Does it feel super crowded? Is there a lot of fighting for space at the pool, or waiting in line for activities? I have only been on 2 cruises, the most recent was summer of 2019 on RC (Adventure of the Seas out of Bayonne). I didn't find it to be that crowded maybe with the one exception of a day or two by the pool. But we managed to find seats, it just took a little time. I burn easily, so I physically cannot spend the entire day by the pool.
Do you feel rushed at the port excursions? Herded like cattle? Stressed about making it back on board in time? We did ship excursions, and didn't feel rushed. We didn't book them through the cruise line and had plenty of time before/after excursions and had zero issue/concern getting back on the ship.
If I'm prone to motion sickness am I going to struggle with seasickness? So I get car sick being in the backseat of a vehicle. I got the patches and had zero issues on the boat. I didn't have dry mouth. I was worried to be honest, because we booked the rooms at the front of the ship that have floor to ceiling windows (deck 12 on adventure in the panoramic suites). I thought we would experience more of the movement from waves, but I was fine.
Do the cabins feel claustrophobic? Will I get sick and have to stay in my cabin the whole time? I would avoid an interior cabin then. A balcony cabin or one like what we stayed in was so nice.
My husband and I have only ever been on two cruises. We did Royal Caribbean when we were dating and it was fantastic.
Years later we did Carnival with our kids, and it was not as good. Lol. I didn't think it was horrible, but my husband found it to be so bad he never wants to cruise again. Kids loved it. I think my husband is just being a bit of a drama llama - Royal Caribbean was super clean and it felt almost like Disney where the trash just disappeared or evaporated into thin air. Carnival, it was more of a people leaving their trash on tables and it taking a bit for someone to get there to clean it up.
We left out of NY/NJ both times, and both cruises were in July.
People seem to either love them or hate them. Me, I love cruising and would like to be one of those old people who retire on a cruise ship lol. But not those big ones with 6000 people.
We don't have kids, so I can't speak to that. We've done Celebrity and one Royal Caribbean- a very tiny ship that went to Cuba. Have a Viking cruise coming up in a few months. All very different experiences.
We are going on a Disney cruise next month. For the price, it better be amazing! We splurged and did seven-day with balcony, so I know we could have done it cheaper. But yikes.
I have only done one other cruise (also Disney) 16 years ago, but we really enjoyed it. We were traveling without kids (yes, we were the Disney adults people make fun of), and I was glad to be able to escape to the adult only areas. Hopefully since I now have kids, the volume of young kids won’t be as overwhelming! There was only one day where I could definitely feel the water, and I felt a tiny bit queasy, but otherwise it was fine.
I've been on a few cruises when I was much younger - my family went on a couple (2 or 3?) when I was in the 18-22 range, and I went on one with a friend when I was 21. At the time, I didn't have a passport and most of my vacations had been camping/cabin or national park road trips, so a cruise felt SO fancy. The all inclusive meals were a real treat - especially since they were a much higher caliber than what we were used to when dining out - and it was neat to be able to see several different places on the same trip. I don't really remember being bored on the ship, but I like to read so I think I spent a lot of the time on the at-sea days reading in the shade on the deck. It was a good budget friendly way to spend time with family, have some downtime to relax, and see some things.
I think my H and I have more or less ruled out cruising as an option for us now as adults without kids and with a little more budget flexibility (obviously you can spend a fortune on cruises, but the ones I had been on were more of the budget type). I think we'd be bored with the days at sea - we are not ones to want to hang out at a crowded pool, we don't gamble, and I'm ok with live shows but my H would be bored to tears. If we're going to spend our trip laying around, we want unlimited boozy drinks and the beach. We are also not really satisfied with being on a tight schedule to sightsee and dislike most tour group style sightseeing activities - we are both dawdlers when it comes to seeing sights and like to take our time. And frankly, we're spoiled by the fact that we eat out multiple times a month now, go to nicer restaurants at least a couple of times a year, and usually like to hit some good restaurants when we travel now - I am not sure we'd be as impressed with cruise food as I was when my usual eating out treat was Applebees.
I do think if we had kids and less ability to travel the way we prefer to, though, cruises might be more appealing. I 100% get why a lot of people love them - they are easy, fun, and low stress.
Post by texasharleygirl on Jan 11, 2023 15:05:12 GMT -5
We actually just got off a cruise this past Friday. I have 10 of them under my belt so far. Most have been on Royal Caribbean and 3 on Carnival. We prefer Royal over Carnival mainly because it's not a huge party ship. The service has always been, for us, top notch. We will be doing Celebrity in May and I expect that since it's the sister to Royal the service and food will be awesome.
The cruise we just got off of was the Allure of the Seas. It was at capacity and that would be 6700 guests/2000 crew. The only time it felt crowded was maybe around dinner/evening events and waiting on the elevators. Otherwise, we never had any issues. Now we are old fogies and we did not stay up for NYE but I heard that it wasn't all that bad.
If you do excursions through the ship, then you don't have to worry about being missing the ship, etc. They are contracted through the line and they won't leave you behind. Some are hit and miss and if you do your research, then you can find good ones to take.
I am very prone to motion sickness and I have to have the scopolamine patches which are prescribed by my Dr. I get it started before I even board and I keep Dramamine and Meccalinze handy and really don't have any issues. Something to keep in mind, the lower the cabin floor, the more stable the ship will be. You will still have rocking but it's not as bad as being higher. And if I still feel a little woozy, then I will head outside to get a breath of fresh air.
If you are worried about claustrophobia, I highly recommend a balcony.
Let me start by saying cruises are just not my thing. Everything is way too planned out and organized for me. I like to be kind of carefree and if I wake up on Tuesday morning and feel like shopping downtown, I want to go shopping. On a cruise, what if we are at sea that day?
I have been on 2 cruises - both on Royal Caribbean and had 2 very different experiences. Both were with one the same person - one of my BFFs.
The first one we were both virgin cruisers, read a lot of info on the cruise forum and kind of just ran with it. Had a basic ocean view room with a small deck. We didn't do any big excursions as it was a Caribbean sail and we just parked our asses at the beach and beach bars at each stop. We didn't arrange any shows ahead of time and if memory serves me correctly, we just walked up one night and sat in the very back row and saw Chicago. It was fine.
The 2nd time was a Mediterranean cruise and we were treated like royalty. We had a huge two-story room with our own butler and a "genie". The genie is like your own personal concierge service who gets you whatever you want and wherever you want.
We were personally escorted everywhere by our genie and had front row seats with bottle service to every show we saw. Never once waited in line for anything. You want to rid the zip line, the genie walks you to the front of the line. The genie also has a special key for the elevators so it doesn't stop at any other floors except your destination.
Every night when we got back to the room, it was like a damn spa. Massage tables were set up and we had bed time massages. Every morning we woke up to our starbucks order sitting on our individual nightstands. It was amazing but also insane.
Last Edit: Jan 11, 2023 19:43:41 GMT -5 by mofongo
Ok douche, go ahead and call it mud. My husband DID have halitosis. We addressed it after I talked to you girls on here and guess what? Years later, no problem. Mofongo, you're a cunt. Eat shit. ~anonnamus
Do the cabins feel claustrophobic? Will I get sick and have to stay in my cabin the whole time?
Lurker here. A room with a balcony is worth the expense. I got the norovirus on a cruise and it was HORRIBLE. I was quarantined for 48 hours and my husband was also quarantined since he was in the same room. I can’t imagine what those two days would have been like without the ability to open a door for fresh air. I lost 15 pounds in two days. It was was not a pleasant smelling experience.
Post by basilosaurus on Jan 12, 2023 0:11:59 GMT -5
We did a few family cruises. It was pretty good to span the interests of wide age ranges.
I think my only tip is that, whenever you can, use it as a floating hotel and do your own thing in port. I rent a car or hire a driver. If you want to share cost you can find travel buddies on cruise critic. You can also get tons of advise there on other things like cabin selection and meals. They usually have a meet up day one so you can meet fellow travelers.
Personally it doesn't really matter to me which line of the big ones. Itinerary is how I choose.
I will say though that my last, on the epic line (more than a couple years ago) where they promoted so many balcony rooms, that really fucked is over for interior. I've been interior many times and could always get to be outside it inside with a view. They got rid of most of those options on that line of ships. Hopefully it's been rectified, but it's something to look into wherever and with whomever you decide.
I really like cruising. DH is ok with it; he goes for me. I have been on 10, a mix of Royal (6), Carnival (3), Norwegian (1) and we liked all of the lines. I have chosen based on ship and itinerary. We do mix it in with other types of vacations. I am "the planner" for vacations and while I do plan for the cruise (I want ALL the information) it is fun and easy and if something doesn't work, we are still on the ship, on vacation, with something to do. Other trips there is more pressure to get it right and more "moving parts".
I have tried to pick larger ships and lots of port days to keep by DH from getting bored. (Personally, I want a "cruise to nowhere" with no ports. If I can look at the water, read a book, take naps, and eat -- I will be fine!) I do book a balcony cabin, as I love to sit there on sea days and in the evenings. I am an introvert and want the alone time but want to be able to be outside (preferably in shade) looking at and hearing the ocean.
We do a mix of ship-based excursions and private that I have researched (tours or easy beach days). I have found people to do those tours with on Cruise Critic on several trips and it is nice to make "cruise friends". If what we want to see is farther away from port or will be pushing the time we are in port, I always book with the ship for the peace of mind that they will wait.
Other than our first cruise (when we also had the cruise line book us airfare) we fly in a day early. My anxiety is better than way! I tend to take a dramamine every night from the night before our flight, until I am home. Other that once in the Pacific, it has managed my motion sickness well.
This thread has inspired me to finally book another cruise. I have wanted to but was hesitant with Covid (I am trying to accept we have to balance caution with living our lives). We will sail in February 2024, so far out to get the itinerary I wanted. And we will try Princess. I am excited to try a fully aft balcony cabin.
The 2nd time was a Mediterranean cruise and we were treated like royalty. We had a huge two-story room with our own butler and a "genie". The genie is like your own personal concierge service who gets you whatever you want and wherever you want.
We were personally escorted everywhere by our genie and had front row seats with bottle service to every show we saw. Never once waited in line for anything. You want to rid the zip line, the genie walks you to the front of the line. The genie also has a special key for the elevators so it doesn't stop at any other floors except your destination.
Every night when we got back to the room, it was like a damn spa. Massage tables were set up and we had bed time massages. Every morning we woke up to our starbucks order sitting on our individual nightstands. It was amazing but also insane.
I'm sorry,. what?!?!?!?! I did not know that this existed unless you were royalty level rich, lol. This is the dream. Was this something you planned and saved for? I am imagining that this costs like an extra $10K per person.
My husband and I took a cruise about 15 years ago on Royal Caribbean. It was a bit of a lark--we were driving to visit family in FL and had a few extra days. We found a cruise that left 45 minutes from their house that fit perfectly into that time.
My thoughts afterwards were that it was a great vacation for some people, but not for us. My biggest issue was with crowds--I really hate waiting in line and dealing with loads of people, so it was just not my cup of tea. I didn't like the feeling that I was always in the same building surrounded by people constantly. I'm the type of person who will get up early and plan everything with the goal of avoiding crowds. Most of our vacations feature hiking, so it was a bit of a mismatch there.
I did think it was a really good vacation for large groups of people with diverse interests and I wouldn't be opposed to doing a cruise for a large family vacation.
Re: crowds I've found that the huge mega ships actually seem to be better for crowds than some of the smaller ships. Like RCCL Allure of the Seas is a HUGE ship, but it never felt crowded. I think because there are more activities for people to spread out to. Some of the most crowded cruises have definitely been smaller ships.
We went on a big family cruise (10 people, 3 cabins) this past summer. It was the first time for all of us except my husband's parents.
We went Carnival, and it was actually one of the older boats, but we still loved it. It didn't have all the stuff newer boats do, but I think a lot depends on what you're looking for.
I'm very claustrophobic, so we paid for an exterior room with a large window. Didn't feel the need to spring for a balcony, because the windows are really large. I planned well for storage, so we used our space well, and that helped it not feel too crowded also.
There were definitely crowds, but as with anything, you have to know when to go. Is it peak lunch hour? Of course you're going to have to wait at the buffet for a little while. Service was excellent, the comedy was good for the most part. I do think the age of the boat does factor in. The newer ones seem to have more activities.
shauni27, I never knew this existed either. It was crazy. My BFF is a grocery store heiress and gifted this trip to myself and our other friend. (There was 4 of us total.) It was a week-long Mediterranean cruise with 4 days before and 3 days after in Barcelona. We coined it our #Tripofalifetime.
I am now googling 1) who this friend of yours could potentially be because I just didn't even know people IRL knew such wealthy people, and 2) who I can befriend in my region, lol.
Post by Patsy Baloney on Jan 12, 2023 13:49:59 GMT -5
My mom comes from a big family and cruising is all the rage with her and her siblings. They do 1 big family cruise per year. We’ve been a few times and will do an Alaskan cruise with them next year. Carnival is their preferred line.
We always have an amazing time. We drink too much and eat too much and stay up too late. We go to the shows and do karaoke and all the cheesy gameshow stuff. My absolute smoking of 2 people in a jeopardy game for a bottle of champagne and a plastic trophy is still frequent conversation in our home 🤣
Food is perfectly fine, sometimes great, and I feel like the service is always top notch. I can remember making an off-hand comment that our waiter must have overheard. It was something like, “I love raspberries, but I’m just not in the mood for chocolate cake tonight,” when I was reading about the dessert selections and saw the chocolate cake had raspberries on it. I ordered something else and he brought back my desert and a little plate with a bunch of raspberries.
We never had an issue with cleanliness, trash pickup, etc. Turndown service is a delight and we usually end up with cheeky room service folks who pose stuffed animals with sunglasses and all kinds of fun stuff. The towel animals are super fun.
I’ve never felt crowded at all.
The excursions we tend to do are usually full day “beach party” type situations. We’ve done a few that are more like tours and shorter, too. I’ve never felt rushed or herded, although sometimes getting off the ship at a port can take time, especially with a tender. Just have to plan for that. Getting back on is a breeze.
We also bring stuff to entertain ourselves. We bring games, cards, etc. and we’ll spend time gabbing with family. When the older folks get to telling stories, you’ve got to listen up or you’re going to miss something good!
I will say, I’ve never been on a cruise with just my nuclear family. Would it be as fun without company? I’m not sure, but we have tons and tons of fun when we go.
ETA: we always do just the ocean view rooms with the big window. Other family members do the balconies. Both are nice! I deal with motion sickness occasionally, but have rarely had trouble on a cruise ship and usually take a preemptive Dramamine before bed on the first night or two. I will say - it usually takes me about a week to stop feeling the rocking of the boat once I’m on dry land. That part drives me crazy!