My first cruise

I’m writing this in the car on the way back from my first cruise. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and let me say, right up front, I’m glad I went and I had a good time.

But it didn’t really meet my expectations, and I doubt I will go again. The problem may have been with my expectations, or it may have been with the cruise.

For one thing, at least in my mind, when one says “Caribbean Cruise”, one pictures, well… a CARIBBEAN cruise. Caribbean as in, primarily, warm, and with white sand beaches and blue water.

We left Dallas at 6:30 in the morning with the temperatures in the 20s. And while the cruise was certainly warmer than we left in Dallas, it didn’t match up with my mental picture of WARM. But I should have realized, even though we’re going to the Caribbean, we’re starting the voyage from Galveston, a scant 300 miles south of Dallas. Plus the same cold front that had sent temperatures plummeting in Dallas had pushed its way on south. While the temperature as we boarded the ship was in the 50s, there was a stiff north wind that kept me in sweatshirts and jackets nearly the whole trip.

So I guess the lesson to learn from that is, don’t plan a cruise out of Galveston in the middle of January if you’re expecting warm weather!

That same wind kept the seas rough. The ship was rolling from side to side, to the point where I had the sensation that I was going to roll right out of the bed. While I’m usually pretty good about motion sickness, by 3:00 PM of our first full day at sea, I was huddled in bed to keep from hurtling my lunch. Nancy, my girlfriend, went to the infirmary and brought back some motion sickness pills, which alleviated the sensation, but also virtually knocked me out till 8:00 the next morning.

The consolation, though, is that several cruise veterans said that was the roughest they had seen the seas on any of their cruises. So if I were to go again, that experience probably wouldn’t be repeated.

Overall, the cruise was very relaxing and enjoyable. I got to see a couple of beautiful sunrises (see photo) and sunsets over the water. The food was plentiful, and was certainly good, though I wouldn’t consider it superb. About on a par with what you would expect from your typical casual dining restaurant. However, the claim I have often heard that you can find something to eat at any hour of the day or night turned out to be not quite true, unless you count soft-serve ice cream. We went in search of some at 4:00 one morning, and the ice cream machine was about the only thing we found stirring.

While the weather in Cozumel was somewhat warmer (mid 70s), the same wind still dogged us, and it was cloudy, so I wasn’t really inclined to hit the beach with the few hours we had in port.

While there were certainly enjoyable activities on the ship (dancing, clubs, shows, parties, etc.), I guess I would much prefer, if I’m going to a Caribbean destination, to get there and spend the time on the beach or in the water, rather than spend a day and a half at sea (even if it’s enjoyable) each way to get a few hours at the destination.

But, at least I got to go, and that’s something I can cross off my list of things I’ve always wanted to do!