fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Not for me, I'd be too bored.
Just got back from our first ever cruise
- Thread starter AlanW
- Start date
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I've never been although maybe it's due to getting a bit older I don't rule them out completely. However, wife not keen.
What does put me off is the admittedly rare but it still happens outbreaks of sickness onboard and everyone gets it. Tales of vomit filled corridors tends to put a dampner on things.
We have chatted to various people when we've been in Croatia, Spain etc who do a week ashore and a week aboard a cruise and they rave about how good they are.
As for boredom, as long as there is a good range of fitness equipment onboard I'd be fine. That and a well stocked bar....
What does put me off is the admittedly rare but it still happens outbreaks of sickness onboard and everyone gets it. Tales of vomit filled corridors tends to put a dampner on things.
We have chatted to various people when we've been in Croatia, Spain etc who do a week ashore and a week aboard a cruise and they rave about how good they are.
As for boredom, as long as there is a good range of fitness equipment onboard I'd be fine. That and a well stocked bar....
N0bodyOfTheGoat
Active Member
- Location
- Hampshire, UK
We went on an 11-day cruise in 2008 around Norway, Iceland and brief soggy stop at Belfast, at cheap family rates as SIL worked for Princess Cruises back then. Loved it in terms of briefly seeing new places, just a shame I had made a right mess of my lower back weeks before and then came down with a cold onboard!
It sounds like you didn't enjoy it that much, and I have to be honest, I don't see me ever voluntarily paying to go on one.
The idea of being trapped on a boat/ship with all of those other tourists sounds like torture to me - and as you say, the view is something that you quickly get used to.
The other part of cruises that never appeals to me is that when they dock somewhere (perhaps your one didn't) it disgorges LOADS of passengers, so then you invariably find yourself looking at a beautiful city/town, but surrounded by all of the people who you've just been surrounded by on the boat.
I get zero pleasure from that, and would much rather find quiet towns on my lonesome, or with my partner, and try not to disturb the locals, and be respectful.
I have a vivid recollection of (admittedly this is coaches rather than boats but my theory holds I think) when me and my partner were house sitting near Lucca and went to visit the Cinque Terra - at one of the five places, a coach load of tourists rocked up (might have been American) and totally over ran the place, talking loudly, taking pictures (As you would expect) but the sheer volume of them took away any charm of the place. They were clearly on a tight schedule, as I think they were only there 30 minutes, but the feeling when they had vacated, and it returned to relative normality was a thing of wonder.
P.S I have the same rules about centre parcs.
The idea of being trapped on a boat/ship with all of those other tourists sounds like torture to me - and as you say, the view is something that you quickly get used to.
The other part of cruises that never appeals to me is that when they dock somewhere (perhaps your one didn't) it disgorges LOADS of passengers, so then you invariably find yourself looking at a beautiful city/town, but surrounded by all of the people who you've just been surrounded by on the boat.
I get zero pleasure from that, and would much rather find quiet towns on my lonesome, or with my partner, and try not to disturb the locals, and be respectful.
I have a vivid recollection of (admittedly this is coaches rather than boats but my theory holds I think) when me and my partner were house sitting near Lucca and went to visit the Cinque Terra - at one of the five places, a coach load of tourists rocked up (might have been American) and totally over ran the place, talking loudly, taking pictures (As you would expect) but the sheer volume of them took away any charm of the place. They were clearly on a tight schedule, as I think they were only there 30 minutes, but the feeling when they had vacated, and it returned to relative normality was a thing of wonder.
P.S I have the same rules about centre parcs.
Mrs Tkk was visiting Southampton with a friend, she commented on how quickly the new block of flats had gone up since her last visit. It tuned out to be a Cruise liner.
I enjoy watching the adverts with the scarcely populated pool and lounge areas, and the excursions to the historic towns where they sit at a readily available café table surrounded by a few locals.
I enjoy watching the adverts with the scarcely populated pool and lounge areas, and the excursions to the historic towns where they sit at a readily available café table surrounded by a few locals.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
My mate went on one of those cruises
apparently it got rather loud at some points
only one firework on the whole cruise and people got rather excited about it apparently
presta
Legendary Member
Cruises have never appealed to me, they seem the opposite of what I'd be looking for, once you've walked the length of the deck a few times, there's nowt to do other than eat & drink.
The longest time I've spent at sea were full days on a Thames sailing barge when I used to go out with the Maldon Barge Match each year. One year I was listening to the wind howling all night, and was not looking forward to it, but I had a great time.
Half an hour later I was riding through Upper & Lower Slaughter, and they were lovely, pretty little villages, and quiet.
Walking the South West Way, the path was deserted for all but half a mile either side of the tourist beaches, nobody seemed to bother straying any further than that.
When I crossed from Dover-Calais in rough weather once it was like that, the floors were a carpet of huey, but after they called for everyone to return to their cars, and the crowds had all shuffled their way to the stairs down to the car deck, it had all vanished. There wasn't a sign of it, it had all been trampled into the carpet.
The longest time I've spent at sea were full days on a Thames sailing barge when I used to go out with the Maldon Barge Match each year. One year I was listening to the wind howling all night, and was not looking forward to it, but I had a great time.
I remember going on a coach trip to Bourton on the Water and thinking it was lovely, then I passed through whilst cycling a few years later and thought it was terrible. Too full of coach trippers.
Half an hour later I was riding through Upper & Lower Slaughter, and they were lovely, pretty little villages, and quiet.ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
We went on one as part of our honeymoon about 8 years ago
It was up from Vancover and round the coast of Alaska
The scenery was amazing
the rest - not something we will do again
maybe working for a big company for many years made be ratehr cynical but I saw marketing everywhere
and stupid cost saving things such as the most popular bread for toast running out at breakfast every single day
so people were forced to get different bread
then magically they had more the next day even if we had not docked
and clear evidence of extra seating being put in the restaurant to get more people in but in a way that cause bottlenecks - and this all over the place
the "posh" restaurants required pre-booking so we ignored them (in spite of being "entitled" to some visits) in order to be able to do what we wanted when we wanted
port visits were OK - but I just got off and walked around
and the ports in Alaska were tiny but very touristy
the brothel in Juneau was not as advertised!!!!
It was up from Vancover and round the coast of Alaska
The scenery was amazing
the rest - not something we will do again
maybe working for a big company for many years made be ratehr cynical but I saw marketing everywhere
and stupid cost saving things such as the most popular bread for toast running out at breakfast every single day
so people were forced to get different bread
then magically they had more the next day even if we had not docked
and clear evidence of extra seating being put in the restaurant to get more people in but in a way that cause bottlenecks - and this all over the place
the "posh" restaurants required pre-booking so we ignored them (in spite of being "entitled" to some visits) in order to be able to do what we wanted when we wanted
port visits were OK - but I just got off and walked around
and the ports in Alaska were tiny but very touristy
the brothel in Juneau was not as advertised!!!!
Wouldn't have thought you'd need one on your honeymoon!
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
I was checking for research purposes!!
OP
OP
AlanW
Legendary Member
- Location
- Not to sure?
It never ever appealed to me in the first instance to be honest, but my missus keep banging on about going on one, so go on one we did. Thank goodness it was only for 7 days, there were folk on there for another week, goodness me I'd have gone stir crazy.
But we gave it a try and on the whole it was a sort of enjoyable as a new experience, but probably not one to be repeated.
But we gave it a try and on the whole it was a sort of enjoyable as a new experience, but probably not one to be repeated.
Regular.Cyclist
Über Member
- Location
- South West Scotland 🏴
I have done three cruises.
First was around the Caribbean. Ship set sail each day as we were settling down to dinner and we woke up the next day with somewhere new to explore. It was very enjoyable.
Next was a cruise around Italy, taking in Dubrovnik en route. Similar to the Caribbean cruise except that we had a whole day at sea from a port in Italy to Dubrovnik and another from Dubrovnik back to Italy. Wasn’t a fan of days at sea and vowed never to do another of that type.
Third was a cruise along the Nile. The cruise itself was very enjoyable, the locals not so much. Really enjoyed that style of cruise but won’t be going back to Egypt ….. ever.
Covid was a bit of a wake up call as to how these vessels can quickly turn into a floating Petri dish so it’s now highly likely that I will not be going on another cruise again.
First was around the Caribbean. Ship set sail each day as we were settling down to dinner and we woke up the next day with somewhere new to explore. It was very enjoyable.
Next was a cruise around Italy, taking in Dubrovnik en route. Similar to the Caribbean cruise except that we had a whole day at sea from a port in Italy to Dubrovnik and another from Dubrovnik back to Italy. Wasn’t a fan of days at sea and vowed never to do another of that type.
Third was a cruise along the Nile. The cruise itself was very enjoyable, the locals not so much. Really enjoyed that style of cruise but won’t be going back to Egypt ….. ever.
Covid was a bit of a wake up call as to how these vessels can quickly turn into a floating Petri dish so it’s now highly likely that I will not be going on another cruise again.
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
Not for me personally (laying on a sunlounger all day) but you're right. My former manager, hideous amounts of energy and drive at work always said, when I go on holiday I want to shut down, relax, preferably not even think...
If you knew his attitude at work, you'd understand why.
matticus
Guru
<snort>
We went to Venice before they banned the mega-liners, but it was in December so none were visiting anyway. Thank <$deity>:
matticus
Guru
I don't generally like judging the holiday choices of others (some people don't want to join me on 320km/day bike rides, oddly ...)
I reckon cruise trips have their place. If someone was just going to lie on a lounger all week, then why not mix that up with some sightseeing of multiple countries, maybe some guided tours? But not for me. At least not yet ...
I reckon cruise trips have their place. If someone was just going to lie on a lounger all week, then why not mix that up with some sightseeing of multiple countries, maybe some guided tours? But not for me. At least not yet ...
