sourceI have never been on a cruise. I’m not afraid of water or boats; I just don’t get the appeal in vacationing on a ship. My friends have gone on cruises and have come home raving about them. For some reason, though, I just like the idea of vacationing on land better.
Even though I’ve been told cruise ships are so big you sometimes forget you’re in the middle of an ocean, I just don’t like the idea of not being able to get up and walk anywhere I want to, or not be able to leave at any time. Cruises also just don’t seem very relaxing to me; I feel like I would be stuck with too many people.
The only cruise I might consider going on would be to Alaska to whale watch and look at the scenery. This seems much more appealing to me than hopping on a tropical vacation themed ship.
What do you think about cruises? Have you ever been on one?
Comments (35)
I personally like all-inclusive vacations on the beach better but the food on a cruise ship is worth it all! I went with my boyfriends family one time and his father gained 12 pounds (in 6 days) because of the dinners alone.
I went on a Disney cruise a few years ago and it was great! It's not claustrophobic at all, and there are plenty of things to do. You get to go wherever you want on the stops, and there are several on most cruises.
I rather enjoy cruises. (Of course, I SELL them too, so I'm kind of biased!) It's a way for me to REALLY disconnect from the rest of the world. Sure, you're on a ship that you can't leave for a certain amount of time, but with all the things included it's rarely an issue. I can't identify any other vacation option that includes as much in the price of the cruise itself, including the meals, entertainment, lodging, and activities.
Look at it this way: to me, a cruise is like going to a resort, unpacking my clothes, and then having the resort change each day. I'm in St. Thomas one day, and San Juan the next. I don't have to drive around to get where I need to go, and if there's a hurricane or other storm, the cruise ship steers around it rather than suffering through it. It's a good way to get introduced to an area that you might want to visit again later on land, or to just GET AWAY. I find cruise ships to be enjoyable and a good relaxing vacation.
I always recommend those who don't mind being on a ship try taking a cruise at least once. I can tell you story after story of people who had a belief about how the experience would be, and were proven wrong on their cruise. That said, it's not for everyone.
Never been one, but definitely I will.
I've been on two cruises and I get sea-sick. It definitely doesn't feel like just being in a big hotel.... I feel like the whole ship is rocking and I puke everywhere. Blah. I probably will never go on one again. They're fun if you don't get sick.
I never have been on a cruise but some day I really want to experience one.
i've been on a couple, and all the tropical ones and even the one off the coast of new york were exactly the same. we sailed into the middle of nowhere in the ocean and all the amenities were exactly the same. it's like going to a resort and just staying there and not learning about the local culture. for me, the best part of the cruises were when we got to go off boat and enjoy local life in the caribbean. and by far the best cruise i went on was the alaska one... we went in the summer so we got to experience endless sunshine, we got to see fantastic scenery and wildlife (bears, eagles, seals, etc), and the off boat excursions were quite different from the caribbean ones =)
a lot of my friends go on tropical cruises for spring break. i've been on too many to want to go with them.
You and I think a like when it comes to cruises. My mom likes them, but I refuse to go with her. I think it might be because I almost drowned the last time I was on a cruise. ...I'm a little...tramatized I guess you could say.
I think part of travel is going to a new culture. My parents went on one from San Fransisco to Ensenada Mexico and really enjoyed the break and having everything planed for them. Though granted they did not get to pick the trip (it was a "family reunion" of sorts). But the breaks of getting off the ship made it ideal, that way they didn't have to be around family the entire time.
I went on a cruise with my mom's family last year in celebration of my grandparents' 50th anniversary, and it was amazing! The beds were the most comfortable I'd ever slept in, the waitstaff were the best I'd ever had (you have the same waiters every night, so you really get close), the islands were beautiful, there were tons of things happening on the ship to entertain yourself (and any kids you might have) with, such as dance lessons, karaoke, towel-folding (oh yeah, they folded our fresh towels into animals every night!), live entertainment like singers/dancers, comedians, jugglers... they had dueling pianos, and a guy playing guitar and singing in the (really nice) pub who was great. If you just want to relax, you can chill out in the ship's library, or enjoy the sun on the pool deck. The food was amazing- "are you finished? would you like another lobster tail? no? how about dessert? can't decide? try all of them!" There's a track for jogging in the morning if you want to, and my family really enjoyed the 24-hour cafe onboard. Another cool thing is that you get to experience tons of different accents and cultures, since people from many different countries work on cruise ships. The lifejacket drill at the beginning wasn't at all boring considering I got to listen to a gorgeous Irish accent the whole time... mmm.
I would highly recommend a cruise, if you haven't taken one yet- my mom never thought she'd like it, but when we finally got her to go, she had tons of fun! I'd say the cruise I took last year was the best vacation I've had yet. If you're looking, I'd recommend Royal Caribbean; they were fantastic. Go for one of their bigger ships, such as the Mariner of the Seas-- there's tons of space to walk around, and the size makes seasickness virtually nonexistent.
My spouse and I would highly recommend a cruise to anyone that has never been on one. Before we went I was skeptical about enjoying it, I didn't think there would be much to do on the ship. I was totally wrong. We thought it was the best vacation because we didn't have to drive anywhere, make or buy meals somewhere, could eat anytime and had several choices as to restaurants on board the ship with different types of food served. I think it was a good thing that we did a lot of walking around the ship to get rid of all those calories from the food and the awesome desserts. There were live shows, art auctions, exercise room, ice sculpture, and did I mention the food. We even played put put on the top deck twice. I don't think very many ships have put put. The staff was great and we had a lot of fun with our waiters. We even gave our waiter a special order for our appetizer on one meal ( a day ahead) and we got it. We really like the idea of the care free vacation. Once you are on board, there are a lot of things that are just taken care of for you.
More about the food, we tried appetizers and meals that we wouldn't have tried if we had to pay at a restaurant for them. There was a special meal night were everyone dressed up and got pictures taken professionally. The cooks really put on quite a show of all the different things they created with fruits and vegetables and desserts and ice and I'm not sure what else. We got to walk past this long line of tables with all these creations on them and take pictures a couple hours before we could eat any of it. We really loved the fruit, fresh pineapples, strawberries, melon, about anything.
There was one place we could go and get pizza about anytime. There was also a place to get hamburgers and lighter food I think more than just meal times. And there were cookies and cakes and ice cream with all the toppings.
Am I making anyone hungry?
cruises are amazing. AMAZING! we were already planning our second cruise while still on our first. this December we are taking our third. the ship is huge. you never run outta things to do. there's shows of every kind going on at all times. gambling. clubbing. art shows. karaoke. a spa. at least one pool. hot tubs. shopping. three meals a day. (you pick a three coarse meal but if you want double of everything you can have it) a 24 hour pizza place. and room service. all free. (well all covered in the price of the ticket) on a seven day cruise you will stop at three places. each for about 7 to 9 hours. they are beautiful places. with unbelievable shopping. and gorgeous water. you can swim with dolphins. or snorkel at one of the reefs. horse back ride alongside the ocean. on the cruise you get star treatment. they wait till you are out at dinner then come clean your room and leave chocolates on your pillow. everything is always taken care of. you get so used to this treatment that when you get home you can think of nothing else but booking your next cruise vacation.
i've never been on one before but planning to go soon. i have a friend who loves to go on cruises and says it's really fun. so i'm gonna have to try it one day.
There are many story to hear in cruise vacations my cousin had their vacation in Brazil and Europe and they actually enjoy it.
@drwarrior@xanga - What ship/line did you go on? Sounds like the same one I was on.
I'm going on my fifth cruise this summer for my honeymoon. I LOVE cruises. You get to eat all you want, the entertainment is free, and you get to visit tons of cool places. It's the ideal vacation. And for me, its the most financially predictable vacation. I pay for the cruise and my excursions, I take into account gratuity and maybe a little money for alcohol or the casino....and that's it. The trip costs what I expect it to cost. It's great. :)
The ONLY problem is that the decks do get a little crowded from time to time. But they have adult-only decks on quite a few ships. This next cruise my hubby and I will also have a balcony, which I am looking forward to. That way we can enjoy the view without worrying about finding a deck chair. :)
@drwarrior@xanga - The food is definitely the best part. Can't pick an entree? Order all five!!! Like the dessert? Get five of them!!!
i've been to super star virgo which sails between malaysia and singapore. it was amazing. dreamland. everything you can think is available on cruise.
They're fun. Alaskan cruise was my favorite. Been on 6 now. You don't feel stranded, and you don't feel like there are too many people :)
i went on a cruise once to nova scotia. it was alright. i almost got seasick at the beginning of it though because the ship was running a little late and had to go a bit faster.
I'm a big fan of cruises I've been on 4. It's neat being able to get a taste of 5 or 6 different places
Yes, I'm actually going on another cruise this summer :)
There is really something for everyone on cruises. You don't have to be a part of a raucous crowd and participate on the onboard goings on. You can even take advantage of the many different types of cruises like Windjammers (sails) or Alaskan. I love going myself. I will never forget being at the bow, going down the Mississippi from New Orleans just watching the indigo sky and the snakey river. Same with the wonderful Caribbean blue water. I enjoyed high tea and that would seem mundane for some folks but that was fun for me. I never participated in the popular excursions but went across Jamaica to the Black River which was enchanting and took me thru the impoverished society of the island. Also enjoyed the banana daquarri at the top of the mountain in St. Thomas. So there really is tons of stuff to do and meeting people from all walks of life from all over the world. Don't give it up as boring. These liners are so big, there's plenty of places to walk even if it's standing still on a treadmill!
Cruises are basically making you making thousands of dollars so you can live on a big ship, which looks like land, and get fat all day long.
I'd love to go on one someday.