What can you tell me about going on a cruise?

[Mareless]

For a number of years, my dh has tossed around the idea of us going on a cruise. Neither of us has ever been on one, but several of his friends have and they all tell him how great and fun a cruise is. Me, I'm not so sure.

My main concerns are that I personally won't think it's all that fun. I'm an introvert, and don't really enjoy crowds, going to bars/clubs, seeing comedians or magicians or acrobats or other 'show' types of things. Especially loud things. I'm not all that avid of a movie watcher, although I do enjoy live theatre. Not much for drinking, and I'm a picky eater. I avoid swimming pools because my skin is very sensitive to chlorine, and I'm not into spa treatments either (please don't touch me, even for a massage, unless I know you well, so no mani/pedis either). I'm also not keen on boats or water. So, yeah, I'm real hesitant to commit myself to going on a cruise. . .

My idea of fun is learning things and experiencing things first hand. I cannot sit still for long unless I have something to keep either my hands or my brain busy (I knit, sew, quilt, counted cross stitch, read, write when I'm not engaged in outdoor activity and have been known to do any and all of them while camping or other non-busy outdoor living).

DH is all about the ports and destinations, which would probably be okay in my book, as long I was doing physically active stuff while I was on land--I'd rather hike than go to a museum, etc. My big issue is what do I do while I'm on the boat? Like between ports? Because when I look at the websites for cruises and see their list of onboard things to entertain yourself with, I'm not seeing a whole lot that appeals to me. But maybe the lists are just hitting the highlights that most people would be interested in?

Help! I would really like to go a vacation with dh, but I'm envisioning myself feeling like I'm trapped on a boat when not in port and dh grumpy because I don't want to do any of the on-ship attractions because I'd rather have quiet and a 10-foot personal bubble than mingle with the other people. And I'd rather sit and read than go to a show or on-board casino.

[Sunshine2Me]

My older DD and her husband went on a cruise. They liked the "land" portion of it, but disliked the "cruise" portion of it. My DD is vegetarian and pretty much survived on bread for 10 days. They both got a bit seasick as well. They said they would not do it again.

My younger DD is going on a paddleboat cruise on the Mississippi, but it's just a day cruise, and they make several "nature stops" along the way. It's geared towards nature lovers. It sounds fun.

[Canyon]

Would you be more comfortable on a smaller ship with a smaller group? I would not enjoy island hopping on a large cruise ship in the Caribbean, but would love to see the Galapagos Islands from a small boat; my sister did that and loved it.

Maybe I could tolerate a large ship for an educational cruise. Smithsonian offers some. Or Google “educational cruise.”

[Chancellor]

My husband and I went on a cruise to Alaska for our honeymoon. They had a great naturalist on board who did talks on the bears, moose and other wildlife we would see. He was absolutely fascinating. And the ports were great.
Like you, I am an introvert and detest crowds. The boat we were on was a small one and was quite enjoyable. We did have a cabin with a balcony so that I can be outside without having to be with other people.
If you have special food needs, most cruise lines will accomodate as long as you let them know far enough in advance.

[Rhianon]

I have never been on a cruise. But every single one of my friends who has been on one has either (a) come home sick and/or (b) had something weird happen--like the engine broke down, or they were quarantined for something or the elevators didn't work.

I'm a great believer in separate vacations for people with different interests.

[Mirabella]

Cruise = Norovirus factory.

[Flight]

I won a cruise on one of those big P & O boats. You know with 1000s of people on it. So I went and I probably wouldn't ever pay to go on one again.

On the big ones, it's enforced bludging. From Australia, you have a good 2 to 3 days to get anywhere (we went to New Caledonia) and you are stuck on the boat with all the people. It was pretty amazing being out in the middle of the ocean, and nice sitting at the back of the boat watching that (probably doesn't make sense), but that's about it.
There was a bit of queuing to do, especially when getting on and off the boat to visit the islands etc. I didn't get sick or anything like that, and ate heaps of food
There was a lot of older people and younger families with kids, and a roving pack of 18 year olds getting drunk.

If I did a cruise again, I'd chose a small cruise, with lots of ports to get off and do stuff. I think that would be fun.

[westisbest]

I went on a Mediterranean cruise in 95.. Had just signed divorce papers and needed to get away from it all. It was an art history cruise on a now defunct line Royal Cruise Lines. I would say I enjoyed about 75% of it. The food was excellent, it was a good mix of ages and nationalities, Big group of fun loving Aussies . Met a couple of great single gals my age to hang with at night. I did not enjoy the "day trips" on land. Rome well we did the highlights half a day in the Vatican but had a rather mediocre meal in the restaurant we were herded to. I had the tour bus drop me off in Florence since I had been there before and knew where I wanted to revisit and then met at pick up point at end of day for a minimal charge.

We were caught in a truly terrifying storm leaving Nice crossing the Med to Majorca. Waves crashing breaking a port hole, water seeping in. People sick everywhere. NO communication from the Captain all night. Someone in the penthouse said they saw the lifeboats break loose and the crew furiously fighting the wind to secure them. Scary things can happen on cruises. I would not frankly do it again, Our ship was beautiful held around 1500 total I believe including crew. I upgraded to several levels above the waterline but the sealed tight portholes lack of fresh air at night was very uncomfortable for me. And that storm.. gaaa.. I don't really like being on the water at the best of times, didn't learn to swim till I was 19 so maybe I'm just not mean to be a happy cruise ship traveler.

[Tabby]

I LOVE cruises and I've been on 7 now! I can't understand all of these negative posts about them. They are truly the best way to vacation. You don't have to cook or clean. You eat fabulous food. And you get to see a bunch of new places in the world without having to schlep around all your stuff!

As for the crowds - you would actually be surprised how much space you can have. Yes- there's a crowd around the pool but you already indicated you don't like the pool. I don't either and only go in if I'm really hot from suntanning and I never ever dunk my head. I'm more of an ocean person. I usually try to find a quiet place on deck to read my book in the sun. One year we got very sunburned on the first day so we found a bunch of indoor activities. We took a wine tasting course and there were seminars and other things going on. They have art auctions and jewelry auctions and things like that. Honestly, there is so much more to do on the cruise ship than at an all inclusive. There are little fancy coffee bistros and all kinds of nooks and crannies around the ship.

I would recommend a medium sized ship - Celebrity Solstice class or Crown Princess - something like that. You feel the motion more on the smaller ships but the bigger ships may be overwhelming. Stay away from Norweigian and Carnival - these are party boats geared more for younger people with kids and the kids are everywhere on these ships. Royal Caribbean is a decent balance but there will probably be more kids and more "noise". Actually, Celebrity might be your best bet - they don't have as many goofy pool contests and they have more seminar type activities. They still have the theater of course but you don't have to go. They also have the solarium which is a glassed in pool where no kids are allowed and it's very quiet there (but out of the sun). They go to all the popular destinations - Caribbean, Alaska, etc.

As for seasickness, we had one person on our last trip who had some problems but she got those patches and she was fine afterwards. For the most part, the motion isn't noticeable but on this trip we were on a smaller ship and we had a 2 sea day stretch across open water so it was a little worse than I've had in the past. Many years ago we cruised in November and there was a hurricane. The ship did the itinerary in reverse to allow the hurricane to pass through ahead of us but it left very rough water for us to sail over. Again, it didn't bother me but others on the ship had problems with seasickness. You just don't know until you try it. I have noticed that the further you have to go between stops, the more likely to feel the waves. The captain has to drive faster to make it to port on time. If you stay in the western Caribbean the ports are closer together so the boat can either go slower or take a round-about route to avoid rough seas. I haven't done any on the west coast so I can't comment on the routes there. I've heard trans-Atlantic crossings are rough but I've never tried it.

I can give you lots of advise about island excursions too if you want but it sounds like that's the part you are more into so maybe you have already researched them.

[chantal]

You sound similar to me in many ways. DH's family loves them and touts the ways they save money. Nope, they don't as most of the fun things are a la carte. I do drink, but am health conscious so I don't drink much. And we are active so being cooped up on a boat is hard. And you have to pay to workout. I did like the excursions, you can pick active ones. I would recommend doing a short one, 4 days or so and I would think you could get a feeling for it. Take books (a kindle) or something and relax. Get a tan, or pick something to learn in the "down time."

We went on one, won't be going on another unless we take the kids who really really really want to go on one. An Alaskan cruise might be cool,more nature oriented I think.

Different strokes for different folks. DH's whole family went as a family for years on them and kept trying to get us to go, but fortunately DH and I are of one mind. We don't think they are the best way to go on vacation. Going to Europe and renting a car and staying in cool places through airbnb or the like would be the best way imo to go on vacation. But that's just us. It wouldn't be for everyone. I don't care for cruises. Too contrived, and trapped. And yes, the norovirus. And the 50 foot waves the last night made me sick for 2 days. And I worked on boats for 10 years as a biologist. Ugh.

[Moutaineer]

Did it once, forced to as a corporate jamboree. I'd rather poke myself in the eye repeatedly with a sharp stick than ever go again.

But my idea of a vacation is a quiet mountaintop with no other people and a gourmet chef.

[Srhorselady]

Taking a cruise is like going to a resort for a vacation. The food is wonderful and their is a choice of popular entertainment things. If that is your thing. On my cruise of the Greek islands I was frustrated since we were never able to spend as much time at the places I really wanted to see since we had to get back to the ship to sail to the next island. Also since the ship was large we had to line up to take the smaller boats into the small harbors. I hated to waste my vacation time standing in lines! My mother went on several specialty educational cruises on small ships and enjoyed them and my brother and family did the National Geographic cruise to the Galapagos and really enjoyed that. However, I highly recommend the Greek Isles, but not particularly by large cruise ship.

[hoopoe]

https://www.adventuresmithexplorations.com/tucano


here is a different type "cruise"
it has been on and off my list for several years

Small riverboat cruising is popular in SE Asia and on the Amazon

The large ships seem to me, no different than spending you vacation at the mall with a different city outside each door. Not my idea of relaxing

[Josette]

I'm another who has never been on a cruise for many of the reasons already mentioned. I think I would last maybe 2 days and then be very restless as I like to take my time exploring a new place and enjoy a restaurant. I wouldn't want to be tied to a schedule to be back on deck on time to avoid missing the ship/boat. The on board entertainment is not my thing either. (Plus I would require Dramamine.)

However, I've seen this cruise line advertised.

http://www.americanqueensteamboatcompan ... oCVgrw_wcB


Also a small Alaskan cruise ship to access the narrow passage ways would also be the way to go too. You would see far more than a larger ship IMO.

[LeoApp]

I went on a small ship that held 100 passengers in Alaska and it was great. No pool, no kids, no gambling, no entertainment but the wildlife and scenery. We were not out in the open ocean and got to know everyone on board. There were two naturalists on board that led talks and bird watching from the boat. The boat was small enough to dock everywhere we went, so no waiting for a tender to take you to shore.
You sound a lot like me in your likes and dislikes. I have no plans to ever go on a cruise ship with thousands of other people.

[Mareless]

A really, really big Thank You! to everyone for replying. It's been great reading your responses and getting different perspectives. Also, you've given me some ideas to run with. I really like the idea of the smaller, and nature-oriented cruises. DH would go for those; he loves hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoorsy stuff (although he also thinks its neat to explore big cities, and I'm way overwhelmed by them). Also, I'm intrigued by the idea of the day cruises on the paddleboats of the Mississippi Sunshine2me mentioned.

[LeoApp]

http://www.nationalgeographicexpedition ... pes/byship

http://www.celebritycruises.com/ships/c ... -xpedition

Just be warned these cruises are a lot more expensive but I think more worth it.

[Josette]

LeopApp - Yes! Really like the smaller Alaskan cruise you described. Thanks for those links.

[LeoApp]

The cruise that I went on was actually a Tauck tour.

http://www.tauck.com/small-ship-cruises.aspx

[Woost2]

Did the giant Princess cruise to Alaska (collegiate fjord) with my disabled dad and sister -- for my 50th. It was not my thing AND I enjoyed it very much. For Alaska, the cruising part is the point ... stunning vistas and critters on view during all daylight hours. We got a balcony at the suggestion of a travel agent cousin so my dad could just sit if he wanted to. He didn't. I spent more time on the balcony than he did. He was out and about. Sis and I went to bed and he went to the bar for a cocktail and jazz. I got up early to not miss the scenery and would have the decks totally to myself. I was mostly in denial that we were on a ginormus floating resort. Mingled with no one.

We had a great naturalist you would report sightings .... grizzly off the port bow. We went to all his presentations, watched a few movies.
Ports were OK. I would have been fine without them. We did a few excursions. It was mind-boggling expensive but Dad had determined that he wanted to do it. No seasickness altho I discovered I could not stand or sit on the stern and watch out the back. That made me queasy.

I like the idea of small boat. That is much more my style. Altho, mingling would be required.

Cruising the open ocean in endless heat with the point being to get to various island ports does not speak to me.

[angela9823]

I've cruised five times. The majority were to the Caribbeans but by far the best was Alaska. We got a balcony room and I'm so glad I did. While "out to sea", I'd sit on the balcony with a good book watching the lovely views go by. They also had a great exercise area (very large and was included in the price) and you can walk/run the deck perimeter for some peace with activity. Since the Alaskan cruises are generally an older crowd, it doesn't feel as crowded and we only saw one set of kids the entire trip. The pools can often times be "cleaner" without the chlorine normal for a pool. Then when in port, you almost always have the option of going kayaking (yes, can be pricey). The kayaking was amazing! We would go to areas that were supper quiet where you could sit and listen to the eagles overhead and occasionally have a sea lion come up to the boat. One day we visited Glacier Bay National Park. I thought that would be a boring day looking at the glaciers. It wasn't. It was stunning. Even at 4:00 in the morning when it was completely dark, the ice radiated off the water. It was amazing to see the glaciers off in the distance in the pitch black and yet they were illuminating a halo around them. Stunning.

[Cookie]

I love cruises!

I'm also a bit of an introvert, and I don't find it hard to find space. However, I do enjoy just relaxing, and as such I don't mind the days at sea. My boyfriend and I have a good time just sleeping in, having a lazy breakfast, finding a chair somewhere quiet and reading, going to the fitness center, walking, napping, and watching movies at night. It doesn't sound like that's your cup of tea, so I'm not sure if you would enjoy that or not... We don't do the night clubs, bars, etc. either, so you don't HAVE to do that stuff.

We also enjoy the ports. I'm more active than my boyfriend is, so we sort of compromise on the port activities. Some ports have really fun excursions with ziplining, hiking, snorkelling, etc. And some are more geared to sitting on the beach. The last cruise we did a couple of more active excursions and a couple more relaxed days. When I was younger I would have HATED sitting on the beach and relaxing, but as I get older, I don't mind doing that for a day, just sitting and reading. But I can understand how some people wouldn't like that, because I was too ADD when I was younger to enjoy that.

FWIW, in my opinion it is TOTALLY worth the extra money to get a balcony room or mini-suite if you decide to go.

I thought the food was amazing, and while I'm not a vegetarian, I am doing a plant based diet, and I had no problem finding healthy foods to eat. They had steamed and fresh veggies and fruit at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Other good vegetarian options, healthy meats, really good salads, beans, etc...

I don't think cruising is for everyone, but we really enjoy it.

[PaulaO]

A friend is doing an Adriatic cruise on this ship: http://www.seacloud.com/en/yachts/sea-cloud/

Now that's a cruise!

[FlyingLily]

My ex-DH and I did a Celebrity cruise, 7 days out of Fort Lauderdale.

I love the ocean, and like being on ships. The nights were gorgeous with the moon glimmering on the giant wake. This was a huge ship and we felt no motion at all even on the rougher days. We splurged on a cabin with a deck and that was a great idea.

The food was wonderful and that was the problem. My ex was always trying to lose weight but he was a total glutton, so the whole trip was one big fight between his id and his superego, and it took place out loud. I want seconds of that! I can't! But I reeeallly want it... Stop eating Fatso! Can I have more shrimp? Look at that cheesecake no no no.

This got so old. I think the omnipresence of beautiful food just made it a torture for him; it certainly did for me.

Everything else was nice but the on-shore parts were too short and frantic.

If you go, be forewarned about the tips: two days out from the end you start getting coached about tips and everybody wants one, and they all want 20%. It adds hundreds of dollars to the total cost.

[angela9823]

If you go, be forewarned about the tips: two days out from the end you start getting coached about tips and everybody wants one, and they all want 20%. It adds hundreds of dollars to the total cost.

Could be the cruises I've been on - Holland America, Carnival and Royal Caribbean- but we were told to only tip those whom serviced us. The first cruise we did the black tie evening event. We never did it after that. It isn't worth being on the ship's time schedule to eat or use up space in the closet to bring the clothes so we just did the buffet after that. That cuts down on a lot of the tipping expense because you don't have the waiter/waitress/matre' d. I think we only had the person who cleaned our room to tip.

[Tabby]

Most of the cruise lines charge gratuities to your bill. It's some amount per person per day. While they don't tell you this, you can simply say you aren't paying them and tip directly to staff (or not at all). The problem I have with this is that the ship staff work very hard, often 2 or 3 jobs on board, and make very little money. Tips make up the majority of their earnings. The front line staff tend to get better tips (maids, dining room staff etc) compared to those that work more behind the scenes (cooks, those that look after the buffet, pool attendants etc.) even though they work just as hard. The prepaid gratuities get split along some formula so all staff are included, even if you don't see them at all.

For me, the dining room experience - especially the formal nights - are what puts cruising far above other types of vacations. The food and service are exceptional. On my last cruise, several of our party went to the buffet a few evenings. We couldn't understand it. The buffet food was good but it was the same stuff day in and day out. And I figure I work hard all year long so I can have one week where someone not only cooks for me, but brings it to my table.

[exploding pony]

I have gone on a couple and loved them.

But my life is completely insane and I love going and relaxing, and having someone else plan everything.