MB Meets World

My daughter and I wanted to do a short cruise in February to escape the cold, grey Ithaca weather and to celebrate some of her accomplishments during her masters program at Cornell. And, ya know, mother-daughter bonding time.

I didn’t know how to decide among all the cruise lines or the destination, so I started researching. I quickly learned that any Mediterranean tours were not running yet. Additionally, not having a long break, I thought traveling out of our time zone or a long distance would be challenging. So, I focused on the Caribbean. Simultaneously, I started asking friends and relatives for recommendations about which cruise line was best. Two of my most trusted folks recommended the Royal Caribbean as being AWESOME with a good price point.

It worked! I found a 3 day cruise that originated in Miami, stopped one day at “Coco Cay” (an island owned by the cruise line, apparently), and stopped one day at Nassau, Bahamas.

I make the following observations:

1. When budgeting, consider four costs:

– airfare to get to boat;

– boat (er, ship);

– excursions; and

– how much alcohol you want to consume.

I made the mistake of calculating only plane and boat, but the excursions were very expensive. We did a water park on Coco Cay, which I loved, but it was in the neighborhood of $150 each. The morning was rainy that day, so we only had maybe 2 hours. I love water parks, so it was worth it to me, but I would have budgeted differently.

With respect to booze, it was not included in cost of ship (food and entertainment on board were included). My daughter and I decided to get a pass to allow us to drink as much as we wanted, and that was more expensive than the ads led me to believe. It was all top shelf and not watered down (in Mexico last year the drinks were watered down, but included in the resort cost). In retrospect, I would not have gotten the all-you-care-to-drink option. I didn’t get my money’s worth, nor would I have wanted to drink more than I did, though I did enjoy the drinks I had!! Hiccup!

2. Considering what type of room (“state room” is the lingo) to choose is a big deal. I was fine not having a window in our state room (which was cheaper). It was a small room, but we just slept in there. Mirrors made up for windows. I think I would have gotten sea sick if I saw the water. And yet, we did envy the rooms with a balcony. Before I would spend that money, though, I would have to really consider whether I would use it. It is also important to consider where on the ship one wants to be. I opted in the middle because I thought there would be less motion than up front or in the back (aft).

3. The cruising experience felt like two vacations in one: life on the ship and life at the ports. I really liked that but here are some considerations:

– The time on the ports is limited. Consider carefully how early you want to be up and about, which excursions sound fun and are budget-friendly, whether to have excursions every day or just some days, or whether to go ashore at all (a friend told me she skips ports sometimes to get quiet time on the ship). Getting up early can compete with the fun things going on at night.

– The cruise line had lots of excursion opportunities for the port in Nassau, which we opted against in favor of a quiet day on the beach. When we got off the ship, however, it wasn’t obvious where the beach was and whether it was walkable. Understandably, local business folks were anxious to sell us their tours when they saw us looking for information on public maps. I was not comfortable accepting these tours, even though they were cheaper than the cruise excursions, because the US had issued a tourist advisory a few weeks prior to our trip. So, getting more clear information about the route to the beach before we got off the boat would have been prudent. (As it turned out, the walk was an easy 15 minutes; no taxi needed.)

– Unlimited food is enticing, but in the past would have been challenging for me (overeating is just so much fun!). To maintain a healthy weight this vacay, I focused on delight. I never try to “get my money’s worth” at buffets anymore: I used the practice of taking a small amount of what I wanted so I could taste a wide variety of offerings. If it didn’t delight me, I left it on my plate. If it did delight me, I waited to see if I was still hungry before getting more. Dinners weren’t buffet style; three courses. I sometimes got 2 appetizers with no entree or no dessert. I did not always turn away desserts, though, because a few bites delighted me. I didn’t overthink it, but I was sensible, listened to my body and chose to enjoy everything I put in my mouth. Delightful.

– The hot tubs were always crowded on the boat, likely because a February cruise had some slightly chilly nights. Seek out less crowded times or get to know some folks by squeezing in – it is worth the relaxation.

– So many options for night life, from piano sing alongs, to dancing, to shows. I know several folks from Ithaca who performed on cruises when they started their careers. Lots of talent floating on these waters!

– Clothing was generally casual – not like in the 70s where dress clothes were required every night! But I’ve been told most cruises have one “dress up” dinner. We opted to dress up a bit every night and had fun with it!

– Lounging on deck is relaxing! I kept having the urge to do organized activities, but sunbathing by the pool (or in the shade for me…) was so relaxing.

Loved this experience!!!