Cruise Holidays

[cd365]

Does anyone else do them? I have booked my sixth (in 3 years since my first) and I go in 9 weeks. A 12 night transatlantic cruise from Barbados.

Only problem I will have is the weight I put on after each cruise, with all that fine dining you can't help but indulge. I'm already on a crash diet after Xmas.

 

[Leodis]

Aren't they for OAP's with too much money and not enough imagination?

Just messing, my wife always tells me we should but I am not sure.

 

[ScotiaLass]

I hate water and boats!!

 

[cd365]

Aren't they for OAP's with too much money and not enough imagination?

I thought the same until I went on one, I took my wife for a one off cruise holiday for her 40th and we loved it.
The last cruise on went on was at the start of December with Thomson around the Canaries and that was full of OAPs, didn't stop me having a good time though. The clientele depends on the cruise line, time of year and starting point.

 

[Brandane]

Definitely not my "thing" either. Strange considering I love the sea, and spent 3 years in the Merchant Navy in my youth. A cruise ship though, no thanks. All those people stuck on a floating hotel. What I would consider is some of those cargo ships which carry a few passengers. They are rare, and you have to be very flexible with your arrangements. And gone are the perks of my day, when you got days on end in port. 2 week dry-dock in Singapore, February 1980. Then another 2 week dry-dock in San Francisco, October 1980, for example .

 

[Spinney]

I'd like to cruise around Greenland, or up the coast or Norway. Smaller boats with lectures on wildlife etc, not the eat-and-drink-fest that these huge cruise liners seem to be.

 

[Fnaar]

I went cruising in London once, but got a black eye in Piccadilly.

 

[stephec]

I went cruising in London once, but got a black eye in Piccadilly.

Was it all you can eat?

 

[wait4me]

We have done 4 cruises. I was lucky on 2 of them. Although it wasn't mentioned on the itinery 2 of them had a cycling trip. The first was a Greek Islands cruise and there were MTBs that were used for a 10 mile organised ride on Katylunia. Not too exciting but better than nothing. On our third cruise (LA to Miami via Panama Canal) at one of the ports in Mexico we were bussed about 12 miles to a ranch where we started an off road ride through a wooded area for about 12 miles Really enjoyable but the heat in 3 figures....I thought I ws melting not sweating. Both these helped to cancel some of the excessive intake that we are all guilty of on a cruise.
Enjoy your holiday but wear your tightest trousers at the start.

 

[Fnaar]

Was it all you can eat?

Ooh, get her and her dolly kaffies. I'm off to zhoosh up my riah.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

My mum, 81, occasionally books a cruise for various members of the family. As she pays for the ship part, it's a cheap break and it tends to get more of the family together. I spent Christmas on a Brittany Ferries ship which took us over to Amsterdam - just 3/4 days - that sorted the ''What shall we do for Christmas?'' questions. There was a very wide age and class range on board - young couples, retired people, families with young children. Food and drink was reasonably cheap: £3 for a pint of Becks - we drank CORMI (Calvados out, Rémy-Martin In). The journey home was fairly spectacular, as bow waves were breaking over the 7th deck and twice they had to do emergency helicopter evacuations, one for an elderly gentleman who fell (it wasn't the smoothest of seas) and cracked his head open, the other, I don't know. Respect to anybody who can land a helicopter on a moving deck in gale force winds!)

I don't think I'd ever choose a cruise for a holiday but it can be enjoyable.

 

[Aperitif]

[QUOTEI'd rather pick my eyes out with a blunt stick.][/QUOTE]
You are obviously superioir HMS TMN!


Cruise holidays are great! I went on one with my Mum and Dad and it was fantastic. To begin with, we were ensconced in a caravan at Dovercourt, for our annual holiday. I got up early the Sunday morning and went to the campsite shop for the Sunday Paper and a few extras (the extras being a sight of cleavage perhaps...not sure )
Anyway, I returned to the berth where I began reading the News of the World. The results of the winners of the Cruise to Las Palmas were announced on two pages. My Dad had won - for all members of his family under 21! Hurrah!
Only me, as my youngest sister was 21 on the 31st July 1966 - one day before the 'cut off point'.
(Never mind - she filled her boots up in oh so many ways subsequently...)
Max Wall was on board as we set sail for the Canaries, the Applejacks. Darts legends galore...deck quoits, and a whole host of other things I can't remember (yet)
I might have some scans fro the time (as the B***h of an ex has destroyed my family history which I collected via menus , mementoes et al etc...) and I'll add them in...
Get Cruising everyone!

 

[swansonj]

Apart from the attractiveness or otherwise of the itinerary and clientèle, I have always understood that the staff on board are hideously exploited even by the standards of the hospitality business, and by going on a cruise you are complicit in perpetuating that?

 

[slowmotion]

I've never been but all the people I know who have seem to love it, even those who had doubts before trying it. I think I would like the on-board stuff but I'm a bit uneasy about going ashore to a tourist destination with a thousand other people.

 

[Aperitif]

Apart from the attractiveness or otherwise of the itinerary and clientèle, I have always understood that the staff on board are hideously exploited even by the standards of the hospitality business, and by going on a cruise you are complicit in perpetuating that?

Don't worry about it - just cruise! The staff know exactly what they are in for. 'Twas ever thus.