We just Returned from a 9-day Cruise and were somewhat disappointed.

[audreyh1]

We have only ever been on two cruises. The first was 25 years ago in the Alaska Inside Passage, because there was really no other way to get around. Our boat had 120 passengers, a library, and lectures in the evenings from naturalists, etc. No casino or floor shows. The boat was so small that at one time the captain turned around to follow a pod of Orcas for a while so we could all get a good look. I'm sure the Royal Princess Whatever would not do that. We also took a four night trip in 2022 on a luxury dahabiyah going up the Nile River. There were ten of us on board, plus the crew. It was really spectacular.

Based on reports of others, we might try a Viking river cruise in Europe next year. Maybe on the Rhine and Danube. But I don't think we'll ever go on one of the gigantic cruise ships we see when we fly down to Florida. First, I don't like to be around that many people and, second, I did pretty much all the going to sea I could stand when I was a sailor long ago.

We’ve been on now defunct Cruise West Prince William Sound with 100 passengers. That was very nice. Also a long range fishing boat chasing whales Baja California and Sea of Cortez, 25 people including crew. That was fantastic.

On the Cruise West tour we were approaching a tall glacier and I saw a speck in the distance approaching us. It got bigger and bigger and bigger. Massive cruise ship towering over us at it moved past. Quite a contrast!

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Same here but it's certainly relevant to discuss the impact of a large % of passengers having limited mobility on the traffic in the gangways and elevators.

Agreed, the scooters were a big source of inconvenience for us, although most of the folks on them fell into the other category.

 

[Dtail]

Having never taken a cruise, but now considering one, this is good input for our consideration.

We like to dress up for evening activities (at least a collared shirt, jacket and slacks for me, nice dress/skirt/leggings outfit for DW), so that would be a requirement for us .

There are some folks on our cruises who wear your dress code described above. Typically for the evening show and a little less so for dinner. The older folks tend to dress up more.
On a 7 day cruise, there might be 2 formal nights whereby there are gowns and suits/Tux, but not mandatory at all.

 

[W2R]

Just because you are retired, doesn't mean that you have signed an ironclad contract promising to like all cruises. Maybe you would rather have done something else! There is nothing wrong with that. My suggestion is to do whatever you want to do, and don't feel bad if you don't like whatever other people say you should like. They aren't you and you aren't them. Life is short, so go out there and enjoy it, your way.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Ha Ha, I do not own a Tux (never have) and rarely even wear long trousers or jeans. I can count the number of times I have worn long trousers in the last 20 years. I have 3 suits that I have left over from my w#$k@#g years that I have not worn in 25 years, I gave away about 5 suits, these last 3 will be culled soon too. I have no reason to wear one, I do not have a jacket either, so I will have to keep at least one of the jackets for that "just in case" day I suppose. I have not been to a funeral or wedding in over 30 years and have no intention of doing so in the near future. One of the advantages of being an old fart is no one really cares, and if they do, I do not.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Just because you are retired, doesn't mean that you have signed an ironclad contract promising to like all cruises. Maybe you would rather have done something else! There is nothing wrong with that. My suggestion is to do whatever you want to do, and don't feel bad if you don't like whatever other people say you should like. They aren't you and you aren't them. Life is short, so go out there and enjoy it, your way.

+10

 

[youbet]

We got a mild case of Covid 2 days before we disembarked. Hard to believe as the ship was very clean all the time. Good job we got it at the end of the cruise. Of course, we did not know till we arrived home and took the test. But it has been just like a cold. Good job we have all our vaccinations. We thought it was just a cold till we tested when we got home.

Seems odd you didn't carry test kits with you when embarking on a crowded cruise. Or that you didn't think to ask for a test at the ship's infirmary.

 

[cathy63]

Hmm. If you want to give cruising another try, I would definitely recommend the Paul Gauguin in Tahiti. It's a small ship in an amazingly beautiful part of the world. I really enjoyed having an archeologist on board who gave talks about the work he'd done in the area and led some of the more interesting excursions. Going dolphin watching in Moorea with Dr. Michael Poole was also memorable.

We also did a wonderful Panama Canal trip on a boat with about 20 other passengers and a local crew, but sadly, I recently learned that the boat had burned up a few years ago and the company has not replaced it. Uncruise or NatGeo/Lindblad might be a good option there, though you have to check the itinerary and make sure you know what time they transit the canal. Some of them do most of the journey at night.

 

[youbet]

. Life is short, so go out there and enjoy it, your way.

Well said!

DW and I always had friends question why we would spend as much or more money doing fly-in fishing or canoe trips as we would have on a luxury cruise. But cruise ships and that kind of travel just aren't our thing.

Watching the float plane take off after dropping you and your canoe into some remote Canadian lake and knowing you and DW are on your own to paddle out for the next 7 - 10 days is incredible. At least for us and our particular tastes. We always thought of our canoe as a cruise ship for two.

 

[Dash man]

We’ve been on about 30 cruises, mostly on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, and two on Carnival. A few times we have paid for family cruises including our wheelchair bound nephew who’s been paralyzed from the waste down since birth. He’s part of our family and we love him. Too bad for those who feel inconvenienced by us accommodating his needs.

 

[mystang52]

We've done many cruises, but took our first cruise since COVID last November. We are happy with NCL, but in November we had taken Celebrity and enjoyed it. Like so many things, cruising is a personal thing. We found that we prefer the mega ships. We devote half hour or so, when first embarking, to get the reservations out of the way and then we just do our thing and have a good time. Cruising is not the be-all-end-all of vacations, but it's a nice way to spend a week or so. We don't expect gourmet food; however, we know what to order and have good meals. Granted, DW and I both eat light and simple. I guess it's a matter of expectations.

 

[Flyfish1]

We have done one cruise, Nat Geo to Antarctica, a great experience and I think there were 180 guests if I remember correctly. Today I just cancelled a Viking River cruise , lost a few bucks but I'm not ready for that yet. Two more continents to go, and they are probably best seen by land. After that we may consider a cruise with Viking or WindStar. We have no interest in mega ships. that's just us, everyone else has their own likes and dislikes...all good.

 

[athena53]

We have only ever been on two cruises. The first was 25 years ago in the Alaska Inside Passage, because there was really no other way to get around. Our boat had 120 passengers, a library, and lectures in the evenings from naturalists, etc. No casino or floor shows. The boat was so small that at one time the captain turned around to follow a pod of Orcas for a while so we could all get a good look.

Darn close to UnCruise- a few more passengers. Was it America West? They went BK and UnCruise bought them out.

 

[Rianne]

I went on my first and only cruise about 15 years ago. My friend worked for United and it was an incredible deal. I realized then I do not like cruising on huge ships. I like the idea of a Catamaran. We prefer small groups of 25 or less.

 

[Aerides]

I remember you asking about cruises a while back - the recommendations you got here probably now make more sense having gone on your trip.

All Inclusive Cruises with NO Surprises - Agencies?

We are considering a Mediterranean and round the world cruise. We like all-inclusive resorts and would like the same stress extras free cruise. We literally want everything included, Tips, Drink, Food, etc. with the exception of Excursions maybe as we would like to choose them, although we...

www.early-retirement.org

You want a cruise that Basil Fawlty might like: "no riff raff!"

 

[OldConch]

Same here but it's certainly relevant to discuss the impact of a large % of passengers having limited mobility on the traffic in the gangways and elevators.

All my cruises have been on tiny (by comparison ships) with under 100 passengers. I've loved UnCruise but have done most of their itineraries and their Single Supplement got crazy-high. I used Overseas Adventure Travel in the Galapagos and will take them in the Baltic in September. Both companies are clear about physical requirements; ships that small typically don't have elevators and you have to be able to get in and out of a skiff.

Not all cruises are alike but I'll probably never use the major companies.

Loved our two UnCruises and have a deposit down for a future trip. Also really enjoyed our Sail Croatia trip from Dubrovnik to Split that had 19 cabins. OAT has been on our radar for a couple of years but we've been happy with Intrepid Travel. Our Galapagos cruise with them had only 16 people and our Baltics tour last fall had only 10 including our guide. We have trips #15 to 19 with Intrepid in the next year and will have a Nile cruise on the Egypt & Jordan trip in November.

We've done a few large ship cruises and enjoyed them. I'm always looking for a deal and we sailed on the Celebrity Edge in the Retreat towards the end of the pandemic. Got a steal of a deal and the ship was at less than 50% capacity. Food and service were outstanding and the ship was basically new. I've been looking for deals in Retreat cabins and NCL Haven but the pricing seems pretty crazy right now - often more than the premium small ship lines.

Thinking about a Wind Star cruise next May as part of larger trip. The ship has only 73 cabins. I don't know anyone that has used this company but it sounds pretty nice.

 

[Markola]

I could get interested in one of these, e.g. in the Mediterranean.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

www.ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com

 

[FindingForward]

he one exception was when the cruise left from Galveston and was all country music. Ugh!!

Ha! I would have loved that, being a C&W fan. Most cruises I take these days - especially those from FL- define musical entertainment as obnoxious DJs spinning electronic, Latin & hip hop at ear shattering volumes: genres I can't stand. Give me country, metal, blues, jazz, oldies....anything else!

Regarding heavier passengers; disabled folks or others that look like "walmart shoppers" OP's comments feel a bit mean-spirited to me. Decades ago, handicapped people had to stay home. My parent was cursed with joint degradation in teen years causing wheelchair confinement for most of adult life. No ADA back then - travel was often impossible. While tons of scooters & wheelchairs can be unpleasant for able folks to navigate, I'm glad the world changed.

Candidly, it sounds like you didn't do enough research upfront. NCL and Carnival are known as the Kmart/Walmart of cruising. Cheapest prices, cheap food; lots of "kids sail free" promos luring bigger families; party/drinking culture.

I just took a Celebrity cruise in March: some, but not many walkers/scooters. Mixed ages - 30s-60s mostly, amazing food quality, friendly, fun loving people of all shapes and sizes. Gym was packed daily with people working out.

100% agree on ship excursions: most are bad. I despise gift shop payola schemes, (i.e. local tour company/guide hired by the cruiseline gets paid extra by a gift shop owner to push tour guests into their shop.) It's why almost all tours include forced "shopping time".

Experienced cruisers often hunt down great private tours at a fraction of the ship cost working directly w/local guides. Established ones have years of experience w/cruises. They won't let you miss your ship's departure. Their business rep and livelihood depend on it.

OP: I don't mean this unkindly, but please realize how your posts sound to someone not as fortunate as you. I went to bed every night as a kid praying for a miracle: that my parent would wake up pain-free and able to walk. Never happened.

 

[Aerides]

I could get interested in one of these, e.g. in the Mediterranean.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

www.ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com

highly recommend, they deliver just as it looks.

 

[audreyh1]

Thinking about a Wind Star cruise next May as part of larger ship. The ship has only 73 cabins. I don't know anyone that has used this company but it sounds pretty nice.

Xanterra Travel Collection owns Windstar Cruises, Country Walkers, VBT Bicycling Tours, and several NP lodges (including what were some of the Fred Harvey hotels) plus the Grand Canyon Hotel and railroad. Interesting privately owned company. We were very impressed with their operation when we recently stayed at the south rim Grand Canyon NP.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I remember you asking about cruises a while back - the recommendations you got here probably now make more sense having gone on your trip.

All Inclusive Cruises with NO Surprises - Agencies?

We are considering a Mediterranean and round the world cruise. We like all-inclusive resorts and would like the same stress extras free cruise. We literally want everything included, Tips, Drink, Food, etc. with the exception of Excursions maybe as we would like to choose them, although we...

www.early-retirement.org

You want a cruise that Basil Fawlty might like: "no riff raff!"

Ha Ha Close. We did not however expect the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, just a nice botanical garden.

 

[Gumby]

Darn close to UnCruise- a few more passengers. Was it America West? They went BK and UnCruise bought them out.

The boat was called the Yorktown Clipper . Here is a picture. YORKTOWN CLIPPER - IMO 8949472

I believe the cruise line was Clipper Cruise Line and that they were subsequently purchased by Cruise West, which was then succeeded by UnCruise

 

[OldConch]

Xanterra Travel Collection owns Windstar Cruises, Country Walkers, VBT Bicycling Tours, and several NP lodges (including what were some of the Fred Harvey hotels) plus the Grand Canyon Hotel and railroad. Interesting privately owned company. We were very impressed with their operation when we recently stayed at the south rim Grand Canyon NP.

Interesting information. Thanks. Country Walkers is new to me but looks like something we might consider. Just finished a week long walk through the Cotswolds. We used Macs Adventures for accommodations and luggage transfers. Also used them for our West Highland Way walk in May 2022. Very much enjoyed both trips. A Danube bike and boat trip with VBT seems pretty appealing and a nice alternative to traditional river cruises which I don't think appeal to DW and I. Lots of good info in some of these threads.

 

[Gumby]

Interesting information. Thanks. Country Walkers is new to me but looks like something we might consider. Just finished a week long walk through the Cotswolds. We used Macs Adventures for accommodations and luggage transfers. Also used them for our West Highland Way walk in May 2022. Very much enjoyed both trips. A Danube bike and boat trip with VBT seems pretty appealing and a nice alternative to traditional river cruises which I don't think appeal to DW and I. Lots of good info in some of these threads.

It was 17 years ago, but we very much enjoyed our Country Walkers trip in the Italian Lake region. It was the perfect pace to see everything. I highly recommend them.

 

[grasshopper]

OldConch, Quote didn't want to work. "Loved our two UnCruises and have a deposit down for a future trip. Also really enjoyed our Sail Croatia trip from Dubrovnik to Split that had 19 cabins."

We maxed out UnCruise and now have one Lundblad trip in Belize under our belts. We are doing Split to Dubrovnik, this fall, some water, some hiking with Country Walkers. We have a Lundblad cruise of Greece's Cycladic islands 2025.

I would judge UCA and Lundblad as equals, activity, food, and like minded cruise mates.