Life on Board

I thought that seeing as this was my first cruise and all, that I would record a few pics and thoughts for my own reflection and posterity. Other 'cruisers' will have different experiences and opinions, and those who haven't cruised at all may or may not find it interesting.

I had some preconceptions about cruising before I left, so good, some bad, some confirmed, some refuted. For starters, I thought the time on board whilst at seas would be a bit boring and that time would drag, but there was plenty to keep us occupied.

The boat (ship, sorry! ) we sailed on, the MS Noordam (Holland America Line) seemed huge to me when we first got on, and I spent the first few days walking In the opposite direction when heading places. The Noordam could take about 2000 passengers, and had an additional 800 staff onboard. But we saw several larger vessels, including the Norwiegan Epic which reportedly carried 5000 passengers.

Of the staff, 30%, including all bar staff, where Filipino, and 50% were Indonesian, including all the wait staff and room staff. These people were the ones who made cruising a warm and enjoyable experience. They were amazing; so friendly and convivial, appropriately cheeky and always smiling and always willing to help. Most were on 10 month contracts and many had sacrificed family life to take the position on, with the prospect of earning better money for better life back home. I loved them.

The two main dining options were in the upstairs Lido, which was buffet style, or down in the Vista lounge, where you sat down with others at tables of about 8, therefore meeting new people every night. We used this option most often, three course meals (not big though), although you could actually elect to have the whole menu of you so desired. As mentioned in a previous post, on the night that Filet Mignon with lobster was on the menu, Mike from New Jersey taught me you could ask for as many lobster tails as you liked and they would keep in bringin' them out. The food was excellent. And it shows on my body lol.

We fell into the routine of a drink at the Ocean Bar most nights before dinner, though there were several others to choose from, and we did not sample them all. I also liked the outdoor bar at the back of the boat, where I'd often go by myself, sit with my camera ans sip on a Margarita watching the sun set, especially during sail aways. 

Both Mum and I enjoyed the Explorations Cafe; a quiet spot to read and take decent coffee, free for us with our unlimited beverages card, but not for most. We even sat like Nanas doing the jigsaws they had out sometimes and we supped our espressos. Pissed me off that there were always pieces missing though lol. It was interesting that all the food was free (as it should be) but you had to pay for anything you drank outside of juices, tea and filter coffee. Even daily bottled water was a charge. 

We actually didn't make much use of the night life, as our main focus was the daytime activities (i.e. visiting the ports of call!) so made sure we were fresh for that each day. We went to a couple of the shows, but because we ate a formal dinner later in the evening, we usually retired after that to read, write and relax. We didn't do a lot of other on board activities either; Mum and I both visited the spa twice, both time on 'at sea' days. I'd have loved to go more but it was really expensive. Even the two treatments I had I would never have paid as much for at home, but I put it down to all part of the experience. The girls there were gorgeous, and the sea view as you were pampered wasn't that bad either.

Although there were good facilities available, I had a holiday from any sort of gym, but we did walk around the Promenade deck for exercise. Once. We didn't use the pools either. For me I was mainly shy about my winter body, although I doubt I would have stood out amongst the bathers to be perfectly honest. I dragged Mum to Team Trivia a few times when we were on board at the right time. It was run by the events manager Kieron, and I think I'd quite like his job. Organising events and activities meeting and greeting, remembering people names and where they are from... Sounds right up my alley! We also did do some on board shopping, even if a lot of the stuff was not quite my usual 

style. Once we went to a cooking show although it was really basic so we gave others a miss.

I think the on board activities were more for the people who spent a lot of time on board and didn't get off at all the ports. This was my biggest surprise about cruising; the number of people who do it all the time! Of course it is a lot more accessible for people up in the northern hemisphere to just hop on a Carribean or Meditierranean cruise, but some did it several times a year. They must be made of money because it is not cheap on board. And because many of those folk have visited the ports of call several times, they often don't bother with going ashore. 

I would definitely go cruising again, largely for the lifestyle. Not if my rationale was to experience other countries and cultures. That was the frustrating part of cruising for me; the strict deadlines to be back on board, and the short timeframes in each destination. For example, I can say I have 'been' to Barcelona, but I don't feel like I have 'seen' Barcelona.

But it was terrific to get to see so many places in such a short amount of time, and not have to move your suitcase once! Having all my stuff in drawers and the wardrobe and only having to pack up at the end was awesome man. We loved our little cabin, with its wee verandah. Here I often sat in the early morning in my night attire, watching the next port reveal itself as we came in to dock, often as the sun rose. It was really sound proof and light proof, in fact most mornings the dudes with our pre ordered coffee and tea were the ones that woke us up! What a sight for them 😝.

The only real negative for me was the cost and ineffiency of the Internet. It was outrageously priced and ridiculously slow. Small gripe. 

In addition to the places we visited, one of the biggest positives of cruising was the people I have met. Not just the ones that I know I'll stay in touch with, but also all the other interesting travellers from various countries who I would never have otherwise crossed paths with. Most were easy and interesting to talk with and almost everyone we met loved NZ or wanted to visit if they had not yet been. If you are a people person like me and you have not cruised, I think you'd like it.