Travels: Cruises

     I've been on several cruises over the years. The first in the summer of 1994. In the In another post I mentioned the 1997 cruise on the Carnival Destiny where I proposed to Leanne. I really like cruising, the ability to be at a different place every day or so and not having to pack/unpack is great. Plus some of the places we go would be stupid expensive to get to any other way, Cruising has it's drawbacks also. You have a timetable: dinner is at such and such time, seating at the show is at a certain time, embarking times, debarking times, tour schedules etc. Meals onboard are mostly included (and generally good) drinks are generally not but at least not exorbitant. Tips to waitstaff, room attendants, tour guides etc do add up.

     when/where: (ports may not be in order)

Jun-94	Carnival	Carnivale	San Juan, St. Thomas, Dominica, Martinique, St Maarten, Barbados
Dec-97	Carnival	Destiny	Miami, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios (Jamaica), Cozumel (Mexico)
Feb-06	Royal Caribbean	Majesty of the Seas	Miami, Cocoa Cay (private island) , Grand Bahama
Apr-08	Celebrity	Constellation	London (Harwich), Edinburgh, Invergordon (inverness), Belfast, Dublin, Guernsey
Jul-10	Disney	Disney Magic	London (Dover), Cherbourg (Normandy), Santiago, Lisbon, Jerez, Gibraltar, Barcelona
Nov-13	MSC	Divina	Miami, San Juan, St. Maarten, Bahamas

   
A little compare/contrast:

• Carnival is the least formal, Celebrity the most
• Disney is the most kid friendly (duh), Carnival the least
• All ships of similar size $$ had similar quality of accommodations (you get what you pay for), for the cost of a balcony on MSC, we got an inside cabin on Disney (but we ended up with a free upgrade to an outside cabin anyway). The Disney cabin may have been a cheaper 'category' but had nicer amenities- separate areas for parents and kids, extra half-bath etc. 
• Celebrity had the best food
• Disney had the best kids' programs, they took out the casino and put in a kids club!, MSC's program was also pretty good. I think Emily was one of the only kids on the Celebrity cruise we were on - she was doted upon - but the programs were not very extensive.

what's next? We'd like to do a Northern Europe cruise (Scandinavia/Russia) and/or Netherlands/Belgium. I'd like to do a river cruise - maybe Amsterdam to Basel? anyway down the Rhine.