Extended Cruising (25+Days) Questions

[funforsun]

For all of you pro's out there who take the longer cruises, I am interested in knowing your experiences about:

 

1. What are some of the best things about extended cruising, either expected or unexpected.

2. Whare are some of the things that became challenges to you during your first extended cruise and how you overcame them on that or subsequent cruises?

 

We are now sans kids and are thinking about taking an extended cruise (perhaps initially Pacific Princess from Cape Town to Sydney) to see if we are good candidates for a complete circumnavigation, perhaps on RSSC Voyager. So, any exerience you would like to share would be very helpful.

[Druke I]

Pretty broad question.

 

We've take several longer cruises in the past, and have 25 nighter booked on

Oceania's Nautica 11-06, from Istanbul to Singapore, through the Suez.

 

We find the longer trips very relaxing, and we do enjoy sea days.

 

Often, they call in places we have never been before, so it is somewhat of a challenge to do some research before going, to get a handle on what it is we might want to see, and what we probably can miss. We usually do a mix of ship's tours and independent tours/exploration.

 

I would love to do one of P&O's 100 night circumnavigation World Cruises, but my wife doesn't want to go for more than 30 days at a time, so we are doing the globe in segments.

[Toto2Kansas]

We have sailed on 24 and 25 night cruises before and the best thing I can say is that the ship really does feel like home to you at the end of the cruise. You really can find that perfect bartender, waiter, etc. and he will know you and what you drink before too long.

 

Nothing negative I can say about these extended cruises, they are terrific!

[sable1]

How long do you consider long? How long is the Cape Town to Sydney?

We have done a few RSSC which were long, 28days and 26 days. I never had any problems being away for so long. There is a laundromat on most decks, lots of interesting guest speakers. If you have been on RSSC you know what I mean

In July we took the Maasdam transatlantic for 5 weeks. Again, I never got bored. The only thing is they do repeat the evening production shows although they do bring on new acts after 2 performances.

The pro of longer cruising is meeting people and developing friendships. And, of course, unpacking once.

Con, but not really, is having to pack for 2 time zones. Something I willingly do to cruise.

Con, again not really, is gaining weight if you don't have self discipline. But who wants to restrict what you are eating when all that delicious food is available.

I can't think of anything else, but if you any specific questions, I would try to answer.

Happy cruising,

Joanne, the chocoholic

[funforsun]

Druke I

 

If I am not being too forward, what are your spouses objections? This is the kind of info that would help us prepare if you can share some of it.

 

I think the sea days would be great for me, but I am not certain about how my spouse would enjoy them, that is part of the reason for us taking a 15-day Hawaii cruise in January.

 

As far as research on the ports are concerned, I would feel more obligated to visit the ports because there are fewer of them, don't know if that is good or bad. On our first cruise (the Med) we did a tour at every port and learned that we don't need that and could slow down on subsequent cruises. My guess is that the ship empties out during these stops.

 

Anyway, thanks for your post. Looking forward to any help on a reply.

[funforsun]

sable1

 

I was wondering about the weight thing. When I bring this topic up to my cruising buddies, they all say that I better plan on a heart bypass and a crane to take me off the ship. However, it must be possible to eat sensibly and exercise regularly while on board so that won't happen. I must admit I have thought about it, but it wouldn't stop me from going.

 

We haven't been on RSSC yet, but I would like to do that cruise that leaves on Jan 10 from LA to Ft. Lauderdale. Hopefully they will do that cruise again next year.

 

I don't see the entertainment as an issue. We like the shows, but I can't watch a show every night, it gets a little boring for me so as long as they are changed once during the month-long voyage that would suit me fine.

 

The Cape Town to Sydney is 29 days I think, and on Pacific Princess, their smaller vessel.

 

All in all, doesn't seem like too many downsides presented yet.

[sable1]

Hi again,

Just thought of another possible drawback. You are going to have the same dining tablemates for the length of the cruise. Unless you do a cruise that has PC, Anytime, Open seating. That's one reason we like RSSC, never had a problem eating when and with whom we liked or could ask to be seated with new people. On the 5 week Maasdam I began to get a little tired of trying to think of new topics of conversation after we shared our day's experiences. Plus, we were seated at a table for 10 and my husband is hard of hearing and it was difficult to follow the conversation. So, unless you get really lucky with tablemates you really enjoy, you may find yourself getting weary. We ended up eating in the Buffet on the Maasdam a few times which was fixed up forthe dinner seating.

Joanne

[Murphey]

We have been on several long cruises.....the longest one at 52 days. We had booked an outside cabin with porthole and wondered if we were nuts. It was just fine, wonderful in fact. We brought along only 2 suitcases and did lots of mix/match and laundry. We did get tired of our clothes, but in retrospect really didn't need any more...no one really notices what other people are wearing. One of the great things about extended cruising is being able to say "let's do that next month" !! What a hoot! Your ability to make life long friends increases greatly. Everyone else on the ship is likely to be of the same "mind set" as you, make for great conversations and really getting to know each other. Extended cruises usually take you to unusual places to explore and new found friends make exploring on your own much easier. The weight issue: As hard as it is to believe, we came home in better shape than when we left. You just think about things differently. You're not really on "vacation", you are exploring the world, and as such, we did not partake in dessert much and many times had just appetizer's for dinner. Because there is always a great meal tomorrow and the day after, and the day after that, well you get it....no real reason to over indulge! Plus not having to drive to the gym just walk to it makes working out easy. Would be happy to answer any other questions you may have. We would do it again in a heartbeat if the deal is good enough! In addition to the 52 day trip, we have done 35, 32, two 28's and a 25.

[funforsun]

Murphey, Thanks for the post. "Mind-set" seems to be the word of the day, and that means a lot to me. Very helpful, thanks again.

[amyr]

I spent 24 days aboard the Pacific, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The best part of it (other than a fantastic itinerary) was the CruiseCritic group we had. In fact, we had all (22 of us) booked a reunion cruise from FLL to CPT, but Princess cancelled the cruise to keep the Pacific in Australia.

 

Many of our CC group have already been back aboard for long cruises, and the rest are all booked on her again for the future (some I think on the cruise you're considering.) The folks who have already been back aboard said it felt like going home. The small size is wonderful - very cozy and personal.

 

Murphey was right about changing your perspective regarding food. I ate everything I cound find for the first couple of days (like you would on a shorter cruise) and then throttled back and ate normally after that. I just couldn't keep up the pace. I also had plenty of time to walk the track on sea days.

 

As someone upthread mentioned, it's hard to pack if you have more than one climate to consider, but there's a laundry on board, so take a roll of quarters.

 

Don't hesitate - book it!:)

[Druke I]

Pharmaguy

 

Not sure I can explain my wife's objections - she just prefers to cruise less than 30 days at a crack.

 

Guess she lkes home and her routine, etc.

[Druke I]

Pharmaguy

 

Not sure I can explain my wife's objections - she just prefers to cruise less than 30 days at a crack.

 

Guess she likes home and her routine, etc

[hillslife]

What is the average age on these longer cruises....I am thinking most people must be upwards of 60 since most younger people are working. Am I off track on this???:confused:

[Pam in CA]

I love the longer cruises. They usually have more sea days and go to interesting ports that you might not go to otherwise. There are usually a series of interesting / informative lectures and activities that aren't available on short (7 days or less) cruises.

 

The seating with tablemates on a longer cruise has never been a problem. On our Royal Princess Manaus to Rome cruise, we sat at a large table and at first glance at our tablemates, I thought it was going to be a very long cruise. We immediately discovered that they were really interesting people and after the first day or so, we couldn't stop talking and were among the last to leave the dining room every night. We often met for drinks before dinner and had a great time with them.

 

One thing I've learned when packing for a longer cruise is to take enough clothes for 8 days. I use the laundry and the ship's laundry specials ($15 for a bag) to have my shirts, pants, etc. laundered. I can get an awful lot into that bag!

 

Something else I like about the longer cruises is that people seem to be friendlier; it's easier to get to know people and, IMHO, the service and cruise staff seem to be better. The passengers tend to be more international and, in general, are older than what you'll see in the Caribbean. There's usually a mix of ages, from young to quite old, and a lot fewer children on long cruises. Chances are very good that you'll meet people who are very interesting and who you want to get to know better.

 

Give me a longer cruise any time. :)

[VibeGuy]

You'd think they'd trend Very Old, but they merely trend Old. ;0)

 

On the longer sailings I've done (45, 21 and 19), the crowd has largely broken down to:

 

1) Been Everywhere, Done Everythings who are doing this to pick up an exotic port. Older than me, but not decrepit by any means. Excellent tablemates. Maybe 15% of passengers.

 

2) Business Owners / Real Estate types who can take off and let other people do the heavy lifting. I'd say this group makes up about 15-20% of the passengers. Usually late-40s/early 50's.

 

3) Recently Retired / Trip of a Lifetime - maybe another 20%. The very young, very-newly retired.

 

4) Widows Who Really Like To Cruise Whose Late Husbands Hated It

 

5) Fabulously Wealthy Retireds In Good Health

 

I think the big worry a lot of "really old" people have about a long/exotic itinerary is the availability of medical care / "what if" issues. I see about 10X the mobility devices on Alaska itins than I ever did on exotics.

 

I agree - I love the longer trips. I actually have lost between three and eight pounds on each of them because I'm more likely to work out, I walk a lot in ports, I never take the elevators on board and I'm not packing away fast food like a madman. I'm certainly no ascetic - I have wine with lunch *and* dinner, I like a cocktail as much as the next guy, and I rarely skip dessert, but I find it's a really good venue for making a conscious effort to come back lighter, more-relaxed, more flexible (time for yoga/pilates/stretching), and better able to face the world. My current gig doesn't really allow for these trips (startup tech company) yet, but it's certainly in the back of my mind as I develop systems and people to handle things without me being so darned....physically present.

 

Eric

[sgriff17]

No Widowers Whose Late Wives Hated It?

[susancruzs]

Interesting reading! I just came back from a B2B that was 21 days total! I kept telling everyone onboard, plus friends/family, this is a test! I want to book longer cruises or a Med B2B but didn't want to plunge for 24, 28 or 30 days without trying 3 weeks first! I'd done 16 days and was pretty sure I'd like 21 but a test isn't a bad thing! :-)

 

I had 7 days, and then 14. I stayed at the same table in the dining room as I liked my wait staff and it was a nice change. Fortuantely, both cruises I had great table mates. I agree with Pam about the people you meet and overall atmosphere onboard. The 14 day transatlantic was the friendliest group of people I've ever cruised with and actually the 7 day was almost all new cruisers but they were great, too. Sailing in other areas gives you a whole different perspective, I love it!

 

I book inside cabins so wasn't sure how that would be but I did fine. I kept the TV turned to the web cam, at night it was dark, when I woke up in the morning if it was still dark, I slept a little longer, if it was light, I'd get up! Worked great! I bought a little stuffed dog in the gift shop and I brought a couple of things from home to put out on the desk to make it homey.

 

I am now ready to start planning my next biggie, back to backs in the Med I think to celebrate my 60th birthday in 2007! I plan to be gone 28 days, 3 days pre-cruise and 24 days onboard.

[Sandy R]

Pharmaguy... I'm so happy you started this thread... great reading and great info. DH and I will be doing a 27 day next September, Whittier to Osaka. We were a little hesitant but went ahead and booked anyway. Figure it will be an adventure with such unique ports. One good thing for us is that we're Elite so we get free dry cleaning and washing and free internet. I'm somewhat concerned about having different tablemates in the traditional dining room as passengers will be coming and going throughout the cruise... Vancouver to Beijing, Whittier to Osaka, Beijing to Osaka. Shoud be interesting but as someone said, a great opportunity for meeting new people. All the posts really made me feel better about our decision.

 

Sandy

[amyr]

LOL VibeGuy, you hit the nail right on the head with your breakdown. That's pretty much exactly the mix of folks we had on the PP.

 

We did have at least one widower though - he (in his 80's) met a nice widow on board (also in her 80's) and they became engaged. They hopped off at our last port, bought an engagement ring, and the wedding date was set for a couple of months later. I'm guessing they booked another long cruise for their honeymoon.:)

 

Amy

[hillslife]

Thanks for the breakdown on ages....actually the older we get the closer we get to 'fitting in"....ha ha

 

Sounds like a great option for a 30th anniversary...thanks for all the info. :)

[Druke I]

Although I generally agree with VibeGuy's breakdown on ages, I'm not sure about his categories or types.

 

If I had to put an overage age on the longer cruises, I would hazard a guess of mid 60s, with a growing number of babyboomers in their fifties. and remainder primarily in 70s and low 80s. Demographics is a constantly changing thing - what was true yesterday won't be true tomorrow.

[Kissara22]

As a 28 year old mother of 2 who loves to cruise more than anything. I have searched world cruises, the intineraries, and the ports of call to no end. Financially, there's just no way for me. So I would like to offer my services to be a stow away in someone's luggage. At least to see if we could get away with it. ;) I'm sure my DH won't mind having the kids all to himself for a month or two. :D

[funforsun]

Kissara22,

 

When I was 28, I had neither the time nor the money. Take it slow and build your financial empire so you can look forward to all of those world cruises you will take in the future! Save, save, save, and then.....save some more.

[shellbeachjim]

I'd guess VibeGuy's ages to be about right, but certainly not the categorization. We have taken a couple of long cruises (31 and 21 days) and while my wife is retired, I most certainly am not. I don't own my own business and I'm not fabulously wealthy. I've worked for my company long enough so I have 6 weeks of vacation each year and I choose to take extended vacations when I can. It can mean long stretches with no time off, but when I do go on vacation, I can truly get away.

 

The downside of long, extended cruises? You'll never be satisfied with a 7 or 10 day cruise again. :D

[PescadoAmarillo]

I was surprised to see how many younger (meaning 40s), very active people were on our 30 night transpacific cruise last fall. There were also several families who home schooled their kids on the ship.

 

As far as cruise length...I've now done a 30 night, 28 night and twice done 23 night cruises. The 30 night was a single cruise; the other three were back to backs. One long cruise is the best...two back to backs of the same total length as one long cruise are wonderful, but you don't get the same relaxing feel as when it is one long cruise, and everyone will be on the ship for the same length of time. I think the comments about "mindset" are absolutely correct. People are just more laid back and more polite and thoughtful on a long cruise

 

I don't ever get bored on a ship...I love the sea days as much as port days. The 28 night cruise (2-14 nights back to back) was spent in an inside cabin...no problems there either. I would easily do a world cruise in an inside cabin vs. no world cruise...I guess I was meant to cruise!