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Original poster

Cruise holiday

29 replies

loopyloopyloopy1 · 13/12/2023 00:40

Anybody done a 14 night cruise? If so how long and where did you go?

It will be my first time but don't know how I feel being on a boat in the middle of the sea 🫣

OP posts:
newusernamejacket · 13/12/2023 03:33

Yes, did a 14 day one in the Caribbean. I was worried about being at sea too! But there's so many stops you can often see land, and the boat is so big I felt very safe. Loved every minute of it!

Sharedcupboard · 13/12/2023 06:49

Unless it’s a full sea day, you’ll generally find you are sailing through the night so when you’re at dinner, having a drink, watching a show and sleeping.

Have you found a cruise you like the sound of? What’s the itinerary?

Original poster
loopyloopyloopy1 · 13/12/2023 08:34

Yeah we have found a cruise and are going to book it for next year.

We leave and will be at sea for 4 days 🥴
Then reach Madeira, day 6 Tenerife, day 7 Gran Canaria, day 8 lanzarote, day 9 at sea, day 10 Cadiz, day 11-12 Portugal and day 13-14 sailing home.

I'm really exited as I've only ever been to France but just worried about being at sea for 4 days straight 🥴🤣

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Original poster
loopyloopyloopy1 · 13/12/2023 08:35

newusernamejacket · 13/12/2023 03:33

Yes, did a 14 day one in the Caribbean. I was worried about being at sea too! But there's so many stops you can often see land, and the boat is so big I felt very safe. Loved every minute of it!

Sounds amazing! Very reassuring, what sort of things did you do?

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Chewbecca · 13/12/2023 08:38

We love cruising and have sailed to most destinations! Sea days are good for relaxing and taking advantage of all the ship has to offer, then you get delivered to a (usually) lovely port to explore.
Which ship?

Applerumleandcustard · 13/12/2023 08:57

I like cruising , and enjoy a sea day , but 4 in a row does sound a lot ( unless you’re crossing the Atlantic ! )
We did a 14 night , from Southampton , so a couple of sea days , as you have to sail over the Bay of Biscay to get to the Med , then various ports round France and Spain ( when our DC were teens , we hardly saw them , they had so much going on )

This summer we did an 11 night cruise , ( again , from Southampton ) the sea days are so full of stuff to do , some of it sounds ridiculous
me …. Oh how stupid , a paper aeroplane competition
looks at queue of 100 people with paper aeroplanes and huge crowd

Dance classes , quizzes etc , but there are also lots of places to sit and relax , hopefully sunbathe
To be honest , the last sea day , on deck , having a glass of wine watching the dolphins in the English Channel was one of the highlights of the holiday

Parker231 · 13/12/2023 09:01

I’ve done a 14 day cruise around the Caribbean islands - only one sea day, the Hurtigruten up the Norwegian coast - cruising mainly at night and another 7 day cruise around the maritime islands on the east coast of Canada - cruising at night. Plenty to do during the day and evenings.

Applerumleandcustard · 13/12/2023 09:39

Added to above …
14 nights Spanish Med
10 nights Madeira and Canaries
7 nights Norwegian fjords
11 nights Iceland

Original poster
loopyloopyloopy1 · 13/12/2023 09:46

Applerumleandcustard · 13/12/2023 09:39

Added to above …
14 nights Spanish Med
10 nights Madeira and Canaries
7 nights Norwegian fjords
11 nights Iceland

@Applerumleandcustard

That's what we're looking at Spain, Madeira and canarys. How did you find that one?

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MRSMTO · 13/12/2023 09:48

I've been on lots of 14 nighters and above.

Alaska
South East Asia
Arctic Circle (my fave!)
Med (my least fave!)
Caribbean

A few 7 - 9 nights.

I like doing a Princess tour first and then a 7 night cruise! That would be my preference unless it was Norway and Arctic circle cruise again which I would happily die on!

Mindymomo · 13/12/2023 09:55

Our first cruise was 14 nights from Southampton, we had 2 sea days till we got to Gibraltar and the same returning with 2 sea days. We weren’t sure if we would like the sea days, but we found them ok, DH spent time in casino, we watched films and did various quizzes. One thing it’s a ship not a boat and there’s lots to do on sea days. The following year we went back to a normal fly package holiday and we were bored as there was little entertainment, so for the next holiday we cruised again and have done 9 now.

Applerumleandcustard · 13/12/2023 11:19

@loopyloopyloopy1 it was lovely , we were very unlucky though , sailing back home over the Bay of Biscay we followed a really bad storm , neither of us were seasick , but it was scary
It was our second cruise , we’ve done 4 and looking to book another for next year , so we weren’t put off at all

EvelynBeatrice · 13/12/2023 13:21

If you choose the right cruise you won't be 'stuck in the middle of the sea' for very long. What about a European ports one where you're at a new port every or every second day?
If you're worried about being stuck in accommodation you don't like, choose a good ( expensive) company and that won't happen. Eg Top range Silverseas etc or mid to upper- Celebrity, HollandAmerica, Royal Caribbean and not TUI, Carnival etc. But, whatever floats your boat!!

StillWantingADog · 13/12/2023 13:27

I’m not a cruiser but I def wouldn’t fancy 4 days in the bay of biscay

in your shoes I’d fly to somewhere in the med eg Palma or Barcelona and take a cruise from there
The mediterranean is calm compared to the Atlantic!

Original poster
loopyloopyloopy1 · 13/12/2023 13:58

EvelynBeatrice · 13/12/2023 13:21

If you choose the right cruise you won't be 'stuck in the middle of the sea' for very long. What about a European ports one where you're at a new port every or every second day?
If you're worried about being stuck in accommodation you don't like, choose a good ( expensive) company and that won't happen. Eg Top range Silverseas etc or mid to upper- Celebrity, HollandAmerica, Royal Caribbean and not TUI, Carnival etc. But, whatever floats your boat!!

It's not about the accommodation, it's about the thought of being in the middle of the sea that worries me a bit. It's my first time, so I don't know what to expect

OP posts:
Original poster
loopyloopyloopy1 · 13/12/2023 14:00

Applerumleandcustard · 13/12/2023 11:19

@loopyloopyloopy1 it was lovely , we were very unlucky though , sailing back home over the Bay of Biscay we followed a really bad storm , neither of us were seasick , but it was scary
It was our second cruise , we’ve done 4 and looking to book another for next year , so we weren’t put off at all

@Applerumleandcustard

Oh wow, was the ship swaying a lot? I think this is what scared me 🫣 but I am super excited just don't know what to expect lol

OP posts:
HappyHamsters · 13/12/2023 14:03

Viking are excellent and a bit smaller ships, some start at Barcelona. They also do river cruises if you're worried about being at sea.

Original poster
loopyloopyloopy1 · 13/12/2023 14:11

@Applerumleandcustard

What month and year did you go?

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Applerumleandcustard · 13/12/2023 17:32

@loopyloopyloopy1 the stormy crossing was October 2017 , I think it was Storm Bob that hit Ireland badly , we followed about 300 miles behind it

Always remember the captain has the safety of the passengers and crew as the most important part of his job , he wouldn’t put a ship worth millions of pounds and the lives of 3000 + people in danger

Kazzyhoward · 13/12/2023 17:34

Applerumleandcustard · 13/12/2023 17:32

@loopyloopyloopy1 the stormy crossing was October 2017 , I think it was Storm Bob that hit Ireland badly , we followed about 300 miles behind it

Always remember the captain has the safety of the passengers and crew as the most important part of his job , he wouldn’t put a ship worth millions of pounds and the lives of 3000 + people in danger

Best not to mention Costa Concordia then!!

Original poster
loopyloopyloopy1 · 13/12/2023 17:35

Applerumleandcustard · 13/12/2023 17:32

@loopyloopyloopy1 the stormy crossing was October 2017 , I think it was Storm Bob that hit Ireland badly , we followed about 300 miles behind it

Always remember the captain has the safety of the passengers and crew as the most important part of his job , he wouldn’t put a ship worth millions of pounds and the lives of 3000 + people in danger

Thank you @Applerumleandcustard

That's very true, I'm really excited but just nervous. I've only flown twice, so not an experienced traveler I guess. You've put my mind at ease a bit, thank you!

OP posts:
gotomomo · 13/12/2023 17:42

It's lovely being at sea, I did the transatlantic to New York, 7 days at sea and it's a great experience, throw yourself into what the boat offers - we did quizzes, dance classes, lectures, concerts and I learnt how to fold napkins and carve veggies! Plenty of reading time of course, we had an indoor pool.

gotomomo · 13/12/2023 17:45

@EvelynBeatrice

Just got off Marella (TUI) and our cabin was lovely, not quite as big as Cunard but it was half the price!

Applerumleandcustard · 13/12/2023 17:49

Yes ! @Kazzyhoward
I like to think he was the one bad apple !

HeddaGarbled · 13/12/2023 18:06

Safety procedures were changed after the Costa Concordia disaster. For example, the ship isn’t allowed to sail (by law) until all the passengers have watched a safety briefing and checked in at their “muster station”. Sometimes you get a countdown over the tannoy before you set sail: “we still have 6 passengers who have not attended their muster station” etc.