Very large cruise ships - pros and cons

Some cruise ships are just way too big, saw some moored when in Malta, they are like floating cities. And of course the passengers were herded into Valletta in large groups with guides waving madly in front, was a bit like a minor invasion, and woe betide if you stray in front of them, these passengers are not for stopping.
Am sure is enjoyable but wouldn’t be my thing, I like to keep my feet firmly on terra firma.

I don’t think much of them to answer the question. I dislike the way cruise ships visually dominate every port they visit, and then those ads of them in the Norwegian fjords. Gross is the word that comes to mind.

I would hate to go on a cruise. We have watched these huge monsters coming into Venice. The have banned them now because of the damage they were doing.

We have friends who profess to love cruising but whenever they return they complain that the cabin was too small, the other passengers were annoying, and the trips were too short for them to see or do much. Then next thing I hear they are booking another one. Very weird 🤨

What happens to all the sewage that the passengers and crew produce? And also what happens to this general waste and rubbish that must be produced during a luxury cruise?

I know that these people would be producing waste wherever they were but it would be not be in such a concentrated area.

We have family who cruise although it doesn't appeal to me.

I've experienced the other side of the thousands of visitors landing on small islands, or even mainland Britain. Sometimes coachloads arrive unbooked at tearooms and take over; they fill up the places of interest so that independent visitors can't get in; they wander about town centres looking vague (Where are we?). One of the latest things is large numbers of them setting off in big groups on bicycles; they block the traffic on narrow island roads, don't know the local rules of the road (e.g. don't stop for pedestrian crossings because they don't know what they are). The big floating blocks of flats also dominate the small harbours.

There are some smaller ships that look far more attractive but probably don't rake in as much money due to the smaller number of passengers and possibly don't have all the attractions (shudder!) that the big ones do.

My DD sent me a photo of a cruise ship coming into port in Malta. It had 6,000 people on board.
My idea of hell.

I think as more holiday destinations ban gigantic cruise ships, as Venice has done, this trend will die a death.

My idea of hell too AGAA4.

Everyone I know who’s been on a cruise has come back with some illness or other, particularly Covid!

We used to cruise and did enjoy it but we much preferred much smaller ships. Those floating blocks of flats are awful.

I have been on 3 cruises- love the fact that you see several places on one trip, be it just for a day (or two, sometimes)….

Days off cruising have gone now ... it's far too bad for the environment, and thousands get off on a port day and wander around clogging up everything .. no one spends any money as why would you ? Get back on the ship and order a free coffee !

I've been visiting my son in Gibraltar when a large or even two smaller cruise ships are in dock and it being only a tiny place its mayhem on Main Street or when people want to go up the Rock. I know it brings in revenue and it is a lovely place but one small cruise ship at a time would be fine. The first time I went there 15yrs ago I mistook a cruise liner in the dock for a block of flats as I could only see it at the bottom of the road as I walked past.

DS suggested last year that I might like to go on a fjords cruise with them. It looked at the picture of the floating tower block that was the ship and said “no thank you. I won’t get on any boat I can’t fish over the side of and even then, I’m not keen!” How much bigger can they get? On their last holiday in Turkey, DD and SiL went to Ephesus. They were advised to go extremely early in the morning to get round it all before the cruise ships delivered their passengers there, when apparently, it became “hell”.

A friend of mine is a guide in the cathedral of a city not far from a cruise port. Hundreds of passengers get bussed to the cathedral and the place is suddenly overwhelmed. Most of the tourists just want to walk round quickly and then maybe find a cafe before getting bussed back to the ship. What is the point?

The thought gives me the heeby jeebies I would really dislike going on a cruise and those floating towns look awful I can’t think of anything worse to be honest
No not for me at all

I watched a documentary about cruise ships in Orkney.
It seemed that they were not welcomed by most of the residents, the passengers eat on board so spend little in the islands.

I have never been on a cruise myself but I do know plenty of people who are perennial cruisers.

Magenta8

What happens to all the sewage that the passengers and crew produce? And also what happens to this general waste and rubbish that must be produced during a luxury cruise?

I know that these people would be producing waste wherever they were but it would be not be in such a concentrated area.

This will explain what happens to all the waste.
It’s not what you think

www.cruisehive.com/what-do-cruise-ships-do-with-sewage/106631

It’s just as well we are all different, isn’t it?
My idea of hell would be a camping holiday! I would be willing to pay good money not to go on one of those!

We’ve had a fair number of cruises over the past 15 years or so and I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every one.

Cruises have enabled us to visit so many beautiful, interesting places including Northern Europe, the Med and the Caribbean in the winter.

We do prefer the smaller ships with a more personal service, but it all depends on the itinerary - which ships are going to places we want to see, and at a time of year to suit us.

I’m sure neither of us would contemplate one of the huge ones though.

There are lots of misconceptions about cruising, and I certainly needed some convincing myself, but after the first one I was hooked!

Like I said though, we all want different things from a holiday, and probably cruises, more than most other types, do require people to do their research before they book.

Nothing on earth could persuade me to set foot on a cruise, I'm afraid - no matter what size the ship was. It would be my idea of hell.

I've been on a couple of cruises .
It was OK not wonderful .
I didn't particularly like being alloted a place for the evening meal .
You could change ,
but it looked anti - social .
There was a virus on our ship and I was nauseated for days .
The thing that we all really disliked was the way that we felt hurried off the ship at the end of the cruise .

I have never been on a cruise and money would be too tight for me to go on one - but I must admit that the amount of people I know who have become ill on a cruise (sickness bugs etc) would make me a bit wary.

We went on our first cruise 2 years ago and it is without question the best holiday I have ever been on. We have since been on 2 more. You visit so many places, have great entertainment, eat good food and it is so relaxing. Each to their own but we love it.

Grammaretto

I watched a documentary about cruise ships in Orkney.
It seemed that they were not welcomed by most of the residents, the passengers eat on board so spend little in the islands.

I have never been on a cruise myself but I do know plenty of people who are perennial cruisers.

Some of the gift shops in Kirkwall don't do badly from the big cruise ships- there are a lot selling things like hand-spun & knitted goods,& other locally made crafts & due to ferries etc the islands aren't packed with other tourists.
But no good for food & drink.