Day 22

 5

reasons to take a cruise…

1. Coffee. On Celebrity Cruises, Cafe al Bacio is the place for fancy and simple coffees, sweet treats and people watching. 

2. Food. All the time. Night or day. Early or late. I know buffets are not everyone’s cup of tea but you really have to use it for what it is. I never look at it like a gluttonous feast but more of all Julie’s favorites in one place. I can have a beautiful Caesar salad tossed inside a hollowed out wheal of parmigiana. On another day I can have eggs Benedict. Things I would never attempt to cook, like Indian cuisine, Is always available. They key is to not eat all those things at the same meal!

3. Never pack or repack. Once you are on the ship you can unpack and relax. Let the ship take you to every destination without the hassle of changing hotel rooms with every new day. As a single traveler this is a bonus. BUT I do think that over time a combination of different kinds of travel are necessary. A car trip across a large area can be a different experience and equally fun. Planning is key. 

4. Excursions. On my 2 cruises in January I had 2 cooking lessons, went to 4 different beaches, learned all about the customs and farming in the Caribbean, met local pottery and batik artists and visited 8 different islands. Fascinating!

5. Price. Originally I had given myself a travel budget for January and thought I would rent a condo. After lots of math, I discovered I could take 2 cruises and squeeze in a trip to WDW for the same amount of $. With everything included on a Celebrity cruise I knew just how much I would spend. But if you gamble (which I didn’t), shop (which I always do) or explore the ports (which I did), those extra costs have to be added in. I still didn’t break the bank and had a blast!