Cruise Control

About three weeks ago, my wife and I returned from a six-day five-night cruise to the Caribbean, a first for both of us.
My in-laws, having gone on about half a dozen cruise trips in their lifetime, decided to treat me, my wife and daughter, and her brother and his children to this trip, so that we had a chance to experience it as an extended family.
Two weeks before the trip, my wife contracted strep throat.  Then me.  We both paid a visit to our family doctor, who immediately put us on antibiotics, which we requested because we didn't want to be too sick to go on the trip.
When he heard we were going on a cruise, here's what he had to say:
"Eat as much as you want, forget I even exist."
He's obviously done this before.
You go hungry on a cruise trip, it's definitely not their fault.
We said from Baltimore aboard Royal Caribbean's "Enchantment of the Seas" the afternoon of Friday, June 22nd.
After some initial nervousness during 'muster', which is the same safety spiel that flight attendants give you at the beginning of the flight, I scrapped my misgivings about what happened aboard the Titanic and quickly got into the routine I would follow for the next week.
Swimming pools.  Hot tubs.  Gambling casino.  Movie theater.  Live music.  Passenger-participating competitions, game shows, and other such activities.  An activity center for the young-uns.  Several bars.  Shopping.  Ben and Jerry's.  Starbucks.  A sit-down restaurant and buffet style dining area.  A video arcade.  
Of course, partaking on some of these activities is either a challenge or unrealistic if you have a small child.
Though Savannah did have fun in the activity center, we didn't feel right putting her in there more than once, because this was a family trip, after all.
I particularly enjoyed our destination, Bermuda.
The weather, along with people driving on the wrong (to us) side of the road, the absence of bigbox stores, the small cars (seriously, no one drives anything bigger than a subcompact unless you're a cop or politician), the abundance of motor scooters, were all particularly appealing, plus the turquoise ocean water so clear you could see the sand below the surface.
I was particularly disappointed at how the electronic age has diminished the glamour of having a passport.  Though we had to show it multiple times, we did not get a stamp in our passport.  But we still had the passcards we were issued when we first boarded the ship.  I mean, that's something, right?
If you ever have the opportunity to take a cruise in your lifetime, I strongly suggest you take it.  And here are some suggestions for you to follow:
If you have small children, you may want to take a short-duration cruise, just to see how they (and you) can handle it.
Pack Dramamine or other motion sickness medication.  You will need it.  Though through most of the trip, the waters were calm, and the rocking was gentle enough to put you to sleep, we did have one rough night at sea on our way back.
Even if you have an iron constitution, still pack it.  It costs a fortune on the ship.
And antacids.  They don't sell those in any of the shops.  If you like to eat like I do, you will need these.
If you wish to eat dinner in the dining room, dress is formal.  You don't necessarily need to break out tux and tails, but they prefer collared shirts, non-denim pants, and closed shoes.  You may want to take two 'dressier' outfits to wear at dinner, then change back into casual gear in your cabin.
Royal Caribbean offers a chance for you to get your picture taken with the ship's captain if you're formally dressed.  And the ship does offer tuxedo rentals on board.
The staff is made up mostly of Filipino peoples who speak fluent (though well-accented) English.  Very polite, and service is second to none.  So be nice.
All told, a cruise trip isn't really all that expensive.  The killer is the airfare if you're not close enough to a port within a reasonable driving distance.  From our Pittsburgh-area home to Baltimore, it was about five and a half hours worth of driving.  That's about how long it takes me to get to my native Detroit.
Other East Coast ports include New York, New Jersey, South Carolina, Massachussetts, and of course, Florida.
I would suggest using travelocity.com.  You sometimes get the best deals by booking at the last minute or near it, provided you can arrange vacation time with your employer on fairly short notice.  I found a six-day cruise on Royal Caribbean boarding this Friday from Baltimore to Bermuda at $62 a day per person.
Add to that parking fees at the port, plus your gas for driving there.
And you've got a vacation you will tell many about for years to come.
Happy sailing.


NEXT WEEK:  Unhappy Valley...the Finale