Cruising is NOT for everyone!

[Paul Motter]

Royal Caribbean International - Cruisemates Reader's Cruise Reviews

We just got this review, and i have to say he has some valid points, but also made some rookie mistakes:

Valid: we are having freakishly bad weather, but I have found that in the dead of winter even the Caribbean can be cool.

Valid: Royal Caribbean is not known for their food as one of their top draws

Valid: if there is any age group that probably should not curise it is the 18-20 year old group. They are too young to hang with the adults (in bars) and too old for the teen programs. etc.

Valid: the smell. It doesn't happen in all cabins by any means (usually insides) but it does happen and is a very common complaint

Rookie mistakes:

Picking RCL if food is a priortity

Taking 17 and 20 y.o. kids

Going alone in Jamaica instead of ANY of the other ports

--- I can't help feeling that if they had done better research they might have had a much better cruise.

[hockeynut]

Originally Posted by Paul Motter

Royal Caribbean International - Cruisemates Reader's Cruise Reviews

We just got this review, and i have to say he has some valid points, but also made some rookie mistakes:

Valid: we are having freakishly bad weather, but I have found that in the dead of winter even the Caribbean can be cool.

Valid: Royal Caribbean is not known for their food as one of their top draws

Valid: if there is any age group that probably should not curise it is the 18-20 year old group. They are too young to hang with the adults (in bars) and too old for the teen programs. etc.

Valid: the smell. It doesn't happen in all cabins by any means (usually insides) but it does happen and is a very common complaint

Rookie mistakes:

Picking RCL if food is a priortity

Taking 17 and 20 y.o. kids

Going alone in Jamaica instead of ANY of the other ports

--- I can't help feeling that if they had done better research they might have had a much better cruise.

I agree on all points. Really, the same review could be written for an all inclusive. After all, weather can't be predicted or helped. You can try to go at a "good time of year" but you never know. You could get to an all inclusive and have a smelly room and the food could taste awful.

Bottom line, like you said, anytime you go on any vacation (land or cruise)it is best to do some research, or talk to some friends/family that have done it so you know what to do and more importantly, what not to do.
Knowing what to expect is very helpful especially when spending a lot of money on a vacation.

[2Littletime]

In some ways this reminds me of a couple we met on a transatlantic voyage on MSC, at dinner we asked if they were having fun and their response included the following:
"There is nothing to see out here in the middle of nowhere"; "I feel so confined having to be on the ship day after day without getting off"; "Everything is so ritzy, it just makes me crave a lazy boy chair, a beer and big screen TV."; "It seems like all we do is eat."

We had difficulty not saying something along the lines of "duh". Especially on a transatlantic, when you book that type of vacation you have a pretty good idea that there will not be much to see in the sea. Some people should do their research then they would just know that cruising is not for them.

[Donna]

I've always felt that people that say they didn't enjoy their cruise was because of lack of research and finding the right cruise for them. It does take some work and checking around, lots of reading, etc. Ship and ports are always important to me when picking a cruise, I know we hear lots of complaints/praises on food, that is a touchy issue, but certainly not a priority for me. There is always decent food somewhere onboard, you just have to find it :-)

Living in the Midwest, I have issues about flying during the winter months, it's basically a crapshoot, so one really must be able to get out the day before to insure making it to the ship on time.

Just lots of factors to consider before booking that cruise.

[Kimbopolo]

Funny - I had the opposite reaction. I planned my first cruise in order to check it off my bucket list, really. My research raised concerns that I might feel confined, crowded, bored, and that the food would be lacking. Wrong on every single count!

I agree that, with any new experience, you have to do your homework, go in hoping for the best but planning for the worst and don't whine about it if the experience doesn't meet your unrealistic expectations.

[Paul Motter]

In fact most people who cruise once LOVE it and say it is the most satisfying vacation option ever.

One thing, though. I have come to realize that for 19-20 year olds a cruise could be very boring. They have no clubs or special programs, but they cant drink either. They are stuck on the ship (so they can't get away from mom & dad to party like thwey do at college).

The more I think about it, the more I realize that is probably the worst age for a cruise. What do you think?

[hockeynut]

Originally Posted by Paul Motter

In fact most people who cruise once LOVE it and say it is the most satisfying vacation option ever.

One thing, though. I have come to realize that for 19-20 year olds a cruise could be very boring. They have no clubs or special programs, but they cant drink either. They are stuck on the ship (so they can't get away from mom & dad to party like thwey do at college).

The more I think about it, the more I realize that is probably the worst age for a cruise. What do you think?

Absolutely agree and the reason I waited until after my 21st birthday to cruise. I know not everyone likes to drink and party, but after dinner, aside from a show (which they may not even like) they can't go to the club or casino, and most ships don't have an arcade. Sure there are some activities and some ships have the outdoor movie screens, but that could get old fast. I know at 19/20 (maybe even at 17/18) I wouldn't have enjoyed the cruise as much as I did at 21.

[Rivilian]

Originally Posted by Paul Motter

One thing, though. I have come to realize that for 19-20 year olds a cruise could be very boring. They have no clubs or special programs, but they cant drink either. They are stuck on the ship (so they can't get away from mom & dad to party like thwey do at college).

The more I think about it, the more I realize that is probably the worst age for a cruise. What do you think?

Paul,

I think it may have something to do with what rings various people's chimes. (see below). This review provoked the following thoughts ...

1. I've never cruised, so I may have to eat my words, but I explained to our travel agent who we (me and my bride of 30 years) are, and I gave him particular things I wished to avoid. Having what you like is no good if there's a bunch of stuff that really ruins it, right?

He recommended Holland America -- not because they were so much superior to everyone else -- but, because he thought they would NOT have an overwhelming presence of things I had no interest in (12 discos rocking loudly until 3:00 AM for example).

I'm an old man, I have mild health issues, and the notion of sitting alone and in the dark on a balcony at night, watching the stars and moon and listening to the ocean, or watching the sun come up over a limitless horizon... it sounds like pure bliss, not boredom.

2. I admit the mention of the smell gave me pause, as did your confirmation that it's a common problem. Something in me says "Doh" considering the cramped quarters of a cruise ship. On the othe rhand, Holland has just about the highest passenger/space ratios of any cruise line I considered (a metric the travel agent urged me to consider, bless him!). They also have a very high employee/passenger ratio. I'm hoping these metrics turn out to result in what they indicate: relatively more room and plenty of non-stressed-out service.

BTW, we have a balcony, and that will likely ameliorate any odor problems, should we encounter them.

3. Food? It's nice to have it available all the time, in many forms, at our convenience, with no shopping, no cooking, no cleanup, and an opportunity to watch and meet people. If the food were positively rank -- okay, I'd gripe like a champ. If it's unnoticeable, I'm not there for the food anyway. I DO love spicey food, but I don't expect it on a cruise ship filled with people of a certain age.

Unrelated digression: why shouldn't old people's food be spicey?? Aren't tastebuds and senses of smell supposed to deteriorate with age? Wouldn't that naturally lead to a higher tolerance for acids and capsicum? Bring on the Limburger, or at least the Stiltson!! At least provide an abundance of pickled and fresh jalapeños. Some dried chiles would be a dream. Habañeros!!

My aged father-in-law's palate was as bland as a baby's when he began to live with us. By the time he departed for heaven, he was eating jalapeños in his scrambled eggs.

4. Excursions? I don't think we're going to book anything, except perhaps at the last minute. We're far more the toodlin' round the port or town types.

I hope the weather cooperates. There's no way it can be colder, wetter, snowier than what I'm experiencing in North Texas this morning. I think I will toss in one heaviesh pullover just in case.

5. Young family members: Yes, I understand why that might be a problem. It's not for us. I'm already dreaming of 4-5 day cruises with my daughters here in Texas, so there's more of us to cuss and discuss all the things we see on the ship. We're our own best and favorite entertainment. In June six of us are congregating in Vienna for two weeks, where I lived for four years and where my oldest children were their youngest (and, so, don't have any memories of the city). Admitted, we won't be cooped up then -- we'll have a 2000 year old city of several million people to ramble around in. But, on a ship we'd still have a blast because we'd be with one another.

If my first cruise disappoints, I'll be sad. From all I'm reading at this site, I don't expect I shall be sad. Nor do I expect it to be flawless.

The sheer novelty of it all will be more than enough to keep my attention occupied and my wife and I gabbing about it all until the wee hours of the morning, as we sit out o the balcony in the dark, sipping decaf coffee (do they provide that onboard?? Maybe we should pack some camomile teabags), or a glass of wine.

[Mike M]

Originally Posted by Rivilian

I'm an old man, I have mild health issues, and the notion of sitting alone and in the dark on a balcony at night, watching the stars and moon and listening to the ocean, or watching the sun come up over a limitless horizon... it sounds like pure bliss, not boredom.

I am in the same "boat" as you. This is a reason that, overall, I can be happy on almost any ship and shows, discos and many other things don't mean that much to me.

I do agree on the "blandness" of food. In the last ten years I have noticed a decline in where the food seems to be prepared to the lowest common denominator that satisfies the greatest number of people and will generate the fewest complaints. In other words: Mediocrity. Some of the tastiest dishes, we've had in the last couple of years, have had have been on Carnival when we've eaten at the Indonesian and Chinese areas of the buffets. I first noticed that's where the crew, who had lido privileges, were eating and I tried it and loved it.

Cruising is not for everyone and more people do need to put more time into research but, and it's a big but, someone can research until the cows come home and still not enjoy it. Someone can also just get on the ship with no idea of what to expect and have the vacation of a lifetime. The majority of cruisers do not spend hours on cruise message boards, reading articles or spending days with their travel agents before booking a cruise. They get the basic information they need and the rest is history.
A lot has to do with their attitude but a lot also has to do with the expectations that they have and those expectations are set by the travel agents and cruise lines in the form of information, TV commercials and brochures. I would like to see a bit more realism and accuracy in all of them. I have rarely seen the exact people on Holland America that are in the brochures. Heck, no one is going to put me on in a brochure and I'm a regular cruiser. If the cruise can fulfill the majority of the expectations then they have a repeat customer, if not they have created a non-cruiser.

For me and the majority of people who will read this, or visit these boards, feel that cruising is the best overall vacation experience and value. For many others it's just another week of their lives. One they wish they had back. It just wasn't for them.

Take care,
Mike

[Paul Motter]

Rivilian...

I don't know which HAL ship you are on, but the Wasabi Tenderloin served on the Eurodam was plenty spicy enough for me. And as someome said - tuck a bottle of tabasco in your suitcase.

In any case, I predict you will be very happy with your cruise. Don't let the "smell" thing bother you. My wife has a great smeller and she says she has noticed it only in some bathrooms on maybe 20% of the ships she has been on (if you asked me I would say 5%, but I just asked her because she is very sensitive to smells). She said "it isn't bad, it is just there." rarely does it go far beyond the toilet. And you can bring some potpourri or scented sticks, essential oils - whatever if you are the sensitive type. I personally never worry about, but age, taste, smell and all that are related, right?

It is like this, whenever we get someone complaining about a cruise, they often mention a bad smell, but almost never do we get a complaint solely about a bad smell. It is always just on a laundry list item for complainers.

The food on HAL can be a little bland in the dining room, but as you said, it certainly is not unpalatable. If you don't like a dish you can ask for something else and they always oblige. Do try to budget in the alternative dining at least one or twice, it can make your cruise much more memorable.

Riv... why don't you tell us what ship you are on (we won't stalk you, really). You can send me a private message if you want to.

[Aerogirl]

The balcony is the best part of any cruise, at least to me. I think every ship has that same smell problem in certian parts of the ship. The room next to ours the people smelled it bad. We did only once and it went away pretty fast. Cruising is not for everyone. I love it but I also love a land vacation too.

[Trip]

Some people put more research into where to dine at home, and pick a cruise vacation, willy nilly...The need to find a knowledgable cruise travel agent is imperitive for first time cruisers...The passenger needs to be matched up with a ship, that will most match their wants and needs..what floats my boat,might sink yours....I remember being on a HAL ship, and there were some miserable pre teens onboard....I though, the parents chose the ship for themselves, not for a family cruise.

The only time I ever smelled anything sketchy, was on an elevator, that was not used much, due to its' location.....The doors opened, and, I swore there was something dead inside.....

So many first time cruisers who have used Cruisemates for a jumping off point, have praised the info gleened here... one hand helping the other, & we should always takes what we learn from our cruise, on to the next booking..That Trans Atlantic couple, made me chuckle

[Mike M]

It seems that many people believe that spice is just burn your mouth heat. Dumping Tabasco sauce on top of your food or throwing habaneros in a dish rarely equates to flavor. Unless the dish is so bad that the only way to make it edible is to drown it in Tabasco. It's like putting ketchup on a bad steak.

I like some heat and flavors of garlic, different spices and variety in food.

Previous to 2005 I found these flavors and variety on almost every cruise. It has gradually decreased, especially in the MDR's. On my last Carnival cruise I asked the Head Waiter about a cod dish that I had on Carnival Legend. It was a lovely cod (which is basically bland) that was beautifully seasoned and atop a spiced turnip and cauliflower puree. He said they hadn't served that in a couple of years because people didn't like the idea of turnips and cauliflower. I miss this type of cooking and a major reason I like multiple alternative dining venues where there is a variety of options and, most of the time, flavors.

There will always be plenty to eat on a cruise ship but I hope it doesn't end up becoming "Sizzler at Sea" or "Luby's Lido". I would be sad if that happened.

Maybe I am the odd man out here and the cruise lines are catering to the tastes of the majority.

Take care,
Mike

[Kimbopolo]

Originally Posted by Rivilian

The sheer novelty of it all will be more than enough to keep my attention occupied and my wife and I gabbing about it all until the wee hours of the morning, as we sit out o the balcony in the dark, sipping decaf coffee (do they provide that onboard?? Maybe we should pack some camomile teabags), or a glass of wine.

Rivilian,

I can't wait to hear about your trip! Please do give us a full report when you return!

[venice]

let me offer another perspective..theme or full charter or cruisemate group cruises...bring out guests that might not think about a cruise, but because of the theme (in my case smooth jazz), they come and because they are in an immersed atmosphere, with a group of people that enjoy, what they enjoy, they wind up enjoying the "cruising aspect" more..but if they went on a normalcruise they may not like it

so I would encourage anyone that may have reservations about going on their 1st cruise, to find a theme cruise that fits their passions and go for it..when you are enjoying the theme (i.e.music), you find that the food taste better, the smell(s) are less noticeable, etc.etc.

as long as you don't hit rough waters or bad weather, you will probably have a good experience..I agree that it's gotta be rough for 18-20 year olders, however, they will find a way to have a great time

[Rivilian]

Originally Posted by Paul Motter

Rivilian...
Riv... why don't you tell us what ship you are on (we won't stalk you, really). You can send me a private message if you want to.

Paul,

The ship's in my signature line, after all the Latin gobbledeegook.

It's the Eurodam, sailing from Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, February 20. We're celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary the next day at sea, and I've gotten a reservation at the Pinnacle Grill. We may miss one of the formal evenings, or at least the regular dining that evening.

And, yes, I'll prepare a full report when I return.

Fr. Bill

[msblackjack]

I would expand the age group of 17 - 20 is tough for cruising... the adults have to make more of an effort to include the kids with kid friendly/young adult friendly stuff.... i.e. make sure to book a ship with the putt putt golf, slides, etc... but also to let them let loose a little like with the never ending photo ops, give the kids free reign to pose in what they want, how they want and heck, you might come away with some great photos..

I sailed on a 7 day with my son for his 20th birthday... he had some times where he was extremely bored... wished I would have planned for it better... I mean he was so bored he decided to start towel animal wrestling, which later became a nightly thing to go wrestle everyone's critters just wished he would have taken a photo of the critter first, not just during and after they did allow him in the casino and he was hitting the slot machines pretty good though

[Henry43]

Although we've been married going on 44 years we've only cruised 3 times .We have ,however ,taken many vacation trips over the years .My wife prefers land to water ,however she really enjoyed our 2008 cruise to Alaska and therefore we began to plan future cruises . We are doing a land vacation in May and a cruise in December plus we have plans to do additional cruising next year and in 2012 .

I found on our last cruise that the majority of people we became friendly with were in groups between 4 and 12 . This cruise we are going with another couple and trying to get 2 others to join us .

[thecruisequeen]

My son is 18 and loves cruising. Yes no more kids club however he was allowed in the disco and casino. He always meets cruisers in his age group and would hang out together in the casino and disco and of course the pools during the day.

We are mainly Royal cruisers so having skating, rock climbing and surfing is a big plus.

Cruising is not for everyone and not everyone likes it.

Here is a group of 18/19/20 year olds on the Oasis skating having a blast. They are all regular cruisers and love it.

[fourxbusymom]

Cruising is what you make of it! My husband and I did a 12-day Hawaiian cruise that had 5 days at sea. There were a few passengers complaining about being cooped up, but we were so busy that we didn't mind the 5 days at sea. In fact, it was nice having some down time to rest after all the excursions around the islands! My daughter is 16 and can't wait for our next cruise in August. All the kids are extra-excited because we have another family going with us and can't wait to show their kids "the ropes"!

[Magnolia Blossom]

Three basic thoughts on this:
1) Personal responsibility - this includes doing proper research and thereby realizing the possible consequences - bad weather, sea sickness, miss port, small cabin, liquor policy. Failure to think things through, which is so common in today's world, is just plain laziness.

2) This is an expansion on #1 - you can't save people from themselves! ;-)

3) There are those folks who just aren't happy unless they're miserable.

[Luanne Russo]

I met a lady on here a couple of years ago, who was planning her first cruise. She asked tons of questions, and knew as much about cruising as anyone could, after many months of planning.

She got so knowledgable that she began answering questions from the info she had received.

The night before her cruise, she called me in tears. She was so excited, and could not sleep.

She called me again before boarding the ship. Since I knew by this time all about where she was going for the week, I was telling others which port, and what she had planned.

A thread was started for her return thinking that she would have tons of things to say to all that had helped her.

Three days after her return, I got worried because none of us had heard from her. I called her and She said "Luanne, I HATED IT"

I was afraid she had not stayed positive, and had let something upset her, but she said no. That everything had gone as planned. They just didn't have a good time.

She said that land vacations were more their speed. I told her that was okay. Some people just do not like cruising. If they are smart, they go on to doing the vacations they do enjoy. If they are not smart, they continue to cruise, and complain about every little thing, and make people who love to cruise, want to throw them off the ship.

Cruising is not for everyone. It's okay.....

[venice]

CQ..no way you have a son that is 18...that would mean you were married at age 11:rolleye s:

most people who do not like crusing would not be posting on these boards on any regular basis so we have a hard time being objective about it

I don't like casinos, whether on land,sea or air..does not make me a bad person, so people who don't like cruising..just don't like it, which is fine by me

[Mike M]

Venice:

I believe many people on cruise boards can be fairly objective but I agree that if you are surrounded by people who are like minded it's hard for you to understand someone who does not share that enthusiasm.

I love to fish, ice fish and hunt. I can't do it as much as I once did but most of my very close friends are those that do. Most of them do not "understand" cruising, think that all you do is eat, and have no intention of going on a cruise. A couple of them that have cruise really didn't enjoy it because they felt too confined onboard and got the feeling they were being nickle and dimed. These people did research and knew what they were getting into. One friend described it best. Even though you have no obligation to buy something the fact that you are "confined" to a cruise ship made all of the atrium sales, onboard sales and DOD pushing, even more "in your face". That is a perception and I have rarely felt it but it doesn't make their perception any less real.

Many on this board think I'm crazy and can't understand why I would sit on the ice in sub-freezing temperatures to catch fish. Some of the best times I've ever had have been on a frozen lake. Heck, even Betty will go fishing if there are enough people so she can wander around and visit. I can't understand why someone wouldn't enjoy ice fishing "if they were well prepared". It's sort of like cruising. If you know what you are getting into you have a "better" chance of enjoying it but even if you do your homework you may still not like it.

Nothing is for everyone.



Take care,
Mike

[Paul Motter]

Luannne...

That is so funny that she got so excited and did all of her research and then ended up hating it. I would like to know why she hated it (although I can imagine a few things she might say) - I wonder a few things, like if the food was disappointing, if they had rough seas and the weather was bad, what the ports of call were...

I am starting to think this might be a good topic for an article - the cruises people hated. But all I need for resaearch is to read some of the reader reviews since most if the people who speak are those who have complaints.

I guess it was nice of her not to come back here and talk about how she hated it in light of the help and support she got. Lu... do you know what cruise she was on (ship, homeport, itinerary, time of year?)

Liv...

The Eurodam is a great ship. I was on the Inaugural cruise out of Rotterdam. It has a great library and very comfortable cabins. The alternative restaurants are very good and as I said, I would budget to try them.

The dining room food on HAL has disappointed me at times in the last few years, and I have heard the same from a lot of experienced cruisers. But that does not mean it is bad - it just means you have to ask the waiter ti bring you something you like. If something is not right speak up.

On top of the semi-bland food the service staff inthe dining rooms was changed from Filipinos to Indonesians, and they seem to have a cultural preclusion to not acknowleging when they don't understand something you ask for. They seem to sometimes nod their heads as if they understood you, and then they don't deliver.

I do the buffets on HAL (I used to like them more than today). Look for the special buffets where they feature seafood (often crab claws), indonesian food, etc.

They have great great ice cream and cookies available most of the day. They also have a movie theater which is a great way to catch up on recent movies you haven't seen.

I doubt you will have any odor problems on a ship as new as Eurodam.

[Paul Motter]

Mike - after sitting on a frozen lake doing nothing but holding a pole all day long I would think a cruise sounds like a great change of pace.

No, I am not a person for fishing even though I know many people love it. I think there are two types of people in the world: wilderness people and society people. Some people long for returning to the days of man against nature with all its simplicity and plain human instinct - while other people are more history, technology and culture buffs.

The former tend to love mountains, cabins, cooking on an open fire, etc. They ski and backpack, hike, camp and go horseback riding. The latter like to see ancient or other civilizations, their customs, life-styles and beliefs. That's me. I love history whether it is ancient Egypt or Versailles or the Normandy beaches.

A person can be both, but I just tend to be more that latter and less the fomer. I prefer comfort, gourmet food, great service and having all those things while i am traveling the world.

So I cruise for the travel, mostly, although I am also a ship geek and love the technology of a new, state of the art ship like Oasis (which, by the way, don't knock it if you haven't tried it - most people are loving it).

My best experiences have been seeing the Egyptian Temples on the Nile, Jerusalem, Petra, St Petersburg, Rio Di Janiero, Tahiti, Bora Bora, whales bubble feeding and calving glaciers in Alaska .. all travel experiences derived through cruising.

I do understand some people not liking a Caribbean cruise - especially a younger person (18-20) from the already humid Texas. Why would they like it. I live in Phoenix and wouldn't want to spend a week at Canyon Ranch Spa in Tucson, although I know that probably sounds great to a lot of East Coast people right now.

I know a lot of cruisers are from Florida, but I could stop cruising the Caribbean now and not miss it, because I have seen it all already several times. (I have been to St Thomas probably 50 times). I can understand a Floridian not liking cruising - but I also can understand them liking it - the way Mike likes ice fishing. In other words it is an activity that is close to home for him, which some people would not consider a "vacation" - but he likes it. I live in Phoenix but I don't love horses or hiking the Grand Canyon but a lot of people here do.

My brother grew up in Phoenix and could never imagine living anywhere else. I invited him to come NYC for a vacation and he could even fathom it. Travel actuallu scares some people - they have a real fear of being in a foriegn country where they don't speak the language, etc. I am the opposite. I can use sign language or whatever.

I have had time where i was so lost in places that do not have a lot of English speakers - the subways in Russia - the back streets of Budapest, and I had to rely on my own instincts to get out.

What DOES scare me, though, is heights, swarthy people, bad weather during a flight...

But I still want to cruise to Asia, Australia, Dubai, Thailand, Galapagos, etc. I still have a lot of cruises in me.

This is a good tioic for a separate post...

[CruzNut]

Mike - love your ice parka ... I'm sure it keeps the polar bears away up there in the frozen north!!!

And, love cruising ... particularly liked 2 cruises with Mike and Betty.

[Donna]

I think a lot of people that have never cruised, have the idea that they will be bored or sea sick. Some actually encounter both, but most do find cruising enjoyable. Like I said earlier, you just have to pick the right cruise, and ports are also equally important. Just takes some planning. The best thing about cruising is that you can be super busy or do nothing, doesn't matter, all up to you.

[Captain Tennille]

CruzNut> I seriously doubt there are Polar bears in Minnesota. There is an entire country in between... ;-)

(I think Mike's other job is being a "human runway light" at the airport)

Paul Motter> Research is precisely it. I still laugh at people who visit Alaska and whine that they didn't see a single penguin on the whole trip. Doh.

[Luanne Russo]

Paul,

It has been a few years, so the details are not clear, but I do remember that Conquest was her ship. I also remember that the weather was beautiful, but I don't remember details of what was so bad about it.

What is even more funny is she also met someone on here who wanted to start there own cruise web site, and she ended up helping with the set up.