Marc and I have been on four cruises since 1997. We have enjoyed most of them and we intend to do some more in the near future. We tend to go for those which visit many ports and have less days at sea. We love visiting many countries you see.

The very first one we took was with Carnival (simply memorable) last 1997, the second one was with COSTA (our least favorite) last 2000, the third one was with Princess (very upscale and a bit snobbish) last 2007, and the last one was with Norwegian(definitely middle America and loads and loads of fun) three months ago.

I think going on cruises is one heck of a way to spend a vacation. It is SO relaxing. I believe this is the reason why many go back over and over. Once on board, you do feel a bit privileged. Your bed is made up for you day after day. When you're hungry, all you need to do is show up at the restaurant of your choice and eat. Loads and loads if you wish. You don't have to clean the dishes afterwards either. You just unpack and pack once. What's more, the ship takes you to different places for you to explore.

A number of people continue to have the mistaken notion that cruising is just for old people. They are so wrong. Everyone cruises nowadays. They'll be surprised to see that cruise ships are filled with people of all ages, from babies to the retired. There is so much action on and off the ship, I actually hoped for some days at sea to let my middle aged body catch up, get more sleep and get some rest during our last cruise to the Western Caribbean.

One does need to remember that cruise prices can be very, very misleading. Besides the price one pays for the cruise, there are the mandatory tips to pay, as well as the supplementary charges for shore excursions, extra food and drinks, wifi connection, and spa and massage services should you avail of them.

Of all the extras, we normally pay for a few shore excursions. We pick and choose the ones we truly like and only for particular ports and cities. Otherwise, we do the touring ourselves. Sometimes we get lucky and get to hire an honest cabbie to tour us around or we join a tour, not the one offered by the ship, but by locals themselves or by local tour operators for a lot less money.

I have no doubt that when I get a lot older, cruising the world will be the way I will want to see the other 100 countries on my never ending list of places to visit.