I recently returned from a 5-day cruise to The Bahamas courtesy of the good people at Carnival Cruise Line®. I had an absolute blast, but this story began a week before when I dropped off my daughter at school and had a conversation with another dad.
Me: “I’m heading to The Bahamas next week.”
The dad: “Nice! Are you flying into Nassau?”
Me: “No, I’m actually flying into Jacksonville. It’s a cruise to Bahamas.”
The dad: “Dude, why? Cruises are lame.”
At that point, I had to educate this clueless guy about the awesomeness of cruising.
#1: Hotels and getting around
OK, let’s use my family as an example. Now let’s say we flew into Nassau for a vacation in The Bahamas. We’d have to secure a hotel and get a rental car (with car seats). On a cruise, you don’t have to worry about any of that. Simply fly to the port, take a shuttle to the ship, and off you go. Not to mention, your ship is the hotel!
#2: The food situation
If your kids are like mine, they’ll do one of two things at mealtime: 1) We’ll order something and they’ll decide after one bite that it’s not worth eating. Or 2) They’ll eat everything and within 15 minutes of leaving the restaurant, they’ll decide they’re hungry again.
How would we handle that if we flew into Nassau? We’d end up spending a ton of money all while dealing with grumpy kids. Nobody wins. On the beautiful Carnival Elation®, there was a ton of food options available 24/7 — most of which is included in the fare. So if you have hungry kids or picky kids, they have you completely covered.
#3: A break from the kids?
Again, let’s say I flew into Nassau. What if I wanted to enjoy some adult fun without the kids around? Would I just knock on hotel doors and hope that someone would take care of my adorable children? Of course not. On a cruise, that’s not a problem. Carnival has Camp Ocean™ which is built-in childcare for kiddos between 2-11. Simply drop them off, and they can enjoy age-specific activities like art, games, movies, etc. while grownups can enjoy some “me time.”
#4: Bonding with fellow vacationers
If I stayed at a hotel in Nassau, would it be realistic for me to become friends with the people in the room next me? Probably not. But cruising is different. A ship is like a giant floating city, and we’re all residents of it. For that short time we’re on board, we see the same people during meals, during shows, and at the pool. We get to know them, their families, their home life, etc. — and before you know it, we’ve made new friends. Cruises have the unique ability to bring people from all walks of life together, and nobody does it better than Carnival.
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So after I laid those points out to my fellow dad, he realized the error in his ways and apologized for his ignorance. He even said that he may consider a short cruise this summer. Cruising is truly the best way to enjoy a vacation, and I’ll do my part to share my feelings with anyone who will listen.
This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind.
Note: Onboard activities, shore excursions, and dining options may vary by ship and destination.
