Do you get jealous of people who go on cruises

[Sportslady44]

Feeling very envious today. Friend is about to set off on a cruise for 14nights.

Cant stop thinking about it and them.

Can you put me off please?

Tell me some downsides of cruises.

I went on a cruise about 20 years ago. We visited Bermuda which was beautiful and the ship was docked there for a couple of days.

I did struggle with the cruise bit though - I had travel sickness. My room was tiny with no windows. There was far too much food everywhere (and I love food). It was excess on overdrive. Early breakfast, late breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon cake/snacks, dinner, desserts until midnight and then midnight feast. There was too much gluttony everywhere.

I did start to feel confined after a 2-3 days. I started walking around the boat as I felt I barely moving. I was like a hamster in cage that had to go on a hamster wheel to get its exercise.

I wouldn't go on another one.

A cruise has never appealed to me for all the reasons stated here.
I love travelling abroad, but has to be overland for me!

@DetMcNulty 😢 that’s so sad

Contemplating a four nighter this summer...

I’ve cruised on a variety of ships. I wouldn’t ever go back on a standard cruise ship. It suited when DDs were younger.,

There are strict timetables regarding shore time. We do things separately from excursions organised by the shop due to excessive price. However what you can do is limited. You simply don’t stay long enough.

I have only ever had ok food. The separate restaurants are a rip off and don’t serve anything better. If anyone says the food is great they don’t go to Michelin starred restaurants! We do and I can tell you that frozen food isn’t so great!

We have had decent cabins. However I always feel trapped. There isn’t an opportunity to explore very much and the demographic on board doesn’t seem to want anything more interesting than a quiz.

What we have done, and I can highly recommend, is an Arctic cruise on an expedition shop. Truly amazing. We should be off to the Antarctic this winter. Ships like this take 100 people. We have cruised around the Galápagos Islands on a 16 guest yacht and a 12 berth yacht in the Great Bear Rainforest in Canada. We are going with the same company to Alaska. Can’t wait.

So if you can afford it, spread your wings. Get off the big ships and go small. It’s a lot more fun and you really see something fantastic. In Canada we saw 4 other boats in a week. We have also sailed in the BVIs on a yacht with the DDs and this is wonderful! So lots of options away from big ships!!

Get off the big ships and go small.

I would never turn down a holiday on a superyacht!

@DetMcNulty

Still a no from me, I live by the ocean and am in it pretty much every day, we get dolphins swimming with us paddle boarding, and I think if you saw that and genuinely love the sea and the creatures in it, cruising could never be for you.

The first image is a tanker not a cruise ship. Re the second one it’s a Princess cruise ship in Alaska and the company admitted it was not travelling at a safe speed around whales. There have been three similar incidents involving Princess ships and you’ve certainly convinced me never to sail with them.

The cruise line I sailed with a couple of years ago and will sail again with this year, Azamara, has a partnership with WWF.

www.azamara.co.uk/loyalty/news/azamara-club-cruises-unveils-world-wildlife-fund-guest-speaker-series

I have only ever had ok food. The separate restaurants are a rip off and don’t serve anything better. If anyone says the food is great they don’t go to Michelin starred restaurants! We do and I can tell you that frozen food isn’t so great!
I don’t know how long ago you cruised or who with. However, I have eaten at Michelin starred restaurants. I’ve also eaten at restaurants that serve better food than Michelin starred restaurants (the stars don’t always mean amazing food imo). I never claimed Michelin quality on cruise ships. I simply said you can find good food on mid range and upwards cruise lines. However, to say the food is frozen is a misrepresentation as that hasn’t been the case in my experience. As always, food is subjective. You think a Michelin star means the highest quality amazing food, I disagree. There’s many restaurants deserving of Michelin stars that don’t get awarded them due to where they are (in the UK usually not being in London is enough).

@CounsellorTroi
We had a wonderful experience with viewing whales in Alaska. But not with a cruise trip. The cruise ship viewing use sonar and chase after the whales. It’s not permitted but we saw them do it. It’s awful. That’s why any smaller boat is better where you get to do excursions by zodiac in small groups. The whales do swim along side the cruise ships but they are not the only people at fault. Lots of excursion operators are awful. The passengers have little time in these boats so sonar finds the whales quickly. Few people care though.

The list of cruise lines & their attributes omitted Marella.
A few years ago, we made a last minute booking.
Too late, we realised it was the marine branch of Tui.........

Thankfully, it was only 7 days.

A long list of things wrong, but we did get c.20% refund

They do what you ask? So they'll take me to a secluded cove to sunbathe and swim without other tourists there each day? And keep everyone else on board then let me go back to my cabin at midnight each night having had a nice meal out in a local restaurant?
Considering the topic was around food, I'm not clear why you extrapolated my response to trips out!

I have found the best cruise line to mix good food, entertainment with kids activities to be Royal Carribbean.

Celebrity seem to have a decent reputation. A friend of mine went on a Fred Olsen cruise and they had one of those cringy patriotic evenings.

Food on cruise ships is often reheated from frozen. How else will they keep everything fresh? Michelin starred restaurants are a mark of quality and they are all over the Uk! One of the finest is in Cumbria. We do have to accept cruise line food is mediocre at best. Pretending it’s great isn’t on. It just feeds the 1000s (all day long).

My friends husband wanted to go on a cruise for his 40th - she wasn't keen at all but went. It's never been my idea of a great holiday either. She bloody loved it and now they go every year! I'd like to try it but sadly I can't afford to.

I've been on a short one. Over crowded public spaces. Sanitising everywhere due to bugs and infections being easily spread. Weird things included and not included so they.end up being really expensive when you're there. Tiny rooms.

I am going on a cruise shortly.

Our cabin is 24 m2 - significantly bigger than my bedroom at home.

@Pilgit

I've been on a short one. Over crowded public spaces. Sanitising everywhere due to bugs and infections being easily spread. Weird things included and not included so they.end up being really expensive when you're there. Tiny rooms.

If a particular space is over-crowded, surely you gravitate to other spaces that aren't?

And surely we are used to sanitising.

I've never encountered overcrowding, nor have I been bothered by sanitising (pre Covid).

TizerorFizz good to hear you liked the BVIs, I’m visiting them week.

@TizerorFizz

Food on cruise ships is often reheated from frozen. How else will they keep everything fresh? Michelin starred restaurants are a mark of quality and they are all over the Uk! One of the finest is in Cumbria. We do have to accept cruise line food is mediocre at best. Pretending it’s great isn’t on. It just feeds the 1000s (all day long).

They take on supplies in their ports. A Med cruise will call into ports 6 days out of 7.

But all mass catering can tend to be mediocre - think weddings and big Christmas parties. Not sure why you should expect anything else.

@CounsellorTroi

Celebrity seem to have a decent reputation. A friend of mine went on a Fred Olsen cruise and they had one of those cringy patriotic evenings.

I'd love a cringy patriotic evening!

One of my priests is a keen cruiser and I suggested Fred Olsen to him, after the lovely one on their documentary. He could get his passage paid in return for weddings/blessings/funerals, as well as general crew duties.

@Lacdepassy

I went on a cruise about 20 years ago. We visited Bermuda which was beautiful and the ship was docked there for a couple of days.

I did struggle with the cruise bit though - I had travel sickness. My room was tiny with no windows. There was far too much food everywhere (and I love food). It was excess on overdrive. Early breakfast, late breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon cake/snacks, dinner, desserts until midnight and then midnight feast. There was too much gluttony everywhere.

I did start to feel confined after a 2-3 days. I started walking around the boat as I felt I barely moving. I was like a hamster in cage that had to go on a hamster wheel to get its exercise.

I wouldn't go on another one.

I am not sure what American cruises are like nowadays, but we did a NCL cruise in 1990.

One of the big features was the midnight buffet. It was quite spectacular with ice carvings, etc. But definitely not something that interested me at all, having already had my dinner!

We also had 3 days at sea in a 7 day trip - planned sea day plus unfavourable weather to land at private island and one other place.

We had plenty of time to do loads in Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Mexico.

I wouldn't want to do a cruise with predominantly American guests (and we are American). The British Med cruises tick all the boxes.

What happens on a ‘cringy patriotic evening’??? Guests of different nationalities wrapped in their flags?

I cruise sometimes and with Royal Caribbean the food is always first class, you don’t feel crowded and the lines have taken more safety measures to prevent virus spread than most hotels and airlines.
I certainly plan to go again on occasion so I’m jealous of your friends too

@Georgyporky

The list of cruise lines & their attributes omitted Marella. A few years ago, we made a last minute booking. Too late, we realised it was the marine branch of Tui.........

Thankfully, it was only 7 days.

A long list of things wrong, but we did get c.20% refund

What went wrong? I've used them when it was Thompsons and yes it's basic but fine for me and adult dd to have a mum/daughter break. I'm intrigued as was thinking of booking for September.

@BloodyForeland

What happens on a ‘cringy patriotic evening’??? Guests of different nationalities wrapped in their flags?

Something like Last Night of the Proms at sea. I saw it on the official cruise video my friend showed me.