Thinking of going on a cruise?
Ed Driscoll reports on what it’s like in this age of still-existent COVID restrictions.
I’m certainly not racing out to do it.
And yet, for a short time right before COVID I was thinking of trying it. One of the attractions, for me, would be not having to keep packing and unpacking and instead staying in one room while moving from destination to destination. Another attraction would be the food, which would also be the drawback.
The basic idea would be to have a more relaxing vacation and yet see some sights and not just sit on a beach. But another drawback is that I prefer to wander around my travel destinations at leisure and be able to change plans if I’d like to stay in a certain place longer. In cruising, that’s not possible.
My parents used to love to cruise. But they usually went with four to eight other couples who were good friends. Cruising wasn’t their only mode of travel, but the reason they chose it was clear to me: they usually went in late February right before what was known in our house as tax season. My father was a lawyer and CPA, and March and April were his grinding months. Every evening after work he would come home, have dinner, and then get out his papers and work and work till bedtime. We weren’t supposed to disturb him, and we didn’t. The cruise was a way to relax and and store up energy for the coming push.
That was a long long time ago, in the days when many cruise ships left from piers on the west side of New York and there was no need to fly somewhere to begin the journey. It was also in the days when every night out of port people dressed up formally, in tuxedos and evening gowns. I’ve got the photos to prove it.
I’ve never been on a cruise but actually was planning on going on one that was cancelled due to Covid. I have much the same feelings about cruises as you Neo and I’ve always thought they would be too restrictive. But as I get older there is some appeal to not having to worry about making all the plans along the way.
I was thinking particularly about taking a cruise to visit Finland the Baltic states and perhaps St. Petersburg. I guess I’ll have to wait and see before I make plans.
I’ve been on a couple but his story would put me off forever. One was the NRO cruise after the 2008 election. Most of the people I met there (Except Mark Steyn) turned into NeverTrumpers. The cruise was fine. The other cruise was in the Mediterranean with a medical history group. I got to sit at Florence Nightingale’s desk in Istanbul.
My husband and I went on a delightful cruise in January. It had been put off once last year already. It was to celebrate my retirement and 65th birthday.
We did the tests, etc., which wasn’t fun, but passed all, flew from Washington state to Florida and went on the cruise to the eastern Caribbean. I was not pleased that we had to wear masks indoors, but you know what? I decided I wasn’t going to let that bother me and it didn’t. My mask was the thinnest cloth I could find and I cut out all the extra layers so it was relatively okay.
The cruise was a bit less than 60% full. We had an upgraded suite with its own hot tub so it was quite nice (I got a pretty decent retirement bonus!). All of the water fountains were functional. The food was served buffet style and it was all quite normal (I’d been in 4 previous cruises).
Besides having to wear masks indoors (except when eating or drinking, which was usually…seriously, we carried a glass in our hand virtually the entire time), there were no other Covid indications or restrictions.
We had a blast. It was a Carnival cruise.
After a number of cruises in the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera, I would love a cruise which just steamed around in a circle and never hit any ports. My all-time favorite cruise was on the Danube, hitting Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg (by bus from Linz), and Prague (by bus from Regensburg).
Cruises are awesome. Not having to pack and repack- no rushing to catch a train. Sea days where you get caught up on your reading or get a good work out at the gym. Although no deep dives into an area, you sure get a lot of variety. I’ve done about a half dozen in the last decade and hope to again this summer. We used to enjoy setting our own unique itineraries, but the older we get the more we appreciate cruises or small tours. Few hassles-someone else takes care of the logistics. But after seeing the footage of the Diamond Princess back in March 2020, no way would I go a cheaper route and get only a window. Only balcony’s going forward.
My wife and I have been on two cruises, both in the Caribbean. The first, 38 years ago when she was pregnant with our daughter, we had won in a fundraising raffle. The second was a few years ago as a gift. We enjoyed both.
My wife has always wanted to go on an Alaska cruise, so last year we booked one for this summer. We ended up canceling due to stops in Canada, since we didn’t want to deal with all of their crazy COVID restrictions. Now we’re thinking about a British Isles cruise for next year (her idea) or a Panama Canal cruise (my idea).
My Wife and I have been on numerous cruises. We started as a lot of people do with the Caribbean. We have done several in the Med. with Cunard Lines (the ships and food were way better than my first Med Cruise on a US Navy Carrier!). Yes you dressed up, but if you didn’t really want too you could eat at the upstairs buffets. Then we did a number of River Cruises in France. Great fun and slow. One in Holland and Belgium and one down the Danube from Prague to Romania. Did NZ to Aust, and South Pacific islands to Peru. Singapore to HK. Across the Atlantic in Hurricane season, great fun and an interesting ride. Around South America from Argentina to Chile. Come this Sept we have two Barge tours on French rivers booked. Very slow, Ride a bike along side if you want. One we stop at a new French Restaurant every night. Ah, the food, the food.
There is the tom cruise, it’s short.
om, G R O A N . . . [ s m i l e ]
Ed Driscoll, as much of a rock fan as myself, naturally called out Frankie Ford’s wonderful, corny “Sea Cruise” song:
–Frankie Ford, “Sea Cruise” (1959)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5tIHtbctFQ
Ooo-eee, baby!
gwynmir,
Happy Retirement and Belated Birthday!
I would very much like to cross the Atlantic by ship, either to or from Europe. The folks who I am descended from all got here by ship at one time or another, and, for that reason, I’d like to experience what sailing the expanse of the Atlantic is like.
My wife’s grandfather circumnavigated the globe on a sailing ship three times with the German navy. Would have been around 1910 – 1920(?). I can’t imagine what that must have been like. The world was much less disconnected then.
I find this 6 minute video of a tanker crossing the Pacific from Canada to Korea captivating: https://youtu.be/MJMoRd8QzFs
om, groan, indeed. And, of course, there is no need for life vests on the Penelope Cruz.
I’d like a Danube cruise, but was not fond of the Caribbean cruise I took in 2005.
I have some good memories of it, but too rushed and made some poor choices.
tcrosse: “I would love a cruise which just steamed around in a circle and never hit any ports.”
Apparently cruise ship companies move their boats from the Caribbean to Europe for the summer season. A friend got a ticket to ride on one of those. Great food, great ocean views and fresh air. No stops. Happy crew, no stress. Cheap(er) and not crowded. He and his wife loved it.
This was 10 years ago and things may have changed but …
There is also the AO Cruz, a bimboat?
Om. Lol
My wife and I began our travels in 1993 after I retired. We would go to Europe, buy a Eurailpass and just kind of bum around Europe fora month at a time. We spent a lot of time in the Alps and the Dolomites because I’m a mountain lover and climber. But we also did Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Two weeks on a tour of Kenya and Tanzania – a peak experience. We also spent a month every year on Kauai, where we attempted to swim and snorkel every beach on the island. Missed a couple, but it was an adventure.
In 2006, it was our 50th anniversary and I asked Mrs. JJ where she wanted to go. She said she wanted to try a cruise. I was not enthusiastic, but it was her anniversary gift. So, we decided to take a cruise that went from England to Port Kiel in Germany, Tallinn in Estonia, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and back to England. We saw and did many fabulous things on shore tours, enjoyed the food, and only had to pack once. Also, Mrs. JJ likes to dress up. After 13 years of living out of a knapsack and roughing it when traveling, she was ready for the change. Since then, we have done many cruises and will undoubtedly cruise again, if we stay healthy enough.
We like Holland America. Their ships are smaller, and the passengers are mostly adults. The tours and on-board activities are mostly aimed at educational and cultural experiences rather than catering to younger, more vigorous and partying activities. Norwegian has some small ships, and they have freestyle dining – several different restaurants with special cuisines. I was first introduced to Oso Buco in their Italian restaurant. Whenever it’s available on the menu now that is what I order. Oso Buco is one of Italy’s great gifts to civilization. 🙂
We had dinner mates on the Cape Horn cruise from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso who were from Slovakia. Both had worked for the USSR diplomatic service in Argentina during the days of the USSR. We called them Boris and Natasha. 🙂 Both spook good English and told us some interesting stories about the “bad old days.” We are still in touch with some people we’ve met on cruises.
If you want to try cruising, try a short cruise on a small ship (700 – 1100 pax) with an interesting itinerary. It might not be your cuppa, but you will have given it a try. And you might like it.
“There is also the AO Cruz, a bimboat?”
Based on observations of relevant phenotype and having absolutely no relation to perusals of any Bush Family snaps, you’ll be dealing with a bum boat by the time she makes Speaker.
tcrosse: “I would love a cruise which just steamed around in a circle and never hit any ports.”
If I recall correctly, that’s the Flying Dutchman cruise.
JimNorCal, tcrosse
“I would love a cruise which just steamed around in a circle and never hit any ports.”
‘Round these parts, they’re called ‘repositioning cruises’. Fewer ports, many more sea days. There’s usually a lecture series, lotsa movies to catch up on, and best of all, your phone won’t work. We’ve cruised with people who won’t do anything else.