Why do people like cruises?

[rubyredknowsitall]

I'm sure it's partly personal for me as:

1. I can't swim well (I swim in the sea where I live a little but I'd hate to swim in a pool or lounge by it)
2. I don't drink alcohol
3. I don't like noisy music things

That's my image of cruise ships plus some excursions - like a fancy Haven holiday camp (although I loved haven as a kid!!!)

Is my image totally off?

I like cruises for the destinations. I like going to loads of different places without having to unpack every day! Its so convenient. Depending on the cruise line and boat, the entertain is a bit of fun, easy eating options casual or formal. Makes travelling easy.

I’d imagine for a lot of the same reasons a lot of people visit resorts: minimal organisation required, lots of facilities on hand, no need to worry about groceries or cooking or else finding and travelling to places to eat, clubs to keep kids entertained, always something to do even if the weather is shit, and with the bonus of getting to see a variety of different places in one holiday and having the excursions arranged for you.

There are holidays when I want to see obscure parts of countries and seek out my own entertainment and do active sporty things, and that’s when I meticulously plan a road trip with AirB&B stop offs at lots of different towns and villages. Then there are holidays when I’m mostly just interested in not being at home and spending a lot of time lounging about with wine and a book and messing about with DH and my friends and perhaps seeing some sights if we feel like it - and that’s when we go on a cruise with a small group of our friends.

Really interesting perspective, I've personally never felt that way. Some places you don't need more than a day. I visited St Petersburg which admittedly needed more than a few hours, we docked for 2 days which was perfect and I was able to visit all the places I had wanted to.

I went my first cruise last year and loved it, I was apprehensive before that it might be like a floating Wetherspoons and whilst there maybe was that element we also didn’t partake in that.

Didn’t swim as weather wasn’t amazing and I don’t drink either. Went to some live music and shows at night but there are other things to do including relaxing with my book.

I liked going to a different place each day and also you get on the ship and that’s your holiday started. So much less hassle than farting around airports or ferry ports.

Was great freedom for the teenagers as they could largely do their own thing and we’d meet up as and when it suited us.

Different people like different things. I suffer from motion sickness and stuff so I wouldn't like it.
But I have quite a few friends/colleagues who go on one then get hooked by various offers/make friends who ask if they are going/

I enjoy visiting different destinations, sitting on my balcony watching the sunrise or sunset, the champagne, the live music, room service breakfast before an interesting day out exploring a new place.
I love the spas and mooching around the ship, grabbing a mocktail or hot drink whenever I fancy one, chatting to new people or having a few quiet hours to myself.
I really enjoy land based holidays too and am fortunate enough to do a few of each every year.
My favourite cruise so far was a river cruise on the Mekong river, it was fabulous. I’ve become good friends with a lady I met on board and we meet up each year somewhere different in the world.
Later this year I have a big trip planned which includes a river cruise in China and an ocean cruise to Japan which I am looking forward to.

It's easy. I only have to book it and turn up. There's no need to spend hours planning itineraries.

I personally would never pick a cruise, but I think some people like the prospect of visiting several different places whilst only having to pack and unpack once. And a cruise may be the best option if you don't like flying.

It's a great way to get a 'taster' of a place and find places you might like to return to. We did a tour to Lucca from Livorno and thought that the Tuscan countryside was so beautiful that we went back for a holiday the following year. Similarly, I visited Malta on a cruise and we decided to have a weekend break to Valletta to explore it further.

@FinallyFeb

I live in Japan, just curious, where does the ship stop?

No having to cook or clean. I like waking up in a different place each day. I like the entertainment too.

I’ve been on multiple cruises.

I don’t go in the pools.
I don’t take part in the entertainment although I have done a couple of shows such as Cirque du Soleil, Tom Jones and James Martin cooking.
I don’t drink much but the bars and drinks available are far superior to those in an All Inclusive Hotel that are watered down.
I like speciality restaurants, the buffet and the main dining room. I go on rotation as I can’t be bothered dressing up for formal nights.
The kids love the clubs and all that’s on offer for them. They know where to find me which will be on a quiet deck reading a book. No noise.

Your opinion of cruises OP is off I’m afraid but you do need to research your cruise line thoroughly.

rubyredknowsitall
I I live in Japan, just curious, where does the ship stop?

Shanghai (Baoshan), ChinaKobe, JapanKyoto (Osaka), JapanTokyo (Yokohama), JapanShanghai (Baoshan)

Three pages in and only one mention of the environment so far. I find that a bit depressing. Cruises have a big environmental impact, both in terms of CO2 emissions (higher emissions profile than flying to one destination and staying there), and other waste that impacts marine life.

I have been on two cruises- one was 25 years ago and one was about 10 years ago. I regret those now that I am better informed and wouldn’t cruise again.

https://time.com/6285915/cruise-industry-climate-action-emissions-passengers/

Osaka is a good place to stop for a cruise. Enjoy!

Thank you so much for your replies guys! Some really insightful replies

rubyredknowsitall

Do you fancy one now?

I like cruises because:

I like reading endless books without taking any with me (excellent library on many ships).

I like chatting to people safely (single parent for most of DS's 18 years.

I have mobility problems and everything on a ship is flat and they are very understanding and used to mobility problems.
I like waking up in a different place every couple of days.
I like piano music in the bar as I read my book watching the sea go by in the crows nest bar
I'm a demon quizzer.
I like watching lots of relatively recent films for free.

I don't do much swimming, I don;t get blind drunk (most people don't!) I don;t even especially over eat, I don;' do the "Shows" or the discos. You can eat ashore if you want to try local cuisine. I do few cruise organised tours and mostly walk ashore or get a local bus around.

Cruising was my idea of hell until a friend, who was very much of the same opinion as me, went on one out of curiosity and loved it. I have now been on two and have had the most fabulous time. I have had to eat my words.

Am off to Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia etc next year and I can't wait!

Cruises come in all shapes and sizes. I've been to Antarctica. That was a cruise, but not remotely related to what you describe. I've also been to Svalbard. That was a "cruise". Again, unrelated to what you describe.

Research cruises if you want to know what options there are - there are many. Off the top of my head people like them because they cover multiple destinations, some people like being at sea, some are like mobile AI resorts, lots of activities and options for young and old so can suit extended family holidays well, entertainment on demand, able to reach places you can't reach by land or air...

This just reads as a barely disguised dig at people who enjoy things you don't...

A cruise doesn't appeal to me at all. But then I like theme parks and lots of people don't so horses for courses, etc...

@JustWhatWeDontNeed Did you love Antarctica? We're going in November. Any tips?

Is it really easy, though? I’ve never been on a cruise, but there always sounds like a lot of queueing to get on/off the ship, and an absolutely strict deadline for returning from time spent off the ship on pain of being left behind, and some posts I’ve seen on here seem to suggest lots of bookings for specific on-ship restaurants etc are necessary, and also pre-booking research about cabin locations, alcohol packages with staff tips etc etc.
There really isn't any queuing on the cruiselines I generally use. We really enjoy the shows so like a reasonable sized ship, but, by booking into different classes of cabins, you can avoid queues or needing to pre-book restaurants. You can choose an itinerary to have many overnight stops if that suits your needs and easily organise trips with independent guides based in the area you are visiting.
@PepsiMaxLime I would recommend Hurtigruten Explorer ships for seeing Norway all the way!

We have been on a number both before kids and with and it works well for us. Different things to see daily, lots of choice in restaurants and entertainment. We’ve been some interesting places we just wouldn’t go another way.
Most of my family are fusspots on food and they are well accommodated without stress which is a big factor for me. There is an environmental impact certainly which I weigh up against other things - like how often we fly, green electricity.

I like things like pony-trekking across Iceland or hiking the Vietnamese countryside with authentic homestays, climbing mountains in Morocco /Japan / South Korea - basically active in the countryside.

I have a reading problem (they diagnosed dyslexia but it's not) so reading a book is actually difficult for me.

So I don't think it's for me, but I totally get that cruises are great for a mixture of relaxing and sightseeing, and way better than a shitty beach holiday