So satisfying getting back home?

[NW-Bound]

I would enjoy being able to stay in Alaska a bit longer. High of 70, low of 50. Beats 114/92 right now. Nice scenery, lots of outdoor opportunities.

PS. Oops. Just checked and saw that it is raining for 5 days straight in Valdez. Recall being cooped up inside the motorhome for a couple of days on the recent trip, and on more than one occasion.

 

[marko]

During my w*rk time, I was on the road 200 days a year for 30 years.

Always great to get home but sometimes I'd wake up at home in the middle of the night, not know where I was and say: "Gee, I have a lamp just like that one at home..."

Dorothy was right: "There's no place like home"

 

[MichaelB]

During my w*rk time, I was on the road 200 days a year for 30 years.

Always great to get home but sometimes I'd wake up at home in the middle of the night, not know where I was and say: "Gee, I have a lamp just like that one at home..."

Dorothy was right: "There's no place like home"

I can identify with that.

 

[Amethyst]

I almost never have any feeling of displacement during or after a trip. Always know exactly where I am. However, for a week after returning from the Alaska cruise, I woke up each night convinced I was still aboard the ship. It wasn't a bad feeling, like "Oh, gee, we're still at sea," just a disorienting one.

During my w*rk time, I was on the road 200 days a year for 30 years.

Always great to get home but sometimes I'd wake up at home in the middle of the night, not know where I was and say: "Gee, I have a lamp just like that one at home..."

Dorothy was right: "There's no place like home"

 

[street]

I'm not a traveler not one to be gone very long any where. I'm a homebody and nothing like home sweet home. LOL

 

[iloveyoga]

Whenever I travel it always feels so good to get back home, doesn’t matter if it’s s weekend getaway or a long trip, it just feels good sleeping in my own bed, taking a shower in my shower, using my toilet and cooking my own food, am I alone with this feeling?

I agree! When I am traveling I have to not think about my own bed, bath, etc. Always so good to get home, look around, and say ahhhh!

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I love to travel, but I agree, it feels so good to return home! We have our home set up where and the way we want it, so it feels like it takes more mental and emotional effort to stay anywhere else! Plus, maybe it's more than I'm used to it, but I don't feel as comfortable in any other bed, no matter how luxurious it is.

 

[mystang52]

As an ER, I enjoy being home. In my career days, I always wished the vacation could last longer. Last month DW and I were on an intense "vacation" sightseeing Israel. The every-day touring was very tiring and most definitely we were both looking forward to and glad to be home. Tomorrow, we are leaving for an 8 day beach vacation to unwind! We may have a different perspective when it's time to return from that vacation.

 

[athena53]

We went on our first cruise ever, and it may be our last. There were fun things about the cruise, but they were awfully common-denominator ("formal night," shows, etc.) and we were mostly bored. The gym was too small and crowded. Food was very good, but too many people were there eating it with us, etc. and food/drink are not the be-all end-all for us.

Before you give up on cruises, try one of the lines with smaller ships. More expensive, but a totally different world.

 

[Souschef]

Before you give up on cruises, try one of the lines with smaller ships. More expensive, but a totally different world.

+1 I have been on ships with as few as 49 passengers and as many as 3500. The experiences are totally different.
Sicne this was your first cruise, your expectations may have been too high, and you were disappointed.
Try smaller ships, try higher end ships. The experience on Carnival is not the same as the experience on Oceania.

 

[happy2bretired]

Me too. I need to get away from my hum drumness and routine every once in awhile. My solo trips are usually about a week since any longer than that I get concerned about what’s happening at home. I board my dog so that concerns me. Also I really like to get away in the winter but then I’m concerned about what could go wrong regarding my travel arrangements or my house.

I love having a change of pace from my usual routine with maid/chef services when traveling, but I’m always ready to come home.

 

[Amethyst]

Oh, I would love to. We were considering a Tauck small ship cruise, but I'm prone to seasickness, so probably need to stick to larger vessels. I will say that due to good weather, and perhaps a good captain and crew, the Alaska cruise felt more like riding in a big car than being on the open sea.

Before you give up on cruises, try one of the lines with smaller ships. More expensive, but a totally different world.

 

[Amethyst]

This was the Princess line, and we also stayed at Princess resorts in Alaska, which I down-rated as slightly shabby and with poor service (service on the ship was much, much better, the staff were cruise ship professionals). Would Regency Seven Seas be better? We get their brochures now.

+1 I have been on ships with as few as 49 passengers and as many as 3500. The experiences are totally different.
Sicne this was your first cruise, your expectations may have been too high, and you were disappointed.
Try smaller ships, try higher end ships. The experience on Carnival is not the same as the experience on Oceania.

 

[Amethyst]

Tours feel almost like jobs. Do this now, be there then, be considerate of others and eat with them even if you wouldn't ordinarily choose those people as companions....Tours are jobs you *want* to do, but jobs nonetheless.

As an ER, I enjoy being home. In my career days, I always wished the vacation could last longer. Last month DW and I were on an intense "vacation" sightseeing Israel. The every-day touring was very tiring and most definitely we were both looking forward to and glad to be home. Tomorrow, we are leaving for an 8 day beach vacation to unwind! We may have a different perspective when it's time to return from that vacation.

 

[happy2bretired]

When my daughter and I went on our first cruise we selected a three day cruise. We had no idea how it would affect us. I was fine but my daughter had to wear a motion patch. I really enjoyed the rocking motion on that cruise, it would rock me to sleep.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

This was the Princess line, and we also stayed at Princess resorts in Alaska, which I down-rated as slightly shabby and with poor service (service on the ship was much, much better, the staff were cruise ship professionals). Would Regency Seven Seas be better? We get their brochures now.

We sailed on the Paul Gaugin when it was part of RSSC, and we loved it. Everything felt at least nice if not luxurious. And we estimated what we would have paid in tips and drinks and shore excursions and upgrades on a similar cruise and it seemed like the cost was probably about the same.

 

[Amethyst]

After reading everyone's kind responses to my cruise ship grousing, I am looking at the Oceania and RSSC sites. We did look at cruisers' forums a while back. They were a little too "insider" for us then - it was hard to relate, since the posters were usually experienced cruisers. Maybe we can glean more from them, now.

 

[Souschef]

Tours feel almost like jobs. Do this now, be there then, be considerate of others and eat with them even if you wouldn't ordinarily choose those people as companions....Tours are jobs you *want* to do, but jobs nonetheless.

I had not thought of that, but you are right. Bags outside at 7, on the bus at 8, is like a job.
That is why we have opted for a lot of independent travel.In many cases we used the tour company's itinerary as a guide. We recently did this in Switzerland and Santa Fe,NM.
Funny thing happened in Chimayo, we had just finished a great lunch, and a tour bus pulled up. It was the bus of the tour company we used as a guide! We looked at each other and smiled, because we knew how long it would take to feed those 40 people.

 

[Souschef]

After reading everyone's kind responses to my cruise ship grousing, I am looking at the Oceania and RSSC sites. We did look at cruisers' forums a while back. They were a little too "insider" for us then - it was hard to relate, since the posters were usually experienced cruisers. Maybe we can glean more from them, now.

Here is a comment I made some time ago about Cruise Critic:
[FONT=&quot]In my opinion, the boards for the most part have dissolved into caring about minutiae, or because the people do not go to the cruise company’s websites for all the information they need.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I am tired about reading about Rum Runners, tipping, MDR dress, smoking, lanyards, walkie talkies and all the other “hot button” issues that create all kinds of multiple posts on CC.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I do not care who the captain is as along as he does not run us aground (Costa Concordia)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I do not care who the Cruise Director is, especially in those inane morning programs on ship’s TV. It was murder on our last cruise of 30 days to try to find some redeeming feature about the programs.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I do not care who the maitre d’ is, as long as the food is OK[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I think it is insane to carry cases of water on board when the shipboard water is as good or better[/FONT]

 

[NW-Bound]

This was the Princess line, and we also stayed at Princess resorts in Alaska, which I down-rated as slightly shabby and with poor service (service on the ship was much, much better, the staff were cruise ship professionals)...

Outside of Denali National Park, we saw a big Princess Resort and stopped in to take a look. Thought that the lobby and public area looked quite nice, but did not see the rooms. About service, good help may be difficult to get in that area, as many hospitality workers in Alaska are seasonal and temporary.

In Girdwood near Anchorage, we happened to see the upscale looking Hotel Alyeska and a Tauck tour bus picking up Oriental tourists in front. Inside, it also looked like a nice resort.

I thought that it was too bad that the bus tourists only got to stay one night, and not had any time to really visit any surrounding area.

 

[SumDay]

Besides missing the dog (terribly), I am usually ready to get back home before the plane takes off for our vacation destination. We downsized a couple of years ago, and honestly there's no place I'd rather be than in this new house.


Love my bed, my meals, walks, etc. I'm pretty easy to please. (DH would disagree heartily).

 

[REWahoo]

Besides missing the dog (terribly), I am usually ready to get back home before the plane takes off for our vacation destination.

I think I've identified a sure-fire way to cut your expenses.

 

[Amethyst]

Exactly so, and we tried to be understanding. Still, it was hard to put up with being sternly chided, by a 20-year-old hostess, for being 5 minutes late to a dinner reservation in a dining room that was still half empty. I am not exaggerating - we got a lecture. There was something "off" about her, maybe a spectrum thing.

Also, the food was surprisingly mediocre. How can you mess up salmon and king crab legs in Alaska?

Outside of Denali National Park, we saw a big Princess Resort and stopped in to take a look. Thought that the lobby and public area looked quite nice, but did not see the rooms. About service, good help may be difficult to get in that area, as many hospitality workers in Alaska are seasonal and temporary.

In Girdwood near Anchorage, we happened to see the upscale looking Hotel Alyeska and a Tauck tour bus picking up Oriental tourists in front. Inside, it also looked like a nice resort.

I thought that it was too bad that the bus tourists only got to stay one night, and not had any time to really visit any surrounding area.

 

[Amethyst]

Our cruise director was a hoot. He was such a relentless self-promoter, you'd think he was running for high office.
The captain was nice. He was especially good about announcing on the PA as to why the ship was doing this or that, or would soon be doing this or that. I mean, we could have figured out for ourselves that he was blowing the fog horn because it was foggy, but it showed he cared

Here is a comment I made some time ago about Cruise Critic:
[FONT=&quot]In my opinion, the boards for the most part have dissolved into caring about minutiae, or because the people do not go to the cruise company’s websites for all the information they need.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I am tired about reading about Rum Runners, tipping, MDR dress, smoking, lanyards, walkie talkies and all the other “hot button” issues that create all kinds of multiple posts on CC.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I do not care who the captain is as along as he does not run us aground (Costa Concordia)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I do not care who the Cruise Director is, especially in those inane morning programs on ship’s TV. It was murder on our last cruise of 30 days to try to find some redeeming feature about the programs.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I do not care who the maitre d’ is, as long as the food is OK[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I think it is insane to carry cases of water on board when the shipboard water is as good or better[/FONT]

 

[kgtest]

yes we enjoy coming back "home", even when we come back to snow and cold from hot and sunny. Our furniture, vehicles, grocery store, new change of clothes and scenery.

It gets old again after about a month of cold though and I am still accumulating and W*rking soo... the inevitable back to w*rk thought comes back too soon.

~3000 more days until freedom. Nobody but ER forum believes me lol.