10/8/29 – 9/5 Caribbean Cruise Trip thing; [Emerald Princess]

10/8/29 – 9/5 Caribbean Cruise Trip thing; [Emerald Princess]

Well, this is a long overdue trip log, per Betsy & Sally’s request… sorry ladies, I’m just need to find time and peace of quiet to compile this for you two… guess what, it’s been two months since…

Prior to boarding the cruise ship, I had the meet with Kristie and Trent for brunch, we had a wonderful meal and chats about various things, sorry Betsy, didn’t take any photo… you know Kristie… if I take more pictures, she’s definitely going to kill me… and I would want to avoid that before the embankment… In fact, Trent and Kristie were so nice to drop me off at the port so I won’t walk over there by myself and looking weird… Thanks T & K!! Thailand in Dec. is in process… Special K, you’ll need to plan things out~

Well, that, would be the highlight of the week… hmm… can I say that? I wonder…

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Things to keep in mind: I was in Russia for two weeks, and couple of days in N.Y.C. with two Broadway shows before this cruise trip. Although this is my first cruise trip, I’m actually NOT that looking into it to start with… therefore, things “might be” bias to a certain degree… However, I did tried to keep myself centered in many viewpoints during the cruise…

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--Embankment & “The Foods”

I was the last of the group to board the ship, since I had the wonderful brunch with Kristie and Trent, and nothing can drive me away from that… See, how likely you will meet a stranger twice in a month without plan it all?? That, is something I won’t give up to… especially Kristie is such a wonderful person, smart, kind, and with huge heart for many things… etc, etc…. [shh… she’s reading this… I just need to make her happy… else she’ll kick my hard in Thailand… ;p]

Anyway, last one to board is somewhat fun, you get to have your own individual embankment picture all by yourself, which aren’t that bad… just that people might ask, “are you ditched by all your peers??” In that case, I’ll say: I just like to have my own picture, how’s that? Cousins?? :p

No, the entire process is quite good, since many already boarded, the line is faster and you don’t need to be crowded with other guests whom eagerly want to get on board and dine… Think of it this way, you’ll be there for a week, it bound to be tired with those foods anyway… why hurry?? A sense of freedom is required… I’ll say the last one boarding is the luckiest one…

Gone by the maze to find the room that is not mine, since with group of 22 people, the arrangement is, somewhat confusing… Big thinks to Chris, cousin in nth degree, who done such a good job trying to figure things out for us all…

By the way, I only knew 1/3 of the people in that group… just to show how antisocial I was… >_<

The real reason being that I was among the youngest in the group and the whole relative thing is confusing to understand as well, it’s the cousins in 2nd degree, and their cousins… so, yeah, don’t ask me… I can’t explain it to you…

As I walk around the ship, I just can’t find any excitement for me at all… not sure why, but that cruise thing just not spark in me at all… probably was that I being dragged into it, or already tired from previous trip in Russia and NYC… If not for the time to bond and mingle with cousins, I wouldn’t be interested in cruise at all… I’m weird, I know…

Walked toward the buffet area to meet the group, and as I toured the decks, I can’t get the sense of enjoyment, scanning the foods on people’s table just kept me wonder… “Do I have to eat those for the next seven days?” Please let me off now… seriously… save me the trouble of jump off ship.

Many of my friends knew I can be suitable to any type of food or condition, especially while traveling, as I tend not to ask too much or make other people miserable… in fact, it’s the native, local cultural traditions that I’m most interested in… like I joked, Chinese just eat anything and anything…

However, what’s the ritual of buffet?? You’ll see the upmost unsuitable things about human nature… getting the excess foods that aren’t necessary, jump around lines, picking whatever they think is “better” and waste so much foods… It’s the sense of “free”, “unlimited” that trigger that side of human nature…

Well, that is about the entire cruise industry… “free foods”… to attract people…

In many things, “free” is a dangerous word… ‘cause in the end, nothing is free… if it’s free, then, you’ll need to consider the type of quality you’re getting at… I would say, your healthy should be more crucial than those free low quality ingredients..

I, you may say I’m spoiled, but I didn’t even bother to try the buffet foods at that moment… partly I just had a good brunch and don’t want to ruin it… partly I just can’t bear the line and squeeze with bunch of people… I was too tired for that… If I can lay down and sleep, I’ll done that right away… redeye flight from SFO to FLL did take some energy out of me.

Once figured out which room I’m going to be, I toured the entire cruise ship with cousin, and honestly, I already felt miserable by the end of that tour walk… there aren’t much things to do… Whoever said the cruise ship is fun, I would need some adjustments…

I, think Sally’s right… cruise trip is boring… Sorry Betsy, I have to agree with Sally now… I see your point that it does hold many things onboard, however, I do believe a three/four days should be LONG enough… Excursion is a different thing, as you know me… like to explore so I join as much as I can…

Why do people or the industry wants to build a huge ship and doesn’t put much interesting things on board??? I can’t get it… If they keep making the “foods” as the attraction, they’ll lost the customers, no wonder the cruise ship cost is lower and lower… I even receive a promo for $157 package lately… stupid…

We had the first dinner at one of the free “fine dining” restaurant… Well, it was a 2.5 hour dinner… whatever they served, is not food… and I’m not being mean about it…

Most of us ordered the prime rib, they did ask about how we like it cook, and when those prime ribs came, it all various…

I ordered the medium rare, and it came out “over” well done… When my cousins asked if I want to change or not, I just say it’s fine… then the waiter asked, so I’ll just say fine, change it… guess what, within two minutes, my “medium rare” prime rib came…

At that moment, I was a bit shock, that was fast, I thought… then I started to look around and notice that all the entries are done is a massive streamline way… I realize that all the foods are prepped by a central kitchen in bulk…

Well, guess how good the quality it will be…

I have to say, maybe Circus Circus’s meal is better than this “fine dining”… I, miss Denny’s already….

The next day’s lunch at another “fine dining” aren’t much better… just further prove to me that the central kitchen just can’t cook… and the quality of raw materials used aren’t qualified as good at all…

All just made me wonder what sort of pay restaurants this cruise ship offers… Thus exploring the entire ship to look for them… Well, there are only two… as I reading their menus, I didn’t see the price for each item, but only says cover charge per person… Since it is my first cruise trip, I have no idea what that means… then I ask around…

Ok, it’s either $20 or $25 per person if people want to dine there; however, you can order as many as you want…. Eh, what?! Wait a min, $20 per person for the Italian foods, and $25 for the steakhouse??? That’s it???

Then, then, why we have to eat at the “free fine dining” places????

Sadly, for some un-escaped reasons, I only start to do the pay restaurant until the fifth day…

Which, if I were alone, that wouldn’t be the case at all…

I was tired from previous trips, so after the three “free fine dining” experiences, I just slept the entire day for the at sea day… didn’t even bother to eat at all… lost all the appetite and already felt like to “jump off” the ship as Sally strongly recommended…

For the fifth day, I went to the pay steakhouse with one of the cousin, as I just can’t take it anymore and want to explore what the pay stuffs can do to me… To our surprises, they offer “real brew ice tea”, “real quality beef”, “real Maine lobster tails”, and the waitress peeled the shell off for you…

So, for a mere $25 per person, you are getting the over the value quality food and service that typically cost near $150 per head at any typical Steakhouse… There is something wrong with this picture… or the Princess cruise line just can’t distinguish their level of services…

By the way, there’s no place for you to write down gratitude, it’s included in part of your daily $10.50 or $11 per person…

Yeah, $25 for as many as you can eat, for a better than average quality foods… and I’m the first and only one to fight to get in there… For those cruise veterans, I “forced” them to try it on the last night… and they were “surprised” by the food quality and level of service… Christ mentioned that: “we’ll start exploring the pay restaurant for now on…”

I have to say, not all restaurants are created equal, but if they do ask for a price, it’s never hurt to try it and see what can surprise you….

Doesn’t matter what the outcome to be, can be “surprised” like this, or “worse” than you expected; however, if you never try, you’ll never know…

We Asians, or people in general, doesn’t have to so “locked” and only think of the ‘free’ stuffs out there… Your health is much more crucial than those ‘unlimited free junks’… if only paying $20 or $25 more can get you two or three levels up of quality foods, why not?

As I kept telling my cousins, “How much you pay at Denny’s or Olive Garden, or Outback’s??” Then these cover charge prices are so cheap in comparison. Yet, as I survived around for least three days, not many people even enter those two pay restaurants… Probably less than 5% of all 3500 cruisers…

Mentality is a dangerous thing… mindset in general can just twist people around in a many ways… Oh well, least I changed my cousins… they should have fun in the future cruises… just don’t talk me into it anymore…

If I ever do cruise again, it ought to be the Alaska or Disney line… that, would be more interesting, in my opinion…

Therefore, foods in general, sucks onboard…. Entertainment, just don’t mention it to me… so terrible… formal nights, are idiotically meaningless…

The concept of formal night is good; however, I just don’t think it present it good at all… it kept remind me of the high school proms…

Speaking of which, those “free fine dining” restaurants don’t allow shorts and tank top there… they will turn you away if you do wear that… I think, with that quality of foods… you can just wear anything you want… yeah, I Hate there… if you haven’t notice it…

One of my cousin comment that the buffet foods are better than those of “free fine dining”, the pizza is good, and the sausage at the grill is good. I didn’t try the buffet food at all, except the breakfast, but I would have to agree with him. The sausage is good, and the pizza was ok.

What’s the commotion about people do cruise for the foods? I still don’t get it… just don’t…

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- Offshore excursions

This particular cruise trip only landed on Princess Cays, Jamaica, Cayman Island, and Cozumel. In my opinion, if you want to do cruise trip and don’t want to do excursions, then you might as well stay home…

Princess Cays, is one of Princess Line’s own private island, basically nothing there besides beaches.. is the most boring place to be…

Jamaica, we went to the river climb, is hell of fun!! Big thanks for Chris to arrange and bargain for the bus and the entire thing; we as the entire chain of family members all had fun there…

Cayman Island, I ordered the 4x4 jeep tour to wonder around the island, and the view of locals and learn bits and pieces about the island is good, I would say Cayman island might be the only place I would want to go back to… for its clear unpolluted ocean and wonderful nice people there.

Cozumel, went to the Tulum ruins, and get a sense about the Southern Mexican culture. We had a funny tour guide Caesar, told us many funny jokes and cultural secrets. The entire 8 hours there was worth it.

In general, the excursions are necessary for people to get off ship and start exploring the natives, as I think that’s the point of traveling… staying on the ship isn’t much of travel, you can do that anywhere there’s beach or resort. You just don’t need to be “on board” to do those stuffs…

That just make me saying that the cruise package should extend those excursion stays to more than a few hours to overnight or something… for real travelers..

I just can’t stop thinking that the entire cruise industry just targeting those who never travel or in retire stage or whatever to stay put in a stationary place that ‘moves’… Well, today’s cruise package aren’t expensive as they used to be, it is a good family vacation alternatives, since it got almost “everything” on board, just not in good quality, that’s all…

I suspect it also depend on the cruise line and the ship, of course, the price range you pay to get on board… that’s why Betsy said: “you always look for newest or largest ship to be on with…” That, just says all… What you pay, is what you get…

For Princess, I just don’t know, some say it’s good, some say it’s not…

For me, hmm, don’t ask… you won’t hear any good comments….

I was away from tourist package long long ago… probably ten, fifteen years… and cruise trip is a tourist package in a way… a fixed itinerary and fixed ‘feeling’... Therefore, any chance to run away from the ship, I’ll do it… just that the time is too short to be on shore… I guess shore excursions aren’t in many people’s list after all… ‘cause, it cost extra…

- What else?

Sally: “you’re in the jail, the only think is you walk around the ship, and sometimes you would want to jump off it….”

Betsy: “Oh, cruise ship is fun to be, yet it depends on the type of ship, but it got everything you ever need… I think it’s wonderful…”

I had these two extreme opposite comments about cruise travel way before my actual first experience… Well, that’s encouraging…. Thanks you two… fed me the “excitements” way before my trip…

Am I influenced by those two “young ladies”?? I think mostly not, ‘cause what they said, is also true, in many ways…

For me, it also depends on whom you’re on board with.

If not for the relatives, I will NOT want to be on that trip. Mainly because I’m extreme tired before and after the Russia trip, the NYC stays just gave me some buffer before heading back home, then less than a week for another trip as this cruise thing just made me all tired… It’s not exactly a vacation; it’s just a torture…

My spa therapist was surprised how tight my muscle is and she can’t help to relieve them, only tells me to take care myself and hopefully get rid of all the stress… Well, yeah, I knew that… If I have a way, I’ll be doing that already…

Relieve of stress, isn’t easy, cruise trip just not one method to rid of it, only create more stress…

The reason I hate package tour is that it is always on tight schedule and the tour guide always make it tense for you… you’ll never be relieve from the it, only create more tense moments… especially you have “interesting” parties in the group… where you have to accommodate them… that just made the entire trip less fun to start with. It’s a chance by chance thing…

For such a long time, I mostly travel by myself into weird places, or made other people miserable, it is not common for me to do the package tour or accommodate other unreasonable requests. However, as a family trip, many things we just have no control over, thus, seat and watch is what I done during this trip, least for the first couple days.

There are many people I never seem before, even if they are considered as my relatives, yet, that doesn’t mean much to me. In many ways, I’m the outlier in the family, my way of doing things aren’t particularly Asian nor Western, I don’t even know what am I…

Coming out of volunteering program, mingled with twenty plus strangers earlier than this cruise trip, I would say it has the effect on me.

I can’t lie, but I would prefer to mingle with twenty plus strangers in Russia whom shared the similar mind and doing the similar “stupid things” than this cruise trip…

Yes, that’s how I felt.

It’s not the relatives that made me think this way, but it’s the entire “cruise ship environment” that gave me this feeling…

Because these two trips are so close, and the sole purpose in each of them is different, I think I’ve difficult time to adjust from one to another…

One, is for the charity and helping the needed; while the other is to, well, ‘enjoy’ the miserable of others’, to be served by others in needed…

Betsy, Sally, I don’t think I can give unbiased comment about cruise trip after all… I may have the reverse cultural shock effect on me during this cruise trip…

I watch how people ‘enjoy’ themselves on board; listen to others’ conversation; and watch people perform the ‘greedy’ things…

I overheard how parents told their children about things, couples making unsuitable comments regard certain things…

I observe people waste foods, children order more plates of foods to “get the money worthwhile”…

Well, those details are just the total opposite of what we experienced earlier in Aug., thus this cruise trip is just not that fun for me, just not that fun…

I did, try to make it worthwhile by doing my own things, mingle with long lost cousins, take off shore excursions to explore; else I’ll be totally bored to death by the end of the seventh day…

If there’s a next time for the cruise trip, I hope, just hope it can be better, with someone that maybe I want to be with… No, I didn’t mean I don’t want to be with the cousins, however, I think this time is just not right for me… especially after such a fun, worthwhile two weeks back in Russia.

I think this is a very biased viewpoint I had, I have to admit it myself… However, it is what I felt… still, even two months or so after the trip…

Hopefully, these viewpoints can be changed in the future, if I ever do cruise trip again… hopefully…

Well, Betsy, and Sally, you happy now? :]


-TonyT
Nov., ‘10