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Old 03-17-2021, 06:35 AM
 
Location: NJ
1,860 posts, read 1,227,504 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fishbrains View Post
...

Port calls are typically limited in time, and time is spent getting on and off the ship. You imply that the ship only moves from 10pm-8am (or whatever), but in reality more time is spent on the ship than that.

The area that you can explore on port calls is also pretty limited. You are mostly limited to walking/taxi in the very local area, or prebooked excursions. I find that rather limiting.

I was in Spain and Morocco in January 2020. I visited 3 cities in Spain, and one in Morrocco. Setting aside my trans Atlantic flights, I spent very little time in transit. I took high speed rail from Seville to Cordoba, then to Malaga. There was no waiting at the train station, the train rides were very pleasant and I got to see the countryside, and it was fairly brief as well.

A quick flight to Marrakesh, and several more days exploring. A fund train ride to Casablanca, and a flight home.

Overall, not much more transit than you had, and way more time on shore.

I have also done trips in Italy, Turkey and other places. The occasional train ride, or short airline hop, doesn't take too much time, and you get to spend up to a week in a city to poke around. ..
This is definitely true. I think for die-hard cruisers that limited port time is enough. The around the world cruise in the other thread has a few places where they spend an extra day but personally I think that kind of experience would be more so I could compile a list of places to re visit rather than a way to feel like I had really experienced the place.

After reading about the Around the world cruises I actually looked up some around the world trips, flying, and did some math and determined I could experience long trips to 47 countries on all 7 continents in 150 days for about 150k for a couple. Which, while more than the cruise, it did include a lot of food, all the flights and accomodations and long stays in various regions. Like 2 weeks in the "Northern Capitals" visiting countries like Denmark, Sweden, norway, Finland, Russia .
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Old 03-17-2021, 07:48 AM
 
Location: Canada
11,756 posts, read 11,959,768 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LO28SWM View Post
This is definitely true. I think for die-hard cruisers that limited port time is enough. The around the world cruise in the other thread has a few places where they spend an extra day but personally I think that kind of experience would be more so I could compile a list of places to re visit rather than a way to feel like I had really experienced the place.
We’ve only cruise three times but that’s how I feel about it as well, to give you a taste of a location and if it’s a place you’d like to return and spend more time.

On our last cruise, we spent 3 days at two different ports in Iceland. It was a great experience and I know there is so much more to see, but if we never return, I’m okay with that. A day in Barcelona barely scratched the surface so a trip back is on our list.
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Old 03-17-2021, 10:00 AM
 
724 posts, read 398,640 times
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I think a cruise adds a little more structure to a trip and allows you to see a little more. I think it probably somewhat depends on personality too. There are some people who like to be alone, explore things on their own, and like their own downtime. For that type of personality, a cruise may not be that appealing.

For people that like to expand the places they see, have options for staying busy/entertainment, and like meeting new people, a cruise would provide a lot of that.

I wonder if the OP is single. I could see from the lens of a single person how a cruise or the idea of a cruise could be lonely, and they may not be comfortable or may be embarrassed being single and surrounded by couples/families.
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Old 03-17-2021, 12:20 PM
 
4,717 posts, read 3,240,987 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 80sportsfan View Post
I wonder if the OP is single. I could see from the lens of a single person how a cruise or the idea of a cruise could be lonely, and they may not be comfortable or may be embarrassed being single and surrounded by couples/families.
I wondered about that after DH died but have found that the small cruises and tour groups tend to attract an older, more established group and fewer young couples and families just because of the cost. These couples are less likely to be together 24/7- one might get up for the 7 AM yoga class, the other sleep in or go to the early breakfast, one might do a "boulder-bash" hike while the other chooses a less-strenuous tidal pool walk, etc. They weren't always paired off so I felt like less of a third wheel. Since DH died in 2016 I've taken cruises off of Central America, the Sea of Cortes and Hawaii. I have Belize and Guatemala booked for October!

The single supplement is a pain but it's a price I'll pay for independence. I don't know anyone who shares my lavish travel budget who's also someone I'd want to share a cabin with.
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Old 03-19-2021, 06:36 PM
 
Location: Wild Wild West
482 posts, read 896,725 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lillie767 View Post
I sit in my lounge chair, reading and looking at the sea. I look up, and the waiter has my glass of champagne waiting. Ah!

We tell the maître d' that we would like a mushroom risotto for dinner. At 7pm we proceed to the club for cocktails, music and dancing. At 8 pm we enter the beautifully decorated dining room and the risotto is served. After dinner, we attend a wonderful concert performed by a magnificent pianist.

In the morning, the fresh coffee and croissants are delivered to our stateroom. We enjoy both whilst watching the sea from our balcony.

We disembark at the port of Palermo and have a car take us to Monreale. After our guide describes the cathedral and the surrounding area, we return to the ship for a light lunch eaten outdoors..
Sounds absolutely heavenly! Where do I go to sign up?
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Old 03-19-2021, 09:29 PM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,612 posts, read 57,608,601 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LO28SWM View Post
This is definitely true. I think for die-hard cruisers that limited port time is enough. The around the world cruise in the other thread has a few places where they spend an extra day but personally I think that kind of experience would be more so I could compile a list of places to re visit rather than a way to feel like I had really experienced the place.

After reading about the Around the world cruises I actually looked up some around the world trips, flying, and did some math and determined I could experience long trips to 47 countries on all 7 continents in 150 days for about 150k for a couple. Which, while more than the cruise, it did include a lot of food, all the flights and accommodations and long stays in various regions. Like 2 weeks in the "Northern Capitals" visiting countries like Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia .
We did a RTW for a yr and spent less than $40k for a couple (and had a great time). Campervan / rental cars were spendy items. Next time we will buy a campervan and resell to another traveler.

(relocation) Cruise leg was VERY cheap transportation from Dubai to Venice and took us to places we would unlikely ever be (Suez Canal, Persian Gulf...) 18 days 7 ports for under $80 / day, "frequent cruisers" got it for $500 total!

Cruising is not a favorite mode, but it can be interesting / change of pace, and I will be taking more long distance relocations cruises as available. Especially when I get too old to tolerate the 18 hr flights and rushing to meet connections. Cruise benefit is not having to book lodging and transportation EVERY DAY!!! That gets old fast, especially with the first unexpected flight cancellation, or flooding / snowstorm / national transportation strike (very frequent in France and Spain) / terrorist event (Brussels airport bombing for us)

Regional flights were dirt cheap (Europe, Asia) so we just booked a one-way to Australia and 'winged-it' from there (following the long days and blooms of late spring). Next time will plan to rent a flat near a transit hub in regions for a month or 2 each. Come home? whenever...(or not)
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Old 03-20-2021, 06:24 AM
 
Location: Bel Air, California
23,769 posts, read 28,891,452 times
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Carnival stock has gone from a little under $8 to almost $30 in the past 12 months...
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Old 03-20-2021, 12:03 PM
 
3,287 posts, read 2,000,963 times
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Over the years, we (and in my pre-wife, pre-kids life) always liked to fly or drive to our vacation locations and really sink in to the locality(ies) we chose. ALways did a fair amount of research and really enjoyed the exploring aspects of a vacation. Early morning walks, and nightlife were big parts of it.

In general, we never ever considered a cruise as they held zero appeal.

A few years ago we had the ability to take a nice vacation but at the time we were so swamped with various things we had no time to really think about where to go so we did something else we thought we'd never do: an all-inclusive through Costco Travel. It took no thinking, no heavy lifting, and though it was not the most memorable vacation we've ever taken we did have fun and there was certainly a tangible value to not having to plan *everything*.

SO that's when we started thinking about cruising one time. In some ways, a cruise to nowhere was the most appealing option. Maybe I'd be proven wrong, but days at sea seemed the most appealing because of the lack of schedule. No long disembarking and re-embarking procedures etc. Being unplugged in a luxury environment sounded pretty appealing.

And then COVID.
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Old 03-20-2021, 03:34 PM
 
Location: Northern CA
386 posts, read 266,685 times
Reputation: 1011
Quote:
Originally Posted by KemBro71 View Post
SO that's when we started thinking about cruising one time. In some ways, a cruise to nowhere was the most appealing option. Maybe I'd be proven wrong, but days at sea seemed the most appealing because of the lack of schedule. No long disembarking and re-embarking procedures etc. Being unplugged in a luxury environment sounded pretty appealing.
We met people on a Caribbean cruise who never got off the ship while it was in port. Apparently they'd already seen everything on previous cruises, and just enjoyed the warm weather and the amenities of the ship.
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Old 03-23-2021, 02:39 PM
 
Location: State of Denial
2,480 posts, read 1,850,461 times
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I can drive to the port in less than an hour; no hassles with flights.


I get waited on hand and foot.


Somebody straightens up my cabin every day and brings fresh towels.


Somebody shops for, prepares, serves my meals and cleans up afterwards. Win-win.


Entertainment.....on the stage and just people watching.


Sitting in a deck chair somewhere quiet and watching the sea....sublime.


Unpack once, repack once.


Meeting interesting people from all over the world.


Literally having no decisions to make except for "well, what am I going to eat next and am I going to the 7 p.m. show or the 9 p.m. show?"


Much, much cheaper per day than almost any other vacation when you figure in travel expenses, meals, entertainment, etc.


Friendly, helpful ship personnel.


Be as casual or as fancy as you want to be.


I like all kinds of travel, especially cruising.
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