Cruise Minded

My wife and I have enjoyed 15 cruises. After years of cajoling, my sister at last agreed to join us and we are booked on the Majesty of the Seas this fall in the Caribbean. All that was ruined by an article written by Eileen Ogintz (“Family Afloat,” Sept. 14). She took us on a trip through the eyes of her mother aboard this ship. It was biased by a woman who was soured on cruising and had no understanding of how to enjoy herself. Of course my sister read this and believed this thoroughly erroneous odyssey.

Then in the same issue, Marc Lacey writes about one foolish guy who doesn’t know how to handle credit (“Cost of Extras Could Leave You High and Dry”), and decries cruising as a fancy rip-off for everyone on board.

These things are not so, but now I’ll never get my sister to believe that one of life’s greatest pleasures is traveling aboard a cruise ship.

TOM MOORE

San Clemente

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Regarding Marc Lacey’s Insider on controlling expenses on a cruise, there are two points that need clarification.

1. A Norwegian Cruise Line vessel is not a luxury ship. A nice ship maybe, but their vessels and service are far from luxury.

2. It must have been sometime since he sailed on an NCL cruise. NCL now X-rays carry-on packages to find any frugal individual intent on not purchasing official NCL drinks. NCL security confiscates the smuggled product and will refuse to give a receipt. The smuggled product is delivered to your cabin on the last night.

DON SHORT

Torrance