Most Beautiful Sight

I’ve titled my blog ‘Most Beautiful Sight’ because that was indeed one of the highlights of our cruise experience. I did indeed see something that classifies as the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen with my own eyes. and I’m not talking about the most beautiful person because that’s an entirely different thing. This is soomething in nature. So I’ll come back to that.

I’m a ‘Home Bird’ as I’ve often stated. I really don’t like going abroad for holidays. The idea of a cruise somewhat appealed though because quite simply to me it meant sailing on the high seas. I now realise that for most people it’s also about visiting many ports and disembarking for those, but I really have no desire for that part of it. I’m impressed by huge sailing vessels, the engineering involved and the way they take on one of natures greatest powers – the sea.

So this was my very first experience. I’ll be honest from the outset, it’s quite expensive. More than I can actually afford, so therefore out of my pay grade really. However with some scrimping and saving it was made possible, and I’m glad I did it. Initially the awesomeness struck me. What a huge ship. Very impressive – before even setting foot onboard. The second most impressive thing was the sheer luxuriousness of it all. Yes I’ve seen pictures but to actually stand amongst such grandness was another matter. In fact even by the end of the week I still hadn’t got used to the plushness, it still feeling very very special. We opted for an inside cabin (my choice) because as far as I was concerned I wasn’t going on a cruise to sit in a cabin. To sleep in it yes, and freshen up etc but that’s all. The vast majority of my waking hours I planned to be spending either out on deck taking in the beauty of the sea or inside taking in the beauty of everything provided. Even so, the cabin was the next thing that impressed me. Very comfortable indeed, and very well laid out and organised. So my first impressions? Very very good.

Within an hour of boarding I learned my first lesson. We headed to the back of the ship (aft) to the Sunset Bar for our first drink of bubbly, which was outside on deck. This was a mistake. The bars outside only serve up drinks in plastic not glass. Health & safety – of course. There was a pool right next to the bar. We were not going swimming, so we’d have been better off staying inside for drinks – which we mostly did thereafter. After that minor mishap things got quite a lot better.

One of the ‘cons’ for me would be the relative lack of a decent draught pint. Only two kinds were freely available in most of the bars and both were disappointing. The wine selection was better so I found it nicer to have more of that than beer, but I did alternate a little bit. And there’s another thought which occurs. The drinks if you don’t have a ‘package’ are very expensive. The ‘package’ is also very expensive but if you don’t have the ‘package’ then you could fairly easily exceed the package price on the spend of a few individual drinks. Catch 22. Having decided to have the ‘package’ it therefore felt like we had to make the most of that expenditure, ergo we drank a lot. A lot. Fortunately I don’t get a hangover but three full days back at home and I still don’t think I’ve recovered from that week long ‘binge’. It’s much the same story with the food. although the variety, selection and quality is generally very very good. However, it’s unlimited in most places. Unimited. That’s the problem. So a week long binge on alcohol was accompanied by a week long binge eating exercise as well. Unfortunately…ha ha! While I’m in the middle of listing these ‘cons’ I might as well point out the last one. Sleeping. Not as easy as you might think. With the constant rocking motion of the ship, fixtures and fittings move ever so slightly and when they do they make some noise, generally just creaking noises, but it kinda affects your sleep. Actual deep sleep seems to be a lot shorter that normal resulting in much more ‘light sleeping’ most nights, which in turn is a little bit exhausting. Okay so that’s all the ‘cons’ out of the way.

Pros: well I probably can’t list them all here. This blog is insanely long already but aside from what I’ve already mentioned there are also many other outstanding things. Onboard entertainment? Yes and more than I can keep up with. Literally spoilt for choice. You simply have to choose what you can fit it and allow yourself to miss others (you can’t be in two places at once). Where ever you go or whatever you do choose, you’re likely to be impressed by everyone involved with the performances and organisation of it all. In addition to that there’s very little restriction on drinks as well, so you can enjoy a beer or galss of wine / bubbly or shorts virtually where ever you go and whatever do. And the staff? I’ve never come across so many helpful polite staff. They are literally everywhere you are (except inside your cabin) and you can ask anyone anything anytime day or night and they are only too willing to help. Then there’s the food. Well food is very much an individual thing but it has to be absolutely impossible to be unsatisfied. There is literally is something for everyone. So much choice. So there’s no issues there at all.

So what was the most beautiful thing I saw? Well there were a lot of great viewing points inside the ship and out, and with a vast ocean to look upon there was one thing I found absolutely shockingly wonderfully stunning. A beautiful sunset out at sea while gliding effortlessly through the ocean. I’ve seen sunsets (and sunrises) before but never looking as beautiful as the way it reflects off the moving waves as the ship glides along. I was mesmerised for about three or four hours, just ordering drinks and sat high up on one of the inside bar decks looking out through a vast panoramic window in comfortable seating, being waited on, and looking. Taking it all in. Such a beautiful sight. Just about everyone walking by also stopped, looked and gasped at it. Indeed, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

So my final verdict? Well I’m 50/50 overall because of the huge costs and inevitable over indulgences, but the positive experiences are also undeniable. Would I do it again? Maybe. Do I prefer it to the idea of flying out of Manchester airport to Spain / Greece or where ever? Absolutely yes, the cruise wins that easily. So on that basis it’s possibly the best compromise. However, for me it’s definitely all about being onboard the ship, enjoying that experience and sailing on the oceans, and how majestic all that is. I’m not in the least bit keen on getting off at various ports for excursions – which we did just once and it was both disappointing and a bit stressful to be honest. Suprisingly though, I got used to the skill of maintaining my balance onboard very quickly and very easily. Since being back on terra firma though (and even after a few days) I occasionally feel like I’m swaying a little when I walk around the house. That is weird!!