Going from one cruise to the next (a short post)

 

Somehow, we seem to be going from one cruise to another with only short breaks on land.  Although this is not true, we've compressed a lot of cruising into a short time - 5 cruises in one year.

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As I write this, we will be taking another cruise in a few weeks.  This cruise will be on one of the more boring routes I could think of:

• New York - Start
• Port Canaveral
• Nassau, Bahamas
• Cruise Line's Private Island
• New York - End

All this on a 7-day cruise.  This trip is not one where we plan to do any exploration.  I've been to all 3 destination ports before and found them all boring.  There is "no there there" in Port Canaveral.  The only good reason to stop  here may be to visit the nearby Space Center.  Nassau is a bore.  And that leaves the private island, a place where the cruise line can pick even more money out of one's pocket.

One of the things we like about cruising is that, as RQS says, "All one has to do is show up, and the rest is taken care of for you."  It's a chance to turn off, tune out, and chill.  As long as the cruise isn't one where there are too many kids and not enough sober people, we usually find ways to relax in comfort.  Whether we chill out watching movies in the ship's theater, sipping drinks in a lounge, or grabbing food at the buffet, we relax.  And if one lives in the NYC orbit, one needs to find ways to relax.

A problem we've had with cruising is that there is so much nickel-diming going on with cruising.  Instead of selling "all-inclusive" fares, most lines don't include so-called gratuities in their fares.  This is a deceptive practice that is annoying, as one has to perform an extra calculation in one's head to figure out the true base price for a fare.  I'll buy soda packages, as it's cheaper for me to do so, than to buy each soda individually.  I'll buy fare packages that include dining and adult drinks for the same reasons.  In short, I'll pay a little more for simplicity in pricing, as I always seem to break even on the deals.

As I cruise more, there are fewer places I want to travel to via cruise ship, and more I want to travel to by train.  Soon, I'll be planning another trip that involves riding the rails.  Until then, I'll be on the waters.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 

While we were on the cruise, both RQS and I were noticing the gradual mounting of Christmas decorations around the ship.  First, it was setting up this Christmas tree.  Then, it was the read garlands around the light sconces on the ship.  Gradually, the ship had been transformed for its Christmas season cruising.  If I could afford both the time and money, RQS and I would be taking a Christmas cruise on the Queen Mary 2.  Given what I've seen so far, they how to celebrate the holiday on this ship. 

Several years ago, I took a Christmas Cruise which sailed from New York to Port Canaveral, NCL's private island, and Charleston, SC before returning to Manhattan.  This was one of the first cruises to sail after Covid-19, and it was one of the best cruises I've ever been on.  On Christmas Day, both children and their parents came down to the atrium in their PJs, just to visit with Mr. & Mrs. Santa.  The best gift that we could get that year was the ability to travel again as things were coming back to normalcy.

This year, I have yet to buy RQS a present she doesn't know about.  But I've already given her the gift of a cruise we'll be taking soon.  As much as I'd like to have traveled as Marian for this cruise, I know I'd be pressing my luck with another visit to Florida and its dreaded bathroom laws.

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I still have to give RQS an idea of what I want for Christmas.  I don't need any more dresses in my closet.  And I need to figure out what best fits me from the Marian side of my closets if I want her to give a clothing gift.  Jewelry would be nice, but I'm not sure of what I'd want and it's hard to find things that will fit me and look good on me.

Still, as I write this, it's a couple of weeks before the holiday, and we have time to figure things out. 

 

 

 

 

 

Packing for another cruise - again.

 

Yes, I will soon be on another cruise, and I'll be taking pictures - of the ship.  It's not that I don't want to get off the ship.  Instead, it's because there's nothing new for me to see at the ports when I leave the ship.

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Today, I took care of some business for the co-op, and then attended our monthly business meeting.  Ever since we got our new site representative, things have been running well.  Instead of our meetings running 4-5 hours with the old site manager, they now run 90 minutes or so and are almost a pleasure to attend.  When someone commented about a mistake this new fellow made, I noted that this would be the price we pay to train this person to do the job in the way we want the job done.

Once the co-op board meeting was done, I proceeded to do a couple of loads of laundry before the cruise.  I figure that I'll need clean sheets for when I get back, as well as clean clothes I can take with me on the cruise.  And yet, I still have to pack the fancy dress I want to wear, along with the shoes I'll be wearing with it on gala nights.  It'll be nice to gussy myself up again, as its been a while since I've felt pretty - being stuck in Mario mode for too long can be hard to bear at times.

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Do I think I'll be wearing everything I bring on the cruise?  No.  But I have the room in the suitcase, so why not bring a few things so that I have a few options when I'm on the ship.  While cruising, I hope that the have the "Inch of Gold" chains on sale, as I need to pick up some 24" gold and silver chains to use with some of the pendants I have bought recently.

Even if this cruise is not up to my standards, I think I'll have a good time.  Keep your fingers crossed for me....

In a couple of months, I'll be on a solo cruise.

 

Soon, I'll be taking the above cruise.  It is highly likely that I won't bother to get off the ship at any of these stops, two of them because I am in a gender non-conforming presentation.  Strangely enough, I feel almost as at risk getting off at Port Canaveral as I would getting off in Nassau. This is a time where I wish I lived on the West Coast, as  I'd feel safe disembarking at all US and Canadian ports there.  But this was a cheap cruise booked out of New York.

It's going to be strange traveling without RQS.  But it'll be a good thing I do this.  I need reasons to get up in the morning, and enjoying a cruise will provide a week's worth of reasons.

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The last time time I took a solo cruise similar to this was shortly after the pandemic cruise stop was ended.  On that trip, I got off at Charleston, SC to see Fort Sumter. Before that, it was a cruise with XGFJ, where we got off in both Port Canaveral and in Nassau.  (She decided to go snorkeling at the cruise line's private island and was underwhelmed.)  My impression of all 3 ports was lackluster at best. Port Canaveral is a refueling stop disguised as a place worth visiting.  There is no 'there' there. The only things to do are to visit the nearby Space Center or taking a 90 minute shuttle to the Orlando theme parks for a half day of overpriced rides.  Nassau isn't worth stopping at, as there is little that found worth doing or seeing there.  And that leaves the cruise line's private island.  It's a great way to separate  people from their money, as all the special attractions generate money for the cruise line and not independent vendors (as is the case in Nassau).

So, why am I taking this trip?

Simply, I need to get away.  I want to see whether the cruise line is worth it for future cruises with RQS, especially for last minute getaways.  

Wish me luck.