To ask if you’ve been on a cruise and hated it- why?

[BoomTish]

It feels like everyone I know who has cruised has loved it and they’re always telling me how great it is.

I’ve always thought it’s not for me. DH and I are mid 30s/early 40s, no kids, decent holiday budget and annual leave allowances. However, I hate flying. We’ve travelled a lot but haven’t done as much over the past few years and have stuck closer to home or opted for destinations that are short flights or accessible by ferry.

A local travel agency is advertising a cruise to somewhere that interests me so I’ve been thinking about it but I just don’t know if we’re cruise people. I don’t like regiment and prefer a holiday where we can set our own itinerary. Also, I’m quite shy so would hate to have to sit with strangers for meals.

On the flip side, I’m wondering if I’m ruling out a way of holidaying that would be perfect for us, but letting my own preconceptions get in the way. I’ve had so many people tell me they love it, but they tend to be people who like resort/all inclusive holidays anyway, whereas I like having more variety.

So, if you’ve been cruising and didn’t love it, why?

Although we like cruises. The hard sell in the beauty salon is a real put off.
Even when I was having my hair put up for a formal night, the stylist wanted me to try done eye cream and then was a bit pissed off because I refused to buy it.

We tried a weeks fjord cruise then went on a two week med cruise.

We shared tables almost half the evenings by choice and it was very enjoyable. We did dancing lessons and joined the ships choir. The food was very good and we ate lunch in the buffet restaurant. I’m very much a jeans and t.shirt kind of a person for everyday wear but do actually like dressing formally so enjoyed the black tie nights.

DH booked on one excursion only in all the three weeks of cruising. On shore is a bit of a rush but we planned ahead and it was fine. We stayed in a hotel close to port the night before so no rush to get to the boat.

We recently went on an Alaskan cruise. As I said uprhread I can’t bear cruising but to see some places such as this there is no other option.

It wasn't regimented at all except for when you reach certain places and when to be back on the boat - everything else is normal and you do what you want. I've never had to sit with strangers at my meals, what an odd thought.

Also, you can just order room service if you don't like formal nights - depends how big and what kind of cruise it is though, the Caribbean one I went to had 4 restaurants and only two had formal nights.

Drinks packages are good for people like my family who enjoy expensive cocktails and spirits rather than beer or wine, so it's nice not to care what drinks cost.

cruise passengers are valued by most locals for their contribution to their economy. Particularly in smaller locations/islands.

Not entirely true, if anything this can be the opposite. When tourists do the all inclusive packages on cruises (which most do) they economy actually suffers because nobody is eating in the cafes/restaurants or drinking in the bars as they go back to the ship for that. Research whats happened in Venice

I hate the idea of cruising and would never be caught dead on one. My in-laws love it and i have to stop myself from rolling my eyes at when they go on and on about them... (sorry im VERY anti cruise and will go into a full on rant about them but most points have already been mentioned on here).

Boomtish I hate all inclusive, I hate tacky resorts, i love exploring old towns/architecture/local cuisine etc. I love cruises. There is nothing better in my mind than waking up in a new place everyday, without having to repack my bag and move hotels. We never do any of the excursions, it's easy with some online research to arrange your own day out using public transport and local guides if you want one. Honestly, go on cruise critic, have a think about where you want to visit, and check there for advice on which cruise ships will suit you (and avoid travelling in the school holidays!)

P.S you won't get the egg and chip all inclusive brigade on a celebrity cruise to Iceland or Norway!

I went on one short taster cruise with MSC. Just not my cup of tea. Very clean, attractive, friendly staff, and reasonable age range of passengers. But I just find it boring. Because I was bored, I spent money on things like getting my hair done, so it ended up being more expensive than I planned. What I REALLY didn’t like was the regimentation. Getting on & off ship was like the worst airport/passport queue imaginable. I just really like going to a single country/region, hanging out & getting to know the local culture. Not what a cruise delivers.

My wife and I are very private people, so being forced to share a table with other couples for the evening meal forever ruined the experience.

We went on a small ship cruise and hated it. It was far too old and we got bored.

But then we went on a large MSC cruise with my parents over Christmas (DPs are big cruisers) and it was excellent. We took our one year old dd, and she loved it.

It really depends on the size of ship, the destinations and the outgoing port as to the experience you will have. As a rule, going from a British port runs the risk of a Butlins experience.

DH hated it. I didn’t mind it but can see the drawbacks. We went with RC.

Time in port is very restrictive and didn’t suit us at all. We also crossed the Atlantic so went 5 days without a stop off and that was too much. Entertainment was mostly dreadful (though the ice show was cool). The abundance of food could be very off putting. There were plenty of people on ship who were essentially eating all day.

It’s not for everyone. However it’s definuteky worth it to have a good sized room and a balcony as you need some space to yourself.

I might do it in a few years, I’m 50, if I could afford a lovely ship, a balcony and there would be lots of coastline to look at....

I went in a cruise which was tragic in every way. I prayed for a Somali pirate attack ( it was in the Indian Ocean). Seventies food (coloured aspic), miserable slaves for staff, horrific creosoted entertainer in his tiny lime green speedos which I cannot forget.

Never again.

Penners... As many PP's have said... sharing tables is optional - we NEVER shared a table with strangers/never watched any shows/never dressed 'formally' (not my thing) And we don't drink so enjoyed more coffees and reading and wandering... We had a beautiful cabin/lovely bathroom/a balcony with reclinable chairs and the whole cruise was peaceful/totally chilled with superb food either in a small restaurant or in our cabin... twas bliss

yearinyearout your post just summed up everything that me and DH love about cruising. We travel with P & O who still have formal nights which suits us because we like dressing up but appreciate that some people loathe that with a passion.

Cabinwise, we had anything from an inside cabin to a balcony. We've now decided that if we are doing a week or longer then a balcony cabin is a must for us. Even if it's not huge, it's just nice to have your own space to sit out and chill. Sometimes after dinner, if we don't fancy the entertainment or whatever, we head back to our cabin, put loungers or PJs on and sit on the balcony with a cuppa or a glass of wine and just chat.

there would be lots of coastline to look at ...

Not on a sea cruise there wouldn't; the ships sail much further out than that, and the most you generally see of land is a smudge on the horizon

Seventies food (coloured aspic), miserable slaves for staff, horrific creosoted entertainer in his tiny lime green speedos which I cannot forget

Sorry, but I've simply got to ask - which ship was that and how long ago??

I was adamant that I never wanted to go on a cruise. Then we booked, late availability, good price, a Tui cruise around the Caribbean. Let's just say it was indeed like Butlins on sea, many of the passengers seemed to have missed their plane to Benidorm.

We had already booked a cruise around the Baltic, because it is a very convenient, visa-free way of visiting St Petersburg, and I was alarmed in case that set up was similar. However, it would be with Fred Olsen, as recommended upthread by singlenotsingle and others. Our fellow passengers were more "mature" and interested in cultural aspects rather than wall to wall boozing. Very good food, lovely crew.

That was October 2017 and since then we have enjoyed a New Year cruise on the Amazon, one to Madeira and Portugal, a short trip up the Loire to Rouen and Honfleur, and an excellent river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam with Emerald. Not cheap but very good as all excursions were included as were tips (F Olsen 'suggests' £8 per person per night - this mounts up! )

We are looking forward to a trip to Norway in May (OP, you are looking at Norway then, you could come with us!), a trip further north in February 2020, and a cruise on a small boat around the Dalmatian coast in September.

So yes, we now like cruising. It is so relaxing to arrive at Southampton and after minimal formalities get to your cabin and find your luggage has been delivered. But do your homework, choose your ship wisely.

Give it a try, OP!

We're doing our second cruise this year. To be 100% honest, I'm not sure I'd do a cruise like this without kids - non kid holidays were very much about adventure and wildlife and birdwatching. But they are very very chilled and very easy. We're doing a med one, leaving from Marseille and we're getting Eurostar there.

Decided to go and try one as a bid to join in with family members. As I predicted , I did not like it. The best thing was getting off at places I always wanted to see. But I had researched my trips well.
Had an inside cabin. Big mistake. Small and dark. And no relief on deck.Pool was TINY and the thought of sharing it with so many gave me the creeps.The entertainment was OK , a bit hokey for my liking . Drink would have helped but we are not big drinkers.
However ,, my DSIS and BIL loved it. Big social drinkers with unlimited access .Heaven for them - no money policy so BIL was so pleased to get anything he wanted at any time., food or drink wise.
Lot of Americans on-board , Philipino staff - I personally did not like the attitude and rudeness I felt .
So, mixed reviews, I guess .Don't understand why some people rave about it. But glad I tried.

There is nothing better in my mind than waking up in a new place everyday, without having to repack my bag and move hotels.

This. Plus arriving and leaving places by sea is more interesting than dropping into a faceless airport. Sailing out of New York is not something I will forget, nor eating breakfast with the whole of Cannes spread out before us.

Went on a cruise from Southampton (royal Caribbean) as dh hates flying before kids.
It was out of school holidays. And honestly it felt like a floating old people's home. We were in our late twenties and there just weren't enough of people our own age to make it enjoyable for us. You do want to be surrounded by your peers on holiday.
Food reflected the age, stuffy and old fashioned. No food reflecting the regions we were visiting. Activities were aimed at an older market.
I would consider going again now I have children in the school holidays as their would be more families. I would also consider flying to the start destination as you get a younger cohort that way. Would consider soon when I am actually old as won't care.
I did feel a bit trapped on board as well.

TrickyD Looks like you have become a cruise veteran in a very short time! DH would love to avoid flying but we live a very long way from Southampton. I've been looking at UK coastal cruises from Newcastle which visit Shetland, Ireland and the Scillies.

I’ve been all over the world as a solo traveler and I never use a travel agent to plan my trips. But that said I do love a cruise and YearInYear out has summed it up perfectly for me.

I’ve never been bored on a ship and I’ve never used the spa or the hairdressers. On sea days, and there’s very few of them, I just potter around and have a nice day. There’s always something going on.

I mostly cruise with my Swiss friend and her son. I met them on a snorkeling trip in Mexico when we were of another cruise. We tried to climb over each other in our hurry to get back to the snorkel boat when we looked down and saw a shark. Most times we eat together but there is the odd meal when we don’t. We like to meet others and later this year we’re meeting up with an American couple on another cruise after meeting them recently on the Mergavilia.

The MSC yacht club is our preferred way of traveling for personal reasons but if it was full we’d just book a cabin in the main part of the ship.

I love cruising but I’m equally as happy at 61 going to Italy for 3 weeks on my own and going by train every few days to somewhere new.

Hated the regimental attitude

Hated seeing other cruisers piling up their plates when there are so many meal times

Not enough time to see a country you visit on the ship

Being stuck on a huge ship and not being able to get away from people

We went on a TUI cruise recently. Absolutely my idea of hell, hate all inclusive, all you can eat & drink type holidays. Was absolutely dreading it. Turned out to be the best holiday I've ever had. Had an inside cabin which was fine as there was so much to do we only slept & showered in room. The food was amazing. There were 6 restaurants to choose from. Best food I've ever had. Entertainment was like going to Broadway every night. The kids club was a total hit & gave us a few hrs to relax if we didn't fancy getting off the ship that day. I just wore smart outfits in the evening. Jumpsuits, maxi dresses etc but you could be as casual as you like. Didn't see one ball gown or tux. Admittedly we didn't go to the formal night, we just did our own thing. Never shared a table with strangers & people generally kept themselves to themselves. It was amazing waking up in a new city every morning.

The only negatives I would say is the pool area on sea days is choc a block. The bar is 3 or 4 deep. Just go to a higher deck & its bliss. You should definitely give it a try.
I get travel sickness in cars & trains. I took kwells with me but never had to take one, even on the one really choppy night. The ship was so big I was still getting lost on my last day so plenty of room to escape away from people for peace.