to curious<BR>I've only been AI twice,both times in the Caribbean. The reason we chose this was because both islands were expensive and it gave us an idea of our budget beforehand. Although I did not enjoy my cruise,I did enjoy these holidays. If you want your food to be exactly the same as home then you may be a bit disappointed. Personally I like to try the local dishes where ever I am so I enjoyed the food. There was always plenty space round the pools and on the private beaches. You can decide where and when you want to go on trips. And also you can "escape" out of the complex at night and visit some local spots. <BR>we are going to the Far East next year and we have gone for hotel and breakfost packages only as I want to do my own thing and its cheap enough to do just that!!

ttt

I thought this was a great thread. Thanks to everyone that posted. I have pondered the idea of cruising for quite some time and now I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be for me or my husband at all. Watching those beaches go by would be too much. Standing in line would be too much. Seeing only the ports of islands wouldn't be enough, etc., etc.

ttt

Marla, thanks for your reply to my post. I definitely do not want a vacation which just gives me my home environment (culture, food, etc.) in a different location. By preference, I usually rent a house or rooms from locals for a month or so. I try to live as they do (shopping for groceries, using the local rumshops and restos, playing cricket and soccer with the locals on non-private beaches, partying with local friends, participating in 'visitors-welcome' community events and so on). <BR><BR>On the other hand, if I only had a very short time for a holiday (say less than a week), was completely exhausted, and on a fixed budget, an AI might be a welcome choice. Otherwise, and thanks to your advice, I think I'll continue to pass.

not giving my real name incase my friend reads this( she does check fodors on a regular basis!) I think the worst cruise in the world must be a Disney one! having listened to her experiences( which she enjoyed!) I have been put right off cruising! However, wouldn't the world be boring if we all liked the same things!!!!

bj chiming in again. All my friends who said I would LOVE cruising are now feeling apologetic since I really did not care for it. I keep trying to explain, I have no regrets. We saw a lot and tried something new but once was enough. I do know there are some islands I'd love to return to and some others I'd probably skip. For those of us who really like to discover and savor our vacations...cruising is probably not the way to go. I am curious though, why do cruise lines not offer cruises that limit the number or ports of call, stay 2 days or more per port and offer another sort of experience?? For the price, anyway, it can hardly be beat.

Good idea bj<BR>I may be more inclined to try a cruise with fewer stops and more time in port. that way you have more of a chance of doing your own thing in port. Also it can only be better for the cruise companies as you are bound to spend more time on shore and therefore eat less on board.( on second thoughts I suppose you would be spending less money on board as well!)

I have been only on one cruise. I found both good and bad about it. The food was very good, staff efficient, organized etc. On the otherhand, the drinks were expensive ( I am from Canada, so the exchange is horrendous, especially when you convert the price of a drink to CDN dollars), shore excursions booked through the ship expensive and I felt somewhat rushed. I realize you can't spend 24 hours on one island, but there are so many things to see or do, it is hard to pick. Also daily newsletters under the door, listing the activities for the ship that day. Yes there is some interesting stuff, but you feel bombarded. I wouldn't say my experience was bad- there was both positive and negative aspects. Cruising would probably not be my first choice for a vacation, but I wouldn't rule it out completely

anon]<BR>Has your friend asked you about your posting yet!!!!I know exactly what you mean though! I've listened to a friend raving a cruise that sounds like a nightmare to me. However we tend to go on holidys where the quality of the accommodation is not that important, it's getting to know the culture and mixing with the locals. Some of my friends would hate that type of holiday and only be happy with top quality hotel rooms and steak just like home!Each to their own!

To Steve:<BR>Interesting comments about the NCL Norway. My one and only cruise was on that boat. I liked the boat, but decided I preferred land-based vacations rather than cruises. JMHO.<BR><BR>BTW...I think people will have a hard time sailing the Norway in the Caribbean. It is set to be retired soon. Have heard it's been sold. :(

We have not taken a cruise - yet - but have spent several one-week vacations on different Caribbean islands. Because we stay in modest hotels and eat inexpensively, this is cheaper than a cruise.<BR><BR>HOWEVER - we are considering taking ONE cruise because it would allow us to see several islands in a week (or 10 days). We would try to choose an itinerary that included islands that are not on our "short list" of potential destinations for full one-week stays (e.g. Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia). For us, this is the only advantage we can see for a cruise.<BR>

If that's the only reason to take a cruise, I would suggest otherwise. That seems like an awful expensive way to research which islands to visit in the future. Often, you only see ports or very small portions of the island anyway, so it may be difficult to get an accurate picture of the people, the environment, etc.<BR><BR>I would suggest picking up some books at your local bookstore and researching them that way and save yourself $1,000 or $2,000. Plus, save yourself from a potentially unfulfilling, regretful experience.

we will be leaving on our 12th cruise in the last 10 years this month.cruising is like any other kind of travel- it's what you make of it. i don't hear anyone talking about the great time they had on these islands. that's because you relied on the ship to bring it you in the form of shore excursions. you pay the price and get canned results this way. i own several travel books for the caribbean and make use of the internet to set up my own shore excursions in the various ports. before traveling on our last cruise, to australia, new zealand,and the south pacific islands. we arranged our own shore excursions from home before we left. the ship is really just a delivery system for your adventures, not the adventure itself. you'll definitely be disappointed if you expect the ship to do all that for you! it is a bit huried on the ship, especially if there are numerous ports to visit, and that does mean lines first thing in the morning to disembark. but the rewards are great as you can experience the cultures of each island every day. all the ports are not the same! that's only what those say who only walk 5 minutes to the end of the pier only to exclaim this looks like the port we were in yesterday. and don't forget: just because your meals are already paid for as part of the cruise, that doesn't mean you have to eat them all on the ship. after all, part of the experience is to eat what is unique to each island while on shore. every island has their own great street food and part of the adventure is to find it and try it. i guess i'm just saying that the key to the trip is not where your hotel (or cruise ship) is but what you do with the expeience.

Steve - well said!!!

I love cruising but I know it isn't for everyone! It sounds like several of you were not honest about what you wanted when you booked with your travel agent, you had a bad travel agent or you tried to do it yourself. It's a shame to waste a vacation; we get so few in this country!

just returned from a cruise and won't be going on another one! However it would have been better if I'd done some of my own research first and organised what I wanted to do in port. Take heed anyone else who is going on a cruise-PLAN!!!!

ttt

I think it would really help the rest of us if you posters who are relating negative experiences would be much more specific about who you used (cruise line, hotel, restaurant, what side of the island you visited, etc.)<BR>I realize that when you have a negative experience, you want a) a little revenge (none of us are above that) and b) to keep others from wasting their hard earned vacation dollars. Because some people love what others hate, MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS would help us all make better choices. Thanks!<BR>

What about those nasty cruiseship saltwater pools? Does anyone else have a problem with those because that's one thing that really turned me off about a cruise.