Trip To Disney - Today's Luxury Cruising - How Good a Job?

Maybe it's because all of the major lines are now owned by Carnival Corporation and PLC under the tutelage of Micky Arison in Miami. But I find most of the cruise lines to be fundamentally the same in terms of operation, i know a lot of people will argue with me on this. My wife and I have been taking cruises since we were married in the early 1980's and have sailed on various lines in different locales. I went on an ocean cruise last month.

I guess someone in Carnival's sales department finally figured out there is more money to be made from the middle class. I don't think the Vanderbilts or Rockefellers cruise anymore. And people you generally want to avoid like the plague, young people who haven't yet learned shipboard etiquette, the rednecks on their first cruise, retirees who wander aimlessly and get in your way, the health freaks, you have your basic blowhards who are trying to impress others, passengers are an interesting mix though. And even those who do not), the crew works hard and are hospitable (those that speak English. Both the crew and the passengers; the people on board are interesting.

You learn quickly that nothing is free, when you are cruising. Etc, cell phone contact, internet access, they nickle/dime you to death on everything: drinks, of course, then. They either own them outright or extort advertising money from them; they also maintain incestuous relationships with all of the local merchants and hotels you encounter on your voyage. Actually cruising is only a portion of their business. Over the years I have come to admire the cruise lines as a brilliant marketing machine.

I don't think anyone has ever disembarked from a ship without tucking away a few pounds. Both in terms of quantity and quality, food is everywhere and you are treated to some truly remarkable dishes. I tend to look at a ship as an eating/colon cleaning machine, however. And they can teach their American counterparts a thing or two when it comes to service, ). Etc, brazil, the Philippines, . Most are from overseas (e.g. Waiters and cabin stewards do a first class job.

Very scary. The first time I flushed it I thought it was going to suck the family jewels down the drain. The toilet is now particularly effective and strong. Which has been remodeled over the years, this all means you spend a lot of time in the bathroom.

Note to Carnival: somebody look into redesigning the showers. I felt like a mummy surfing on the high seas, between the shower curtain and the rolling of the ship. The shower curtains are made of cling wrap which acts like a magnet enveloping your body. But it can be very awkward taking a shower while the ship is rolling on the high seas, the showers are functional and have lots of hot water.

They always need help in the galley, not to worry though. It's time to fire your agent as it means your career is flickering out, if you're a recognizable entertainer and you've been asked to perform on a cruise ship. But it's nowhere near the caliber of Las Vegas (or Las Cruces for that matter), i realize the ship's cast tries hard. For entertainment there are nightclub acts and Las Vegas-style musical reviews.

Surprises me, frankly, you have to pay for your drinks which, unlike Vegas though. Not to mention the many slot machines on board, and a table for Texas hold'em poker, there is a lot of blackjack tables as well as roulette. Often there is but one craps table and baccarat tables are particularly scarce. But these are limited on ships, i love a game of craps or baccarat. The casino has always been a favorite of mine and the cruise lines do a competent job with the little space they are afforded.

Which quickly killed the cigar room for me, cigar and cigarette smoking does not mix, believe it or not. It was crammed full of cigarette smokers who had nowhere else to go, which truly looked great, when I finally found the room, however. The prospect of this appealed to me as I enjoy a good cigar. Before embarking on our latest voyage I learned there was a comfortable cigar room on board. Kind of like being sentenced to a Gulag, this is not the case as smoking is confined to very few secluded places, regrettably. You would think that a cruise ship would be a wonderful place to kick back and enjoy yourself, if you are a smoker.

It's time to start another diet, the only down side to cruising though is when it's over. You feel refreshed and ready to go back to work, after being pampered for a week. Assuming you can forget about your laptop and cell phone for a while, cruising can be an excellent distraction from the rigors of life. Or whatever, the health club, relaxing on deck, a shore excursion, one of the nice things about cruising is that you tend to lose track of time and dates as you are often preoccupied by a good book.