So the question is what did I think about the ‘cruise’ vacation. Did I like it? Would I do it again?
OVERALL
Overall, I think I was more liking it than disliking it and I would consider it again with quite a few qualifiers.
THE QUALITY OF THE CRUISE LINE
I learned through Al and Sandy plus others I talked to on the boat that the range of quality can be all over the place. This particular line caters to Americans and other English speakers. It was a middle of the road in terms of quality. A lot was not included and were extras. I might prefer going to a more expensive line where everything (drinks, tips, excursions) were included.
BEING WITH A GROUP
Pluses and minuses; there were genuinely nice people who I enjoyed being with and in general the group had a positive dynamic. But I am a loner and on a riverboat it’s tough to be that private. A larger boat would have the advantage of more space and more areas to be alone; but you would also miss some of that group dynamic.
Another part of the group environment is the group touring. We had quite a few excellent guides and the group touring helped me quickly become familiar with cities and an area of the world I didn’t know. On the other hand, I got real tired of the days being totally formatted, hence my Lintz rebellion.
CULINARY EXPERIENCE
If you travel with a group catering to Americans, you’re not going to get a full European food experience. And I've learned from this and other experiences that if you are with a group that does not value the culinary experience but who is agreeing to go along with it to be fair to you, it really isn't any fun. You need to have those accompany you who truly enjoy it.
CRUISING FOR THE SAKE OF CRUISING
I know a lot of people who just love the cruising experience in its own right. I don’t see myself in the camp. I see it as one of a number of different traveling modes that I enjoy. I think I would enjoy it again as a means of going to new places and becoming acquainted with them. I have places like the Aegean, Black and Baltic Sea regions on my list.
3 comments:
Good breakdown of the cruise. Sounds fun and I'd probably agree on all of your points.
Wow that's great. I think I feel the same way. I sure as heck didn't care for the Carnival cruise we went on. But I would love to try one of the really upscale lines. there are even cruises with a specific cuisine focus and that sounds fun too!
what about the waking up to different places? I would think that would also be attractive. I don't think I'd care too much for a ton of group tours either though
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