To cruise or not to cruise

[Summerslam]

Would you? Assuming you had the money and could afford it, does the idea of floating around the Mediterranean or Caribbean, for a week or two, appeal?

I've heard so many differing opinions. Personally, I think I'd like it. Just me and DH, on an adults only cruise.

What do you you think? Relaxing holiday visiting different places with no effort? Or akin to a sojourn on a prison ship, trapped with passengers you can't escape from?

Not for me. The large ships are just so ugly - like floating multi-story car parks.
All those people - the horror - especially if I'm expected to be sociable.
Evening "entertainment" and organised "fun" - shudder!
Not being able to see places properly - just herded off in a large group & taken round en masse wearing headphones - shoot me now!
Maybe when I get very ancient & decrepit (like about 90) I might change my mind but, for now, you couldn't pay me to go on one.

I love a cruise, and am off on one on Saturday! Amazing nonstop food, unlimited drinks, lots of space and freedom for the DC. I just love being on a boat.
Sailing past an erupting volcano and watching it from our balcony as it was getting dark made my life!
We favour the mahoosive ships with DC, but I do fancy going on a smaller boat Nile cruise sometime.

So you've not been on one, then?

You don't have to be sociable with anyone... saying hello to someone who gets in the same lift is as sociable as I ever get.

It totally depends on you and what you enjoy doing on holiday.
We went on one and I loathed it - however I only really like touring/self-catering holidays where you choose your own amusements entirely and aren't trapped with lots of other people.

I completely agree with @ReviewingTheSituation , I think it depends on what you usually look for in a holiday. PIL love cruises, but I don't like the sort of holiday they usually go for anyway (hotels, mainly relaxing, a few strolls). I can't see that I'd enjoy it - it seems like you'd only see the port city in each place and not much else, no time to visit the surrounding countryside, village markets, monasteries ... No time for any sport except what you can do a ship. No time to find little local restaurants. I guess maybe it's for people who like city breaks or beach holidays. If you do, then a cruise is probably ideal.

My mum convinced I would love a cruise but I don't even like staying in hotels, I'd rather camp or self cater and I like to go for long walks in the countryside and try small local restaurants so I'm sure she is wrong. What I have noticed is that people who like cruises are convinced that if someone doesn't fancy one it's purely because they haven't been on one. My mum is convinced I would be just as happy taking a walk on deck as hiking up.a mountain🤷‍♀️.

Definitely give it a try, OP.
I wasn’t sure when we first started, but now I struggle to do a land based trip.
We have been all over the world and seen places I never dreamt I would see, such as Alaska, Antarctica, The Arctic Circle including the Northern Lights, Russia, seen glaciers and watched whales from my balcony, lain on Caribbean beaches and sailed round Cape Horn.
Have a think about what sort of cruise you think you’d like, what facilities you want on board, budget etc, then go and see a TA who specialises in cruises.
We started on Celebrity, which is still our ‘go to’ line, but there are so many types of cruise line all offering something different, and it’s crucial you try and get it right. I’d hate to be on a party party party ship, while other people love that.
Unpack once and open your curtains to a new place every day.

It's not for me because I like solitude on holiday so being around people isn't for me. I also absolutely hate being on a schedule and would feel really stressed by having a deadline to be back on board the ship.

Not for me. The large ships are just so ugly - like floating multi-story car parks

Smaller ships look like ships.

All those people - the horror - especially if I'm expected to be sociable.

You're not.

Evening "entertainment" and organised "fun" - shudder!

You don't have to do any of that.

Not being able to see places properly - just herded off in a large group & taken round en masse wearing headphones - shoot me now!

Most attractions have audio tours whether or not you're a cruise passenger.

Same. We use the daily itinerary that's put in your cabin each night to decide what we either want to do, or what we want to avoid (belly flop contest?? no thank you very much!).

We do lots of varieties of holidays:

• UK self catering
• US fly drives - some self catering, others in hotels
• European package holidays
• Cruises

We love all of them for different reasons.

• The UK holidays are great, kind of relaxing, but never feel like we've truly been away
• The fly drives tend to be full on and fun, but not relaxing
• European package holidays are relaxing and no cooking required, but tend to get a bit "samey" and boring after a few days, even with lots of trips out
• Cruises is a bit of the best of all of the above. Sailing from Southampton, so for us it's a 90 minute travel day then you're on holiday. A few sea days to truly relax (nothing like an afternoon nap on your balcony), sightseeing round lots of different places. Excellent dining (there are main dining rooms as well as a buffet if you want to avoid people piling their plates up!), excellent shows and entertainment.

They're really good family holidays if you go with the right cruiseline too. We've always sailed Royal Caribbean and love it. Would give P&O a try too though and we're currently researching a trip for next year.

P&O are more purse friendly - no separate tips to pay (though you might want to give extra to specific people), regular UK pub prices for drinks, you can bring your own drink on board if you want. RCI are more expensive as all of the opposite is true for them.

You could try a short UK cruise beforehand, but these do tend to be expensive per night and attract quite a lot of booze cruisers out for a party, so it's not really representative of a "true" cruise holiday.

Back to the "Butlins at sea" comment. Would I go to Butlins on an adult only holiday? Not a chance in hell. Would I go on a cruise? Abso-bloomin-lutely!

You’ll get a lot of people on here who have never been on a cruise telling you how awful cruises are though.
You were right!! 😂😂

My friend is on a cruise at the moment and she's been sending me pictures and videos.
It looks absolutely amazing!

It's made us want to do one for our holiday next year.

You've not been on one have you. The entertainment/activities are there for you to partake should you wish. No one rounds you up, straps you to a seat and leaves you there until said entertainment/activity has finished. Jeez.

There are tours from the ship if you want the security of being taken places. Personally DH and I usually either walk around a local town/attaction, get a coffee/ice cream and people watch, go to a local restaurant for lunch or get a taxi to take us to a beach or whatever.

can't see that I'd enjoy it - it seems like you'd only see the port city in each place and not much else, no time to visit the surrounding countryside, village markets, monasteries

Most cruises have a variety of excursions ranging from sporting/outdoor activity/hiking to city tours to countryside tours

I like the idea but imagine it's like AI even more contained. My parents love it, DH calls it a floating Petri dish of germs. I'm torn!

I have only done Mediterranean ones and they included tips which was great, though we did give extra at the end to people who had been extra nice/helpful to us. We didn't do any days at sea so we spent a fair bit of time in each place, mostly Italy, Spain, the South of France, and some of the Islands, no organised itinerary at all, just wandering around seeing the sights and trying the local food. Bliss.

We went on a Virgin Voyages test cruise (friend is a member of staff) and it was fun. Fully adults only, and high standard of accommodation and service.

Yes definitely. Shell out for a suite and private dining and you're all set. It's very relaxing and because you dont have to plan itineraries and everything is at your doorstep.

We went pre children for 2 weeks P&O in the Caribbean, way too busy for us. Would love to cruise again but would need a more upscale/able to get your own space option. We were lucky to get into the quieter relaxing/swimming area and paid for a La carte meals each night else we’d have left early. Food was fabulous as was service & entertainment.

I don't understand why people think that a cruise ship is any more of a petri dish than any other hotel where there are lots of people. Yes, I've had noro on a ship but I've also had at an hotel.

The standard of cleanliness on ships has always been way, way higher than hotels I've stayed in.

Also, I lived in the Caribbean for a while. When you're docking at a cruise port you're seeing nothing of the real place. Everything around the cruise dock exists to cater for cruise passengers. They're horrid places flogging overpriced tat and food catering for bland palettes, made even worse when hundreds of people descend en masse.

I loved ones to Norway and through Alaska. And to Russia once with all Scandinavian capitals.

Love the variety of new place every day. Would hate a 1week in med one.

Love love cruises - Going on my third one to Hawaii in a few weeks time. Done the med and the Caribbean. Its a great way to see places , without having to lug all your luggage each time, wake up every morning to a different port. I prefer Royal Caribbean and NCL over MSC . Staff are lovely too plus i tip them all. You can either sit and do nothing all day and night or party all day or night. There is enough food to cater to all taste's. I prefer the all inclusive as you have paid for everything up front so i know where i am budget wise. We got to see so many places that we wouldn't have seen other ways . I make sure now that we have a few days at sea or some overnight port stops. Like people said depends on what you want for a holiday but i love them and hope to go on more

But you don't have to stay there. It is so easy to get a local taxi driver to take you on a tour of the island.

Yeah I was horrified by the whole idea - after all aren't cruises for those sorts of people. Not MN people anyway. Then we went on one and I once again raised an eyebrow at my judgemental previous self.

I found it incredibly relaxing, punctuated with strenuous activities like hiking and kayaking. Plus it was low stress as teenagers could eat what they wanted and do what they wanted all day. Marvellous.

I think it's a good way to see lots of different places in one trip but I don't feel it would be for me. I don't like being surrounded by lots of people - we don't holiday in hotels for the same reason. My PIL went on one - supposed to be an upmarket one to the Norwegian fjords - they didn't like sharing a table at dinner and said some people took absolutely loads of food from the breakfast buffet so there wasn't enough for everyone.