If you've read some of my blogs related to travel, you've seen a lot that are about cruising. We're driving to Tampa tomorrow, as a matter of fact, to head out on another one Sunday (can't wait!).
I've been thinking lately about how that came to be. There are lots of other ways to travel, of course, and I've done many of them (road trips, flying to locales to explore by car or foot, train trips...). What is it about cruising that appeals to me so?
Hmmmm...I love the ocean, used to scuba dive, still snorkel. There's something about the sound of ocean waves and the feel of misty saltwater hitting your face (that doesn't happen when you're 15 decks up but I still love that feel when it happens).
There's more to it than that. Yes, I watched The Love Boat every week without fail when I was growing up. I loved that show! I always wanted to be a cruise director and set up entertainment for folks. Of course, back on the Love Boat the entertainment was pretty tame compared to ships today (I'll take today's entertainment any day of the week). I ofttimes wonder why I never pursued that as a career. I would have loved it!
My first cruise was actually in the late 60s. My dad was working for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and was stationed in Saigon. Because of the war, families couldn't move there and instead moved to Manila. We lived there for 1 1/2 yrs or so (1968-1969 timeframe). When my parents decided to divorce, mom, dad, my sister and I took a 25 day cruise from the Philippines to San Francisco via Hong Kong and a few other places ending up in San Francisco.
Here's a note my mom wrote as we departed.
Back in those days, there wasn't much in terms of entertainment (compared to ships today) but we weren't bored or anything. Our cats were on the ship as well and we found the kennel where they were kept (a horrible place). We would take our cats out to the basketball (it might have been tennis) court during the day so they could enjoy the sun. We even snuck them into our cabin a few times.
There was also a pool. Back in the day, ships didn't have the stabilizers that exist now. So when we were in the pool at one end, sometimes we'd be standing on the pool floor and other times we'd be treading water. We thought it was great fun! Pretty crazy.
Here's a pic of me when I met the Captain. I was 7 going on 8.
That first cruise probably got me hooked. So for me, it's definitely 'To Cruise.' I love traveling other ways as well but will always be a cruiser at heart.
Do you like to cruise? Have you ever been on a cruise?
The cruise we're going on next week is the result of a conversation we had with good friends back in Texas. They had never cruised before and we talked it up so much that they went home and found a cruise they thought they'd enjoy and booked it. We decided to go with them, to show them the cruising ropes...that's what friends are for, right? (haha...any excuse to sail away at sunset).
And there are so many different ways to cruise (massive ships, small ones, riverboats, sailboats, etc) but some of my experiences on different types of boats/ships will be a story for another time.
Be well, enjoy the day, and consider cruising if you've never done it before. You might become a cruiser too. ;)