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Hello and welcome to your weekly dose of Cruise Patrol! If you’re reading this article then you’re probably like me, constantly searching for information on travel and new ways to experience this wonderful world of ours. So join me each week and I’ll share some of the latest trends and news about my favorite way to travel, CRUISING, along with my top picks, and helpful travel tips.
I’m a native Texan, grew up in a small family, and we didn’t take many vacations. When we did, they were always road trips, often to visit relatives. When you suffer from serious motion sickness like I do, the only way to survive a long drive is to sleep through it. I actually traveled through six states on one trip and never saw anything but the back of my parent’s seats and the sky out the back window. Needless to say, I didn’t like road trips.
I went on my first cruise when I was 46 years old. That’s right, 46 years old. A friend who knows me very well suggested it. And it changed forever the way I viewed vacations. No driving required, fascinating itineraries, entertainment, great food, pampering – everything I wanted. I even packed the recommended medication for motion sickness, but didn’t need it. I came home from that vacation filled with excitement. I told my family and friends about it, shared pictures, wrote about it in my diary, started researching cruise vacations, carried 20 cruise brochures in the trunk of my car at all times, and literally drove people crazy. But I learned one very valuable lesson. . . . plan your vacation based on what you like to do and what you want to experience. And the best way to do that is to be well-informed. Know your options. A vacation is too important to leave it to chance. And that’s where I come in. I’ll do my very best to provide you with the good, the great, and the not so great from the world of cruising. Then you can decide what’s next on your bucket list!
As baby boomers we all share a common bond of sorts, but as a group we can also rejoice in our diversity. We refuse to be defined by our age and cruise options today reflect this desire more than ever before. Popular cruise itineraries now include more free time to explore destinations, enriching educational and volunteer components, and lesser-traveled destinations. There are cruises designed for those with special interests such as wine tasting, gourmet cooking, history, and music. And for those of you who feel a journey is more fun when shared with others, planning a group or family cruise is just one way of sharing the fun.
From small luxury ships to megaships, adventure-filled itineraries to relaxing river cruises, cultural voyages to African river safaris, there’s a cruise for every budget and interest. We’ll explore these and the ships that bring all the magic of cruising to life in the coming weeks.
I’m off now to plan my next cruise. Safe travels!
Malloy
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August 8, 2023
