Have you ever taken a cruise? Did you like it? If you haven't, would you?
I have no desire to take a cruise. It just doesn't appeal to me. I think I'd feel trapped. And with all the stories of multiple passengers getting sick on cruises, well, that pretty much seals it as a "no."
I've been on this mailing list for years and have never taken the plunge https://www.vacationstogo.com/
But in the summer of 1968 when I was nine years old I sailed from NYC to England on the Queen Elizabeth. The first one. One of her last voyages. With my mom and 7-year-old sister, my dad having flown ahead on a planned working vacation. To this day it remains one of the highlights of my life. We were second class passengers meaning that we shared many amenities of first class, most notably not the first class dining room. I would say this was not exactly a cruise--it was the very end of the era of transatlantic ocean liner travel. Cunard still exists but the era of the 5-day-passage are long over.
I'd be fine with something like sailing on the QE, as a mode of travel to reach my destination. Too bad those days are gone.
But these packaged cruise trips? It seems like most of the activities they offer on board are things you can easily do elsewhere. Hang out around the pool? Eat? Shows? Play games? Work out at the gym? Drink? Like someone else said, it's the party you can't leave.
Yep. That's why I've never pulled the trigger. And people rave about the food, as if you can't find a good restaurant in your city. If you live in a small town then maybe I get it. But I haven't completely abandoned the idea of going on a cruise. Probably never will.
shareNo. Same reason as you.
shareYes I did, and it was a lot of fun :D.
Last autumn, my parents offered to let my brother and I go on a cruise with them to Mexico on Princess Cruises. I was kind of surprised, considering how expensive cruises are, and the fact that last time they went (on a trip to Alaska with the same cruise line), my brother and I stayed home and house/dog-sat. It turns out this is the cheapest of the cruise packages Princess Cruises offers. Then mom tells me we're gonna swim with dolphins, and I said "I'm in!"
Then the week before we're to go (5 months later in January), my brother bows out. I thought he was nuts to do so, and his ticket cost $500! It's the trip of a lifetime, and HE wanted to spend it sitting on his bum at home, playing computer, eating and sleeping, and house/dog-sitting. How exciting (sarcastic). Took me a while to figure out why he decided not to come, and the best answer I could get was, he was afraid of being on a boat longer than a few hours. The great irony here is, I'm the one who gets motion-sickness, and he doesn't. (My parents and I later dealt with that using special medical patches placed behind our ears).
I will tell you that I was worried the first day, after seeing the movie "Titanic" tons of times, hearing about Poseidon, and real-life horror stories about Italian cruise lines where the capt. abandoned the passengers, and the Carnival Cruise lines F-ing things up. But none of that happened on this trip. Everything went smoothly (save for mom losing an earring one night, but they got it back a day or 2 later).
I can see why you'd feel "trapped" in a sense, because two days in any cruise (it was 3 for us: 1 for getting to Mexico, and 2 at the end for getting back to the US) are spent at sea, and you basically spend the day on the ship doing stuff. But cruise ships have a lot of activities you can do to be entertained, such as swimming, watching movies out on the boat deck, taking part in group activities, gambling, shopping, spas, dining out, etc. You could even do something as simple as sleeping in or napping; it's your vacation.
Even more fun are the shore excursions. You have to sign up early to do something on shore besides just shopping near the docks. My family swam with dolphins, went on a bus tour, and just did shopping in the 3 locations we visited in Mexico. It was soooo much fun :D. The dolphins were the highlight.
The only drawback to the cruise was that everything was expensive, whether you went shopping on the ship or on shore. Most of the travel package includes accommodations, food, and guest services, but a number of things you still have to pay for, like shopping in the gift shop, getting a spa treatment, buying photos they took of you during the cruise, and shore excursions.
But other than that, I'd recommend a cruise to anyone who is interested :). It's a very unique experience.
Your thread title made me think of this!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruising_(film)
I'd love to go on one of those Disney cruises.
I have never been on a cruise, and currently have no desire to. I have a difficult time enjoying all inclusive resorts, for both the people and the excess. I don't think I could handle a cruise. I don't mind seeing different places, but I like to do it on my own terms.
Edit
Also cruise lines are notorious for dumping their garbage in the oceans and that infuriates me.
Not for me. It's the party that you can't leave. I like do do my own thing, on my own time and "canned fun" sickens me.
shareDo you mean in like a gay way?
shareNope. I don't like the idea of being trapped on a big ship for that long with so many people either. From what I've heard the main activity is eating, so everyone packs it on during a cruise.
I'm sure there are good things about it. I like the idea of travelling from one port to another. It'd be fun and exciting to arrive at a destination and all, but too many cons for me to be interested.