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?

And on the other hand they can be right in the harbour. Sailing out of Kotor or Trieste at night time is unforgettable. Sailing into the Venetian lagoon or watching the sunrise over Santorini - likewise. We all love it - my sons hit the gym on sailing days and I go to the talks. Swimming in the afternoon. We’ve done wonderful trips - cray fishing in Norway etc

We’ve never shared a table with others - although my DF and DSM cruise a lot and have made some great friends this way.

Being out at sea reduces hayfever and avoids the very high temperatures of the Med.

Basically we love them- just as we love driving holidays. Our idea of hell is a fortnight in an all inclusive resort.

Tried my first cruise this year and I can safely say I'll never do another one. I've tried all different kinds of holiday over the years and the cruise is the only one I categorically hated. We've heard so many people rave about them so we were really hopeful but hey ho... I guess it's a marmite thing - you either love it or hate it.
In answer to one of OPs questions - "Apparently you don't get sea sick...is this true?". I've been on many different boats and never been seasick until I went on this cruise so sadly it is not true. Medication did help however.

We went on our first earlier this year. Two weeks around the med, with p&o on their new arvia ship, convinced by my mum and husband who rave about them. (Both very young at heart and both under 60).

Me and my DH hated it !!
You are stuck to a itinerary, the days you get at a port are very restrictive, usually having to book a excursion to ensure you arrive back on time (or get left behind), most places we had at most 5 hours to explore, sometimes we were spending the same amount of time travelling to and from places of interest as we got there to explore.
Many ports were disappointing with not a lot to offer.
Entertainment was dismal.
Many evening entertainment shows you had to book onto in advance and were very often full.
Food sub par unless in paid for restaurants and even then it was just ok. (Bar one steakhouse which was incrediable, the highlight of the trip)
Staff seemed miserable.
Everything is an additional cost. Activities onboard, drinks (unless you pay for a drinks package), internet, shuttle buses, even bingo - we paid £30 for bingo!
You had to be up at the crack of dawn on sea days to get a sun lounger. Despite them saying you couldn't save beds, everyone did!
Pools are tiny and kids constantly in them; I got hit in the face twice by kids jumping into the pool.

For me, a two week all inclusive somewhere where you time is your own, you free to explore as your own will and or relax, your food and drink is included and you can book excursions if you choose usually as much better value; the ones we booked was literally for a coach journey there and back and we were paying minimum £70 each time.

Also, I got horrendous sea sickness the first 3 days, it was awful. The only way I didn't throw up was if I was lying flat on the bed, and didn't move. That was with taking sea sickness tablets before we even departed and everyday too. It did subside, but I spent the whole time at sea feeling queasy.

I couldn't wait off and vowed to never do another one again.
If you're tempted; I'd advised doing a smaller one first - maybe a long weekend or week at most..

In saying this, me and my partner love to go somewhere and explore, we spend very little time milling around the pool or beach, we get up usually around 8.30, out for breakfast at 10, and then spend the day just going with the flow and won't return until 8-9pm after having lunch and dinner. It just really wasn't our idea of a holiday.

I wouldn't say the cabin was "gorgeous", just pretty ordinary.

My favourite sail ins
are

kotor
venice
Valetta
Istanbul

and the fjords are completely and absolutely stunning

Ugh no.
Noisy, brash and full of people. Shopping malls. Sports bars. Casinos. Hundreds of people on sun loungers round a pool. Bloody water slides with people screaming continuously. Restaurants that look like the food court in a shopping centre. Indoor seating areas with massive screens everywhere. There always seems like there's massive screens everywhere, inside and out and constant noise including 'entertainment' bellowing down microphones into pool areas and loud music.
I don't enjoy any of those things on dry land so there's no reason why I'd like them any more trapped in a limited space at sea.
I know there's people that like that stuff. I really really don't. It's all down to what you enjoy I suppose.
I used to live in a flat that overlooked a cruise port. The noise is incredible and the crowds are ridiculous.
Just watch a walkthrough of eg a Carnival Cruise on You tube (when people are actually on board not an empty ship walkthrough) and it honestly makes me shudder as the place looks like hell on earth.
I'm sure river/fjord cruises are different.

Not sure what you’ve seen but this is not my experience at all of the cruises I’ve been on.

Not really. It's pretty obvious. They aren't going to fork out money and use up holiday time to do something they won't enjoy.

My parents have been ruining other people's cruise holidays for 25 years now.
My mum will talk at you and any sign of life will be reported back as 'he really took a shine to me'
You will get Christmas cards and out of date, slightly racist Facebook forwards every after.
We absolutely remember the aftermath of the £50,000 round the world trip - multiple d&v, complaints about the Australians not dressing for dinner, a sense of ownership about how the boat would manage without them as the life & soul of the party, boredom of being ushered and pacified, 24 hours, 7 days a week.
A woman at their table died and was in the ships morgue but they didn't miss her because she wasn't one for conversation.
They had multiple norovirus outbreaks and people were confined to cabins. The parents were arguing over who's turn it was to leave the cabin to have the shits in a public bathroom and how not to get discovered.
I asked about the norovirus recently, all memory has been wiped. Only 'your father sometimes has a dicky tummy but that could happen anywhere', and then they book another one.

It's rather put me off

Our cabin was really comfortable - lovely bed. Kept watching the snow coming down whilst lying in bed!

I admit I'm too claustrophobic for that. I'd need a balcony and space tbh

I've done loads of cruises and the good one a the best holiday ever and the crap ones make you want to disembowel yourself in a desert with a spoon.

Still I love cruises and becoming more selective.

Good to hear that on the whole people appreciate the entertainment. DS started on cruise ships last year as a " muso" and its bloody hard work. He does several sets a night,plus rehearsals and like many others,is given shitty accommodation and restricted from certain areas.
However,he is meeting loads of new people and seeing new places so a great experience for him. Be nice to the " ents" ..they are talented folks putting in long hours.

I have been on two cruises.

Food, hygiene standards and entertainment was all good, enjoyed trying classes, DH and I ended up doing ballroom dancing lessons as we tried it on the cruise. DS was 16 and then 18 and came along for both. He loved the gym and food. When he can afford it he wants to go on one with his GF who likes the sound of it. The majority of my holidays have been hiking or museums and art galleries so this was different. We all enjoyed it, DH was especially suspicious. He backpacked round the world for almost 2 years but was converted.

Yeah, well you paid for the more expensive one. But even so, it still seems pretty ordinary to me.

It was fine, no issue with it. I loved looking out of my window when I woke up (I got a free upgrade but still not one of the posh cabins, just a proper window).

My next cruise I've paid for a balcony. And we might get an upgrade due to being related to an employee.

I've been on two cruises, both on the P&0 Arvia ship and loved it. I think experiences can massively vary and over what you seek from a holiday and how it goes generally. Mine were in the Caribbean which were probably smoother waters than other places at the time I went. I did feel some dis orientation the first night but otherwise was fine over it. There's often a problem with sun beds but there's areas you can pay for to make it easier. I was anxious before going on one but ended up loving it. I love the fact everything is under one roof over a lot of choice over restaurants and evening venues so not having to think of where to go out to or taxi's home, I love getting to visit different places. You're not tied to one holiday say, and bother over a hotel and area not being what you expected. It's a different view all the time. I like the sense of community in a way, the little things like the captain announcements that we're all safely back on board and now onto the next place. It's hard to put into words just I love it :-)

If you get travel sick avoid cruises across areas of the world where two seas join. The article circle had 20ft dips/waves when we did the Iceland cruise from the UK. We were fine, but loads of people weren't. Lower decks are best if you feel sea sick too.

I love cruising. You meet (mainly) great people, entertainment is good, food is fine. Stopping at a new place almost everyday is fabulous.

I'm just about to do a back to back cruise - Italy, Turkey Greece for 10 days, then repositioning from Italy to Tampa florid with Portuguese stops and Bahamas in between.

If you have a few sea days together, that's fine too because the entertainment is great. Honestly cruising is the only holiday for me now! Complete relaxation ;)

When you have these sights you don’t want to be spending much time in your cabin.

Well, I've just come back from a cruise. Nothing wrong with the cruise, but there are different size cruise ships, and one I did some years ago was about 1400 passengers, whereas this one was 2400 passengers; a bit large in my view.
The advantage is that you are at different ports, with no unpacking/packing to do.
Personally, I dislike the manufactured 'entertainment', and would rather have found a quiet place to read a book, etc.
There were a couple of days at sea, and this is why they have 'activities', such as craft/art classes, exercise classes, games etc; (all of which I dislike).
I was on the cruise for the places I was going to; however, they also had a pool, spa, gym, jogging track, etc
My regret is that with more research I could have made better use of the time in the various ports.
My advice - do your research first; There is absolutely no need to book an excursion at every stop. If the cruise does not inform you in advance about how long you will be in the port, it is possible to look up the port on the internet, and find this out. (but remember the ship will not wait for you if you are late, whereas they will, if on an official ship excursion)
I am not in a hurry to book another cruise.
I probably found it a bit overwhelming.
Also, anything that says a 'dress up' evening is a No No from me. I'm on holiday not the Met Gala, etc. (But there was always somewhere else to eat, if desired).

Def not my experience.

Not 00's on sun beds either, lol, but there are def enough to go round and you don't have a bun fight over them either!

I own timeshare and have been to some of the best resorts in the world, but I'd choose cruising every day of the week.

I think I'll try one soon. I can't say whether I'd like or hate it if I haven't tried it! I'm interested in the Norwegian Fjiords so if anyone has been, maybe they'd like to share their experience and cruise line.

I'd go all out and get a balcony, although I think the fjiords ships are smaller so may not have them. I'd cope though if the overall experience was good.

(apologies if this information was given already, I confess not to have RTFT.)

I would never dream of going on an AI holiday so not sure why you are directing this at me. I have visited Venice, we stayed for four nights in the early 2000s. The cruise ships were an absolute eyesore and the cruise passengers were not welcomed at all. Best way of absorbing the beauty of a place like Venice is have the time and space to explore it and see the light change during the day into night. I have very very fond memories of Venice it is stunning. There is absolutely no way that a one day visit in a cruise is comparable or sufficient to take on board its uniqueness. Will never forget the string quartets playing in St Marks square in the evening...

The idea of sea days sounds hideous to me. Horses for courses.

I went on a couple and genuinely found them ghastly. Like a nightmare resort you can't leave. People stuffing their faces 24/7. The whole pretending it's posh when it so definitely isn't.

Absolutely not my thing! I got persuaded to try a second time on a more expensive ship but it was just as grim and tbh I could never switch off from thinking about the absolutely enormous environmental implications

Love them with a capital L. Took my kids as teens and now as adults they still cruise independently or with me if we can make our schedules align.

Before you consider cruising (or any type of holiday really) you need to work out what type of holiday maker you are as it will inform what type of cruise or even if a cruise is your thing.

I have a very full on job. Cruising for me is switching off. I prefer longer itineraries with multiple consecutive sea days as bobbing in the water with a book or staring out to sea works for me. I usually pick Carribbean in the UK winter. Guaranteed hot weather, minimal school children and prepares me for the super busy period that comes up at work. I rarely do European cruises as like a previous poster said, a fair few European ports are not close to where you'd want to be and I don't want to worry about shuttle buses to get back on time. I also do a lot of land based trips in Europe. Most Caribbean ports have the ships dock right downtown.

Food again is subjective, how is it you like to eat? I go to sit the down restaurant for breakfast and dinner. I don't like buffets and try to avoid them most places. For lunch I go to a casual dining venue.

I'm not particularly interested in the shows so they don't factor in my decision making. Some cruise lines have a good reputation for entertainment so if that's important research well.

I cannot deny the environmental impact especially as I fly to my cruise. Ship oil is dirty. I try and pick ships that run on liquified natural gas as appear to have less emissions.

If you are someone who absolutely hates running to someone else's schedule then I would avoid a cruise. I'd also recommend never to do a 2/3 day cruise as they can often be booze cruises with the accompanying poor behaviour.

Who was it with?