Do you get out a silk bowtie for dinner? Do you periodically grab onto items of furniture to reaffirm your balance? Do you pat yourself down for a room key before leaving your bedroom? If you’ve said yes to any of these then you just might be a cruiser…
The small but divine things we become accustomed to when on a cruise can so often worm themselves into the lives of the most dedicated cruisers quite easily – if you’ve been cruising lately you might find that you do some of these…
1 – You have towel animals on your bed – at home
While not our favourite part of a cruise, we dare anyone to walk into a cabin equipped with a towel animal and not crack a smile. We don’t know how the cabin stewards do it – is there a secret training course for towel animal specialists? Seems like a higher calling than tending to cabins to us but nonetheless we’re very happy to have them on-board!
2 – Your wine rack has an all-inclusive section at home
We do sometimes like to book a cruise with a drinks package although it does mean we’re sometimes left wondering which drinks exactly we’ve already paid for and which we might we might have to pay for again at the end of the cruise.
3 – You have a formal night at home once a week
Friday night? Be at the main dining room in your Sunday best – but luckily you won’t squeeze past any of your fellow passengers to find your table, it’s just you and the significant other! Unfortunately you’re unlikely to have a waiter and chef in your kitchen but the real joy of formal dining is knowing you’re the best dressed in the room anyway!
4 – You keep a life jacket under your bed
In case of emergencies, right? It’s unlikely to ever happen but what if in the middle of the night your house sailed into stormy seas? Better to be safe than sorry, we say.
5 – You have a muster drill once a month
Okay, so assuming the life jacket under the bed has become very necessary, where do you gather? Do the kids know what to do? Can they operate the lights and whistles on their jacket by themselves? By practicing the Muster Drill every month you ensure that your entire family can be safely in their life jackets and in the car in less than two minutes. Prepared for every situation.
6 – You swipe a card before entering your bedroom
No, we’re not talking about that pick-lock-with-a-credit-card thing you see in Hollywood movies, we mean your door key, of course. After leaving a cruise we find ourselves reaching for the key card in our inside pocket every time we open our front door or go to our bedroom – it’s a force of habit! Of course if you’re dedicated to cruising it might just be easier to make a card slot than get out of the habit…
7 – Visiting ports is like walking to the shops
Leave the house, take a right, walk down the road, past the park, there’s the local shops. It’s a ritual you’ve performed so many times that the route doesn’t even need to be considered as you pop your shoes on – and that’s exactly what it’s like at a port of call. Leave the ship, walk down the dock, enter the town centre, go to the little café near the Cathedral… You know the one. Lovely coffee.
8 – Your cruise consultant is on speed dial
You know your cruise consultant on a first name basis? That’s one thing but it’s not serious enough – you need them on speed dial. A quick phone call to ask which bookings are available and if balcony cabins are available is all you really need to know.
9 – Your house is a port of call
Home? Home is the port you visit while waiting to get on the next ship, of course! Also, home tends to have the worst weather out of all the ports you’ve been to…
What do you think? Are you a ‘real’ cruiser? Can you add anything to this list?
Are you serious about cruising?
Let us know in the comments below…
