The case for going on a cruise and NOT doing the shore excursions 

Traveling with a 16-year-old during school break is always a crap shoot, and since I had just completed cervical spine surgery the month before our scheduled mother-son cruise with Holland America, I worried my lack of mobility would lead to a poor trip for both of us. Jack and I have been traveling together since he was three months old. We’ve cruised a lot, but it has generally been on expedition ships that focus on active adventure. What, I wondered, would a relaxing big ship cruise be like for my very active teenager?

Our seven-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary aboard the Nieuw Statendam included stops in Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas, and Half Moon Cay. If not for my surgery, we would have gone scuba diving in St Thomas. Both Jack and I are avid divers, and I had yet to dive on this island. I also thought kayaking, horseback riding, and a bike tour would work for the other shore excursions.

My doctor, of course, had other ideas.

He explained I would be able to do no more than “gentle swimming.” Even snorkeling could get me in trouble if a fellow snorkeler kicked me (unwittingly) in the neck region. Suddenly our exciting school break trip seemed less, well, exciting. We’ve never been the type of people to go on a cruise and just stay on the ship, and yet, that was exactly what we’d have to do—and to our surprise, we loved it. 

In praise of taking it easy for a change

Our first stop was Grand Turk. Fortunately, the beach was less 10 minutes from our ship. There I did my “gently swimming” with Jack. We relaxed for a few hours and then returned to the ship. Since most of the other passengers were still off doing their excursions, we had the pool to ourselves, which was lovely.

At the other ports of call, we did little things. We walked around and explored the port in Puerto Rico. In Half Moon Cay, a private island owned by Holland America, we did more “gentle swimming” at the beach. In St. Thomas, we never even left the boat. Instead, we simply relaxed. Jack and I are both the type to get up super early, but on this trip, we put the “do not disturb” sign out the night before and we slept in.

It was glorious.

We also spent the week sampling the ship’s specialty restaurants. Because we weren’t doing any real shore excursions, we were able to get early dinner reservations at each (we are early diners, too). We sampled Osso buco and lobster tails at Canaletto. At Sel De Mer, the Dover sole and seafood platter were our favorites. At Morimoto By Sea Pop Up, the tuna pizza and Japanese curry were a hit. At Pinnacle Grill, the steaks—including the  Wagyu Strip Loin and the Boneless Ribeye—were super tasty.

We also signed up for a spa package, which allowed us to each have two treatments. I had clearance from my doctor to do the hot stone (as long as they avoided my neck) and Jack enjoyed the deep tissue massage.  

At the gym, I did yoga and stretch classes while my son did his teen workout. He also loved that the teen meet-ups (which were listed on the daily ship itinerary) usually involved basketball and/or soccer. The teens on the ship became instant friends and I didn’t have to worry that he was bored by my company. 

No apology necessary

Even though I apologized to him ahead of time for my lack of mobility and shore excursions, when all was said and done we agreed that this was one of the most relaxing trips we’ve ever taken.

We had leisurely meals, ample time to hit the gym and spa, plenty of time at the pool, and enjoyed the nightly entertainment (especially the comedy show). The best part? We weren’t on a schedule, so we never set our alarm. We literally decided each morning what to do that day, so no advance planning needed.

Now that’s a vacation. 

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