It's the little things...

[CaribbeanCrush]

I always wait 'til the night before to back. I know...crazy right. That's when we start reminding each other that "we're on vacation", as we iron, fold, and stuff knowing that we probably won't wear it all.

[antnet59]

For me, it's the anticipation of which towel animal will be waiting in our room.

[Hypo]

Getting out of bed at our hotel at 5 in Galveston and going down to the pier by Harbor House to watch the Conquest and Voyager come into port.

 

Getting to watch them make their turns and back down to their respective piers.

 

Knowing that in about 5 hours we will be boarding and going off to a wonderful cruise.

 

Hypo

[English_in_Spain]

Hot days in port sightseeing. Then the moment you return to the pier and there she is waiting for you to come home. The moment you walk back on board to the air-conditioned ship and a member of the crew says welcome back.

[dacsmom]

Finding a quiet place on the ship to watch the sun rise. Just me, nature and a cup of coffee. Heaven.

[CaribbeanCrush]

The sound of "boing" as you insert your seapass card when you embark the ship for the first time.

YES!!! I love that too!!!

[luli1015]

I love this thread!!

 

It's been three unbearably long years since I've been on a cruise, and all of this brings back such wonderful memories! I can't wait to go in a few weeks!!! I have so many "little things" I love when I go on a cruise. These are my absolute favorites...

 

* Walking around on the top deck in the early morning hours on the first full day of the cruise surrounded by nothing but ocean. It is only after doing this that I feel like I am truly on vacation!

* Taking guilt-free naps in the afternoon after spending all day in port.

* Ordering those delicious chocolate chip cookies and milk from from my stateroom for an afternoon snack.

* Filling up on fresh fruit in the morning. For some reason it simply doesn't taste the same at home.

* Laying down on one of the benches on the helipad (on those ships that have them) in the middle of the night, staring at what looks like every star in the universe while listening to the waves. This is my definition of heaven.

[BroncosFan2010]

I love the way the ship rocks me to sleep at night.

I love the way I seem to wear myself out every day on a cruise so that I sleep so soundly, much more so than at home.

[hollywood34711]

but when you are at sea, with the ocean all around, you realize the world, this earth, is so much bigger than any little problem, or concerns you might be carrying around. Perspective is the most important thing I get from being at sea on a cruise.

[CaribbeanCrush]

I love this thread!!

 

It's been three unbearably long years since I've been on a cruise, and all of this brings back such wonderful memories! I can't wait to go in a few weeks!!! I have so many "little things" I love when I go on a cruise. These are my absolute favorites...

 

* Walking around on the top deck in the early morning hours on the first full day of the cruise surrounded by nothing but ocean. It is only after doing this that I feel like I am truly on vacation!

* Taking guilt-free naps in the afternoon after spending all day in port.

* Ordering those delicious chocolate chip cookies and milk from from my stateroom for an afternoon snack.

* Filling up on fresh fruit in the morning. For some reason it simply doesn't taste the same at home.

* Laying down on one of the benches on the helipad (on those ships that have them) in the middle of the night, staring at what looks like every star in the universe while listening to the waves. This is my definition of heaven.

 

I love your last one. On our last two cruises we've been soon busy in the evenings we didn't get out on the deck at night. We'll definitely do that next time.

[CaribbeanCrush]

I love the way the ship rocks me to sleep at night.

I love the way I seem to wear myself out every day on a cruise so that I sleep so soundly, much more so than at home.

Yes! I can't believe how well I sleep on a cruise. If it wasn't for the good night of sleep I might not make it the whole week. :D

[CaribbeanCrush]

but when you are at sea, with the ocean all around, you realize the world, this earth, is so much bigger than any little problem, or concerns you might be carrying around. Perspective is the most important thing I get from being at sea on a cruise.

 

That is awesome and so true. I always tell people that the ships seem so huge you wonder how they stay afloat while in port, but when you get out there you realize how small it really is in comparison. I never related it to problems in life, but that is good.

[Clarea]

Getting out of bed at our hotel at 5 in Galveston and going down to the pier by Harbor House to watch the Conquest and Voyager come into port.

Yes, I was lucky enough to do exactly that a year ago January and the sight of Voyager in the distance coming into the channel is still stuck in my memory. It was too far away and too dark to for me to tell what ship it was until I noticed the blue Crown & Anchor on the stack.

[B&Lmom]

The sound of "boing" as you insert your seapass card when you embark the ship for the first time.

 

YES! I love that sound too!! Too funny...

I told my family that this past week when getting back on the ship from Cozumel and they thought I was a little weird and had too much sun and too much guacamole and pina coladas:D.

[danajjj]

While at sea I always sit for a while and look at the beauty of the ocean and reflect on how awesome and amazing God's creation is. It is so peaceful and perfect.

[beachnative]

Standing on the aft at sail-away when the ship breaks into the ocean.

 

Sitting on the balcony while my wife is dressing for dinner.

 

Formal nights at a table-for-two and sitting across the table from my wife when she is dressed that way!!!

 

Never having to answer the question "What do you want for dinner?" and never having to ask "Where do you want to go for dinner?"

 

The wonderful, friendly staff.

[flbeachmom]

i love the week before a cruise. the anticipation, the packing, planning, constant thinking about the cruise, waking up early that morning and the drive to the port...

[CaribbeanCrush]

i love the week before a cruise. the anticipation, the packing, planning, constant thinking about the cruise, waking up early that morning and the drive to the port...

 

CC Roll Calls really help with this. We usually have a person who takes on the task of counting down each morning. It is hard to getting anything non-cruise related done that last week.

[Emi's Mom]

I think one of the best things is when you are driving up to the pier and you see your ship --

I absolutely agree. It sends chills throughout my body and gives me goosebumps on my arms. I LOVE CRUISING!!!!!

[RevSmith]

I love inhaling the sea air...wonderful

[printingchick]

I think people who are not cruise fanatics - as most of us here are - don't really comprehend what a big deal our cruises are to us. It is the highlight of my year and I spend the entire year planning for it. I've already purchased four new guide books to research the ports of call on our 2010 cruise and have spent countless hours doing on-line reading. The seven days at sea represent the culmination of a year of planning and anticipation. And that week at sea never disappoints.

 

The little things that mean so much to me include:

• A week where everyone refers to me as "Miss" Printingchick, as they question what they can do to make my cruise experience more pleasurable.
  
• Never having to make the bed, cook the meals, wash the clothes...
  
• The end of the diet I've been on for the six+ months prior to departure, to shed the 10 pounds I've added since my previous at-sea adventure. (Five of which I gained while ON my last at-sea adventure!)
  
• Being rocked to sleep at night.
  
• Waking up every morning to the sight of the sea out my window. It's the first thing I see every morning. Ahhh...
  
• Visiting multiple interesting places - all of which I've enjoyed reading up on during the months before the cruise.
  
• Packing. I hate the UNpacking, but packing for me takes weeks. Composing lists forces me to imagine what I'll need every day. I live the whole cruise in my imagination as I pack my suit case.
  

I wish I could get a cell phone ring tone that sounded like that SeaPass sound!

[bthom70]

Finding a quiet place on the ship to watch the sun rise. Just me, nature and a cup of coffee. Heaven.

 

Sunrise? ha, I'm never up that early.

Though I do get up before 8AM most days.

After so many years of O'dark thirty in the Navy, I rarely get up before sunrise if I don't have have to, like getting up for that early flight to the cruise port.

[Clarea]

i love the week before a cruise. the anticipation, the packing, planning, constant thinking about the cruise, waking up early that morning and the drive to the port...

You are very fortunate to be able to drive to the port. For those of us who have to fly, the week of the cruise is filled with dread about the weather and what adventures the airlines have in store for us.

[CaribbeanCrush]

You are very fortunate to be able to drive to the port. For those of us who have to fly, the week of the cruise is filled with dread about the weather and what adventures the airlines have in store for us.

This is true...

[rogicoco]

i love the excitement stepping into the ship for the first time or returning to the favorite one.

There is nothing like keeping the balcony open at night and hear the ocean waves.

The best part about cruising is that you unpack once and from that point on you are taken care off and have nothing to worry about no matter where in the world you are. On board everyone speaks your language and loves having you there. it's home away from home.