C'etait un Bon Voyage

As my last post indicates, I recently boarded a short cruise with my wife and her parents, Morry and Janis. It was Carnival Cruise Line's Ensenada Cruise, which sets out from Long Beach, over to Catalina Island, and then swings by Ensenada, before heading back to the beautiful industrial port of Long Beach. When I mentioned to people that I was taking a cruise, many people responded that they, like I, have never been on a cruise. So after my maiden voyage, what do I have to say about cruising?

To be honest, I was expecting something more maritime, less cheap Las Vegas hotel. More Queen Mary, less Circus Circus. Sure, I was aware of the onboard casino, and the chorus line-type shows, not to mention the 24-hour buffets, but somehow I pictured a tranquil voyage along the ocean, reading a book, watching the giant ship's wake churn peaceful water into a bubbling, boiling brew. I pictured writing poetry on the deck, as islands passed by in the setting southwestern sun, with the dulcet tones of a pedal steel playing in the background. Instead, there were harry man competitions, bingo, and endless trivia games, surrounded by the occasional passing whiff of vomit. The shows were glammy, and reminded me of a polished high-school musical. 

Now it's not to say these are bad things, but they were much different than my expectations. In short, the cruise was somewhat campy. In fact, it felt very much like a giant sleep-away camp for overweight adults.

Still I had a good time. As busy as we were running around from activity to activity, or to the ports of call (more on them later), I still managed to slip in a nap every day, and I finished each day with a relaxing read. Also, I managed to keep on top of the latest Obama/Hillary news from the comfort of my suite.

I had a great time with Dara and her parents, eating fancy dinners overlooking the ocean, or playing a round of mini-golf, or laughing at the disappointing ports of call that Carnival had chosen.

Speaking of which, since living in California, I have always wanted to visit Catalina Island (just off the coast of L.A.) and Mexico. After being on this cruise I can now check those two destinations off of my list, but that's about it. Catalina was not as pretty as I had hoped it to be, and Ensenada is above all else, a gaudy tourist trap where impoverished locals hock their (often useless) wares on tourists looking to show a memento of their experience. It was a buzzing place, and not altogether pretty, though it was rather humourous to witness my mother-in-law asking the border patrol for directions as Dara and Morry yelled at her to keep moving.

I think I'll have to try another cruise and another destination before I can fully make up my mind about the cruising industry. Some elements appealed to me (all-you-can-eat food, despite my diet, the ocean views, the gentle swaying of the boat), while others did not (see above). Still, I can't complain about getting some time off work, spending it with family and creating new and interesting memories.