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MY WIFE AND I recently returned from a 14-day cruise to the Caribbean with my 96-year-old mother. Since my dad passed away in 2009, my wife and I have gone on several cruises with my mom.
We departed from and returned to Fort Lauderdale, visiting eight Caribbean islands: St. Kitts, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad, Martinique and Aruba. For my wife and me, the fare was $2,200 per person for a room with a balcony.
This included travel insurance, taxes and port fees. To this, we had to add $15 per person per day for the mandatory gratuity. We still consider this a bargain for a room with a great view, fantastic meals and free on-board entertainment.
Traditionally, single travelers have had to pay twice the per-person rate of a couple. Cruise lines would argue that, if a single person hadn’t taken the room, they’d place a couple there and collect two fares. But today, cruise lines are often more reasonable. My mother’s fare was $2,700 for a balcony room. She had a handicap accessible room, which was 50% larger than a standard room, with a spacious bathroom.
My wife and I are early risers. My mother is not. We usually have coffee and pastries delivered to our room at 6:30. We sit on our balcony and watch the ocean roll by. When my mother gets up a few hours later, we head down to the dining room for breakfast.
If there’s such a thing as a typical cruise ship, it’s 105 feet wide and 950 feet long. Why these measurements? This is the largest a ship can be and still pass through the original Panama Canal locks. These ships generally carry about 3,000 passengers and 1,500 crew members. New Panama Canal locks, opened in 2016, allow for bigger ships.
In January, Royal Caribbean launched Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship to date. It’s 160 feet wide and 1,200 feet long. With two passengers per room, it can haul 5,600 passengers. Because many rooms can accommodate more than two passengers, thanks to fold-out bunks, the ship’s maximum capacity is 7,600 passengers.
On an Alaskan cruise, we first spent a week sailing from Seattle to Anchorage, and then a week on land, visiting Anchorage, Denali National Park and Fairbanks, and spending a few days in each. From Fairbanks, my mom flew home, but my wife and I stayed a few extra days.
We figured we’d never get this close to the Arctic Circle. We rented a car and drove north for 275 miles on the nearly deserted Dalton Highway to Wiseman, Alaska, a hamlet with a full-time population of 12. We spent the night in an eight-foot by 10-foot room that had been partitioned out of a converted 40-foot cargo container. Our room had a metal floor, two single beds, one end table and one lamp. One bathroom served the three bedrooms. Yes, it was extremely spartan, but we were sleeping 60 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
On Caribbean cruises, we’ve frequently rented a car and done our own sightseeing. Because of their English history, on many Caribbean islands, you drive on the left side of the road. When driving on the left, the driver sits on the right side of the car. That is, except in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which is one of the few places in the world where you drive on the left but—because most cars are imported from the U.S.—the driver also sits on the left.
Our most memorable rental car experience was on the island of Grand Turk, part of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Grand Turk is a mile wide and seven miles long. Unlike larger islands, there are no major auto rental companies. The person we rented the car from gave us his personal vehicle.
For lunch, we had a conch sandwich at an extremely small café operated out of someone’s house. When we got an afternoon rain shower, we discovered the driver’s side window didn’t go up. The car’s owner told us to simply leave the car in the cruise ship parking lot at the end of the day, with the keys in it. What about theft? Apparently, on an island that size, it isn’t a worry.
My favorite cruise? A one-way repositioning voyage from New Orleans to Barcelona. In the spring, many cruise ships move from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean. These cruises are not popular. Our ship was only half full. For several months, I’d been working 80 hours a week—40 hours at my job and 40 hours studying for the CPA tests. I passed all four CPA tests on the first try and wanted to relax. The ship stopped in Miami to take on passengers and supplies. After nearly a week, our next stop was the Azores. Those days at sea were complete relaxation.
Some people find a lot to criticize about cruises. Not us.
Larry Sayler is the only person with a Wharton MBA who also graduated from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Clown College. Earlier in his career, he served as CFO for three manufacturing and service organizations. For 16 years before his retirement, Larry taught accounting at a small Christian college in the Midwest. His brother Kenyon also writes for HumbleDollar. Check out Larry’s earlier articles.
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This reminds me of when I published my pro-time-share-ownership piece last year. I braced myself for the comments section. Cruises are definitely a love ‘em or hate ‘em kind of thing. I know plenty of people who absolutely adore them and go on lots of them. I know other people who would never consider it.
I’m actually kind of in the middle on this. We’ve taken two cruises with Viking—a river cruise in center Europe (the Danube) and an ocean cruise from Venice to Athens. We enjoyed both a great deal, but they’re smaller outfits—200 people max for the river boat and under 900 people on the ocean cruise. I’m not sure I’d like doing a huge cruise ship at all.
Great article Larry my first of yours.
“Some people find a lot to criticize about cruises. Not us.”
Some people find a lot to criticize 🙂
I used to hate people like you…it took me 4 times to pass The Exam; I conditioned my first time, nothing the second and third times, and the last two parts on my fourth try. And on the sitting I was a few out from having pneumonia. Congrats, you are in a very small percentile of those passing all four parts the first time! I was in public for almost 49 years. A lady I worked with at a firm was married to a guy who had been to Clown College. We’ve never been on a cruise. I’m interested in trying one, but my wife, not so much.
At my alma mater, The University of Illinois, the goal was to be a member of the “300 Club”. Score 75 on each of the four CPA Test sections=passing and not overstudying!
Each CPA exam has about a 50% pass rate. I assume that means most people flunk an exam their first time, then get serious about studying and pass it the second time. I decided to study hard and try to pass each exam the first time around. I over-prepared. I got better than 90% on each of the first two exams, which meant I wanted to get at least 90% on the last two. So I kept up the studying, and was able to achieve that. Thus, I over prepared for all of them.
how does one find and book a repositioning cruise?
I believe repositioning cruises are always listed on the cruise line websites. We have always booked directly with the cruise line, but for those who use travel agents, I assume travel agents could find them easily.
Nice story. I like how you and your wife combine a relaxing cruise with a bit of adventure. Seems like a great combination. And big time kudos for taking your mom. We did a bit of traveling with my in-laws as they aged, and, despite some challenges, it was well worth it for the memories.
Larry, really enjoyed reading about your relaxing cruise experience but was so impressed that you and your wife took your mother along. And congratulations on passing your CPA tests.
Marjorie, my Mom would not let us go on a cruise without her! We have been on several cruises with her and all three of us enjoy it. On the Alaska cruise, she was in her late 80s and the three of us booked a white-water rafting excursion. She loved it. She was also with us for the US Virgin Islands and the Grand Turk rental car adventures, and the repositioning cruise going across the Atlantic from New Orleans to Barcelona.
Man, your Mom sounds so interesting. You and your family are making memories that will last.
Make tons of videos! Also, when my Dad and I would chat on the phone, I recorded them and now, to hear his voice is precious.
There’s something about an audio recording that ‘s magical.
How wonderful for all of you, Larry. I give your wife a lot of credit for her unselfish, caring and sharing attitude. So much of our happiness in life stems from the person we choose for a life partner.
I wish your mom continued good health and more happy cruises.
Thanks for your timely article, Larry. Our first cruise was for our honeymoon back in 1992. It was a fantastic experience! Since then we have taken 14+ cruises and currently my wife and I are in the early stages of planning a Caribbean cruise for later this fall. Post Covid, reading current cruise reviews can be very discouraging. So from your post Covid perspective, would you mind sharing
which cruise lines and which specific ships you would recommend we consider? Thanks so much!
Some people have preferences. We have been on Holland America, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Princess cruise lines and liked them all equally.
Our first cruise, 30 years ago, was on Carnival. There was too much partying and drinking for us. One morning there was a guest passed out on the floor right in front of our door. We had to step over him to leave our room. I have no idea if they still have this, but back then they had one (coed) area that was “tops optional” for women who wanted more of a tan.
After my discharge from the U.S. Navy, I had my full of sea cruises.
Thanks for serving!
We have found cruising to be our favorite form of vacation and love the laid back style and opportunity to see the highlights of many places. We have been on 14 so far; all over the Caribbean, several to the Mediterranean, Alaska, Panama Canal, and up & down the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.
So many wonderful experiences and for costs that are comparatively reasonable to other styles of travel.
We love “only having to unpack once”! 😎
Thanks Larry. We have discovered that cruises are great. When I was young, I didn’t see the allure of cruises but now I love them. Two of my favorites were the Nile and french Polynesia.