg, spara pengar och få en djupare reseupplevelse. Det är din A till Z -planeringsguide som BBC kallade “Bibeln för budgetresenärer.”
Klicka här för att lära dig mycket mer och börja läsa det idag!
Boka din resa: logistiska idéer och tricks
Boka din flygning
Hitta en billig flygning genom att använda Skyscanner. Det är min favorit sökmotor eftersom den söker på webbplatser och flygbolag runt om i världen så att du alltid vet att ingen sten lämnas omvänd.
Boka ditt boende
Du kan boka ditt vandrarhem med Hostelworld. Om du vill stanna någon annanstans än ett vandrarhem, använd Booking.com eftersom de konsekvent returnerar de billigaste priserna för pensionat och hotell.
Glöm inte reseförsäkring
Reseförsäkring kommer att säkra dig mot sjukdom, skada, stöld och avbokningar. Det är detaljerat skydd om något går fel. Jag åker aldrig på en resa utan den eftersom jag har varit tvungen att använda den många gånger tidigare. Mina favoritföretag som erbjuder bästa service och värde är:
SafetyWing (bäst för alla)
Försäkra min resa (för de över 70)
Medjet (för ytterligare evakueringstäckning)
Redo att boka din resa?
Kolla in min resurssida för de bästa företagen att använda när du reser. Jag listar alla de jag använder när jag reser. De är de bästa i klassen och du kan inte gå fel med att använda dem på din resa.
