Everybody has their “thing.” For some people, it’s knitting. For others, it’s obsessing over Star Wars. For us, it’s cruising. (If, by chance, cruising is not your thing, you may have wandered into this story accidentally, and might wanna head for the exit before it’s too late!) And for those of us who can never, ever get enough cruise talk, there are things that people who don’t share our particular interest do that make us downright crazy. Like what? Well… like these things!
1) Posting Negative Stories
Trust us: By the time a non-cruiser gets around to posting an article about something awful happening to/on a ship, we’ve already discussed it at length in the various Facebook groups and message boards we belong to. And while it’s okay for us to talk about it, you have likely just annoyed the crap out of us. Why? You know how you can say something critical about your favorite TV show/book/movie/restaurant, but nobody else better even think about doing so? The same principle applies.
2) Constantly Bringing Up Norovirus
Somewhere along the line, folks began associating norovirus with cruising, as if it were the only place the disease strikes. But the fact is, far more people contract what is known in England as “the winter vomiting bug” on land each year than do at sea. But the media can’t whip themselves into a ratings-grabbing frenzy over your cousin’s bridge club getting sick the way they can by reporting on “the cruise from hell”… complete with the obligatory “poop deck” jokes.
3) Dissing the Food
Modern cruising offers passengers a wildly diverse selection of places in which to nosh. And even the much-maligned buffets tend to be a whole lot better than landlocked offerings. (We’d rather hit a cruise buffet than, say, Burger King or McDonald’s any day of the week!) That doesn’t even take into account the plethora of options available for those who want to pay a surcharge which is still far less than you’d cough up to eat in a comparable land-based eatery.
4) Making Jokes About Cruising is For Old People
Cruising is great for the elderly… but the notion that ships are the equivalent of seaworthy nursing homes is as outdated as your grandma’s poodle skirt. You’ll find a whole lot more space dedicated to rock-climbing walls, wild water slides and skydiving simulators than bridge games. But don’t worry, you can still get in a game of shuffleboard while grandma is hanging with her girlfriends in the ice bar.
5) Demeaning Something You Never Tried
Believe it or not, a whole lot of cruise enthusiasts were once exactly like you. And then, we boarded a ship for the first time and realized we were actually in a luxury hotel being treated to all kinds of foods and waking up in different cities every few days. And just like that, we went from eye-rolling skeptics to cruise-addicted converts.
Pin this:
One Response
Great article Richard! This is so true. People that haven’t cruised before will look at you like you have lost your marbles, while you ramble on about how much fun it is and how cost effective a cruise is. Until they have experienced their first cruise, they understandably cannot quite relate. However, for those who have discovered this treasure, we cruise-loving addicts will enjoy the camaraderie of fellow cruisers! 😉
Comments are closed.