xxx

Some locales you can only get to by taking a cruise. The Galapagos Islands and Antarctica.

Lori

Well, my husband and I thought we were alone in this world too since we dislike cruises. It's all too structured for us and you have no real time to "see" a destination, only "visit" .. and briefly at that. Also (and this is a personal feeling, don't anyone jump all over me about this), cruise lines cater too much to families with young children to suit us. We are not ancient and do not want to spend entire trips with the retired set, but we don't enjoy kids underfoot all the time either (pools, dining room, etc.). It is not just Carnival who has zeroed in on the family market either, they are all doing it. At least when you take a land trip (as we normally do) you can simply get up and leave a place you are not thrilled with. Not so on a ship,you are trapped there. Also, they (cruises) are becoming more and more money hungrey. They advertise "meals included" but are pushing the dining rooms that you pay exra for. Sure you don't need to eat in them, I know that,but just the same it's another way to make money for the line. All in all we found a cruise to be our least favorite vacation ever.

xxx

Nocruise,I respect and understand your feelings completely. But if 2 people were unseasoned travelers and went to Europe (such as my husband and myself) never having been there, I would find it extremely stressful to take on such a venture by ourselves. Also I think it would be unfair to expect my husband to drive all over a place he is unfamiliar with and say "oh relax we are on vacation."Where is your sense of adventure?? I am sure he would find going to work easier. So feel sorry for me if you like. I will take the tour in those circumstances.

curiousx

I crossed the Atlantic as a teenager on one of the great old Cunard boats - had a blast.

A friend and I made the return trip a decade or so later on the old Alexander Pushkin - dreadful food and service but we had fun anyway.

I went recently on an Alaskan cruise with Princess (the dream trip of an elderly friend). Loved the scenery and the sightseeing (we arranged out own off-shore excursions - did not go through the cruise line. Also loved the accommodation, level of service, and the ease of travel. Loathed (really loathed) the mundane food and tacky entertainment.

I plan to take a trip on Amazing Grace someday soon (the freighter that serves Windjammer Cruises in the Southern Caribbean).

My family much prefers independent travelling but we certainly see a place for cruising from time to time. That said, I don't think I could hack Disney or Carnival ever !

Bert

X, If you find the idea of traveling to Europe stressful because you've never been there - perhaps you should stick to a cruise or package tour. God forbid you have an unplanned moment or a need to think for yourself. But keep up that spirit of ADVENTURE!

Molly

I am always struck by how judgemental people can be on this board.
I think it's the folks, like John, who are open-minded enough to explore various possibilities, I would be most interested in knowing. They are the true adventurers.

I've never been on a cruise, but am planning one to Alaska {Inside Passage} next summer. I first checked out the ferry, but the schedule is extremely difficult to coordinate, and doesn't seem reasonable when all is said and done. Like Jackie and others, many types of cruising does not appeal - my husband and I aren't into Vegas type shows, casinos or midnight buffets - but we fould a relatively small ship that seems more education/nature oriented. We'll book excursions on our own, or hike and sightsee. I think that a break from our usual M/O {exploring, different nights in various locations} will be great!

xxx

Bert, that is exactly my point and what I said I would do. I do all my thinking at work, home, when on vacation I don't care to do so. Having it planned, for me, is the way to go!

ann

Cruises are wonderful for families. Last year my husband, myself, two teenage sons and mother in law went on a cruise together. Where else could 5 people with varied interests have enjoyed a stress free vacation together? We were able to split up, and still meet for dinner at the end of the day. My mother in law had her shows and tours, my sons got to meet loads of teenagers, and my husband and I enjoyed a week of pamering.
Life is good!

xxx

Nina, I agree. While some locales warrant a cruise, no other way to get there, I couldn't stomache a caribbean cruise.

Nancy

As we all can see from previous posts cruising is not for everyone and there are so many cruise lines it depends on which line you choose. We have been on two caribbean cruises and loved them. We chose cruising as a "reconnaissance" mission to see which islands we would like to visit. The bad thing about that is you only get one day to visit and usually that's not enough, but it is a good way of checking out different islands. As I said, cruising is not for everyone, you either love it or hate it.

Lenore

My husband and I enjoy cruises. They are just so easy and relaxing. We are about to go on our 6th one in just under four years. During that same amount of time we've also taken several land based trips such as to Hawaii, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, Sedona and Phoenix, the mountains of North Carolina and Smoky mountain NP, Zion NP and Las Vegas, New York etc. We just enjoy vacations....almost any type is good for us. The more the merrier, just keep them comin'!!

suzanne

I only really like to vacation in quiet, often remote settings...AWAY from the crowds. So I have absolutely no desire to ever do a cruise...except to Antarctica.

The Antarctic Cruise ships only hold about 100 passengers and don't have entertainment or children. They are the only way to get to Antarctica, so if I want to go there I won't have any choice. I'm planning to go in the next few years...I wonder what it will be like?

ncgrrl

Crusies aren't the only way to get to Antarctic. Many scientists from the world perform research on Antarctia.

Be careful of antarctic cruise, because some cruises that go there stay above the antarctic circle.

Going on my first cruise (Alaska) next year. Looking forward to it. But notlooking forward to the cattle treatment with the other 1,900 on the ship. And after today's news reports of food-borne illnesses (or was that from not washing hands after) I'm a little more queasy about the situation.

A TRaveler

I think maybe people are trying to encourage (in a back handed sort of way) people to explore other avenues of travel. You miss SO much by being in a port for 8-12 hours & moving on. Especially when you consider the costs involved. I can travel to Europe for a month for what a 10 day caribbean cruise costs. It is easy to visit someplace but are you really enjoying that type of herding experience. Someone please sell me on the virtues of cruising. I agree w/the prior post, it is lazy & I would place those in a more pretentious class than those willing to do their homework & exploring someplace they have never been

goNets

First off I'll state that I've never been on a cruise but have no desire. I don't care how big the boat is I know I'll feel cooped up after half a day. That's just me. The way in which they're marketed, they give the impression of being little more than floating malls. Given my feelings for malls, I could see myself plunging into the ocean if this perception proved correct.
However, I have a cousin who loves cruises, but specifically the older ships. He feels they have much more character than the newer ships (which I believe are larger and probably fit the mall thing closer). So, maybe we can take this discussion in another direction. How do folks feel about old ships versus new?

nina

gonets, You sound like my husband, the first day of the cruise, he was seriously investigating the cost of being helicoptered off the ship! After a long discussion with the Hotel Manager of the ship about his disappointment with our cabin (It made a strange ticking sound all night), he upgraded us to the Royal Family Suite. Made all the difference. It was 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms and a walk in closet! Then my husband was a happy camper, since we never had to leave the cabin (even had room service) unless we were in Port.

So, this is the only way he'll go on a cruise, and you too, sounds like. Since we won't be springing the 15 grand that cabin goes for, I guess he'll never be waving from the Lido deck again....

I am working on getting him to go on a Windjammer cruise. Check it out, it looks like something a traditional cruise-hater would love. Small sailing ships, no organized activities, no casinos and lots and lots of anchoring on deserted beaches instead of busy ports. How can you not like that?

goNets

Nina,
I don't think staying in a nice suite would keep me from getting cooped up. The way I would probably deal with it would be to walk around, a lot. This is what I do. Staying in a room all day would be just giving up.
The Windjammer cruise as you described it sounds great. But, my fiance is prone to seasickness so wouldn't go for it. I'm prone to it as well, but if it takes me to a cool location, I'm willing to lose lunch over it. Good luck convincing your husband.

jan

Been on a 4 day Bahamas Carnival cruise 4 yrs ago and haven't been back on a cruise since. YUCK!!! This is definetly not for us. Confined to a ship with over 1000+ people. Having to eat dinner daily with strangers. Food sucked! All we ate was pizza & salad. Just wasn't our cup of tea. You were forced to stick with the ships itenarary. NO THANK YOU!! We prefer land vacations- more freedom and flexibility.

sandy

Cruises are very affordable. Not everyone can afford 2 months in Europe. I don't know too many people who can take a month or 2 off of work every year to be a "traveler." I think you can enjoy a cruise as well as a road trip to a National park or a great long adventure to Europe. I have a friend who took a cruise to Southeast Asia and vistited Viet Nam. She said it was amazing. She never would of went to Viet Nam for a vacation but going there on a cruise ship was wonderful.

xxx

Jan part of the problem was 4 days to the Bahamas. Not many people would go 4 days to the Bahamas. The Bahamas is an easy destination to reach. The other poster who visited Viet Nam, or a Mediterranean cruise where exotic or interesting places are visited is quite different than a Carnival 4 day cruise.