I returned from my first cruise about a week ago, and I had a great time. Reviews I read here (and on a hotel review site that I can't remember the name of) were very helpful to me, so I'm writing some detailed impressions as a way to say "thank you" in the hope that I can help other prospective cruisers.

It's important to understand that I didn't have a typical first cruise experience because it was a gift so that my domestic partner and I could participate in a family celebration on board. That means there were 14 friends and family members on the cruise, all experienced cruisers, who could answer questions and guide us. Partly as a result, we didn't meet any new people since we spent almost all of our time with folks who were already in our lives. We're both gay and in our sixties, and we have traveled together in the US, Canada, and Europe.

Our Eastern Caribbean cruise was on the Eurodam from March 10th through 17th, and our flights, hotel the night before, and transfers were all arranged through Holland America Lines. Everything went totally smoothly, and HAL delivered the cruise experience which they promised. However, we'll probably never go on another cruise. That's not HAL's fault -- this cruise gave us the opportunity to realize that cruising is not our style of travel. There will be more on that later. Here's how everything went. Read more