Is Cruising Fun?

If you don’t mind spending lots and lots of time inside a ship overdosed with entertainment options then cruising is for you.

Me, I still have mixed feelings. I’m writing this on board the Carnival Vista currently docked in Cozumel, Mexico. We should depart in about an hour.

It has been a calm and relaxing cruise where I often forget I’m on board a floating city. We were scheduled to visit three port cities; Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Like it often happens with cruises, our stop in Grand Cayman was cancelled due to propeller issues or technical issues affecting the acceleration of the ship as we were told. Grand Cayman was the place I was looking forward to visiting. I broke our rule of traveling without expectations and was very disappointed.

We travel often enough to know there are always unexpected events that can ruin a trip. The art of travel means mastering these circumstances to deny them the pleasure of ruining your trip. It is not easy. This trip was no exception. Not only was our visit to Grand Cayman canceled, our tour bus in Montego Bay hit a young girl who ran in front of it!! I almost fainted but thank God, the girl was all right. After that ordeal we went for a swim with dolphins, but as you can imagine, my mind was with the girl who was taken to the hospital. We were later informed she was fine.

Again, I come to terms with the fact that cruises are about the cruise ship. Destinations are sort of an afterthought. They’re the commercial breaks during a show and not the main show which is what keeps me from completely embracing cruise vacations. It really surprises me to see passengers rush to the ship after spending no more than 6 hours on land. They can’t wait to get back on the ship where in today’s case there is no place on board to experience a traditional Mexican meal. Neither did I try Jamaican or Grand Cayman dishes and for me, food is over half of the travel experience.

Going back to the floating city. For the most part, when visiting a big city one has to commute by taxi, Uber, etc to visit sites, enjoy shows or a good meal. Here, everything is within walking distance! And mostly at no extra cost! All one has to do is keep an eye on the activity calendar which is extensive. Cruising is like RVing in that it is easy to make new friends. People come with a friendly disposition.

We have danced to disco and Latin beats, watched two stand up comedy shows, a musical, a 3D documentary in an IMAX theater, played slots at the casino, played Bingo, watched a movie on the upper deck under the stars, watched the eclipse, line danced, did a treadmill hike at the gym, rode a floating bicycle track, and so much more. It’s an overload of entertainment and most of it is included in the price of the cruise. It is certainly a great way to distract us from our ordinary lives and for a few days just laugh to our hearts content. 💕 Well, not everybody comes on board with a willingness to laugh and enjoy it all but that is for another post.

Travel shows you the world out there with both its dark and bright sides. It is up to us to manage how we deal with it all.

So, if you look forward to the many experiences on board a ship then cruising is for you. If you prefer to immerse in a foreign culture and delight on its food, language and traditions then cruising is not for you. I still have mixed feelings. I think there are times when not thinking too much is just what one needs to let go of worries, sadness and frustrations. A time to escape from it all. Cruising will help you do just that!

Happy travels!