Sunrise on the Carnival Sensation. This WAS the best part of the cruise! Notice the absence of people…
I am not a big fan of vacations. I love what I do and since I travel so much, my idea of a great vacation is one spent at home.
Last week, my wife and teen daughter and I went on a Carnival Cruise on the Sensation from Miami and back via Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Grand Cayman. Now that it’s over, I need a vacation.
Cruises are a PERFECT vacation for you if you:
- Love to eat
- Love to lay in the sun
- Love being around people
- Love doing touristy things
- Care little about how much weight you carry or gain.
Cruises are a TERRIBLE vacation if you:
- Love to eat QUALITY food
- Get sunburned easily
- Get annoyed having to stand in lines
- Don’t care to be jammed into a closed environment with 3,000 other humans.
- Like your alcohol with actual alcohol in it.
I did enjoy spending time with my family but we were in a closed cabin that was about the size of our master bathroom at home. So there’s me having to get out of the room when my wife and daughter were having to get ready each morning and evening.
Since I travel, the things I want to avoid when I’m not traveling are crowds, flights, airports, lines, and eating out. A cruise brings all of that and more.
I did enjoy getting up early and filling my Yeti® cup with coffee and watching the sun rise. That was beautiful and quiet…until the families started arriving en mass disrupting my moment.
I was impressed that Internet access was very reasonable. $40.00 for the week with unlimited access. That was nice.
So here’s my advice if you want to cruise:
- Spend some money and get a larger cabin with a balcony. Also, choose a line without a reputation as a party ship if you want peace and quiet. I won’t sail Carnival again.
- Eat in the formal dining area. You’ll be less tempted to overeat since you get served. The food in the general area was about the same quality and quantity as what you’d find at Ryans or Golden Corral.
- Don’t attempt to eat or drink your money’s worth. It’s not possible to do either and if you try, you might actually hurt yourself. I met a woman who told me her and her husband bought the $54.00 per day drink package since their bar bill on a previous cruise was over $1,000.00. He husband said he wanted to get his money’s worth. That meant 15 drinks before noon…
- Spend a little extra and buy the equivalent of “Faster to the Fun.” This allowed us early boarding, early access to the transfer boats at Grand Cayman, and most importantly, early access off the ship. Arriving at port brings about the perfect recipe for disaster: Grumpy passengers who have JUST received their bar bill (always bigger than you thought it would be) and who are 10 lbs heavier, and who now just want to get off the crowded ship. We were off the ship in 20 minutes, safely on the bus to the airport.
- Book your excursions ahead of time and be sure to read the reviews. The review for Dunns River Falls in Ocho Rios and also the Reggae Hill experience after had great reviews, and both were great experiences. On the other hand, the All-Inclusive day on 7-Mile Beach had mixed reviews. I should have paid attention. Crowded beaches, chickens, roosters, and iguanas all over the place, and did I mention CROWDED BEACHES? Plus long lines to get on and off the bus.
Finally, if you have a preference for Introversion like I do, cruises are exhausting. I suggest something other. When I figure it out, I’ll write about it.