I need to vent. Mods, if this kind of thing isn’t welcome in this community anymore…oh well. It helped me feel better at least typing my thoughts into the void.
I got married to a wonderful, beautiful woman in 2021 after being together for 5 years. My parents are big cruise fanatics. They go on vacation like this about once every year or two. We both told them before the wedding - because they did this for my brother when he got married - they can get us whatever they want for a wedding gift, just PLEASE no cruises.
And they listened! We got some very nice, very expensive bedsheets that were perfect!
Fast forward a year. I get a call. My parents booked a 4 day cruise to Mexico over the week after Christmas '23. I’m not particularly assertive, but I was offering pushback on it. I got told shit like “you’re getting a free vacation” and “how many opportunities like this are you going to get” and “we tried our best to accommodate you.”
My wife also didn’t want it. Neither of us asked for this. But after a few months of talking about it, both of us agreed: it’s free, let’s give it a fair shake.
Fair shake given. We tried our best to like this. I’m writing this from my cabin docked at Cozumel. We deboarded the ship for 15 minutes and were immediately overwhelmed by the crowd. We turned around, went back to our cabin and are now sleeping the day away. Maybe we’ll hit up the hot tub before everybody comes back. The crowd is too much. The longer I spend on this gargantuan vessel, the smaller it gets.
My brother, his wife, and their two small kids are also here. I think they’re also pretty exhausted. It seems like my parents have gone out of their way to spend time with that foursome. As for me, I only get notifications once they’re already somewhere and I have to catch up. I got a message saying “We’re at Senor Frogs.” I did not get “We’re going to Senor Frogs. Wanna meet up?”
I feel like a piece of shit for not appreciating it. I feel invisible because I didn’t ask for this. And I feel angry because I feel like an afterthought. I feel like I got invited to this because my parents wanted to spend a week with my brother’s kids and I was given a ticket to tag along so I wouldn’t feel left out. I wouldn’t have felt left out by not being invited to something I didn’t want. I wouldn’t feel left out if I had been given the opportunity to say no.
I’m just burnt tf out. I want my house. With my quarter acre. And my neighbor with the stupid subwoofer. I want my bed (that doesn’t rock because it’s on solid ground), my cats, my dog, my plaid pajamas, my cold weather, and my coffee back at home in Oklahoma. I would have rather stayed home and built puzzles with my (also puzzle-loving) wife for a week. We are slow-paced, solitary, almost antisocial creatures. I’m wired differently from my family. And though I feel guilty for being unappreciative of their gesture, I won’t feel ashamed of being different. I didn’t ask to be this way.
Anyway, if you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading my rant. I’m done. We shove off back for the States in an hour or so. We’re over the hill. We’ll be home soon, and I will never do this again.
It depends on so many things. I love cruising, and there are a lot of people who are just trying to see new things and spread their minds. There can be a-holes and entitled Karen’s, but that happens regardless of their method of conveyance. I’m trying to: be nice, see sites and sights I’ve only read of, seen photos of, (or never even heard of!), try some new foods, and learn a bit more about people and the world.
There are much better ways to accomplish this than taking a cruise…
The ones exploring my town usually just funnel into the Chinese owned souvenir stores then go back onboard to eat.
Depends on your goals. I view it as a sampler pack. “Yeah, this place was interesting, next time I’d like to see…”, or “okay, I’ve seen X, that was okay, turns out I don’t care for…”, etc. I can’t see the world - there’s too much and i don’t have an infinite budget. But in a week you can see multiple cities in multiple countries, without having to live out of a suitcase.
You’re not seeing the real place off a cruise ship. Everywhere you stop is catered to tourists.
Worried about budget? Go to Germany and get the monthly rail pass. Way cheaper than a cruise and on your own schedule. See actual Germany. Just an example.
Learn to live out of a suitcase by the way. Well actually backpack because suitcases suck. You don’t need to bring your whole house with you, I just finished a 6 week trip with a 55L backpack and if you learn to pack well you are going to be comfortable. Ultralight community on reddit is pretty good for learning this skill.
Doesn’t work for my set of circumstances, but I appreciate it. Kudos for doing it in a 55L - I’ve tried it and it’s a bit too tight for me, but I see the draw.
Fair. Gear has come a long way in the last few years though if you are unaware. My 55L pack weighs like 800 grams and still has a frame.
The only cruises I’d consider are places that aren’t really available without a ship. River cruises seem like a not-so-bad way to travel through the countryside. Same with Alaska, Patagonia and northern Europe. I haven’t seriously looked into it, but the idea of winding through fjords has a certain appeal to me.