Oh the Places I'll Go

Seven years ago I took my first cruise, reluctantly, but all it took was that one experience to whet my appetite for more.  Since that first adventure on the seas, I have taken fifteen more ocean cruises and two river ones, for a total of over three hundred days now spent on ships.  And, we already have another five booked to sail within the next fifteen months!  Several friends have asked recently for suggestions of which ships and itineraries they might think about booking.  So, I am writing this post to provide my responses to that question.  I will begin with a caveat:   I have not sailed on the popular, big cruise ships like Norwegian or Royal Caribbean.   These may be great options for those with a limited budget or children, but I have no interest in trying them.   I have not sailed on ships that cater to families with children, like Disney, although I have heard good things about them.   I have also heard positive things from friend...

  Although Scott and I have traveled extensively, we had not ventured to India yet.   Frankly, we were both a bit nervous about visiting that country having heard tales of crowds and digestive illnesses and extreme poverty; so we decided to visit India via cruise ship.   That way we could experience some of the country and its culture while returning to eat and sleep in the comfort of the ship.   We compared several offerings and settled on an itinerary that included four different ports along the Indian coast as well as stops in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia before ending in Singapore.   The option we selected was on the small luxury ship Regent Seven Seas Voyager, which carries just 600 passengers.  In addition to being an all-inclusive line (shore excursions, gratuities, laundry service, etc.), the cruise price included business-class air, one pre-cruise night in a Dubai hotel, and a three-day post-cruise stay in Singapore.  In addition, this ...