Ports or Sea Days?

[cactuslady]

For me, there is nothing like relaxing in a deck chair gazing at the horizon with no land in sight anywhere. Just wake me up when the steward comes by with the iced tea.

[Suskies]

We always do 7-day Caribbean cruises, and they almost always have 2 at-sea days, so number of sea days is a non-issue for us.

 

I think we like sea days best, but if an itinerary is port-heavy, you can always create additional sea days by just not getting off at some ports...or by getting off, just walking around for an hour or so, then getting back on. I love having the ship to myself--I truly feel pampered on those days!

[DFD1]

Good Thread, Heather. Lots of things come into play....the pace of your life back home, whether or not the ports are new to you, your comfort with the ship, on and on...I love the time on board HAL ships.

 

On some cruises on other lines, I have looked forward to being off the ship for a day, especially on large capacity ships loaded with loud people and too much music and noise.

[Gary54]

For me the choice is obvious. The reason they call it a cruise, and the reason you do it on a ship is because it goes out in the water. I personally wish they would turn most of the lights out on the ship at night so I could spend all night stargazing. When I was in the Navy years ago I would take the mattress from my bunk, go uot to one of the upper decks and marvel at the night sky with the milkyway stretching from one horizon to another. Those are times I recall as bieng the most peaceful in my life. I don't mind one or two ports, but I prefer sea days and nights, Just turn off the darn lights.:D

[DFD1]

Gary, Nice post. Sounds like you figured a good way to get the most out of the Navy.

[cruiserking]

Sea days are absolutely my favorite. The fact that our upcoming QM2 voyage has seven sea days is very appealing to me.

 

There's nothing like cruising along on a bright, sunny day at sea as you relax in a steamer chair and scan the endless horizon with a pair of binoculars; pure bliss.

 

To me that's what travelling by ship is all about. Sea days give us the experience of embracing this wonderful fantasy experience as we sail far away from it all.

 

Happy Sea Days

 

Cruiserking

[mikefang]

Heather, we did a European cruise in 2003 - London to Rome. It was great as are all cruises but we were really ready for the few sea days we had. We found Europe to be great but tiring.

Mike

[Sigtau21]

Love the Port days...Much to see and do!:)

[HeatherInFlorida]

.............. When I was in the Navy years ago I would take the mattress from my bunk, go uot to one of the upper decks and marvel at the night sky with the milkyway stretching from one horizon to another. Those are times I recall as bieng the most peaceful in my life. I don't mind one or two ports, but I prefer sea days and nights, Just turn off the darn lights.:D

 

I'm with you, Gary!!! 100%. I actually know people who don't want to take a cruise that has any sea days and I can't help but ask: Why do you cruise at all? My parents used to take lengthy freighter cruises for just that reason ... days and days at sea.

 

Reading your post, Gary, I wondered how HAL would feel if we drag our mattresses up to the top deck so we can gaze at the night sky???:D

[BCEagle78]

This is a fun poll.

 

There are times when we take vacations to visit a particular place and often we plan to find the shortest route to get to that destination. The destination in these cases is the focal point of the vacation.

 

Crusing is different type of vacation. The ports that the cruise visits are more incidental to the vacation than the focal point. We choose to cruise as a way to relax. It is our way of gettting away from it all.

 

Although we do enjoy the ports, we would not mind spending more time just relaxing on the ship and sometimes just stay on the ship, even when it is in port (how many times have we been to St. Thomas...)

 

So, when we want the choice to do nothing, cruising is our choice... it gives us the most options.

[Gary54]

Heather -- Maybe HAL could build a ship with suites on the top deck with retractable ceilings.:rolleyes:

[Himself]

I always enjoy the sea days and sometimes stay on the ship when we are docked or anchored.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Heather -- Maybe HAL could build a ship with suites on the top deck with retractable ceilings.:rolleyes:

 

Oooooooooooooooh, Gary ......... great idea!!! Now that's something I just might pay extra for!!!:)

BCEagle, totally agree! When I want to visit a "destination", I simply go there. Only this morning when talking about this thread with DH I actually realized that I could take a cruise "out to sea". It could be like a Cruise to Nowhere, but those are always just party weekend cruises.

If I just wanted to get away from all the hubbub for a week, I think a cruise out to sea would be sheer heaven. They'd have to disconnect the TV's, though;) .

[trubey]

When we were younger and healthier we travelled extensively in Europe, sometimes with a tent, sometimes in Hotels, always witth a rental car. We were able to get out in the country or to inland cities and see and learn a lot about the culture of the district we visited.

 

The problem with cruise ship ports, the way I see it, is that the locals have all done this thing many, many times before and see nothing but dollar signs when they see us coming.

 

Ergo, I like the sea days. If I want to see Rome, I'll go to Rome.

 

Lane