As usual, I really need a vacation. So why not do it on a cruise? The only real problem is that my daughter’s bachlorette is coming up and my boyfriend isn’t here to spend the night because he’s away. So I’ve been thinking about the cruise I’d like to take, what I’d like to eat and drink on board, and who I would want to spend time with. The ship: it’s a beautiful thing. From an architectural standpoint, the two I’ve done, the Freedom of the Seas and the Costa Luminosa were very different (and I’m not saying that as a dis, either, but rather to illustrate that you can never make a bad choice of ship). All three ships felt large and spacious, with just enough activities and not too much of one or another. On the whole, though, cruises are becoming a bit of a fashion statement. While they started out as the only possible getaway that people over 50 could take with much ease, they’ve now become something for even younger, upwardly mobile people to use to test their social standing. You go into a large social situation, make small talk with people and then go into your little bubble of alone time. And on this ship, I don’t mean that metaphorically – you’re not exactly alone because there’s the ship and there’s the entertainment and you’re constantly being whisked away by your fellow guests to play games and eat in the various venues. On the other hand, all of the activities that you can either participate in or choose to pass on are laid out as either being social or being completely alone, and you usually have to really work for it. I have a friend who has taken a few cruises – she loved her trip on the Silver Shadow (because she had a fun couple with her). She was very happy with the ship itself and with all of the programs, like the “Craft Hour” for example, which is a free class that is actually run by the crew and instructors from the various cruise lines. (More often than not they will give you a free cruise for your efforts, too.) My friend said that the crew made her feel welcome and that she was very happy with the activities and the entertainment available. I’ve always found that I prefer a smaller ship and a “less-is-more” approach, although this is definitely an area in which the cruise lines are trying to be more “everyone,” which does include seniors. For me, one of the big selling points is the culinary. It is all about what you want to eat and, as always, I plan on following in the footsteps of my mother: I am an Italian at heart and love some good cooking! So it’s all about the fine Italian food (like a thin crust pizza that you don’t have to pay $7 for at home) and my favorite part is that the first night they serve dinner at 6:00 and serve breakfast at 11:00. That way you can just stay in bed and read all day. For the people I want to spend time with, one of the things I’ve noticed is that with so many options for people, the older folk (as I see it) end up losing out. When they’re all on their own, they don’t have the energy or time to do what the younger set is doing. People who don’t come to dinner or socialize in the various activities are considered older – at least for the younger people. I’d love to meet some other bloggers – I hear of several online so there must be some out there. I’d love to go with a group of women and spend the whole time blogging (but with a lot less caffeine) about our experiences and how it was! The ship is the Queen Mary 2, and while it has never been a contender for a cruise, the only thing wrong with it is that it doesn’t have enough activities on board for the younger people. (Although it has more activities than I’m used to because I’m a big-ass senior and don’t get out much.) My friend gave me the scoop about how they’re trying to reach out to families with children, but I have to say that that wasn’t really one of the things I wanted to see. They have a kids’ club, where you can spend $8/hour in activities – with that kind of money, I’d rather just be off on my own. I understand the parents who don’t want to take their kids out on the ship and would just be happy to have a drink and dinner at a bar – but we don’t really care to listen to them and we don’t really want to spend our vacation entertaining them – we just want to see the shows. And what I really like to hear from the older guests is the one-of-a-kind perspective they have – the ability to travel and to compare the differences in cultures, people, and all that. I like their “big picture” attitude – they’ve been in the world long enough that they aren’t as focused on what’s new or what’s next, because, in a nutshell, that’s what’s important. They’ve had enough time to get where they want to be and who knows where that is and what they want to get there. I’m going to a “Cruise for a Cure” on the Queen Mary 2, and the first part of the trip is actually to benefit a specific cause. I know that several other people on board are all about that in their day-to-day lives. As I said, I don’t know if that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for, but it’s a way that I can support a good cause (while getting my fix on the cruise). So now that I’ve said it, I’m curious as to what other people do. Do you cruise for cruises or is it just a once-in-a-while vacation? And what would you want to do on the trip? I’m still hoping to find a bunch of folks that would want to meet up on the boat – but so far it doesn’t look that good – and I’m not all that impressed with the idea of going to the Bahamas on a yacht to spend the weekend with the likes of Tiger Woods or a few millionaires. (Not that I wouldn’t take a day or two of that myself.) I’d love to hear from other travelers as well – how did you know you loved it? What was your favorite moment? (Because, remember, you don’t have to say the exact same thing I say to know you love it.) 3 Responses to Do you Cruise for Cruises? Thanks for the great post, Jennifer. One of the most interesting posts I’ve read on “The Passive Voice” so far. And your writing is the type that takes me to all sorts of places, even though I’m not in my mid-50s yet. It’s like you read my mind. My husband is retiring and would love to take a cruise. I can’t figure out why I don’t think he would enjoy that kind of stuff at our age. He is so much more fun than me, it’s funny. I would do the cruise with a group of women if I were you. I would love the opportunity to meet you (if you want), and you would have a chance to get to know other women your age who would probably enjoy cruising. I would probably cruise with two other couples (one couple that already knows me and another that I know from work). Since I’m a traveler, you can guess that I don’t want to be in the same room for more than 3 days in a row. Maybe I’ll think differently after this comment, but at the moment, I think a quick getaway is more for me. I used to think that it was a waste to spend money on a cruise, since most of the people spend the entire time complaining about how terrible the cruise is. But after last year’s cruise on the Oasis of the Seas with you and your friends (and I would NEVER compare anything you do to a “group” of any kind, let alone something like you do), I know that is not the case at all. I’m glad I was wrong. The Royal Caribbean trip on the Majesty of the Seas with my family last year was amazing. I would have done it again for free! The only problem was I couldn’t see the show or the comedy because I was always on the same side of the ship with all the same people. If you do take a cruise, you will be in a whole different world from any trip before. I’m currently planning a trip to Alaska with a group of friends I met through blogging. I hope to see the real America up close and personal instead of just the Alaska I’ve seen as a tourist. We’re going to leave a day early (Sunday night), spend the night in Anchorage, and make our way south. I’m a little nervous about it because I’m not sure if I’ll have time for too many things in that short time frame. That’s one thing about traveling in a group, but one thing I hate about traveling with a group is all the time you lose.