The Cruise Ship Experience

If you'd asked me ten years ago, "would you like to go on a cruise?" I would have said, "hello no!" Followed by, "... wait, is it free?"

In all seriousness - I've never had any interest in experiencing McMexico or McCaribbean. Giving up quality time in a country in exchange for a boat full of Americans (and their ill-behaved children) sounds like torture.

Alaska is a different story...

The most beautiful parts of the 49th state can only be seen by boat. There's really nothing like seeing a glacier that's a quarter-mile wide filling your range of vision. Sure, you can cruise glacier bay on a smaller boat, but there's no afternoon tea on those boats.



So, with it being a recession year and all (I got a balcony cabin for almost half-price) I figured, why not? I hope after viewing my Alaska video (about 11 min) you'll see why its worth braving the hordes of "newlywed, overfed, and almost dead."

To be completely honest, the cruise experience wasn't as bad as I expected. The food was great, the scenery was amazing and it was nice to see so many things and only unpack once.

So, perhaps you're wondering:

Megan, you get motion sick watching iMAX movies, how can you go on a cruise?

Well, the answer is drugs. Yes, my friends, sometimes drugs are the answer. In this case I took 1/2 a Bonine every day. I tried going off it one day but started feeling pukey-y so I took a Triptone (which can make you feel better even if you're already sick) and had a nice, long nap.

Here are some cruise ship myths I've debunked:

MYTH: Cruise ships are full of old people.
It's 85% old people.

MYTH: You have to get dressed up every night.
You can eat on the Lido deck and not dress up.
That said: all meals are included, so, why eat at the buffet when you can have a three course meal in the dining room? Even I'll put on a sweater and a necklace for that.

MYTH: Don't try to bring your own booze, they'll take it away.
Holland America allows passengers to bring wine and champagne in your luggage. After you're underway it's a different story. If you buy booze in port, they take it away when you get back on board and give it back at the end of the trip.

Here are some interesting things I learned:

• The horn is really loud. It's a bad idea to be at the bow when they blow that thing.
• There's a mandatory lifeboat drill for all passengers on the first day.
• Our cabin steward worked 11 hours/day with no days off.
• The guys who run the gym love Roxette's greatest hits.
• The cruise ship people don't mess around when it comes to hand-washing.

Seriously, the captain gave us regular reminders over the PA. There were also burly guys posted at the bottom of the gangway next to a Purell dispenser. These guys - in-no-uncertain-terms - wanted every passenger to sanitize their hands before boarding the ship after being in port.