Going on a cruise next week

heyabbott,

I was wondering how you liked your cruise, and what you thought of it? I've seen and heard of a lot of people's experiences with cruises being different. Some people (me included) love them, but others don't, so much...

I'd love to hear where you stand based on your Bahamas vacation.

I think you went on a week-long cruise? Personally, I'd recommend one longer than a week, and probably wouldn't go on one that was shorter than 10 or 12 days. But I understand about the greater expense of that, too.

So what'd you think? Did you have a good experience?

 

It depends on what you're looking for. I've been on 10 cruises -- eight on Royal Caribbean, two on Norwegian. From what I've heard, Carnival caters to a younger crowd that can be a little rowdy and obnoxious. All 10 of my cruises have been great, but I lean toward Royal Caribbean because the ships are better and more interesting. I have nothing bad to say at all about Norwegian. I just like the RC ships I've been on just a little better.

Holland America is considered a little more "upscale," but it also draws an older crowd. Years ago my friend and his new bride were on a Holland America cruise the same week I was on Royal Caribbean. He called it a "floating nursing home." My sister used to be a travel agent and took my parents on a Holland America cruise once and said basically the same thing. She said the ship was pretty dead by 10 p.m.

 

I'd say all that's probably true, in part because the crowd often is dictated by the money involved. Carnival cruises are typically a bit cheaper, and therefore cater more to a younger crowd. Royal Caribbean is a good middle-of-the-road line with which you'll usually have a good experience. Holland America is typically what I'd consider upper-scale middle class, and costs more, and the travelers tend to be older, although I'd hardly consider the ship dead by 10 p.m., not by any means.

I usually go on Holland America because that's the line my church-connected group that I usually go with uses. I'm middle-aged and am usually among the younger people on the ship at the time, but I nonetheless have loved it every single time I've gone. I'm a total cruise convert, as in "What's not to like?"

And, I have to say, I think the crowd might be starting to skew a little younger the past couple years, as I've noticed a bit more of a mix of older and middle-aged folks, with even a few people/couples in their 30s and with kids starting to find their way aboard. (Although if I was bringing kids, I don't think I'd take them on Holland America, instead focusing on a more family-catered trip with Disney).

My dream is to take a cruise on a really up-scale line -- perhaps Cunard or the new Queen Elizabeth -- just once to see what it'd be like. That's probably out of my league, though, especially since I like cruises of longer than a week. (By the time the first week is up, you're usually just learning your way around the ship and starting to relax and feel at home; also, there are often flights involved with cruises, and for the cost, you might as well go for two weeks, or more, as for one week if you can swing it).

 

Those European river cruises advertised on Downton Abbey look pretty sweet.

 

We had a great time. It was the Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore, 7 days. We got a ride to ship, we live about 30 minutes from the port. That's pretty much why we chose this cruise. AS mass market cruise ships go, it was a small ship. Just me and the wife and all we do is sit in the sun, read and drink. We had breakfast and lunch by the pool most of the time and the sandwiches and salads were great. They had a lox and bagels bar set up, . The buffet lunches and breakfast were not so good. And there were a lot of passengers who were truly FAT. Made me feel good to walk around in my bathing suit.
2 room service breakfasts and we ate on our balcony. We won't cruise without a balcony. We had 5 of the 7 dinners in the Main dining room. Food was good, not great. We ate in an Italian and Sushi Restaurant on board for dinner which cost a bit extra. worth it and the food was better. The shows were OK. 2 different comedians, similar material, but still funny. Spent a little while in the casino. I lost at blackjack and won it back on roulette. I bet "0" my first spin and won. My wife lost $60 on the slots and video poker. I hate both of those.
There was a main pool where the action occurred and an adults pool with a retractable roof. The roof was open all week, the weather was perfect everyday. I had to get to the pool by 8:30 on the last 2 sea days to secure the lounge chairs I wanted, then stayed put for the next 6 hours. The drinks were good and cold. I love salt water pools and this was, though a bit on the warm side. The hot tubs were nice, but not overly hot, probably in the 95-98 degree range. I like it about 102. you can feel the difference. I even went to the gym once, it was crowded. Since its a small ship the gym was decent but cramped.

We did n't get off the ship at Port Canaveral, At Nassau we got out just walk about the shops and had lunch and drinks at Senor Frogs. Royal Caribbean, like most cruise lines, have a private Island in the Bahamas. We did go there, sat by the water and did a jet skiing. FUCKING GREAT. On a jet ski in the Caribbean between little Keys and blue skies. It was the best hour I've spent in years.

We were looking for a low key vacation to relax and thats what we got. No stress, nice cabin with a balcony and perfect weather.

We did a similar cruise 3 years ago with our family, 5 days to Bermuda. It was a similar ship. We also did a Holland America Cruise maybe 12 years, its was quiet and relaxing as well, much more low key than Royal Caribbean and a large ship, Navigator of the Seas, cruise with our kids about 7 years ago, that was really fun.

Over 20 years ago we did a river cruise in France. A Seine River barge from the Normandy coast to Paris. You start in Paris for a couple of days, then take a bus to Honfluer [sic] and then take a slow cruise down the Seine to Paris. That was incredible. The food was outstanding and the scenery even better.

 

The Voyager class of ships (of which Navigator is in) is great with the Promenade at Deck 5. I don't think I'll ever go on a ship smaller than that again. My last cruise was on Freedom of the Seas, and the Flow Rider was a lot of fun. My favorite exercise activity was rollerblading on Adventure of the Seas. Did a little bit of gambling every night. Also, getting a five-mile walk in on the deck above the main pool is a great afternoon 90 minutes.

I hope to get on the Oasis class in the near future. And then the Quantum class looks amazing, including a sky-diving simulator.

You can go to the bottom of the following page and check out all of their ships. Pretty interesting stuff.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/class/ship/home.do?shipCode=NV

 

We booked a cruise for December with Carnival so we were able to spend a bit more money and get a balcony. Even though I advised against it, I'm really looking forward to that. We decided it would basically be our Christmas gifts to each other.

 

Reviving this thread because, with dirt-cheap prices being offered, my wife and I are considering a cruise in late summer/early fall.

Thought I’d check if any SJ.com cruisers have been on one after the pandemic shut them down for a couple years. What has changed?

As this thread reminded me, it was 10 (!) years ago we took an NCL cruise to Alaska. The one we’re considering is to Alaska again, but as a 10-day cruise we’re in the ports longer and there are several different stops than last time.

 

Since the pandemic and since the cruise industry began getting back underway in earnest again, I've only been on a quick five-day getaway cruise, the shortest I've ever done. This was back in November of 2022, and it required that passengers' vaccination status was checked upon embarkation, and copious hand-washing and sanitizing was encouraged aboard ship. But masks were optional, and hardly anyone (including us) wore them.

We came home feeling OK, but, a couple days later, we all tested positive for COVID-19, the only cases of it that any of us have suffered. We assume we must have come home with the illness, but it was relatively mild, and probably thanks to our vaccines, we all recovered from what was, basically, a bad cold, in about a week. I had wanted to go on a cruise again so badly that I almost didn't care that I got sick. It was worth it to me. I usually do trips of at least 10 days, but was willing to do the quickie just to get away, at all, again. I've really missed traveling. In fact, for me, that was greatest loss of the pandemic years.

I hope to go on at least two cruises this year, to Norway/Iceland, and, if it's safer at any point than it is right now, given the Russia/Ukraine conflict, to Scandinavia/the Baltics. Would also love to do a combination cruise/land tour expedition to Alaska, but I've already done a cruise-only trip to Alaska (inside passage), so I'm willing to wait on that.

I say bring your vaccination cards, in case anyone is checking, get as updated as possible with regard to vaccinations, just for your own sakes, health- and safety-wise, and bring a couple of masks with you, and carry them on you, just in case you go somewhere that requires them, or you're around people who would rather you wear them. Otherwise, just be smart, and go ahead and enjoy your trip.

Alaska awaits!

 

We are 100 days away from a seven-day Caribbean cruise on Norwegian. As our wedding (which was on a Disney cruise) approached in May of last year, we decided to do one as a one-year anniversary/ belated honeymoon. Was between Norwegian, having been on one with my mom when I was 13, and Royal Caribbean, which seems to just have hella cool-looking ships. NCL was about $1,000 at booking but was including two upgraded dinners, a drink package and a BOGO on the airfare. I knew that when I booked the airfare for Royal Caribbean and then bought the drinks on the ship it would probably be more in the long run, so I went with NCL.

 

There are tons of deals out there for cruises.

My wife and I were thinking of taking a four or five-day trip in early September (after Labor Day, when hotel room prices drop slightly), and this 10-day cruise is cheaper by far. And as you mention, NCL is throwing in all kinds of freebees such as specialty dining, drink packages and discounts on shore excursions. Although regarding the latter, the way to go is booking things yourself -- saves a lot of money.

 

To the gambling degenerates,

Have any cruises lines sent you better offers for future cruises when you gambled? My wife has seen this rumored, and its the only real reason we would consider doing it.