How many out there LOVE to cruise?
 

Do you love to cruise? Or do you prefer a land vacation. What is your favorite cruise line?

I have a friend, and her and her husband cruise exclusively 3 or 4 times per year. I would tire of the same itinerary, etc. Cruises are fun, and I like them, however, they are a little cliche at times. If I am cruising, I like RCCL. I hated Carnival. However, I know a lot of people that like Carnival.

cruises don't appeal to me. Feels like I'd be around too many people, all the time, with no real escape, except to a tiny cabin!
No thanks for me, tinathetoad!

I think cruising has it's place. I've been on about 8 cruises, and the ones I really enjoy are the cruises where you want to visit a number of destinations in a short amount of time. Similar land vacations cause you to pack and unpack everyday in a different hotel. And sometimes the cruise can reach distant destinations on one trip that you could never see in one trip any other way. Being on a cruise for such a vacation saves a lot of time schlepping your luggage around and you have planned transporation to every destination. Instead of dealing with those things, you can be out eating, sightseeing, and having fun--what vacations are all about.

We've been a a number of different cruise lines as well--the only one I wouldn't go on again is Carnival. Once was enough there.

I don't prefer cruising over land or vice versa, it depends on the destination is what we have in mind for the vacation.

I agree.. Carnival was terrible. And the real kicker was as we were leaving port, and kathy Lee Gifford comes on teh loud speaker with her singing..."if you can see me now, I'm on a fun ship cruise".

I was ready to jump overboard. She drives me nuts anyway.

I love to cruise, but I don't choose to cruise over a land vacation just because it's a cruise.

I choose to cruise depending on the destination - specifically, when there's not too much that I'm interested in seeing on land.

I did an Alaskan cruise because of the scenery and I was happy spending just a few hours in each port. I declined a Mediterranean cruise because there's just too much to see on land.

I like the Holland America line. RCCL wasn't bad, but I enjoyed my cruise on HAL better. I'm planning another short RCCL cruise this summer - hoping it will be good.

i have heard good things about HAL

I do not understand the appeal of cruises at all. I've never been on one and have no desire to ever go on one. I just don't get it.

pdx: A cruise is a basically a resort that takes you to specific places, similar to an "all inclusive", except at the all inclusive, you're almost stuck at the resort or in a particular region. We've been on cruises that allowed us to visit a vast number of places from between 7-14 days including a trip from Fort Lauderdale through the Bahamas, South America, Mexico. Or a trip from Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea and the Hawaiian islands. Another that explored European capitals. We haven't gone, but there is the Greek Isles and any caribbean island you wish to travel to.

You have a choice of several restaurants or room service; you never see your luggage from the time you check it in at your departure airport until you hit your cabin (unless you go on Carnival). You have your choice of various modes of activities/entertainment when you don't feel like venturing into port or for days at sea...these include boutique shopping, movies, gyms, casinos, a full-service spa, bingo, classes, wine tastings, going to the pool, laying on the deck OR....just sleeping in your room. Food is served at your convenience any time from early morning until midnight. Many cruises are now equipped with Pizzarias, lunch buffets, sit down restaurants, ice cream parlors, grilles and specialty restaurants or coffee bars.

Perhaps the reason you don't understand the appeal IS because you've never been on one???

hugglynn - here here! :)
and tinathetoad, Carnival is much improved from the Kathy Lee days.

I am not sure what you are referring to as the "kathie Lee days", but this was fairly recent. Like 4 years ago.

I've been on 2 Carnival cruises and hated both of them. The first one I was with my family so couldn't escape. The second one I was with my husband ("try it again for the first time") as soon as we hit the first Island stop, we were of and on a plane back home with a full refund.

They pack way too many people on those ships. There is not enough room for everyone. We had a balcony cabin, which was smaller than my entire bathroom at home, the food terrible (worse than any low end AI we've stayed at),the forced seating with strangers very uncomfortable and the short Island stops just not worth it. Having to just pick one thing you want to see and felt like we were rushing to get back to the ship on time, so not enjoying the site.

DH wants to go to Alaska, and I've looked into a cruise with NCL since they don't do forced seating, but I just can't bare the thought of getting on another ship with all those people. It's on the back burner for now. We have 3 land vacations planned for this year.

KVR - what about something like a cruise with Cruise West for Alaska? I've never been on a cruise, but I have looked into Cruise West and it looks like a lot of fun - the ships are small, the focus is on the destination rather than the ship's services, and so on. I ordered the video and was totally sold - unfortunately it is beyond our budget at the present time.

Cruises are perfect for family reunions and groups. I love them for that - you can be as active or sedentary as you like, no big decisions over where to eat tonight, no agony over finding a big enough table... However, when vacationing with my husband and/or immediate family, we much prefer "land" vacations. By the way, you get what you pay for. There is a huge difference between Carnival/Royal Caribbean type lines, and the really high-end lines, like Radisson and Crystal. Food, service, even cabin amenities really improve the more you pay.

Interesting post. There are so many people that do cruises only for vacation, then there are those that go to Disney world only for vacation, then there are some who go to the same island destination time and time again.

I personally like to mix it up...its a big world out there.

We took our first cruise last year. We went on a Western caribbean (because we have never ben to that side of the caribbean) on Celebrity. We had a suite with a butler and a balcony. It was a large sunny cabin, and it was nice to have a space of our own to go to. That being said, we are accoustomed to going to different locations but enjoying our own space. We go on vacation to have quiet time together, not looking to make new friends, sit around an overcrowded pool and watching people gorge themselves on all you can eat food. We also did not like being on a schedule on vacation, meals, excursions, etc all have to be on time. We aways found ourselves rushing as to not be late for something. We did not like having so many people in such a small space, espically at dinner. Even though we had a tble for 2, you have 2 other couples on either side of you sticking their nose into your business. I did not think that would be an issue, but it was. There is a lot to do on a ship but not the kinds of things we like to do.

On the other hand, I can see why they are popular. There is a great value for your dollar (depending on the cruise line). It is a worry free kind of vacation, not having to worry about meals, entertainment. It was ok, not my favorite. Maybe we are just not "there" yet. It will be a long time before we go on another as we are used to smaller resorts, less people, and no rules.

A 2 or 3-day cruise can be a lot of fun, but much longer and I start going stir crazy, regardless of how big the boat is or how many activities they try and create.. (Does anyone really go on a cruise to play miniature golf or go rock climbing?)

A buddy of mine who was in the business for many years told me the repeat business for most cruise lines is less than 10% -- which probably accounts for the massive amounts of advertising we see on TV and elsewhere for these cruises.

My biggest beef with cruises is not having any control over my time. For example, if I'm interested in a given port of call and want to stay for an extra day, or even an extra few hours, I hate not having that option.

I'd rather land travel, but I do not put people down who choose to cruise time and time again. They know what they like, and they are usually extremely sociable people who love the interaction at each price level. It's completely different on various vendor lines.

There are so many cruise web sites for addicts- that I find it hard to believe that they are unpopular as you make them sound. Many people never go on vacation or travel at all- just do not feel the urge to see what's over the next hill. And also they find the entire process burdensome and tiring in details of arrangement. I find it difficult to read condescending opinions about other people's travel habits time and time again here. It is the worst aspect of these boards, much worst than the trolling- IMHO. At least they are traveling. And also as people age, this is one of the only ways they may have to group or go logistically. IMHO there is a value judgment here that's not kind or positive. If you don't like cruising, just don't go again. You don't have to critize others for what they like. WDW and Carnival have darn good businesses and they didn't get there by not pleasing their customers most of the time.

I myself could never take my 83 year old mother in her wheelchair on vacation any other way. She doesn't even want to access the planes anymore. Nor would my 35 year old son been able to go down a waterfall on a tire in Belize without Carnival. He could never have afforded to bring 6 of them there, any other way. Why diminish these kinds of effort to TRAVEL? Not everyone can afford the Windsurf or Seabourne, maybe not even 1 out of 10 of us could.

I would never go on any venue with those numbers and expect to not converse.

No one has mentioned getting sea sick! Has anyone gotten sea sick? That is my apprehension for trying a cruise. I feel that I will be stuck for a week feeling uggh....Any comments? Otherwise I think it would be a ton of fun to try. You get to see a little bit of everywhere and for some places, I am sure that is enough. On the other hand, you may discover a great new place to spend a week.

The small ships of the Clipper Cruise Line are very nice and the food is surprisingly good and varied. They are US flagged and crewed and the 2 'fer specials from USAA/Intrav make them great bargains.
We have done the Panama/CR and the US and British Virgin Islands. Alaska is next on our list.
M

Tina:

There is a separate message area for cruises. You'd probably enjoy the discussions there more than here.

Went on a Carnival cruise 5 years ago-never again Carnival. The only good part was that it introduced me to Grand Cayman, where we often vacation now. If we ever go again, it would have to be on a better cruise line and mainly for the purpose of seeing some southern caribbean islands for future vacations.

girlonthego--Sea sickness does happen, but a couple of points on that. First, many of the newer ships have great stabilizers these days that minimize the ship's motion. Second, there are patches and non-sleep inducing drugs that can help with the sickness. Third, I believe the captain can change a ship's sailing to avoid rough waters if necessitated.

It's been my experience, and maybe this is just a coincidence, but Carribean cruises leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale seem to have more rocking than those that leave out of San Juan. However, choose your poison, b/c I've also noticed an increase in turbulence flying into San Juan ;)

We've only had really bad waves on one trip, and that was from Ft. Lauderdale to LA via the Panama Canal. The worst waves were from Ft. Lauderdale through the Bahamas. After we reached Jamaica, things settled down a lot! The waves were so bad in the Bahamas we couldn't anchor and had to skip the port.

Unfortunately, I get "sea sick" by just looking at the ships :) Otherwise I'd love to move from place to place without having to unpack each time, moving mostly at night with my "hotel room" and not thinking of how to get to a restaurant recommended by fodorites.

Nope, not me, not ever, not on a bet, not if I won the trip!

Reasons not to cruise: I get horribly seasick. I'm a tad claustrophobic. I hate organized activities and schedules. Not to mention, being stuck with a group of people in the middle of the ocean! I want to see the places I'm visiting for more than an afternoon. No one is going to be telling me what to do on my vacation. Visitors from a cruise ship in port are taken advantage of and rarely get to interact with the locals in a positive way.

The last line of suze's is true and that is why I am not going on the tour excursions through the cruise ship. I do like to converse and relate to the native population in a positive way and not hit all the spots that have crowds of American tourists, who are there just for the day. And FainaAgain, I do get air sick & sea sick- but it is the only way, unless you are rich, retired and wealthy, or just able to travel with unlimited time- to see the kinds of places that you can see and then return to explore at depth. I have tried and with my length of vacation time away from work- it is just the truth.

Without that kind of tour experience there are many of us that would never, ever have been able to do / see so much on our own. I would never have been able to drive up and down the Amalfi coast, for instance, without a tour group and professional driver. I just could not have done it.

I'll let you know if the ginger etc. works, but regardless I know I'll have a good time. I've also made separate arrangements for native guides when I arrive at two of the spots. But I'm not giving up yet.

We've been on several cruises -- Norwegian-American, Holland-America, Princess, and others. Some have gone out of business, some have changed their names. Around S. America, the Mediterranean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, the Caribbean, trans-Atlantic, French Polynesia, etc. In Russia from St. Petersburg to Moscow.

For food, we would rank Holland-America about the best. Not the fanciest, not the glitziest, just imaginative and served well.

For service, Holland-America was hands down best.

But I think we have taken our last cruise. Their costs have simply escalated out of our price range. Some lines are going all-out to attract those who like to gamble, smoke, party til all hours. Just not our thing. Their advertising really turns us off. Sorry about that.

To KVR....

I do think that a cruise is the way to see Alaska. You will find a more mature audience...not old people, just mature.

I would probably suggest Princess or RCCL for a cruise to Alaska

We like both cruises and land vacations. The advantage of a land based vacation is spending several days or weeks in one place and really getting to know it.

One a cruise, we love having our hotel move from spot to spot so we get to see lots of places without re-packing and unpacking or finding our way from one place to the next. We select port intensive cruises, tour the stops on our own, and have particularly enjoyed a Scandinavian cruise and a Mediterranean cruise.

Our favorite cruise line is Oceania: the ships (684 passengers) seem to be just the right size, the food is excellent, and the staff delightful.

Abram: we agree with your liking for Oceania. They are a fragment of what was once a fine company, Renaissance Cruises. We went with them on the R3 through French Polynesia, and they were excellent in all respects. Unfortunately, there was a lot of flak about this company on this web site because the company dealt with the customers direct, did not use travel agents. At least, they did not do so at first. This created a lot of ill will among T/As, and there was a lot of nasty stuff posted here and elsewhere. I think 9/11 contributed to that company's downfall. But we are glad to see they have returned, in at least in a limited way.

We took our first cruise in 1979 and loved it. We've done 7-8 since and enjoyed them, but the cruise industry has changed so much I've lost interest. The ships are too big, too glitzy and too many people. The smaller ships, more like those we were used to, are too expensive. However, I would like to go through the Panama Canal regardless of all the changes. Maybe some day.

J_Correa:

I too looked at Cruise West. Ordered the brochure and the video. Would love to do that instead of a mainstream cruise line, but agree with you it's out of our budget range.

Cruises to Alaska are much more expensive than the Caribbean. I won't do RCCL because of the forced seating. Have looked into Princess, but like the way NCL handles their dinner options better. I won't say "never", but we'll just wait and see.

Regarding having to deal with a huge number of people, keep in mind that the more guests, the larger the ship. I have never really felt crowded on any of the cruises I've been on. There seem to be enough public places to escape really large crowds.

As for "forced" dining, we went on RCCL to Alaska. On that line, as well as a few prior cruises after being seated a table we didn't particularly care for, we began asking for a table for two--in fact we did so after the very first evening and were accomodated. We've never had our table for two butted up against other tables and it's always seemed just like it was supposed to be--"a table for two". You can always order room service for dinner if you want to eat at your leisure. We mostly pick the early dinner seating, but we've never felt the need to rush back from an excursion "so we wouldn't miss dinner". We felt, if we missed dinner, big deal, because there are other options available to eat, including room service and the optional restaurant(s) were you order by menu.

Cruising IS NOT what it used to be. I agree that the ships have gotten too big.

Cruising has tried to be all things to all people. I liked cruising in the earlier days becasue it was more relaxing....it still is...just a little more hectic at times.

Our preference? Land tour rather than cruise but one where you do settle in one place for several days at a time.
Our one cruise several years ago was fine...in cold January, out of San Juan where we were in an Island Elderhostel program. Monarch of the Seas...a good way to see an island a day: St. Thomas, Barbados, Martinique, St.Maarten, Antigua, plus a day at sea for a solar eclipse!

A cruise ship is a certain lifestyle of lounging and casinos and sumptuous dining, also large tipping. We prefer being on land tours and on the go with more sightseeing, though the river barge cruising is gaining in popularity it seems.

But yes, perhaps a good way to see Alaska is aboard ship.
Bill in Missouri [email protected]

We have taken a cruise down the Po River in Italy and cruised from Vancouver to Seward Alaska. It was the right choice for us. The rate including meals for two was the same as a 2 star hotel in August. We found the library to be a good place to escape for a moment's quiet, also the deck after dinner.
There are quite good rates at vacationstogo.com.

Cruising has never really appealed to me. I'm not saying I wouldn't have a good time, it's just not my preference. I like to stay in one place for a while and try to get a good feel for it rather than move from location to location, only spending a day or two in each port. We also like to find somewhat private or secluded accomodations, which doesn't really lend itself to cruising.

Real men don't eat quiche---
Real travelers don't cruise regularly

JMO

I love cruises and my favorite line is Princess. However, I also love land based vacations. I can't imagine never taking any sort of vacation except a cruise andy more than I can imagine going to the same places for land vacations all the time. Cruises can be a valuable tool in determining which ports you like and would want to return to for a land based stay.
Before I took my first cruise I was one who thought I would dislike it (too confining, lots of people, forced activities, seatings for dinner etc.)But a friend convinced me to take one and now I love it- for me, I didn't find any of my preconceived notions to be true.

Hate cruises. They're like giant overeaters anon meetings.

I don't hate them...however, the way some people eat is gross......especially on the buffets. It is like it is their last meal...craziness.

I've been on 2 cruises and was ready to go overboard. I can't stand the environment and would rather be my own captain.

Cruises were once described to me as "for the newlywed, overfed and nearly dead".