Amazing & Exhausting!
With world travel becoming easier in 2022, navigating Covid and the ever changing restrictions, I decided to use cruising as an opportunity to explore several countries fairly quickly, and use it as a means of relocating continents. I had a wonderful time and learned how exhausting living on cruise ships can be.
Cruise Itineraries
Dates: March 6-13, March 13-20, and March 20-27 (three back to back Southern Caribbean 7-night cruises)
Cruise Line & Ship: Royal Caribbean, Grandeur of the Seas
Type of Stateroom: Ocean View
Countries Visited each week in no particular order: Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, St. Kitts, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua
Average Costs: $1,052/week or ~$150/night (includes cruise fair, taxes, food, drinks, excursions, onboard entertainment, etc.)
Additional Notes: I did not buy the internet packaged as I knew about the free wifi hack on Royal Caribbean ships. After connecting to the ships' wifi, I turned on my VPN with ExpressVPN on my cell phone, and I could use all the Apps on my phone. The only thing I could not do was wifi calling, but I could use the call features through FB Messenger and WhatsApp. The hack did not work on my laptop and there was very little reception in my stateroom. I found the best places with stronger wifi connection was in the center common areas of the ship and on the pool deck.
Dates: April 2-17, 2022 (15-night transatlantic cruise)
Cruise Line & Ship: Norwegian Cruise Line, Epic
Type of Stateroom: Balcony
Cruise Port Order: NYC -> Bermuda -> Ponta Delgada, Portugal (cancelled due to weather) -> Funchal, Portugal -> Malaga Granada, Spain -> Alicante, Spain -> Palma Majorca, Spain -> Barcelona, Spain
Cost: $3,098 or $206/night (includes cruise fair, taxes, food, drinks, excursions, onboard entertainment, internet, etc.)
Additional Notes: The purpose of this cruise was to relocate to Europe in a unique way. I'm not a fan of long haul flights, so I chose to take a repositioning cruise. That is when a ship relocates from one continent or region to another. The base fare for this cruise was not great for a solo traveler. However, it wasn't significantly more than flying from the Southern Caribbean to Spain; and it gave me a phenomenal opportunity to visit a number of ports that I was not familiar with, or had ever heard of. Because of this cruise, I cannot wait to revisit Malaga, Spain and Funchal, Portugal.
Dates: April 24 to May 1, 2022 (7-night Mediterranean Cruise)
Cruise Line & Ship: Norwegian Cruise Line, Epic
Type of Stateroom: Club Balcony Suite
Cruise Port Order: Barcelona, Spain -> Ajaccio, France -> Naples & Pompeii, Italy -> Civitavecchia Rome, Italy -> Livorno Florence, Italy -> Cannes, France -> Palma Majorca, Spain -> Barcelona, Spain
Cost: $791 or $113/night (includes cruise fair, taxes, food, drinks, excursions, onboard entertainment, internet, etc.)
Excursions at Ports
A large part of my cruising experience were the excursions. Some of the activities I enjoyed were: kayaking, snorkeling, swimming with stingrays, deep sea fishing, catamaran and boat tours, hop-on-hop-off city bus tours, visiting waterfalls, beach days, wine and food tastings, and walking, bus or train tours. Often excursions would conclude with a few hours to spare before the ship disembarked for the next port. I would use that time to walk around the port city, people watch, grab a drink or taste some local food.
Onboard Activities
Besides all the wonderful things I did on land, at each port, there's even more activities every single hour of the day and night on the ship. There's an entire team devoted to the onboard activities like: morning stretch and yoga, trivia, bingo, dance lessons, cooking and baking lessons, wine and whisky tastings, belly flop contest, Newly Wed Gameshow, escape room, origami paper folding, lots of live music and DJ's, shuffleboard, table tennis, production theater shows, comedians, dueling pianos, and let's not forget the casino and their slot, blackjack and poker tournaments.
Food
When I wasn't exploring a new destination, or participating in activities onboard, I was eating my heart out. There is so much food available 24/7, and a wide variety that I had a hard trying just a few things each day; instead I tried many things every day...until the end of Week 2.
Why so Exhausting?
I discovered in the middle of my second week of cruising, I was becoming exhausted from the constant stimulus and FOMO. There was so much to do onboard and on land. I felt guilty even considering passing on all of the wonderful opportunities. But I knew I needed to take a few down days, and enjoy the quietness of my stateroom, or a quiet place onboard when most passengers are off exploring. However, since there's so many activities going on all during the day, announcements are made every couple hours. So my plan of relaxing in my room would get interrupted by the Cruise Director coming on over the ship's intercom system, announcing all the fun things to do.
When I wasn't exploring or doing something fun on the ship, I was eating...and eating a lot. By the end of Week 2, I was stuffed. I became physically uncomfortable with a bloated belly from over eating. I had to make a conscious effort to eat less, trying just a bite or two of all the fabulous food, and not finishing my plate.
What did I learn about myself?
I appreciate a good go-go-go schedule, but NOT for two months straight. It was too much for me. I learned how much I value "me-time." Yes, I loved seeing all of the beautiful countries and getting a taste of what they have to offer. I just don't like being that busy, all the time, for so long.
I learned that I miss having my own kitchen. Although I'm not the best chef, I enjoy being able to make simple meals on my own timeline. And I missed walking the streets of the communities I would live in, stopping at produce stands and small markets, buying snacks and essentials for my kitchen.
I loved having a cabin steward tend to my room two to three times a day. Making up my bed, or turning it down at night, providing a bucket of ice twice a day, and constantly having my bathroom cleaned. And let's not forget the wonderful wait staff and bartenders throughout the ship. All of the pampering was lovely, and was a good way to be spoiled.
The internet was hit and miss. By not having consistent access to wifi, I learned how much time I generally spend being connected online. It's more than I would have hoped, but it is what it is. Not having consistent, reliable internet was frustrating. I don't make a ton of phone calls, but when I do, it's to chat with my family and close friends. I didn't like not being able to call them when I wanted too, and where I wanted to. The internet did not work in my staterooms on the Granduer of the Seas, unless I was leaning up against the door. That meant I needed to sit in a public common area in the center of the ship to get the best reception. That's not really where I want to be, when holding personal calls. So I stuck to texting and email primarily during those 3 weeks. And occasionally, I found really good internet on land, but still in public places. So when I made a call, I kept it short and sweet.
Will I cruise again?
Of course! I think it's a great way to relocate continents and see a number of countries in a short period of time. It allows me to determine which countries and port cities I would want to visit again for a longer period of time on land. My two European cruises I took in 2017 and 2018 are why I relocated to Europe this year, via the transatlantic cruise; and I plan to stay in this region for a year or two minimum.
I would like to look into river cruises which are on much smaller vessels and tours tend to be built into the itinerary. For right now, I'm happy to be on land for a while.
