coneyraven Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Well, after a 7-year hiatus, I'm finally back into cruising ..... Here are my take-aways ... 1) My wife now understands, it's not just the destination, it's the entire cruise experience. So much so, we have another one booked (also Vision Class) and an additional one in the wheelhouse, just working out the details.... 2) I LOVE GRANDEUR OF THE SEAS!!!! I couldn't even think of a negative.... the crew, the food, the fellow passengers... all one big happy family... 3) The thrill (the optical illusion) of going under the Key Bridge and the Bay Bridge ..... you just need to see it to believe it. 4) The Calypso music ...... there's just something magical about a steel drum on the pool deck. 5) Bermuda is incredible ..... especially the crazy pink buses. Getting around the island is very easy once you understand the concept of how it's planned out. 6) And here's the biggest take-away .... which you could never purchase, but is priceless --- The ability to decompress from the world, even when you don't even realize you need to decompress. It was truly a medicinal experience .... Plus, the removal of all the hate, politics, Clinton, Trump, Media and all the other negatives that fill the airwaves. It wasn't until we got off the ship that we were able to grasp how important that was.... We were all one big happy family, regardless of where we all came from, for one brief moment, we were all together..... and I, for one, will be eternally grateful. For a 5-day period, we were off the grid for the most part ...... and it was fantastic. Mark MylesDots, murphmatic, Michel and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 WOOHOO !! So glad you enjoyed it. ...and I assume your wife is now addicted as well ?? Can't do better than that ! The Grandeur was our first RCI cruise. Always a special place in my heart for her ! coneyraven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted October 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 WOOHOO !! So glad you enjoyed it. ...and I assume your wife is now addicted as well ?? Can't do better than that ! The Grandeur was our first RCI cruise. Always a special place in my heart for her ! Addicted? That's an understatement .... She's the one that remembered to stop into the Next Cruise Office ...... she's the one that chose the next cruise .... Which will be on Rhapsody, so, another Vision Class is a very good thing in her eyes. She's addicted, hooked, whatever you want to call it ..... Heck, we scoped on the way to Baltimore and she was more interactive with it than I was ... WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Great report, Mark! coneyraven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted October 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Great report, Mark! Thank You Matt --- As I've said previously, a lot of the credit goes back to you and the RCL Blog family ...... being able to go into this with the knowledge to not make basic mistakes gave us both the ability to just relax ...... It was just the "Decompress Factor" that I just didn't see coming, that is, until the second sea day, I sat back, listened to the music, watched the clouds go by and thought about how truly lucky we are to be able to enjoy such a vacation...... I can assure you, neither Tyna nor myself take any part of the cruising experience for granted .... I'm just so glad that she now understands why people get hooked on cruising and that she's now one of them. Watching her discover things was as much fun for her as it was for me. For example, we did the Couples Massage, which, by the way, is WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! How I didn't fall asleep is beyond me. How truly lucky we all are ......... Now on to the next one..... Mark Matt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailor_to_Cruiser Posted October 4, 2016 Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 For example, we did the Couples Massage, which, by the way, is WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! How I didn't fall asleep is beyond me. I did fall asleep and my wife was embarrassed by my snoring. The staff just said that it is actually a compliment to them. Jeff, WAAAYTOOO and coneyraven 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted October 4, 2016 Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 I did fall asleep and my wife was embarrassed by my snoring. The staff just said that it is actually a compliment to them. I fell asleep in the Solarium once on Brilliance and when I woke up, the lady next to me asked if I slept well, because they all heard me :wacko: Jeff, DocLC and coneyraven 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted October 4, 2016 Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 I had a cold on one cruise, so I decided to sleep on our aft balcony soi as not to disturb the family and thinking the sea air would help with my congestion. I was rudely awakened at 2 AM as water from the upper deck came putting down on me as a consequence of them cleaning the upper decks on another cruise line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailor_to_Cruiser Posted October 4, 2016 Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 I fell asleep in the Solarium once on Brilliance and when I woke up, the lady next to me asked if I slept well, because they all heard me :wacko: Been there, done that too. B) B) coneyraven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarney Posted October 4, 2016 Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 She's the one that remembered to stop into the Next Cruise Office ...... she's the one that chose the next cruise .... Which will be on Rhapsody, so, another Vision Class is a very good thing in her eyes. If you don't mind me asking, which sailing? We'll be on Rhapsody in April. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted October 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 If you don't mind me asking, which sailing? We'll be on Rhapsody in April. She chose April 15, 2018 ----UGH!!!!! So, because 500 days out is way, way, too far away. ....we're looking at something for next year probably in the fall when the kids are back in school. Perhaps a 4-nighter on Majesty out to Nassau .... she's never been there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarney Posted October 4, 2016 Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 She chose April 15, 2018 ----UGH!!!!! So, because 500 days out is way, way, too far away. ....we're looking at something for next year probably in the fall when the kids are back in school. Perhaps a 4-nighter on Majesty out to Nassau .... she's never been there We did Vision out of Tampa this past April and enjoyed it so much we decided to replicate the experience next year when Rhapsody is docked there. I can't fathom waiting 500 days for my next cruise... heck, 365 is 180 too many. :) coneyraven and Jeff 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted October 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 We did Vision out of Tampa this past April and enjoyed it so much we decided to replicate the experience next year when Rhapsody is docked there. I can't fathom waiting 500 days for my next cruise... heck, 365 is 180 too many. :) I couldn't agree more .... but she's the financial genius in the family, I have to give her credit, she says she wants to build up the finances to a level so that we don't have to pinch pennies while on vacation ..... But now that she's hooked, even she'll agree that waiting that long is just plain torture, hence the short cruise we'll probably do sometime next year ..... it'll be a primer before the April one, plus, she really wants to experience Coco Cay --- a Beach Day WITH the Drink Package....... the ultimate dream come true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted October 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2016 Plus, the way I figure it, if I can wait 7 years between cruises...... 500 days is child's play ...... it's all in how you perceive it...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphmatic Posted October 5, 2016 Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 "6) And here's the biggest take-away .... which you could never purchase, but is priceless --- The ability to decompress from the world, even when you don't even realize you need to decompress. It was truly a medicinal experience .... Plus, the removal of all the hate, politics, Clinton, Trump, Media and all the other negatives that fill the airwaves. It wasn't until we got off the ship that we were able to grasp how important that was.... We were all one big happy family, regardless of where we all came from, for one brief moment, we were all together..... and I, for one, will be eternally grateful."Couldn't agree with you more. Our first cruise ever was three years ago. A four day on the Enchantment out of PC. It was liberating to not carry a phone or wallet. I thought I'd miss it but I didn't. While on Coco Cay I floated out in the water staring up to the sky and just cleared my head of any thoughts. Nothing. Just me, the water and blue sky. Honestly it was a bit of work for me to clear my mind but floating in the Caribbean helps.I'd never done that before in my life. It was the most peaceful I'd been in recent memory. Can't buy that kind of peace. DavidSodapop, coneyraven, DocLC and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted October 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 "6) And here's the biggest take-away .... which you could never purchase, but is priceless --- The ability to decompress from the world, even when you don't even realize you need to decompress. It was truly a medicinal experience .... Plus, the removal of all the hate, politics, Clinton, Trump, Media and all the other negatives that fill the airwaves. It wasn't until we got off the ship that we were able to grasp how important that was.... We were all one big happy family, regardless of where we all came from, for one brief moment, we were all together..... and I, for one, will be eternally grateful." Couldn't agree with you more. Our first cruise ever was three years ago. A four day on the Enchantment out of PC. It was liberating to not carry a phone or wallet. I thought I'd miss it but I didn't. While on Coco Cay I floated out in the water staring up to the sky and just cleared my head of any thoughts. Nothing. Just me, the water and blue sky. Honestly it was a bit of work for me to clear my mind but floating in the Caribbean helps. I'd never done that before in my life. It was the most peaceful I'd been in recent memory. Can't buy that kind of peace. Thank You for quoting that particular statement .... I wrestled with just how to word it because, conveying what is in my heart to a sentence can be difficult at times ..... You, from your statement, get how just the act of decompressing from all the crap going on in the world, can do more for you and your faith in humanity than you could ever expect or imagine when you first board the ship ..... that alone, can make a person addicted to cruising. As I sort of mentioned in the original post ---- For a brief moment in time, all 2,400 of us were family, period. Tears were shed on disembarkation day, hugs were freely given, and the friends we made from all walks of life will forever have a place in our hearts .... Thank You Royal Caribbean for giving all of us an avenue to just find our faith in humanity and that love, kindness, mutual respect and faith in each other will always win out over the evils of the world. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted October 5, 2016 Report Share Posted October 5, 2016 Thank You for quoting that particular statement .... I wrestled with just how to word it because, conveying what is in my heart to a sentence can be difficult at times ..... You, from your statement, get how just the act of decompressing from all the crap going on in the world, can do more for you and your faith in humanity than you could ever expect or imagine when you first board the ship ..... that alone, can make a person addicted to cruising. As I sort of mentioned in the original post ---- For a brief moment in time, all 2,400 of us were family, period. Tears were shed on disembarkation day, hugs were freely given, and the friends we made from all walks of life will forever have a place in our hearts .... Thank You Royal Caribbean for giving all of us an avenue to just find our faith in humanity and that love, kindness, mutual respect and faith in each other will always win out over the evils of the world. Mark From personal experience, I have found this to be more true with Royal than any other line having sailed all of the mass market cruise lines. While there are some things I believe Royal could do much better, in the end I find that I have much more positive interactions on Royal ships than on any other line. The guests are more congenital, friendly, etc. than I've experienced on any other line . . . a true family as you put it. bcarney 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.