On Cruising – Haters Hate But Is That The Whole Story?

From a recent Consumerist.com article: “There are two kinds of people in the world: people who take cruises, and people who have already made up their minds that they hate cruises.” The funny thing about those folks who have made up their mind that they hate cruises? Most of them have never taken a cruise. The article also cites a Bloomberg article that delves a little deeper into the industry problems, some perceived, some real. The best thing of all in that article? The comments section.

I spend some time in this space and in personal conversations working to correct a lot of misconceptions about the cruising experience, and I’ve met some of those people who hate (fear) cruises but have never set foot on one. I’m most happy when a first-timer acts on something I’ve said here and has an enjoyable cruise. In 35 cruises, I’ve never had any kind of gastro-intestinal illness, accident, or taken a trip to the ship’s doctor. MrsMJ went to the doc once for a sinus infection and was treated appropriately. In those 35 cruises, I’ve seen some great weather and smooth seas. On the other hand, I’ve seen waves slapping over the bow of the ship with water sloshing out of the pool and staff attaching bags of sick sacks to the stair rails…thankfully, not very often because the cruise lines actively work to avoid bad weather if at all possible. Meals have ranged from 2 star to 5 star. Service has always been at least good, mostly excellent. But those things are only part of the reason I cruise. Mainly, I cruise to get away.

If you are looking for immersion in local culture, do not book a 200,000 ton vessel with 6,000 passengers. If you are looking to get away from it all, disconnect from the grid, and chill with access to decent food, a spa, and a pool….then consider booking a larger ship. But cruising is more than buffet lines and thousands of passengers. Frankly, I like being at sea feeling the breeze blow through my hair. Some of you will get that joke, but I do love being at sea. That’s one of the reasons I’m looking so forward to our first trans-Atlantic cruise. There are small ship cruises with a few hundred passengers, or river cruises with even fewer passengers that sail the rivers of Europe, China, South America, and yes, even the USA. Others spend multiple days in one port so you really can get a little flavor for the culture.

Admittedly, I may be a little spoiled by loyalty. I can ask a concierge for assistance if I need it. I can hide out in a private lounge in the hours prior to dinner, and on some ships I can even take breakfast and dinner in that same lounge. Unless I’m booking a 3-night quick get away, I rarely book the cheapest cabin on the lowest deck of the ship which may positively impact my cruising experience too. Best of all, I’ve learned to manage the schedule of when I will actually set foot in the buffet restaurant. 🙂 In the end, a cruise is mostly what you decide to make it. If you’re considering your first cruise, find an itinerary, ship and cruise line that you think you’ll like and give it a try. If you wind up not liking it, at least you can say you gave it a try.

-MJ, May 27, 2014

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8 comments
  1. My family is signed up for a Disney cruise next year, which will be our first one ever. I have traveled a lot and am curious what this will be like. Goodness, I hope I like it, as it give me another excellent way to spend my money doing what I love most…going to new places! At first I looked down on cruises. But after some closer evaluation it seemed there is a broad array of possibilities and so I should keep an open mind and pick the cruise option that suits my interests best.

  2. To add on to a general theme I see in some of these comments – do your research in selecting the cruise line, ship, and itinerary! While talking to an experienced cruiser is a good place to start, recognize that many of us have our own biases. #loyaltoroyal

    An experienced travel agent can help you navigate through the many, many, many choices now available. Think about what you are really looking for in a vacation and communicate that to your travel agent! Are you traveling with multiple generations with divergent interests? Would you benefit from quality childcare options on board? Vacation time and dollars are a precious commodity for most of us, why waste any of it?

    In many ways, doing the research for a cruise is far more critical than researching hotel options for a vacation. Most of the time, you can change hotels after your vacation has started. But it’s impossible to change a cruise ship.

  3. Well said. I use to be a hater but now I use cruising to get a taste of many different ports rather quickly, then return to places I find interesting for longer visits. I just spent a week in Barcelona, saw it briefly on an earlier cruise, now off to Venice and an Adriatic cruise.
    Once you get the hang of it, cruising can offer many options you may have never thought of.

  4. I’ve introduced many friends to cruising. RCCL owes me some commission! 😉 When someone tells me they tried a cruise and hated it, the first thing I ask is, “what ship?” It makes a huge difference and many don’t realize how vastly different the experience can be depending on not just the cruise-line, but the ship as well. I am an RC loyalist, and that does drive my decision-making, but there are a lot of factors that go into my cruise choices. We still do land vacations as well. Fortunately, they aren’t mutually exclusive.

  5. I didn’t expect to like cruising, but went on one with a large family group and loved it. Being out of cell phone range with only really expensive internet options was a great way to disconnect from work. I can’t wait to go again. The food was good in the main dining rooms, great in the specialty restaurants. I don’t remember a vacation that was as relaxing!

  6. I agree. I wasn’t not a fan of cruising a few years back as it seemed like a hassle and a bunch of people. Now I love to cruise and have been on many. I cruises to vary greatly depending on what you want to get out of one. Booking a 2 day booze cruise with a bunch of rednecks at the low end of the spectrum to booking multi month around the world cruises. I think you get what you pay for to some degree.
    I also like loyalty but I think many people cripple themselves with this on cruises. Compared to airline loyalty it’s weak. You really should experience as many different lines as possible. They each have unique features. For example if I book all my cruises on Carnival I would never have gotten to use the Formula 1 simulator on MSC. I would go to the same ports instead of new ones.

  7. I only board a cruise ship, when there is no other way to reach my destination. Otherwise, not my style.

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