Welcome Onboard the sequel

Last time before I got my boarding call, I was about to tell about the hard lessons my husband and I learned on our first cruise together...

I’ll not delve into all the gory details of our first cruise experience, but do need to share:

● When we noticed at the Cozumel pier that there were several sleek, shiny and large vessels dwarfing the tired, rusted and narrow vessel we called “home” for the week, reality struck and we knew we had not chosen one of the best cruise lines for our maiden cruise vacation;

● My seasickness was unbearable as soon as the ship began to flail in a few medium waves -- our ship was so ancient, it really didn't have much of a stabilizer system;

● We are the only people I know who lost weight on a cruise;

● Our on-board bill exceeded the cruise fare by over 150% (and I tried to save money on the Internet??). While many of you are familiar with this experience, we were shocked at the final total and the price we paid for some of the worst shore excursions imaginable;

● On a voyage shortly after ours, the ship sank! Yes – and I doubt anyone misses her.

Our life directions have changed since our infamous experience with the Premier Cruise Line and we’ve been fortunate since then to have been able to enjoy several cruises that met and even exceeded our expectations.

We’re looking forward to more cruising in our future – the depth and wealth of destinations and ships available now far exceeds my first or even second cruise experience. But before we take our next cruise, we’ll have defined our expectations of cabin space, food, entertainment and features – and researched all the options to make sure we’ve found a good match.

In my Best Cruise Lines blog, I’ll share the up-to-date and latest insider information on the cruise lines, cruise ships, newest “hot” itineraries and special deals in the cruising world.

Whether you are one of the 10 million people in the US who took a cruise vacation last year; or one of the 78 million who hasn’t cruised yet; or your expectations of cruising didn’t equal the experience – or you’ve enjoyed the cruises you’ve taken but are looking for a different experience on your next vacation, please cruise on back to read our updates and leave your comments as our quest for the Best Cruise Lines unfolds.