As I mentioned in my last post, I have been cruising. Some of the things I like best about this type of vacation are:

1)  The ship is your hotel,  2)  You don’t need a rental car to get around,  3)  The food is abundant and there’s no decision-making regarding which unfamiliar restaurant to eat at,  4)  There’s loads of activites on and off the ship,  5)  There’s plenty of time to relax, if that’s your preference, and  6)  You always meet new and interesting people.

The Carnival Cruise Line, which I sailed on this time, still advertises itself as The Fun Ships, but the age of its passengers has changed over the past 10 or 15 years. It’s not exclusively for the young, single crowd. All ages sail on Carnival now. There’s something for everyone and, you can feel perfectly comfortable bringing the grandkids along. They have excellent programs for both youngsters and teens.

An article from USA Today reports:

“… Carnival and Disney Cruise Line stand out for their exceptionally comprehensive children’s and teens’ programs.

Disney Cruise Line is no surprise winner in this category, for obvious reasons. The Disney Magic and Disney Wonder have entire decks dedicated to kid-friendly activities and separate family and adults-only pools. Cabins are designed to accommodate families with extra beds and split bathrooms, and Disney characters make appearances throughout the sailing.

Camp Carnival offers age-specific, supervised activities for kids ages two to five, six to eight, nine to 11, 12 to 14, and 15 to 17. Its ships offer extensive children’s play areas, as well as the Club O2 teen lounge. Children do not need to be toilet-trained to take part in Camp Carnival activities.”

While the kids are being entertained, you are free to, pehaps, enjoy a massage in the Spa, or take in an exercise class, or shop on board. Carnival gets high marks for their Fun Shops, which are varied and fit every individual’s pocketbook.

Although I cruised with Carnival this time, I often cruise with Royal Caribbean, which I have enjoyed many times in the past, also.

Lest this sound too much like an advertisement, I will mention that trying to move 3,000 or more people off any ship at the end of a cruise is a long, tedious process, and not all of my cruising experiences have been wonderful. I went on a Norwegian cruise a few years back that was an absolute horror, although since then, I have met other people who enjoyed their Norwegian cruise.

Overall, cruising is one of my favorite ways to vacation, and if you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend you give it a try.

Next week, I’ll tell you about the many excursions I took during this trip.