Malcolm and I are not frequent cruisers, but I have touted the merits of cruising on this blog for years. We have taken repositioning, destination-centric, port-intensive, and relaxing float-about cruises. We’ve dipped a toe into the luxury market, with Regent, Oceania, and Silversea, but we’ve never gone for the budget lines like MSC and Carnival. Except for one cruise ship (Liberty of the Seas), all of our cruises have been on ships that carry less than 2,000 passengers, and most have ranged between 750 and 1200. That’s still a lot of passengers, but a well-designed and well-managed ship shouldn’t seem busy or filled to capacity. I have always had a negative opinion about sailing on a mega-ship, (I picture long lines, disorderly buffet stations, smokey casinos, noisy venues, and people hoarding lounge chairs by the pool) but honestly, I have no real-world experience to base that opinion on. It’s just a hunch.
At this stage of life, travel is important to us and although we can still organize and execute a long-haul, multi-destination trip, the day is fast approaching when we will no longer have the desire or energy to do so. Self-defined as ‘leisure travelers’, I can’t think of a more convenient way to see the world than from a cruise ship. It is time to get serious about what that might look like.
Cruise lines have a variety of well-defined personalities. However, a cruise line is not exclusive to just one type of cruise ship and most cruise lines offer from small exploration vessels to mega-ships which vastly change the atmosphere onboard. We are not loyal to any specific cruise line and tend to select cruises based on the itinerary and comfort of the ship. We will sacrifice luxury for location, and conversely, we will sacrifice location for a great onboard experience. That’s an awkward way of saying that we are not cruise snobs, and are open to trying anything once.
Fully recovered from our Nova Scotia road trip, we find ourselves with a little downtime before the busyness of the holidays sets in. It is the end of hurricane season and just before Thanksgiving in the US. Cruise ships typically do not fill up this time of year and the opportunity for discounts exists with most lines. With three cruise ports within two hours of our home, why not take advantage and spend a few days on the water and do a little research at the same time.
I searched Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Princess for all Caribbean cruises leaving from a Florida port in November and netted a few solid options. We narrowed the search to include a minimum of 7 nights and the Enchanted Princess popped up with a ten-day itinerary sailing from Ft. Lauderdale. It fit what we were looking for; a convenient embarkation port, Caribbean ports we hadn’t visited, reasonable price, newer ship, and current technology. The Enchanted is not quite a floating city, but with a capacity of more than 4,000 passengers, it is big enough to provide significant contrast to the ships we have previously sailed. We booked the cruise and set sail next Sunday.
My Checklist
Of course, I will enjoy the experience first and put research second, but here are a few things I’ll be paying attention to. Hopefully, this ship and this cruise line will dispel my preconceived notions about mega-ships and expand the possibilities for future travel. We already know we are comfortable sailing for long periods (36 days is our longest journey), and we are comfortable with back-to-back cruises, or splitting cruises with land portions in between – those items are a given. Specifically, we want to understand how a mega-ship feels and whether or not we can see ourselves incorporating one into a future journey – a transatlantic or transpacific crossing perhaps?
- Embarkation – with over 4,000 passengers, how does this work. Long lines and lots of waiting?
- Quiet Spaces – will there be ample spaces for quiet time
- Dining Venues – buffet (chaotic or orderly), wait time for seating in dining venues, food preparation, service, alternatives to main dining (worth the upcharge).
- The mood/social dynamic of the ship – will we feel comfortable, or out of place
- Mobility – does the layout of the ship facilitate ease of movement (are elevators readily available and conveniently located)
- Entertainment variety (intimate space performances as well as theater performances)
- Daily activities – is the focus on a younger demographic, or will there be activities of interest to us
- Stateroom comfort – shower, closet, storage, charging outlets, bed linens, towels, mattress comfort, even pillows
- Service – do employees appear to be happy, engaged, professional, and attentive
- Cleanliness – are precautions taken to minimize the spread of disease
- Value and mode of pricing – did we receive what was expected or feel nickeled and dimed
Years ago, we sailed a Princess ship and loved the itinerary, but not the onboard experience, especially dining, which always felt chaotic and disappointing. The ship was worn and needed an update, internet access was nearly impossible, and the clientele was considerably older than we were. We wrote the line off as a bit sad. But, this is a new day and we are trying to be open-minded.
Thus far, we have been favorably impressed with Princess’s Medallion (Starlink) technology that enabled us to complete a profile on a phone app, pre-register a credit card and boarding documents, book diner reservations, and schedule shore excursions. The wearable medallion will open our stateroom, facilitate room service, and provide a walking map of the ship. Yes, Big Brother is watching, which is both disturbing and comforting at the same time, but, it is all part of the mega-ship experience that we will either embrace or reject.
We are realists and understand that someday our lifestyle will meet challenges, and going and doing will become more difficult. Until then, we continue to explore, adjust, and live life our way.
Resources
Picture Retirement 
Suzanne, I can totally understand your way of thinking and feeling at this stage of life.
Like yourselves we also talk about the future and how our travels will change. We are open to trying all different styles of travelling. There are still so much explored we want to do, we would like to travel again with our motorhome, do cruising and even some independent packing or even joining a organised tour. We are also thinking of slow travel, such as renting an apartment for a month at a specific location and exploring from the home base. We have rented an apartment in Malaga for January and will see how that goes. Enjoy your cruise and looking forward to hearing how it goes for you.
Sent from my iPhone
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Hi Gilda, we have been thinking about ‘slow travel’ as a good option also. In fact, the plan for April is to find a ship (big or small) crossing to Lisbon, then tack on a three to four week stay in the region. We would probably consider two locations instead of one for the duration, but even so, I think it would still be managable.
I admire that you two are still able to RV travel. We recognized our limitations and gave up that notion long ago. Can’t wait to hear about Malaga in January. That sounds like heaven!
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Hi Suzanne – I’ll be following along with interest because your doubts sum up a lot of ours. Added to that, we’re not very sociable and large groups do my head in. I hope it turns out to be a really pleasant time and you can shine a beacon for those of us who are reluctant to dive in….
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Leanne, it seems that cruise lines are constantly rebranding these days, and what once was no longer is. Bottom line, we don’t know what to expect and are stepping out on a whim. I’ve read a lot of favorable reviews from our age demographic and feel encouraged. We’ll see.
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We’ve never been on a cruise but you make me want to try it once! Have fun!
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Dawn, it’s not for everyone. I picture you closer to nature.
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We love cruising. We have gone on a few different cruise lines – including Carnival. We’ve had good experiences with Carnival, but our timing probably plays into that. One thing we like is to always eat in the dining room – even breakfast. We generally try to avoid the buffet for breakfast and dinner, and we usually only have a snack for lunch – and we do sometimes get that at the buffet. With that in mind, the difference we’ve seen with the smaller ships is the entertainment offered – more options on the larger ships. In any case, we always make the best of whatever trip we are on and feel blessed we are able to take the trip. I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful time!
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Betty, we stay away from the buffet also. I’ll go there if I need a quick bite, but other than that, no. We typically prefer small venue entertainment, singer, pianist, etc. and rarely make an effort to see the big shows. It will be interesting to see how this one unfolds.
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Excellent point! We enjoyed this father/son violin duo on our Celebrity cruise to Alaska. They were amazing – and, I don’t use that word like the young people do. 🙂 Here’s their link, just as an fyi. https://dougcameron.com/
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I’ve never been on a cruise and have heard many stories about them: positive and negative. You seem to have the knack for finding the best ones for you. When it comes to travel we’re leaning into becoming people who drive everywhere now. Used to fly all over the place, but slowing down in our SUV has an appeal.
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Ally, the best thing about driving is that you can carry everything you think you might need and not worry about overweight luggage.
I loved our recent road trip to Nova Scotia, but it took a toll on our bones. If we do that again, we will fly to our destination (Washington State comes to mind as a possibility) and rent a car to minimize the drive time.
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Hi Suzanne, I’ll be following along with great interest. Atm even though I still enjoy and am able to do non-cruising types of travel, I’ve started paying more attention to cruising as it may become my choice of travel as I age. Thank you for the two resources you mentioned. Have a wonderful trip!
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Hi Natalie, we still have a few good years in front of us, but we know the day is coming. The past two travel experiences taught us a lot about our tollerances.
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I’ve never gone on a cruise but should I ever, I will return to your post, Suzanne! Lots of points of consideration here, that I would not have thought of, myself.
Thanks for sharing,
Deb
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Deb, the two links I left at the bottom of the post are great resources for choosing the right cruise. You are such a water person, I’m surprised you’ve never been.
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My parents loved taking cruises especially transatlantic ones. My mother didn’t really like the Caribbean ones as the poverty on some islands was heartbreaking to her. I’m talking over 40 years ago so hopefully things are better? I’ve been thinking about an Alaskan cruise lately but I haven’t considered one before because being with a lot of people all the time is not fun for me.
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Crowds aren’t my thing either, and I don’t like being herded on big tours. We usually look for small group tours seperate from the ship or just do our own thing if we feel safe. We haven’t found the ‘right’ Alaska cruise yet. That may be a place we need to combine a land tour with a cruise. If your research turns up something special, please pass it on.
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Hi, Suzanne – Deb V took the words right out of my mouth! I love following all of your posts – especially on travel. You are such a fantastic planner and reviewer that I always learn a great deal!
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Donna, there has been a lot to write about lately, and hopefully more to come. We are bouncing around some exciting ideas for 2025. Have a great week.
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Yes, as we age our travel modes have to evolve. We’ve shunned such cruises in the past (we’ve shunned most cruises) but I would never say never so I’ll be very interested in your accounts of this trip 😀
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Sarah, I am surprised at the number of ‘travelers’ who don’t cruise. It is possible to be in ‘discovery mode’ when at leisure and being catered to, so if that is a concern, it shouldn’t be. I promise, it is not a ‘food fest’, or a ‘let’s get silly’ sort of vacation (well, some cruises are, but we don’t do those). Each experience is what you make it. There are lots of ships sailing from Southampton. Aren’t you near there?
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I guess about 90 minutes drive, but if we did decide on a cruise we’d probably want to go further afield, not the Med, so would choose to fly to a departure port I think. Maybe one day, but it’s not for us right now
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I’ll be interested in reading about this cruise!
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I will be posting a full review in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed.
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Wishing you a wonderful cruise! We have thought about a transatlantic cruise also…:)
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Linda, transatlantic crossings are not big on ports of call so if you don’t mind sea days, and are just looking for relaxing transportation to or from Europe, go for it.
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Suzanne,
You’ve given us a lot of food for thought here. I’ve been on three cruises–one large line, and two small ships (Windstar). The smaller vessels are definitely the way to go for me. We’re still RVing and planning more trips, but that won’t continue forever. I’m saving your post for that day. Have a great weekend and enjoy the next voyage to the max. Joe
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Joe, I am forever impressed with you and Helen and your RVing. Most of our friends who are your age have long given up. We’ve never done Windstar, but I would love to. Something else to add to the list… I’m trying not to have high expectations for this cruise, but the reviews I’ve read are encouraging.
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Windstar was fabulous. 300 passengers and 150 staff. I never felt so pampered, and they light up the sails at night for an amazing experience.
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Suzanne, Have a great time on your upcoming cruise. I’m looking forward to hearing all about it.
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Beth, thank you. We are still skeptical about the ‘big ship’ experience, but looking forward to being in the islands again.
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Happy cruising! I’m looking forward to the report. I’ve never been on a cruise and have many perceived notions about them, but I’d like to go on one in the future and see if it’s my thing. The “pack mentality” might put me off. I’m very spoiled not having crowds around us on our travels. 🙂
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Liesbet, all of my ‘boater’ friends were skeptical at first, but there are now several converts among them. It definitely think age and ability has a lot to do with that. There comes a time when we get tired, but desire to travel remains.
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I’ll be so interested on your experiences and opinions about the Enchanted Princess. Our cruising experiences have been very similar in the past concerning the size of cruise ships and what is offered. Happy Sailing.
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Karen, I am trying to keep an open mind and fairly judge the experience.
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So far our largest ship was the Queen Mary II – about 3,000. The key issues appear to be the amount of space and crew per passenger. We have settled on Seabourn, but Oceania will add Tampaas a port in 2026, so we will give it a try. Good luck.
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John, you nailed it. Space and crew per passenger is the key. Fingers crossed that the weather cooperates.
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I’m looking forward to hearing all about your cruise! Love that you just returned from your Nova Scotia road trip and are ready to roll again. 🙂
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