A non-dive related cruise question.

[2airishuman]

I've been on typical 7-day Caribbean cruises with Norwegian and Carnival.

Did I enjoy the boats? Well, sure. (I enjoy lots of things) They have many facets to appeal to varying tastes.

I found that the food was consistently OK and rarely great. The stage shows and comedy varied among ships. The pool was nice but crowded on days at sea. The staterooms, small but sufficient.

The thing about the big cruise ships is that there's nothing organic about the experience. Nothing local. So the Italian restaurant isn't run by an Italian family, the poolside bar isn't run by locals trying to support a beach lifestyle, the quirky decor in the bar was put together by a designer and is exactly the same as the quirky decor in other ships in the same cruise line, etc. The art shows are heavily juried. Etc. It's best to see these as chain hotels and chain restaurants at their best -- they do try to get it right within the limitations they have.

Good things to emphasize. First of all it is a very safe environment and so if you're traveling with vulnerable people that is a real plus. You don't have to deal with any logistics at all while on board, really, no cabs to catch or cars to rent to get through your day. There are no real responsibilities and the security presence is very subtle so you're not going to have a trip marred by a parking ticket, or being hassled by cops at bar closing time. In the same light, most of the food and activities are included in the fare, and the upcharges are fairly transparent and predictable. So there will be some $20 photos but you don't have to worry about getting conned into a $100 shoe shine or something.

Another positive aspect, not of the boat but of cruise vacations in general, is that it is possible to vacation with family or friends who have divergent interests but who still like to travel. You can go dive while they see the museum or go shopping or something, and still spend time together in the evening.

 

[drrich2]

A major online cruise-related website with a huge forum ('Community') is CruiseCritic.com. That's where I research cruises I'm interested in.

You know how we bicker about deep air, split fins, BP/W vs. Jacket BCD, the quality of modern mainstream OW training, computers vs. tables, etc...? Well get ready for...

1.) Toe-to-toe repetitious face-offs about main dining room dress code violations (e.g.: casual to very casual ware on formal nights), the ethical and moral outrage of it all, and what management should do about these travesties that threaten the fabric of our society.

2.) Smokers; should they be thrown overboard?

3.) Main Dining Room food - pretty good, lack-luster or inedible?

4.) Royal Caribbean vs. Carnival vs. Norwegian Cruise Line; is Carnival a drunken party boat? Is it really cheaper, or do they up sell you more? Is Royal Caribbean classier? Is Celebrity cruise line for conservative older people?

5.) Kids were seen in an adults only pool and staff weren't intervening!

6.) Some kids were rude.

7.) Some adults were rude.

8.) Which cruise director is your favorite?

9.) Repeat customer loyalty program perks aren't as good as they should be.

10.) Which booze package is the best value, how can you sneak your own booze onboard, and to what extent is it morally wrong to do so?

Richard.

P.S.: Short-hand note about that forum. Many people habitually stick 'Dear' in front of immediate family designations, and abbreviate, so husband becomes 'dear husband' becomes DH. Gets annoyingly repetitious in some threads.

P.S. #2: I like that forum and it can be fun and a source of good info.

 

[drrich2]

Oh, one more thing we enjoy...meeting people of diverse nationalities. Know why they're so diverse? Well, turns out a lot of cruise ships are registered in foreign countries to avoid having to honor U.S. labor laws such as minimum wage. You'll see lots of nationalities onboard (maybe not U.S. so much). I believe it's something called the Jones Act that requires such foreign-flagged vessels to visit at least one foreign port on each trip, so they always squeeze at least one non-U.S. port in to comply.

Many of these crew members don't see their families back home for months at a time. It's my understanding that these jobs are competitive to get in their countries, so evidently it's better than their other options.

Bottom Line: I don't think you need to forego cruising because it's exploitative, but tipping is a really big deal for the staff. Which often results in fine service...

 

[KeithG]

Only cruise ship I was on went to Antarctica. No boardwalk there, but the trip more than made up for it.

Antarctic cruise with some diving is on the bucket list.

too cold, not much to see other than krill.

and underwater there is no way you can keep up to a penguin. on land it is real easy.

 

[KeithG]

Oh, one more thing we enjoy...meeting people of diverse nationalities. Know why they're so diverse? Well, turns out a lot of cruise ships are registered in foreign countries to avoid having to honor U.S. labor laws such as minimum wage. You'll see lots of nationalities onboard (maybe not U.S. so much). I believe it's something called the Jones Act that requires such foreign-flagged vessels to visit at least one foreign port on each trip, so they always squeeze at least one non-U.S. port in to comply.

Many of these crew members don't see their families back home for months at a time. It's my understanding that these jobs are competitive to get in their countries, so evidently it's better than their other options.

Bottom Line: I don't think you need to forego cruising because it's exploitative, but tipping is a really big deal for the staff. Which often results in fine service...

like scuba operations and every other type of service industry, there are different types of cruise lines. Silver Sea cruise line does not allow tipping. the service is over the top.

 

[KeithG]

Who You Lookin At?

• KeithG
• May 25, 2016