Over the years DonDiego has been an occasional cruiser. As best he can recall, he's been on Holland America, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Vantage.
He finds the on-board time pleasant enough; he can just set on his veranda and watch the Ocean for hours. The food is generally good to very good, occasionally excellent. The casinos are generally smallish and quite limited, and the games and odds usually poor.
But DonDiego's preference is a cruise comprising less shipboard-time and more port stops. And he takes advantage of the land tours.
The best:
#1__Vantage European River Cruise
After booking this cruise the folks at Vantage changed the itinerary from the normal cruise - up the Rhine from Cologne, Germany to Basel Switzerland - to a wine-themed journey including a side-trip up the Mosel through the vineyard covered hills.
Always things to see while moving slowly along the river; lots of port-calls - every day the boat would dock at some riverside city and there was always something to see and do.
#2__Holland America Caribbean Cruise in 1998 to view a Total Eclipse of the Sun
Again not a standard itinerary, so DonDiego got to see more Caribbean islands all the way down to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. It was all good. The best part, aside form steaming out to some clear skies to observe the eclipse was the night before in Curacao.
The ship didn't get to the island until the Sun was setting, and the dock was in a seamy industrial environment with cranes and busy docks and oil terminals all over the place. DonDiego didn't see much point in touring the area. However, he noticed a casino visible from the ship, and walked to investigate with his lady traveling companion.
Talk about seamy ! The building was about the size of the old Little Caesar's in Las Vegas, but nowhere near as classy, or clean, or sweet-smelling, or well lit. It was like something out of a 1940s film noir flick - everything grey and insufficiently illuminated. 2 craps tables and one open blackjack table and some run-down slots along the walls. And one chair, about 5 feet high with a mean-looking fellow overlooking the three tables; the Southern Carribean version of a security system.
So DonDiego fit right in.
He took a seat at the blackjack table and bought in for $100. His sole table-mate was literally a drunken sailor, . . . so drunk that he could not pick up his cards or place his bets or signal his intentions to the dealer, . . . so the dealer simply placed his bet for him, dealt his cards to him, observed him stand on each hand, and eventually took every chip he had. Hey ! At least he didn't go through the guys pockets !
DonDiego won a bit, lost a bit, ended up a few bucks ahead. His companion felt less comfortable than DonDiego and suggested departing the premises, so DonDiego cashed out, left an appropriate tip, and made it out the door. The hundred yards or so back to the ship seemed darker than normal, or maybe it was just 'cause poor old DonDiego was staring at all the shadowy places along the way.
DonDiego made it back to the ship without injury.
#3 - Holland America Alaska Cruise
Spent 3 days in Vancouver pre-cruise; it seemed a most pleasant city. DonDiego can understand why it is so popular and real-estate is booming.
Otherwise pretty much standard cruise fare, . . . stops in Ketchikan, Sitka, Skagway, Juneau - pretty much all prepared to cater to the 1/2-day tourists off the cruise ships, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Took a train up into the mountains somewhere along the way.
But the highlights were natural - observing whales and flying fish along the way, somewhere on the inside passage seeing bears and wolves feeding off a whale carcass which had washed ashore [the bears have priority], and especially steaming up the fjords to view a glacier calving - very impressive.
DonDiego says: Enjoy !
