carol - Trips & Travels of Grandma

Take the adventure of a lifetime with a cruise vacation! Enjoy luxury, relaxation, entertainment, and mouthwatering cuisine, & visit the places of your dreams. Exotic, glamorous, and unusual destinations Feels like a luxurious hotel, not a boat Abundant entertainment and activities No organizing for you other than booking A real-life experience is the best way to understand how marvelous a cruise vacation can be. Firstly we need to entice you to go on one. Each day is a new adventure! Read my article on Adventure Travel for 50 Years and Over. Step into a world of luxury, entertainment, relaxation, cuisine, friendship, and being spoiled. Visit places that you only dreamt of journeying to. The secret about touring on a cruise liner is not to focus on the arrival destination, but to relish the journey. Allow yourself to explore, encounter, savor, and enjoy whatever the cruise can offer. Treasure the places you visit and take numerous photos. Don’t concern yourself about your weight, so enjoy the mouthwatering cuisine. Content What are the Advantages of Cruising as a SeniorWill you get Seasick?What is a cruise ship and what does it have onboardHow many days should you cruise forHow do you book a cruise ship vacation? What are the Advantages of Cruising as a Senior Everything you pay upfront is included in your fee. Accommodation, food, and entertainment visiting the different countries. Casinos are for your expense and so are alcoholic beverages. When you go on land for the day, those expenses are in your pocket. To plan a solo trip venturing into different countries, deciding on only one country to visit, and making all the arrangements yourself, can be rather frightening. Especially if you have not been an avid traveler previously. Cruising is an easy relaxing way to travel. On a cruise vacation, organize some friends to go with you. You can go by yourself, but it is far more thrilling if you have a companion. My perspective is that I want to see the world, and I also want to do it with as little stress as possible. Take time out to relax, yet revel in some entertainment. As one matures in wisdom, I believe we need to be wise, consider our age and why we want to go on holiday. I do love meeting people from all over the world. I want my journal to be filled with noted characters and wonders, not too filled with planning. Time to spoil yourself! "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes". Marcel Proust Will you get Seasick? These ships are so huge that not often do passengers get motion sickness. If you are inclined to get seasick, take some precautions and medication with you just in case. The motion sickness wristband. If you are prone to motion sickness, there are cruise liners that predominantly go on calmer waters. I recommend Caribbean or Mediterranean cruises. Also while on board, drink lots of water, get a cabin higher up from the base of the ship, and don’t look through binoculars. “Seasickness (also called mal de mer) is the reaction of your body's inner ear balance system to the unfamiliar motion of the ship. The movement of the ship causes stress on the balancing portion of the brain. Your brain sees things on the ship such as walls and furniture and instinctively knows from past experience that they are supposed to be still. However, since these items are actually moving with the sea and the ship, the inner ear gets stressed and confused, and nausea sets in.” - trip savvy What is a cruise ship and what does it have onboard You need to do a bit of research. Cruise ships are primarily for vacationing. Cruise liners are for transporting many other items, not only passengers going on holiday. In March 2020 there were 61 passenger ships with over 120,000 GT in service. The GT stands for Gross Tonnage. So you can see there is a huge selection to choose from. Cabins This is essential to your whole cruise experience, therefore I have listed it first. There are suites, balcony cabins, inside cabins, and outside cabins. Four different types. You need to know your budget but I do suggest you get the best one you can afford. Suites are the most luxurious of all four. They present you with a living area and bedroom suite, often with further privileges. This is rather like flying first class in comparison to the economy. Balcony Cabins come highly recommended. Your room opens up to a quaint balcony, which allows you to grasp some fresh air and view the ocean in its true glory. Also magnificent when approaching new lands. They are also positioned conveniently so you can get to the deck more easily. These are the best, especially for seniors. We appreciate our own time and perhaps an afternoon rest. Outside Cabins have a porthole for you to look out. If you are going to spend a great deal of time on deck participating in the entertainment these are perfect for you. Inside Cabins are the most economical. The youth or late bookers often take these as they want to spend most of their time on deck. The position of your cabin is also important. As I appreciate quietness at my age, I do not want to have a cabin beneath an entertainment area or where most of the festivities occur. Nor do I want it to be in the bow of the ship. Motion here is stronger. Have a look at the cabin plan with your Travel Agent and make this a priority to discuss with them. Dining Rooms or Restaurants Very crucial fact! Do not be on a diet while on a cruise vacation. They do however offer healthy options for your cuisine. There are numerous dining halls. Often they are referred to as restaurants. Some cruises have set-time dining, whereas others offer open-time dining. Open time is when you can eat when you want. You let the cruise know what size table you would like to sit at. 2 - 4 people or 6 - 8 people or even larger tables with 8 - 10 guests. This is your choice. Dinner can be a formal affair where you dress up for the occasion, but you do not need to eat at that restaurant if you would rather dress more casually. In the evening entertainment is provided in the restaurants or bars. Entertainment and activities Where do you start? Musicals, theatre, swimming pools (some cruises have incredible water slides), pool decks, different classes for your interests, karaoke, art auctions, casino, gift shop, dancing evenings, music evenings, spa, some have archery and fencing, card rooms, games room and of course a great deal more for teenagers and kids, but at our age, we do not concern ourselves with those. How many days should you cruise for There is no correct answer here. Some are 2 - 6 days or 6 - 9 days. Personally, I recommend a 10 + day cruise as you can never tire from so many experiences and fun to be had. Voluminous countries to visit! How do you book a cruise ship vacation? There is always a debate on when to book your ticket for a cruise ship. The theory goes that if you book late, the prices rocket down just before the departure. This is true, but do you want that pressure of booking at the last minute? Last-minute booking could mean you do not get a great cabin. Plan early! Book through a Travel Agent who specializes in Cruise Travel. Decide if you would like to go on a Cruise Tour, solo or with a companion. Recommendations from people who have traveled on different cruises extensively. They say their best are Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruises (as they felt more relaxed and dressed casually), and Costa Cruises. It always helps when people have experience and can recommend it. The one negative I have heard repeatedly about an enormous cruise ship is that there are so many people on board that when they dock in a port, even though there are a couple of outlet doors, it takes ages to get to land and through customs. Take note of this when booking on a very large cruise ship. Inspired? Research the different destinations cruise ships go to How many days do you want to cruise for Does the cabin preference fit your budget Which countries do you want to see Best time of the year for that cruise, weather considered "I wanted freedom, open air and adventure. I found it on the sea." Alaine Gerbault, Sailor A wonderful YouTube channel to watch on so many different cruise ships is Paul's Ports. Subscribe, and LIKE. Here is an intro. https://videopress.com/v/j9X55CpG?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Introduction to Paul's Ports Have you been on a cruise vacation? Was it amazing? If you enjoyed the encounter, share it with us in the comments below and let us know which cruise liner you went on and why?