Sunday 21 November 2010

what I thought of the cruise...

Kelly asked the other day what it felt like being on the ship...

...basically you could feel it moving and when the sea was choppy you could feel it moving a whole lot more. There were quite a few judders too and the staff would joke "it was just a whale"!

Because the ship was huge it want rocking or anything like that, but you could definitely feel it moving (even when lying in bed!).

I dont think that the ship would have enough things to do if we were on a trans atlantic crossing, and I think if we had more than one day at sea at a time it would have done my head in.

The fine dining food was nice and there was always three or four choices - they even had a menu choice with a meal consisting of no more than 800 calories (if you were trying to be good). LOL I purposely didnt go for the healthy option ;o). The restaurant even had different themes some of the nights too. I fully expected to waiting staff to be dressed up in different uniforms, but they werent!

The all you can eat buffet on the other hand had the same food every night and they would change the pasta shapes in the pasta salad to make the uninitiated think that they were eating something different, they did also have most of the food from the fine dining restaurant too. LOL James was put out that I made him "dress nice" when he could easily have had his fillet mignon by the bucket load while wearing his sweat pants.

Talking about James he found an ingenious way of maximising his eating...

...he would go make me go with him to the all you can eat place when it opened at 6.30 (I would sit there reading the next days activities) while he would eat some food, then go back to our cabin at 7.00 to get dressed for dinner, have our dinner in the fine dining place, then if he finished early enough he would try and go back to the all you can eat place until it closed at 9pm.

James was also worried that he thought that the waiting staff were watching him, so he would regularly swap tables (and even eating style) one day he even decided that if we swapped fleeces then he wouldnt look like he was eating so much. I was waiting for him to want to swap clothes completely ;o).

He also found a cafe bar that he could eat some more when the all you can eat place was closed, he would even make me go up to get him more food as he didnt want the staff to think that he was being really greedy.

LOL he even heard that the staff had their own all you can eat buffet, and I swear that he would have sneaked in there if he could have found where it was.

I liked the fact that we got to go to some different places that we would never have seen otherwise, it was just a shame that we were never anywhere long enough to orientate ourselves with our surroundings.

The cruise has definitely made us appreciate our city breaks more...

...would we go back on another cruise? Possibly in a few years time, and only if I booked the non cruise bits (ie getting to/from the hotel from/to the airport and most definitely organising leaving the dock) ourselves.

5 comments:

Kelly said...

James just wanted to get his pounds worth ;)

Thanks for explaining the basics in more detail. I do love them being considerate enough to change the pasta shapes. As soon as I read the first part, I knew why they were doing it, and I think that is very wise of them. Especially with the chance of getting sea sick, who knows who tries to blame it on the pasta salad!

Kelly said...

pounds=dollars

Anonymous said...

I don't know how he could keep so much food in his tummy. I always get sea sick and can hardly eat much on the cruise. I have been on ships that rock so much. I was coming out of a bathroom and the heavy iron door slammed shut on my finger and cut it open. I had to see the doctor to tape it up. I would go on 10 cruises and be out at sea for days. This one couple at our table would order 5 dinners at a time. They bring as much as you want to eat. I changed tables. I don't know how someone could eat 5 meals at once. But then again I was alway sea sick.

Al said...

Interesting to get your overall perspective of the cruise experience. The longest at sea trip I have been on is the Isle of Wight ferry which I somehow doubt is the same!

What you mentioned about not having enough time in one place is precisely the reason why I wouldn't go on a cruise. You've also given me a few more reasons in your account too, but that would be the main one. I would feel like I was missing so much by only having such a limited time in a single place.

chocolat lover said...

Kelly - LOL I never thought of that being the reason for changing the pasta shapes ;o)

Connie - James was never as obvious as ordering 5 meals in one go - but he probably got through that much food each night, not to mention lunch or breakfast!

Al - cruises are good if you arent sure where you would like to go - they give you a little taster - then you could always then go there properly another time...

LOL I have never been on the Isle of Wight Ferry ;o)