Good review Hampton - I always like reading your posts on CSR...While not nearly as "Sea Ray-experienced" as most others out here, my wife and I have taken close to 30 cruises in our 12 years together. While I understand many of the things that turn people off about cruising, for us its one of the best vacation choices available.
What we love about cruising:
Sea Days (much more than many port days)
Back corner balconies
Watching the connection bars on my Blackberry drop to zero
Great way to see Hawaii / Alaska / Panama Canal
Enjoying assorted whiskeys and cigars on said balcony
Waking up somewhere different
Staying on the ship during popular port days
St. Martin, Curacao and other French beaches
Tuxedos and formel dresses one night, pizza in shorts and flip flops the next
Ability to dive / snorkel 3-4 islands in a week
Comraderie of (most) fellow cruisers
Sitting on the sand and watching the big jets come in at 70 feet (yes 70 feet) over the beach in St. Martin
Royal Caribbean's Diamond Level Concierge Lounge (soon Diamond Plus) and other frequent guest perks
Evening sushi and complimentary cocktails with other frequent cruisers in said Concierge Lounge
Downright inexpensive vacation at around $100 / day +/- per person
What we tolerate about cruising:
Buffett breakfast lines
Long lines to tender boats
People with the "I spent $1500 on this cruise so get out of my way as I damn well am going to eat that much in buffet food
Regimented schedule to some degree
Maniac kids whose parents see cruising as a way to make the kids someone elses' problem, though accidental tripping can become an art form
So sure, its not a quiet, romantic get-away type vacation. We party pretty hard on cruises and while to-each-their-own, we set up a nice stocked bar in our cabin and just chill out, enjoying the sights, sounds, buzz and good company we always find out upon the seas.
While we have cruised with Princess, Celebrity and Carnival, just like with airlines and hotels, to me it makes sense to pick your brand and stick with them. So, we decided on Royal Caribbean and have been very happy with that line. As long as your come into a cruise with realistic expectations, you will rarely be disappointed. You can find better sushi elsewhere, the steaks are not Morton's and you'll get hassled by Jamaican taxi drivers every time. Those things you can bank on. But, I found a good deal on a Breitling in St. Martin, snorkled in Molokini crater, watched Mendenhall glacier calve off huge ice chunks, went under the Golden Gate bridge and past Alcatrez at sunrise, seen lava flow and explode into the Pacific Ocean at midnight, gotten a close up look at Monserrat, seen water spouts while at sea eating a Johnny Rockets cheeseburger, went cave tubing in a jaguar preserve in Belize, sucked down Red Stripes going under the Pan American bridge in the Panama Canal, ah and I almost forgot, got married at Kapalua Beach in Maui and then walked down Front Street in Lahaina drinking champagne from a bottle and finally came back onboard to watch dolphins chasing fish from the balcony.
During the last few years, I have averaged 60 nights a year in hotels with 90-180 flight segments for business trips. While there are many spectacular places in this country and world to visit, what I crave for a vacation is my wife, iPod, some escargot, sand in my docksiders, a good buzz and meeting new friends. The biggest decisions I want to make are things like "Should we get some iced cream or take a nap...Creme brulee or cheesecake...Woodford Reserve or Laphroaig.... ?" We have three more cruises booked in 2010 and while there is no such thing as a perfect, foolproof vacation this is our top choice most of the time. While not ready to quit her day job, this year my wife became a travel agent specializing in cruises. The money is not great, but she gets a kick out of helping others plan their vacations and it keeps her busy when I am travelling.
So, just like I love evey bit of flying and others hate getting onto a plane...Some people just don't dig what cruising is all about. I totally get that. Its easy to be envious seeing people walking along a beach in Lahaina, Hawaii on a beautiful evening when our ship is departing. We're always thrilled to get home from a cruise and out on our Sea Ray running the ICW and rivers of Charleston. But pulling into Hilo, Hawaii after 5 days across the Pacific Ocean or looking at a sunset in Charlotte Amalie.....it sure is hard to beat.
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