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

[serfty]

A cruise ?

Little chance!

(At least on a large ship.)

Land resorts are bad enough, but who wants to be herded into a floating hotel like cattle then herded off days later with every effort made in between to take money out of your
pocket to line someone else's while effectively being held captive?

Everyone is different, and until recently I had been considering it, but some finer details were made apparent recently and it was not a good look from my perspective.

 

[tgh]

who want to be hearded into a floating hotel like cattle then hearded off days later with every effort made in between to take money out of your pocket to line someone else's while effectively being held captive

Oh, tell us what you really think…
Cruising is like everything else.. you get what you pay for..
….. a few days on a Silversea expedition ship would be a revelation…….

 

[Storyteller]

who want to be hearded into a floating hotel like cattle then hearded off days later with every effort made in between to take money out of your pocket to line someone else's while effectively being held captive

Oh, tell us what you really think…
Cruising is like everything else.. you get what you pay for..
….. a few days on a Silversea expedition ship would be a revelation…….

Oh! where have you been tgh? That sounds great! Do tell....

 

[serfty]

Silversea

Yes, they are different. They line their pockets with lots of your moolah before you get herded onboard ...

 

[straitman]

No chance!

Land resorts are bad enough, but who wants to be hearded into a floating hotel like cattle then hearded off days later with every effort made in between to take money out of your pocket to line someone else's while effectively being held captive?

Spoken like someone who has never experienced the experience.

 

[serfty]

Spoken like someone who has never experienced the experience.

Reading tnr floaters thread was enough for me. It indicated aspects I never realised.

What is your boarding time? 1pm, 2pm, 3pm ...

"Oh, I did not need to wait an hour in the tender queue getting sunburnt, why did you?"

 

[straitman]

Reading tnr floaters thread was enough for me. It indicated aspects I never realised.

What is your boarding time? 1pm, 2pm, 3pm ...

Boarding is smooth, efficient and logical. Much better organised than most airlines, particularly Qantas manage.

"Oh, I did not need to wait an hour in the tender queue getting sunburnt, why did you?"

The tender queue at Kangaroo Island was hindered by inability to berth two tenders at once. ie not a big enough wharf. Having said that they didn't do it all that well but these things don't work perfectly all the time anywhere. Remember tender ports are the exception and not the rule.

 

[drron]

Except on Expedition ships but usually a zodiac ride.Half the Fun.
Getting a bit better at organising dates.This time only a few hours after we leave BNE on our next trip.

 

[drron]

Have already had 8 trips on the Silver Explorer.4 more booked for this year.
Trs done on all of them.

 

[serfty]

How much are drinks on a princes cruise? (Without vouchers)

Also there's little doubt cruisers get larger meal opportunities.

Anyway what has airline boarding got to do with this other than its over in minutes, not hours.

 

[pyffii]

I agree with Serfty and have resisted for years preferring to hike the Alps and get to a top with a Refuggio dishing out pasta,struedel and a view to die for BUT with a very special birthday coming up next year couldnt find a hike that gave justice to the milestone so a Silversea Mediterranean cruise was the go to event and yes it cost plenty !!!...We will enjoy no matter what and it may very well be the one and only cruise !!!!

 

[amaroo]

We're waiting until life has almost left us.... maybe another 30 years

IMO the cruise industry doesn't look very nice.... like an all consuming plague.

 

[straitman]

How much are drinks on a princes cruise? (Without vouchers)

Crown Lager $7.50, Crushed Ice Margarita $9.95

Also there's little doubt cruisers get larger meal opportunities.

A choice of several restaurants or the buffet with some areas open 24/7.

Anyway what has airline boarding got to do with this.

You mentioned boarding time so I mentioned a comparison. From arriving at the terminal we went through the whole process without any delays. Bag drop, checkin, security and photos all in 10 min maybe. The 1pm, 2pm etc times are a guide to help alleviate crowding at checkin.

 

[Pushka]

I think it’s like a lot of things in life. I hate seafood. Others love it.

 

[OATEK]

Cruising is not my preferred option, and yes the gouging is eye watering. I recently asked one cruise line what drinks were free, and they came down to tap water (bring your own water bottle for day trips), apple juice, filter coffee and tea!

However, the the thought of driving all around the Baltic states, or city hopping every few days by plane, in order to satisfy MrsOatek's desire to see where her forebears lived led me to consider a cruise. It is only 7 days and I expect it will save me physically, and in time.

Our only other cruise (apart from Melbourne - Devonport on our honeymoon in the early 70s ) was around the Aegean for a week, which despite rough seas and the inability to get ashore by Tender in Santorini, provided a nice introduction to some Greek Islands.

So I believe cruises have their place, but would not wish to join some friends of MrsOatek who are currently in the middle of 3 months of cruising that started in Norway and will end in Sydney.

 

[kpc]

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 !

 

[Deleted member]

Seabourn is as basic as I would ever consider, and even then ,I’m not a fan of cruising. It doesn’t help that I also get seasick watching “Mutiny on the Bounty” LOL.
I dislike the idea cruising for many of the same reasons I dislike the idea of “Guided Tours” in a bus with 45 -50 strangers, the endless trek to the buffet, provided for a price, the badges and silly hats, and the enforced trips to “related” entities to spend money on souvenirs I don’t need to give as gifts to friends and family who don’t want them. Yes , I know I don’t need to buy anything , it’s the expectation that I will that annoys me.
For my money, hiring a car, setting my own pace and itinerary is the secret to happiness in this instance

 

[RooFlyer]

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...

Me too as far as sea cruises go (the Galapagos that is .. no luxury catamaran for me!). I wouldn't mind cruises per se, but for me the problem is they are over luxurious and therefore too damn expensive! My ideal would be a floating 4 star hotel. I don't need cabarets and all the plush add-ons - just take me around places.

I wouldn't mind a cruise, say up the Norwegian coast or the Caribbean or the Aegean sea, where there are lots of stops and the boat is essentially a way to get from A to B to C etc; I don't want it to be a destination (and money sink) in itself.

Bring back hitching a lift on a tramp steamer, I say!

 

[Denali]

I feel the same as Serfty, confined space with hundred, if not thousands of people. Let me smother myself with my pillow in my sleep!

My sister loves them, drags all her bogan friends on them with her. No thanks. I need privacy, space and quite. Even big resort hotels don't do it for me, rented a private villa with staff and it was wonderful.

Edit. And our last scuba trip, we ended up hiring a dive boat for the two of us, 8 other people on the boat was too many.

 

[Pushka]

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.

Given many here have never cruised before it’s just rather weird to have an opinion on something you’ve not personally experienced.