Posted: 07/16/2012 | July 16th, 2012
So what does this nomadic backpacker think of the cruise he went on? DET VAR FANTASTISK. It was so satisfying that when it came time to head home, I didn’t want to leave. Jeg gikk glipp av 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?
Tydeligvis ikke.
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? Lykkelig.
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. På et øyeblikk. before I went, I wondered if I would I hate my cruise. would I be able to cope wmed et slikt desinfisert reisemiljø? Ville jeg være i stand til å forholde meg til mennesker hvis ide om “reise” er en tur til Señor Frogs?
Det gjorde jeg – og jeg gledet meg selv. Selv om det ikke var best (ingenting noensinne er), var cruise ikke den forferdelige opplevelsen jeg trodde det hadde sjansen til å være. Jeg er en cruisekonvertering nå og vil snart gå på en igjen.
For ofte er det bra å trekke deg fra din normale rutine. Ofte vil du bare sitte rundt med en frossen drink i hånden og få en brunfarge.
Og det viser seg at et cruise er det beste stedet for det.
Merk: Royal Caribbean dekket kostnadene for cruise.
Hvordan reise verden rundt på $ 50 om dagen
My New York Times bestselgende pocketbok guide til verdensreiser vil vise deg hvordan du kan mestre kunsten å reise slik at du kommer fra allfarvei, sparer penger og har en dypere reiseopplevelse. Det er din A til Z -planleggingsguide at BBC kalte “Bibelen for budsjettreisende.”
Klikk her for å lære mye mer og begynn å lese den i dag!
Bestill turen: Logistiske ideer og triks
Bestill flyet ditt
Finn en billig flytur ved å bruke Skyscanner. Det er min favoritt søkemotor fordi den søker på nettsteder og flyselskaper over hele kloden, slik at du alltid vet at ingen stein er igjen.
Bestill innkvarteringen din
Du kan bestille vandrerhjemmet ditt med Hostelworld. Hvis du vil bo et annet sted enn et herberge, kan du bruke booking.com, da de konsekvent returnerer de billigste prisene for gjestehus og hotell.
Ikke glem reiseforsikring
Reiseforsikring vil sikre deg mot sykdom, skade, tyveri og kanselleringer. Det er detaljert beskyttelse i tilfelle noe går galt. Jeg drar aldri på tur uten det, da jeg har måttet bruke det mange ganger i det siste. Mine favorittbedrifter som tilbyr den beste servicen og verdien er:
Safetywing (best for alle)
Forsikre turen min (for de over 70)
MedJet (for ytterligere evakueringsdekning)
Klar til å bestille turen?
Sjekk ut ressurssiden min for de beste selskapene å bruke når du reiser. Jeg lister opp alle de jeg bruker når jeg reiser. De er de beste i klassen, og du kan ikke gå galt ved å bruke dem på turen.
