Our next stop is not a tender port; apparently Raiatea has a real port with a dock to which we can moor. That means we have an almost certain chance to get ashore and stretch our legs, perhaps even regain our "land legs" which tend to get rusty with non-use. We've been at sea continuously since Kona and by the time we reach Raiteia will have been sailing a week or more.
People who sail as a low-impact way to see exotic places are frustrated; people who enjoy the cruising itself are fine. The DrsC are in the latter category. port calls are okay but we enjoy the life of the ship.
Think of cruising as a vacation from reality - no dinners to cook or clean up after, no wondering what to do for entertainment, no doctors or dentists appointments (with any luck), no shopping to do (unless you choose), few-to-no errands to run, no beds to make or laundry to do. Included room service hot breakfast on our balcony table is very pleasant, too.
If you and your spouse have different diets (our case), you can eat what you like while your significant other eats what s/he pleases or avoids foods as required medically. I'm eating salty foods my lady cannot eat, and loving the Mexican and Italian food.
The downsides are few - the floor doesn't always stand still, the ocean view can be monotonous, the Internet is slow, and sleeping in a strange bed is less comfortable. There are retirees who live aboard cruise ships either much of the year, or all year. It is a low-hassle way to have lots of smiling servants who don't later become permanent residents of your town.
