2airishuman
Contributor
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.
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.