Why I'm unlikely to ever "Cruise" (At least on a large ship)

[ALH]

I went on 3 cruises before I met my husband. Went to fabulous places, but did not like cruising at all. I absolutely hate buffets and “buffet mentality” of the pushing, shoving & plates piled high. I find the Cabarets & entertainment on cruise ships really annoying.

However, a couple of years ago dipped our toes back into the water, with a group of friends, and cruised around the Greek Islands on Seabourne Spirit. Absolutely everything was included. Endless coughtails and 7 courses of fine dining every night. Breakfast delivered to the cabin so we could get ready for days ashore at leisure.

I can still safely say, I don’t like cruising at all.

I do, however, love sailing and boats and jump at the opportunity to go whenever I can.


Edit: I just remembered an overnight ‘cruise’ I got talked into a couple of years ago. Stockholm to Helsinki. I took one look at the cabin and then spent the night at the bar with my friend drinking coughtails, before we fell asleep curled up in the lounge chairs.

 

[ellen10]

The only cruise I have been on was an Alaskan cruise 10 years ago.
It was on the Holland America line and it was a beautiful ship. I get seasick but was ok on that trip, I think because it mainly sails in quiet waters in the inside passage. We had a different port each day and some would have been near impossible to visit by land. Glacier bay was a big highlight and can only be visited by ship. We only went to the buffet breakfast once, instead we ordered breakfast in everyday and ate it on our balcony enjoying the beautiful sights, a great start to the day. And a night coughtail sitting in the crows nest, listening at the piano bar watching the 11pm sunset each evening was lovely.
I am yet to tip my toes in again but maybe sometime in the future.

 

[Deleted member]

Oh dear. Such a weird perception of cruises. Yes sometimes it’s crowded. Muster comes to mind. But the same applies to land trips. Try any of the Med countries in summer. People everywhere. I don’t see the difference. Gauging?? Guess what. You have to pay for alcohol on Qantas. Some cruise lines provide it. Check Viking and the like. Ok. So there was a queue for the tender. Seriously - if that’s enough to put you off cruising then do not go to Santorini and the like or China, New York Empire State or Rockefeller, St Petersburg, and so on.

Many don’t go on the organised excursions but do their own, usually with maybe 6 people and often in a luxury style limo for less than the ship charges. That’s how we usually do it.

We don’t go to the shows. After a day on excursions we simply enjoy dinner, wine, being with friends then sleep.

Cruising is what you make of it. You don’t have to do anything directed by the cruise line except embark, go to muster, then get off.

I understand people not wishing to cruise who get sea sick.

Honestly, I don’t see why this thread was started as a stand alone thread in a cruise forum. Given many here have never cruised before it’s just rather weird to have an opinion on something you’ve not personally experienced.

I guess it’s based on the theory “You don’t have to be a chicken to know when an egg’s bad”
I’ve never been stabbed in the eye with a knitting needle either, but I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t enjoy the experience.
It’s horses for courses. I don’t like crowds, I deftest buffets in almost all incarnations and the thought of engaging in any activity with people I don’t know, and haven’t chosen is an anathema to me.
Other more gregarious and less fussy people than me enjoy the spontaneity of these things. My MIL for example loves group tours and cruises, even to the point where she will share a cabin with a complete stranger. It’s worth noting that I would rather chew glass than go on holiday with my MIL.

 

[RooFlyer]

Oh dear. Such a weird perception of cruises. Yes sometimes it’s crowded. Muster comes to mind. But the same applies to land trips. Try any of the Med countries in summer. People everywhere. I don’t see the difference. Gauging?? Guess what. You have to pay for alcohol on Qantas. Some cruise lines provide it. Check Viking and the like. Ok. So there was a queue for the tender. Seriously - if that’s enough to put you off cruising then do not go to Santorini and the like or China, New York Empire State or Rockefeller, St Petersburg, and so on.

Many don’t go on the organised excursions but do their own, usually with maybe 6 people and often in a luxury style limo for less than the ship charges. That’s how we usually do it.

I understand people not wishing to cruise who get sea sick.

Honestly, I don’t see why this thread was started as a stand alone thread in a cruise forum. Given many here have never cruised before it’s just rather weird to have an opinion on something you’ve not personally experienced.

No doubt about it - there are cruisers and non-cruisers. And I was going to post "Where did this thread come from?!", but here we are.

I'm sorta like Denali ... I don't like crowds and being cooped up. To avoid crowds, I go overseas mostly in shoulder; I'm up early in the morning to go to the most popular sights to avoid (as much as possible) the queues and if its a cruise boat destination, I even check to see if I can avoid those days, or at least again, go early before the cruisers land.

But I don't think cruisers need to defend their position ... its an immensely popular way to go and not everyone has the outlook of an old curmudgeon like me ...

Oh, one experience I had with a large cruiser. A travel agent I got to know in the USA e-mailed me, saying she had some clients on a cruise which was arriving at Burnie, NW Tas, IIRC. She sent me the list of shore excursions, asking which ones I would recommend. Bloom'n heck! The cost of them!!! I can't remember the amount now, but thought at the time that it was 3 to 4 times what I would expect to pay. I told that to the TA who replied, in as many words 'Yup, that's what it is ...' Doesn't appear to deter them, it seems. Here in Tas we have been getting record numbers of cruise ship arrivals, year after year.

 

[Denali]

Ive never experienced a tattoo, eating insects or jumping out of a perfectly good plane and it's not weird to have an opinion on those

I think it's a to each their own thing. Some people are perfectly happy flying Y. Most of AFFers would disagree but the Y'ers would say we are wrong

 

[Pushka]

No doubt about it - there are cruisers and non-cruisers. And I was going to post "Where did this thread come from?!", but here we are.

I'm sorta like Denali ... I don't like crowds and being cooped up. To avoid crowds, I go overseas mostly in shoulder; I'm up early in the morning to go to the most popular sights to avoid (as much as possible) the queues and if its a cruise boat destination, I even check to see if I can avoid those days, or at least again, go early before the cruisers land.

But I don't think cruisers need to defend their position ... its an immensely popular way to go and not everyone has the outlook of an old curmudgeon like me ...

Oh, one experience I had with a large cruiser. A travel agent I got to know in the USA e-mailed me, saying she had some clients on a cruise which was arriving at Burnie, NW Tas, IIRC. She sent me the list of shore excursions, asking which ones I would recommend. Bloom'n heck! The cost of them!!! I can't remember the amount now, but thought at the time that it was 3 to 4 times what I would expect to pay. I told that to the TA who replied, in as many words 'Yup, that's what it is ...' Doesn't appear to deter them, it seems. Here in Tas we have been getting record numbers of cruise ship arrivals, year after year.

TA’s push shore excursions and I wonder if they get a commission. But as l_t_l will attest if I have to get on a shore excursion bus my temper is easily ruffled and I dont fare well. But there are always much better options. We’ve done fabulous 8 people excursions we organised in Italy, Istanbul, France and Spain. And much cheaper. Hate those lollipops with a passion.

Ive never experienced a tattoo, eating insects or jumping out of a perfectly good plane and it's not weird to have an opinion on those

I think it's a to each their own thing. Some people are perfectly happy flying Y. Most of AFFers would disagree but the Y'ers would say we are wrong

Indeed. I just think it’s a bit strange to start/comment on a thread like this in a cruise part of a forum. But as RooFlyer said, here we are. Kind of designed to ruffle people a bit hey?

Anyway my next cruise is on a 30 person ship cruising around Croatia. On this ship.

Sandwiches between 3 weeks of land touring.

 

[Denali]

Post Christmas trips, pre Easter/Northern shoulder jaunt jitters/travel detoxing.

People a bit antsy so pushing some fun buttons

 

[RooFlyer]

Anyway my next cruise is on a 30 person ship cruising around Croatia. On this ship.

Hmmmm ... of course maybe I should try a cruise before being too definitive. Is there a LCC option?

 

[defurax]

I'm not sure if that qualifies as a cruise, but I've contacted Hamburg Süd Travel agency which organises trips on freighter ships. Some trips are 3 months long, but it's possible to do only a trip segment (e.g Melbourne to NZ) for $150/day. Of course these type of freighter trips won't appeal to many, but to me it sounds great. Maybe because I had a few family members who worked on freighter all their lives and I've always been curious about what daily life is like at sea on a big freighter ship.

 

[Pushka]

Hmmmm ... of course maybe I should try a cruise before being too definitive. Is there a LCC option?

As in low cost carrier?
There are ‘fun’ ones that are less expensive. This ones rated luxury for us oldies. Main deck more expensive than lower but still nice. I think around $3000 for 7 nights for a couple but there are solo rates also. Moored overnight so into each town for dinner. Set off each morning with breakfast and lunch onboard. They stop for a swim from the rear deck a few times. Then into the next port early afternoon. Walking excursions included.

 

[drron]

The only cruise I have done with +1 was a 5 day luxury catamaran cruise around the Galapagos Islands with a total of 16 pax and 10 crew...it was fantastic!....unfortunately, +1 gets terribly sea sick (even with meds) so we haven't done another cruise since. I was keen to do /try the AFF cruise last week but got a big fat no from her ...the photos showing the long Q for the tender to get to KI did not look very relaximg !

Well you should try an 8 pax boat on the Inside Passage in Alaska.You are not out in the open ocean.Kayaking with the whales-mindblowing.
So I used to be like many here saying I would never go cruising.but mrsdrron is very smart.She talked me into the 8 pax boat on the Inside Passage.Loved it so then a 16 pax catamaran in the Galapagos.More pleasure so she upped it to a 100 pax ship in the Kimberleys,Arctic and Antarctic.Now hooked.
But I wont try a ship over 600 pax.Might be less depending on how we go on the 595 pax Silver Muse in a year's time.

 

[Pushka]

Edit: I just remembered an overnight ‘cruise’ I got talked into a couple of years ago. Stockholm to Helsinki. I took one look at the cabin and then spent the night at the bar with my friend drinking coughtails, before we fell asleep curled up in the lounge chairs.

That would be a ferry .



I think I inherited my dads Navy genes. He was on an aircraft carrier for 10 years. I just love being on the water. In any kind of boat. Sail or motor. I like watching all the crews actions. The pilot boat. Captain on the bridge. The way the crew gets the tenders hoisted up and down. And will eventually end up living near the water. With a marina berth. And small boat. Two of those already sorted. Just the boat to go.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Well........
So I used to be like many here saying I would never go cruising.but mrsdrron is very smart.She talked me into the 8 pax boat on the Inside Passage.Loved it so then a 16 pax catamaran in the Galapagos.More pleasure so she upped it to a 100 pax ship in the Kimberleys,Arctic and Antarctic.Now hooked.But I wont try a ship over 600 pax.Might be less depending on how we go on the 595 pax Silver Muse in a year's time.

Cruising log =

SIKUMI 2006 8 day Inside Passage Alaska
ATHALA II 2008 8 days Galapagos cruise
ORION July 2009 Broome - Darwin
SILVER EXPLORER (PRINCE ALBERT II) August 2010 Arctic
ORION December 2010 Antarctic -Mawsons Hut
SILVER SHADOW July 2011 - Incheon to Anchorage
SILVER WIND July 2012 - Black Sea -Istanbul to Istanbul
SILVER CLOUD November 2012 Barbados -Amazon -Barbados
SILVER EXPLORER March/April 2013 Capetown to Accra Ghana
SILVER EXPLORER July 2013 Reykjavik Iceland to Churchill Canada
SILVER EXPLORER September 2014 Sapporo Japan to Fiji 30days B2B
Belmond ORCAELLA December 2014 Burma River cruise 12 days Mandalay to Bagan
SILVER CLOUD June 2015 18 days Copenhagen/Archangel/Copenhagen
SILVER EXPLORER September 2015 Nassau to Guayaquil 24 days B2B - Cuba+Panama Canal
CALEDONIAN SKY April 2016 Japan Cherry Blossom Cruise 13 days. NEVER AGAIN ! - The ship not Japan !!
SILVER WHISPER August 2016 Stockholm/SPB/Copenhagen/Southampton B2B 18 days
SILVER EXPLORER March 2017 Ushuaia to Cape Town - Cape to Cape 22 days
SILVER EXPLORER April 2018 Mazatlan to Vancouver - 22 days B2B Chasing Whales
SILVER EXPLORER September 2018 Honolulu to Easter Island - 33 days B2B
SILVER MUSE February 2019 Sydney to Auckland 15 days
SCENIC ECLIPSE August 2019 Reykajvik to Quebec

 

[Denali]

Pushka just reminded me. I did the Alaska inside passage about 25yrs ago.

But I slept on the deck in a sleeping bag... I was much younger and poorer then.

 

[ellen10]

Pushka, 14 of us hired a boat in Croatia last June for 7 days. We had 5 crew and sailed around the Croatian islands stopping at cute little ports along the way. Such a wonderful experience. We loved dropping anchor and jumping off the back of the boat for a swim in the crystal clear waters.
You will love it!

 

[Pushka]

Pushka, 14 of us hired a boat in Croatia last June for 7 days. We had 5 crew and sailed around the Croatian islands stopping at cute little ports along the way. Such a wonderful experience. We loved dropping anchor and jumping off the back of the boat for a swim in the crystal clear waters.
You will love it!

Ah. We are late May early June. The weather in Croatia seems very consistent. We had a taster in Dunbrovnik a couple of years ago and Kotor just over 2 years ago. Stunningly brilliant country.

 

[Pushka]

Cruising log =

SIKUMI 2006 8 day Inside Passage Alaska
ATHALA II 2008 8 days Galapagos cruise
ORION July 2009 Broome - Darwin
SILVER EXPLORER (PRINCE ALBERT II) August 2010 Arctic
ORION December 2010 Antarctic -Mawsons Hut
SILVER SHADOW July 2011 - Incheon to Anchorage
SILVER WIND July 2012 - Black Sea -Istanbul to Istanbul
SILVER CLOUD November 2012 Barbados -Amazon -Barbados
SILVER EXPLORER March/April 2013 Capetown to Accra Ghana
SILVER EXPLORER July 2013 Reykjavik Iceland to Churchill Canada
SILVER EXPLORER September 2014 Sapporo Japan to Fiji 30days B2B
Belmond ORCAELLA December 2014 Burma River cruise 12 days Mandalay to Bagan
SILVER CLOUD June 2015 18 days Copenhagen/Archangel/Copenhagen
SILVER EXPLORER September 2015 Nassau to Guayaquil 24 days B2B - Cuba+Panama Canal
CALEDONIAN SKY April 2016 Japan Cherry Blossom Cruise 13 days. NEVER AGAIN ! - The ship not Japan !!
SILVER WHISPER August 2016 Stockholm/SPB/Copenhagen/Southampton B2B 18 days
SILVER EXPLORER March 2017 Ushuaia to Cape Town - Cape to Cape 22 days
SILVER EXPLORER April 2018 Mazatlan to Vancouver - 22 days B2B Chasing Whales
SILVER EXPLORER September 2018 Honolulu to Easter Island - 33 days B2B
SILVER MUSE February 2019 Sydney to Auckland 15 days
SCENIC ECLIPSE August 2019 Reykajvik to Quebec

I presume you have some kind of status then? Your cruise pass should be solid gold!

 

[Wello]

There are so many different type of cruises but they can be a chance to relax and rejuvenate before returning to work life. I really enjoyed just sitting at the back of a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on sea days just watching the water and reading a book knowing someone else was making my bed and cooking my meals.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

I presume you have some kind of status then? Your cruise pass should be solid gold!

On Silverseas seeing it is all inclusive the perks are discounts =

Number of Cruise Days Onboard Recognition Rewards & Benefits
2nd Cruise
Venetian Society Party +5% savings on select Venetian Society voyages

100 Cruise Days =Sapphire Milestone
Venetian Society Party
Complimentary laundry service on board*
5% additional savings on any future voyage, may be combined with Venetian Society savings

250 Cruise Days =Emerald Milestone
Venetian Society Party
Complimentary laundry service on board*
10% additional savings on any future voyage, may be combined with Venetian Society savings

We are about to hit Emerald sometime this year but I don't think we will make the next level - a free cruise !

350 Cruise Days =Ruby Milestone
Venetian Society Party
Complimentary laundry service on board*
Complimentary 7-day voyage in a Veranda Suite** (cruise-only)
Continue to receive 10% additional savings on any future voyage

 

[Pushka]

I keep changing cruise lines. Ruby on Princess. Something else on Celebrity after 3 cruises. Gold on Cunard. And next year starting on Viking Ocean. Oh well. Variety as they say.

There are so many different type of cruises but they can be a chance to relax and rejuvenate before returning to work life. I really enjoyed just sitting at the back of a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on sea days just watching the water and reading a book knowing someone else was making my bed and cooking my meals.

Our favourite activity at the end of a wonderful but hot and tiring day in port doing our own thing is to sit on the open aft deck, drink in hand and watching the scenery of the port recede into the distance as the sun sets. Knowing that someone has refreshed the cabin, a chef cooking your meal and there’s no bill to pay at the end of the meal. Just leave the table and go have a cup of tea/port/baileys etc (or all 3) to finish the day.