Views on a cruise

DH & I took a lot of persuading to join friends who had been on quite a few cruises but, once we succumbed, we absolutely loved it and have cruised at least once a year for the past 12 years. One trip included 2 nights docked in St Petersburg and we booked a trip with a recommended company (not the ship's tour) and it was the most amazing place - something we would have never done on our own. The fjords are lovely too. Try just a week to see how you get on.

Like any holiday you need to think carefully about what you want from the holiday. Read about the cruise line and what it is like. Read reviews. Decide if it is going where you want to go and if it is the sort of environment you might enjoy. Don’t just book the cheapest, biggest, most booze unless that is the culture you enjoy.
We have cruised many times with Saga. We eat whenever we want, where we want and with whom we want. We go on excursions if we want and until now the ships we have been on have had 400 to 700 passengers. We have met some lovely people from all walks of life. Have we encountered any snobbish behaviour, yes. In total about 6 people we can remember over 8 cruises. The vast majority of people we met are ordinary everyday folk. To sail Saga you have to be over 50. Many are considerably older. The crew are wonderful. Kind, funny, helpful and very caring. They get on well with each other and the passengers. Even though the cruises are all inclusive drinks wise, I have never seen anyone drunk on Saga (asleep yes but drunk no). Most people drink in moderation and I have never seen any fights or arguments. The lectures are fantastic and the guest speakers have been very interesting.
If you want to do a cruise I suggest you decide what sort of holiday you want and find the cruise line most likely to provide it.
And before anyone asks, no I have not been to Venice.

I would rather stick pins in my eyes than go on a cruise! But then DH and I hate being in a large group and being regimented in any way. We’d much rather travel independently - I get lots of fun from the planning, we can stay as long as we want, you don’t have to hang around for anyone else and you can really experience other cultures. We went on an escorted tour to SE Asia once (only once!) and I was gobsmacked to see a lot of people never left whatever hotel we were staying in except in the tour bus. And it’s a lot cheaper to do it yourself!

The old transatlantic liners used to have kennels and a deck for exercising dogs.

I have decidedly enjoyed the few cruises I've been on. I use them as convenient travelling wardrobe which helps me to have a taster of places I would like to return to and do in depth. Like many others, I only use small ships and I don't avail myself of the organised tours. Best one I ever went on was with Easycruise to the Greek Islands where you ran up a tab and only paid for exactly what you consumed from any restaurant or bar and tipping was voluntary. Excellent.

I agree with you jura about the cruise ships in Venice - the city just can’t cope with them.

It’s surprising that nobody’s come up with cruising with dogs - a gap in the market there, I think!

Sailed from New York to wherever we decked in the UK. I was 15 and can't remember. Would it have been Liverpool? QE2. Fabulous experience. I loved every minute but my parents loathed it.

Not quite the sae as cruises of today.

I've been watching the Jane MacDonald cruise shows and some of the trips look fabulous.

Maybe one day. Quite fancy an Alaska one.

But like another poster mentioned we have a small dog who can't be left so it might be some time before we embark.

Oh heck, Mindy5, that was the holiday from hell (and more!). Poor you. I haven’t come across the queuing to get on or off, but I do take your point on the “gannets” - you see it everywhere these days, people just overfilling their plates because they can, and then leaving half of it. I hate waste.

We often prefer an easygoing break ourselves, jura, so I understand where you’re coming from. But I don’t think it would be easy to see much of Alaska, for example, that way. And the Baltic Cities cruise (only £800 each for 14 nights, as a last minute deal) gave us chance to see where we’d like to return to for a “proper” stay - Helsinki, in our case. Though tbh we’re starting to rethink all holidays now because of the environmental impact. We’re lucky to have been able to travel a lot and will probably stay close to home more in future.

I have recently been to the Norwrgian fjords with a friend. It was booked through Mr Bridge and we played bridge while at sea. 4 stop offs in Flam, Olden, Bergen and Hellsylt so were able to walk and cycle and go on a rigid inflatable boat(RIB). A lot of food and I was determined to eat carefully and not put on weight. I put on 1 lb only so not too bad. I was away for a week and had a great time.

Back to Venice - perhaps you would have enjoyed it more if you had had more time to walk and go to the 'back' of it all. We visited in November- and stayed at a little Hôtel right next to St Marc's, with a roof terrasse overlooking it all. We walked and walked for 3 days - something you could never do on a short cruise day stop.

But again, the point about Cruise Ships and Venice- was about the effect on this frail wonderful place- it has enough problems without those massive damaging ships.

The waste of food appalled me on the one ocean cruise I went on. People took plates full to overflowing and left most of it. Enjoyed river cruise more. Still prefer our camper van and its freedom.

... but that was NOT the point RRH, was it?

I surprised myself by loving my first cruise. We took teenage DC with us and it ticked all the boxes. We choose an informal one as I would hate fixed mealtimes and fancy dress.
Yes we sailed into Venice. I had been there before 30 years ago and wasn't that impressed then. This time it was worse. Hugely over rated.

I went on my first ever 5 day cruise last year, I hated every minute of it! I disliked being forced to eat at a set time, at a set table, with set people. I hated having to queue to leave the ship, aimlessly wander about, then queue to get back onto the ship. I disliked the 'posers', of which there were many. I hated the 'gannets' of which there were many too; they pounced upon any buffet that was available, hungry or not, and filled their plates with food which remained uneaten because they had 'eyes bigger than their bellies' as my mother used to say. Above all, I disliked discovering with certainty that my female companion, a friend of several years standing, was a delusional, self-centred, pathological liar, who took great delight in belittling me at every possible moment; she had money to burn so showing off was possible; I don't have money nor do I do the showing off bit. In a way I'm grateful for the experience, it's at least opened my eyes. I would never go on another cruise though, even with somebody 'normal'.

It's well worth doing your homework before you book. There are so many cruise lines to choose from. Not every ship is a massive sea going leisure park!

Maggiemaybe- I get your point. For me, it is not about 'snobbism or reverse snobbism' - First of all we are too independent to be attached to specific hours for trips, etc.
But also the cost- I look at the price and I put a few ideas together and realise I can self organise an absolutlely fabulous trip for quite a bit less than that.

But the final straw is the current and proven knowledge of the massive environmental damage- which most people on this thread have widely ignored. It is when I say those pictures of Venice that I really 'got it' - I would not want to be part of this. Whether that makes me a snob, or a virtue signaller, is not important to me.

And to top it all- little Emma could not come with us- and as long as she lives, we will plan all holidays around her. (13 year old dog we adopted last year and who can't go into kennels).

There's a lot of snobbery around cruising, both ways. People who think they're way better than those who go on them, and people who've been on umpteen and spend each one trying to outdo everyone else with their luxury experiences. Manage to avoid these people and you'll probably enjoy yourself (I assume that's why you're asking?).

We've been on three. Loved the Alaska cruise, loved the cheap Baltic Cities & St Petersburg voyage from Newcastle. The New Zealand one was interesting, but I wouldn't recommend it.

You don't have to take any ship's tours (we haven't) or be herded anywhere, though obviously the option is there for those with mobility problems. Walk off, grab a map and do your own thing if you want. Similarly, you can participate in as much or as little of the social scene onboard as you want. The food's great, and it's up to you whether you sit in a formal dining room to be waited on or go up to the buffet whenever you want and sit alone if you like. I actually enjoy a day at sea, people watching or wave watching, perhaps a watercolour class or tai chi session, sitting reading in a squashy leather chair in the library. Dancing classes etc if that's your thing. On the Baltic Cities cruise there was an excellent lecturer who gave a series of talks about space, which I loved. Practically all entertainment and activities were free.

As for the cost, tips and drinks are to think about, though some ships are all-inclusive. We were surprised that the drinks prices on our Baltic trip were lower than those at our local pub.

Unless the cruise lines get their act together I doubt we'll go on any more, because of all the environmental concerns. And I've seen towns like Sorrento just swamped with big tour groups from the ships. That hasn't been the case where we've been.

Love cruises. I like the break from cooking and housework-someone else feeds me and cleans my room. River cruises so peaceful and chance to meet up with family living abroad if you choose the right one. Choose included activities you want to do, do your own thing if you’d rather and research cost of optional ones. Sometimes it’s cheaper to do it yourself e.g. visit market in Budapest -we walked instead of the organised 5minute coach trip and saved a lot; sometimes it would be so much hassle to organise that it’s worth the extra cost. e.g. Van Gogh display in Les-Baux-de-Provence.
Made some really good friends each time that we have kept in touch with/ met up with since. Sea cruises were harder work, but better for keeping fit whilst you’re away. As some have said, a balcony is great, but we enjoyed one cruise with simply a huge window.
Worry about my carbon footprint and pollution? Yes, but I hardly had one when I was younger and poorer. Now I do my best all year and even staycations include fuel, heating, lighting, food which we haven’t grown ourselves etc. etc.

My idea of hell, I'm afraid.

Too many people and knowing my luck there'd be an outbreak of Norovirus.

Love them, organized with precision though!
Our own excursions, sometimes with others pre arranged without even meeting them until the cruise.
It’s a wonderful way to go, and please don’t make judgements if you haven’t actually been on one.
We don’t always cruise and I wouldn’t recommend all lines definitely some I would avoid. However a wonderful way to go.

We went on a 14-night Mediterranean cruise when I retired. For us it was an experience firmly filed under the heading of “Never Again”. The main problem for us was that it was just too busy. To get the most from it you try to do all the excursions - but it’s exhausting. I missed Marseilles completely because I was so tired we just sat on the boat that day.

My husband and I went on several cruises, mainly around the Mediterranean, but also with my daughter and her family from Vancouver to Alaska. We also cruised from Southampton to St Petersburg. After my husband died I had a cruise around the Galapagos Islands, and recently I went on a cruise along the Nile.
All the cruises were absolutely fantastic. One tip is always take a seasick tablet as even a gentle sea can upset some people. Besides superb food and an ever changing view and a lot of entertainment you can meet some very nice passengers.

I do enjoy cruises. You feel as though you're on holiday as soon as you arrive at the cruise terminal, have your car and suitcases taken from you and all you have to do is wait until you can board the ship.

Then you can do as much or as little as you want to. You don't have to go on organised trips and can explore ports of call yourself (which is what we prefer to do). It is a "taster" experience of different places and cultures.

Cannot wait to book our next one - probably not until next year though.

Best not watch the programme coming up...Cruises from Hell, or something very similar

Cruising is brilliant. I have been on 5 I prefare smaller ships. You can see so many places. You can do what you want if you want to get dressed up in evening wear you can if you want to just go casual you can do that also. I remember taking my mum for her 80th birthday I had to buy her a sequin small bag to put her false teeth in as she could not eat with them in. We were sat at the table in the restaurant when my mum looked around and said is anybody looking and then took her teeth out at the table and put them in her bag. I nearly died of embarrassment.