1. Pick a place you really want to go, not just one your cruise mate, i.e.
your husband, is WILLING to go.

2. Nature is good. Nature is beautiful. Nature is fascinating. Nature is a
pain in the ass when it rains for nine days straight. And P.S. The only
wildlife we saw was: one bald eagle, two seals, and a eighty-ish French
woman flirting shamelessly with any man on the ship (picture boobs dragging
on the floor).

3. When it rains for nine days straight (the entire trip) and you are on a
very small ship, there is nothing to do after you've read forty-seven books.

4.  Ports are important. Don't ever ask me to visit Skagway, or Ketchikan or
Sitka again (picture two blocks of T-shirt shops and nothing, repeat
nothing, else). And especially don't ask me to visit the vibrant city of
Juneau where the lovely (omigod) Republican governor of Alaska presides over
what, 650,000(?) citizens of the State of Alaska.

5. And finally, I learned that it IS possible to eat everything offered to
you. Even stuff you don't like. Even stuff you would never ever eat at home.
It's all good when you're bored on a ship.

6. Weight you gain on a cruise does not disappear as soon as you step off
the gangplank. 

That being said, we did have a good time because we always have fun
together. And my honey says he's willing to take another cruise, which was the
point in the first place. I'm planning a cruise to Greece and Turkey as soon
as he is up for it."