I got back on Sunday from my first cruise. It was a 7 day trip to Bermuda on the Norwegian Joy. Two days at sea, 3 days at the Royal Dockyard in Bermuda and about a day and a half to get home to the Manhattan Terminal in NYC.
Overall it was great! My biggest hesitation about cruising has always been being on vacation with 4,000 other people. The ship was large enough that there were always people around but it never felt crowded.
I did this with my sister. She is 72 and I am 69, we left our husbands at home. This is her 36th cruise. She and her husband have graduated from the large ships and small staterooms to the "ship within a ship" upper class things like "The Haven" on Norwegian. Recently they've sailed on smaller ships with bigger staterooms and posher accomodations.
Her husband (77) is recovering from an accident where he broke his shoulder and ended up with a replacement and a long recovery. After his surgery he went to a rehab facility for a few weeks and then had a hospital bed in their living room until he could do stairs. He's recovered enough that he can now do stairs and drive and resume most of his normal activities. So she needed a getaway and asked if I wanted to try a cruise.
We took a couple of excursions in Bermuda. One was a trip to Horseshoe Bay Beach. The plan was to rent the beach loungers and an umbrella and just relax and enjoy the water sounds, etc. We got there and it was too windy so they were not renting umbrellas. So we had 3 hours in the quite brutal sun. I basted myself in sunblock and wore a hat and covered with a towel. The water was gorgeous and the rocks and cliffs were scenic. I didn't go in the water past my knees because there were rip current warnings posted and it was very rough just a few yards off the beach.
Our other excursion was a "Homes and Hideaways" boat tour which was a lot of fun. The guide was very informative and entertaining. The boat movement did not bother me at all and I'm glad we did this one.
I loved the days at sea! We explored the ship, went to shows and talks about the ship operations, saw a comedy show and a Beatles band. In one of the big public areas there were silly audience participation games and sales pitches for more cruises. What we loved best was an outdoor walking deck that also had lounging areas and seating spaces for folks to gather and hang out. There were servers who could get you a drink or snack. And it was quiet out there.
My sister and I are not big drinkers so we did not get a drinks package. She had a couple glasses of wine with dinners and I got a "Dark and Stormy" which is either a well known ship drink or maybe a Bermuda thing.
Our stateroom was a Club Balcony Suite with an extra large balcony. Normal balconies have room for two chairs and a little side table. Ours was extra deep and had room for the regular chairs and small table plus 2 full lounge chairs and a small dining table. I'm so glad we opted for the larger balcony, we spent a lot of time out there. We also had a larger bathroom with sinks for 2 and a fantastic spacious shower. The space was narrow (I think it was just about 8 feet wide) but was compact and efficient with plenty of shelves and a good sized closet.
My sister has a problem with loud places. She has a hard time with background noise. I have this somewhat too, but I'm much more tolerant of the situation. So there were public spaces that she just could not tolerate, particularly the pool area. We tried to sit in a shady spot and just people watch and chat. There was noise from the kids water play area, a DJ playing party music very loudly and people shouting over the music. We could not hear each other and got up and left. We tried another area away from the pool and that area had a bar and two hot tubs with people drinking and singing. So we ended up finding quieter areas. Not a complaint, just something to be aware of. Overall, for all the bars and drinks happening I never saw anybody drunk or out of control. Just a lot of people having a very good time.
At 72 and 69 years old we fit right in to the cruising age range. There were many young families, families with older kids, older couples and groups and many folks older than us. There were also a lot of disabled or just elderly with walkers or rollators, wheelchairs and electric scooters or carts. The ship had many accommodations so that everyone could get around and partake in everything.
My sister loves to talk to everybody and of course they talk about their cruises. When I said that it was my first cruise they usually ask, "When is your next one?" My standard answer was "Travel is not a priority for me." I may do another one sometime, maybe not. I truly hate flying and getting to the port city was a hassle and the return was just as bad. It doesn't ruin it for me but it's part of the experience.
So, I'm very glad I did this, it was a great experience and a nice thing to do with my sister.
Now I know what everyone else is talking about!
Overall it was great! My biggest hesitation about cruising has always been being on vacation with 4,000 other people. The ship was large enough that there were always people around but it never felt crowded.
I did this with my sister. She is 72 and I am 69, we left our husbands at home. This is her 36th cruise. She and her husband have graduated from the large ships and small staterooms to the "ship within a ship" upper class things like "The Haven" on Norwegian. Recently they've sailed on smaller ships with bigger staterooms and posher accomodations.
Her husband (77) is recovering from an accident where he broke his shoulder and ended up with a replacement and a long recovery. After his surgery he went to a rehab facility for a few weeks and then had a hospital bed in their living room until he could do stairs. He's recovered enough that he can now do stairs and drive and resume most of his normal activities. So she needed a getaway and asked if I wanted to try a cruise.
We took a couple of excursions in Bermuda. One was a trip to Horseshoe Bay Beach. The plan was to rent the beach loungers and an umbrella and just relax and enjoy the water sounds, etc. We got there and it was too windy so they were not renting umbrellas. So we had 3 hours in the quite brutal sun. I basted myself in sunblock and wore a hat and covered with a towel. The water was gorgeous and the rocks and cliffs were scenic. I didn't go in the water past my knees because there were rip current warnings posted and it was very rough just a few yards off the beach.
Our other excursion was a "Homes and Hideaways" boat tour which was a lot of fun. The guide was very informative and entertaining. The boat movement did not bother me at all and I'm glad we did this one.
I loved the days at sea! We explored the ship, went to shows and talks about the ship operations, saw a comedy show and a Beatles band. In one of the big public areas there were silly audience participation games and sales pitches for more cruises. What we loved best was an outdoor walking deck that also had lounging areas and seating spaces for folks to gather and hang out. There were servers who could get you a drink or snack. And it was quiet out there.
My sister and I are not big drinkers so we did not get a drinks package. She had a couple glasses of wine with dinners and I got a "Dark and Stormy" which is either a well known ship drink or maybe a Bermuda thing.
Our stateroom was a Club Balcony Suite with an extra large balcony. Normal balconies have room for two chairs and a little side table. Ours was extra deep and had room for the regular chairs and small table plus 2 full lounge chairs and a small dining table. I'm so glad we opted for the larger balcony, we spent a lot of time out there. We also had a larger bathroom with sinks for 2 and a fantastic spacious shower. The space was narrow (I think it was just about 8 feet wide) but was compact and efficient with plenty of shelves and a good sized closet.
My sister has a problem with loud places. She has a hard time with background noise. I have this somewhat too, but I'm much more tolerant of the situation. So there were public spaces that she just could not tolerate, particularly the pool area. We tried to sit in a shady spot and just people watch and chat. There was noise from the kids water play area, a DJ playing party music very loudly and people shouting over the music. We could not hear each other and got up and left. We tried another area away from the pool and that area had a bar and two hot tubs with people drinking and singing. So we ended up finding quieter areas. Not a complaint, just something to be aware of. Overall, for all the bars and drinks happening I never saw anybody drunk or out of control. Just a lot of people having a very good time.
At 72 and 69 years old we fit right in to the cruising age range. There were many young families, families with older kids, older couples and groups and many folks older than us. There were also a lot of disabled or just elderly with walkers or rollators, wheelchairs and electric scooters or carts. The ship had many accommodations so that everyone could get around and partake in everything.
My sister loves to talk to everybody and of course they talk about their cruises. When I said that it was my first cruise they usually ask, "When is your next one?" My standard answer was "Travel is not a priority for me." I may do another one sometime, maybe not. I truly hate flying and getting to the port city was a hassle and the return was just as bad. It doesn't ruin it for me but it's part of the experience.
So, I'm very glad I did this, it was a great experience and a nice thing to do with my sister.
Now I know what everyone else is talking about!
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