Thinking of a Cruise

Maybe I am the odd one out, but after my last 15 years sea service was as master on cruise ships, I have no desire whatsoever in taking a cruise myself. The old adage....'Enough is enough, too much is too plentiful". I am asked frequently why dont I take a cruise (especially as I would get a good dscounted rate), I would however enjoy an occasional trip on board some old rust bucket to a few exotic ports !!!
I expect a couple of broadsides from cruise enthusiasts.

P.S. Do I miss it ?...The salary, yes. !!!!!

Cheers......Glan

Glan mate I enjoy a cruise yes, but I would equally enjoy any ship if it meant i could be out on the ocean again. You can take the man out of the sea, but you cannot take the sea out of the man.

We had three cruises with Ocean Village,two Med and one Carribean and couldnt find fault with anything.Food and entertainment first class and reasonably priced drinks.Unfortunately both ships have left the British market for Australia and renamed Pacific Pearl and Pacific Jewel.

I am off to San Diego in March for a 30 day trip with a few days on the old Queen Mary again.
We are going on the Rotterdam HA. to the Hawaiin Isles, French Polynesia, including Tahiti and Moorea where I have a Few Tahitian friends who always give us wonderful welcome and a real good time. I have to go cruising to see all my friends in that part of the world. Then to Rarotonga and a few more Cook Islands, where I have more friends there in Raro. then Kiribati, Fanning Island and the Marquesses.
I have never been on Holland America before so it will be a bit different than Cunards Queens. and Feb 2012 we have booked on Queen Elizabeth from San Francisco to New Zealand ports via Fiji and Pago Pago. then on to Melbourne and Sydney then a few weeks galloping around OZ. Fly home with a stop over in Singers. where we have more friends there. So I only go cruising to see all my old friends.
Also I am giving the sons nothing when I snuff it, I am going to enjoy everything I have worked for.They can have whats left if I cannot spend it in time.

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Originally Posted by john james

We had three cruises with Ocean Village,two Med and one Carribean and couldnt find fault with anything.Food and entertainment first class and reasonably priced drinks.Unfortunately both ships have left the British market for Australia and renamed Pacific Pearl and Pacific Jewel.

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Yes we have those two over here with P&O. From experience and from comments of others P&O operating out of Australia are not the best, they work to a price not a standard and it shows.

Hi John, P&O in the UK are much the same, exclusive restraunts (with a surcharge) also on their latest vessel "AZURA" they even charge you to access the Top decks foreward called the "Spa & Retreat".
P&O,Carnival Cruises never again. The next thing they will charge you to go to the "Karzi" a bit like "Ryan Air" are doing over here at present .:o:o:)

The Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 3 were both in Sydeny together during the week before the Elizabeth came here to Melbourne. She is I believe the largest ship to grace Station Pier. The Crystal Celebrity, about 65,000 tons was berthed the other side of the quay and was completely dwarfed by the 91,000ton Elizabeth. I got to talking to two Americans on her for the world cruise and they were most impressed with her interior and the service etc. But as I looked at her stern all I could see was an apartment block. She must have the least appealing stern of any ship I have ever seen. A marvelous feat of engineering and ship building but why do they no longer build ships in U.K. anymore??????????????? Even here in Oz we no longer build ships, two new Royal Naval ships built in Spain but brought here for fit out!!!!!!!!