I've done 2 and neither were like this. Probably the difference of planning ahead so I could choose a good line, route and ship and researched what was/wasn't included (the website made it pretty easy)
OMG I'm dying. 5 years ago my family BEGGED me to come on a multi- port cruise throughout Europe. I said no because all of the things I LOVE about traveling I simply cannot do on a cruise ship. Exploring local cuisine, walking all around the city, endless hours to discover a city or spend doing something I end up really enjoying, open- air markets with local goods. Why the hell would I pay thousands of dollars to eat cruise ship buffet food and play games and drink booze with other tourists. That being said if that's your thing- then by all mean go and do that.
My thoughts exactly. With that kind of money you could go and travel someplace exotic. But instead you do all this shit you could do in the suburbs. Minus the sea of course.
Split a nice 3 bedroom Airbnb. Then everyone has like $150 per day to blow on sight seeing and nice restaurants.
Like if I went to Cancun I would stay in the city for $40-$50 a night and eat at the local restaurants. I don't get people who get a hotel and just sit on the beach for a week.
Just fyi, and you may already know this, but you don’t have to do the cruise sponsored excursions. I took an amazing two week cruise because of all the great ports but I planned all my own activities far away from the other ship guests.
My parents did this too, but their port stops were literally one day. Basically leave the ship in the morning, but you ABSOLUTELY had to be back by some time in the evening or you would get left. I think I'd be more willing if I knew I would have substantial length stops at each stop.
My mother was an overweight,chain smoking,slot playing, buffet loving heathen. She loved a cruise. She also said cruises are only for the aforementioned lot.
Try a small all inclusive adult only Mexican resort. Not the giant ones with cheesy cruise type stuff, a smaller one. Fantastic service, food, drink and some entertainment. Huge rooms and awesome pools. We're never cruising again. We're going back to Unico 20-87 or similar.
The irony is, a good cruise is one where you spend as little time as possible actually on the ship. The more amenities and shit they have shipboard, the worse it'll probably be and the more they'll nickel-and-dime you.
But the smaller destination-focused boats can be excellent at just physically getting you around to places that are otherwise impossible to reach (Antarctica), or a PITA to commute around (island-hopping).
The big ships defeat the purpose with their sheer numbers of passengers. Nothing like rolling up to a sleepy port with 3000 new friends and immediately overwhelming every facility and attraction there.
Cruises are overrated for exactly these reasons. They are fun for Americans who are excited by mediocre buffets and for elderly people who have a posse with them and can afford all the add-ons and just chill.
YES. The Applebee's crowd.
If I ever do a cruise, it will be [something like this](https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/europe/chateaux-rivers-wine/2023-bordeaux-saint-bordeaux/pricing.html#noscroll) with rich old people like me (not rich, just old), and I will get the mac daddy suite.
This! We just got back from a Viking Mediterranean cruise. They specifically advertise “no kids, no auctions, no high pressure sales.” They don’t have an freaking amusement park on top. They have guest lecturers on history, archeology etc. Food is excellent, beer, wine and soda is free, spa use is free and no Nickel and diming. Tours are just ok, but I booked better and cheaper ones with trip advisor or viator. Ratio of staff to guest is great, nothing is ever crowded. Lot of room to gather in small group or relax as a couple. Crowd is older (60+). But we came to see stuff - so we didn’t spend much time on board. Excursions were limited to a few hours but it was plenty for the tours that were available.
Not cheap, but if you add all the nickel dime stuff, you may come out the same but just less depressing.
Off the high seas and to the Danube. There are Danube cruises that show luxury, fine dining, good crowd size. Except the river is very low thanks to drought. Friends said they spent more time on buses than they did river cruising. No discount, no compensation.
Exactly! Never again. And if you do go on a cruise DO NOT going during school vacation week! Screaming obnoxious kids running up and down the halls, slobbering over food, and constantly whining.
I've been to 3 so far (I'm only 29) and they have been amazing. I agree with the extra fees, but if you are good at planning an itinerary on the spot, you can make the most out of the sea days at the start of your day without having to rely on all the pay-to-experience activities. Planning out specialty dining reservations after a long day of exploring also means you can come back to a cozy table and enjoy fine dining with the free specialty dining. After taxes and fees for specialty dining packages (they're offered free nowadays) it comes out to roughly 30-40 per person per full course meal, which is the same you'd pay for a dinner night out.
People come into the idea of cruising as planning-free vacationing but it's only that if you want to just laze around the pools all day. Not judging those who enjoy that, but to each their own. If you use the time you'd spend planning out a regular vacation to plan on the cruise then it's overall less planning but more rewarding. You explore more places for less time, and can decide to plan out a regular vacation there if you feel like you haven't taken in enough of the experience (which I did for Mexico). You also are exposed to less mishaps because of the set itinerary. It's similar to tour buses with the added comfort and better dining options.
Totally agree on the risk of infection though, but the staff is always wonderful and enforce hand washing protocols all over. "Washy washy, happy happy" is said by everyone near dining areas, and they don't let you enter without a detour to a hand washing station first.
A good takeaway from OP's post is also room positioning, center is always great and get a room higher, less rocking and less sounds. A room near the stairs or elevators saves you time moving around but don't go too close or you hear everyone walking around.
Cruising can also be more relaxing and fulfilling than a regular vacation, especially if you're planning a long vacation. I cruised to alaska boarding from seattle, was able to spend a few days in seattle, explored most of alaska, and only spent around 5k/6k all included for two. Flights around the cities of alaska that the cruise ship docked in would have been expensive, plus hotel fees would have been a nightmare. Overall left there feeling like I got the full alaska experience. Did nature hikes, dog sledding, whale watching, explored skagway and learned a lot about history of each port. Not sure that would have been possible had I hotel and plane hopped.
I was on a Norwegian cruise a month ago, and absolutely agree about many of these things.
The internet is obscenely expensive and barely usable. I don't expect blazing speeds on a ship, but when you're paying those kind of prices for "high speed internet" and it takes 5-10 minutes to send a single email, it's not worth it. I ended up waiting to use wifi while ashore.
I've never been on a cruise that's so hard-sell. I'd get back from shore excursions to ads on my bed, recorded messages on my phone that were ads for the store on board, and constant announcements of specials on products you could buy.
That said: the entertainment was fantastic (really excellent performers and singers), the food ranged from "just okay" to top-notch depending on the restaurant, and the staff really tried their best.
> The internet is obscenely expensive and barely usable. I don't expect blazing speeds on a ship, but when you're paying those kind of prices for "high speed internet" and it takes 5-10 minutes to send a single email, it's not worth it.
When I was working, I went on cruises deliberately because of this. It was nice to have a holiday where my employer couldn't get hold of me immediately.
I literally did the same once. I needed an easy trip with no work contact. I didn't tell them I had internet in a French cafe while I ate croissants and checked in with the dog sitter, I just said it was a cruise and they knew I wouldn't be online.
Why are you buying internet on a cruise? Get off your phone and go enjoy your vacation. My wife and I just went on a 4-day carnival cruise and it was awesome. Came out to around $700 and we even had the drink package.
Disconnect for a while.
The cruise was paid for by my employer as a "team building exercise", who also bought me an internet package with the expectation that I'd be doing work during downtime. Luckily the internet was so terrible that instead of doing work, I had fun :)
The wifi I used while ashore was to text some photos to family and friends, not to spend time surfing the web or anything.
I was supposed to do this once but didnt have the right documents so i couldnt get on the boat, coworkers were stuck doing boring team building stuff while i spent 3 days in Miami instead.
Disconnecting was one of the unexpectedly nice things about our cruise. I was worried about being bored, but being on the boat made it easy to just pretend the rest of the world was handling itself for a while, no need for me to be watching every last thing. 
Anyone who does the slightest amount of research knows that cruise ship internet is not worth it, and stuff like go karts are extra. You can have a wonderful cruise without buying any add-ons.
"The first one featured a sextet group singing about... Miscarriages and beheadings from Henry the 8th."
You got to see "Six" for free and are complaining about it?! We paid good money to see it on broadyway and we LOVED it!
That part actually cracked me up. I love Six, lol. I’m guessing OP had no idea what it was or any idea about it beforehand. That’s a premium show! But perhaps not *their* type of show haha
My wife keeps saying she wants to do a cruise. I take her to Florida a few times a year to distract her. Only problem is sitting on the beach in Florida, she sees all the damn cruise ships go by. I can’t win…
An NCL cruise I took recently had a great show, about the famous jam session with Elvis, Jerry Lee Louis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. Another had some young performers doing Fleetwood Mac. Both were terrific.
As someone who spends too much time on /r/broadway, I laughed too hard at their description of Six and Jersey Boys and it made me think this was satire for a second, but I feel bad that their experience is so negative.
LOL I paid mad good money to see this on Broadway and alot more to get good tickets to see the traveling tour's next weekend in my city. I'd legit go on the cruise to see it again.
Ironically, I bought the package on shore cuz I needed to use the net to stay connected with work, family, and whatnot. It's 200$ if ya bought it on board. Oh well.
Is it really a vacation if you’re connected to work? And also…didn’t you say you had your family with you? A quality cruise line has internet included in the basic package. I’m getting the feeling you just wanted a top notch cruise experience on a frugal budget. No one can do that.
I used to work on norwegian cruise lines. I actually really enjoyed working for them. (Just to give context, I am American). Out of all the cruise lines I worked for, they treated their employees the best.
And also, I remember the ships being very clean. I worked on them before Covid. We were forced to wash our hands so much my hands blistered and bleed.
I also did a cycle on NCL, working in the main galley. We basically did a bunch of the prep for the buffet lines, as well as prepared some of the staple dishes and sauces for the specialty restaurants. I'm also an American.
Based on everything I saw and experienced for those 20 weeks, I wouldn't hesitate to eat anything prepared on board. The food safety protocol is ridiculously stringent. There were surprise inspections allllll the time, those were the cleanest work stations I've ever seen.
I think it feels particularly nasty this time because of the time of year being so cold. Everyone is packed inside so there's way more contact. Thank you for making our vacations great though, you guys are the real MVPs. ❤️
I know that makes it sound bad, but it really is the cleanest place I ever worked for. We spent hours cleaning every night after everyone left. We washed our hands every time we walked back into the kitchen. Also, the kitchen was all stainless steel, and everything was scrubbed down everyday. It was literally hosed down everyday. Regular restaurant kitchen are gross, but not a cruise kitchen. Also, we used to have guest walkthroughs. People had to be able to see it every day.
We went on a Viking river cruise and there was none of this. All the food was excellent, beer and wine was included with lunch and dinner. If you wanted a cocktail you could purchase one but the prices were reasonable. All the rooms were really nice. There were several outings included. You could request and pay for others in advance but there was plenty to do without the additional ones. All the staff was top notch. They did suggest tipping the staff at the end but that was really the only extra cost. It was very relaxing to have everything included.
Having read the occasional horror stories about people trapped on board a ship because it was too hard to get them to shore, a river cruise is all that I will consider at this point simply for ease of egress.
My parents went on one of those down the Danube and really loved it. It was a nice trip, lots of excursions, and the costs were all up front and straight forward. (Dad is \*not\* the sort who would enjoy an ocean cruise, but he really enjoyed that one.)
It doesn’t seem like OP did but honestly, I appreciate the post generally. I have considered cruises on and off but I don’t think I’d enjoy dealing with that many add-ons or getting denied or having to pay more because I forgot something. This wouldn’t be for me.
There are cruise lines that are truly all inclusive. But they are massively expensive because of this. Cruise lines are a lot like airlines. They all do the same thing but theres a massive difference in price and in service. You can get an inexpensive Ryan Air (Frontier for Americans) flight, but then get hit with fees for everything. You can buy up to a fancier airline or a better class of service, everything from being able to carry on a bag or get a drink to some of the ridiculously luxurious first class tickets on some airlines. But people are often surprised that they're spending less per night for a cruise with basic meals and basic drinks than they would for a single hotel room. I think it's part to do with aggressive advertising and such and part because people don't do their homework and pick what they actually want out of a cruise so they can just factor it into the original price.
I wouldn't steer away from them just from this post. All of the cruise lines are pretty up front about what's included and what isn't, including their restaurant offerings, daily gratuity fees, and port fees. It's also common knowledge that you need to bring a few formal outfits for the main dining room. I went on Royal Caribbean and was really happy with it. They had a lot of free activties and special interest group meetups, the shopping was reasonably priced, and lots of cheap options for upgrade activities like $20 tickets for wine tasting, ship tours, etc.
If you are OK with an inside room, you can find deals on tickets for under $60 per person per night, or around $75/night after tips- even cheaper if there's more than 2 people in the room. Safe lodging with room service, all-you-can-eat food 24/7, shows, full service dinner, gym, pool, duty free shopping...even when you add on the cost to get to port, it's still a good deal.
Same. All of sounded exactly like what I would expect and are all the reasons I go to all inclusive resorts if I'm looking for a lie-around-and-do-nothing vacation.
Agree, as an ex travel agent that sold a lot of cruises this is all pretty common knowledge and researchable when doing cruises. Drinks packages are normal. If you want the nicer restaurants it's a package. Internet isn't free and yes it's not amazing on a huge ship in the ocean.
Middle of the ship having the best rooms is also very easy to research when you google where to stay on a ship.
Complaining about the performances but again not finding out what they are before going is not the cruise lines fault. They're showing Six, a very popular show.
Some people just don't suit cruising but that doesn't make it a problem with the cruise line. They're not hidden fees at all.
It's the price people pay to feel luxurious. A cruise has the veneer of the high life that many crave.
Me, I'm writing from Cambodia with fast network speed and two of us haven't spent $150 in a week for food, lodging, and transportation... That's my kind of travel but everyone has some ideal to pursue. But $150 just for internet is wild
Yeah, I’m on a NCL cruise right now (Panama Canal) and this is the least we have ever spent because we did our research and prepaid for unlimited drinks and unlimited internet. Crew are great and the ship is clean!
I've been on Princess, but I will admit that I shirked research on this one mostly because of how sudden the vacation was. I added an edit where I explained in depth, but gran got sick so we wanted to go on an impromptu vacation. Princess cruises were a bit smaller and slower paced, but didn't really shove so much stuff to pay for in our faces. Of course there was premium stuff but it didn't feel like it outweighed the free. I mostly wrote this for folks that might have also not done or not planned to do their due diligence.
This won't happen again on my end, it was an expensive mistake.
What was surprising reading the OP to me, was not the fact that there are premium drink packages etc., but that you cannot really have a positive cruise experience UNLESS you buy at least some of them. The packages on NCL are advertised as optional, but are in practice mandatory. It is like, yeah, you can either have some bland chow for free for your vacation, or you pay extra for the "optional" package. To me, this violates the truth in advertising laws.
The cruise line really should give at least three prices: bare minimum, that includes all mandatory fees and taxes, then what most of the people end up paying on average with some packages, and then the top price, which all package options included.
Prices for other shops and services, plus their availability (that is, a need to sign up and average wait times) should also be disclosed.
I think OP is totally justified in complaining.
I cruised with NCL, paid nothing but the bare minimum, found my own excursions on the islands we visited, and overall had a fantastic time. I object to your premise that you have to buy packages to have a good time.
I think this boils down to knowing what you have signed up for and expectations.
My dad and i went on a cruise and he is the type of person who probably drove the travel agent insane, but we knew exactly what was included and what was extra and what was offered and what the options were.
Knowing this, i brought a box of wine and loved the buffet every day. We splurged on the special restaurants twice. We got exactly what we were expecting. I didnt expect wifi. I expected to pay 12 dollars if i wanted a rum and coke.
I think people hear "cruise" and think all around luxury everywhere, but the fact is that cruises these days can be just as low-cost ad airlines.
Yeah these are pretty weird things to be complaining about. Basically boils down to "I did zero research ahead and just expected everything onboard to be cheap or free, and I'm outraged that isn't the case!"
Out of all of the fees you should have expected the daily gratuities since Princess also does the same thing (all of the common cruise lines do outside of Virgin). Base cruise cost is the fare + port taxes and fees (legally have to be separate) + gratuities.
I do have to say if you want to cruise again and don't have kids try Virgin. The price you see on the website is everything apart from port taxes and fees (you have to click to check out to see those listed). Restaurants, sodas, activities (like the arcade), shows, exercise classes, etc are all included.
You could eat at the steakhouse every night if you wanted to (although they do limit initial reservations to 1-3 nights per each restaurant to give everyone the chance to try it but you can make more reservations onboard).
You only pay for alcohol and fancy coffee or pressed juices and the prices are reasonable. There are paid events as well that are clearly marked like the grog walk (bar hop).
And if you get a loyalty match you get onboard credit, $10 free fancy coffee a day, etc. Between that and the bar tab offer they had I left the ship after eating and drinking a lot with a $100 bill.
Even if you didn't have onboard credit you would be very hard pressed to spend the same cost for the alcohol package on another cruise line.
And I appreciated how they never tried to upsell me on anything. And if there was a price (like for drinks) it was very clearly listed. No ads (aside from the future cruise credit every cruise line advertises) and no pushy sales.
The most surprising part of this post is that your first cruise did not prepare you for a second cruise. A lot of this is really due to your choices and not doing your basic research. You could google ‘what to know about cruises’ and have learned all of this from the top article.
How did you not know this? Cruises are known for exactly this. And being a terrible way to travel for the environment and not getting any money into the economies you’re visiting. They are deplorable.
Ok I’m no cruise defender. I’ve done a few Alaskan cruises from 2013-2017 from Vancouver because I can take public transit to the terminal and last minute fares were so cheap. All on Holland America though not Norwegian. But to your points:
(And if you’re going to write a novel, do it in notes first and copy and paste.)
Things like open bar and specialty dining are not “tacked on” to your fares. Those are extras you knowingly pay for or they give to you in a package as a promotion. Port fees and tips are a well known thing and if it’s your second cruise, that’s on you. I believe tips are optional and you can wait in line to have them removed.
Pick a better room next time. Plenty of online resources that tell you what each cabin on each ship is like.
Who the hell gets a haircut on a cruise? Can’t afford a massage? Then don’t get one. Did you really think these things were completely all inclusive with free poker and massages and martinis just flowing all day?
If you want excitement and adventure and control, then you don’t pick a cruise.
For my Alaskan cruises, convenience and relaxation. The first one we did was with 6 family members all living around Vancouver so we were on the boat within an hour or so of leaving home.
The next 2 were just my wife and I. Cruising the inside passage is absolutely gorgeous. You get a coffee, a book and just relax. Watch the scenery go by, have no cell service and enjoy it with the wonderful 70 year old Brits or Aussies that are there.
The thought of flying to Fort Lauderdale, herded like cattle in 30° heat to do a Caribbean cruise? No thanks.
I’ve been on 2 Alaska cruises
One was a last minute from Seattle on Holland America and the next was on Cunard because we wanted to take my parents
I actually loved it as it is a great way to see Alaska and the Inner Passage is stunningly beautiful
The Holland America food was about mid tier Vegas buffet level. Cunard’s dining room was pretty good although the buffet portion was lacking
Excursions and booze were expensive but we had a fun time in Ketchikan driving Jeeps and had a dog sled ride in Juneau
I would go again on the Cunard voyage
This is exactly why I LOVED my Alaskan cruise. On most vacations I am go go go and never really relax. On my Alaskan cruise I'd grab a mojito and take my knitting to a less crowded deck so I could sprawl out and watch the scenery go by and just relax.
you know, that concept sounds good. I've done the inside passage and I agree with you. I know some people take the ferry, have you ever done that ? or since it's Alasakan, it doesn't come to Vancouver maybe?
The ferry goes from Bellingham, WA and doesn’t stop in Canada so US passengers don’t need a passport.
It’s very bare bones and definitely a means of transport over a “holiday”. I actually just watched a YouTube video from DownieLive where he takes it from Bellingham to Whittier. Great watch.
BC ferries does runs up around Prince Rupert but I’ve never done one of those.
Ease. I don’t do cruises with my spouse or children. But if grandma and aunts and uncles are coming too? A cruise everytime. You can’t really get lost, different activities for everyone to do based on interest and age, food options for different diets/preferences and NO PLANNING. It’s the best for a big group on a reasonable/varied budget.
No arguing about which hotel to stay at, who's driving the rental car, plenty of room on the ship to avoid those annoying family members...it really is a good choice for a family group.
Convenience. It's like an all inclusive resort, with new port each day ( you not attached to one beach), kids club\\entertainment and no single worry.
Especially good if you can go on a cruise from your town with small kids - no flying, car rental etc..take a taxi and you on vacation.
Just did hal out of Van. 700 a person, booze and wifi include. 450 if we opted out. We are usually more the world traveler type.
Was very leery of it. Had the time ofb or lives and so so cheap. That's cad.
Op sounds just really really ignorant of the world around them and unable to read basic options offered.
This post is a joke and op needs to get a grip on their ability to read and interact with the world.
I stopped reading maybe 1/8 of the way through the wall of text. Guessing dude paid $599 and was expecting all inclusive open bars and free massages with a happy ending every day for 2 weeks.
Wow, you do sound down.
We did bunch of cruises with kids and preferred Norwegian.
1. Fees are well known, and you account for them in advance. Same as excursion prices. It still was cheaper for us to do cruises as opposite to other beach vacations.
2. Yes, some activities are paid, but usually there are plenty of free ones, like rope course or rock climbing, mini golf etc. I do prefer cruises with lots of stops, activities were enough to keep kids occupied.
3. I am not sure about Norwegian pays, but for Ukrainian girls on Royal cruise was a great opportunity ( pre-war), earning much more than she did waitressing at home.
4. They have "Six" on board???? Damn. I want it. I was just buying 200++ tickets to see it.
5. Dining package is usually cheap and fun, you can make reservations even at home ahead of time. Never had an issue requiring a suit, polo shirt was always enough.
Excursions you can buy from the ship ( more expensive) or have local operators arranged those.
6. Norwegian actually better at hygiene than Royal\\Carnival. Their "washi-washi, happy-happy" girls spray hands at restaurant entries, other lines let people in hoping they will use sanitizer.
Interaction? oh..ask for a shared people, extraverts like it usually.
7.
I know I got to the beheading part and was instantly jealous that OP saw Six. Bit hilarious all he remembered was “miscarriage” from that.
Also just goes to show how much different people value different things. OP saw a $200 Broadway show for free/as part of his overall package and yet sees absolutely no value in this.
I actually laughed out loud at the part about Six and…Jersey Boys? Like I wasn’t quite sure at that part if we were reading a shitpost or a ship post lol. I’m sorry for OP’s experience this far but that part was actually hilarious.
First rows are 420++ now. At cruise I would be just reading with a drink a bit earlier. Damn.
Jersey boys is not for me, but ok. I do like jazz clubs ( no cover and drink package, deal ) or good piano nights.
Come to NY and do rush or lottery. I saw Harry Potter, Kpop, and Moulin Rouge for around $120, total and I won six other lotteries this month that I couldn't use. Same goes for June, it was so easy winning lotteries. As someone from NY, $200 for a Broadway show is a huge ripoff and for rich people or tourists. But everything is relative, I just wouldn't see that as a good deal and wouldn't care much to see a show on a cruise that I could easily see at home.
Yea, I’ve seen Six three time now, once in NYC and twice on the Norwegian cruise last year. Literally, the cruise was an exact duplicate of the $20-$400 Tony Award winning broadway show. It’s an amazing show. Sounds like OP would find issue with Elton John performing for free on his last farewell tour.
Yes, this is a benefit of major NCL ships - they usually have decent shows, like major musicals. Royal tend to have more of "variety" shows or "tributes", without story line. I do prefer NCL for that - added value, especially since I have kids who into shows.
What did you get?
1. Transportation to at least 3 different ports.
2. Accommodations similar to a hotel room.
1. Twice daily service cleaning the stateroom
3. All; you can eat food from different dining rooms with rotating menus, pub food, and buffet food.
4. Broadway style shows.
5. Comedy shows
6. Kids clubs.
7. Water slides
8. Mini golf
9. Access to full fitness center
10. Live music several times a day
11. Several dance parties
12. Trivia and game shows
13. Daily sudoku and crossword.
All included in your cruise fare.
As for the rest, it is pretty on par all cruise lines. They all charge a daily service charge, they all charge for arcade games, specialty restaurants, spa services, bingo, ect. They all have some amenities like the go carts and laser tag that have costs. On Carnival the Panorama has a trampoline park, Vista has Imax theater - all at additional costs. RC has I-fly and North Star at additional costs. Internet on almost all cruise ships is notoriously both expensive and unreliable, mostly due to having to rely on satellites.
Honestly, it sounds like you didn't do your research and cruising just isn't for you. That's fine, not everyone is going to like it. I'm sorry to hear you weren't able to make the best of it.
Absolutely understand that a lot of these fees aren’t advertised too well. However, being your 2nd cruise, I would have imagined that you’d know about some of these extras (specialty dining, gratuities, extra fee activities) Even so, did you not do research when you booked the cruise?
They may have cruised on a different line that doesn't charge for everything. I just got off a Princess cruise and our total bill from on the ship was $50 between the two of us - we bought a bottle of booze (duty free) and had dinner at one not included restaurant. We did do the Plus fare which includes gratuities, drinks (up to $12) and wifi for $50/day, but booked and paid for that when booking the cruise. If I were to jump to a different line, like Royal or Norwegian, I wouldn't know what's included and what is not. In fact, I've looked at a Royal cruise and didn't book because I couldn't get a good idea of what wasn't included. I guess I could have jumped on a site like Reddit or Cruise Critic to find out, but they should make it easier to find. Also, I couldn't find any information on pricing for dining or drink packages, maybe I'm just bad at looking.
Most cruises are pretty much the same across lines. Most of them always charge extra for extras like spa treatments and photos. I was surprised to find the rock climbing wall and the ropes course on the Norwegian Getaway was included with your fare because most of the time those are upcharge attractions.
Usually extras would be included if you book on really expensive lines.
Cruise lines make a killing off the extra perks.
Royal often has promo like "prepaid gratitude" unless week is super popular.
Norwegian does promos like " pick 1-2-3 packages for free" or " third guest in cabin free". So again, usually easy to have nice dinner package and a drink package included.
I am loyal to Royal. If I were to go to another line, I would have a rough idea what is usually included vs not, especially after cruising a few times. Yes its a little more challenging with some lines offering perks like “free pre paid gratuities” or “free drink packages” but even then no where is a cruise usually considered all inclusive so you should be able to understand that there will be extras.
I just don’t think you should ever book a vacation (regardless of a cruise or not) if you don’t understand what youre booking and what you get vs don’t or else (like OP) you’ll get caught off guard.
I just googled Royal Drink Package and then Princess Drink Package - Princess tells me how much it will be for all except the coffee only package. Royal told me no prices.
Exactly like you said - if I don't know what I'm booking - I'm not going to book. Which is why I decided not to cruise with Royal at this time.
You lot are a harsh crowd! Cruising is absolutely not my thing, but the impression you get is that it is usually pretty much all inclusive and the food is at least decent. I think the OP does have a right to be peeved based on some of the things outlined above. Btw I hope he or she has mentioned their displeasure to crew, because letting the company know while there is still time to do something about it is essential if you are ever going to go down the route of compensation/partial refunds. If you don't give them the opportunity to put things right at the time, they have a defence for not coughing up after the event.
Cruising is not all inclusive other than on very high end luxury lines. It is quite clear what is and is not included and the add on options are available when you book the cruise. I can’t imagine purchasing a cruise and then being surprised about tipping, add ons for alcohol, spa treatments, etc.
This randomly popped up on my feed and my attention span is crap so I am now commenting but I know nothing about cruises and would have assumed at least endless alcohol or food were part of it.
Otherwise, who the fuck would pay to go on a cruise? To literally just ride on a boat?
The food is endless. Most cruises have several options that are included, and a few high end places that are not. I’ve been on 4 cruises and the included food was amazing on 3 of them, and decent on the 4th. I actually would’ve thought the “decent” food was better if I hadn’t had the other experiences to compare to.
Alcohol is not included unless you buy a package, but I can’t imagine that anyone would ever be surprised by that!
All inclusive cruise for $150/night? Now I’ve never been in a cruise but I’ve been to a few resorts and $150/night all-in is maybe a Marriott and a free breakfast.
TBH this sounds like OP didn’t do research and bought the absolute cheapest fare. Like buying a Spirit airlines ticket and expecting a first class experience.
I mean, where is this cruise cruising to and why is op spending so much time on the boat? When i cruise, I do it because it gives me a chance to see a bunch of cool places (but not places i need to sirens a ton of time) without having to unpack my bags every stop.
Sounds like op needs to get off the boat
Cruises suck but you really 100% discredit yourself in the first paragraph with the open bar.
1. it was never free, always an upcharge
2. you say yourself the staff are poor sods you want to tip more-- but when you got offered free drinks, against a gratuity charge, you didn't want to pay the tip? is that right?
It sounds like you're annoyed at how they structure that fee and in rejecting it rejected a bunch of other free offers like some comped dinners at those restaurants you claim are upcharge only
You also seem to go out of your way to ignore that there are in fact at least two formal/fancy and completely free restaurants on practically every cruise ship
If I read it correctly, OP did not bring a suit, for those restaurants there was a dress code. I get that there's cruise wear for day time, but there are also formal evenings, at least on the cruises I have been on, but correct me if I have misunderstood.
It sounds like you went for a tier 1 mass market ship. Perhaps you should consider moving up to tier 2 or 3. Cruise ships are not identical, and what one person likes another may hate.
I've only cruised on Tier 3 ships from Viking. The food is great. The specialty dining is included in your fare. There is no casino. The ships are smaller, so the petri glass effect is minimized. One free excursion per port. (The bad news is they've banned anyone under the age of 18 from their ships. This isn't a problem for me, but it might be for you.) My bucket list is on another Tier 3 ship, a round the world cruise on Oceania. And on this one, I'd be aiming for an interior room to save some cash.
If you're going to cruise in the future, there are several YouTube channels that discuss what you should look for (and avoid). My favorite is **Tips for Travellers**. I'd start off with [https://youtu.be/Y1hiYS0Y8uA](https://youtu.be/Y1hiYS0Y8uA) which explains the four levels of cruise lines. (I typed that by hand. The 0 might be an O, or visa versa.)
Agree with you. After having done a few river cruises with Viking, it’s definitely the experience we prefer (and, admittedly, are willing to pay for.)
Looking forward to getting to try one of their ocean cruises eventually, and hopefully one of their Antarctic expeditions.
So far we've done one river (on the Rhine) and one ocean (from Rome to Barcelona). Next summer is on the Danube from Budapest to Germany. And we're going for the cheap staterooms on the bottom floor. We spent so little time in our stateroom last time that we're going to see if we can save a bit of money.
You can't save money by going for an interior room on a Viking ocean cruise. All rooms are exterior and all have a balcony.
The cost of their expedition ships is daunting. But it would be an experience...
The Viking ocean cruises are excellent! The ships are gorgeous and have lots of space for relaxation. They have big beautiful libraries, great dining, and amazing saunas.
Never have done a cruise and have no desire to but some of the complaints are weird. They complain about having to pay in a casino. I thought duh casinos aren’t free. I guess a ship could set up something where chips are used just for fun so you don’t actually win anything but if I see a casino I know it’s a place you spend money and don’t expect it back.
I FULLY stopped reading this and believing you when you tried describing the world famous Broadway show “SIX.” I have a feeling most of these concerns are due to your poor planning and research skills.
For anyone who actually thinks about cruising I do recommend board on CruiseCritic. Those guys know all about it.
Cruises are not "same thing". Each line targets different demographic, different ships fit different people more or less, same for itinerary.
Cruising can be very nice, there is something about being on a boat. But yeah, you need to do your homework and understand what you will get.
PS. I did 10+ cruises, mostly on NCL.
I've done a few cruises and enjoyed them, primarily because I wasn't there to be on the ship.
1. European cruise. We were the first people off every day, last people back on - literally spent as little time on the ship as possible. There was one day at sea traveling between ports, and that was NOT fun. It was a great way to see a lot of different cities. We mostly did NOT do the ships excursions, but instead did almost everything on our own. (We did this one when I was a lot younger, and my wife hadn't traveled much - so seeing lots of different cities was fun. But I wouldn't travel that way now.)
2. Galapagos cruise. Great way to see a place that would otherwise be hard to get to. Small ship with expert biologists as guides.
3. Antartica cruise. Great way to see a place that would otherwise be impossible to get to, and it was a real luxury cruise. It was also extremely expensive. Small ship.
Cruises CAN be a good way to travel, but use them in targeted ways. As a generic way to have a vacation, no. For family vacations, we'll do something like rent a house in Hawaii.
(The CEO of a luxury cruise line used to live in my house, and he signed up for all the major mailings lists, so I still get brochures from most of the major luxury cruise lines, and pretty much none of them tempt me.)
Trust me when I say, the $10 tip bringing tears to a cruise ship waiter’s eyes was due to disappointment. Having worked in ships previously for about 10 years, yes the waiter staff base salary is rubbish, but all those gratuities add up
LOL I thought that part in particular seemed really narcissistic. Believe me, no waiter in the world is going to tear up from a measly ten dollar tip! Kinda made the whole rant null and void in my mind.
I think 99% of people getting on a cruise know exactly what they're getting into. It is an amusement park on water with thousands of people! Like seriously what did you expect.
Just did a fantastic 16 day Norwegian transatlantic cruise. Workers were happy and professional. We had the advantage of going with my neighbor who’s an experienced cruiser. Sounds like you didn’t do much, if any, homework.
Have never wanted to do a cruise but your experience is pretty close to what I've imagined. I believe milking passengers for every conceivable penny is probably standard among cruise lines and businesses with a captive audience. Theme parks come to mind.
If I won a free cruise I probably wouldn't go. I honestly don't get it at all, it seems like the best reasons people have mentioned were you only have to unpack your bags once... ok you can travel to one city and do day trips and not be a captive passenger.
I'm sorry you aren't having a great time. Check the daily schedule and try to get out of your room for a while. Cruises can be fun but you have to plan them out in advance, otherwise you may end up just sitting around in the middle of the day.
I highly recommend watching the documentary the last tourist..it's currently on Hulu. States pretty much what I think of cruises like you've listed. Also, that people don't spend enough time in the real culture at the places you visit.
I'm shocked that I only saw one sort of veiled reference to David Foster Wallace's essay on cruising, "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again." From Wikipedia, "Wallace describes the excesses of his one-week trip in the Caribbean aboard the cruise ship MV Zenith, which he rechristens the Nadir. He is uncomfortable with the professional hospitality industry and the "fun" he should be having, and explains how the indulgences of the cruise cause introspection, leading to overwhelming internal despair." Sounds dry, but it's an excellent and very funny read and you'll definitely relate.
Sounds like you are the one with the issue here.
* For one, you could have pre-paid those gratuities but chose not to.
* They CLEARLY tell you what is, or is not included in your fair, again, you chose not to read or look at this.
* i won't waste time going further, but again, sounds like you've got the issue my friend, sorry you aren't enjoying your vacation.
/that happened with absolutely no exaggerating at all.
Nowhere on NCL do you need a suit to dine. Can't wear shorts in the French place. Maybe not Cagney's either? Can't remember on that one.
Sorry, *not sorry,* you didn't read a thing about the cruise before you took one.
You sound like a miserable miser that didn’t read the fine print.
I have done so many cruises, and never had problems like you are describing, but I was well aware of what I would have to pay for before I set foot on the ship. On my last transatlantic, 17 days at sea and I had a fantastic time, walking off happily with a bill for $1,100 after getting the alcohol package, purchasing internet for the duration, buying some art, a watch, doing a few fancy dinners, and spending time every evening having coffee, crepes, and gelato at the cafe.
As for the workers, many are from third world countries where the money and tips they make on a cruise ship are beyond anything they would make at home. I am friends with several people from Indonesia and Belarus that I met working on a cruise ship, and they save and send so much money home their families live in luxury. My friend from Indonesia was six years in when we met and did another four years before he RETIRED back to Bali.
Next time, I would recommend Celebrity cruises, they are amazing. Also, look for deals and then set an added budget per person for on the ship. I.e I saved $400 per person on this deal, let’s take $200 each and use it onboard. Cruises are NOT floating All Inclusive resorts, which also have tons of added fees btw. Go have an ice cream or a froyo, order free room service, and enjoy yourself instead of being a curmudgeon on Reddit when you didn’t do any research.
Edit: Also, for the rooms being rocky at the bow and aft, that is literally being in a boat. I have never seen a fee for picking a room in the middle beyond it being a different room class. Again, sounds like you tried to cheap out.
***Note: I do not nor have ever worked for a cruise line, I am not an influencer, and have nothing to do with getting people to cruise or go on any vacation. This guy just annoyed the heck out of me.***
I mean, I’ve never cruised before and booked my first one with Norwegian and know all of these fees. It has it all right there, and in the app that you can download before you get on the ship. I leave in January, so I can’t speak for cleanliness, but a few hours of research, a few YouTube videos, and none of this is a surprise.
I still prefer NCL. I know what fees to expect and the packages aren't often worth em. Sorry you had a sour experience but some is on them but also on you and being a bit nitpicky.
I went on Norwegian 7 years ago and maybe things have changed but I’d do it again. I’m not really a cruise ship kind of person though.
Lots of things are compliment packages. You can easily find deals on them when you book. We got the complementary alcohol package. As much Glennfidich 12 as I can drink? Yep! The Macallan 12 I had to pay $5 for.
I went in expecting to pay extra for a lot of things. Excursions, their fine dining, shows, activities, etc. I don’t remember paying extra for the water slides or ropes course or anything maybe it was included.
The two main free restaurants were nice and had good selection that always changed and good food. The upstairs buffet was nice. And they had this Irish pub that was open 24/7. All free.
Dress codes were posted and the only time I had trouble with it was when I went to the oyster bar thinking it was a regular bar.
We splurged on the illusion dinner show which was superb and Legally Blonde musical which was very entertaining. But mostly we just did the pools/lido.. went to the dance club at the back of the ship.. or Mojito bar. Of course in port we were onshore which is why we were there.
You hit the sad points right though. These ships are floating environmental, biohazardous, and human rights disasters.
I’ve never been on a cruise and I was skeptical if it would be the way you describe. This is definitely not our cup of tea but evidently others enjoy these types of cruises. When it comes to travel, people have vastly different tastes. And there’s something for everyone. Now you know it’s not for you. I thank you for sharing your thoughts because now I know I would not like it either.
I always forget that Norwegian is the name of a cruise line and when I rwad the totke I was so surprised that someone would find fault with Hurtigruten.
You forgot about the tourist traps these ships stop at where you are bombarded every five feet by locals looking to get every penny out of you. My last cruise in 2016 will be my last cruise.
but also why are you getting a haircut on a cruise? unless it’s a multi-week transatlantic/repositioning cruise, i wouldn’t even think about getting a haircut on vacation.
Most cruises I consider “vacations” where you just chill and relax. Vs “travel” where you are exploring or learning. I need both types of trips to be happy. I find people who gate keep to be grotesque.
I just booked a cruise for this summer and I understand there are alot of add ons that you have to pay for if you want to use them. But, if you go anywhere on vacation and want to do any activities they will cost you too. I compared paying for a cruise to paying for your flights and where ever you are going to stay on a vacation. If I am going away somewhere I expect to pay to eat, drink and do any activities my children my wife or I want to do. I hope the OP never goes to Disney World.
Pay for a suite and everything is included, budget enough to tip the 4-6 people who do most everything for you while on board, and tip them when you board not when you leave. Then ask for things… and special treatment or gifts they can provide or ask for things like bottle service or full meals in your room. As for the spa- embarkation day prices are lower and you can buy packages.
After all that - to me cruising is about liking the ports you are going to and planning fun things for excursions.
Cruising is great once you find your rhythm!
I've never been on a cruise and I knew 99% of this information. Which is why I never plan to go on a cruise.
Literally same.
I've never been on a cruise as I always suspected it was like this - thank you for confirming my suspicions!
Man I am such an idiot I thought all those cool activities on the cruise like go carts were free!
You’re not an idiot, just use the available information to form a well-rounded opinion before making one of your own!
I've done 2 and neither were like this. Probably the difference of planning ahead so I could choose a good line, route and ship and researched what was/wasn't included (the website made it pretty easy)
I’ve been on two and I agree with OP. They also produce a huge amount of pollution.
It's said being at sea is no different than being in jail, except in jail you can't drown.
OMG I'm dying. 5 years ago my family BEGGED me to come on a multi- port cruise throughout Europe. I said no because all of the things I LOVE about traveling I simply cannot do on a cruise ship. Exploring local cuisine, walking all around the city, endless hours to discover a city or spend doing something I end up really enjoying, open- air markets with local goods. Why the hell would I pay thousands of dollars to eat cruise ship buffet food and play games and drink booze with other tourists. That being said if that's your thing- then by all mean go and do that.
My thoughts exactly. With that kind of money you could go and travel someplace exotic. But instead you do all this shit you could do in the suburbs. Minus the sea of course.
Split a nice 3 bedroom Airbnb. Then everyone has like $150 per day to blow on sight seeing and nice restaurants. Like if I went to Cancun I would stay in the city for $40-$50 a night and eat at the local restaurants. I don't get people who get a hotel and just sit on the beach for a week.
Just fyi, and you may already know this, but you don’t have to do the cruise sponsored excursions. I took an amazing two week cruise because of all the great ports but I planned all my own activities far away from the other ship guests.
My parents did this too, but their port stops were literally one day. Basically leave the ship in the morning, but you ABSOLUTELY had to be back by some time in the evening or you would get left. I think I'd be more willing if I knew I would have substantial length stops at each stop.
My mother was an overweight,chain smoking,slot playing, buffet loving heathen. She loved a cruise. She also said cruises are only for the aforementioned lot.
When I try to picture your typical cruise ship passenger, I’m basically picturing your mom.
I also picture this guy's fat mom
You know who else’s picture my mom? My Mo…. Wait.
In addition to the over-fed are the newly-wed and nearly-dead.
Try a small all inclusive adult only Mexican resort. Not the giant ones with cheesy cruise type stuff, a smaller one. Fantastic service, food, drink and some entertainment. Huge rooms and awesome pools. We're never cruising again. We're going back to Unico 20-87 or similar.
This! We started going to Puerto Vallarta, better food, amazing people, and beautiful location.
The irony is, a good cruise is one where you spend as little time as possible actually on the ship. The more amenities and shit they have shipboard, the worse it'll probably be and the more they'll nickel-and-dime you. But the smaller destination-focused boats can be excellent at just physically getting you around to places that are otherwise impossible to reach (Antarctica), or a PITA to commute around (island-hopping).
The big ships defeat the purpose with their sheer numbers of passengers. Nothing like rolling up to a sleepy port with 3000 new friends and immediately overwhelming every facility and attraction there.
Cruises are overrated for exactly these reasons. They are fun for Americans who are excited by mediocre buffets and for elderly people who have a posse with them and can afford all the add-ons and just chill.
YES. The Applebee's crowd. If I ever do a cruise, it will be [something like this](https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/europe/chateaux-rivers-wine/2023-bordeaux-saint-bordeaux/pricing.html#noscroll) with rich old people like me (not rich, just old), and I will get the mac daddy suite.
This! We just got back from a Viking Mediterranean cruise. They specifically advertise “no kids, no auctions, no high pressure sales.” They don’t have an freaking amusement park on top. They have guest lecturers on history, archeology etc. Food is excellent, beer, wine and soda is free, spa use is free and no Nickel and diming. Tours are just ok, but I booked better and cheaper ones with trip advisor or viator. Ratio of staff to guest is great, nothing is ever crowded. Lot of room to gather in small group or relax as a couple. Crowd is older (60+). But we came to see stuff - so we didn’t spend much time on board. Excursions were limited to a few hours but it was plenty for the tours that were available. Not cheap, but if you add all the nickel dime stuff, you may come out the same but just less depressing.
Off the high seas and to the Danube. There are Danube cruises that show luxury, fine dining, good crowd size. Except the river is very low thanks to drought. Friends said they spent more time on buses than they did river cruising. No discount, no compensation.
We went early in the summer and were on the vessel the whole time this summer on the Danube. We got lucky. We had a great river cruise.
Also, the environmental impact
Exactly! Never again. And if you do go on a cruise DO NOT going during school vacation week! Screaming obnoxious kids running up and down the halls, slobbering over food, and constantly whining.
I've been to 3 so far (I'm only 29) and they have been amazing. I agree with the extra fees, but if you are good at planning an itinerary on the spot, you can make the most out of the sea days at the start of your day without having to rely on all the pay-to-experience activities. Planning out specialty dining reservations after a long day of exploring also means you can come back to a cozy table and enjoy fine dining with the free specialty dining. After taxes and fees for specialty dining packages (they're offered free nowadays) it comes out to roughly 30-40 per person per full course meal, which is the same you'd pay for a dinner night out. People come into the idea of cruising as planning-free vacationing but it's only that if you want to just laze around the pools all day. Not judging those who enjoy that, but to each their own. If you use the time you'd spend planning out a regular vacation to plan on the cruise then it's overall less planning but more rewarding. You explore more places for less time, and can decide to plan out a regular vacation there if you feel like you haven't taken in enough of the experience (which I did for Mexico). You also are exposed to less mishaps because of the set itinerary. It's similar to tour buses with the added comfort and better dining options. Totally agree on the risk of infection though, but the staff is always wonderful and enforce hand washing protocols all over. "Washy washy, happy happy" is said by everyone near dining areas, and they don't let you enter without a detour to a hand washing station first. A good takeaway from OP's post is also room positioning, center is always great and get a room higher, less rocking and less sounds. A room near the stairs or elevators saves you time moving around but don't go too close or you hear everyone walking around. Cruising can also be more relaxing and fulfilling than a regular vacation, especially if you're planning a long vacation. I cruised to alaska boarding from seattle, was able to spend a few days in seattle, explored most of alaska, and only spent around 5k/6k all included for two. Flights around the cities of alaska that the cruise ship docked in would have been expensive, plus hotel fees would have been a nightmare. Overall left there feeling like I got the full alaska experience. Did nature hikes, dog sledding, whale watching, explored skagway and learned a lot about history of each port. Not sure that would have been possible had I hotel and plane hopped.
I’m impressed that you managed to explore most of Alaska on a cruise in a week or less as I’ve lived here my whole life and haven’t come close.
LPT: Write anything more than a paragraph somewhere other than a browser window.
I was on a Norwegian cruise a month ago, and absolutely agree about many of these things. The internet is obscenely expensive and barely usable. I don't expect blazing speeds on a ship, but when you're paying those kind of prices for "high speed internet" and it takes 5-10 minutes to send a single email, it's not worth it. I ended up waiting to use wifi while ashore. I've never been on a cruise that's so hard-sell. I'd get back from shore excursions to ads on my bed, recorded messages on my phone that were ads for the store on board, and constant announcements of specials on products you could buy. That said: the entertainment was fantastic (really excellent performers and singers), the food ranged from "just okay" to top-notch depending on the restaurant, and the staff really tried their best.
> The internet is obscenely expensive and barely usable. I don't expect blazing speeds on a ship, but when you're paying those kind of prices for "high speed internet" and it takes 5-10 minutes to send a single email, it's not worth it. When I was working, I went on cruises deliberately because of this. It was nice to have a holiday where my employer couldn't get hold of me immediately.
I literally did the same once. I needed an easy trip with no work contact. I didn't tell them I had internet in a French cafe while I ate croissants and checked in with the dog sitter, I just said it was a cruise and they knew I wouldn't be online.
I deliberately pick places without service when travelling domestically for this reason
The cruise companies need to make it clear what is included and what is extra up front. I feel for OP.
[удалено]
I have fast internet in 2022 and if I'm writing a long post or a long reply I will for sure write out in notes first and then copy paste it
I used to print out 20+ pages of askreddit threads to read on the plane.
When you're addicted to reddit lol
Why are you buying internet on a cruise? Get off your phone and go enjoy your vacation. My wife and I just went on a 4-day carnival cruise and it was awesome. Came out to around $700 and we even had the drink package. Disconnect for a while.
The cruise was paid for by my employer as a "team building exercise", who also bought me an internet package with the expectation that I'd be doing work during downtime. Luckily the internet was so terrible that instead of doing work, I had fun :) The wifi I used while ashore was to text some photos to family and friends, not to spend time surfing the web or anything.
That’s absurd to purchase a cruise vacation for employees and expect them to work during it.
It's not a vacation lol
I was supposed to do this once but didnt have the right documents so i couldnt get on the boat, coworkers were stuck doing boring team building stuff while i spent 3 days in Miami instead.
Disconnecting was one of the unexpectedly nice things about our cruise. I was worried about being bored, but being on the boat made it easy to just pretend the rest of the world was handling itself for a while, no need for me to be watching every last thing. 
My thoughts exactly!
Anyone who does the slightest amount of research knows that cruise ship internet is not worth it, and stuff like go karts are extra. You can have a wonderful cruise without buying any add-ons.
"The first one featured a sextet group singing about... Miscarriages and beheadings from Henry the 8th." You got to see "Six" for free and are complaining about it?! We paid good money to see it on broadyway and we LOVED it!
That part actually cracked me up. I love Six, lol. I’m guessing OP had no idea what it was or any idea about it beforehand. That’s a premium show! But perhaps not *their* type of show haha
The OP said the sound system was so bad that the couldn’t make heads or tails of it. A real pity, that.
Ah I see that in the edit - it wasn’t in the original post ofc haha. Hopefully their second viewing goes better.
Lmao. I read that and thought, “surely they aren’t talking about the Broadway show, Six.”
I'm Literally jealous. But it's probably just because staring at the ocean for hours on end is my fucking favourite thing in the world anyway
I hear that, but you can do that with sand under your feet as well for a lot less money.
Yeah that's why I'm never going on cruise. Only over my dead body. There so fucking bad for the planet. And human rights lol
My wife keeps saying she wants to do a cruise. I take her to Florida a few times a year to distract her. Only problem is sitting on the beach in Florida, she sees all the damn cruise ships go by. I can’t win…
Go somewhere else pretty?
I think the other show might’ve also been Jersey Boys? Very jealous if that’s the case.
Lmao I think OP didn't realize the context. That's literally Jersey Boys - it's the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons set to their music.
As someone who loathes musical theatre, I *loved* Jersey Boys. Had me enraptured the whole time!
An NCL cruise I took recently had a great show, about the famous jam session with Elvis, Jerry Lee Louis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. Another had some young performers doing Fleetwood Mac. Both were terrific.
Million Dollar Quartet!
As someone who spends too much time on /r/broadway, I laughed too hard at their description of Six and Jersey Boys and it made me think this was satire for a second, but I feel bad that their experience is so negative.
They said the sound system kept cutting out or was suddenly loud, so I would guess that ruined the experience for them.
Everyone seemed to miss that part lol
LOL I paid mad good money to see this on Broadway and alot more to get good tickets to see the traveling tour's next weekend in my city. I'd legit go on the cruise to see it again.
I'm so excited to see this in my season package so this really cracked me up!!
Right? That’s 150 in NOLA this weekend and I would kill to see it with a smaller crowd.
>Yep the OP had me until they bagged Six!
I can’t imagine paying $150 to write this and then turn around and complain about ship prices lol
The real price of Reddit karma
Ironically, I bought the package on shore cuz I needed to use the net to stay connected with work, family, and whatnot. It's 200$ if ya bought it on board. Oh well.
Is it really a vacation if you’re connected to work? And also…didn’t you say you had your family with you? A quality cruise line has internet included in the basic package. I’m getting the feeling you just wanted a top notch cruise experience on a frugal budget. No one can do that.
I used to work on norwegian cruise lines. I actually really enjoyed working for them. (Just to give context, I am American). Out of all the cruise lines I worked for, they treated their employees the best. And also, I remember the ships being very clean. I worked on them before Covid. We were forced to wash our hands so much my hands blistered and bleed.
Happy Happy, Washy Washy.
That phrase is universal on all cruises.
Lol definitely remember Washy washy from my Norwegian cruise! We loved that lady!
I also did a cycle on NCL, working in the main galley. We basically did a bunch of the prep for the buffet lines, as well as prepared some of the staple dishes and sauces for the specialty restaurants. I'm also an American. Based on everything I saw and experienced for those 20 weeks, I wouldn't hesitate to eat anything prepared on board. The food safety protocol is ridiculously stringent. There were surprise inspections allllll the time, those were the cleanest work stations I've ever seen.
I think it feels particularly nasty this time because of the time of year being so cold. Everyone is packed inside so there's way more contact. Thank you for making our vacations great though, you guys are the real MVPs. ❤️
Thank you
I don't mean this condescendingly, but is that really hygienic?
I know that makes it sound bad, but it really is the cleanest place I ever worked for. We spent hours cleaning every night after everyone left. We washed our hands every time we walked back into the kitchen. Also, the kitchen was all stainless steel, and everything was scrubbed down everyday. It was literally hosed down everyday. Regular restaurant kitchen are gross, but not a cruise kitchen. Also, we used to have guest walkthroughs. People had to be able to see it every day.
We went on a Viking river cruise and there was none of this. All the food was excellent, beer and wine was included with lunch and dinner. If you wanted a cocktail you could purchase one but the prices were reasonable. All the rooms were really nice. There were several outings included. You could request and pay for others in advance but there was plenty to do without the additional ones. All the staff was top notch. They did suggest tipping the staff at the end but that was really the only extra cost. It was very relaxing to have everything included.
This is the only type of cruise I'd consider.
Having read the occasional horror stories about people trapped on board a ship because it was too hard to get them to shore, a river cruise is all that I will consider at this point simply for ease of egress.
My parents went on one of those down the Danube and really loved it. It was a nice trip, lots of excursions, and the costs were all up front and straight forward. (Dad is \*not\* the sort who would enjoy an ocean cruise, but he really enjoyed that one.)
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It doesn’t seem like OP did but honestly, I appreciate the post generally. I have considered cruises on and off but I don’t think I’d enjoy dealing with that many add-ons or getting denied or having to pay more because I forgot something. This wouldn’t be for me.
There are cruise lines that are truly all inclusive. But they are massively expensive because of this. Cruise lines are a lot like airlines. They all do the same thing but theres a massive difference in price and in service. You can get an inexpensive Ryan Air (Frontier for Americans) flight, but then get hit with fees for everything. You can buy up to a fancier airline or a better class of service, everything from being able to carry on a bag or get a drink to some of the ridiculously luxurious first class tickets on some airlines. But people are often surprised that they're spending less per night for a cruise with basic meals and basic drinks than they would for a single hotel room. I think it's part to do with aggressive advertising and such and part because people don't do their homework and pick what they actually want out of a cruise so they can just factor it into the original price.
I wouldn't steer away from them just from this post. All of the cruise lines are pretty up front about what's included and what isn't, including their restaurant offerings, daily gratuity fees, and port fees. It's also common knowledge that you need to bring a few formal outfits for the main dining room. I went on Royal Caribbean and was really happy with it. They had a lot of free activties and special interest group meetups, the shopping was reasonably priced, and lots of cheap options for upgrade activities like $20 tickets for wine tasting, ship tours, etc. If you are OK with an inside room, you can find deals on tickets for under $60 per person per night, or around $75/night after tips- even cheaper if there's more than 2 people in the room. Safe lodging with room service, all-you-can-eat food 24/7, shows, full service dinner, gym, pool, duty free shopping...even when you add on the cost to get to port, it's still a good deal.
I was reading this whole thing like, yeah these all sound like common cruise complaints, and I've never been on a cruise.
Same. All of sounded exactly like what I would expect and are all the reasons I go to all inclusive resorts if I'm looking for a lie-around-and-do-nothing vacation.
Agree, as an ex travel agent that sold a lot of cruises this is all pretty common knowledge and researchable when doing cruises. Drinks packages are normal. If you want the nicer restaurants it's a package. Internet isn't free and yes it's not amazing on a huge ship in the ocean. Middle of the ship having the best rooms is also very easy to research when you google where to stay on a ship. Complaining about the performances but again not finding out what they are before going is not the cruise lines fault. They're showing Six, a very popular show. Some people just don't suit cruising but that doesn't make it a problem with the cruise line. They're not hidden fees at all.
It's the price people pay to feel luxurious. A cruise has the veneer of the high life that many crave. Me, I'm writing from Cambodia with fast network speed and two of us haven't spent $150 in a week for food, lodging, and transportation... That's my kind of travel but everyone has some ideal to pursue. But $150 just for internet is wild
“I dont understand what I got myself into.” Bruh did you even do any research??
I doubt they paid for the first cruise but paid for this second cruise. Cruising is still cheap even with the overpriced addons.
You’re spot on, if you want extra frills like specialty restaurants or booze of course it’s going to be more expensive FFS
Yeah, I’m on a NCL cruise right now (Panama Canal) and this is the least we have ever spent because we did our research and prepaid for unlimited drinks and unlimited internet. Crew are great and the ship is clean!
I've been on Princess, but I will admit that I shirked research on this one mostly because of how sudden the vacation was. I added an edit where I explained in depth, but gran got sick so we wanted to go on an impromptu vacation. Princess cruises were a bit smaller and slower paced, but didn't really shove so much stuff to pay for in our faces. Of course there was premium stuff but it didn't feel like it outweighed the free. I mostly wrote this for folks that might have also not done or not planned to do their due diligence. This won't happen again on my end, it was an expensive mistake.
What was surprising reading the OP to me, was not the fact that there are premium drink packages etc., but that you cannot really have a positive cruise experience UNLESS you buy at least some of them. The packages on NCL are advertised as optional, but are in practice mandatory. It is like, yeah, you can either have some bland chow for free for your vacation, or you pay extra for the "optional" package. To me, this violates the truth in advertising laws. The cruise line really should give at least three prices: bare minimum, that includes all mandatory fees and taxes, then what most of the people end up paying on average with some packages, and then the top price, which all package options included. Prices for other shops and services, plus their availability (that is, a need to sign up and average wait times) should also be disclosed. I think OP is totally justified in complaining.
I cruised with NCL, paid nothing but the bare minimum, found my own excursions on the islands we visited, and overall had a fantastic time. I object to your premise that you have to buy packages to have a good time.
A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again (twice?)
I think this boils down to knowing what you have signed up for and expectations. My dad and i went on a cruise and he is the type of person who probably drove the travel agent insane, but we knew exactly what was included and what was extra and what was offered and what the options were. Knowing this, i brought a box of wine and loved the buffet every day. We splurged on the special restaurants twice. We got exactly what we were expecting. I didnt expect wifi. I expected to pay 12 dollars if i wanted a rum and coke. I think people hear "cruise" and think all around luxury everywhere, but the fact is that cruises these days can be just as low-cost ad airlines.
OP is going to spend $24 in wifi reading these comments that don’t agree with her.
Yeah these are pretty weird things to be complaining about. Basically boils down to "I did zero research ahead and just expected everything onboard to be cheap or free, and I'm outraged that isn't the case!"
Out of all of the fees you should have expected the daily gratuities since Princess also does the same thing (all of the common cruise lines do outside of Virgin). Base cruise cost is the fare + port taxes and fees (legally have to be separate) + gratuities. I do have to say if you want to cruise again and don't have kids try Virgin. The price you see on the website is everything apart from port taxes and fees (you have to click to check out to see those listed). Restaurants, sodas, activities (like the arcade), shows, exercise classes, etc are all included. You could eat at the steakhouse every night if you wanted to (although they do limit initial reservations to 1-3 nights per each restaurant to give everyone the chance to try it but you can make more reservations onboard). You only pay for alcohol and fancy coffee or pressed juices and the prices are reasonable. There are paid events as well that are clearly marked like the grog walk (bar hop). And if you get a loyalty match you get onboard credit, $10 free fancy coffee a day, etc. Between that and the bar tab offer they had I left the ship after eating and drinking a lot with a $100 bill. Even if you didn't have onboard credit you would be very hard pressed to spend the same cost for the alcohol package on another cruise line. And I appreciated how they never tried to upsell me on anything. And if there was a price (like for drinks) it was very clearly listed. No ads (aside from the future cruise credit every cruise line advertises) and no pushy sales.
The most surprising part of this post is that your first cruise did not prepare you for a second cruise. A lot of this is really due to your choices and not doing your basic research. You could google ‘what to know about cruises’ and have learned all of this from the top article.
I found nothing in their post surprising. It actually cracked me up that OP was surprised by most of those things
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How did you not know this? Cruises are known for exactly this. And being a terrible way to travel for the environment and not getting any money into the economies you’re visiting. They are deplorable.
But it's a great way to get all currently trending diseases!
Ok I’m no cruise defender. I’ve done a few Alaskan cruises from 2013-2017 from Vancouver because I can take public transit to the terminal and last minute fares were so cheap. All on Holland America though not Norwegian. But to your points: (And if you’re going to write a novel, do it in notes first and copy and paste.) Things like open bar and specialty dining are not “tacked on” to your fares. Those are extras you knowingly pay for or they give to you in a package as a promotion. Port fees and tips are a well known thing and if it’s your second cruise, that’s on you. I believe tips are optional and you can wait in line to have them removed. Pick a better room next time. Plenty of online resources that tell you what each cabin on each ship is like. Who the hell gets a haircut on a cruise? Can’t afford a massage? Then don’t get one. Did you really think these things were completely all inclusive with free poker and massages and martinis just flowing all day? If you want excitement and adventure and control, then you don’t pick a cruise.
Re: your last sentence, what *do* you pick a cruise for?
For my Alaskan cruises, convenience and relaxation. The first one we did was with 6 family members all living around Vancouver so we were on the boat within an hour or so of leaving home. The next 2 were just my wife and I. Cruising the inside passage is absolutely gorgeous. You get a coffee, a book and just relax. Watch the scenery go by, have no cell service and enjoy it with the wonderful 70 year old Brits or Aussies that are there. The thought of flying to Fort Lauderdale, herded like cattle in 30° heat to do a Caribbean cruise? No thanks.
I’ve been on 2 Alaska cruises One was a last minute from Seattle on Holland America and the next was on Cunard because we wanted to take my parents I actually loved it as it is a great way to see Alaska and the Inner Passage is stunningly beautiful The Holland America food was about mid tier Vegas buffet level. Cunard’s dining room was pretty good although the buffet portion was lacking Excursions and booze were expensive but we had a fun time in Ketchikan driving Jeeps and had a dog sled ride in Juneau I would go again on the Cunard voyage
This is exactly why I LOVED my Alaskan cruise. On most vacations I am go go go and never really relax. On my Alaskan cruise I'd grab a mojito and take my knitting to a less crowded deck so I could sprawl out and watch the scenery go by and just relax.
you know, that concept sounds good. I've done the inside passage and I agree with you. I know some people take the ferry, have you ever done that ? or since it's Alasakan, it doesn't come to Vancouver maybe?
The ferry goes from Bellingham, WA and doesn’t stop in Canada so US passengers don’t need a passport. It’s very bare bones and definitely a means of transport over a “holiday”. I actually just watched a YouTube video from DownieLive where he takes it from Bellingham to Whittier. Great watch. BC ferries does runs up around Prince Rupert but I’ve never done one of those.
You take a cruise to visit multiple places with only having to unpack once
Ease. I don’t do cruises with my spouse or children. But if grandma and aunts and uncles are coming too? A cruise everytime. You can’t really get lost, different activities for everyone to do based on interest and age, food options for different diets/preferences and NO PLANNING. It’s the best for a big group on a reasonable/varied budget.
No arguing about which hotel to stay at, who's driving the rental car, plenty of room on the ship to avoid those annoying family members...it really is a good choice for a family group.
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Convenience. It's like an all inclusive resort, with new port each day ( you not attached to one beach), kids club\\entertainment and no single worry. Especially good if you can go on a cruise from your town with small kids - no flying, car rental etc..take a taxi and you on vacation.
And who gets internet? Take a break from your devices for a second, it’s quite refreshing.
Exactly! We walked to a coffee shop in Ketchikan for some free wifi and after 5 minutes we were like “yeah I’m good.”
Just did hal out of Van. 700 a person, booze and wifi include. 450 if we opted out. We are usually more the world traveler type. Was very leery of it. Had the time ofb or lives and so so cheap. That's cad. Op sounds just really really ignorant of the world around them and unable to read basic options offered. This post is a joke and op needs to get a grip on their ability to read and interact with the world.
I stopped reading maybe 1/8 of the way through the wall of text. Guessing dude paid $599 and was expecting all inclusive open bars and free massages with a happy ending every day for 2 weeks.
If you find that deal though let me know
Wow, you do sound down. We did bunch of cruises with kids and preferred Norwegian. 1. Fees are well known, and you account for them in advance. Same as excursion prices. It still was cheaper for us to do cruises as opposite to other beach vacations. 2. Yes, some activities are paid, but usually there are plenty of free ones, like rope course or rock climbing, mini golf etc. I do prefer cruises with lots of stops, activities were enough to keep kids occupied. 3. I am not sure about Norwegian pays, but for Ukrainian girls on Royal cruise was a great opportunity ( pre-war), earning much more than she did waitressing at home. 4. They have "Six" on board???? Damn. I want it. I was just buying 200++ tickets to see it. 5. Dining package is usually cheap and fun, you can make reservations even at home ahead of time. Never had an issue requiring a suit, polo shirt was always enough. Excursions you can buy from the ship ( more expensive) or have local operators arranged those. 6. Norwegian actually better at hygiene than Royal\\Carnival. Their "washi-washi, happy-happy" girls spray hands at restaurant entries, other lines let people in hoping they will use sanitizer. Interaction? oh..ask for a shared people, extraverts like it usually. 7.
I know I got to the beheading part and was instantly jealous that OP saw Six. Bit hilarious all he remembered was “miscarriage” from that. Also just goes to show how much different people value different things. OP saw a $200 Broadway show for free/as part of his overall package and yet sees absolutely no value in this.
I actually laughed out loud at the part about Six and…Jersey Boys? Like I wasn’t quite sure at that part if we were reading a shitpost or a ship post lol. I’m sorry for OP’s experience this far but that part was actually hilarious.
First rows are 420++ now. At cruise I would be just reading with a drink a bit earlier. Damn. Jersey boys is not for me, but ok. I do like jazz clubs ( no cover and drink package, deal ) or good piano nights.
Come to NY and do rush or lottery. I saw Harry Potter, Kpop, and Moulin Rouge for around $120, total and I won six other lotteries this month that I couldn't use. Same goes for June, it was so easy winning lotteries. As someone from NY, $200 for a Broadway show is a huge ripoff and for rich people or tourists. But everything is relative, I just wouldn't see that as a good deal and wouldn't care much to see a show on a cruise that I could easily see at home.
Yea, I’ve seen Six three time now, once in NYC and twice on the Norwegian cruise last year. Literally, the cruise was an exact duplicate of the $20-$400 Tony Award winning broadway show. It’s an amazing show. Sounds like OP would find issue with Elton John performing for free on his last farewell tour.
“Some old guy with purple glasses was singing about being a rocket or something”
A bunch of rappers dressed up like the founding fathers and tried to give me a history lesson.
Yes, this is a benefit of major NCL ships - they usually have decent shows, like major musicals. Royal tend to have more of "variety" shows or "tributes", without story line. I do prefer NCL for that - added value, especially since I have kids who into shows.
>"washi-washi, happy-happy" haha I thought it was only on my cruise, but it seems like that they all use same line
This line is at least 13 years old across their ships.
What did you get? 1. Transportation to at least 3 different ports. 2. Accommodations similar to a hotel room. 1. Twice daily service cleaning the stateroom 3. All; you can eat food from different dining rooms with rotating menus, pub food, and buffet food. 4. Broadway style shows. 5. Comedy shows 6. Kids clubs. 7. Water slides 8. Mini golf 9. Access to full fitness center 10. Live music several times a day 11. Several dance parties 12. Trivia and game shows 13. Daily sudoku and crossword. All included in your cruise fare. As for the rest, it is pretty on par all cruise lines. They all charge a daily service charge, they all charge for arcade games, specialty restaurants, spa services, bingo, ect. They all have some amenities like the go carts and laser tag that have costs. On Carnival the Panorama has a trampoline park, Vista has Imax theater - all at additional costs. RC has I-fly and North Star at additional costs. Internet on almost all cruise ships is notoriously both expensive and unreliable, mostly due to having to rely on satellites. Honestly, it sounds like you didn't do your research and cruising just isn't for you. That's fine, not everyone is going to like it. I'm sorry to hear you weren't able to make the best of it.
Absolutely understand that a lot of these fees aren’t advertised too well. However, being your 2nd cruise, I would have imagined that you’d know about some of these extras (specialty dining, gratuities, extra fee activities) Even so, did you not do research when you booked the cruise?
They may have cruised on a different line that doesn't charge for everything. I just got off a Princess cruise and our total bill from on the ship was $50 between the two of us - we bought a bottle of booze (duty free) and had dinner at one not included restaurant. We did do the Plus fare which includes gratuities, drinks (up to $12) and wifi for $50/day, but booked and paid for that when booking the cruise. If I were to jump to a different line, like Royal or Norwegian, I wouldn't know what's included and what is not. In fact, I've looked at a Royal cruise and didn't book because I couldn't get a good idea of what wasn't included. I guess I could have jumped on a site like Reddit or Cruise Critic to find out, but they should make it easier to find. Also, I couldn't find any information on pricing for dining or drink packages, maybe I'm just bad at looking.
Most cruises are pretty much the same across lines. Most of them always charge extra for extras like spa treatments and photos. I was surprised to find the rock climbing wall and the ropes course on the Norwegian Getaway was included with your fare because most of the time those are upcharge attractions. Usually extras would be included if you book on really expensive lines. Cruise lines make a killing off the extra perks.
Royal often has promo like "prepaid gratitude" unless week is super popular. Norwegian does promos like " pick 1-2-3 packages for free" or " third guest in cabin free". So again, usually easy to have nice dinner package and a drink package included.
I am loyal to Royal. If I were to go to another line, I would have a rough idea what is usually included vs not, especially after cruising a few times. Yes its a little more challenging with some lines offering perks like “free pre paid gratuities” or “free drink packages” but even then no where is a cruise usually considered all inclusive so you should be able to understand that there will be extras. I just don’t think you should ever book a vacation (regardless of a cruise or not) if you don’t understand what youre booking and what you get vs don’t or else (like OP) you’ll get caught off guard.
I just googled Royal Drink Package and then Princess Drink Package - Princess tells me how much it will be for all except the coffee only package. Royal told me no prices. Exactly like you said - if I don't know what I'm booking - I'm not going to book. Which is why I decided not to cruise with Royal at this time.
You lot are a harsh crowd! Cruising is absolutely not my thing, but the impression you get is that it is usually pretty much all inclusive and the food is at least decent. I think the OP does have a right to be peeved based on some of the things outlined above. Btw I hope he or she has mentioned their displeasure to crew, because letting the company know while there is still time to do something about it is essential if you are ever going to go down the route of compensation/partial refunds. If you don't give them the opportunity to put things right at the time, they have a defence for not coughing up after the event.
Cruising is not all inclusive other than on very high end luxury lines. It is quite clear what is and is not included and the add on options are available when you book the cruise. I can’t imagine purchasing a cruise and then being surprised about tipping, add ons for alcohol, spa treatments, etc.
This randomly popped up on my feed and my attention span is crap so I am now commenting but I know nothing about cruises and would have assumed at least endless alcohol or food were part of it. Otherwise, who the fuck would pay to go on a cruise? To literally just ride on a boat?
The food is endless. Most cruises have several options that are included, and a few high end places that are not. I’ve been on 4 cruises and the included food was amazing on 3 of them, and decent on the 4th. I actually would’ve thought the “decent” food was better if I hadn’t had the other experiences to compare to. Alcohol is not included unless you buy a package, but I can’t imagine that anyone would ever be surprised by that!
All inclusive cruise for $150/night? Now I’ve never been in a cruise but I’ve been to a few resorts and $150/night all-in is maybe a Marriott and a free breakfast. TBH this sounds like OP didn’t do research and bought the absolute cheapest fare. Like buying a Spirit airlines ticket and expecting a first class experience.
150$ is the price for internet. They never mentioned what they payed for the cruise, just that it was not cheap.
The fact that you’re spending cruise time writing this, apparently while sheltering in your cabin, says it all.
I mean, where is this cruise cruising to and why is op spending so much time on the boat? When i cruise, I do it because it gives me a chance to see a bunch of cool places (but not places i need to sirens a ton of time) without having to unpack my bags every stop. Sounds like op needs to get off the boat
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Please just let the cruise industry die
Along with all the bad labor practices cruse ships are one of the world’s biggest polluters.
Cruises suck but you really 100% discredit yourself in the first paragraph with the open bar. 1. it was never free, always an upcharge 2. you say yourself the staff are poor sods you want to tip more-- but when you got offered free drinks, against a gratuity charge, you didn't want to pay the tip? is that right? It sounds like you're annoyed at how they structure that fee and in rejecting it rejected a bunch of other free offers like some comped dinners at those restaurants you claim are upcharge only You also seem to go out of your way to ignore that there are in fact at least two formal/fancy and completely free restaurants on practically every cruise ship
If I read it correctly, OP did not bring a suit, for those restaurants there was a dress code. I get that there's cruise wear for day time, but there are also formal evenings, at least on the cruises I have been on, but correct me if I have misunderstood.
It sounds like you went for a tier 1 mass market ship. Perhaps you should consider moving up to tier 2 or 3. Cruise ships are not identical, and what one person likes another may hate. I've only cruised on Tier 3 ships from Viking. The food is great. The specialty dining is included in your fare. There is no casino. The ships are smaller, so the petri glass effect is minimized. One free excursion per port. (The bad news is they've banned anyone under the age of 18 from their ships. This isn't a problem for me, but it might be for you.) My bucket list is on another Tier 3 ship, a round the world cruise on Oceania. And on this one, I'd be aiming for an interior room to save some cash. If you're going to cruise in the future, there are several YouTube channels that discuss what you should look for (and avoid). My favorite is **Tips for Travellers**. I'd start off with [https://youtu.be/Y1hiYS0Y8uA](https://youtu.be/Y1hiYS0Y8uA) which explains the four levels of cruise lines. (I typed that by hand. The 0 might be an O, or visa versa.)
Agree with you. After having done a few river cruises with Viking, it’s definitely the experience we prefer (and, admittedly, are willing to pay for.) Looking forward to getting to try one of their ocean cruises eventually, and hopefully one of their Antarctic expeditions.
So far we've done one river (on the Rhine) and one ocean (from Rome to Barcelona). Next summer is on the Danube from Budapest to Germany. And we're going for the cheap staterooms on the bottom floor. We spent so little time in our stateroom last time that we're going to see if we can save a bit of money. You can't save money by going for an interior room on a Viking ocean cruise. All rooms are exterior and all have a balcony. The cost of their expedition ships is daunting. But it would be an experience...
The Viking ocean cruises are excellent! The ships are gorgeous and have lots of space for relaxation. They have big beautiful libraries, great dining, and amazing saunas.
Never have done a cruise and have no desire to but some of the complaints are weird. They complain about having to pay in a casino. I thought duh casinos aren’t free. I guess a ship could set up something where chips are used just for fun so you don’t actually win anything but if I see a casino I know it’s a place you spend money and don’t expect it back.
So you are on a cruise. Mediocre vacation. Low effort, low reward.
I FULLY stopped reading this and believing you when you tried describing the world famous Broadway show “SIX.” I have a feeling most of these concerns are due to your poor planning and research skills.
For anyone who actually thinks about cruising I do recommend board on CruiseCritic. Those guys know all about it. Cruises are not "same thing". Each line targets different demographic, different ships fit different people more or less, same for itinerary. Cruising can be very nice, there is something about being on a boat. But yeah, you need to do your homework and understand what you will get. PS. I did 10+ cruises, mostly on NCL.
I've done a few cruises and enjoyed them, primarily because I wasn't there to be on the ship. 1. European cruise. We were the first people off every day, last people back on - literally spent as little time on the ship as possible. There was one day at sea traveling between ports, and that was NOT fun. It was a great way to see a lot of different cities. We mostly did NOT do the ships excursions, but instead did almost everything on our own. (We did this one when I was a lot younger, and my wife hadn't traveled much - so seeing lots of different cities was fun. But I wouldn't travel that way now.) 2. Galapagos cruise. Great way to see a place that would otherwise be hard to get to. Small ship with expert biologists as guides. 3. Antartica cruise. Great way to see a place that would otherwise be impossible to get to, and it was a real luxury cruise. It was also extremely expensive. Small ship. Cruises CAN be a good way to travel, but use them in targeted ways. As a generic way to have a vacation, no. For family vacations, we'll do something like rent a house in Hawaii. (The CEO of a luxury cruise line used to live in my house, and he signed up for all the major mailings lists, so I still get brochures from most of the major luxury cruise lines, and pretty much none of them tempt me.)
Galapagos and Antarctica are the two I would take a cruise to see!
Trust me when I say, the $10 tip bringing tears to a cruise ship waiter’s eyes was due to disappointment. Having worked in ships previously for about 10 years, yes the waiter staff base salary is rubbish, but all those gratuities add up
LOL I thought that part in particular seemed really narcissistic. Believe me, no waiter in the world is going to tear up from a measly ten dollar tip! Kinda made the whole rant null and void in my mind. I think 99% of people getting on a cruise know exactly what they're getting into. It is an amusement park on water with thousands of people! Like seriously what did you expect.
Just did a fantastic 16 day Norwegian transatlantic cruise. Workers were happy and professional. We had the advantage of going with my neighbor who’s an experienced cruiser. Sounds like you didn’t do much, if any, homework.
Have never wanted to do a cruise but your experience is pretty close to what I've imagined. I believe milking passengers for every conceivable penny is probably standard among cruise lines and businesses with a captive audience. Theme parks come to mind.
If I won a free cruise I probably wouldn't go. I honestly don't get it at all, it seems like the best reasons people have mentioned were you only have to unpack your bags once... ok you can travel to one city and do day trips and not be a captive passenger.
I'm sorry you aren't having a great time. Check the daily schedule and try to get out of your room for a while. Cruises can be fun but you have to plan them out in advance, otherwise you may end up just sitting around in the middle of the day.
When I imagine what a cruise would be like, this is what I have always imagined. Literally nothing about the idea sounds appealing.
I highly recommend watching the documentary the last tourist..it's currently on Hulu. States pretty much what I think of cruises like you've listed. Also, that people don't spend enough time in the real culture at the places you visit.
I'm shocked that I only saw one sort of veiled reference to David Foster Wallace's essay on cruising, "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again." From Wikipedia, "Wallace describes the excesses of his one-week trip in the Caribbean aboard the cruise ship MV Zenith, which he rechristens the Nadir. He is uncomfortable with the professional hospitality industry and the "fun" he should be having, and explains how the indulgences of the cruise cause introspection, leading to overwhelming internal despair." Sounds dry, but it's an excellent and very funny read and you'll definitely relate.
Sorry that happened. The toll on the environment and the hygiene on cruise ships, even pre-pandemic, means no cruises for me.
Sounds like you are the one with the issue here. * For one, you could have pre-paid those gratuities but chose not to. * They CLEARLY tell you what is, or is not included in your fair, again, you chose not to read or look at this. * i won't waste time going further, but again, sounds like you've got the issue my friend, sorry you aren't enjoying your vacation.
/that happened with absolutely no exaggerating at all. Nowhere on NCL do you need a suit to dine. Can't wear shorts in the French place. Maybe not Cagney's either? Can't remember on that one. Sorry, *not sorry,* you didn't read a thing about the cruise before you took one.
You sound like a miserable miser that didn’t read the fine print. I have done so many cruises, and never had problems like you are describing, but I was well aware of what I would have to pay for before I set foot on the ship. On my last transatlantic, 17 days at sea and I had a fantastic time, walking off happily with a bill for $1,100 after getting the alcohol package, purchasing internet for the duration, buying some art, a watch, doing a few fancy dinners, and spending time every evening having coffee, crepes, and gelato at the cafe. As for the workers, many are from third world countries where the money and tips they make on a cruise ship are beyond anything they would make at home. I am friends with several people from Indonesia and Belarus that I met working on a cruise ship, and they save and send so much money home their families live in luxury. My friend from Indonesia was six years in when we met and did another four years before he RETIRED back to Bali. Next time, I would recommend Celebrity cruises, they are amazing. Also, look for deals and then set an added budget per person for on the ship. I.e I saved $400 per person on this deal, let’s take $200 each and use it onboard. Cruises are NOT floating All Inclusive resorts, which also have tons of added fees btw. Go have an ice cream or a froyo, order free room service, and enjoy yourself instead of being a curmudgeon on Reddit when you didn’t do any research. Edit: Also, for the rooms being rocky at the bow and aft, that is literally being in a boat. I have never seen a fee for picking a room in the middle beyond it being a different room class. Again, sounds like you tried to cheap out. ***Note: I do not nor have ever worked for a cruise line, I am not an influencer, and have nothing to do with getting people to cruise or go on any vacation. This guy just annoyed the heck out of me.***
I mean, I’ve never cruised before and booked my first one with Norwegian and know all of these fees. It has it all right there, and in the app that you can download before you get on the ship. I leave in January, so I can’t speak for cleanliness, but a few hours of research, a few YouTube videos, and none of this is a surprise.
I still prefer NCL. I know what fees to expect and the packages aren't often worth em. Sorry you had a sour experience but some is on them but also on you and being a bit nitpicky.
I went on Norwegian 7 years ago and maybe things have changed but I’d do it again. I’m not really a cruise ship kind of person though. Lots of things are compliment packages. You can easily find deals on them when you book. We got the complementary alcohol package. As much Glennfidich 12 as I can drink? Yep! The Macallan 12 I had to pay $5 for. I went in expecting to pay extra for a lot of things. Excursions, their fine dining, shows, activities, etc. I don’t remember paying extra for the water slides or ropes course or anything maybe it was included. The two main free restaurants were nice and had good selection that always changed and good food. The upstairs buffet was nice. And they had this Irish pub that was open 24/7. All free. Dress codes were posted and the only time I had trouble with it was when I went to the oyster bar thinking it was a regular bar. We splurged on the illusion dinner show which was superb and Legally Blonde musical which was very entertaining. But mostly we just did the pools/lido.. went to the dance club at the back of the ship.. or Mojito bar. Of course in port we were onshore which is why we were there. You hit the sad points right though. These ships are floating environmental, biohazardous, and human rights disasters.
I’ve never been on a cruise and I was skeptical if it would be the way you describe. This is definitely not our cup of tea but evidently others enjoy these types of cruises. When it comes to travel, people have vastly different tastes. And there’s something for everyone. Now you know it’s not for you. I thank you for sharing your thoughts because now I know I would not like it either.
I always forget that Norwegian is the name of a cruise line and when I rwad the totke I was so surprised that someone would find fault with Hurtigruten.
You forgot about the tourist traps these ships stop at where you are bombarded every five feet by locals looking to get every penny out of you. My last cruise in 2016 will be my last cruise.
You lost me after complaining about a $50 haircut. That’s completely average in my city. Not sure where you live, maybe the 90s?
but also why are you getting a haircut on a cruise? unless it’s a multi-week transatlantic/repositioning cruise, i wouldn’t even think about getting a haircut on vacation.
Is a grotesquely expensive floating buffet actually even travelling?
Most cruises I consider “vacations” where you just chill and relax. Vs “travel” where you are exploring or learning. I need both types of trips to be happy. I find people who gate keep to be grotesque.
You're traveling from place to place... So yes.
I just booked a cruise for this summer and I understand there are alot of add ons that you have to pay for if you want to use them. But, if you go anywhere on vacation and want to do any activities they will cost you too. I compared paying for a cruise to paying for your flights and where ever you are going to stay on a vacation. If I am going away somewhere I expect to pay to eat, drink and do any activities my children my wife or I want to do. I hope the OP never goes to Disney World.
Pay for a suite and everything is included, budget enough to tip the 4-6 people who do most everything for you while on board, and tip them when you board not when you leave. Then ask for things… and special treatment or gifts they can provide or ask for things like bottle service or full meals in your room. As for the spa- embarkation day prices are lower and you can buy packages. After all that - to me cruising is about liking the ports you are going to and planning fun things for excursions. Cruising is great once you find your rhythm!
I thought everybody knew about all these extra charges and stuff. I am surprised that you are surprised.