Vacation

Here Comes the Cruise! The best cure for what ails you is full steam ahead!

Porthole’s Monday Mantra

Cruise for the Blues…Cruise for the Blues…Cruise for the Blues…

Here Comes the Cruise!

The best cure for what ails you is full steam ahead!

I have not one, not two, but three cruises on the horizon! I usually roll my eyes when braggarts bend my ear with details of their numerous upcoming sailings but, now that it’s me, I intend to be just as annoying as they are.

The truth is that my year thus far has deeply sucked, and last year wasn’t lollipops and rainbows either. I figure that the best way to lift my gloom is to do what I like to do best — cruise!

I start in September with Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa 2, which, according to Berlitz, is the most luxurious ship in the world. And if I didn’t believe it, I wouldn’t be flying 12 hours each way for just six days on board. This baby seems right up my alley though: 40,000 tons, about 500 guests, all-balcony cabins, and — get this: pastries and hot waffles at the pool bar. I’ll be sailing to ports in Greece and Turkey, none of which I’ve visited before — and none that I can pronounce — but when hot waffles are available on board, I’m not even sure ports are all that important.

In November, I return to my beloved SeaDream Yacht Club. When it comes to the 4,260 grt, 112-passenger yachts of SeaDream, thinking small is a good thing. A very good thing. This time, I’ll be hitting some of the best yachting destinations in the Caribbean — including St. Barts, Jost van Dyke, and the uninhabited Norman Island, home of the famous Pirates Bight beachfront bar/restaurant with servers who sail in to work from neighboring islands. (That’s the commute I want!) And, of course, there’s the superb SeaDream onboard experiences such as Sleeping Under the Stars, the Champagne & Caviar Splash, the sports platform and its water toys, the charming crew, exquisite dining, and Top of the Yacht, my favorite bar at sea.

Finally, shortly after the calendar flips to 2016, I’m off to my third almost-annual Moody Blues Cruise. The “Nights in White Satin” rock icons are doing it again, this time aboard Norwegian Pearl, and they’ll be joined by The Zombies, Christopher Cross, Renaissance, Rare Earth, and others. There are many rock cruises out there but, for me, nothing can match The Moody Blues Cruise and its big-name artists, nonstop schedule of full concerts in venues all around the ship, and extras such as meet and greets, storyteller shows, and deck parties. There’s something wildly exciting about seeing your favorite rock idols on line for pizza at the buffet. Check out moodiescruise.com for all the info.

Feeling sad? Follow my lead and book a cruise — or three. You’ll feel better in no time!

— Judi Cuervo


 

Have you booked your next cruise yet? Tell us about your plans in the comments below!

Judi Cuervo is a New York City native who fell in love with cruising in 1976 during her first sailing aboard Carnival Cruises’ Mardi Gras. Twenty years later, she began her freelance cruise writing gig and, since that time, has covered mass market, ultra-premium, riverboat and expedition ships for regional, national and international publications as well as cruise websites.