It’s pretty amazing really that so many online travel community members take the time to write up a report of their trips for our reading pleasure. It is certainly no easy feat, especially for those who put so much time and energy into composing a report that is written in an entertaining style and includes a large complement of amazing photos taken along the way.

Trip reports like this one that is currently being composed on the CruiseCritic forums by POA1, for example.

POA1 is writing about a specific cruise. Frankly, it’s a cruise I am unlikely ever to take. But I’m enjoying the trip report regardless because of POA1’s fantastic writing style and the effort he is putting it the report. Just a sampling of his prose:

I was struggling trying to find a catchy title for this thread. Sure, I could have used, “Live from the Nieuw Amsterdam,” but quite frankly, you deserve better.

 

Despite the fact that you deserve better, you’re not going to get it.

 

Instead, you’re going to get “CSI: NA – Club Sandwich Investigation: Nieuw Amsterdam.”

In preparation for our cruise … I posed the question: What makes a good “Live From…”? in a thread on CruiseCritic back in May.

 

I was hoping to call upon the collected wisdom of everyone on the boards so that we could craft a series of reports that would delight you, amuse you, and not only meet, but also exceed your informational needs.

 

Guess what?

 

It turns out that there’s not really a consensus or the meeting-of-the-minds I was hoping for. Some people hate a lot of pictures. Some people love a lot of pictures. Some people only like pictures if we’re not in them. CC user whogo, went as far as to say “I especially do not need multiple daily photos of you.”

 

We weren’t planning to unleash a profusion of selfies, but that seems unnecessarily harsh. (Sniff.)

 

And don’t even get me started on food pix. Some people seem to want to see them. Some people want to beat the people who want to see them.

The quality of your day in Grand Cayman was based largely on your experience with the tenders. Georgetown is one of those ports where cruise ships rely on the local shuttle boat style tenders for transportation from ship to shore. When we heard the announcement that 3 m/10 ft swells were expected by afternoon, DW and I made the game time decision to stay onboard the Nieuw Amsterdam, and forego the port stop. … Any time tender to ship transfer involves “pushers,” “catchers, “and phrases like, “Ma’am, you have to jump!” it’s a safe bet that the cabana on the Observation Deck is a better call.

Whether you enjoy cruising or not, how could you not want to read this trip report. And in fact, I encourage you to read it in its entirety here: Kinda “Live From” – CSI: NA (Nieuw Amsterdam, 11/16-11/23/2014

Of course, this is just one of the fantastic trip reports that have been highlighted here on ThreadTripping over the past year – and each and every one is worth a full read:

An Absolutely Fantastic Australian Trip Report (report by Amy of Fodors)
Iran and Iranians in Photos (report by DanielW of FlyerTalk)
The Glaciers with the Sapphire Eyes (report by Quasiconvexity of Milepoint)
Double-Dog-Dare Train Travel (report by zombie12 of Lonely Planet)
Taking the Red Eye from Vientiane to Hanoi (report by emdee13 of TravBuddy)
$161 to Rarotonga (report by bedinh of Milepoint)
A $20K Botswana Safari – Worth Every Penny (report by seeitall of Traveltalkonline)
Why Isn’t Everyone Raving About Wales? (report by Carroll of Rick Steve’s)
South Korea from a Solo Woman Traveler’s Perspective (report by kja of Fodors)
I Smell a Bestseller: The Norwegian Cruise Line Diet (report by acruisingpeach23 of Cruise Critic)
Visiting Italy’s Oft Neglected Neighbors (report by Slow_Mustang of Milepoint)
Trip to the Magic Kingdom Detours Through Hell (report by jenseib of Disboards)
Video Review: British Airways Club World Sleeper Service (report by NiceTravelAdventures of Business Traveller)
Trip Report: Fall Colors in Aspen, Colorado (report by SFO777 of FlyerTalk)
NOT Just Another Paris Trip Report (report by Alwina Bennett of Slow Travel Talk)
Nepal and Nepalese in Photos (report by DanielW of FlyerTalk)
Riding the Rails with Dad and Dewers (report by CMK10 of FlyerTalk)
New Zealand: Epic Fail? (report by Songdoc of Fodors)

Many thanks to all of you for sharing your trips with all of us, and for brightening our days and providing us with yet more aspirational travel dreams.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of the Americans reading this today. And Happy Thursday to those of you in other parts of the world.