Retired Sorority Girl and I took some time away and went on another cruise. This time, we choose to go on Carnival instead of RCCL ... mainly because we have a wedding coming up and since weddings are the most expensive day ever invented, we decided to do more of a budget / than luxury cruise. Some key takeaways and experiences:
- The crew on board was amazing ... by far the highlight of the trip. The other passengers were some of the best people watching I've seen in years. Let's just say that I felt like a young, wealthy model on board that ship compared to the other passengers. I'm also convinced the crew was nice to us because we were the only two spending money.
- Clubs on cruise ships are always a good time ... especially if there is no one else in it but you. That happened to us on the third night b/c we had the entire club to ourselves. If you are afraid to dance in public, then this is the way to go. Of course, at one point during my special dances, the DJ did come over the intercomm and make fun of me ... a real highlight of the trip.
- The food was surprisingly amazing. I had heard a rumor it wasn't very good but I couldn't say anything was bad or even not good. In fact, I think they had more options than RCCL from a casual experience and the dining room was really good. Most importantly they offer you warm / molten chocolate cake each night which is one of the greatest things on Earth. Had I not caught the Norwalk Virus, I'm sure I would have gained weight!
- By the pool deck, they have a Wok station which was fantastic. Personally, I thought having Wok food by the pool was odd, but then I experienced the phenomena and it was incredible. Everyone should have noodles, chicken and veggies while sipping on a pina coloda and listening to dance music.
- Speaking of which, if I hear anyone say, CRISS CROSS anytime soon they are going to get punched.
- Always get a private cabana ... no matter what cruise, if a private cabana is offered, get it no matter the cost. I've done it on two cruise lines and both panned out great.
- Three card poker is bull shit. Just sayin ...
- Freeport, Bahamas is a miss ... stay on board a ship unless you feel the need to go look at straw products and clothing made in China.
- No matter what you think, water proof sun tan lotion is not water proof, comes off and you get sunburned pretty badly.
- Everyone should Karaoke on a cruise.
- No one should watch a presidential debate on a cruise with strangers. While an interesting experience, not one I'd like to repeat again.
- Pictures, pictures, pictures -- since my father is a photographer, I've never been a huge picture person. On cruises, they are worse that a bad sorority party with pictures. The difference is that on RCCL, they take the pictures seriously. On Carnival, they are awesome and let you do whatever you want. For instance, one night, we went from bad glamour shots to dressing up like Mexicans. It was amazing! One of the highlights of the trip and I'll be sure to scan some of the images.
- Another highlight was the second annual Jed / RSG Olympics - each cruise, we compete against each other in events such as ping pong, gambling, shuffle board, air hockey, etc. Unfortunately for RSG, the results this year were a land slide victory for Jed. In fact, he even tried to let her win a few and she lost. Looks like someone needs to get training before the next trip.
- And finally ... the best part (and careful, this gets graphic) ... the night before the last full day at sea, I caught the dreaded Norwalk Virus. Yes, that's right sports fans, Jed got sick on vacation. And I'm not talking a runny nose, I'm talking that shit (literally) was coming out of all areas and it was horrible. Imagine clinging onto a tiny toilet vomiting in a tiny cruise ship bathroom only to realize you now have explosive Montezuma's revenge. Now flip that, you are taking care of the revenge and then you vomit all over yourself. Yeah, pretty amazing experience! Looking back, I really laugh about the disgustingness and movie worthy experience that was the cruise ship bathroom of horror.
- What's neat about having the Norwalk Virus on board a cruise ship is that you are quarantined to your room. Sounds horrible, but then you realize that you are tremendously contagious so you can't blame them. In fact, they go to extremes. I was give bio-hazard bags (giant red) to put my 'waste' and food into so no one else was contaminated. I felt like I was a victim in the movie Contagion, but I survived!
- And a quick lesson ... always, always, always wipe down your cabin with Clorox wipes. We do and that's not why I got sick, but can you imagine the family that had our cabin the cruise after us? I feel bad for anything they dropped on that bathroom floor. I'm not sure napalm would have cleaned it.
All in all, the cruise was a great time. I've learned that with any vacation, its what you make of it. So if your looking to take a Carnival cruise, go with friends because it will be a lot more fun. Carnival's biggest problem is their pricing. The product they offer isn't bad, but when you make it affordable to everyone, you don't always get the best results. I'd go on a Carnival ship again, but I'd make sure it was one of their newer ships, took friends with me and most importantly, ensure they have bathrooms with plastic floors.
