I was on a boat!

So, normally my tour transportation consists of a very large bus, but I just recently completed my first tour CRUISE!  Ok, not so much a tour cruise, but a music boat.  Really if you think about it, it is a genius idea.  If any of you have been on a regular cruise you can admit the entertainment is…well they try.  But, it kind comes off as a mixture of high school and college performance (and I am not talking Julliard).  So the idea of going on a cruise where the acts are all professional, all bands you have (well pretty much)  heard of, and you get to see them all for one set price is pretty inspired. 

So cruises…what have I got to say about them?  Well I think the one thing that totally stands out to me is the service.  I think very few Americans could actually staff a cruise, they are just too nice and too eager to please.  I am sorry Americans, but you would get sick of that after the first day.  There is no WAY your average American server could stay that chipper and that friendly for that long, especially when you think about the average cruise go-er.

The worst part of a cruise?  Well that is a tie in my opinion- first everything is included on a cruise EXCEPT alcohol.  You can see the dilemma.  Second, and I might offend some with this, is the food.  I am just NOT that impressed.  And, I know they are feeding thousands with supplies they must keep fresh on a BOAT in the middle of the OCEAN, but to me it is glorified cafeteria food.  There I said it.  Even the all day and all night ice cream everyone raves on is Ice Milk, it is not real ice cream (or even frozen yogurt).  I mean I guess it is good in a pinch, and I think it may have fewer calories, but it is not creamy by any stretch of imagination.

 

Personally, I would prefer to go to one place, rent a vacation house and stay for like a week.  You may get to go to beautiful places on a cruise- but you are limited with time and with resources to get around.  I like to really explore a destination, and I’ll be honest I like to explore at a leisurely pace (ie. I want the option to sleep in till noon- I am on vacation).  On a cruise, if you wake up at noon you normally have maybe 4-5 hours left to explore your destination.  At most, you might get 10 hours if it is a late ship out...but that is normally only one port. 

Now reading this you may think I am only complaining and that I had a horrible time, but this is not true.  Like I said, the service, the crew…they were AMAZING.  And if only to keep them all employed I would urge everyone to go on at least one cruise.  I loved getting to hang with my friends, and destroy them in a photo scavenger hunt (photos and list to come soon).  I loved the family style dinner every night and knowing that I would get to enjoy dinner with our friends and share our adventures from the day.  Basically, I was very grateful for the opportunity to get to go on a cruise, and if asked I would not hesitate to go with my husband on the next music boat.