• Date: April 3, 2013
• Author: Ellen Small Billard
• 1 Comment

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older.

Maybe it’s because I feel I’ve seen so much already.

Or maybe it’s because I haven’t seen a blue sky for the past seven months.

Whatever the reason, my preferred vacation style is starting to change; I’m starting to slow down; I’m beginning to lose my thirst for adventure. I think what I need is a real vacation. You know, one where people lay around, doing nothing more than nursing margaritas on the beach. Yeah, that kind of vacation. One where you actually relax.

But unfortunately, neither of us is any good at relaxing. At best we can do it for half a day before we discover something interesting and exciting that we just wouldn’t want to miss (I mean, what if we never come back here?!). So about the only choice I have for taking a vacation that is relaxing is one where I will have no choice but to relax.

That’s why a cruise sounds so good to me right now. Sure, there are plenty of activities on the boat, but unless you’re docked at a port city for a few hours, you are at least restricted to the boat. I need to be constrained to nothing more than a good book, a blue sky, and a cold beverage, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to relax.

Here are 5 reasons I just might be ready for a cruise:

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1.) I am so sick of travel planning.
When we first learned we would be provided with at least three R&R (Rest & Relaxation) trips while living in China, we were absolutely ecstatic. But then we realized that although the company would be covering the majority of the trip costs for us, we would still have to do the planning. We get overwhelmed just planning one overseas trip a year — let alone three! Ah, travel planning used to be so much fun. Lounging around on a Saturday afternoon, leafing through the pages of a Lonely Planet guide. But to be honest, now we’re just tired of it. We’re much more spontaneous and more likely to just show up in a country and plan it as we go. A cruise sounds absolutely delightful. Just show up, lay around, and they’ll cart you around wherever you need to go. Other than your on-land excursions, your other vacation activities are located right on the boat. All you have to do is walk upstairs to the pool deck! I would gladly forgo months of tedious itinerary planning to just lounge around on the deck of a cruise ship (words I never though I would say!).

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2.) I can rack up a number of countries in a short period of time.
If you’ve been following this site for awhile, you know that Justin and I try to see as many countries as possible on each of our trips so we can maximize the limited amount of time we have available to travel. Cruises are a great way to see a lot in a short period of time. Sure, you don’t get a lot of time to settle in and really connect with the local culture, but you do get a good taste of what each place might have to offer — and which places might be worth a separate return trip.

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3.) I don’t get out much anymore.
Moving to China and working from home has seriously limited my social life. In fact, I usually only get to speak to people in English twice a week. Interacting with people who speak your own language is important. Or, interacting with people who speak another language that you also speak well is important. But this whole I don’t speak Chinese, you don’t speak English dance really limits the depth of human interaction. I’m sure a lot of people would argue that you can connect with people without even using words (and I would agree with you), but you can’t do that all the time. A cruise sounds like a great way to thrust myself back onto the social scene by having thousands of passengers to interact with.

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4.) Azure is my new favorite color.
And I want it to surround me from every angle. Our time in China has been quite … grey, let’s say. And after being here for a year or more, I will need to escape and breathe some good, clean sea air. I can’t think of a more refreshing way to transition out of life in China than by surrounding myself with the azure blue of the sea, preferably the Caribbean, since it’s closer to home (though I suppose if you twisted my arm, I might settle for Tahiti).

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5.) I want to consume copious amounts of food that I did not have to prepare myself.
Ok, ok, so I’m not really going to do this because there are unfortunate health consequences to such an indulgence, but it really is what I want. Every single one of my friends who has ever gone on a cruise has come back raving about the food. In fact, it’s usually the first thing they mention. Unlimited buffets, unlimited desserts, unlimited mid-day snacks … you name it, cruises have it and I want it. After living in China for more than a year without an oven, I am dying for something other than stir-fries. A cruise is the perfect way to re-integrate myself into the delectable and decadent Western culinary scene.

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You know, I may not have the chance to take a cruise anytime soon, but just thinking about it has helped me feel — dare I say? — more relaxed.

Have you ever taken a cruise? Share your experience and recommendations below!

This post was supported by Seafarer Cruises. If you, too, are looking for a relaxing escape at sea, check out Seafarer Cruises or call Seafarer at 0208 324 3117.

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