| Cruise Diary, Day 8 -- At Sea | for everyone |
4/23/11 9:53 AM
Well, the view is certainly better than IHOP! We finally made it to the sit-down breakfast this morning (the time change back to EDT certainly helped in that regard). I blame McDonald’s for redefining hash browns as a super-sized tater-tot. Nevertheless, the breakfast was enjoyable and I’d try again if it didn’t mean setting an alarm – but it probably does.
I’m reduced to reading regular books. You know, the kind where you have to turn pages made of paper instead of hitting a button. I read four books on the Kindle™-- the aforementioned Uppity and the Hunger Games trilogy (It will be interesting to see how they handle this as a movie, whether they plan for a trilogy or compress the story into one. It seems to me that either could work, but the first stands pretty well by itself and the last two could be compressed. We’ll see. I think the first comes out this summer, starring the actress from Winter’s Bone.). I also got caught up on my news magazines, having brought the six I hadn’t had time for with me. A couple will be coming home as they had articles I want to save for teaching purposes. I should finish The Chocolate War (I think I may have read this already, but so far it’s only vaguely familiar) and a Jeffrey Deaver. Such a luxury, reading outside of summer!
4/23/11 11:02 PM
We’re nearing the end, packing our suitcases to fly home to (what’s left of) St. Louis on Monday. I thought I’d share our evaluations; this won’t be of interest to most, if any, but for those thinking about cruising….
Summary: we would absolutely book another cruise with Regent Seven Seas (and given the consolidation of the cruise industry, like the publishing industry, that’s probably a good thing). They probably cost themselves some money by not making it clear that travel insurance needed to be purchased by a clearer deadline. Given the advanced age of our parents, we probably would have bought it, but it was too late by the time we knew and we relied on luck (which held, and which is just one more reason why we don’t ever hit the casino, having already used up our quote of good fortune). Note: credit card companies vary on charging a foreign transaction fee (and virtually all cruise lines are foreign), so check in advance (Booo! Citibank, Yea! Chase).
Our accommodations were great (and we don’t stay at Motel 6, despite Tom Bodette leaving the light on for us). All the stewardesses were friendly, polite and efficient (of course, unlike a few fellow travelers, we don’t think of them as maids, either). The wait, bar, and dining room staff were outstanding and friendly. This cruise featured the best drinks of any all-inclusive experience we ever had. Were the margaritas as good as Hacienda’s or Amigo’s? No, but they were good, as were the Long Island Teas, Mai Tai’s (Salut! to Ben and Nicci) and wine (but we’re no connoisseurs). Love, love, love the no tipping for dinner, drinks, etc. Absolutely no attempts to nickel and dime you (okay, the internet was pricey, but that becomes free on subsequent cruises). We’ll leave a bonus for our stewardess, although I get the feeling it’s not really expected. Still, these few bucks mean less to me than they will to her. Banking karma seems a good strategy.
Everything was first rate. The entertainment was very good to at least acceptable and fun to watch. The small ship is our preference, although we had dinner tonight with a woman who is on her 72nd cruise and didn’t have anything bad to say about the megaships. The food was excellent and smart in terms of portion control. I take full responsibility for any overeating. Fresh fruit in the room every day, a fully stocked fridge (no charge). No charge for excursions. I like knowing my bottom line in advance. We’re not super-experienced cruisers, but we’d rate if 5-stars.
Tomorrow is the Dolphin-experience in Nassau. It will use up most of our time in that port, but we’re looking forward to it. If the dolphins (most of which were rescued from Hurricane Katrina, if that makes you feel better, as it does us) spill any secrets, well, I was going to say we’d let you know, but that would be a violation of confidentiality, wouldn’t it? Perhaps all they’ll say is, “So long, and thanks for all the fish.”
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