Cruising. Anyone do the BIG luxury cruise ships ?

[Julia9054]

Hell is other people

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Hell is other people

Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.

 

[vickster]

Can’t imagine anything worse, although I enjoy a few hours on some sort of watery trip when on hols!
Overnight on a luxury junk in Halong Bay or on the Mekong is to be recommended too

 

[Dave7]

We did one round the Med about 25 years ago, before the mega ships came along, ours was about 600 passengers, it was pretty much like a beach holiday with no airs and graces, but in a boat instead of a hotel.

We saw Sardinia, Corsica, Malta, Capri, and Menorca, with an organised trip at each one with a bit of free time afterwards.

Whilst I enjoyed it as a change I wouldn't want to go on one of the newer giant ones.

My mum goes on the small river cruises that go up the Rhine etc, and she loves them.

I must say.....the Rhine cruises have some appeal.

 

[dodgy]

Good to hear the experiences of a few who have actually been on a cruise. But it's not for me either, I enjoy a bit of solicitude. Amazed to hear of people (not on here) talking about booking cruises, I'd thought the pandemic would put most off. It's not just once in a 100 year pandemic to worry about, it's long been established that cruise ships are floating petri dishes 🤷‍♂️

 

[RichardB]

Good to hear the experiences of a few who have actually been on a cruise. But it's not for me either, I enjoy a bit of solicitude. Amazed to hear of people (not on here) talking about booking cruises, I'd thought the pandemic would put most off. It's not just once in a 100 year pandemic to worry about, it's long been established that cruise ships are floating petri dishes 🤷‍♂️

Having spoken (a little) in favour of cruises a moment ago, I would add that I wouldn't consider going on one in the present circumstances. We went in 2017 when there were a number of cases of cruise ships getting mass infections (norovirus?) and I have to say the regime on board was very well done, with handwash facilities everywhere, and staff constantly reminding people to use them before eating, touching communal things, etc. A bit like today I had forgotten all of this until this thread.

I think the coronavirus pandemic will hit the cruise industry very hard, possibly terminally. No one would want to be in an enclosed space with thousands of strangers today, and the feeling will probably persist long after we have Covid under control (whenever that may be). There won't be a cruise industry in its present form for a very long time, which given the environmental and other impacts, is probably for the best, globally. Shame, because parts of it were quite good fun. Especially the evenings when we gave the 'comedy' and 'entertainment' a swerve and went back to the cabin (which was all of them). There's something about the motion of a boat ...

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I've not been on a cruise but I've been on a lot of cruise ships, I was a reserve HM Customs officer in the Falklands for 8 months and we used to go out and board the liners that moored offshore (the Celebrity Infinity was a regular) while the passengers went ashore in the tenders at Stanley to swamp the local population. The duties on board included paperwork checks, stamping / inspecting about 2500 passports, checking the bond stores, then eating a big (and free) meal in one of the restaurants. Yeah the food was decent, but it convinced me (if I needed it) that it was never going to appeal to me. I'd have itchy feet the whole time. I'd rather be out walking and exploring alone, though I don't mind people so long as I'm not spending my time with the same ones.

I know a couple who cruise (older man, much younger female). From conversations with them I think for some of the older guests at least there's an element of social climbing about it, it's a bit Hyacinth Bucket. He brags about knowing various officers of the cruise line (as if that's an achievement), dining at the Captain's table, dressing up each evening, I think in his mind he imagines himself in a black and white film in about 1930. She on the other hand hates it, says it's a big floating package holiday hotel with delusions of grandeur, and is considering leaving him for someone interesting.

 

[Archie_tect]

I know a couple who cruise (older man, much younger female).... She on the other hand hates it, says it's a big floating package holiday hotel with delusions of grandeur, and is considering leaving him for someone interesting.

I can see the cross-hair sights being set as you speak CT... be afraid.

 

[clid61]

I'm a DIY holiday person. Package holidays do not interest me .
Book flights and accomodation seperate. Do everything local at destinations.
The only water Hols I take are hiring a narrow boat for a up to a week on our wonderful canals , chuck the Bromptons on board and gone. Solitude Bliss. I'm the skipper and my partner is the cabin girl

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I can see the cross-hair sights being set as you speak CT... be afraid.

Note I said she was looking for someone interesting.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I hear that passengers had a spiffing time on cruise ships this year.

 

[snorri]

They sound awful to me. There is a couple in the village, I try to avoid, who usually do 2 or 3 cruises a year. Funny thing is they rarely tell you where they’ve been rather than who they sat with at dinner. Listening to them you’d get the impression the ship is full of solicitors, property magnates, chief constables and no painter and decorators ever on board.

I know that a colleague of mine went on a cruise many years ago, but the only first hand report I've heard in the past few years came from the mouth of a painter and decorator.

 

[oldwheels]

Whether you'd like the experience as a holiday or not, what I can't stand about the cruise industry is that it gives nothing to local economies of its calling points and in many places is damaging.

Venice etc have lines of cruise ship moored up, disgorging passengers, who spend nothing on accommodation food etc locally bar the odd coffee, but make the place crowded for "normal tourists" and the massive ships cause no end of damage.

Its an unsustainable industry, if covid was the death knell for it I would dance on it metaphoric grave

Having been on the receiving end of passengers from cruise liners I agree. Mostly they shuffle ashore and crowd the streets and then get whisked off by bus to some "attraction".
I travel a lot on ferries and out of peak season they are ok, even the ones to Barra which is 5 or 6 hours.
We once took a cargo boat Leith to Antwerp which was a bit like a mini cruise and the other 10 passengers were tolerable/ interesting for that period of time.

 

[MichaelW2]

They will be in "steerage" Class

The dancing is much livelier down there.

 

[MichaelW2]

After my dad broke his hip badly, my parents gave up independent travel and started cruising. They preferred smaller boats but did some bigger ones. It was OK for them but a bit staid. Food was always good, they never capsized, hit icebergs or had the ship attacked by crazed international terrorists so I call that a win.