To wonder why everyone raves about cruises?

[malificent7]

It has never appealed until recently. I thought it sounded like you are trapped to an itinery, on a long , boring journey woth only a day in each place and no space from fellow passengers but everyone I know seems to love them...i am seriously tempted.
So what is so good about a cruise and has anyone actually hated them?
Is the food as good as everyone says and is it relaxing? Apparently you don't get sea sick...is this true?

I like Fred Olsen very much. I've done 2x on the (Glorious) Bollette, 1x on the Balmoral, and am booked for another and of May.

Civilised, grown up, no casino, excellent enrichment (lectures to the rest of us), their itineraries suit me and they leave from Soton so no need to fly.

You sound a bit like my lovely brother! He never gets off the ship (except when they kick him off at the end), never eats in the restaurant and prefers the buffet when nobody else is around.

It's perhaps another reason to like cruises - groups can go on holiday and people can do what suits them.

Ooh! We are booked to go on an Eastern Med cruise with Azura in the summer! It will be our second P&O cruise, but I have also done a Nile cruise before too.

Any tips for Azura please? Am worried we wont be able to get sun loungers on the 2 sea days. Can I ask what type of cabin you had?

I love them!

I've been on 3 so far and am actively trying to chose my next one.

I find them incredibly relaxing. All the food and drinks I want, and I just find a comfy seat and spend my time either gazing out to sea or reading. I load up my Kindle before I go and get through loads. My brain just seems to slow right down, in a way it never does in my every day life, and it's an incredibly pleasant sensation.

It's a good way to see different parts of the world quickly. Like a tasting menu, it gives you ideas of places you'd like to go back to.

@Meredusoleil I’ve been on Azura and her sister ship Ventura.

I had a balcony cabin on C deck. I spend a lot of time on my balcony so it’s worth the cost.

The Prom Deck 7 has chairs and can be good for sunbathing or if you want shade or protection from the wind. It can be an alternative to by the pool.

On Port days the pool etc. are very quiet if not empty until 10 or later. It’s a holiday and going ashore is your choice.

Quiet places on any day is the Planet Bar (Deck 18 at the aft of the ship) - it’s not out doors but it is quiet with panoramic views.

The Main dining rooms do breakfast, lunch and dinner - I prefer a sit down than the bun fight in the buffet. As you know there are pay restaurants, the afternoon tea in the Epicurian is well worth it. My favourite is the glass house, again somewhere that can be quieter during sea days. Look out for offers on the pay restaurants and spa on port days.

Happy to answer any questions.

I can’t imagine anything more dismal. Marooned on a giant prison hulk with a bunch of braying Tories, waiting to catch Norovirus from a sweaty prawn ring. No thanks.

Don't you have to fly to them? I can get on mine at Newcastle.

Yes, but that’s not a problem for me. Broadens your choice of itineraries, you can have an extra few days at either end if you wish, and I always found disembarking at Southampton in more often than not dull/overcast conditions quite miserable. The ship’s services end, you have to crowd into the public areas and wait to be called to disembark. Whereas with Azamara you can have your last breakfast on board in the sun - and it’s full breakfast service rather than basic continental - and drinks are available while you wait to disembark. It’s very relaxed.

@KimberleyClark we like travelling half an hour,parking the car then embarking.
I have flown to cruises but not for me.

We are 2.5-3 hours from Southampton, quicker to get to Heathrow.

That's really unpleasant. My partner and I are very far from being Tories. We met perfectly pleasant people on the last on cruise and I met a lovely guy on my Norwegian cruise - he was Scottish, so probably not a Tory.

I didn't see or hear anyone braying either. Didn't see any prawn rings. Wasn't aware of a norovirus outbreak, and I didn't get it. They are pretty hot on hand hygiene.

You're also not "marooned". The ship is actually sailing most of the time, or you can go ashore anyway.

This was since Covid. People’s hygiene is still pretty crap for not handwashing everywhere. Never again will we risk it.

Were there children on your cruise? Norovirus outbreaks are more likely on family friendly cruises than adults only ones I think. Nothing like children for spreading things.

All the cruises I have been on have been family friendly (looking forward to DS turning 18 he has the itinerary he wants planned already) still no big outbreaks of anything thankfully. We only use the restaurants generally and they are pretty strict on sanitising hands as you go in (rightly so!)

illness is a risk anywhere though.

Are the MDRs the Verona and the Venezia? Or are they the buffets? Just trying to locate everything on the deck plans before we go. We booked quite late and have 2 inside cabins, so are high up (Riviera deck) and forward. Fingers crossed none of us get seasick 🤞

Ignore my previous question. Just googled the answer. We are on freedom dining, so will avoid the buffet and go down to the Penisular, Oriental and Meridien restaurants instead.

You’ve summed it up nicely.

They are all lovely. The buffets used to do an afternoon tea type thing which was good if peckish and was always a bit quieter too.

It’s actually fun being on the sea though. There’s definitely something about seeing land from a ship.
I like and have had holidays by ferries, on friends yacht and a couple of cruises. Loved them all.

When I have enough money for my own boat though I won’t bother cruising.

I agree, far more interesting arriving somewhere by sea than dropping into faceless airport and you don’t have to get through passport control and wait for your luggage to appear on the carousel.

This is a view I will never get bored of.

As much as I love getting a glimpse at new places being in the peace of the sea juts can’t be beaten for me.

I find the ocean incredible. I wasn’t sure beforehand but it’s the most calming place

I agree. I have GAD but being at sea just relaxes me in a way I don’t get anywhere else. I never sleep as well as I do when at sea

Those are the buffets. Verona may be quieter as it’s towards the aft.

The MDR are on decks 5 and 6 Meridian and Peninsular - I assume you are freedom dining. Oriental is the fixed dining and you need to go to the aft elevators on deck 7 to access it on deck 6.

We always thought we'd hate cruises like lots of people seem to think. But now that OH has cancer and is on permanent chemotherapy drugs for the rest of his life, it's the only way we can go abroad, as aircraft/airports are too risky for him due to being immunocompromised.

It sounds counter-intuitive to holiday on a ship for a week or two, but they're really hot on cleanliness and hygiene and there are hand gel stations everywhere. We've never caught anything in cruises, not even the shits, and feel pretty safe on them, even the huge/crowded ones as they're so big, you can always find somewhere quiet. We just take precautions such as taking food from the budget from underneath or newly laid out trays only, rather than food that looks to have been sat there a while and coughed/sneezed over. Likewise we take crockery/cutlery from underneath rather than what's on top. Pretty easy to take simple precautions. Far better than being trapped in a metal tube for 3 or 4 hours and stuck in crowded airports, crowded airport shuttle buses, etc. Just so much nicer to be able to park at the port and have a short stroll to the ship.

We're not that bothered about doing much on "shore" days. Happy enough just to walk off the ship and stroll into the town, have a look around for a few hours. Or maybe one or two excursions during the week. When we went on a Baltic cruise, we only did one excursion which was a day's tour around St Petersburgh on a half empty coach!

Yes, breakfast buffets can be busy if everyone is trying to eat at the same time, but you just either go early before the rush or go later after the rush or get a room service breakfast ordered. Same with other meals on board - the buffet restaurants are usually open 24/7 so you can eat when you like and room service is usually also available for main meals. Buffet restaurants are usually very quiet at popular meal times as most people will be booked into the more formal restaurant(s) but even they have reservations so you can book in advance to guarantee a table rather than turning up and waiting in a queue.