To cruise or not to cruise?

Galen - I didn't know you could do that, I thought it was all inclusive. I knew a rather rich couple once who loved cruising. He told me the cost did include tips but that they always tipped extra if they felt they had specially good service from a crew member. His wife added 'Well, we do, but only £100 or so'. Blimey. They travelled with two large trunks (not cases) so they could take several changes of evening clothes. Bloomin' 'eck.

I sign to say I don't want to pay the gratuities and that's it!

Cockney gypsies, Greenfinch? Are there such things? True cockneys are born within the sound of Bow Bells, like my lovely grandad, and he certainly wasn't a gypsy as generations of his family were all born and lived in the area and never strayed elsewhere.

Cruising? Not for us. I am put off by the words 'inclusive of tips'. What if I don't want to tip - will I get a refund? I would also object to being told what to wear - all that 'dress for dinner' outdated nonsense.

Number don't worry about dressing up. If they have a formal night and you don't want to go you just go to another dining room. And my cleaning lady has booked her next cruise in the summer,my hairdresser and his partner are in the Canaries at the moment,my BIL who had lots of gold braid on him when he was in the navy has just come back from Caribbean. Everyone has a ate to tell. I met one lady who travelled on her own because her DH wouldn't leave his steam engines he was rebuilding . The crew are also very interesting if they have time to talk. A microcosm on the world.

We had a group of Cockney gypsies whom the crew found very difficult to understand but I don't think they were short of a penny or two. They certainly did not dress up.

I enjoy river cruising and 8 days is enough for me. No dressing up for Dinner smart casual is fine and no set seating so you can sit anywhere you like and have different companions for every meal.

Number they are people just like me and you! I've met plumbers (probably a lot richer than me given what they charge) gardeners, judges, tv personalities, some lovely like George Mcgavery, some really obnoxious, widows, widowers ( very few), shop assistants, in fact people from all walks of life! It's all part of the fun.

I agree with LesleyC it was not for me, I could not fault the service or the food, but the entertainment left me cold, the photographers at every exit point were overpowering.And to be honest we/I did not find much to interest us.
Also I had issues with people not using the hand gel before getting food at the buffet and loading plates as if each meal was their last.

I would, hastily, add that it must be ideal for disabled people!

It could be a bit like an over-priced Butlins on water.

Isn't it more interesting to plan and arrange your own travel itinerary?

Why?

I think cruising is a bit plebby.

...and imagine them naked as well....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Kum8OUTuk

number; just be yourself and, if people don't like you it's their problem and their loss. And, if anyone does act snooty just think of the Harry Enfield 'considerably richer that y'au sketches', have a chuckle to yourself and tell us about it .

I do cruise but I am concerned about the non-British staff. Is this slave labour? The ships being registered in the Caribbean means they don't have to pay the minimum wage. The crew work long hours and are away from their family for months at a time .They have to be always cheerful and smart. I try to picture a possible time in the future when the cruisers are all Chinese and Westerners were the crew . How would we feel? I sometimes feel like a hypocrite

I also don't like cruises for environmental reasons. The post about sailing into Venice made me think, I couldn't do it, The damage these ships do to the lagoon habitat is terrible. There are also a number of places where the locals hate cruise ships because only the authorities benefit through the port fees. Local small businesses suffer. If you must cruise please consider these things when booking.

numberplease how will they know if they are better off than you unless you tell them ? So what if they have been on 50 cruises, you have I'm sure done other things. Does it actually matter what they think, you will probably never see them again. We have certainly never found this to be the case. Most cruisers will be just ordinary decent people.
as I said above nobody tells you what to do, the choices are yours. Enjoy.

GillT we had no problem taking our own wine on board. No smuggling involved as we declared them and the cabin steward provided glasses and a corkscrew.
This was P&O. Maybe different companies have different policies or security may have been upped recently.

We`re going on our first cruise in April to the fjords. I`ve always said I didn`t want to cruise, as I prefer to stay in one place and get to know it, but hubby has always fancied cruising. I gave in this year, but we couldn`t afford a warm climate cruise, so fingers crossed we`ll enjoy it. Ethel, your fear is also mine, that people better off than us, or with more cruising experience, will look down their noses at us, just hope they don`t.

We have done a couple of cruises and despite our initial reservations we love them!
We went on fly cruises and then tried one from Southampton.Both have their pluses and minuses.
The ships we go for tend to be the ones that say they are less formal and they have been, they have a choice of dining rooms and times so you can meet lots of people if you want to or ask for a table for 2 and you don't have to sit and chat to strangers. You don't have to dress up on these but they have a couple of formal dining days but even on those days you don't have to wear posh frocks but can do if you want to.
Our first one was just for 7 days in case we didn't like it but we did!

We love cruises. New places every few days and mostly you sleep whilst travelling. So much to do on sea days if you want to or just relax with a book . Can't say I have ever felt herded. Dress up if you want or just relax and use the buffet . We have seen so many lovely and interesting places and people and enjoyed plenty of time doing our own thing, There are few rules and so much choice.

There isn't anything that could persuade me to go on a cruise, it would be my very worst nightmare.

We did a Riviera coach holiday last year and really enjoyed it; the people on our bus were great fun but I guess we had a bond in that we were all living our dream of seeing America. It was very tiring, though. I can't see me ever doing a cruise; I sat on a boat for a day going to Santorini an back once and was terribly bored.

I have never been on a cruise - and reading this thread, I cannot see me ever doing so. It really doesn't sound like my kind of thing.

I like to go somewhere, get settled and really get to know it. I always look for somewhere with a sea view or a lovely view, so that relaxing time can be spent reading and enjoying the view.

The whole "herding" idea puts me right off. Maybe the basis of this antipathy is the fact that I went to Butlins as a child and was smacked by a Redcoat!!

We have resigned ourselves to enjoying places via the TV - there are so many wonderful travel programmes that can be seen from your armchair.

Been on a few cruises and loved them. If you go in late Spring, or late summer the Bay of Biscay should be ok. Get a cabin in the centre of the ship and not too high as that is where you feel the least movement. But with the bigger ships there isn't much anyway. I recommend the Med as there are so many interesting stops whatever the itinerary, and sailing into Venice is just wonderful. 10 - 14 days is a good length for the first time. You don't have to dine with other people at all if you don't want to.

Go for it and have a wonderful time!