Question:
Were you bored on a 55-day cruise? That must be a question we got asked most often by our acquaintances.
And the short answer is NO!
You have to be a boring person to be bored aboard a floating city.
Long Answer:
First of all, we belong to the group of people who are never bored or need to kill time. Secondly, we enjoy each other’s company.
Daily activities included a hundred of groups, clubs, interests, lectures, performances. We participated in less than 10% of those and it could be an overstatement. Activities began at dawn and lasted into the wee hours of the morning. The onboard app helped people keep up with their busy schedules.
They exercised, danced, sang, learned to play ukulele or ping-pong or mahjong or other board and card games. They were at least 5 quizzes daily, several bands and music ensembles performed in various spots of the ship’s social decks, three pools and many bars were on the open decks.
Huge TV screen was on one of the top decks for movies with blankets if it was chilly. Many watched soccer there or in the casino. There were 2 showtimes every night! Variety of performers came and left, but we sailed on. We went to a small fraction of performances, being we are a) in the biz, b) were often busy watching tennis or soccer in our cabin. There were many channels and movies to choose from in the in cabin entertainment line up. We sailed through French Open, some of Wimbledon and most or World soccer.
Photo: Alex watching soccer wrapped in 2 blankets. Can you spot a man watching the soccer match from the hot tub?
There was a gym, walking track and a spa. It is a floating city with many decks to explore or hide away from the crowds. When the weather is good, everyone is happy. When it’s raining, there are many indoor hideaways as well.
Meals and restaurants
One could never go hungry on the Crown Princess World Cruise 2026. At least not on ours. On sea days we had breakfast either at the restaurant or outdoor area of the buffet in the aft of the ship. We only ordered room service thrice – when Alex was under the weather, for my birthday and last day at sea. The food in the regular restaurants was varied and we generally preferred lunch and dinner at the restaurant on sea days. Occasional buffet lunch. Perhaps twice throughout the cruise, because we were too late to the one at the restaurant. Or pizza or burgers on open deck. They were actually good.
At restaurants we usually prefer the non-sharing, free-style option. We ignore the corny condescending crew incitements like “sharing is caring”, “washy-washy”, and just do what we want. Sharing means explaining yourself to disinterested people, who will forget your name in a moment. There are exception, and we met some lovely people, seating at adjacent couples’ tables.
I actually answered “I’m not sharing, because I’m uncaring,” to the horror of the passengers who complied. To the “washy-washy” from the crew and some passengers who could not grasp that I actually did not touch anything with my hands when walking 1 flight up from my cabin to the buffet and chastised me for not putting my hands under a common faucet or pressing on a common soap dispenser with my hands I would answer “I washy-washy in my cabbie-cabbie”. But all that lasted only a few initial days of sailing.
For the gourmands with lots of big bucks there were paid restaurants that served specialty foods. We like to only do all-inclusive variety.
Negatives of food and beverage service
As always, once a cold or flu starts spreading and circulating around the ship, the most idiotic observation is – the F&B removers and servers use the same hands to take away plates, glasses, napkins and silver and then, without sanitizing or washing them, proceed to serve the next dinners, clean glasses and silver…
Tea time sandwiches were the worst food on this cruise – runny chicken salad, sloppy tuna salad, and tasteless egg salad…not my idea of teatime… Pastries were also tasteless, Scones were excellent. Tea was pre-brewed in larger pots, instead of individual ones, to speed up service… ay!
Coffee in the restaurants was the worst. Better in one area of the buffet.
I refuse to pay $6.00 for cruise ship coffee… and, thanks to prior trips, brought the entire 100 pack box of our favorite Earl Gray tea. Lemon and honey were there for the asking.
Positives of F&B service
Did not like your dinner? The waiter will bring you another. Want more? Never an issue. It is a floating city, baby! You’ll walk off this second helping of Peach Melba tomorrow!
The Piazza Cafe has 24 hrs sandwiches and cookies. And apples or other easy to keep whole fruit.
Floating City never sleeps
Some of the decks are off limits when its dark or too windy. Floating city must – coin, sorry, cruise medallion, operated laundry. I brought my own laundry and dryer sheets for convenience and familiar scent.
Our typical at sea day
Breakfast at 7:30, at the restaurant or outdoors, if possible
Work on our laptops from 9am to 3pm in an area designated as quiet space, with an hour lunch break at 12:30. Work, as always, consisted of writing and reading for me and composing for Alex.
At 3:00 we needed to vacate out quiet area, so we either took a walk on the Promenade deck or just enjoyed the sea or took a nap or an occasional jacuzzi soak.
From 5;30 or 6:30 we caught up on whatever we did not wrap up in the work sessions.
We usually dined at around 7 pm. Then we had a choice to catch the 9pm show or go upstairs to the highest bar and enjoy the spectacular late sunsets, which we did many times.
Best time of the sea day
Maybe because my name means the sea, but I find just gazing at the sea/ocean waters when they are calm the most rewording view. I never get tired staring at the water. I saw and experienced so many great moments, including that afternoon at the Northern Sea.
Port days’ quirks
On port days, and we had many on this cruise, some in rapid succession, we never remained on the ship. At, least not voluntarily, as was the case in Cape Town. Most wheelchair riders also went ashore. That is the primary difference of the port day – stepping on land. It is important to know that when you sail, you have to develop your sea legs, and then, once you stop sailing and get ashore, you need to develop your steady legs again. So, break up your sail.
On port days, many ship activities continue for those who do not go ashore. There is no restaurant lunch, as the crew also gets turns at getting ashore. They too need s break and trips to local markets and such.
Bored? You gotta be kidding me!