First Cruise

Meriel and numberplese: your comments are exactly what I tried to say earlier - there has to be a good fit between you and your ship/cruise line. If not, it's difficult for everyone.
For example: having tried four cruise lines, our favourite is now Celebrity (but even they are 'dumbing down' in various ways but that's another story). However, Celebrity some years ago was a slightly more sedate line than it is now (more and more younger people now take them) and as my eldest daughter, son-in-law and their two children wanted to join us on a cruise, we thought that Celebrity would not suit them.
We therefore booked with Carnival, on a cruise out of Miami but everyone in the family hated it. It was too loud and 'Butlin-y' for us and too well, everything they hated for them. plus much went wrong for them - no cot in their stateroom for the baby was just the beginning!
We will never use them again and neither will daughter and family (who say this cruise put them off cruising for ever!). Obviously many people do like a really jolly cruise and these would love Carnival - like everything, it is horses for courses. I am not suggesting that one cruise line is superior to another, just that finding the right cruise for you is worth spending some time on and could make a huge difference to your holiday and overall experience.

I ve never been on a cruise, never had the money to go, and it s never appealed to me at all My friend goes regularly and usually tells me about helping 90 year olds get dressed or wheeled around etc she had an elderly man in the next cabin to her who used to knock to be helped to do his tie up and get his shoes off at night ... Nothing wrong with that at all I like helping folks but doesn't sound too much of a holiday to me ... probably just me

Meriel your brother and SiL’s experience of cruising from Fort Lauderdale isn't unusual. Florida has so many retired people, who don’t really mind where the cruise is going, but just wait for the last-minutes reductions that cruise lines make to fill the ships (it’s a very competitive market). They don’t need to make travel plans to get to the ship, as they can drive there, so they often book just a few days ahead of departure and get amazingly cheap deals, if there are a large number of unsold cabins coming up to departure date.

Me riel, I can't believe your brother could only find burgers on the menu !

I'm amazed that anyone would suggest removing tips. There's usually a queue at reception of people doing just that. The staff are extremely hard working and deserve every penny.How anyone can spend thousands on a cruise and then remove the tips is beyond me! I've just come back from a 12 day cruise and the tips were £66. I think that's pretty good value.

Agreed Kittye. Even though we may not approve of the way the cruise lines pay their staff, that is the way it is and I would find it hard to be polite to anyone I met who had boasted about having tips removed. It is not just about the staff you see and talk to ( without exception all polite) it is the behind the scenes staff who keep the ship clean, painted, the kitchens stocked, the public areas and toilets sparkling clean. If you are proud of depriving these hard working people of their wages then shame on you. As to your comments Bluebelle frankly that is rubbish. Nobody is obliged to help elderly fellow passengers, nobody expects you to be an unpaid carer, your friend must have been a interfering busybody volunteering to help. I have never even heard anyone in neighbouring cabin, let alone heard them calling for help to put their socks on. Such nonsense.

Our cruise cost less than one thousand pounds for both of us, as we got BOGOF. £5 per person per night was added to our on board bill for tips, and then everything we purchased on the ship was charged to our boarding card, to be paid at the end of the cruise. We didn`t add a lot to our card, a couple of drinks and a couple of games of bingo, plus some photographs, but at the end, we didn`t have to pay a penny, as on the last day we played a game of bingo, hubby won the house prize of £150, and they owed us just over £11!

I am disabled and use a mobility scooter on board. Cruising is the only way I can have a holiday on my own using disabled accessible rooms and manage to see other countries.
I prefer to go from Southampton as I've had a lot of problems flying solo with my scooter..
I have enquirered of staff on board and they have all told me that that the 'hotel charge' does not go to them! It is another way of the owners raising their profits. They'd rather have cash tip.
I love my cruises, but must admit, that I do travel luxury class in that my favourite is Cunard. I also travel in the grills class suites.
I have worked all my life for the money to pay for these cruises and am still working part time at age 71.

Good for you Galen. We like the smaller ships now. Voyages of Antiquity and Pandaw at the moment.

The demographic of cruising has changed, and so thankfully cruising is open to many more people, but you must choose a company that suits you. If you are the type of person who cancels tips (something I find unbelievable)and scrimps and saves over drinks on deck, then perhaps cruising is not for you. It is an expensive holiday!
Our favourite, Celebrity has definitely cut the little luxury frills. We also like Oceania Cruise Line which is a bit more sedate, more expensive, but a little quiet.
My tips are... always go where Americans go, they expect high standards! Go on ships with mixed nationalities, Brits moan too much. Sit on a table for 8 or 10 as the evening meal is such a big part of your holiday, can be great fun, but move if you have the type of person who has cancelled their tips on your table! Don't sail from UK. (If possible have a suite)

Oh, and get the drinks package!

Aquagran I am so with you! We wouldn't cancel tips, indeed, it removes all that embarrassing business on the last evening, of the Maitred D' and Sommelier prowling the tables seeking their little white envelopes! Thank goodness those days have gone.
You have also noticed Celebrity dumbing down! Do they think we don't notice?
As to sitting with Americans, you are so right....... and I know I'll be shot down here but on a recent cruise, we were slightly late to the (by now pretty full) dining room on the first evening and were being escorted to our table. I realised that we were heading for a particular table where there were six seated with two spaces - obviously for us. As we neared the table I heard English accents and...... kept on walking, much to the confusion (and consternation) of husband and Maitre D'. I walked past 'our' table and round the back of the room so we coud arrange another table - with Americans. We find they are so jolly and open, compared to fellow Brits who - in our past experience - enjoy moaning about everything!

I totally agree. Let's meet on a cruise!!!

Aquagran and Candelle, we are Celebrity fans too and I agree with everything you say, especially about your preference for cruising on ships with mixed nationalities. I think “having a moan” is much ore acceptable in conversation in the UK than some other countries, but we feel lucky to be able to cruise and have met lovely people of many nationalities (including Brits),

Celebrity have undeniably cut the frills in recent years – but it’s still our favourite of the lines we have tried. We are thinking of trying Oceania for a change next time, mainly because Celebrity cruisers speak highly of it, so we feel it would probably be a good fit for us.

Happy cruising everyone!

Good to hear you like Celebrity. We are taking a cruise with them in October. Been with P &O. and HAL for others.

Edit - much "more" acceptable.

We like Celebrity too. I am wondering in what way people feel they have cut back? We have sailed twice on Eclipse and before that with the very small Swan Hellenic Minerva, all excursions included. That ship made us feel very youthful and is definitely attractive to a much older clientele.

Fine words Aquagran but spare a thought for the single traveller wo saves like anything to go on a cruise and have to limit the expenditure. With double pension or income, some people are much better off than others. Would you deny them the chance of a luxurious holiday every couple of years. I have to be extremely frugal to afford a cruise and don't go every year. With regard to tips, I was told by a crew member that cruise companies collect the tips and keep the same amount back so that they are not fully funding the wage bill. I would always give my money to staff in order that they benefit.

Belladonna, we feel that Celebrity have 'dumbed down' in several ways but overall still enjoy their cruises, mainly because of the attractive cabins (particularly on Solstice class ships) and helpful staff.

Years ago, one was offered a hors d'oeuvres, soup, salad, entree and dessert but these courses have become blurred. They are all still available but if eating at a table with eight or ten (our preference) other passengers, it seems rude to always be a course or two behind everyone else. Most guests order three courses. We are obviously piggies!!

The quality of the food has declined a little too - there used to be really top quality meat but this is not always the case now.

The late night canapes have disappeared (actually, we rarely had room for them, as we choose to eat at the later sitting and were still pretty full) but enjoyed the thought of their availability!

Their 'Captain's Club' programme was changed a few years ago and our Elite status was changed - not a game-changer as for example, we didn't particularly enjoy the 'Captain's Cocktail parties' to which we were invited but there were other perks which disappeared..

There has been a recent change in dress code for the dining room. We enjoy dressing up (husband looks v handsome or should that read 'looks particularly handsome' in his DJ!), so no more formal evenings. For passengers who prefer to dress up, sitting with those who are happy in a vest and shorts may not make for a compatible evening.

The entertainment is not quite what it was: the 'orchestra' used to consist of eight or ten musicians but latterly five or six is the norm.

For several years running we took two cruises a year and found the same entertainers on each cruise. They must go from ship to ship for a year or so. To be fair, this may be the same on other cruise lines too but it was annoying.

Staff used to carry trays in the Oceanview Cafe from the buffet to one's table but alas, no more.

I also think that the staff have more to do as they seem to work even more frantically that in years gone by - if that is possible.

Reading though, this all seems very snobby but that is not what I am trying to portray, just advising the changes that we have seen over the past fourteen years or so.

We agree with you that we feel more youthful on a cruise, too!

We still enjoy the Celebrity 'can do' attitude, which compares favourably to some other lines we have tried.

Ah, well, Candelle, we only discovered Celebrity Eclipse about 3 years ago and were very impressed although I imagine a lot of the changes had taken place already so we wouldn't have missed them. I like Aqua class and its pool, I like the cabin sizes, the fact a lot of the departures are from Southampton, I don't mind the more casual dressing, and I love the tables for 2. We can still be friendly with everyone but not necessarily when we are eating. Most of all I love the glass lifts, which means I can actually use them, even alone, as I have a big problem with enclosed lifts.
It's SwanHellenic who have older guests, and we are certainly knocking on a bit ourselves, so actually felt quite youthful with that company. No more cruises now for OH health reasons, but lots of lovely memories.

Loved our 2 cruises - both with Thomson so tips were included but we tipped cabin boy, Maitre d' and wine sommelier for good service as we would in a hotel.
I found cruise critic very helpful and if you do Facebook there is often a closed group for particular ships where people can ask current questions, get tips about cruise ship and ports of call. I found that really helpful. There is also a site (American) about different ports and again it was useful to find where the ships berthed and if you could walk off and wander round or needed transport.
Main tip - if you do leave the ship - come back in plenty time! Watch some funny YouTube videos of people rolling up late for the ship leaving!
Have a wonderful cruise and celebration - some Captains do blessings for anniversaries as well.