I have never been on a cruise in my life. Never wanted to. I call them ‘floating Petri dishes’ because thousands of people are in a confined space…breathing the same air, coughing, sneezing, and God only knows what else. But I went last week.
For a few years now I’ve wanted to take an Alaskan cruise…by myself. My husband wasn’t interested. My sister didn’t know if she could afford it. All my friends like to sleep late and stay up late. I like to wake up early and go to bed early. Besides, when you go by yourself, you don’t have to worry about another person…when they want to eat, what entertainment they like, how much shopping they want to do, etc.
After some hemming and hawing, my sister and I decided to go. I didn’t do a ton of research on cruise lines but I did know I didn’t want young people, loud music, or children. My husband suggested I call Costco travel. We’ve both heard many great things about them.
I called, told the gal on the phone that I was sixty-eight and my sister is sixty-nine, it’s our first cruise ever, and that we prefer a little bit older crowd.
She recommended the Holland America Westerdam. We figured out dates, price, packages, ships, and what kind of room I wanted. And for me that’s where the excitement ended.
It was suggested that I download the Holland America app to track my trip, excursions, the statement that shows what charges were charged to my room, daily activities, and so much more.
Both my sister and I did not find this app to help us at all. We did read thru the FAQ’s prior to leaving but almost all of those questions and answers were related to weather, how to pack, what to pack, formal night etc.
How about, “Where do I find coffee first thing in the morning since there isn’t a coffee pot in my cabin and the dining room isn’t open?”
How about telling us, “Take your room key-card with you EVERYWHERE because each time you want anything, including a glass of water, they scan your card.
How about, “There’s a bar code on the app which is more convenient than always looking for a little plastic card.”
How about, “Here’s a breakdown of your itinerary for the week showing what restaurants you can go to, the dress code involved, what dinners are included in your package along with the location/name of said restaurant, how many drinks are included in your package, etc.”
There were things we didn’t find out until one and two days before the end of the cruise. I guess we could have asked the friendly people at Guests Services but each time something crosses your mind, who wants to go from the 10th deck to the 1st deck. And by the number of people waiting in line at Guest Services, it’s my guess that things weren’t clear for other people also.
And just so you don’t have to haul your wallet around, they graciously add an 18% gratuity to your final statement, 19% if you’re in a suite.
Ok…now for the positive things. The staff was over-the-top friendly and helpful. The food was good and nicely presented. The ship was spotless every day. Non stop cleaning. The two gentlemen who were assigned to our cabin made sure our beds were made, towels changed, and ice bucket full every day. They were so nice and remembered our names from Day 1.
There is a game room on the ship that was so clean and organized, with beautiful tables and chairs by the windows to see outside while you were playing any one of dozens of games provided. Bar service was available anywhere and everywhere.
You either love cruising or you don’t. My sister and I knew in less than twelve hours into the cruise that we would never do another one. It wasn’t a bad experience, the scenery and villages we saw were amazing, and the weather was perfect. We’re used to traveling and renting houses thru VRBO, not worrying about time schedules, coming and going as we please, and not sharing a space with two thousand plus other people.
Back to Basics 