Cruise Questions

It seems fitting that while on a cruise, I should do a post about the questions people constantly ask me when I tell them how much we love cruising.  Here are the most common questions.....

1.  Do you feel the ship move?

Yes.  You will feel the ship move.  But unless there are high seas, you won't feel any significant rocking, rolling, or pitching.  Even if it gets up to 10 foot seas, it'll feel like you've had a few drinks.  The steps meet you sooner than expected and you may walk in a not-quite straight line.  It's actually fun - if you pretend like you're drunk!

2.  Do you get sick?

No.  I don't know if I'd get sick without medication.  I've always taken Bonine - one every night or two if the captain says we're in for some high seas.  I know the ship is moving but my brain never decides that I should feel sick.  But don't think about it.  Have fun!

3.  Do you worry about getting norovirus?

A tiny bit but the fact is that you don't have to be on a cruise ship to get norovirus.  You've probably had it, without ever setting foot on a ship.  All you have to do is be smart, just like when at  home - wash your hands frequently and if a food looks or tastes funny, avoid it.  Frankly, I'm always more worried about catching someone's cold on the plane ride to the ship.  Ugh.

4.  Is cruising only for older people?

No.  Cruises are what you make them.  You can stay on the ship in every port.  You can get off and go on a zipline tour.  On the ship, you can do every activity from sing-alongs to scrapbooking to basketball tournaments.  Or you can do none of them.  You can work out every day, on machines or with classes, or you can lay by the pool 8 hours a day.  You can dress up and go to the fancy dining room every night or you can stay in shorts and go to the buffet.  You can do whatever you want; it's all up to you!

5.  Why do you do so many cruises?

My husband loves cruises.  He loves the ships - Royal Caribbean's ships are beautiful - and he loves the sense of freedom he associates with ships.  I like to travel and, when I travel, I like to forget about everything else in the world.  There's no better way to do this than on a cruise ship, out at sea, where you have no cell service and have to pay for internet.  It's a break from normalcy. 

6.  Aren't the rooms tiny?  Too tiny?!

No.  All you do in your room is sleep.  You don't eat there, you don't relax there - hello, pool deck!  There's so much to see and do - but all of it is outside of your room.  I never notice how small the rooms are.  I do, however, notice how small the showers are, especially when shaving my legs.  Ha!

7.  Do you work out on cruises?

No, I don't.  But plenty of people use all the fancy machines and take the free classes.  I use the weeks we cruise to let my body rest.  We typically spend a few days hiking on the islands and we walk a lot on the ships themselves (which are HUGE - you're constantly going from one end to the other).  I try to swim a bit....but no formal working out.  Your body needs these periods of rest. 

8.  Is the food good?

Heck, yeah!  And as you become regular cruisers with a specific line, you begin to remember what is going to be served certain days.  With Royal Caribbean, honey stung chicken is served the first day at lunch and it is one of my favorite things ever.  The first formal night brings strawberry cheesecake.  The last night, key lime pie.  So, so good.  Even the drinking water, which is recycled, is deliciously cold and refreshing.  And don't even get me started on the tropical alcoholic drinks!

9.  Aren't the ships confining?  Don't you get claustrophobic on sea days?

No.  But then, I usually spend sea days watching the sea pass by.  It's so beautiful!  The wide open spaces stretch in every direction so how can you be claustrophobic.  At night, you can walk the promenade deck and pool deck to get fresh air....  There's nothing confining about a cruise ship!  The only time I feel uneasy is when I'm surrounded by people at an event...but because this bothers me, I try to avoid feeling closed in by people.  It's easy to do!

In the end, cruising is so much fun.  You go, you unpack once, and the ship takes you to amazing places.  I highly recommend it!