Massive Cruise ship holidays

[Roiesin57]

Do you enjoy them, or do you refuse to take one due to their impact on the environment?
We have taken one a few years ago and we had a lovely time. Everything about it was gorgeous and I fancy another one; but when I look at photos of them they look quite grotesque when they're docked in these relatively little seaside ports abroad.
Have you given up on foreign holidays because of the impact on the environment? And they're so damn expensive too

Revolting floating petri dishes .. never not been ill on a cruise. Crap mass produced food, music belting out from speakers when you just want peace. Usually hardly any time in port to see anything and long queues for lifts, beyond awful 'entertainment'.

More like a punishment than a holiday for me.

And yet your post suggests you’ve been more than once?

I have been on 9 cruises and not been ill once. Also no loud music

Why do you keep going on them then? Assuming as you say "never not been ill on a cruise" you have gone on more than 1, why do you keep going?

And those of us who like cruises have been accused of being defensive, but we are only putting right those posters who have never been and have no idea.

I've been on 2 and loved it both times.

It's a very easy, safe way to get a taster of different countries.

Are you sure that wasn’t a cross channel ferry?? I don’t recognise this it all!

When on holiday in places visited by the large cruise liners it’s always noticeably less nice on the days the tours are on. It seems to me that if you visit places via a cruise, you’ll always be seeing the place at its worst.

I dont like them, We stayed in Kotor Bay and the Cruise ships spoiled it, the announcements from 7 in the morning echoed round the bay, crowds of people not spending money in the town, put me off for life. I also suffer from motion sickness so also puts me off.

My friend is loaded and usually goes on very expensive cruises but and loved it, but they went on a cheaper one did have problems where ship was turned back because half the ship came down with covid

It's a chance to get to see alot of different places and some people like to be at sea. Not my thing or yours judging by your reaction.

I wouldn't be quite so scathing though.
I don't see what's wrong gwith enjoying entertainment either.

I don't want to cruise, particularly not on a huge ship, as I see them as floating petrie dishes.

Outbreaks of noro are unfortunately very common, and any other infectious disease that anyone brings on board will get widely passed around passengers and crew.

Ohhhhhbiscuits I have been on 4 as my dh les them, one of which we took my elderly parents as they wanted to go. I will obviously not be going on more, so no I don't "keep going".. I'd rather be at home.

Dh likes them

The cruise line we go with is extremely strict about people sanitising hands before entering dining/food serving areas, and not letting people help themselves at the buffet.

The only one I found not too bad was Silversea where the average age was 80.. my parents loved it.

I reckon you were in Perast rufilla. We stayed there too!

But that's not the sort of cruise the OP is talking about is it? The thread is titled "Massive cruise ship holidays". She's clearly referring to a very specific type of ship that is far removed from one that carries 500 people.

Many people think all cruises are the same though.

Outbreaks of Noro are not common .. there are handwashing & antibac handheld facilities at entrance to all the restaurants - his many regular hotels and restaurants have that ?

I would say outbreaks of noro are more common on cruises where they allow children. Adult only is safer in that regard.

Correct, Sausagenbacon! Absolutely loved it.

Virtue✅signalled✅

A campsite is my idea of hell!

I just don't understand why anybody would want to share a dirty toilet and showers with strangers.

The whole experience of camping
is dull , boring and dirty. That's why I've never been to a campsite.

And as for the kind of people who go camping...

I’ve camped once and hated it. Those shower/toilet blocks are disgusting.

And as for the kind of people who go camping

@Deepmore what do you mean by that?

Not read full thread. Went on Costa Concordia round the Mediterranean, about 4 years before it sank. Didn’t enjoy it (for a lot of reasons) and will never do a cruise again! We had an 18month old very inquisitive and active dc, there were open railings (with large gaps in) on the main deck - very stressful as he kept on running off toward the railings (he could easily have climbed through had we not caught him each time). Dc were only allowed in the kids pool, which was at the top of the ship, massively exposed to the wind and icy cold - no one went in it (this was April). It felt a lot like a floating shopping mall - I really didn’t like all the people, all the lights, the noise. Docking at different ports, these were regularly quite a long way out of the nice / historic parts.. it docked in Alexandria, the majority of people didn’t get off, we did, and had to face a huge amount of unwanted pressure from locals (multiple donkey carriages were walking along with us, constantly badgering us to have a ride - it was very stressful, and we gave in and had a donkey carriage ride just because we felt guilty). A lot of people went on coach trips organised by the cruise when we docked in places - we did this once or twice, but it was very expensive and there was hardly any time at the destination once you had arrived there by coach before you have to head back.
I found it really upsetting about the staff / their working conditions.. a female staff member took a lot of interest in my dc, and told us that she had a 9 month old that she really missed, and had left him with family when he was less than a month old to work on the ship (apparently they had 8-month stretches on the ship, and from what she said it sounded like she had not seen him since then). I was pregnant and very hormonal, and this really upset me.
i know everyone is different - and I should have realised beforehand that cruises just aren’t the right holiday for us (we like getting away from the beaten track, quite isolated / countryside, and would not do a package holiday either), but friends had gone before and really loved it, so we decided to give it a go. Some people really really love it - maybe that will be you!