It’s here!…Our new 558 day itinerary!…

We fully recognize that this decision may seem somewhat contradictory. Not long ago, we wrote about becoming less interested in cruising after getting sick on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas, a massive ship with a 4,269-passenger capacity. And yet, here we are, still with one more cruise booked on that very ship. We’ve already paid in full for a 25-night sailing beginning April 14, just three months from now. That booking isn’t going anywhere.

After considerable discussion, we realized something that felt both obvious and oddly comforting. We do love cruising. What we don’t love is getting sick on cruises. Once we separated those two ideas, the solution became clear. If cruising itself isn’t the problem, then the type of cruising might be. Looking back, the times we felt our best at sea were always on much smaller ships. We decided to commit to sailing only on smaller vessels from now on.

After researching and revisiting past experiences, Azamara Cruise Line quickly rose to the top of our list. Their ships accommodate up to 700 passengers, which makes a significant difference for us. We appreciate the upscale environment, the adults-only atmosphere, and the noticeably higher level of customer service. Additionally, Azamara offers a long list of inclusions that many other cruise lines charge extra for. Their “inclusive luxury” model covers gratuities, select spirits, wine and beer, specialty coffees, 24/7 room service, self-service laundry, and WiFi minutes. They also host AzAmazing Evenings on most cruises, which are unique cultural events included in the fare.

Higher-tier loyalty members receive additional perks, including expanded WiFi, spa and beverage discounts, and laundry services, while suite guests enjoy priority access and in-suite spirits. Since we aren’t yet high-tier members, we’ll still pay for WiFi, albeit at competitive rates. None of this, of course, comes at the bargain prices often found on larger ships. At this point, though, we’re more than willing to pay extra for a better onboard experience and, most importantly, a much lower likelihood of getting sick.

A few days ago, we booked four Azamara cruises, all back-to-back, through Costco Travel in the US. Booking through Costco has worked well for us in the past, and this time was no exception. We’ll receive a total of US $3,460 in Costco shop cards, which we can use for purchases or for cash. These shop cards aren’t credited until the next calendar year after the sailings. Additionally, we’ll earn rewards from our Premium Membership that we can use for major purchases, such as new laptops, the next time we’re in the U.S. Currently, we have almost US $1000 in shop cards and US $446 in Premium Membership credits.

Making these decisions also allowed us to map out a broader plan before and after the cruises. As it stands now, we’ll be spending nearly nine months in Marloth Park, leaving periodically to visit other African countries when our 90-day visas expire, and returning twice for new entry stamps. The third time, we’ll return to the U.S. to see family in Nevada and Minnesota and take care of practical matters such as renewing our driver’s licenses.

When we look at the itinerary as a whole, it’s obvious there are still bookings to be made. But we’re in no rush. We’ll take care of those details as we go. For now, it feels good to have a solid framework in place and, once again, no pressure to figure out every last detail all at once.

Be well.