Best and Worst Cruise Experience (captain, Mexico, Mediterranean, dinner)

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by MoMark

Wow...two aspirins will protect from burning? I'm a redhead with blue eyes and I've had skin cancer issues for 13 years and I never knew or heard that aspirin could protect me from burning. Does it protect from the damage that causes skin cancer too?
As for Cuba, I was stationed at Guantanamo for two years. That's where I got most of the sun that I'm sure started my lovely adventure with basel cell carcinoma!

I didn't know about that either, as a fellow blue-eyed redhead. Guess it doesn't matter for me, though, since I'm terribly allergic to aspirin... I just use good sunblock, and avoid the sun as much as possible. My father's also a redhead (with green eyes), and he's had multiple pre-cancerous moles removed. So I'm very careful!! But as for your other post, there is PLENTY of food and other stuff to keep you busy on a cruise... my brother-in-law gained 10 pounds on our last cruise, which was only 7 days long.

[MoMark]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

I didn't know about that either, as a fellow blue-eyed redhead. Guess it doesn't matter for me, though, since I'm terribly allergic to aspirin... I just use good sunblock, and avoid the sun as much as possible. My father's also a redhead (with green eyes), and he's had multiple pre-cancerous moles removed. So I'm very careful!! But as for your other post, there is PLENTY of food and other stuff to keep you busy on a cruise... my brother-in-law gained 10 pounds on our last cruise, which was only 7 days long.

I believed that sunblock would protect me in those days. It turns out that the rays that cause the visible burn were blocked, but sunblock in the 80's didn't have the chemicals or ingredients that blocked the ones that go deep into tissue and damage the cells. Who knew? I thought I was protecting myself. It angers me 20 years later to know these earlier sunscreens did not protect me and now I'm paying for it.
As for a cruise with food. I'd LOVE ten pounds right now. My boompa flattened out a bit in May when I was sick and had no appetite and I have yet to get my wonder buns puffed up to prior fullness again With that said, I will eat a taco and the rest of my pecan pie here in a few minutes. I don't worry about hot sauce clashing with the dessert in my stomach. I figure it'll all work out in the end

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by MoMark

I believed that sunblock would protect me in those days. It turns out that the rays that cause the visible burn were blocked, but sunblock in the 80's didn't have the chemicals or ingredients that blocked the ones that go deep into tissue and damage the cells. Who knew? I thought I was protecting myself. It angers me 20 years later to know these earlier sunscreens did not protect me and now I'm paying for it.
As for a cruise with food. I'd LOVE ten pounds right now. My boompa flattened out a bit in May when I was sick and had no appetite and I have yet to get my wonder buns puffed up to prior fullness again With that said, I will eat a taco and the rest of my pecan pie here in a few minutes. I don't worry about hot sauce clashing with the dessert in my stomach. I figure it'll all work out in the end

Who knew? Good one. Who knew about the 4,000 chemicals in ONE cigarette that are the real killers from smoking. Who knew about HIV and AIDS. Who knew about crack.
What other depressing thing can I think of?????

[bobizzy3]

I have been to Mexico,, two times,, to Alaska, once, the Caribbean once, the Baltic states, Dennmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Germany, Estonia, Poland, and the Mediterrean, Barcelona, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey. All these visits were on Princess cruise. With the exception of the Caribbean.

All have been on Princess,, no complaints. One cruise on Royal Caribbean, it was bad. Bad service, bad food,, it was just a bad experience. I think cruising is like anything else in life. You get what you pay for,, the more you pay the better the food and the service.

The absolute best cruise was the Mediterrean. All the ports were fantastic,, the excursions were educational, fun, exciting, and well coordinated.

Alaska is overated (don't get me wrong)but it was a great trip,, I think I just heard to much about how great it was before we went. It was good, just over hyped. The extra days in Vancover to see Canada and the surrounding sites is a VERY good idea. So is driving from Cal to Canada. Great drive. We saw more whales and wild life in Mexico than Alaska,,, but the views from the ship on the inside passage are incredible,,,,,,

Best surprises,, Turkey,,, I was in awe of this country and it's history,, usually overshadowed by Greece,,, Russia was an eye opener. This was the only country where I got sick from eating something in St Petersburg,,,but it was worth it,,,,,

If I had just one city or country to go to again it would be Spain and Barcelona,,, fantastic,, great people, food, sites, all the culture of Paris, with friendlier people,,, better food,, better beaches,,it is worth a trip as a destination,,,I will return to Spain,,,

Some people but to much emphasis on the ship and food,, it is really about the destinations,, most of the ship offer the same amenities,, but the more you pay the better they are,,,,

I would be glad to answer any questions,,, on any of these ports of call,,

By far,,not even close,,,,,,,,, if you have one cruise in your future do the Mediterrean,,,

My next cruise will be in Far East,, I have lived in Thailand so I am familar with of the East but want to visit Japan, Korea, China, and New Zealand,,,

Anyone with info on these areas please share,, Thank YOu,,,

[MoMark]

Originally Posted by bobizzy3

I have been to Mexico,, two times,, to Alaska, once, the Caribbean once, the Baltic states, Dennmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Germany, Estonia, Poland, and the Mediterrean, Barcelona, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey. All these visits were on Princess cruise. With the exception of the Caribbean.

All have been on Princess,, no complaints. One cruise on Royal Caribbean, it was bad. Bad service, bad food,, it was just a bad experience. I think cruising is like anything else in life. You get what you pay for,, the more you pay the better the food and the service.

The absolute best cruise was the Mediterrean. All the ports were fantastic,, the excursions were educational, fun, exciting, and well coordinated.

Alaska is overated (don't get me wrong)but it was a great trip,, I think I just heard to much about how great it was before we went. It was good, just over hyped. The extra days in Vancover to see Canada and the surrounding sites is a VERY good idea. So is driving from Cal to Canada. Great drive. We saw more whales and wild life in Mexico than Alaska,,, but the views from the ship on the inside passage are incredible,,,,,,

Best surprises,, Turkey,,, I was in awe of this country and it's history,, usually overshadowed by Greece,,, Russia was an eye opener. This was the only country where I got sick from eating something in St Petersburg,,,but it was worth it,,,,,

If I had just one city or country to go to again it would be Spain and Barcelona,,, fantastic,, great people, food, sites, all the culture of Paris, with friendlier people,,, better food,, better beaches,,it is worth a trip as a destination,,,I will return to Spain,,,

Some people but to much emphasis on the ship and food,, it is really about the destinations,, most of the ship offer the same amenities,, but the more you pay the better they are,,,,

I would be glad to answer any questions,,, on any of these ports of call,,

By far,,not even close,,,,,,,,, if you have one cruise in your future do the Mediterrean,,,

My next cruise will be in Far East,, I have lived in Thailand so I am familar with of the East but want to visit Japan, Korea, China, and New Zealand,,,

Anyone with info on these areas please share,, Thank YOu,,,

Great post! Very informative actually. But honestly, for me, I wouldn't really care what ports the ship went to as long as the accomodations satisfied me. I'm more interested in the food and onboard lifestyle and I'd be totally disappointed and depressed if I got on a ship and the food sucked. I like foreign ports, but I have spent a lot of time overseas and worked/lived in the Philippines, stayed in Hong Kong, been through most of the Caribbean, including two years in Cuba, stayed long periods in Mexico, lived in Germany, have visited all of Western Europe and stayed for months in Spain while spending a lot of time in Paris which I actually found very friendly and nice. I go on actual trips to those places and "live" in them when I'm visiting. But for a cruise, I'm not so interested in the ports of call, I truly want to be like a Roman gorging on excess and be treated like a king and fed day and night scrumptious goodies in quantity and then dance if I feel like it, gamble I feel like it, swim if I feel like it, watch a show if I feel like it, and sleep when I feel like it. My focus would be the ship and enjoying its luxuries. The port calls would be nice, but not my main focus. For food and sheer pampering, which do you recommend?

[Mvn2nc]

Originally Posted by MoMark

Great post! Very informative actually. But honestly, for me, I wouldn't really care what ports the ship went to as long as the accomodations satisfied me. I'm more interested in the food and onboard lifestyle and I'd be totally disappointed and depressed if I got on a ship and the food sucked. I like foreign ports, but I have spent a lot of time overseas and worked/lived in the Philippines, stayed in Hong Kong, been through most of the Caribbean, including two years in Cuba, stayed long periods in Mexico, lived in Germany, have visited all of Western Europe and stayed for months in Spain while spending a lot of time in Paris which I actually found very friendly and nice. I go on actual trips to those places and "live" in them when I'm visiting. But for a cruise, I'm not so interested in the ports of call, I truly want to be like a Roman gorging on excess and be treated like a king and fed day and night scrumptious goodies in quantity and then dance if I feel like it, gamble I feel like it, swim if I feel like it, watch a show if I feel like it, and sleep when I feel like it. My focus would be the ship and enjoying its luxuries. The port calls would be nice, but not my main focus. For food and sheer pampering, which do you recommend?

Thats amazing for you it's all about the food, life on the ship and being pampered.For someone like myself, ports are the most important aspect of the cruise.Dont get me wrong, i want the ship to be as nice as can be,my room cleaned and funny animal towels left on my bed each night and a nice selection of food but i also feel there is so much wasted food it becomes disgusting. Its also perplexes me that some people load up so much food on their plates at the buffets like they have been on Survivor and have not ate in a really long time. They end up throwing half of it away.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by MoMark

I believed that sunblock would protect me in those days. It turns out that the rays that cause the visible burn were blocked, but sunblock in the 80's didn't have the chemicals or ingredients that blocked the ones that go deep into tissue and damage the cells. Who knew? I thought I was protecting myself. It angers me 20 years later to know these earlier sunscreens did not protect me and now I'm paying for it.

I'm admittedly not very strict about using sunblock... so it's a good thing I avoid the sun. As for what you said about old sunblock, I didn't know all of that! I think I'm a bit younger than you (no offense, lol), though I did grow up in the '80s & used sunblock back then. But my skin's in pretty good shape, which is why I still get carded often (even for 18+ things) - and hopefully it will be that way for a while!

As for a cruise with food. I'd LOVE ten pounds right now. My boompa flattened out a bit in May when I was sick and had no appetite and I have yet to get my wonder buns puffed up to prior fullness again With that said, I will eat a taco and the rest of my pecan pie here in a few minutes. I don't worry about hot sauce clashing with the dessert in my stomach. I figure it'll all work out in the end

If you'd like, I'll be happy to send you 10 of my pounds. I've actually lost almost 60 lbs. in the last year, but could stand to lose another 20...

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by Mvn2nc

Thats amazing for you it's all about the food, life on the ship and being pampered.For someone like myself, ports are the most important aspect of the cruise.Dont get me wrong, i want the ship to be as nice as can be,my room cleaned and funny animal towels left on my bed each night and a nice selection of food but i also feel there is so much wasted food it becomes disgusting.

Well, I guess everyone has their priorities! I personally appreciate it all - the food, culture/ports, entertainment, "night-life", etc. Only thing I don't like is basking in the sun, for reasons I've stated above. That's the great thing about a cruise, though, since there's something for everyone. We took my grandmother on a cruise when she was about 85 (she's 89 now), and I don't think she left the boat once... she doesn't have the energy for touring cities, so she was all about the formal dining, spa, and playing Scrabble or cards on the deck. We arrived at one port and said "Grandma, don't you want to see Aruba?" - she responded by looking out the window and saying "Okay, I saw it!"

Its also perplexes me that some people load up so much food on their plates at the buffets like they have been on Survivor and have not ate in a really long time. They end up throwing half of it away.

Tell that to my brother-in-law, LOL! I agree, too much of that food goes to waste... but I swear, some people are like human garbage cans.

[HappyandMarried]

Our next cruise will be the Mediterranean, sometime in 2007.

If you only go on one cruise lines you have no basis for comparison. Our first cruise was on Royal Caribbean, and at the time we thought everything was wonderful. It wasn't until the next cruise on Celebrity (owned by RC) that we realized what pampering really meant. The food was better, the services was better, the excursions were better, everything was a step above RC. And then we took a Princess cruise - the ONE time we will make that mistake. It's Celebrity Cruise Lines from now on (unless they don't have a itinerary in the area we want).

Any cruise or vacation, or whatever is what YOU make of it. Alaska was incredible. The helicopter ride to the top of the glacier was one of the highlights. It was like living a National Geographic special. The Denali tour was just ok. Everyone expects to see animals everywhere in Denali - nothing could be further from the truth. We did see Moose, bear, fox, etc. - all in a Wildlife Rescue Center (lol). We only saw one moose in Denali that was roaming free.

Here are some pictures taken during the helicopter ride excursion. If you go to Alaska you have to spend the $$ and take the ride.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by HappyandMarried

Our next cruise will be the Mediterranean, sometime in 2007.

You should read my earlier comments, about our Mediterranean cruise on Orient Lines... if that's the type of boat you'd like, I'd highly recommend it! And make sure you get one that stops in Turkey (or starts there, like ours did), since it's a truly amazing place. We saw Istanbul and Kusadasi, and had a terrific time - especially shopping at the Grand Bazaar.

Oh, and I think I forgot to include Greece in my original post about that cruise... we stopped in Mykanos (sp?) and Santorini, which were quite pretty.

Any cruise or vacation, or whatever is what YOU make of it. Alaska was incredible. The helicopter ride to the top of the glacier was one of the highlights. It was like living a National Geographic special. The Denali tour was just ok. Everyone expects to see animals everywhere in Denali - nothing could be further from the truth. We did see Moose, bear, fox, etc. - all in a Wildlife Rescue Center (lol). We only saw one moose in Denali that was roaming free.

Here are some pictures taken during the helicopter ride excursion. If you go to Alaska you have to spend the $$ and take the ride.

Nice pics! We also took a helicopter ride in Alaska, but not to the top of a glacier... it went up on a mountain for dog-sledding, which was soooo much fun!! I'll post some pics below, of that & other scenes from the boat. I also have some really gorgeous shots from a helicopter ride in Hawaii, but will have to upload them another time.