Why I was so Nervous about a Ten Day Cruise; Now, the Longer the Better

I have to admit, ten day cruises scared me. Three whole days at sea with nothing to do? I imagined myself stuck out in the middle of the ocean missing home…Wandering around ports wondering what I was doing there.

None of that happened. In fact, the minute we got home, we started looking at even longer cruises.

So what changed? First of all, the passengers and the crew put me at ease almost the minute we embarked on our journey through the Southern Caribbean. It was like we were all in this together. Sure, there were a few people who looked as nervous as I was.

But as soon as we sailed away from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, I felt a sense of calm and relaxation. And the feeling was palpable. When sailing away party music started playing on the pool deck, all of a sudden, my stresses melted away and I began to take in the sea breeze and sip my mocktail and really, truly relax.

I know you’re thinking, so what? Isn’t that was cruising, and well, vacations in general are all about? Yes and no. For me, being going that long usually leads to anxiety. What am I missing? What should I be doing? Will work begin mounting the minute I return?

But none of those thoughts even entered my head. (Well, a few times when I got an email, for instance.) But I just let those thoughts simply leave my mind, and felt reminded by the cool ocean breeze that truly, this is what life is about.

Were We Bored on Sea Days?

Since neither of us like broadway style shows and we don’t drink, one might assume we would get bored easily..Not a chance. There is a difference between not doing much of anything and being bored.

I loved sitting out on our balcony and just watching the waves go by. I know it sounds cliche, but there is something very calming about being surrounded by water. People tried to tell me that, but I refused to listen. Now, I get it.

My husband and I also spent more time doing what we love to do at home…And that is, walk. We walked around the track on the top deck at least three times a day. Sure, at home, we can stroll to a coffee shop a couple miles away. But here, on the ship, we got a bird’s eye view of the ports as the ship maneuvered in. We got to see the stragglers come in from the beach who almost missed the departure time.

We saw white caps miles away. We talked to other avid walkers and joggers. When we got tired of that, we headed down to the buffet, or the burger joint near the pool.

It was nice because we could eat where and when we wanted…A far cry from our first cruise 25 years ago where three was a set time you had to eat in the main dining room or you didn’t eat! We hated that. It turned us off cruising for 20 years until any-time dining became a thing.

Now, we cruise about three times a year. Sure, I book shorter itineraries, but to us, the longer the better. Because then we really get a chance to unwind before it’s time to disembark. We even have a 12 day South American cruise in our sites.

Even a year ago, my husband and I would never have even considered such a long vacation. I don’t know..Is a world cruise in our future? Probably not. But it’s not out of the question.