Had anyone been in a cruise and hated it?

[Pumpkinstace]

My 40th is coning up and I want to go norway to see the fjords.

A cruise seems to be the best way to do this and sounds amazing... However, I only seem to find reviews that completely cruise arse licking.... people that go 3-4 times a year, have tried all the ships etc.

I still haven't found anyone who has been on a cruise and found it isn't for them.

If you have been on a cruise and hated it please tell me about it.

I think the pp who said if you want to go on a cruise then you're more likely to like it! I know I'd hate it, so I'd never go on one. I hate boats anyway and have been on them a lot.

We do not enjoy the days on the boat (excluding Viking here; I would quite happily live on their vessels) but do enjoy where they take us to. The bigger the ship the more I hate it. Fjord trip was much enjoyed. We are going on a Baltic cruise in May; how else would we manage St Petersburg, Stockholm, Copenhagen etc. on one trip or even at all as we are beginning to feel our age. Some love doing there own thing for some it would be too stressful so a cruise allows you to see some wonderful places otherwise closed to you. I would not do a more basic med one as I feel capable of visiting such places on my own. Whilst price might dictate what you choose do try and go for the smaller /less showy boats if you are worried about that aspect.

@RuleOfCat

If I could give a slightly different perspective, since you specifically mention the Norwegian fjords. I was in the fjords a few weeks back (well, in the region, the fjords themselves were pretty bloody cold). They were stunningly beautiful, and one thing that made them so wonderful was a complete absence of oversized and ugly cruise ships this year, presumably due to covid. We saw pictures of huge ships docked in these tiny villages and it was just grotesque, frankly. Then the passengers disembark for the day, see the most obvious things at a very superficial level, drive the locals absolutely crazy, only make a minimal contribution to the tourist economy because they spend nothing on food or accommodation, then bugger off again in those monstrosities. The ships utterly ruin the unspoiled nature for all tourists and inhabitants, it's the very definition of selfish. All tourism involves something of a tradeoff between costs and benefits to the local economy and environment, but large cruise ships so deep into the narrow fjords are pretty unjustifiable at any level. Those large boats belong on the open seas, where they're less noticeable, and can dock at large ports. If you really want to see the fjords by sea Maybe find an option with smaller, more environmental ships that have less impact. Or do what we did: go by train from Oslo straight to the fjords (eg on the line to Flam), hire an electric car for a few days to see things qt a relaxed pace, then a small (public transport) boat through the fjord back to Bergen. That keeps our impact as tourists to a minimum while also pumping money (loads of it, Norway aint cheap) directly into the local economy. When we were there, the locals were pretty friendly to tourists, but several did express relief at being able to have a few years without the big cruises.

Absolutely. Cruise ships are also ruining Venice for the same reasons.

We were sceptical, DH loves sailing and was quite scathing about cruising I am really not keen on sailing as it’s bloody hard work but I do love the sea and grew up less than 5 mins from the beach so we have both been on a lot of boats.

We booked a week long fjord cruise in Norway and we loved it. We had an outside cabin. We took dance lessons on board and did the quiz nights. We also joined the ships choir. I have sung in choirs for years, DH hadn’t since school and we really enjoyed it, DH and DS both used the gym every day. The food was good and we had a table to ourselves every night except two and we shared with another couple with a teen DS for the other two nights.

We booked a two week Mediterranean cruise two years later for DH 50 birthday. We have never really added up the full cost of that two week one.

The limited time on shore can be a pain, we had a fast track pass for The Vatican. It was really expensive but it meant we could also see the Colosseum.

I loved cruising and we are usually quite solitary hill and fell walkers that take our own flasks of tea and pack ups. We just had a bit of a walking break in Yorkshire and best bit was walking to a waterfall and on that two hour walk we didn’t see a single soul.

I intend cruising again at some point.

I would love to do this cruise OP but I really worry about being seasick. Get terrible travel sickness in cars and buses so assume I would be bad on a boat?

How long is the cruise?

I’d go on a 3-4 night one max

I’m a runner and absolutely love outdoors and nature

It would be horrific for me to be 2 weeks on a boat. Torture.

A cruise was never on our agenda, however we did do a 7 day Alaska cruise, only because it was the best way to see the country and there are some fjords and bays that you can only reach by boat, the scenery from the water was spectacular. I imagine the Norwegian fjords are the same. I didn't like the queuing for food at the self service restaurants and the queuing for the tenders etc.

I can't imagine ever doing a Mediterranean or a Caribbean cruise, but I would certainly do a Norwegian, Galapagos or Nile cruise.

The kids loved it and want to do another cruise.

I’ve only ever been on 2 cruises & one was the Norwegian fjords. It was better than I thought, a different port each day, most sailing, apart from getting up there, was done overnight. The places we stopped at were very accessible, no long coach trips. Food was very good & overall a nice experience.
However, Mediterranean cruise has put me off cruising for the foreseeable.

We cruise regularly and often suggest to friends that a seven day cruise to the Fjords is a perfect introduction. It’s neither over-long nor over-expensive if you don’t like it. P & O are really good and the ships are very well managed. The Fjords are one of the most stunning destinations that you could choose. Go for it.

@PuppyMonkey

I would love to do this cruise OP but I really worry about being seasick. Get terrible travel sickness in cars and buses so assume I would be bad on a boat?

Stugeron 15 is what I took & I was fine. Like you, I get terrible motion sickness & have even felt travel sick on a train.

I love cruises, I’ve been on 11. My first one was for my 40th, I flew to LA and then cruised to
Mexico, getting to places I would never have had an opportunity to go to. I love the sunrises and sunsets, the peace and quiet having breakfast/a cuppa/a cocktail on my balcony. I love visiting a new place nearly every day and also doing as little or as much as I want on sea days. I really enjoy the evenings as love to watch shows and I like the meals and cocktails too
and all the live music. I normally avoid the buffet and have my breakfast and lunch at the ‘posher’ restaurants. Eggs benedict is a favourite breakfast and I often have lunch on my own, something like a big prawn salad and a glass of Prosecco looking at the views. I also enjoy lunches and coffees etc off the ship and try to do a few lunches in the countries I’ve visited.
I’d say don’t go too budget and book the cheapest room or ship.

@annacondom

I went on the QE2 a long time ago, just before it had a major refit. It was full of elderly American women looking for husbands. Having said that, these women were a right laugh and I had a great time. There were, I think, four or five meals a day which meant you could just keep eating. On one occasion they served curry and then came round with rice and chips and people were having both! Classy, eh? Not what I imagined at all. The lamps had paper shades with burn marks on them, but as I say, this was just before a refit. There is something nice about being on a boat, like being on an island where they move the scenery for you. I went down the Nile and it was great. I would love to do the fjords - I think it will be a brilliant way to do it. Always people to talk to with the same interest as you. You get taken to the good bits, have people who tell you about the place, and you get fed a lot and entertained during the boring bits. No driving home after dinner, no need to pay for anything, just get pissed and stagger back to your cabin. Gosh, I think I want to come with you! Get an outside cabin though - inside without a view is not so good.

I read it as "the lamps had shades with BUM marks on them. I was wondering how or why someone would wipe their bum on a lamp shade.

I wasn't ever interested in cruising anyway, but I remember a woman doing my nails who had been working on a cruise ship before she met her partner and settled where we live. I did ask her would she go on a cruise having worked in a cruise ship and she just shook her head.

Went on a baltic cruise with NCL and hated it:

• food was poor, very salty weirdly
• entertainment was dire
• there were hidden extras everywhere (eg if you wanted to eat in specific restaurants)
• ship library was open for 2 hours per day, films shown only while in port
• when in port the ship-run trips were extortionate & no information was provided about how to get into the city etc, you had to fend for yourself
• full of old Americans, no one under 70 apart from us

The places we visited were amazing, but the time on the boat not so much.

I remember my dad telling me about a cruise he and my mum went on either before I was born or when I was tiny, and both hating it - to the point that they sold their return tickets and flew back instead, vowing never to go anywhere near a cruise again. This would have been in the late 60s or early 70s, so not quite as comfortable as they are now. I don't think they enjoyed the food, entertainment, the other people or the up-and-down-ness of the boat through water ;)

This story emerged when I made my dad watch "Hugely Massive Great Big Enormous Cruise Ships" (or some similar title) on Channel 5 once and I mentioned how I'd love to go on one myself and he wrinkled his nose up at the prospect of ever repeating the experience.

I've since been on a cruise, mostly around Italy, and a crossing to New York, also smaller ferries to Orkney and Ireland. Loved all of it. Yesterday evening I took the half-hour commuter ferry home from London Bridge to Greenwich, so I'm a pretty big fan of all boat-based travels to be honest. I don't particularly care where a boat is, or where it's going, I just like being on one :)

I'd love to travel on the Aranui 5 around French Polynesia / Marquesas Islands - it's part tourist ship, part local postal service that visits the islands delivering supplies.

On a cruise there's lots to do, and you don't have to do any of it!

Jo

(Alt text for image: photograph shows the bow of Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam against a light blue sky and a dark blue sea).

I always recommend a 7 day Norway cruise as a good first cruise. If you go May/June time you benefit from very long hours of day light and good waterfalls due to the snow melting. Sailing up and down the fjords takes hours so you are floating past beautiful scenery most of the day (and night). If you can try and get an itinerary that includes Flaam, the railway round trip is well worth it.

7 days is short enough if you hate it but long enough to get a taste of what cruising is like. Each ship and each cruise line is different and so you only get a broad view with your first cruise.

I would recommend a balcony cabin, but as a minimum for a fjord cruise an outside cabin. P & O are a good company for a first cruise as the are mid pack and have mostly British passengers so a lot feels familiar. Iona is a big ship and I would suggest something smaller but I’m not sure if any other P &O ships are also going to the fjords.

You can always find a quiet spot on a ship where you can read a book/kindle or just watch the scenery/world go by.

I have done a couple now. Two years ago I sailed to the Caribbean on a boat. It was so much fun, there was lots of activities and people on board as well. Make sure that you find out as much as possible in advance.

Just to pick up on a point made upthread... on the two relatively recent cruises I have been on (MSC and P&O) there was no table sharing for dinner. Everyone was with their only party only. And the food was fantastic. 25 years ago, however, DH and I went on a rowdy cruise where you sat on long tables with others and had unremarkable food. Think they've all become much more luxurious since then.

Our two recent cruises were MASSIVE ships, but we always found quiet spots here and there. I especially love outside decks at nighttime.

Anyway, I love cruising and am also to to the Norwegian Fjords next year

*their own party

When we went on a cruise with P&O, there was a choice between booking a table/waiting for one for your party alone or going to dinner whenever you fancied and sharing with different people every night. We did the latter and actually really enjoyed ourselves - we met some great people.

I love cruising which I used to do with exh but DP doesn't like the thought of it. Can't afford it now, anyway! But do go OP, sounds fantastic.

I’m laughing at rice and chips being somehow unclassy! Said poster had clearly never been to wales where it is a staple.
Anyway. I’m another cruise lover despite having thought that I’d hate it. I’d love to do the fjords.
For those worrying about sea sickness - generally as the boats are bigger you’re less likely to feel sick but if there is bad weather then you might. Sea sickness bands and tables are your friends but take them on the ship with you, as they’ll be extortionate in the on board shops (see also paracetamol etc).

We are walkers and love independent travel but we still like to cruise when we need the most relaxing type of holiday. We usually go with Silversea or Seabourn. One call to my TA and it’s done.

I don’t think you can judge cruising until you’ve tried it. Just pick the right sort of line and ship size depending on your preferences. I didn’t think I’d like cruising but I’m glad I put aside my prejudices and gave it a go.

And yes definitely take some Stugeron with you, just in case! I don’t get seasick but I always make sure there is enough for the whole family.

I know I would simply hate it. I dislike being in crowds and around other people for any length of time, especially on holiday. I imagine they are noisy, too. Not for me!