I don't want to hear about cruise ship holidays.

[CruisingBob]

My parents worked very hard, retired and like to go away on cruise ships.

For the last 15 years they have probably gone every nine months for at least a fortnight, often six weeks even did the epic round the world.

Some have been a bit miserable with norovirus and other flu type bugs. The round the world one lost it's novelty. On the whole they have really enjoyed them, the social side, the whistle stop tours, the food.

We are happy for them, their money, they worked hard, their choices.

But AIBU I don't want to hear any more about them, it's just making me angry.
I have two teens sharing a bedroom, we are working hard, our modest holiday plans were torn apart last year. I just want my kids back in school and free to see their friends.

Everytime I speak to my parents, cruises get mentioned. They've missed two during covid. First it was "wasn't it awful Australia refusing entry to the cruise ship" then worried about deposits, terms and conditions and refunds, then new dates being released, it just goes on and on.

I've said " look for a new type of holiday, you've had a good run, something different"

Their vaccination has just given them fresh fuel along with the relentless marketing from the cruise companies.

AIBU to just not want to hear anymore about bloody cruises?

My mother is like this, not about cruises - she would agree with you on 'floating Butlins' - but wherever they go holiday I have to hear about the prospective options, the decision, the itinerary, the route, the price of the air fares, the route to the airport etc.

@User133847

Depriving Boomers of their annual holidays is like depriving a child of its rattle.

I'm a boomer, last holiday was ten years ago. Occasionally I get a weekend away. I'm my husbands carer so holidays are a distant memory.

Couples often didn't both need to work full time. So it's usually bollocks if that comes out of someone's mouth.

You appear to suggest that being a SAHM isn't working hard?

My mum had 3 kids, all close in age, was a SAHM whilst my dad was in the army and then went overseas to work when he left because there was no work. They had bugger all money, she worked really hard to make sure we were all ok. Worked just as hard as he did.

@TatianaBis On day you will look back and be glad you had the opportunity to listen to all of that and wish you still did.

They're fixating on something they look forward to. I agree it can be tiring talking to relatives who go on about things you find boring. However, cruises are much more interesting than what a lot of people go on about. I'm always hearing uninteresting stories about people I don't know from parents and in-laws.

You sound really bitter. They worked hard and are enjoying their retirement. Why shouldn’t they?

Focus on your own life and making it better.

@CruisingBob

We're not a money handout type of family. They did the work, they're choices.

We've had a year of weekly phonecalls all mentioning cruises, none of it positive. They could have booked country house weekends, city hotels with theatre. Food, spas, country walks, used taxis, met cruise ship friends on dry land.

Am I really being miserable about not wanting to hear about Cunard's latest booking conditions.
My parents are not even interested on the rare occasion we have been somewhere before or after them. It's less about the place or the people more about ticking it off.

I can't believe in a worldwide pandemic that they can still be fixated on travelling on a floating Butlins.

YABVU. Why should they have the kind of holiday you want? Plenty of ships are far from a Butlins . How snobby. And to begrudge them a holiday because you're not as well off.

Bluntness is spot on.

I personally can't wait to get back on the water - it's a personal preference. Tbh hearing about other people's holidays is a bit of a bore anyway. I get your frustration but unless you tell them how can they know?

You often hear 'well our first house was also...' - forgetting that they were 23 and it was under 2 x 1 salary, their child is 40 and the house is 5 x 2 salaries. It is a diversion tactic, because the disparity is obvious.
Don't forget 16% interest and income tax at over 30%.

You’re being a little unreasonable, as it’s clearly something they want to talk about and you can’t really judge them for their holiday choice.

But I did work with a cruise bore once and fuck me they are boring to hear about. She also went on about a dozen of the fucking things a year. I dunno how she afforded it or got enough time off. She had a teenage daughter and was obsessed with those Disney cruises. When she wasn’t talking about cruises, she was on Facebook groups where she knew other passengers and they would constantly chat about them. They’d arrange meets and activities and buy each other gifts. Maybe it was a secret cult?

We love cruising but it’s definitely boring to share the details with other people, especially non cruisers.

But I suspect your parents have very little else to talk about right now. Everything is boring!

I can understand why you're feeling worked up about it but what's the harm in them talking about holidays they have enjoyed in the past & have been scuppered by Covid- like many others!

I think YABU

Presumably they worked hard prior to retirement, they are enjoying spending their pension/savings

We're all stuck at home with no prospect of holidays for months, some reminiscing is ok in my book!

[quote CruisingBob]@JesusInTheCabbageVan that little film is wonderful, I felt quite tearful. The dad is so happy, all the time, just sat there, looking out, even the hail doesn't faze him.

I think my parents are probably not very nice people at heart. They would have blamed me for lending them complicated electronics, moaned about the perfectly lovely people in the background playing cards. Talked about the grey skies and featureless landscape. Worked out how they would have designed the stations so that there was better views for their convenience.

My greatest act of teen/ mid life rebellion is to not be like them, DH & my DDs are a funny, calm bunch.[/quote]
It's so nice, funny and calm to start a bitter, spiteful thread about how awful your parents are and how much better you are.

[quote normalnormas]@TatianaBis On day you will look back and be glad you had the opportunity to listen to all of that and wish you still did.[/quote]
I will look back and wish they were still around to talk to, I won't miss hearing about the traffic in Florence.

I think I should be a travel agent (or hairdresser), I love to hear about people’s holidays.

I think people are being harsh to the OP, I can sympathise. I do the regulatory call to my aunt who just moans about how hard the last yr has been. It has but it grates when we're juggling homeschooling & work & she is still getting her hair done & went on holiday last yr for 6 wks despite being on the shielding list. However she also moans about "those people on the boats who get free houses" spreading the virus so I think IAMB!

Yanbu. While of course they've worked for their money and can spend it as they wish, It is a bit crass and insensitive to keep going on about nice holidays to people who you know can't have the same.

Well, well, @CruisingBob

Just out of interest, why did you change your name for this goady, ageist fat-shaming pile of nonsense?

Yanbu, I do believe some older generations lose touch and forget about money problems younger generations face. My mil seems to think we can save more to add to our house deposit bearing in mind we rent, got made redundant/on the sick and yed who cares about terms and conditions of their cruise and them gping on about it. I don't think you sound jealous of their money at all, yes they have a right to be upset about their cruises but you have a right to not hear about it when you could have more important things going on

I agree with a few posters that it's baffling that someone with loads of extra money would see their adult children suffering financially whilst they go off on cruises...

I don't get it & the fact that the OP should be overjoyed & sensitive to their needs 🤔

As another poster said if someone started a thread moaning about lack of holidays half of the posters would be tearing them to shreds.

Those of you who have apparently tone-deaf, insensitive parents - do you ever say anything to them? Or do you just fume in a passive-aggressive way and then come onto Mumsnet to bitch about them?

I agree with @theleafandnotthetree. My parents worked, but I wouldn’t say that their jobs were particularly difficult or taxing. They certainly didn’t work any harder than Dh and I work, yet they retired on extremely good pensions and have a far better quality of life than I can expect at their age.
I think listening to anyone’s holiday plans are boring tbh. They are exciting to the one planning them, but to everyone else they are really dull. Same when people come back and want to share everything that they have done and show you all the photos, does anyone really want to look at other peoples holiday photos?

I’m a bit fed up of hearing how hard lockdown has been for the older generation, my parents are very vocal about this. It’s hard for everyone! We all need something to look forward too. It’s really stressful Dealing with homeschooling and working at the same time and I’m going to say it’s far harder than If the only thing you’ve got to worry about is to plan your next cruise and wondering when you might be able to get away!

OP - you have my sympathies and speaking as a boomer here!!!! The selfishness of some of my age group is incredible. Yes, of course we've all worked hard, etc. etc. but we have had the most beneficial economic climate ever in terms of employment, pensions, housing wealth etc. I can't understand why boomers wouldn't want to help out their children when things are tough. We don't go in for cruises or expensive holidays - our choice, we prefer Uk and Europe. We gave our children their house deposit, paid for their wedding in full and often help out with bits of cash for things like broken household appliances, or when things are obviously tight. They work hard but don't have massive disposable income. Contrast this with the in-laws who have a house worth double ours but no help is ever forthcoming. We also do childcare a few times a week - our total joy and pleasure - so that saves nursery fees. In pre-Covid times we also volunteered too. Bearing in mind the economy has pretty much shut down to protect our age group and beyond, the least we can do is offer support where we can.

I’d rather eat my own liver than go on a cruise but I’ve had to listen to some of my friends evangelising about them for years. You learn to switch off in the end.