Would like to go on a cruise?

Haven't been on a cruise lately and likely won't for one reason or another.
However comma the only (civilian commercial) cruise I've ever been on was in 1980 and it was perhaps a life changer.
Returning from the cruise, it took me literally several weeks to return to my normal routine without daydreams of foreign vacation ports.

Growing up, I subscribed to National Geographic and became aware of a big wide beautiful world awaiting. Watching shows on TV featuring anything outside my hometown caused a yearning to travel and go see.

In the mid 70's and working at a foundry as a draftsman, I found it near impossible to sit in an office each day under artificial lighting drawing and trying to maintain my "sanity". Had to get out of there. Then employed as a machine programmer/operator I was very successful and in 1980 was a salaried supervisor in the machine shop. But being inside a factory all day every day was not conducive to my "spirit". While I could freely move about the factory ... it was always every day, all day, all under one big roof.

THEN ... a cruise to the Caribbean. Returning home I realized I had to get out of the factory workday environment. But exactly how could I travel and see the world? How could I afford it?

Finally at the age of 33 in 1986 I made a decision to join the U.S. Navy. Best decision of my life. I went on cruises for next 20yrs serving aboard four different ships. Of those 20yrs, eleven of them were spent at sea and visiting many parts of the world. While I kissed the ground of America each and every time I returned to the states, blessed and fortunate to be an American, my soul was fulfilled by working in my skill rating with freedom of movement about the ship inside and outside and seeing many different ports of call and foreign cultures ... and living and working in different cities over those 20yrs. And they paid me to do it. Bonus.

Now in retirement, I'm happy and satisfied. I've seen the world and just enjoy cruising around my small retired world unfettered.

OH and yes, sometimes people on the ships got sick. I picked up a terrible case of "Montezuma's Revenge" once during port calls to various South American countries.
 
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Wow, I guess i am the only one who would LOVE to go on a cruise ! Not a really long one, but one of those 3-4 day cruises to the Bahamas.
I would love to be out on the cruise ship, swimming in the pool, getting a suntan, and just watching the ocean and the shoreline, and sightseeing when we stopped at ports.

I am a born traveler, and have really missed being able to do that anymore. My daughter, who is my travel companion, has been working overseas, and barely gets back home once or twice a year now, and has no time for traveling, even the short trips we used to take out to Washington state to visit relatives out there.
 
If we set aside the hazards of diseases in packed close quarters, food contamination, etc...

As a single person even though I don't abhor people I don't think it would be for me. It feels like the experience would be very different as part of a couple, two couples, or a group of close friends.
 
dilettante said:
If we set aside the hazards of diseases in packed close quarters, food contamination, etc...

As a single person even though I don't abhor people I don't think it would be for me. It feels like the experience would be very different as part of a couple, two couples, or a group of close friends.
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I agree that it would be much more fun going with someone than just going alone. Robin (my daughter) loves traveling as much as i do, and she and I used to travel together when we could; but usually it was just a day trip somewhere, or a short visit out to Washington to visit family out there.
When I went on the train from Idaho to see Robin in Virginia, I was by myself, and I actually was fine traveling that way. There were other people on the train if I wanted to visit, and mostly, I just enjoyed watching the scenery as I traveled across the country.

I think that I would be fine that way on a cruise also; but having someone else with me would be even better.
I am still hoping to be able to travel to the Netherlands this spring and spend some time visiting with Robin over there. We have talked about it for a couple of years, but it just hasnā€™t come together right for me to go as of yet.
 
I get Viking mailings on a regular basis, mostly for their river cruises and recently Great Lakes cruises. Living here though the latter would be a little silly.
 
Not any more. I have been on 47 cruises from an 8 passenger canal cruise to regular cruise ships. Our last 2 cruises were round trip to Alaska and Hawaii-NO airports.
We would NEVER go on one of those short "booze cruises".
 

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