So satisfying getting back home?

[6miths]

Home Sweet Home. Catchy!

Humans are more comfortable in familiar surroundings. Perhaps from our ancestors days of being prey.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We have never been treated rudely or scolded on a RC cruise. The staff has always been phenomenal. The one Princess Cruise not so much. A few people told us that Princess went downhill when Carnival bought them. We take tours but enjoy the sea days too. We stay up later and enjoy the entertainment when we know the next day is at sea.

 

[athena53]

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]
<snip>

Hey, you forgot deck chair hogs and what to bring to decorate your stateroom door!


I did find CC useful for the reviews; when DH and I were first looking at UnCruise to Alaska we had no idea what they were like other than what we saw on their video which was, of course, advertising. We had some misgivings about what made it cost more. The reviews on CC helped. I've now got my 4th and 5th trips booked wath them.

 

[Moemg]

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.

They are hard work to see glimpses of things . We enjoy independent travel with day tours in certain areas .We both love a mix of professional guides and just wandering around .

 

[Moemg]

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.

They are common denominator but you do not have to follow the pack . We never do formal night anymore and we always request flexible dining .We pick and choose what we like to enjoy on cruises and ignore the rest .Cruise Critic is useful for planning excursions not through the cruise line .These excursions are cheaper and more interesting .

 

[FreeBear]

We endure long winters here, so we enjoy getting away for warmth and sunshine. Our longest escapes have grown to about 3 weeks. It's nice to occasionally see something new because we get bored of doing the same things in the same places.


We have friends that ecape for several months, but we feel happy be home after several weeks. We miss our home and friends, and we get tired of all the logistics while on the road.

 

[FreeBear]

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.

Years ago, I did a very small hiking tour with a couple of guides and a handful of guests. It was a nice experience, but I didn't care for the schedule. In general, prefer to travel with just DW over any group, regardless of size. I love the flexibility. Group travel, even at best, can have too many constraints, just like a j*b!

 

[athena53]

Years ago, I did a very small hiking tour with a couple of guides and a handful of guests. It was a nice experience, but I didn't care for the schedule. In general, prefer to travel with just DW over any group, regardless of size. I love the flexibility. Group travel, even at best, can have too many constraints, just like a j*b!

I agree- I LOVED my tour of India and Nepal and knew that I wanted to be with a group, but traveling with others, on a predetermined schedule, certainly had its drawbacks. I will continue to bop around Europe on my own.

 

[Scuba]

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.

Yes it would! We went on the Paul Gaugin in Tahiti. One of the best cruises we’ve ever been on. We also like Windstar but Paul Gaugin was definitely more upscale than Windstar.

 

[Scuba]

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.

We’ve never done a tour and don’t think we are likely to. Maybe if we get to the point where we can’t travel independently? It just seems like a chore hanging out with others we didn’t choose, and seeing everything on a regimented schedule. I’ve heard the OAT tours are wonderful though.

 

[fasteddie911]

Spouse and I enjoying coming back home. 2wks is about the max for us before we're ready. However, even trips in quick succession can wear on us and make us want to stick around home for awhile.

 

[pb4uski]

What I have found is whether it is a one week trip or a one month trip, a few days before I am scheduled to go home I start getting antsy to get home.... IOW, for me it is mostly a matter of expectations.

 

[pacergal]

enjoy traveling, however, love sleeping in my own bed! Coming home is a wonderful feeling.

 

[brett]

I am the opposite. Have not been able to travel since March. Cabin fever has set in. If we can go in Sept/Oct it will be need to be six-eight weeks of spontaneous travel. Here's hoping.

 

[ownyourfuture]

I am a recluse by nature and prefer a quiet / simple life. Home is wonderful. All 4 seasons and 300 days of sunshine a year.

Same 4 me.

 

[deserat]

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"

Oh my gosh, when I was traveling a lot for work, I would wake up in a panic sometimes not knowing where I was - very uncomfortable.

I like being home, but I also like traveling. I haven't figured out the perfect time range for travel yet such that I feel 'balanced' with regard to my time away and time home. But as the OP said, it is nice to sleep in your own bed and use your own kitchen and putter around your own home.

 

[deserat]

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 spent a week at the Alyeska resort last March on a skiing trip. It was OK - the food in the different restaurants and little stores were over priced. Food was pretty good (breakfast was very good and included in my package). I bought my lift tickets myself with a military discount. The skiing was OK - they needed snow and the resort is fairly small compared to the resorts I have skied in Europe. The best part was the night skiing I did - thoroughly enjoyed that.

We spent one day snow mobiling (they call it snow machining) and that was a blast - we went to a glacier and walked into the ice caves. We also spent a day driving to a dog sledding 'ranch.' It was owned by multi-Iditarod winner. That was a blast, too. Never saw so many dogs in one place in my life. And the dogs were awesome, nice, happy, working dogs.

Alyeska needs an update as it is looking worn down. The ski-in-ski-out is the best part, in my estimation. The rooms were regular rooms: 2 beds, a tv, a bathroom and closets.

 

[deserat]

They are common denominator but you do not have to follow the pack . We never do formal night anymore and we always request flexible dining .We pick and choose what we like to enjoy on cruises and ignore the rest .Cruise Critic is useful for planning excursions not through the cruise line .These excursions are cheaper and more interesting .

Yes - I have rarely used tours for my travel and Cruise Critic was best for excursion reviews and what to buy where when in port.

What I did do on my Baltic trip was to find those 'cruise' tours and book two of them in Talinn. I wasn't on a cruise, but these tours worked great - one was a bike tour (half-day) and the other a hiking tour (full-day). Worked out great as I was independent but got the access to the planning and resources of a tour.

I also look at itineraries for full tours and base some of my independent planning on those itineraries. I pick and choose what I am interested in and then do that - you can find independent tours like the above to cover some of what you are interested in. Viator had a good selection online and it worked well as I bought the tour and then they sent an electronic 'ticket.'

I used cruises as 'appetizer' tables in that it allowed me to sample different places and then I could use that experience to determine if I wanted to go back on my own for a longer amount of time.