Cruise People
Over Thanksgiving, my husband and I took a very anti-Thanksgiving cruise. This isn’t to say we hate the holiday per say, but when your relatives are spread out over two different states in four different cities (none of which you live in) the holidays get a bit complicated. So I said, “Screw it,” and booked us a cruise.
Now I have only been one one cruise when I was thirteen (?) or so. I remember them taking my picture a lot, posing with a tropical bird on my shoulder in Key West and being really surprised by the fact that many people didn’t leave the boat when we went to port. Not knowing how I would react to cruising as an adult and not knowing how my husband would react to cruising at all, I booked us a larger balcony room and tried to prepare him for how cheesy cruises can be. We would be gone for four nights, and would sail from Galveston, Texas to Cozumel, Mexico and back. Sounds delightful!
In many ways, it was delightful. We loved our balcony, and watching the sunset and the waves.
We liked Cozumel a lot, minus a jet ski incident that I will have to go over in another post because I am still living slightly in shame.
We liked spending four days by ourselves with no dogs, no responsibility and no connections to the real world.
We liked the food okay. We liked drinking with no worries about DD’s or missed flights or really anything, because how much trouble can one really get into on a boat? Spoiler alert – we did not super love the drinking bill we got after landing back in Galveston… but hey, vacation!
We even liked our dining table guests. For those who haven’t been, you eat dinner at a set time at a set table every night. Almost always you’re seated with strangers, and though I worried the first night when my vegan husband was sat across from a small town Louisiana man who made deer feed for a living (true story) – the evening was saved when we realized that both LA man and I both adored horses. Hooray! Ponies to save the day! Unfortunately for me, I still had horrible laryngitis from my cold and could literally only croak out things like “I feed electrolytes” which he politely nodded to because no one could understand anything I said. The one time I meet a horse loving stranger, I can’t even talk and end up scaring them off to the point where they never came back to the dining room …. but I digress.
Those were the things we liked.
What we didn’t like, or moreover were terrified of, were cruise people.
Carnival has a reputation for being a “party cruise” and my husband and I aren’t exactly boat party kind of people. All the pools on the ship were surrounded by this strange slur of pop music DJing, Beyonce dance parties, kids running around unsupervised, and so so so so many cheeseburgers (even though the cheeseburgers were delicious).
I saw a grandmother ‘drop it like it’s hot’ on more than one occasion.
There were a lot of people really, really excited about posed studio portraits with Pirates.
If you’re single, it was a meat market. With or without kids – since they were running amock in herds anyway.
There were several Larry the Cable Guy impersonators on the boat… perhaps accidentally.
I have a playlist of party rallying songs burned into my brain now included but not limited to Like a G6, Poker Face, S&M, Contigo, Party Rock Anthem, I’m Sexy and I Know It and so so so many more. Keep in mind, I actually like pop music so when I say I’ve had too much of it that should give you an idea of the total saturation.
I probably sound very snobby, but that’s because I tend to be a snobby person. 😉 Truthfully, I’m glad these people enjoyed their vacation and if they like to “Shake dat ass” in order to do so… fine with me. That’s why we got a balcony room – so we could get some peace and quiet when we needed it… which was often.
Cruises are engineering feats though. They’re cool to look at, and a very easy, carefree vacation. You know… minus the jet ski part.
I mean no harm or insult to any cruise lovers who enjoy all of the planned activities Carnival provides. For us, it was more a game of “where can we find a quiet section on this boat” than “I can’t wait to go to Club Rio tonight.”
It was though, a fun and relaxing vacation. Minus the Beyonce. Have you ever been cruising and/or terrified of cruise people?
37 thoughts on “Cruise People”
The key to cruising is being sure you’re on a bigger boat with an adult-only section. Kids are forbidden and that area doesn’t usually have a DJ, etc.
I’m terrified of cruises in general. Being stuck in a relatively small space with a bunch of people, most of which are weird, is my idea of hell. I did it once and it’d take an awful lot to get me to go again. That said, I’m anti-social to the extreme lol.
Every once in a while, I think it sounds fun, and then I remember hearing about all the things you mentioned. I’m really not in to loud parties and being trapped on a boat.
So I haven’t.
I really don’t think I could handle all those people in a tiny space. My husband ends up taking other family members when he wants to go and I usually do a girls weekend to a horsey event or something then instead 🙂
I’ve never been on a cruise, but Johnny’s grandmother offered to give us one (through some kind of timeshare/rewards points voodoo magic) for our honeymoon. I was kind of excited about it, because I love eating, drinking, and being on a boat, but now I am nervous that it will be dreadful!!
No, it won’t be dreadful! It’s really just the kind of thing that you have to figure out what you like and dislike. We found plenty of quiet spaces to spend time together, and I would advise getting a room with a window or balcony. Worth the extra money in my opinion!
I mean, seeing a grandma drop it like it’s hot DOES sound pretty entertaining…
After reading that, I will never, ever go on a cruise. That sounds like my personal hell. hah! But glad you and the hubby enjoyed getting away for a few days!
Two things I don’t do are cruises and camping. Although I think I would rather cruise than go to my mother in law’s again 😉
I’ve always been curious about cruises and would like to try one some time but either until I find someone who can put up with just me or strangers for the required boat time I’ll have to wait or bite bullet and go alone which is not something I am likely to do.
Sunsets & sea photos are fab
I’ve never been, but my parents went on one a few years ago and my (cattle farmer) dad called it “a feedlot,” because they said they just ate and ate and ate and laid around. It’s definitely not for everyone, and I can see your enjoyment depending on the type of cruise, too.
URghhhh we did the cruise thing early summer, and we were miserable. Probably not going to try again 🙁 Sounds like you two made the best of it though!
Sounds like you made the best of it and enjoyed your trip. I went on a few cruises with my family when I was 10 and 12 and then with friends when I was 17 and 18 and definitely enjoyed them much more than I think that I would now! It is definitely nice though being able to drink and not worry about logistics such as driving, or where you are going to eat dinner that night.
My husband and I like cruising, but we go on Holland America which is pretty much only old people. It’s quiet, no partying, very few if any kids, and much more our style.
Cruises mark a couple very… momentous moments.. of my life. The last one I went on, I met my husband, and 5 years later, I’m still uber thankful for that cruise. But the cruise before that- well, having been someone who’s been *almost* kicked off the boat, I can tell you, there is trouble to be made on a damn cruise ship.
Sounds like there is a story here!!!!
Oh, there is. It’s a hell of a story, too.. Maybe one day I will decide to share with the blogging public.. maybe 😉
I (mostly) loved the cruise I went on as a kid but I don’t know how I would feel about it now as an adult. I like peace and quiet and relaxing… I do love the ocean though!
My husband spends all his research time for work on a research ship, so his idea of a relaxing vacation is not being on a ship of any kind. A cruise seems unlikely for us, and it sounds like that’s not a bad thing lol!
There does not exist a big enough boat… ;D
I’ve only been on an Alaskan cruise. If you want peace and quiet, go that route!!
I’m a huge cruiser. Easily been on more than 10, with another lined up for next month! But I’ve never been on a Carnival, so I haven’t had the party boat experience, and we always do the “whenever” dining option. I LOVE cruising – the perfect balance of just chilling out, with exploring and adventuring, and of course lots of food!
glad you enjoyed parts of it! and i kinda love the drunken panorama shot lol. i’ve never been particularly drawn to cruises, but tend to be a very opportunistic traveler, so who knows…
Glad you had a good time! And I LOVE your dress in the last pic!!
I’m definitely NOT a fan of cruising, mostly because I know they’re the worst place to get peace and quiet. Too many people, drinks are too expensive and I hate being confined to a big boat in the middle of the ocean. I’d much rather fly somewhere warm and park my butt on a beach for 5 days. Two thumbs down to cruising for sure.
Only one cruise, for our honeymoon. I made sure to book one that only spent two out of 8 days at sea, so it was fine to deal with. The only time I really felt the press of so much humanity in an enclosed space was when we had to do the muster drill. I’m not claustrophobic but that just about did me in!
The Boy and I were giving some major thought to goin on a cruise this winter. I think now we’ll just find a lovely resort with a beach…
My boyfriend is always pushing the cruise idea, but I feel like I’d rather be on solid land enjoying a drink than on the water. I use that excuse, but mostly I’m just terrified of encountering a big storm at sea! Sounds like hell!
Exactly why we’ve never done a cruise and probably never will! We HATE people and we HATE their kids even more. I am kidding. Kind of. That’s why our vacations are almost always to remote places: Peru, the jungles of Guatemala, the Highlands of Scotland, horseback riding across the Irish Moors … you get the idea. The balcony with a drink(s) sounds lovely. Dining with OTHER people … ACK!!!
Glad you enjoyed most of it. The weird music and weirder people just gave you something to laugh about. :0)
Ha! My husband & I went on a short repositioning cruise a few years ago and had a pretty similar experience. The unfortunate soundtrack to our cruise was “Moves Like Jagger” & I still cannot hear that song without conjuring up memories of seniors gettin’ jiggy & neverending buffets. Still, yay for vacation!!
I think you would really enjoy cruising if you chose a different company to go with 🙂 I also loved the balcony on the cruise I went on and just liked to sit out and stare at the ocean.
I may have snorted aloud when I read the part about grandma dropping it like it’s hot! I’m kinda with Amanda–worried about being stuck on a boat with a bunch of people. I’m in over-crowded SoCal as it is. I’d like to get away from it all and that means the people in my space. Or forced on me at dinner time. I have a friend who LOVES cruises but I think she’s gone on the really expensive ones (in the Mediterranean). She emerged from one with an Italian boyfriend (all on the up and up) who gave her and a friend an insider’s tour of some gorgeous Italian city. Now THAT sounds like a nice cruise. They have swing dancing cruises my hubs would like to try. So it might happen. And provide blog fodder in the future. By the way, love the dress in the last pic. Very, very cute. 🙂
Never been on a cruise and have zero desire to go! The only think I would consider would be some type of adventure cruise on a small boat through Alaska.
I am 95% certain I would vomit on a cruise ship. I know it’s supposed to be just fine for people who get seasick, but I have the most sensitive stomach ever and I just don’t think I could take it! 🙂
Smart thinking for booking a room that you could relax in if the public spaces were not to your liking. Sometimes on a full ship, it can be hard to just find a quiet corner.
There are different cruise lines that cater to different age groups / likes and dislikes. Some are more expensive, some not so. Some are more formal, some less so. It means a bit of research into the destination and which demographic the cruise line is focused on.
If you are looking for a larger type ship with a little less of the silly-party crowd and the out-of-control kiddies , Holland America might be something to investigate. They do cater to an older crowd, but I was single traveling with my parents and often found other singles (young/middle-aged/seniors) who traveled on that line because they couldn’t take the Carnival atmosphere (pun intended). The food is good, they always took good care of you, I didn’t feel over-crowded and believe me when I say I avoid large crowded situations.
There are smaller cruise lines that do more adventure cruising (less formal, smaller ships, often open seating for meals), but they are quite a bit more expensive (National Geographic / Lindblad cruises).
The recommendation for Alaska is a good one to purse … smaller ships can get into areas that the larger ships cannot go. Also, the boarding / disembarkation is much easier on a small ship When the large ships arrive at a small town, they literally take over (Alaska, Bermuda, Mexico, etc).
We were told by a good travel agent to figure out WHERE we wanted to go, and then see which ships had the itinerary we were interested in. Sometimes the trip is all about the ‘ship’ and not the destination. However, there is no-way you will get me on one of those mega-ships, regardless of the price. I have been thru enough boat-drills to figure that out. There have also been enough large-ship issues in the news to re-inforce my opinion.
My last cruise got canceled with the passengers in Honolulu over Christmas. It wasn’t what we expected, but it was warm and sunny and the room was paid for. We made it work 🙂
I am terrified of cruises….I like to vacay off the beaten path, like leave the resort etc….although an Alaskan cruise might be nice. The ocean certainly has it’s appeal too…glad you enjoyed (most) of it!