I recently had the incredibly good fortune to take a cruise, pretty much for free! A friend of a friend canceled past the refund window, so just for the gratuity cost ($12/day) and my transit to/from the port in Galveston, Texas (low cost on Spirit Airlines), I had a six-day cruise to Mexico which included all food and hydration (coffee, water, lemonade). That is a darn good deal, definitely less than the cost of regular renter life! So even though I figured cruising would be something I’d save for a different time of my life, I readily climbed aboard for this opportunity.
As my favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. said, “Unexpected travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.” And I did, indeed, take a dance lesson while aboard the ship. I now know how to do the opening sequence of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Since the lesson was on the main stage and next to a bar, I am certain that there is plenty of photographic evidence. However, none of the gawkers offered to share their photos, so you’ll have to take my word for it. Short and sweet dance lessons are one of many ship activities which also include professional musical shows, live comedians, every type of live music from classic rock to salsa to a DJ, and contests like a scavenger hunt and murder mystery. There is also very tasty food being served constantly, and a large fitness center with spa.
Those are all very nice things about cruises. That said, I was a bit skeptical about the idea of having such prescribed travel as offered by a cruise. My recent experiences of backpacking eight European countries and roadtripping the U.S. solo have involved nothing prescribed and very little planned. It took some getting used to, the fact that even if I really liked a certain port and wanted to stay (or alternatively, if I wanted off the ship), it’s not really an option. Solo traveling, you can turn left when you planned to go right, pull over when a roadside attraction catches your eye, or stay an extra night somewhere. On a cruise, well, you can do that. But you’ll miss the boat or fall off of it, and that would break the two cardinal rules of cruising!
In terms of being a single female traveler, I couldn’t help noticing that cruises are great for families! Great for couples! Great for friends (like me and my girls) who want a no-pressure getaway! But there were not as many single men as I’m used to. I didn’t even find any prospects at the Hairy Chest Competition!
I did meet a bunch of nice people on the ship, however. And that is certainly one thing that cruising, backpacking and roadtripping have in common: if you make the effort, you are practically guaranteed to meet other fun, happy, interesting travelers. In doing so, I discovered that I had more in common with the cruisers than I initially thought. Sure, cruising doesn’t feel as hardcore as getting lost on the Parisian Metro, but it’s actually quite common to get lost on the ship! Thousands of rooms, more than a dozen decks and elevators, and no landmarks outside to guide other than which way the sun is facing, it’s easy to forget which way to turn in a cruise ship hallway.
Another thing that cruising has in common with backpacking is that a great meal is a highlight of the day. And frankly, it was nice knowing that no matter which of the several onboard restaurants I chose, I’d be able to read the menu and order in the language I know best, and that if I didn’t like it, I could just order something else rather than having a strict daily budget as many backpackers do. And I ate even more dessert on the ship than I did in France, which is saying a lot but sure made my sweet-tooth happy!
The third commonality I found between cruising and backpackers is passion for travel. This seems like a given but actually, I’ve met plenty of people traveling who aren’t particularly enthused about it. Usually, these are airport/airplane conversations with people who travel for work, but still, it baffles me when someone begrudgingly relates how their office just sent them to Australia or Switzerland AGAIN, eye roll. But cruisers are some of the most fervent travelers I’ve ever met. Very few of us, conspicuously demarcated by our blue (rather than red, gold or platinum) shipboard credit cards, were first-time cruisers. Nearly all of the people I met were on at least their fifth cruise. I can see how it’s appealing and even addictive. After all, it’s a great way to see lots of new places, if only for a short time. In that way, cruising is perfect to sample destinations to see where you’d like to spend more time on a future getaway. And on the last day, the melancholy was palpable as travelers prepared to pack and leave the ship.
This final night onboard, I went to the Panorama Deck to see the sunset. I figured it be packed, but there was only a handful of others waiting to catch the colors as day turned to dusk. Expressing my confusion about that to another woman up there alone, we started chatting. It turns out, this was at least her 20th cruise, but she was beyond a cruiser, she is a true travel junkie. With an airline career and like-minded spouse, she’s “done the backpacking thing” and traveled to 68 countries, but she absolutely adores cruising too. So there you have it – there are some of us who can appreciate backpacking as well as cruising, because what we really love is traveling. Experiencing new places and people are what really matters, no matter which mode of transit. So just say yes and go!
P.S. As for the actual backpack, it’s a great luggage choice for a cruise, although I recognize that carrying a backpack doesn’t physically work for everyone. I didn’t have to wait for my luggage to be delivered to the stateroom when the cruise began. At the end, I didn’t have to put my luggage in the hall the night before, and it made debarking much quicker carrying it myself through the mass of travelers and big suitcases. A cruise employee remarked with a nod to my pack, “That’s the way to do it!” Indeed, backpacking is the most streamlined way to cruise.
Your voice matters!