"Decisions; Life is Full of Decisions" - Time Out #154

Almost everyone that experiences it, really, really enjoy it. It maintains a satisfaction rating well into the 90% range, highest by far of any travel outing.

Ocean cruising.

When my bride, Debbie, and I first started this form of vacation travel in the 1980's, I believe less than 3% of Americans had ever previously ocean cruised.

Boom!

Fast forward to today, and that percentage figure is close to tripling. This is due to ocean cruising's incredible popularity, our ever-increasing human population, and ships leaving out of every US port possible, not to even mention the many, many international ports-of-call. To put it mildly, the ocean cruising industry is on economic fire with total excitement and activity. The possibilities aboard a modern ocean cruise ship are practically endless.

You may choose a simple day trip, take more than 4 months to sail around the world, or simply do what most Americans do on their initial outing, take a week long trip to the Caribbean.

Because Ms. Debbie and I have cruised many, many times, we both are asked all sorts of questions about this wonderful mode of travel.

Probably the most common question is "what is your favorite cruise line?"

Since we've been on about a dozen vendors, that is not the easiest question to answer. Most times my answer is the last one I was on since I enjoy it so much. The more correct answer is probably a very personal choice for each cruiser. That is to say, if you are looking for total relaxation, food and individual service, choices are probably a high-end (cost-wise) line like Silversea, Regent, Seabourn, or Crystal. If shipboard fun, partying and new gadgets are your thing, probably Carnival or Royal Caribbean International (RCI) might be your pick. If younger-age family bonding is what you are seeking, you might choose Disney. For the middle or older age crowd and less youngsters around, the selection might be Holland America, Cunard, or newcomer, Viking Ocean Cruises. For smaller vessels that concentrate on more exotic port stops, consider Oceania or Azamara Club. For the more cost-conscious cruiser, you might be interested in Norwegian Cruise Line or Princess. In reality, I have omitted many carriers, including our latest, Celebrity, a division of RCI. We have cruised with Celebrity twice, and the first of the experiences was my favorite place I have ever been on Planet Earth, the remote Galapagos Islands in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Both our Celebrity experiences have been incredible, even though they are a little more on the cost side of available choices.

Speaking of money, just what are the major differences in the expense of one ocean cruise line versus another?

In our experience, it is the ratio of the crew to the passengers; usually the more crew per guest, the higher the cost of your ocean cruise vacation. The other major factor is the quality of food and beverages served on-board. The higher cost voyages usually have the equivalent of 5-star dining experiences at each and every meal readily available.

And, while still on the subject of cost, ocean cruising is one of the most cost-effective ways to stretch the traveler's vacation dollar. This is, of course, since almost all necessary expenses are already paid for in full before you board the ship. Ocean cruising today is very affordable for most everyone that takes any type of vacation; it is NOT just for wealthy people.

Another question I am often asked is "what is your favorite thing you enjoy about cruising?"

For me, that query takes no deep thought to quickly answer, "total mental relaxation".

We are all aware, traveling anywhere is a stressful process. To successfully pull it off, all the planning pieces need to fix together, or bad situations may make your trip experience less than pleasant. Well, dear readers of Our Town and far beyond, cruising almost eliminates these traveling pitfalls.

True, you have to get to your "floating hotel" and back to your home nest-of-rest, but once on-board, your worries are minimal.

Everything is taken care of by the crew. Your biggest decision is whether to sleep in, or to participate in any of the many on-board activities offered. My bride loves her reading time while watching the oceans of the world go by, and I love experiencing a county during a port stop that is much different from what I normally see during my routine back home.

Ocean cruises compared with the also incredibly popular river cruises? That will definitely be another written installment I will provide for future consideration by you the reader.

Don't even begin to think about getting seasick on an ocean ship, either! Most of these vessels are such giants, you hardly know they are moving thru the water. And, if you are still worried about that aspect, many simple, proactive measures may be done to almost prevent any bad seasick experience.

So, it is definitely a no-brainier! If you haven't ocean cruised yet, investigate all your possibilities, then, go! If you already have had this wonderful traveling experience, I know I am talking to the choir, and realize you have already scheduled your next one...............

Bon Voyage to all......