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ONE if by Land, TWO if by Sea - A Combo Summer Trip Report
- Thread starter HouCuseChickie
- Start date
I don't want to come off sounding like I don't take Covid seriously, but if this were pre-2020, the symptoms I experienced would have barely been a blip on my illness radar and I would have been going about my life as usual. I guess I should be thankful that the annoyance of isolating was my biggest discomfort. Thanks! I'm not sure the cruise was right for us either, but it seemed like the right thing at the time.
cgersic
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much for this entire trip report!! I am in the cruise category of "I'm glad I did it once, but I doubt I'll do it again". I think the biggest turn off for me was all of the food. I eat one regular meal per day do snacks to keep me going, so I'm pretty sure I gained close to 10 pounds on my 5 day trip! Sorry about the COVID, but glad everyone is feeling better, including the new injury. When's the next trip?
Thank you so much for this entire trip report!! I am in the cruise category of "I'm glad I did it once, but I doubt I'll do it again". I think the biggest turn off for me was all of the food. I eat one regular meal per day do snacks to keep me going, so I'm pretty sure I gained close to 10 pounds on my 5 day trip! Sorry about the COVID, but glad everyone is feeling better, including the new injury. When's the next trip?
We may fall into that same category. I'm not going to say never, but I was hoping all of those people who insisted we'd get hooked on cruising once we tried would be right. The food was definitely an issue with us too. Quality aside, so much of this part of the TR was food and drink pictures. I'm really hoping this injury with Sam ends up being a non-issue. She just made a team with a coach who has literally lived the dream on so many levels and the club has so many resources to help players meet their goals. I don't want anything to compromise that.
Next trip SHOULD be in November. We tabled Universal until Thanksgiving. So, we're planning on several days at Uni before heading to south Florida for family time. If all goes well, we're also hoping to go out on the boat and maybe even do some fishing or snorkeling.
Sans Souci
Well-Known Member
At least you got to see if you like it or not. I like cruising, but I don't need to go on one annually. I think food on cruises is so hit or miss, because of the sheer volume. JMO, but I feel the food is hit or miss on DCL cruises, too. The only meals where I can say have been consistently great are the up charge restaurants.
Wonderland looked really cool. I try to avoid buffets on DCL. They usually have a table service open during lunch and breakfast for 90 minutes, where a CM tries to dissuade you from entering by telling you there is more variety at Cabanas. Sorry, but no. I am on vacation. I want table service.
Glad you are on the mend and nobody's case of covid was too terrible.
Wonderland looked really cool. I try to avoid buffets on DCL. They usually have a table service open during lunch and breakfast for 90 minutes, where a CM tries to dissuade you from entering by telling you there is more variety at Cabanas. Sorry, but no. I am on vacation. I want table service.
Glad you are on the mend and nobody's case of covid was too terrible.
At least you got to see if you like it or not. I like cruising, but I don't need to go on one annually. I think food on cruises is so hit or miss, because of the sheer volume. JMO, but I feel the food is hit or miss on DCL cruises, too. The only meals where I can say have been consistently great are the up charge restaurants.
Wonderland looked really cool. I try to avoid buffets on DCL. They usually have a table service open during lunch and breakfast for 90 minutes, where a CM tries to dissuade you from entering by telling you there is more variety at Cabanas. Sorry, but no. I am on vacation. I want table service.
Glad you are on the mend and nobody's case of covid was too terrible.
And it's perfectly fine if others enjoy it. My parents absolutely love cruising. I completely agree about the food. Unless you're going to a specialty restaurant, the buffets and main dining room are churning out mass quantities of food. I don't care whether it's a cruise, a Disney resort, Vegas, etc. Food produced like that more often than not suffers in quality.
I forgot to mention it, but our time in Wonderland prompted this whole discussion about why we didn't dine there during the trip. I think this ship had six or seven different specialty/extra cost restaurants, including Wonderland. A lot of people buy the dining package so they can eat at all of these nicer spots. Having never cruised, I didn't want to write off more standard dining without trying the included options first. David still thought we should have picked Wonderland over 150 Central Park, but we were trying to find something that would also appeal to my niece and nephew. It's too bad because I'd seen that it had a number of fun and interactive elements...like using a paint brush and water to reveal your menu. RCCL, like DCL, will open a portion of the main dining room for breakfast and lunch on some days. I just always felt too casual to be going in there for these meals. That being said, we probably would have had an easier time with Kendall's allergies if we'd taken this approach.
Thank you! We're also relieved it was mild.
I really don't have a ton to say in conclusion...although I tend to be longwinded and will likely ramble on more than is really necessary. 
I also have nothing more to really say about Colorado. We love it, it shows that we love it, and we will hopefully get a chance to return.
As for the sea part of the trip, while I will never say never, I just do not think we're cruisers. Yes, it didn't help that we're not beach people, but it seemed like the right answer to everyone's asks. David wanted to try tropical and my parents were wanting a cruise with the entire family. And it really wasn't awful, but I did eventually start feeling trapped and think I would have been better off staying in one of the ports. Ultimately, it's just not the right kind of travel for us. It was still a wonderful time with my family, we experienced some truly great things, and it helped me take something off of my bucket list in a roundabout way. It's shown me that if we do try for anything tropical in the future, it needs to be a destination with a lot more than beach and water activities. So, that means Hawaii is still on the list, but Bora Bora is off. It's always been a dream to go there and stay in an overwater bungalow, but that's a crazy amount of really involved travel and money to go someplace that is primarily beach and aquatic adventures.
I also wanted to note that I reached out to RCCL after the cruise to express my anger and frustration with the allergy matters...as well as a handful of drink charges from the last day that hit after disembarkation. While the latter is pretty frustrating after putting all of that money into pricey packages, the allergy matter could have been life or death. While I probably should have asked in my RCCL groups, not everyone does the social media thing for travel, and it's completely unacceptable that I called RCCL directly to report such a serious issue and had it this horribly mishandled. The only thing I've learned in hindsight is that it may have been an omen. Several people shared stories where they did everything right and still had serious food allergy reactions onboard. In one lady's case...on THREE different cruises! One woman said that they even brought her food with a sauce containing her allergen, simply because their chef relied on staff to just assume based on menu description...salmon dish with walnuts ground up into the sauce yet no mention of it on the menu. One woman with Celiac said she goes so far as to pack a second suitcase with food. I guess that explains why we got such inconsistent information from the crew...because nobody really knows. It's been nearly 3 weeks, they are supposedly still researching it, but I'm not expecting anything...even though it would be nice to get that drink money back. I really would just like to see them improve their process. My parents checked in to an upcoming Princess cruise shortly after this trip and while they never really noticed before, there was a section to report food allergies and address special accommodations that would be needed. Knowing how good Disney is with allergies, they'd be a top consideration if we were to cruise again; however, now I'm worried I might not do well on a smaller ship. And don't even get me started about the day 1 madness that feels like an unnecessary amount of stress for vacation. So, we're back to cruising probably not being right for us.
I know some may wonder if we'd enjoy something like Alaska (YES!!!), but I don't think a cruise is the answer for that destination . Don't get me wrong, Alaska is the very top of my bucket list right now and I know from seeing all of the dvds my parents have burned and shared with us over the years (not kidding- this is what they do...I do trip reports and they make dvds
) that they got to see and do some incredible things. Some are even things I could tack onto a land tour of my own. I just know that for my must do's, I'm going to want more time and freedom than a land portion of a cruise provides and would rather invest the money for the sea portion to make the land part even more memorable. It may have to wait until the kids are out of the house, but one of these days...Denali NP, Kenai Fjords NP, Katmai NP, Kodiak Island, trying the drive from Anchorage to Fairbanks and looping back down, and maybe even Wrangell St. Elias (if I can get up the nerve). How's this look? One day!
I also have nothing more to really say about Colorado. We love it, it shows that we love it, and we will hopefully get a chance to return.As for the sea part of the trip, while I will never say never, I just do not think we're cruisers. Yes, it didn't help that we're not beach people, but it seemed like the right answer to everyone's asks. David wanted to try tropical and my parents were wanting a cruise with the entire family. And it really wasn't awful, but I did eventually start feeling trapped and think I would have been better off staying in one of the ports. Ultimately, it's just not the right kind of travel for us. It was still a wonderful time with my family, we experienced some truly great things, and it helped me take something off of my bucket list in a roundabout way. It's shown me that if we do try for anything tropical in the future, it needs to be a destination with a lot more than beach and water activities. So, that means Hawaii is still on the list, but Bora Bora is off. It's always been a dream to go there and stay in an overwater bungalow, but that's a crazy amount of really involved travel and money to go someplace that is primarily beach and aquatic adventures.
I also wanted to note that I reached out to RCCL after the cruise to express my anger and frustration with the allergy matters...as well as a handful of drink charges from the last day that hit after disembarkation. While the latter is pretty frustrating after putting all of that money into pricey packages, the allergy matter could have been life or death. While I probably should have asked in my RCCL groups, not everyone does the social media thing for travel, and it's completely unacceptable that I called RCCL directly to report such a serious issue and had it this horribly mishandled. The only thing I've learned in hindsight is that it may have been an omen. Several people shared stories where they did everything right and still had serious food allergy reactions onboard. In one lady's case...on THREE different cruises! One woman said that they even brought her food with a sauce containing her allergen, simply because their chef relied on staff to just assume based on menu description...salmon dish with walnuts ground up into the sauce yet no mention of it on the menu. One woman with Celiac said she goes so far as to pack a second suitcase with food. I guess that explains why we got such inconsistent information from the crew...because nobody really knows. It's been nearly 3 weeks, they are supposedly still researching it, but I'm not expecting anything...even though it would be nice to get that drink money back. I really would just like to see them improve their process. My parents checked in to an upcoming Princess cruise shortly after this trip and while they never really noticed before, there was a section to report food allergies and address special accommodations that would be needed. Knowing how good Disney is with allergies, they'd be a top consideration if we were to cruise again; however, now I'm worried I might not do well on a smaller ship. And don't even get me started about the day 1 madness that feels like an unnecessary amount of stress for vacation. So, we're back to cruising probably not being right for us.
I know some may wonder if we'd enjoy something like Alaska (YES!!!), but I don't think a cruise is the answer for that destination . Don't get me wrong, Alaska is the very top of my bucket list right now and I know from seeing all of the dvds my parents have burned and shared with us over the years (not kidding- this is what they do...I do trip reports and they make dvds
) that they got to see and do some incredible things. Some are even things I could tack onto a land tour of my own. I just know that for my must do's, I'm going to want more time and freedom than a land portion of a cruise provides and would rather invest the money for the sea portion to make the land part even more memorable. It may have to wait until the kids are out of the house, but one of these days...Denali NP, Kenai Fjords NP, Katmai NP, Kodiak Island, trying the drive from Anchorage to Fairbanks and looping back down, and maybe even Wrangell St. Elias (if I can get up the nerve). How's this look? One day!
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cgersic
Well-Known Member
If you ever do that trip and need a tag along, I'm in! I too am more of a destination traveler (get there and do things from the "home" base) and Alaska is on the bucket list. I agree it needs some water time, but I'd like to have a combination of both land and sea too. Thanks as always for the great reporting and "chatting" and hope to "see" you again soon! CamilleI really don't have a ton to say in conclusion...although I tend to be longwinded and will likely ramble on more than is really necessary.
As for the sea part of the trip, while I will never say never, I just do not think we're cruisers. Yes, it didn't help that we're not beach people, but it seemed like the right answer to everyone's asks. David wanted to try tropical and my parents were wanting a cruise with the entire family. And it really wasn't awful, but I did eventually start feeling trapped and think I would have been better off staying in one of the ports. Ultimately, it's just not the right kind of travel for us. It was still a wonderful time with my family, we experienced some truly great things, and it helped me take something off of my bucket list in a roundabout way. It's shown me that if we do try for anything tropical in the future, it needs to be a destination with a lot more than beach and water activities. So, that means Hawaii is still on the list, but Bora Bora is off. It's always been a dream to go there and stay in an overwater bungalow, but that's a crazy amount of really involved travel and money to go someplace that is primarily beach and aquatic adventures.
I also wanted to note that I reached out to RCCL after the cruise to express my anger and frustration with the allergy matters...as well as a handful of drink charges from the last day that hit after disembarkation. While the latter is pretty frustrating after putting all of that money into pricey packages, the allergy matter could have been life or death. While I probably should have asked in my RCCL groups, not everyone does the social media thing for travel, and it's completely unacceptable that I called RCCL directly to report such a serious issue and had it this horribly mishandled. The only thing I've learned in hindsight is that it may have been an omen. Several people shared stories where they did everything right and still had serious food allergy reactions onboard. In one lady's case...on THREE different cruises! One woman said that they even brought her food with a sauce containing her allergen, simply because their chef relied on staff to just assume based on menu description...salmon dish with walnuts ground up into the sauce yet no mention of it on the menu. One woman with Celiac said she goes so far as to pack a second suitcase with food. I guess that explains why we got such inconsistent information from the crew...because nobody really knows. It's been nearly 3 weeks, they are supposedly still researching it, but I'm not expecting anything...even though it would be nice to get that drink money back. I really would just like to see them improve their process. My parents checked in to an upcoming Princess cruise shortly after this trip and while they never really noticed before, there was a section to report food allergies and address special accommodations that would be needed. Knowing how good Disney is with allergies, they'd be a top consideration if we were to cruise again; however, now I'm worried I might not do well on a smaller trip. So, we're back to cruising probably not being right for us.
I know some may wonder if we'd enjoy something like Alaska (YES!!!), but I don't think a cruise is the answer for that destination . Don't get me wrong, Alaska is the very top of my bucket list right now and I know from seeing all of the dvds my parents have burned and shared with us over the years (not kidding- this is what they do...I do trip reports and they make dvds
View attachment 661638
erstwo
Well-Known Member
I thought of you this week @HouCuseChickie ! I had to travel for work and ended up at Crater Lake NP one evening (I had the rental car and my co worker really wanted to see it - and I thought ‘why not?’) It was beautiful.
It also reminded me that I meant to mention to you that you & your family might love Chanel Islands NP (if you haven’t already been there?). That’s one that is often near my work travels and it never gets old. And you can snorkel there certain times of the year! Plus the whales in the summer. Might be just the thing for your crew!
ETA - photo!
It also reminded me that I meant to mention to you that you & your family might love Chanel Islands NP (if you haven’t already been there?). That’s one that is often near my work travels and it never gets old. And you can snorkel there certain times of the year! Plus the whales in the summer. Might be just the thing for your crew!
ETA - photo!
That's BEAUTIFUL!!! One of my friends did a west coast NP trip, traveling from Olympic to Yosemite. Crater Lake was one of her stops and joined the list of our parks we'd like to visit after that. I'm not sure when we'll be getting to the west coast, but I'll also have to add Channel Islands to the list. Snorkeling and whales...sign me up! Softball is going to be dictating a lot of our travel going forward, but if I'm lucky, we'll get a west coast tournament. It's not looking like it's going to happen 22/23, but there's always next season.