~ posted by Marilyn Murphy, Nov 10, 2019

You might know that I’m not a fan of the mega-ships that populate our oceans nowadays. So why did I choose to cruise on a 20-story ship with 4,634 other passengers?

For starters, it was my 65th birthday. (I know, I know … I don’t look a day over 55 – thank you.) A group of friends from my spiritual center would be enjoying a “Week of Bliss” on a 4,004-passenger ship from LA to a few ports in Mexico. My husband, Scott, and I decided to go along.

So, how was it? What did I learn?

1. These cruises are popular (obviously) – because our ship with a published capacity of 4,004 passengers was sailing with 4,635 people! (This, because many rooms accommodated a 3rd and 4th person.)

2. It’s a combination casino and floating theme park. The massive casino was constantly busy, and the ship’s “attractions” include a race track, water chutes and slides, and laser tag. Fortunately, aside from embarkation and disembarkation days, the cruise line has learned how to manage such huge numbers of people.

3. There was a good variety of (mostly) quite good food. Seven nights were not enough to sample all the specialty restaurants onboard. The online reservation system, however, was an exercise in frustration.

4. Entertainment options were great. A comedian was unaware that the 7pm show was supposed to be family-friendly – which added to the hilarity of his performance! (Afterwards, he joked that he’d probably be put off in the next port!)  We danced to Beatles’ tunes in the Cavern Club. And the ship’s production of the Jersey Boys musical was excellent.

5. We seemed to be among the minority of passengers who did not purchase the unlimited drink package. Almost every elevator trip included at least one tipsy guest with a cocktail in hand, and bartenders were busy with customers at 8AM. (Hair of the dog?)

6. There’s a big market for these mega-ships, which continue to be built ever larger. Depending on the measurement, our ship, the Norwegian Bliss, is the 6th largest (by tonnage, at 168,028 gross tons), or  14th largest (by passenger count, at 4,004) in the world. The largest? It boasts a passenger capacity of 6,780, with 7 “neighborhoods” and 23 swimming pools! Yikes!

7. I was actually on vacation for a change! Not a single hotel inspection did I do for the entire week! (much to Scott’s delight.) But I’m an inveterate travel planner. We would be in Mexico during their traditional “Day of the Dead” holiday, so I was disappointed that the cruise line had nothing special to offer except their normal shore excursions. So I organized a special excursion for a group of friends to the local cemetery in San Jose del Cabo, and to see the beautiful “altars” that commemorate their ancestors.

Overall, Scott and I enjoyed our week  …
*  … mostly because of the group we were with. We celebrated every sunrise with meditation and stretching on the top deck.
*  I celebrated my birthday with good friends and made some new friends.
*  I had great fun at our “Gilligan’s Island” Halloween theme, playing a variation of the “Mary Ann” character.

*  I was SO delighted to NOT be in charge of our small group on such a massive ship (and I must give kudos to friends Pauline and Thor who did their best to organize special activities for us).

Bottom line? I still prefer a tiny ship, or, more accurately: a mega-yacht.

• I love the opportunity to charter the entire vessel and customize the itinerary.
• I love the intimacy of sailing with a few dozen like-minded travelers.
• I love docking in the heart of small towns where we simply walk off the ship (without going through a metal detector).
• If I want a casino, I’ll go to Vegas. If I want amusement rides, I’ll go to Six Flags.
• I love going shopping for fresh provisions with the Captain, Denis, and his wife, Anja.
  

  Our Captain and his lovely wife shop for fresh provisions in every port.

• Who needs a swimming pool (much less 23 pools!) when we just jump off the stern into the crystal clear Adriatic!
  

  Yes – the water really IS this clear!

It’s good to know that people are traveling. And it’s good that there’s a cruise product to fit every budget and preference. And, I’m glad that my customers prefer a more intimate cruise experience!

If you like the small-ship (or, more accurately: mega-yacht) idea, come on along with me in September to Croatia!

 

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Comments? If you’ve sailed with me on Black Swan in the past, please leave a comment about your experience!