What is it really like going on a cruise ship?

It’s kind of like hanging out in a big Casino Hotel. There are shows that are free, a casino, a spa, nice pools, shopping, pretty good food and nice staff.
If you are on a big ship, you might feel like cattle getting on and off at the different ports, but otherwise, it’ pretty nice. I didn’t think I would like it for the “cattle effect” but I have been on several and always have fun.

What is great about a cruise is it is mindless. You don’t have to make many decisions or worry about directions. All the restaurants are right there on the ship, you don’t have to change hotels to see many different cities, there is entertainment every night, etc. I’d really like to cruise the Greek Islands, and cities in Spain.

It was great. We didn’t have to repack the suitcases every day and move to another hotel to visit another town.

We chose ours instead of creating a vacation because when the expenses added up of flight, rental car, hotel, food and entertainment then the cruise came out a lot less while offering much more. Holland America was our line because my husband’s parents cruise extensively and felt confident we’d be happy with that level of service to cost. We never felt like cattle and getting off at the ports of call were seamless and fast.

What’s not to like about having a room cleaned twice a day, more food choices than you imagine, sleeping like a baby, live flowers everywhere you turn, gorgeous places to eat, drink and just enjoy the views. We weren’t sure we should’ve paid the extra for a balcony/veranda but being able to sit out and watch sunsets, sunrise and each port of call coming and going- it was worth it.

We’d like to book my mom on a cruise now as a gift and we already decided we’d book our yearly vacation/anniversary gift on cruises. I still want to take a luxury sail along the Nile in Egypt while he looks forward to Trinidad & Tobago. Next December we’re going back to the Eastern Caribbean to cover stuff we didn’t have time for this initial visit.

David Foster Wallace took a cruise in order to write an article about the experience in Harper’s magazine. What followed was one of the most hilarious and depressing essays ever written since Mark Twain died.

“A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll never do again”:

Source

“He is ironically displeased with the professional hospitality industry and the “fun” he should be having and explains how the indulgences of the cruise turn him into a spoiled brat, leading to overwhelming internal despair.”

I had one cruising experience that still makes me laugh. We were on a ship going from the north to the south of Norway. We enjoyed the many stops, the food, etc. There was one deck which had windows all around it and was obviously the best inside view of what was going on outside. It was always filled by the same people, mostly women, mostly Norwegians, Dutch and Germans as far as we could hear from eavesdropping and mostly overfed and overweight. They never moved. They left clothing on their seats so no one would take them when they went to meals. Finally, we got bold and moved some of the clothing and sat down in this favored area. We didn’t stay long. The miasma of passed gas that enveloped us was more than we could bear. So we left them to their special atmosphere and found less comfy in a bar area. We could only see one side view, but we could breathe.

Cruises are definitely an exercise in consumption and indulgence. Some like that on vacation. Don’t go on a Cruise if you are looking for challenge, education or a whole lot of adventure. There ARE a whole lot of beautiful ports, but after going on several it sometimes feels like they are all alike. The last time we went on a cruise we stayed on the ship in a few ports. We had already been there and were going for the company of some friends. Spa services are half price while in port.

@Judi FYI there are educational cruises. Insight is one.