Cruising

We returned from our 15th annual cruise last night at midnight. Julia just does't think her year is complete without a cruise so she financed this one with her social security money.
We left Friday Jan 26 and stayed 2 nights at Marriott Courtyard near the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Expensive but nice and Julia likes to build up the points for future free stays at Marriott.
The shuttle to the Port was free and only a 4 mile ride. Ft. Lauderdale is rapidly becoming the major cruise port mostly due to its convenience. There were six ships about to leave when we got there. Our ship was the Costa Magica, 105,000 tons of luxury. It is Italian so there were lots of pasta dishes, but the food was excellent with lots of fresh vegies, fish, and other things we like. You can board and enjoy the ship 4-5 hours before departure, including lunch just after you are assigned your room.
As it turned out our cruise this year was not long planned. I arranged it on the internet about 2 weeks before we left - having been given specific instructions from she who must be obeyed before she left for Chile. I found that the best deals are often last minute. We got a balcony room for about $1,000 less than we have paid for a window room. The problem was in making the air connections. American had the best fare but we had to leave at midnight and they had no flight out of Ft. Lauderdale on return except 6 am. which was too early. We ended up going on Southwest via Chicago. (It was 10 deg. below in Chicago on our return).
Some advice for future cruisers: Do not let them regiment you. They try to sell shore excursions at exorbitant prices ($80-$100 per person for a few hours). We go on our own and if we need a ride hire a taxi for much less.
They also like everyone to go to the formal dining. We have enjoyed some of that but it is best with people you know. If you are only a couple the long two hour dinners can be a grind. We prefer the informal buffet dining available for all meals. Bigger selection, better food and much more leisurely and enjoyable. We have had some interesting table mates at formal dining but some can only talk about themselves. Definition of a bore: one who constantly talks about themselves when you want to be talking about yourself..
Belinda, Barry & family went on a Disney Cruise this past week and had a great time. We have been on Royal Carrib.; Celebrity; Princess; Holland America; Carnival to name a few. Some cater mostly to the young crowd - e.g. Carnival and their shows reflect that. Holland America and Celebrity cater more to the aging, like us. However, I can honestly say I have never been on a cruise that I did not enjoy. It is a great way to go - hope you can all try it sometime.