Connecting with the places you are traveling

A large ship cruise is, undoubtedly, less about seeing the places where you are traveling and more about the experience onboard compared to a small ship cruise. You have less time in port coupled with longer waits to embark and disembark. Limited time ashore can be further exacerbated by the ship size that limits which ports it can access and also the ability to get into ports. For example, a few days before our cruise, we were informed that our stop in Belgium would be eliminated because low tides were preventing the ship from getting in. Another day or two later, we were also told that we would be missing a stop in Iceland. On the second day of our cruise, we waited in the open ocean outside Amsterdam for winds to calm down enough for us to wind our way into the canals to Amsterdam and ended up with another full day at sea. Though itinerary changes are certainly common on small ships also, particularly in some of the exceptionally remote areas where they travel, the ability to pivot to new places or access other areas is much improved so it's much less common to have 'wasted' days at sea.  

Similarly onboard I found it harder to connect to the environment. Out of 19 decks, only a handful had outdoor access (or even windows) so I found myself frequently traveling several floors to get outside. Surprisingly, I was still able to feel the motion of the ship a lot more than I expected. In fact, it wasn't all that different from a small ship. I could feel the ship rocking in the winds and the steady chug along the seas and fits/ starts as the ship crosses the waves. Personally, I love that aspect and am grateful that I had this connection with my environment, though I'm not sure everyone would count that as a positive. Without a lot of windows and with so many distractions inside, it would be easy to forget you are on the water if not for that.  

All that being said, travelers who are determined to connect with the outdoors will still find plenty of opportunities. I found myself spending a lot of time on Deck 8, where the outside deck wrapped all the way around the ship. Walking the deck was really beautiful, complete with a section at the front of the ship kept intentionally dark for star gazing and a glass walkway that allows travelers to see straight down to the sea  I encountered so many different micro environments onboard. The ship I was on, the Norwegian Prima, is very new and they've done a fantastic job providing lots of small areas that have different personalities, for travelers to gather. Small infinity pools, hot tubs, lounging sofas, and even swing like 'bird cages' all provided great spots to spend time outdoors.