I didn't think I'd enjoy it either. It was a family thing, for my father-in-law's 80th birthday so we went, but I found that I liked it.
I've never had a desire to take a Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico cruise. But since I ran across the picture below, I've been itching to take a cruise on the Yukon River on a steamboat just like this. But they only offer chartered canoe trips, including camping, in tents. Maybe a cruise down the Mississippi would be fun. The Clifford Sifton steamboat, Miles Canyon, Yukon River, 1890's HUGE PICTURE . .
By All Inclusive It means all side tours. tipping. room service liquor. not considered as extra charges.
14 days on a 90 foot Twin Masted Schooner with 9 passengers and a crew of five is not what you think of as a cruise or cruise ship. We started out from Nuku'alofa Tonga to the other end of the Tonga Chain of islands with stops at different islands for Scuba Diving.
Wife and I went to spend two weeks with retired friends living in the Algarve section of Portugal and then boarded The Silver Spirit in Lisbon.
When in Spain or Greece we see these cruise ships come into port all the time. My daughter loves cruises, but they're not for me!!
We went on a 3-day Bahamas Cruise out of Port Canaveral in Florida. It was on Carnivals Sensation. Since I had spent some years in the Navy, being on the water didn't bother me at all. This was my first, and only (so far) Cruise, but my wife's second.
I did not have a BLOG in 1991 or I would have posted this marvelous trip earlier. No problem though, Diane and I still look the same----hmm. This 12 day trip on the “R. Tucker Thompson” was the fulfillment of a young boys dream for me. Despite not knowing anything about sailing I had always wanted to get on a sailing ship of some kind, just wear a bathing suit, visit small, tropical islands, eat fish, drink coconut milk and visit with the natives. Diane and I did that and much more. We met the R. Tucker captain and crew at the dock in Vava'u after spending several days at Tonga's capital city of Nuku'alofa, where Tonga's king has his palace. Yes, Tonga had and still has a king, and a big one at that. Our time is Nuku'alofa was spent scuba diving and getting checked out by the local Padi Dive Master. He happened to be from San Jose, California, was divorced and now married to a young Tongan woman. He trained the entire 60 man Tongan Navy in scuba diving. Our crew on the R. Tucker consisted of seven people and 6 international passengers. We all became quite friendly and understanding of one another and modesty was tossed aside due to the fact that the ship had one head (toilet/shower) for crew and guests. The captain had his own head but did not share. Toileting and showering could be done simultaneously. Our cook did a fantastic job with the meals which were usually served up on deck weather permitting and it usually permitted. Although it was not required to crew, most of the passengers took a four hour turn at the wheel after a bit of instruction of how to keep the ship on course. We sailed from one end of the Tonga Chain to the other stopping off to dive, explore, swim and barter with the natives. We traded T shirts and cans of beef for woven baskets and carvings. Diane, as a RN-Certified Nurse Midwife enjoyed spending time with the mothers and babies and inquiring about birthing. Diane and I were not married when we made this trip, but it was this trip that inspired me to ask her to marry me, and we were married the following year 1992. I have made many wonderful trips with great memories, but this Tonga Trip tops them all.
What lovely memories you have!! I've never taken a cruise, but who knows? Maybe there is one in my future!!
This new Cruise Ship, announced as "Adult Only" (18 and older) is definitely made for Millennials! It is from Richard Bronson's Virgin brand, named Scarlet Lady, unveiled in Dover, England this last Friday and is the first of four new vessels that will form the Virgin Voyages Fleet. It will be based out of Miami for voyages thru the Med. I has a tattoo/piercing parlor called Squid Ink (first ever on a cruise ship), a stripy club that will also offer drag shows called Razzle Dazzle. Here's cabin costs: The ship also features 78 luxury RockStar Suites. Those include 15 Mega RockStar Suites, which are further divided into Massive, Fab, Posh and Gorgeous Suites. Prices for those come in at around $19,000 per cabin, while the cheapest cabins start from around $1,600 for three- and four-day tours. You can read the article about this "Rockstar Cruise Ship" here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/ne...ns-luxury-adults-only-cruise-ship/ar-BB10eNyJ What do you think? IOW, will, in one way or another, illegal drugs be a part of this ship? Will undercover cops be a part of the passengers?