where do cruisers vacation to?

[frugalvoyager]

I cruise America's Great Loop most every year. I spend spring cruising up the Atlantic ICW, summer cruising across the Great Lakes, sometimes I take the Canadian Heritage Canal route to and through Georgian Bay. Then, I spend fall, cruising down the inland rivers through Kentucky, Tennessee, etc. to the Gulf of Mexico. I spend my winters 'vacationing' in the Caribbean.
To see what I do - go to: How to cruise America's Great Loop

[RTB]

We are in our first year, so still figuring out what works for us. We like to keep moving, more than staying in one place for very long. It was a long year for us, doing the ditch from Texas to Florida, then making our way to the Keys and Bahamas, and back to the east coast up to Georgia, in 9 months. Once we got here (Brunswick, Ga.), we decided to wait out hurricane season here. So, three months tied to a dock has been our vacation (from a permanent vacation). It's been really nice, and we have met so many other cruisers here. Many have shared their vast knowledge with us, so, even though we aren't moving, we have still been learning. Also, it has allowed me to get the boat back in shape after nine months of pushing hard. Boat work can be done at a comfortable pace, with no rush to get it done before tomorrow comes.

For me, it has been a great vacation. No need for daily planning. No constant concerns about weather. No need to raise the anchor each morning with no windlass. No need to find an anchorage before dark. Night after night of sleeping with no worries of dragging. No need to run the Honda generator twice each day. No long passages over 24 hours with no autopilot. I could go on and on, but while all of this is an accepted routine for us, and we love it, it does wear (me) down. Hey, we are still learning, but neither my wife or I have wished to move off the boat so far. We'll see how the new year goes. Heading back to the Bahamas in a week or so. (our next vacation!)

Ralph
Refinished handrails | sailing away with R & B

[MARC D]

When you're finally out of the rat race and exploring the only planet you can explore, vacation as a part of someone life tends to disappear. You will plan by block of half-year, year or ''a couple of years'' instead of week, week-end-holidays...

I don't think one can fully realize until being there for a while.
But BEWARE! It is intoxicating!!

[Boracay]

We really need to define "vacation" here. I like the Urban Dictionary and Wikipedia.

Q: Where do cruisers go to vacation?
A: Anywhere we can.

Q: Do they dream of living on land?
A: Usually a quick perusal of a real estate agents window makes me realise that it's not a dream, it's a nightmare.

Q: Do they just sail off to another location and call that vacation?
A: On further reflection I'm not sure that the concept of a vacation is in all that many cruisers psyches.

Q: Is the vacation the journey or the destination?
A: For me, both.

Q: Is a vacation just somewhere where you can run the hot shower for 15 minutes?.
A: No. This is standard at all marinas I've been into.

Q: Is McDonald's eating out?
A: Yes

Q: How many great beaches become 1 too many?
A; If it's "1 too many" then it's not a great beach.

Q: (1) Does dressing up mean closed toed shoes, if so (2) are socks required?
A: (1) No. (2) Only if the weather is cold.

[SimonV]

After 5 years of cruising, the wife has decided we need a holiday/vacation. So she has booked us on a14 day P&O cruise ship. Its what she wants.

[tomfl]

Living on a cat for the last year. My life is better than your vacation.

[robert sailor]

Sailboat to cruise ship, thats too funny. Like the bus driver taking the family for a drive!

[valhalla360]

We love cruising and have been at it for the last 7 years but we also like variety and there are places that aren't convenient to get to by boat. We also benefit from work and planning that allows us to take advantage of the lifestyle.

- We also have an 5th wheel for traveling around the states (34 states over the 7 years).
- We have been to Italy twice.
- A month in Brazil
- Holy land.
- Just got back from 3 wks in Paris/London.

Upcoming plans:
- Turkey
- Itally (it is quasi-work as we are taking a group there).
- Brazil
- Probably a caribean all inclusive.

Different ways of travel have different benefits. Keep in mind, with the flexibility of a cruiser, you can visit a lot of places for a lot less than the guys who have 2 wks vacation per year.

[boatman61]

Go to Newark, NJ... 3 days there and a Force 9 is a joy to behold...

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

...Does dressing up mean closed toed shoes, if so are socks required? seems after all my years of prep there are so many unanswered questions

Being simply a liveaboard, not sure my answer counts, but my next vacation will be skiing with my daughter... Other vacations would be flyfishing, mountain biking, music festival, or traveling in Europe, South America etc. No dress up, I just transfer one casual for another. Showers, comfortable bed, and great food are a priority.

[markpierce]

I thought cruisers were on vacation 365 days a year. Don't think taking two weeks or so on a boat would make one a cruiser (but perhaps that defines it?). Or is vacationing for a cruiser like spending a week on a river-raft trip, spending time on some beach or another, whatever? Or is spending one's vacation on a boat make one a cruiser??

[SvLetitgo]

3 weeks at a dock was our vacation, unlimited everything and civilization close by.

Ok we had to wait for the weather to pass before we could escape

[bobconnie]

We like to see the kids and grand
kids and greatgrandkids LOL as much as we can.So we fly there or they come to sail with us! thats enough vacation for us !! It's always so busy visting them, that ya almost can't call it a vacation!! LOL It's much easier when they come to sail! at least for Connie and I LOL Thats the sum of our away from the boat vacations !! Heck we ben on a vacation more or less for 30 + years !!!!

[markpierce]

My transient neighbor is a single-handed cruiser. Half-way expect he'll be gone by this week after spending 3 months at the marina getting his boat in tip-top condition as well as attending a wedding. So which is the vacation? Sailing wherever, getting one's boat in shape, or spending time at a marina?

Referring to the boat to my port side.



(I"m retired, so it always seems I'm on vacation, wherever I am, except at the dentist's office.)

[markpierce]

I will miss the murmurings of my transient neighbor's parrot.