Great expectations - 2nd and last cruise for a while?

[AtomixNYC]

Hi, i'm a cruise neophyte. My first ever cruise experience was last year, on the Amsterdam to Alaska. My then gf and I both work stressful jobs, and we were just looking a relaxing vacation. A cruise wasn't even on our mind intially. Alaska was one place we both have never been, and wanted to go. Aligning our vacation availability and she actually had a business trip on the west coast around the time, we found the HAL itin embarking from Seattle to be ideal.

 

We intentionally picked HAL, based on reputation, the size and the general demographic of travellers. It fitted our criteria of a more relaxing, quiet and personal atmosphere.

 

A couple weeks before the cruise, the TA contacted me and offered a paid upgrade to a SA cabin from B at a very reasonable rate. Since I didn't know anything about the cabins or what to expect, I didn't commit right away. I thought more about it the next 30 mins. The laundry/dry clean/pressing benefit actually jumped out at me most. With formal night, a nicely pressed suit + dress after being squished in the garment bag would be nice. I also pack quite light being a seasoned traveller. Upon making the decision, I contacted the TA, and he was glad I didn't wait much longer, as ppl were accepting the upgrades quickly.

 

We arrived in Seattle the night before, so we went to the port pretty early. The lady checking us in actually gave a surprised expression when she realized we were booked in a SA room. We're in our 30s, but we both still get carded frequently at bars.

 

Mind you, up till that point, my impression of cruising was you're in a tiny cabin, and you can eat/drink to your heart's content. I actually thought alcohol was free too :o

 

We were thoroughly blown away when we saw the suite. It's bigger than most hotel rooms i've been in. She especially liked the separate dressing area, the ample closet space, and the tub. I liked the Verandah.

 

Fast forwarding, we were blessed with incredible weather the entire trip, and we were even able to have breakfast at the Verandah without feeling too cold. Service was fantastic. We used AYW dining, and always had our own table without having to wait. The staff knew us both along with our preferred drinks. The concierge at Neptune took care of all our excursions/checkout flawlessly. The boat never felt crowded or loud. It was truly relaxing.

 

Needless to say, I was one spoiled noob.

 

With that, my then gf is now my fiancee, and i've just booked the 12d Med cruise in May on the Oosterdam for our honeymoon. Not sure about the upgrade again, I splurged since it's a wonderful and special occassion, for a SA cabin. There's great expectations, and i'm not sure what can top it afterwards :).

 

Yes, it's a long debut post, but here's a Top 10 list I came up with after our Alaskan cruise. Context - we had Elliot and Joel as entertainers for the shows. Michelle was our cruise director. Dean was our shopping "ambassador".

 

10 - you youtube elliot max and joel mason @ 9pm

9 - you turn to channel 5 on the radio to get port updates and instructions

8 - you tell your boss he/she should start becoming more like Michelle, the cruise director, providing relevant, accurate information + directions.

7 - you tell the lady at the bloomingdale's counter you know Dean, and should automatically get the best price. no questions ask.

6 - you think the guy next to you on the train could be mr.amsterdam

5 - you still dress up twice a week for formal night

4 - you stop doing laundry and cleaning your room

3 - your bedroom is now filled with towel animals

2 - you walk into random restaurants and start taking food as you wish

1- you start questioning if you're really that good...or it's the motion of the ocean

[SuperTrooper00]

Pretty funny stuff. Welcome to the world of cruise addiction (from another couple in their 30's)! The key to dealing with this awful addiction is booking another cruise...and then spending 7, 10, or 14 days in rehab.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

.......

With that, my then gf is now my fiancee, and i've just booked the 12d Med cruise in May on the Oosterdam for our honeymoon......Yes, it's a long debut post, but here's a Top 10 list I came up with after our Alaskan cruise...........

 

1- you start questioning if you're really that good...or it's the motion of the ocean........

 

 

May + 9 months = February, 2010 for the arrival of a little post cruise bonus ;) which might mean the last cruise for a while........is that what you meant by "great expectations"?

 

Congrats, by the way :-)

[AtomixNYC]

Thank you.

 

We'll see about the bonus :D. It's more I've used up my vacation budget for the next 3 years on this trip. The next itin i'd consider would be SE Asia, so it'll take me a while to save up again.

[hammybee]

I love your top ten. Have a fabulous honeymoon.

[sail7seas]

Wonderful post. Totally enjoyed reading it. Welcome to CC.

The Suite life on HAL really is sweet. ;)