Vacation

[Glo]

We just got back from the vacation of a lifetime--a carribean cruise. Our whole family was together for the first time in 2-1/2 years, which made it extra special. The service on Celebrity was over the top; I felt like a queen every day. Too bad vacations go by so quickly!

[Selah]

Welcome back, Glo! My MIL is on a Celebrity cruise right now. I've heard great things about Celebrity's ships and service. I've been on a few cruises myself, and you're right, they treat you like royalty. Re-entry is really hard...I still yearn for my cabin steward to come in and make towel animals on my bed!

[Float On]

Glad you had a great time!

[catherine]

Glo, can you tell me more? I've never been on a cruise. I was playing around with the idea of a cruise with my family for my upcoming in March 60th (yike), but then I was thinking, it's SO MUCH money. So, I'd really abandoned that idea, but you've just revived it.

So tell me about your experience--how long was it? What did you do? etc...

[Heidi]

Glo, can you tell me more? I've never been on a cruise. I was playing around with the idea of a cruise with my family for my upcoming in March 60th (yike), but then I was thinking, it's SO MUCH money. So, I'd really abandoned that idea, but you've just revived it.

So tell me about your experience--how long was it? What did you do? etc...

This is off the topic, but we rented a lovely house right on the beach with ocean view from all the rooms (three bedrooms, four bathrooms) for a long weekend for my 60th birthday for our family of six (two sons with their spouses). It was very lovely and MUCH cheaper than a cruise. For our 35th wedding anniversary we paid for an Alaskan cruise for the family and we did not like it as much as that house on the beach; too much food, too much togetherness, not enough time to spend in interesting ports (just a few hours here and there), too many people crowded together on the ship (most of us are introverts). So I would think twice before sinking so much money into a cruise, your family is even larger than ours.

[lmerullo]

Glo - welcome back! I love cruising, and dh and I have been on ten different cruises. I haven't been on Celebrity, though.

catherine - I think for a family reunion type venue, there is nothing better suited than a cruise. There's food for all tastes, entertainment, childcare, etc. Time can be spent in quiet retreat or with the whole gang. Something for everyone! It is actually a frugal way to spend time, as I doubt you could house and feed any number of people for the price of a cruise, and especially not to the level that's available to cruisers.

[Acorn]

Catherine, we took a 14 day Mediterranean cruise to celebrate my parents anniversary. It included our extended family and I was dubious about the whole event, having never been on a cruise previously. We had a wonderful time and it is surprisingly relaxing and reasonably priced (provided you aren't a big drinker/gambler/shopper). I agree with Imerullo that for a large gathering it is almost an ideal holiday - something for everyone and enough diversions that you don't feel the need to spend every meal/minute with one another.

[loosechickens]

Well, we're just getting packed at the moment to go on our first cruise, ever.....a Princess cruise for 14 days down through the Panama Canal leaving L.A. on 12/20 and getting into Ft. Lauderdale 1/3......it's our anniversary, Xmas, my birthday, etc., so we went for the big room with balcony on the supposedly best deck and location according to friends who cruise a LOT, and anticipate having a great time.

It's very different from anything we've ever done before, and we have a mutual agreement not to sneer at "wretched excess" and just enjoy the trip. No figuring up the carbon footprint of the trip, wasted food, overkill in the little luxuries department, etc. and just have a good time instead.

We'll be staying in Miami for a few days before flying back from CA....but I'll come back on when we get back and report on the trip.

We're definitely not shoppers, gamblers or drinkers, but I HAVE splurged and put a number of books on my Kindle for the trip, and we actually got some new clothes from, gasp, regular stores and online, instead of just thrift store stuff, although some of my favorite thrift store finds will make the trip with us, too. ...... just the cruise alone was pretty darned expensive, about triple our usual monthly total for all expenses, not to mention a rental car in FL, and airfare back to CA, but we're trying to loosen up a bit and remember that this is part of WHY we were always so frugal and saved and invested, but boy, spending it is harder than you'd think, after so many years of simple living. Because this cruise on the Coral Princess is anything BUT frugal, OR simple, hahahaha.

Glad you had such a good time, Glo......hope we do, too.

[Zoebird]

I am also glad that you had a great time. I hope anyone who takes a cruise has a great time. My ILs cruise a fair bit, and enjoy it a lot.

I think it would be pretty terrible for me, particularly if I was trapped on a boat with my ILs. They want us to do a Euro river cruise with them, but I just couldn't do it. Those cruises usually only have 40 people or so. And if two of those people are my ILs and 3 are us, that leaves only 35 other people. And they probably wouldn't want to run interference between me and my ILs. LOL After all, it's their vacation!

No, it's a much better idea to. . . avoid my ILs at all costs, and in particular, avoid cruising with them.

But we think cruising is great for them. FIl gets to see the world (his dream -- he loves to travel) and Mil gets to say in giant, floating America where everything is secure and she doesn't have to eat "dirty, foreign food" (don't ask). And, they usually go with friends from church, so she doesn't even have to emotionally leave her own neighborhood. So, it works very well for them.

And I'm glad it exists as an option. Because people seem to really like it. I think it looks restful and/or fun party (depending upon how you do it), and you get to see and do a lot of cool things.

A friend of mine is doing asia/south pacific for 30 days later this year (or rather 2012), and i think that's pretty awesome.

[Anne Lee]

I think the benefit of an all inclusive package like that is one person doesn't get stuck doing all the work as can happen in other vacation scenarios. Sometimes, even just negotiating where to eat can be a nuisance in big group, let alone trying to get seated.

So glad you had such a nice time. My in laws have a time share and we use their points sometimes. The somewhat luxurious lifestyle is really nice, I admit, though I can't imagine trying to live that way.

For a darkly funny take on cruises read the late David Foster Wallace's A Supposedly Fun Thing I Will Never Do Again.