deep1 Posted April 5, 2019 Report Share Posted April 5, 2019 I'm a big game fishing boat captain by trade... roughly 5000 days at sea (wish I could turn them into rewards points). Most sane people do something as far away from their livelihood as they can find when taking a little vacation time. I do enjoy a trip to the woods now and then but nothing flips my pancakes like a cruise. I started with the Sea Escape one day things and slowly graduated to some older classic ships like Britanis and Oceana. I remember seeing Majesty for the first time and thinking "what a monster"!. How does it float? I dreamt of one day going on a realllllyyyy big boat. I did family on Westerdam and couldn't help having "RCCL" envy... I sailed Sovereign, Legend and yes even Majesty amongst others... Its like gold fever... Doing Independence this go around and already feel the burn to do not just Oasis class but maybe even do a transatlantic... I'm like a kid when I get aboard. I want to know every nook and cranny. I can't help that the instinctive captain comes out in me. I critique in my head the dock and basin maneuvering. I check GPS stats, check forecasts, eyeball the radars. Then I settle back. "Here I am on a floating city. Somebody else is driving. I don't have to rig baits, cut fish or wax the hull. Time for more running around and getting familiar. The pools, the endless food options, the glitz and glamour. In the casino I feel like saying "Bond, James Bond". Music and shows and games. Endless stream of fun "STUFF". Sleep is something I find hard to do before and during a cruise. I can do it when I get home. I can't get enough! Who else? WAAAYTOOO, Sweety, Hoski and 5 others 6 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princevaliantus Posted April 5, 2019 Report Share Posted April 5, 2019 The Cruise Junkie and deep1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted April 5, 2019 Report Share Posted April 5, 2019 You are a man who loves his job, and very lucky at that. I'd stay as far away from my profession on vacation as possible. Some of my co-workers (not many, but a few), seek out vacations where they can visit other sites of the same profession. I think they are bat-sh** crazy, but to each their own. lovecruising!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L454S Posted April 5, 2019 Report Share Posted April 5, 2019 Grew up on boats down here in south Louisiana. Duck hunting, fishing, crabbing, trapping, crawfishing, water skiing, etc. Still feel the best when on a cruise ship. Nothing else comes close. deep1 and The Cruise Junkie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtread Posted April 5, 2019 Report Share Posted April 5, 2019 29 minutes ago, deep1 said: I'm a big game fishing boat captain by trade... roughly 5000 days at sea (wish I could turn them into rewards points). Most sane people do something as far away from their livelihood as they can find when taking a little vacation time. I do enjoy a trip to the woods now and then but nothing flips my pancakes like a cruise. I started with the Sea Escape one day things and slowly graduated to some older classic ships like Britanis and Oceana. I remember seeing Majesty for the first time and thinking "what a monster"!. How does it float? I dreamt of one day going on a realllllyyyy big boat. I did family on Westerdam and couldn't help having "RCCL" envy... I sailed Sovereign, Legend and yes even Majesty amongst others... Its like gold fever... Doing Independence this go around and already feel the burn to do not just Oasis class but maybe even do a transatlantic... I'm like a kid when I get aboard. I want to know every nook and cranny. I can't help that the instinctive captain comes out in me. I critique in my head the dock and basin maneuvering. I check GPS stats, check forecasts, eyeball the radars. Then I settle back. "Here I am on a floating city. Somebody else is driving. I don't have to rig baits, cut fish or wax the hull. Time for more running around and getting familiar. The pools, the endless food options, the glitz and glamour. In the casino I feel like saying "Bond, James Bond". Music and shows and games. Endless stream of fun "STUFF". Sleep is something I find hard to do before and during a cruise. I can do it when I get home. I can't get enough! Who else? I can relate. I'd never seen the ocean until I joined the Navy....saw ALL the oceans! Around the world cruise on a brand new warship, we were underway 95% of the time while I was on board. I thought I'd never want to float on salt water again. Wrong. It gets in your blood. Being landlocked I longed for the coast, see the ships, tugs. seagulls, smell the aroma of the sea, tell sea stories. I realized every now and then I need to get back to sea....always will. I understand fully what you are saying. WAAAYTOOO, JLMoran and deep1 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzzywuzzy Posted April 5, 2019 Report Share Posted April 5, 2019 I hope your depression abates and you come around to your senses deep1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoski Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 3 hours ago, deep1 said: I'm a big game fishing boat captain by trade... roughly 5000 days at sea (wish I could turn them into rewards points). Most sane people do something as far away from their livelihood as they can find when taking a little vacation time. I do enjoy a trip to the woods now and then but nothing flips my pancakes like a cruise. I started with the Sea Escape one day things and slowly graduated to some older classic ships like Britanis and Oceana. I remember seeing Majesty for the first time and thinking "what a monster"!. How does it float? I dreamt of one day going on a realllllyyyy big boat. I did family on Westerdam and couldn't help having "RCCL" envy... I sailed Sovereign, Legend and yes even Majesty amongst others... Its like gold fever... Doing Independence this go around and already feel the burn to do not just Oasis class but maybe even do a transatlantic... I'm like a kid when I get aboard. I want to know every nook and cranny. I can't help that the instinctive captain comes out in me. I critique in my head the dock and basin maneuvering. I check GPS stats, check forecasts, eyeball the radars. Then I settle back. "Here I am on a floating city. Somebody else is driving. I don't have to rig baits, cut fish or wax the hull. Time for more running around and getting familiar. The pools, the endless food options, the glitz and glamour. In the casino I feel like saying "Bond, James Bond". Music and shows and games. Endless stream of fun "STUFF". Sleep is something I find hard to do before and during a cruise. I can do it when I get home. I can't get enough! Who else? I want to cruise with you. You could show me all the hidden parts and explain everything to me. I loved the SS Norway when she still sailed. I love the old classics and hubby wants big and flashy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep1 Posted April 6, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 Ocean water is similar in make up to our own blood (at least to some extent). For some of us it just blends to the point where we can't tell it apart. Salt can take its toll or it can keep one young. I guess its how we look at it. For me it has tried to take my life but has also given me life. One I'd never trade. I've got aptitude in a lot of different fields. I chose the sea. I was patching up a couple wounded conch divers in the Bahamas a few years ago. Someone said "You should have been a doctor"... "Why would I do that?" … "You could make a lot of money". "So I could get a boat and go fishing?" … Took a moment then he understood... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep1 Posted April 6, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 3 hours ago, L454S said: Grew up on boats down here in south Louisiana. Duck hunting, fishing, crabbing, trapping, crawfishing, water skiing, etc. Still feel the best when on a cruise ship. Nothing else comes close. I duck hunt from a kayak in New Jersey and Florida but would love to get to La some time and try it there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtread Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 30 minutes ago, deep1 said: Ocean water is similar in make up to our own blood (at least to some extent). For some of us it just blends to the point where we can't tell it apart. Salt can take its toll or it can keep one young. An interesting side note....just popped into my head lol. Sea water is 36,000 ppm salt. (I used to test ship's water, oil, fuel and that's one of the few things I remember). Carry on.... deep1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd W Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 sounds like you found the perfect way to vacation. Regardless of the circumstances, more people need to take your attitude to "stop and smell the ocean". While my wife and I have always been landlocked in our professions, we truly find solace in the sea. Plus it's just fun as hell! deep1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melski94 Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 I was in the Navy too and my Navy friends laugh about how much I love to be on a cruise ship especially as I didn't love being underway for my job. The only thing I really miss on cruises is seeing the stars. There's too much light really see the stars. deep1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 15 minutes ago, melski94 said: The only thing I really miss on cruises is seeing the stars. There's too much light really see the stars. You need to sail on a Voyager or Freedom class ship and go to the helipad one night. Never saw so many stars in my life, and I could even make out their colors for the first time ever. Growing up and living near NYC, I’ve only known major light pollution and the handful of super-bright stars that are visible around here. My kids thought I was nuts when I messaged them to get to the helipad and join me and my wife RIGHT NOW. Then they saw it and totally got it. Fuzzywuzzy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mljstr Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 @JLMoran This reminds me of our first cruise on the Monarch in 1997. We shared a table with a couple from NYC. He was a firefighter. I remember him saying the same things about the stars. He had never seen stars he said because of the light pollution. He stood on deck every night and marveled. JLMoran, The Cruise Junkie and Fuzzywuzzy 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 18 hours ago, deep1 said: I'm a big game fishing boat captain by trade... roughly 5000 days at sea (wish I could turn them into rewards points). Most sane people do something as far away from their livelihood as they can find when taking a little vacation time. I do enjoy a trip to the woods now and then but nothing flips my pancakes like a cruise. I started with the Sea Escape one day things and slowly graduated to some older classic ships like Britanis and Oceana. I remember seeing Majesty for the first time and thinking "what a monster"!. How does it float? I dreamt of one day going on a realllllyyyy big boat. I did family on Westerdam and couldn't help having "RCCL" envy... I sailed Sovereign, Legend and yes even Majesty amongst others... Its like gold fever... Doing Independence this go around and already feel the burn to do not just Oasis class but maybe even do a transatlantic... I'm like a kid when I get aboard. I want to know every nook and cranny. I can't help that the instinctive captain comes out in me. I critique in my head the dock and basin maneuvering. I check GPS stats, check forecasts, eyeball the radars. Then I settle back. "Here I am on a floating city. Somebody else is driving. I don't have to rig baits, cut fish or wax the hull. Time for more running around and getting familiar. The pools, the endless food options, the glitz and glamour. In the casino I feel like saying "Bond, James Bond". Music and shows and games. Endless stream of fun "STUFF". Sleep is something I find hard to do before and during a cruise. I can do it when I get home. I can't get enough! Who else? I totally get it. I want to know everything there is to know about everything. Part of it is because I hate surprises and want to look like I've "been there" before and part of it might be a little OCD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk-ultra Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 ATP pilot here. I still enjoy being an aviation geek when I travel. Still fascinated by airplanes, airports, travel and aviation in general. Heck, when I'm a passenger on an airplane while on vacation, I can usually be found reading Smithsonian Air & Space mag on my iPad. I feel the same way about ships. Sure, being a ship's master is a very different job from being an airline captain -- but both jobs have massive overlap. Planning, navigation, systems and limitations knowledge, emergency procedures, craploads of regulations... on-and-on. I love a bridge tour and a chance to talk with the officers about their jobs. Everything about a ship is fascinating and I could easily see enjoying that as a career path if I had taken it instead of flying. You're definitely not alone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtread Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 We didn't waste any time booking the All Access Ships Tour on Liberty....I want to see the innards for sure. I was in main propulsion in the Navy and I want to see what makes these big boys go! …..mmmm ok maybe big girls.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep1 Posted April 6, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 Great responses... I know all about the starlit nights away from all light contamination. Look hard and you'll spot satellites on some nights. Another thing that the sea lets you see up close and personal is weather... St. Elmos fire? What an experience that is.... It can get a little "frisky" as well. Weaving through a 'snake pit of waterspouts. Seeing that approaching squall line you know you aren't gonna get around. Now and then a special "rogue wave". Entire days that make you second guess your choice of a livelihood are then followed by those that remind you why you are there in the first place. rtread 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtread Posted April 6, 2019 Report Share Posted April 6, 2019 4 minutes ago, deep1 said: Entire days that make you second guess your choice of a livelihood are then followed by those that remind you why you are there in the first place. Exactly. And that is what many years later keeps pulling you back. Can't wait! deep1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fonemanbob Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 There is truly nothing more relaxing than sitting on the balcony for hours listening to the waves lap up against the ship. And we agree with JL Moran that going to the helipad to star gaze is so amazing and calming to ones mind and soul. rtread 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep1 Posted April 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 21 hours ago, rtread said: Exactly. And that is what many years later keeps pulling you back. Can't wait! It I guess will never let me go.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Horner Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 I love cruising too! We'll be on the Symphony of the Seas in a few weeks and I can't wait! We always get a junior suite and I love sitting on the balcony and watching the waves go by. One thing I wonder about is how many folks like the promenade rooms that face inwards. You're on a ship but you can't see the water. Whatever floats your boat. (get it?) rtread 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtread Posted April 7, 2019 Report Share Posted April 7, 2019 4 minutes ago, kontraxed said: I love cruising too! We'll be on the Symphony of the Seas in a few weeks and I can't wait! We always get a junior suite and I love sitting on the balcony and watching the waves go by. One thing I wonder about is how many folks like the promenade rooms that face inwards. You're on a ship but you can't see the water. Whatever floats your boat. (get it?) That's like when I fly, I want a window seat. There is nothing on earth as awesome as sunrise at sea. If you are a late sleeper, you are missing out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted April 8, 2019 Report Share Posted April 8, 2019 4 hours ago, kontraxed said: I love cruising too! We'll be on the Symphony of the Seas in a few weeks and I can't wait! We always get a junior suite and I love sitting on the balcony and watching the waves go by. One thing I wonder about is how many folks like the promenade rooms that face inwards. You're on a ship but you can't see the water. Whatever floats your boat. (get it?) I stayed in a promenade-facing room (not balcony, but not sure it would have made a huge difference) in Feb and it's one of those "never again" situations. It wasn't a bad room, but I really missed seeing the ocean from my room. Al Horner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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