What do you think of cruises?

[cynatnite]

We're trying to plan a vacation for next summer. We'll have our 15 year old with us.

We want something that's fun and relaxing. Educational would be an added bonus. For our son, it would be his first time out of the country, but I don't know how out it is given it's a tourist destination.

A cruise seems like something that would meet our wants in a vacation. Lots of sun, relaxation, and fun in the water.

I'm looking for opinions and advice. We're not set on this just yet. It's still in the talking stage.

[NYC_SKP]

1. To be honest, I think they're a self-indulgent waste of resources.

I've never been on a cruise, but I've been to places that are scared to death of what the cruise industry might do to them.

Cruise ships seem to specialize in creating things at sea that aren't that hard to find ashore: fancy restaurants, shows, arcades, gambling, waterparks, etc., etc., but the ships do so at a great environmental expense.

There are issues with how energy intensive they are, and what the do with their waste.

It seems very artificial, I'd prefer to take family to the coast in a station wagon for some board games and fishing and simpler activities.

[LiberalEsto]

24. I agree with you on this

I wouldn't go on a cruise if someone paid me.

[Aristus]

2. First of all, keep in mind that cut-rate cruises may lead to a cut-rate experience.

My wife and I love cruising. Cruising, when not the subject of horrific news stories, seems to be perceived as incredibly bourgeois. But she and I really enjoy them.

We sailed once each on the lower-cost lines Carnival and Princess, and didn't like them very much. Since then we have sailed a number of times with Holland-America, which is a little more upscale. And had a wonderful experience each time. My view of taking cruises to "see the world" is that they are a good tool for giving a taste of what a particular country is like, so that you can make plans to return there on a stand-alone visit. You're not going to get a really good idea of what a foreign country is like with a port-city visit that may last only a single day, or even just a few hours.

Port-call visits can be fun, interesting, and exciting, but my wife and I always enjoy most the "days at sea" - days sailing to the cruise destination, with no port calls or anything. Nothing to do but enjoy a slow-paced, easy-going day of vacation. One can choose to do some, all or none of the schedule events and activities. Just laze the day away.

I think your son will really enjoy a cruise. He's old enough to be entertained by what the ship has to offer, or to entertain himself. I've been on cruises with parents who brought very young children, who ended up either bored, or unruly monsters.

If you have a sophisticated palate, you'll definitely enjoy the food. Cruise lines take pride in serving incredible dishes. I always try something new and different every time I go on a cruise. My first taste of escargot was on a cruise, and I love it. They offer standard vacation stuff like burgers and pizza, too, but one can get that stuff anywhere, so why waste the opportunity?

And there is lots of food; they feed you constantly. My wife and I are always looking for ways to work off the last meal, and build an appetite for the next one. No matter how many decks the ship has, we avoid the elevators, and always take the stairs. We work out two or three times a week at the ship's gym(our longest cruise so far was nearly three weeks), and walk the deck every afternoon for perhaps five miles or so. We also take the Tai Chi classes. And we still tend to gain weight on board.

The on-board entertainment tends to be a little cheesy, but it's well done, and usually fun.

My wife and I really enjoy the formal nights for dinner; two or three times during a typical cruise, people are encouraged to ditch the tropical lounge-wear, and really deck out for the evening meal. I usually wear my tux, and my wife, one of her best evening gowns. It's a lot fun to see how well some people clean up for a formal occasion.

There's a lot more, and I know I'm starting to sound like a travel agent. But that's enough to get you started, I think.

[OriginalGeek]

7. Mine too! Re: Escargot

My wife closed her eyes when I took the first bite - and so did I lol..but it was delicious and would love to do it again.

[PoliticAverse]

3. Tom is ok but my favorite is Julee... n/t

[OriginalGeek]

4. I've only been on one

this past summer

and it was the bottom of the barrel cruise line

and I can't wait to go on more.

We loved every minute of it - were sad when it was over - been looking at how to afford some upgrades on the next one and go for more than the 3 days our first one was.

We only went on this because we got a group-on thing that made it like 100 bucks a head. We wanted a short cruise in case we found out we got sea-sick but we barely even noticed the ship was moving.

My wife and I went with our son and daughter-in-law and 2 grandchildren (10 and 13). 3 days out to Freeport, Bahamas and back. First night out I won a free massage from the spa. We went on a glass bottom boat tour and fed some sharks. We ate and drank like kings and queens. we spent the extra bucks to upgrade our dining the first night out as it was our 27th anniversary and it was great. Ate the free food the rest of the time - and lots of it.

Cruises are now my favorite way to vacate.

[Agschmid]

5. Love it.

I've done it multiple times, prefer carnival over royal. I have never worried to much about safety but it's likely a concern of many people.

[mnhtnbb]

6. I happen to love cruises--but not crowds.

Unfortunately, the least expensive ones are usually on the massive boats with thousands of other passengers.

If money is not a primary consideration and you are interested in the concept of cruising, look into something
smaller. Where are you going? Caribbean? Look into Windjammer type. Or, you might even think of renting
a small boat for a portion of your trip and go to an all inclusive resort on an island for the rest of it. Some of
the all inclusives are family friendly, provide a variety of restaurants, LOTS of water activities and have programs
geared to kids of various ages. Your 15 year old could probably learn to SCUBA, if he wanted.

If you decide to look into the all inclusive concept, choose an island with some places to explore. Rent a jeep
and drive around the island towns or check out some of the other beaches on the island so you'll have some variety of days
similar to cruising.

[cherokeeprogressive]

21. We took a Windjammer cruise...

Best vacation money we ever Spent.

We sailed on the SV Legacy out of St. Thomas. I proposed to my Wife in the galley on one knee in front of passengers and crew.

[mnhtnbb]

30. Aww...and I guess she said, 'yes'!

[Populist_Prole]

8. Meh. Like going to Las Vegas at sea

By the Vegas refrerence I meant the glitz, not the gambling. I didn't out-and-out dislike it, but it just wasn't for me. Yeah the food was good but truthfully the only thing that really appealed to me was the "I'm on a big huge machine plying the open ocean" angle. I don't want to be "entertained" in a forced and obvious way, which I felt I was. I didn't like the crowds, the heat/humidity ( ocean breeze notwithstanding ) and general overall "ants in a colony feeling".

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

9. Back in the old days I went across the Atlantic 7 times in the 50s and 60s

Two times were on old "liberty ships" left over from the war (like the SS Colonel Darby) with military families heading overseas and coming back (not really a cruise but still kind of fun on board a ship. Then I went twice on the S.S. United States cruise ship, once on the Queen Mary (sailing through the edge of a hurricane), and once on the S.S. France. These were not really vacations but just efforts to go to Europe and back (my mom had a fear of flying). The United States and Queen Mary had three classes (tourist, cabin, and first classes) and my mom sailed tourist to save money. In these latter two ships if you were in tourist class you were confined to a very small part of the ship and saw the crappiest movies in a tiny theater. The S.S. France however was more egalitarian and you could circulate throughout the ship despite being labeled as belonging to tourist class. I'm not sure how that works on modern cruise ships and if they have several classes.

The last time I sailed across the Atlantic I was 17 and took a cabin on a cargo ship (the S.S. Kenosha) in 1967. It was the most fun, sailing from Savannah, Georgia to Lisbon, Portugal and making stops at Valencia, Barcelona, and Marseille. There were only four cabins with four private passengers and we got to have meals with the Captain and some of the crew (all Italian). The Captain was dead drunk every day and night we were out to sea and he kept having arguments with an English passenger about how the world would be better if the Nazis had won the war. One day, in mid Atlantic, the engines stopped and all lights and electricity failed. It was nearly dusk and on the ship's deck we saw a gigantic circle of light beneath the water surrounding the ship. It lasted about 45 minutes and slowly faded away, after which the engines came back on. I have no idea what that was all about but I'll never forget it. I enjoyed interacting with the crew members who spoke English and visiting the colorful towns in the ports we hit. There was also plenty of time to relax and read books on deck. I think there are still many cargo ships that offer a few cabins to tourists who want a different, less touristy type of sea going experience.

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. The SS United States WAS NOT A "CRUISE SHIP!!"

lol.....I have to LOL because it is an issue near and dear to my heart.

I sailed on her West Bound in September of '67. The United States was/Is an OCEAN LINER, same with the Mary, the France (though they turned the France INTO a cruise ship), the Normandie etc.

It is an insult to the purpose and fine design of those vessels to call them "Cruise Ships"

THIS is a cruise ship;

A fucking 5000 person, 20 knot, eyesore of a floating hotel.

This is a god damned Ocean Liner, and the finest ever built, for that matter;

A 1900 passenger, 35+ knot, ocean conquering work of art.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

20. Well lots of people went on them for tourist purposes and called their trips ocean cruises

They weren't using them purely as transportation as my mother was. I guess I have no idea what a modern cruise ship is like as I haven't sailed on a ship in over 40 years. Had I known this was such a sensitive subject I would not have posted. One reason I don't post in GD anymore is that even if I post that the sky is blue, I get upset outraged posters telling me it's azure or some other shade and my blood pressure doesn't like that. And having sailed on these ships a number of times, I do recall many passengers calling their trips ocean cruises. I do realize that I don't know what a Carnival Cruise or some other concept of a cruise ship is like in modern times.

[A HERETIC I AM]

22. I apologize for my tone.

It was, after all, quarter to three in the morning when I posted that!

I realized when I put that up that I was taking issue with something that is not really all that important, at the end of the day and I am sorry for the way I presented it, but the point I am trying to make I think is valid. There is a distinct difference between the transoceanic ships of the era of which you traveled and the behemoth I pictured above.

There is a fundamental difference in purpose, speed capability and design between an Ocean Liner and a Cruise Ship.

I have great affection for the SS United States. It is an absolute tragedy that she has sat rusting away in Philadelphia for all these years and that one of the finest examples of naval architecture ever built in this country may not survive the shipbreakers torch.

Again, I'm sorry for my tone.

[Le Taz Hot]

11. I know people who absolutely LOVE them.

For most of them, the cruise IS the destination. Personally, I went on one and only one. After a day-and-a-half, you've pretty much seen everything on the boat, the food isn't that great (unless you're REALLY into junk food) and I just kept wanting to get off the damned boat and hang with the locals. But you only have so much time at the ports of call and then, back on the boat.

It's all what you're into..

[lost-in-nj]

12. there is a good website dedicated to most of the cruise ships

cruisecritic.com


lost

[mainer]

13. Your kid will meet lots of other kids

Esp on carnival cruises. That's one positive. But you might also consider an all- inclusive resort somewhere where there are other families. One thing i know about teens is they want other teens.

[avebury]

14. I love cruising and have been on cruises with

Carnival, Norweigan, and Royal Caribbean. I don't like really huge crowds so I don't have any desire to sail on a mega size ship. Based upon the itinerary you choose you can have as relazing or as busy a vacation as you wish.

I love the water and so prefer cruising to the Caribbean. I like to try different adverterous shore excursion when possible. One of my favorite cruises is the one Carnival offers out of San Juan, Puerto Rico (a San Juan departure is like adding in another island to your trip). I usually fly in the day before the cruise and fly out the day after the cruise. That cruise visits St. Thomas (a great place to try parasailing or snuba). The snuba was totally amazing. Next stop was Barbados, then St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Maartens. St. Kitts has an awesome zip line tour that your son might enjoy. This cruise can be more action packed then restful but is a great chance to see what is out there.

Other great places to cruise to:
Grand Cayman - visit to Stingray City and swim with the stingrays (the water was gorgeous) or visit the Turtle Farm (awesom)
Cozumel - swim with the Dophins (thru the ship) or swim with the manatees (can book on your own)
Curacao - great beaches and a neat capital to walk around
Belize - totally awesome snorkling

I have always wanted to visit some Mayan ruins but have never managed to make myself leave the water to do so.

I have only gone on one cruise where I did not go into the water that was the Mexican Riveria cruise (the Pacific Ocean is a littlt too cold for my taste). I booked separate excursions to see Puerto Vallerta and Mazatlan and then booked a whale watch excursion through the ship. The whale watching excursion was beyond awesome. We were on a zodiac and got just about right up next to a momma whale. We got to watch her an her baby breach several times. That excursion made the whole cruise worth while.

Some Royal Caribbean ships offer rock climbing and flow riders which might interest your son if he likes to be active.

I would recommend going on the various cruise line websites and studying ships and itineraries to determine what will best fit your families needs.

[NV Whino]

15. I think both Ted and Tom are jerks.

[PRETZEL]

16. My wife and I went on out first cruise last year

Princess lines,

Seven day southern Carribbean.

We went with a group of people (15 in all) but no kids.

It was ok, we enjoyed ourselves mainly because we weren't at sea the whole time. But, after about 5 days we were ready for it to end. Not that we weren't enjoying ourselves, we aren't big gamblers so the casino wasn't a big draw for us, we'd already been in the gift shops more times than we wanted and drinking all day was a waste.

We saw some beautiful sights and for the most part the seas were pretty calm, except for the area around Cuba when the seas got pretty bad.

Overall, we did enjoy it, but a cruise longer than 5 days for us would be too much.

[Paulie]

17. I've done Princess and Disney.

I'll go back to Disney cruses for sure. Wonderful experience and no pushy liquor and no gambling.

[RebelOne]

18. I love them. I have been on three Caribbean cruises.

A cruise is the best vacation ever,

[Arugula Latte]

19. It doesn't appeal to me:

- You're trapped in this place with thousands of other people - no escape
- You're spending time in a sterile environment when you could be somewhere you've never been -- a "real" place
- Most cruise lines treat their staff like indentured servants
- I don't like the environmental implications of cruise ships

[RiffRandell]

28. Sterile?

The Norovirus is constantly contaminating them and spreads like wildfire....yuck!

[Arugula Latte]

32. Well, yes, that's true...

[Scuba]

23. I'd love to do an Alaska cruise, but as for the Caribbean, give me a condo someplace anyday.

[Callmecrazy]

25. I"m going on a cruise for New Year's...

My second. Best vacation I ever had. Even when you're out at sea with no port of call, you can find something, or nothing, to do. I liked being catered to and there's no push for tipping. You pay about ten bucks a day at the start of the trip and no more. Food's great. Weather's great. These people know what they're doing and will keep you entertained or leave you alone. I highly rec.

[KamaAina]

26. For the FSM's sake, stay away from Carnival

[OriginalGeek]

27. Oh, and there's this:

You got 75 days until departure - I'd go just to see Carcass and DRI but there's gonna be a lot more bands too...

[alarimer]

29. I wouldn't go on one.

For the reasons most people have stated. Cruise terminals can be very environmentally destructive. Cruise ships do not bring in much money to the locals in the places they visit, while other types of tourism might. And, yuck, trapped on a boat with THOUSANDS of other people.

I'm a snob, though. I like to get off the beaten track and avoid the tourist hordes like the plague.

I might make an exception for a specialty cruise like to Alaska, or on a sailing vessel, or the Nation cruise, but not for anything else.

[RiffRandell]

31. I've never been on one and don't have the desire to.

My idea of a vacation is being a beach bum or visiting places I've never been (I want to go to Italy and France) and eating great food, staying at a nice hotel and doing non-touristy stuff...well, maybe a little sightseeing.

I don't want to feel confined or trapped, and I'm a massive germaphobe and would be paranoid about cleanliness.

I know people that love them (outside of this thread) and that's great...having a shitty vacation sucks.

My sister and her husband went one an Alaskan one a few months ago and it was nothing like it was advertised on the company website...their room stunk and she said it looked old and dirty; she complained but they wouldn't move her. She said the food was horrible. My kids got some cute Alaskan t-shirts.

It was a reputable line and not cheap...not the line that was stranded for days...I would have been freaking out...I don't know how those people dealt, but I guess you do what you have to, but that was a major fuck-up. Right now I can't stop thinking of the people in the Philippines...breaks my heart.

They really rip you off using your cell phone when you are on the water, but my sister kept calling me anyway complaining and then she would joke around and say things like "did you hear about the girl that drank all the booze on the ship then jumped overboard?"...this is my other sister, for those that "know" me.

That's my 2 cents; and whatever you decide I hope you have a great time and enjoy it!

[JI7]

33. i would probably only go if i didn't have to pay for it , if i was going to spend money

on a vacation i would probably prefer something else.

but i guess it depends on what you want. if it is mostly about relaxing, the sun , water than it might actually be ok for you.

i'm the type that prefers things like learning about history, culture and other things about places i visit.

but i'm in so cal so i get easy and free access to the sun and water much of the time which others may not .

[Trailrider1951]

34. You know, I've never been on a cruise.

At one time I thought a great deal about it, and wanted to drag my sister along for the ride. I found this website:

http://www.vacationstogo.com

that fills those unsold cabins for a great price, if you can go within about 90 days. Hope this helps!


Also, for something completely different, I recommend a long trip on AMTRAK. Trains are a far more intimate way of traveling with strangers (soon to be friends), but without the spam-in-a-can, get there ASAP feeling of buses and airlines. You ride along through the countryside (take an atlas or laptop) seeing AMERICA, and sometimes the train staff will announce over the PA local historical, geological, or even comical points of interest. Unlike cruises, you have your choice of Dining car, Snack/Club car, or your own personal stash of food, beverage, or what have you. The only forbidden item is alcohol, for obvious reasons. Wine and beer may be purchased in the Club car. You may not take any food or beverage aboard a cruise ship. Coach AMTRAK accommodations are OK, but if you can afford it, upgrading to a sleeping car is the way to go on a long trip. It is pricey, but includes all your meals in the Dining car. Unlike cruises, it is best to reserve your tickets as far in advance as possible, as that is the way you get the best price.

My last trip went from Austin, TX to San Antonio (the Texas Eagle), then on to Los Angeles(the Sunset Limited). Overnight there, then north on the Coast Starlight through California beach and Cascade country, through Oregon to Seattle. Then I spent some time with my son and his family, who live up there. In my opinion, AMTRAK rocks! Did you know they have a spur in Arizona that goes to the Grand Canyon? Why look at the top of the water on a cruise when you can see the marvelous panorama of our home?