mickrory

My wife and I really love our annual cruise, Sunday on the Oceana will be our 6th with, hopefully many more to come.

What do you believe is the most tedious part of cruising?

There are undoubtedly several minor drawbacks:

Waiting to embark. Doesn't bother me unless the line is really long. I quite enjoy the anticipation.

Waiting for your tender number to be called out.

Sharing a dinner table with guests with who you have nothing in common

Queuing for the Chocoholic extravaganza but when you get to the bit where they had strawberries dipped in chocolate there are none left and some big tusker just ahead of you has piled them up like Ferraro Rochet on his plate.
Waiting for your luggage when everybody elses seems to have arrived

Waiting at customer services behind fellow cruisers asking the most banal questions imaginable. The crew are so patient.

Waiting for your wife when you've been ready 20 mins (not just cruising here!)

Waiting in line for the restaurant when you haven't eaten for 2 hours and you're starving

But the winner for me by a country mile is the lifeboat drill/muster station shenanigans on the first day. It probably lasts 20-30 minutes but seems to last longer than the entire US Presidential elections

FainaAgain

None of the above.

For me, it's the hole in the budget, and the (occasionally) rough waters.

JimM

Least enjoyable aspect of cruising?

That's a real nobrainer...when it ends!!!!

lindam

You could always get a table for two. I love eating with new people. Actually, we have a LOT in common with them right off the bat. That is, a love of cruising and travel. I love hearing about the ships they've been on and the ports. There is never a lull in conversation! When you think about it, your friends will never be as interested in your cruising experiences than your tablemates.

maryann

After 20+ cruises all of the OP lists has happened to us. But we're still cruisin', nothing is as bad as stopping cruising.

We do have a table for 2 , as that is the hardest to overcome.

Byw, that's a great list, alot of thought went into it.

JulieAgain

None of the mentioned bothers me. My most "bother" is the air travel! Once I get thru that fiasco, the rest is a breeze.

I do experience apprehension re: the cabin though. On one occasion we went without a toilet for over 24 hours. Another time, our AC didn't work & it was horribly hot. And the time the sewer backed up into the shower 3 times in a 7 nite cruise. The time there was a sewage smell so strong in our cabin that it made me sick - but luckily we did get moved to another cabin. I've seen other folks' cabins flooded with sewage, carpets cleaned, fans in place to dry the carpet, & no where to go because the ship was full - yuk! By the way, our experiences were all on different cruiselines; different ships.

The only thing I can't stand while on the cruise is not the chair hogs, not our dinner mates, not waiting in lines, but the "line cutters"! This happens on the cruiselines that have cafeteria style buffets & a single line forms. It really bugs me when some people believe they are that superior to me & I don't matter! That's one reason why I like Royal Caribbean's buffet setup - have never had that problem with them.

Happy cruising everyone.

kfusto

The real downers to cruising these days for us are the number of out of control kids running around, the nickel and diming and the continued cost cutting measures which affect quality of food and service.

For these reasons, we stick to a very selection of ships and lines.

Eschew

Getting off the ship is my number one downer. Sitting and waiting is not fun. Why do we have to wait our turn? Just let me grab my own bags and get off on my own. If all 3,000 people wnats to get off all at once, so be it. Have you ever seen a crowd leaving a football game? It is 100,000 and they empty the palce in no time. Let every men, women and children fend for themselves.

chevre

I too hate the drill. I understand it's necessary but I hate being packed in like that, feel ridiculous in the life jacket and get SO MAD that everyone cannot manage to get to it on time!

ozcruiser

I hate getting off and going back to reality!!! The rest I can cope with.

gail

For some anxiety reason, waiting for my luggage on day of departure. I am always sure I will end up wearing flipflops and the same clothing for a week.

Giovanna

<None of the mentioned bothers me. My most "bother" is the air travel! Once I get thru that fiasco, the rest is a breeze.>

Me too. Exactly what I was going to say, and it seems to be getting worse by the day. We had the cruiseline plan our air to Acapulco on our last cruise. We were to fly from SFO to Chicago, then to Houston or Dallas (I forget which) and then Acapulco. The air to get to the ship was longer than the cruise!

We contacted the cruiseline and told them their routing was unacceptable. We had to fly to LAX on our own, stay overnight and then fly Mexicana Airlines direct to Acapulco. Extra expense, but it was worth it to us not to be half dead when we walked up the gangway!

WE prefer the smaller ships, so generally don't have the long waits in lines.

Rocketdog

I absoulutely hate having to wait for luggage. My husband laughs at me when ever we go on a cruise, because it does not matter if the cruise is five days or twelve I bring ONE 20in suitcase, and I carry it myself. Other than that everything else is a breeze. At one point I hated disembarking, but now I catch the earliest flight I can, so I can get off the ship faster.

southeastern

Too much eating and food. I also don't like being stuck at a table where people feel the need to brag.

lindam

After having flights (arranged by the cruiseline) with impossible connection times, we find our own flights. Then, we use custom air to book it. Most of the time, it doesn't cost any more that a flight they chose. The people doing the flights just don't seem to care!

JimM

Southeasten ==>

I was lucky enough to be able to squelch a braggard. From the first night, our table was innundated by the heroics of a supposed Air Force navigator.

On the third night, I asked him when he went thru Mather (Mather AFB, the USAF advanced navigator training base). He gave me a rather blank stare. I then told him that I had been in course development there in the 60s (true).

As you can guess, we didn't see our navigator for the rest of the cruise.

southeastern

JimM- Great shot on the bragging guy. I just get quiet other wise I would say something nasty. It amazes me that people say how much their houses cost, what car they drive, etc. Sometimes, I play with them by saying, "we live in public housing" or " we can't afford a car, lucky you" or "we're about to have our house taken back by the mortgage company" and watch their reaction. They get the hint or maybe they just think I have a screw loose.

fosterag

My spouse and I have been on just eight cruises but we have four scheduled for next year. Last december we enjoyed an international cruise(RCCL) from Barcelona. One gentleman had been on 35 cruises in five years. There are very few negatives. Disembarking can be long. dining with strangers, especially with folks from abroad is very interesting. We had to move one time from a couple that bragged about his exploits in VietNam. I guess the elevators on one cruise is a pet peeve. You can't tell which one is for you. It can be a problem sometime!

tenthumbs

Gotta plagarize JimM's answer of "when it ends," and add
when you get the bar bill!!! :0

Two of my petty gripes are lack of outlets and shower stalls that make it difficult to shave one's legs. Norwegian had a handy little shelf you could put your foot on to facilitate this tedious chore, which I loved.

papermoon

Mickrory,
I am retired and am done with kids. But what bothers me the most is out-of-control kids screaming and running w/o concern of others - or maybe it's the parents that have no concern for others. My favorite saying applies here too :they can't hurt you if you don't let them...
so you pick a flight when most kids have to be in school.