Cruises - Go on, convince me!

Not a cruise as such but sailed home from New York across the Atlantic in the QE2. I was only 15 but I totally loved it. Can't say the same for my parents. My father sulked the full 5 days and my mother seemed to spend most of the time on various toilet floors. My sister began having a fling with the pool cleaner and my grandparents, ( who had paid for all this) just sat in their rooms looking bemused, playing quizzes from the Reader's Digest. Today cruises appear to be a lot different. People go for the social amenities and just having a jolly good romp. I'd go on one to Alaska but that would be my limit. I like to swim in the sea and it's not advised off a ship. You could watch those Jane MacDonald cruise shows! She goes on many different types. Some very glam and others not so much. Good luck if you venture off!

I like cruises, I like all types of holidays. I find that the people with the most expert opinion on cruises are those that have never been, so I am out!

After a vino or two (probably more) I have agreed to go on a cruise this year with DH and our very good friends.

As it is around the U.K. I envisaged a small ship, how wrong was I, It’s enormous!!!

I will report back…

Always thought of cruise ships as floating Petri dishes long before covid. Novovirus seemed to happen on every voyage according to cruisaholic friends, obviously not put off by it.
I always imagined cruise types to like to dress for dinner, giggle at the captain’s witticisms and compete with others for the amount of bling worn.
Friends assure me that this is not so but I know I would hate it.
One friend goes ashore at each port but her husband stays on board as he just goes for the ship experience. Might as well go to a holiday park if you don’t take advantage of the various foreign destinations.
Personally I like to self cater in quiet locations or a nice hotel for city breaks.
Nowt so queer as folk.

There are sooooo many types of cruise. No need to go on a massive ship, no need to dress up, no need to be very sociable just pick the right cruise.
Lots of choice so just surf about on the net and see what you fancy.

For me, the word cruise conjures up “peace and calm”.

But a “holiday cruise” conjures up the complete opposite.

Not for me thanks!

However many people tell me how great it is - No! No! No!

River cruises, smaller boats, fewer people, more frequent stops and always something beautiful or interesting to see on the banks.
I tried an ocean cruise a few years back and though I enjoyed it I’ve decided I prefer river cruises.
Interestingly, even in 2016, there were sanitiser stations along the corridors, in the wash rooms and outside the restaurants.
On the ocean cruise, we could have signed up to dine at the captain’s table but we didn’t.
On the river cruises, the Captain has been available to chat by the restaurant, or as you come aboard after an excursion, or occasionally around in the evenings.
We had to postpone in 2020 and again this year, but I’m ready for next year!???

During my first marriage, I enjoyed various cruises with my favourites being to Alaska and Iceland. My second DH vowed never to cruise but then joined me on one to Christmas Markets in 2018, followed by another to Norway the following year and realised what he was missing! Last year a cruise to the Dutch bulb fields was cancelled but we hope to go on another next Spring.

Dressing for dinner isn’t required apart from the set formal nights and even then you can opt for the cafeteria. We mostly explore ports of call independently although numerous excursions are offered. If you prefer not to mix, most dining rooms offer tables for two but we’ve usually found interesting company by sharing.

I have never experienced any outbreaks of illness during any of the dozen or more cruises on which I’ve sailed. Our preferred company is Fred Olsen, with MV Balmoral being our ship of choice.

I think our favourite cruise was to Alaska and The Inside Passage. There was a rough bit where we couldn't go to one of the scheduled stops.
But, we would both love to go on a Fjord cruise, maybe not feasible now.

As Gill57 said I am the expert that’s never been so I’ll say no more.

Our first cruises in the 80s were delightful, but they have definitely changed since then.

I would only choose a small boat now and pay as much as I can afford to get the same quality as we did then. Our last cruise was a few years ago and it was grim. We went with Celebrity, crowded restaurants, crowded sun deck, queue to get on and off the boat etc. A suite might have saved the queuing I suppose, but the crowds would still be there.

Sort of now decided to put cruising back to either when we are too old or dodgy on our pins to cope with a different sort of holiday.

But I’m sure that other folk will totally disagree with me?

We have been on two very different cruises. The first was on the Nile in upper Egypt. Not a large ship but friendly. OH and I were the only people not to get food poisoning! We have lived overseas so knew not to eat anything like salads or have ice cubes. The other cruise was to Norway and the fjords. We had to dress for dinner, which was fine. The experience was good except OH got very seasick at one point!

Whitewavemark2

Our first cruises in the 80s were delightful, but they have definitely changed since then.

I would only choose a small boat now and pay as much as I can afford to get the same quality as we did then. Our last cruise was a few years ago and it was grim. We went with Celebrity, crowded restaurants, crowded sun deck, queue to get on and off the boat etc. A suite might have saved the queuing I suppose, but the crowds would still be there.

Sort of now decided to put cruising back to either when we are too old or dodgy on our pins to cope with a different sort of holiday.

But I’m sure that other folk will totally disagree with me?

That was one of my conditions we have a suite and a generous balcony.

The ship will only be maximum of 1/3 capacity, so hopefully we can avoid crowds and queues as I detest both nowadays.

Guess I'd just feel really embarrassed being seen to disembark from something like this.

A brother and SiL of mine, ditto a sister and BiL, are very keen on cruises (smaller ships only), or they were, before Covid put paid to them for now. Sister and BiL have just been bumped off a U.K. waters cruise because of restrictions. They did book late but sister was very disappointed.

Dh and I have never fancied them, because like a pp, we were fish in previous lives and like to be in the water, rather than on it.

One mini cruise I’d love to do again, though, was a Greek island thing for about 4 days - we were on hols with friends - 12 of us inc. kids, when we saw a lovely wooden yacht in the harbour, saying for hire with skipper, sleeps 12!

It was brilliant - no dressing up, lazy island hopping, lots of swimming off the boat in gorgeous aquamarine water, tying up each evening and finding a simple harbourside taverna for dinner. And remarkably reasonable.
I could do that again any day - preferably for more than 4 days though!

Ixion, I rest my case! If however, you would like to know about cruises from someone who has been on a few recently ( pre -covid obviously), do please PM me and I can give you some advice on cruise lines and destinations.

LOVE cruising. Prefer small ships not these massive ones. No Captain’s Table after about 15 cruises but not of great interest to us anyway. Meet lovely people. Wake up in beautiful places every day. 5 star food, no trudging around looking for somewhere to eat. Entertainment which you can take or leave. Dress up if you want to, don’t if you don’t.
So glad we’ve cruised in the past. Seen so many wonderful places and met some equally wonderful people.

Ive done 3 Norway, The Rhine and Red Sea longest 6 days they were good, you do have the routine queueing for excursions they are optional you can stay on board if you want.
Try a short one Norwegian Fiords or similar, the Mega cruise ships in the Caribbean wouldn’t suit me, plenty of others.

Only been on one cruise on a small boat to the Fjords. Not sure it was my thing. DH called it 'Butlins on the water' as the entertainment and activities during the day are very similar. The excursions are very expensive, but if you go on your own you're always worried about getting back in time. If you don't they go without you. I loved all the dressing up for dinner but this wasn't every night. Didn't like having to sit with other people though. However the people on our table were lovely. Not sure I would go cruising again, but you need to give it a go to see if you like it.

GillT57

*Ixion*, I rest my case! If however, you would like to know about cruises from someone who has been on a few recently ( pre -covid obviously), do please PM me and I can give you some advice on cruise lines and destinations.

Thank you so much for your kind offer - however, I'm not convinced yet! If we do go ahead in the future, I will certainly get back to you!
Maybe I'm just too anti-social??

We enjoy cruising now and again ! Don't cruise on a regular basis. I love being onboard and waking up in a new place each morning. Not remotely interested in the captains table!! Dressing for dinner is something I enjoy - only a few formal evenings , usually after a day at sea. Other eating options available if that doesn't float your boat!! There are lots of people but I have never had any trouble finding a quiet place to sit and read.
We dine on a table of 8 , bound to be someone to like!! Breakfast can be a bun fight but can always opt for table service in the restaurant.
However Covid will have to be well and truely beaten before we go again!!

The formal evenings are not intimidating, you simply need a long black skirt and a few sparkly tops, job done !

Cruising is not for everyone but then lots of holiday types are not, for example camping, caravaning, skiing, sailing, hosteling, independent travel I could go on and on.
As far as cruising is concerned there are many types of cruises catering for different age groups, family ships, expeditions ships etc.
We have for most of our lives arranged our own travel however when we wanted to visit Rio and South American on doing the maths it was less expensive to go by cruise and this would include all our meals. Likewise to visit the Orkney Islands, Shetland Island would cost more when you consider the ferry sailings.
We look on traveling by cruise ship as a way to travel from A to B without the ordeal of having to take planes and have a good time while traveling there.
We all have options you don't have to cruise it's not compulsory.

You have a lot of fun on a good cruise and meet lots of people from different parts of the world. Some are better than others. We have been on quite a few from the rather posh Viking cruises to various river cruises and also the Princess cruises. I have to say the Princess cruises were the most fun with heaps of entertainment all day and night and the food is pretty good. I wouldn’t go on the lower end of the market cruises because they are more geared to young ones and you get lots of kids milling around which can be annoying and too noisy. We went on a Scenic cruise round the Mediterranean and also the one from Budapest to Amsterdam and they were good. I
I think the latter was with APT. Also round Vietnam and. A Bodie is good. I wouldn’t go on a cruise for years because I had visions of being seasick but they are pretty stable and even though we have actually been through a cyclone in the pacific we were ok.