my, my how cruising has changed!

well I have finally made it to the Land of Blog! Since I am a travel agent, I figure how better to inform the public of such an exciting way to travel and be able to do so with the enthusiam I have for it!!! My first 'cruise' (and I call it that tongue-in-cheek,,,,) was almost 30 years ago when I was living in Germany and saw an ad to go to Sweden, land of my grandmother's family! Oh how very exciting I thought THAT would be!!! Get a taste of a new country, see where I came from,,,So I booked the 3 day 'cruise' and started on my way to the port of Kiel, where, after a hellish 12 hour ride, my bus-mates and I boarded what looked to be a tuna boat! Hesitant that we might not last in the frigid iceberg-ish North Sea, we departed and slugged thru the night, arriving at Goteborg, Sweden the next morning. We spent a day and a half there before returning to said tuna boat and returning to Kiel. What I did manage to come away with was that there were some opps on a 'cruise' such as entertainment, casinos, smorgasbord, and a cabin that could qualify as a utility closet, and that included the bathroom! I loved the idea of being on a mode of transport that could easily take one to a new and exciting destination! I always knew one way or the other that I would definitely do this again!
Fast forward 20 years (that flew by in a blink) and I am entering a new phase of my career, and that is to start working as a travel agent. It was a very part-time job, not enough to pay the bills, but whetting my appetite for travel once again! I had traveled around Europe when we were stationed there in the Air Force and had itchy feet to do so again, if I had the chance to. One day our boss came up to 3 of us and offered to take us on a 7 night cruise to Bermuda! I just had to accept, turning that down would show that I was not interested in continuing or learning more about being a top-level agent, plus just downright rude! So off we set to Bermuda, on the Nordic Empress from Royal Caribbean. She was a smaller ship but to me she was beautiful!!! Everything was in pristine shape, there were fresh flowers everywhere and the service was impeccable! There were none of the tin can tuna-boat flashbacks, this was a true resort on the seas! Our cabins were ok for what we used them for, which was sleeping and changing clothes. Of course we wanted to explore every nook and cranny, and we had all heard about the wonderful food!!! Midnight buffets, the entertainment, etc...there was somethign for everyone! People think they won't enjoy a cruise because 'what will I do?" well if you go on a cruise and are bored, its not for lack of things to do! While we were there in port, our boss suggested we each take a side tour and then come back and compare notes. I went to the Botanical Gardens there and saw so many neat plants, flowers and trees, and I fell in love with the Birds of Paradise flower, because they were just about everywhere! Our boss and his entourage went golfing, and the golf course there was beautiful! We also took in the Zoo there and went diving off the reef there. That was neat to be about 10' underwater and see all the fishies and sea life going on!
Since Bermuda, I have cruised several more times, including the Eastern and Western Caribbean, Canada-New England, trans-Atlantic on the Queen Mary2!!! and adding the Southern Caribbean to the list in a month or so! I had taken a break from travel to manage a trucking company that I thoroughly enjoyed. Full time at the same agency became a possibility and I jumped at the chance to get back into it. The very first day I met Liz, who has since become my travel partner and one of the best friends I could and will ever have! She and I have since had many 'adventures' and stories and pictures!!! We have done the gamut of cabins, from inside to ocean-view to balcony. They are all nice! It just depends what you want/need at the time!
I can't say enough about cruising!! Gone are the days of bare-bones sailing. Today you have opulence and glamour and the service is just out of this world!!! You board the ship, you unpack one time, someone else does all the 'driving', someone makes your bed, someone else cooks 24/7. If you like, you can wake up in a new place almost every day! One morning you may look out and see Grand Caymans and the next day you see the mountains of Jamaica! You can do as much or as little on the ship. You can exercise, take classes, play in the casino, do an art auction, first-class entertainment, wine tasting, even napkin folding if thats your heart's desire...there's always something to do! And its not expensive! When you figure a land-based vacation, or sitting in Cancun for a week, that tends to get pricey! There's a cruise for every budget and time frame, from 3 days to 100+ days, and exotic ports around the world! It truly IS your best value!!! When you are ready to sail, let me know! I will be glad to work up a quote for you! Or if you have questions, I will be glad to answer. Just contact me at travelwithmarty@aol.com. I look forward from hearing from anyone who wants to go and have FUN!!