What are you all up to

We are occasional Cruisers! Only been on two so far, both in Europe from Southampton. I am not keen on flying so that tends to rule out longer distances as spending seven days at sea is not very appealing. We would be tempted to do a European River Cruise if there  was an easy way to get there and back.  I do like rail journeys so perhaps that is the way forward. My sister is a bit of a cruise fanatic, she usually does three or four a year!!!

David

I've never been on a cruise but I know many who have.  To be honest, one of the things thats stopping us is the dog.  She is very 'needy' and doesnt generally like being left with others.  Worst still, we cannot leave her on her own - she gets so stressed.  I even looked into the possibility of a river cruise on the continent which were reported to accept dogs.  I emailed the company for details and got no reply!  ☹☹

David

I know it’s not quite the same DK but you have canals running close to you.  They are a fantastic way to holiday.  

We have been on a couple of cruises, one around the Canaries & Madeira as a treat when I retired and a second,  from Vancouver up to Alaska which was truly spectacular! But I'm not good at sitting around for long periods,  I've got to be active, so, although there are plenty of diversions on ship I do get itchy feet! A day at sea with absolutely nothing but water around drives me up the wall!

We are tentatively planning a river cruise next year on the Douro with 3 nights in Lisbon. I like the idea of a river cruise as, at least there will always be something to see! 

Moulesy. That's the opposite for me, if I'm on boat of any size I don't want to get off...barring bad weather of course.  We've only done one cruise and like DSB our dog is the preventing factor just now but that's fine and we accept that. Also like David K I would have to get on a ship in the UK, no flying if possible.

Talking of train journeys my sister and OH are off on a very long one to Istanbul next year (not the Orient Express.) Having done some long distance train travel in Europe when young the thought of those sleepers (often shared) is a bit of a no no. Maybe I've lost my sense of adventure!

A river cruise was the first one we did, that was for our 25th. We did the Nile with a week in Hurghada afterwards.

Since then we have done 3 Caribbean ones, East, West and South, 1 Western med, 1 Adriatic (Italy and Greek isles), 2 Canaries and Morocco, 1 Red Sea, 1 from Los Angeles to Mexico, another one we did from Los Angeles down the Bajar, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and then through the Panama canal, Aruba then Miami. That one was good.

We like the fact that everyday is different and have always found lots of things to do on board. We don't often pick a cruise that has 'days' at sea, however this one does have a few of them. On sea days there is so much going on you sometimes have to miss something as it clashes with something else. 

Picking a cruise IMO is the hardest part, getting the area you want, with the company and ship you want, on the dates you want. If you get it wrong it can put you off cruising, get it right and you are ready to book again even before you get off the ship.

There are lots of cruises now from Britain, so for those who don't like flying the choice is good. 

moulsey, I'm envious of you doing the Alaska cruise, its on our list though 

Mrs.WN and MIL went on a cruise up the Douro to Salamanca this year. Didn't tag on Lisbon. They seemed to enjoy it. Cruises are not for me. Like yourself I get itchy feet. A 6 hour hour ferry is long enough.

Plenty of washing going on. Mrs WN and myself just back from a walk to the pub. Lots to catch up on. Overcast here but warm enough if you wrap up well.

Off to Manchester tomorrow for MILs sisters funeral. Long day ahead.

Did all that in the seventies when we had our own, albeit small, boat. We kept it on the Kennet and Avon Canal. We gave up when Paul was born and not long afterwards we took up caravanning. We have travelled a good way around the English canal system. The major difference now is there are a lot more of them restored to full working order than back then. I rather like the idea of being looked after on a cruise.

David

QM2 completes the set, having been on QE2,QV and the latest QE. Like TG, I fancy Alaska although we did get a good dose of glaciers and icebergs in Greenland on the Oriana in the summer. OH is reluctant to do fly-cruises. Being 25 minutes from Southampton and only 10-15 minutes from Brittany Ferries does tend to spoil one a bit.

I have never fancied a cruise although my father(when alive) told us he had been round the world by boat several times, and so my daughter and i checked the passenger lists for his name at The NA at Kew and found it on several with his home address as BuckIngham Palace