[Benjamin]

I ask, as my OH wants to book one and it’s my idea of hell lol.

Anyone been and enjoyed it?

[Redway]

My dad was a captain in the ’70s and ’80s but that’s not the same.

[Vanessa]

No, it sounds a bit scary to me

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Vanessa

No, it sounds a bit scary to me

Oh I’m not scared, it just sounds super busy and peopley.

[Strictly Jake]

Having to save up for one in 3 years for a special occasion in the family. Think its gonna cost a fortune though

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Strictly Jake

Having to save up for one in 3 years for a special occasion in the family. Think its gonna cost a fortune though

Yeah. The cost is depressing. Especially as I’m really not keen.

[GoldHeart]

Never been on one ,but always been curious to . It looks like it would be a fun adventure .

[Strictly Jake]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

Yeah. The cost is depressing. Especially as I’m really not keen.

There are some aspects that appeal to me, all inclusive food and drink being one, and visiting a variety of places the other, but I dont want to go to one that will be like butlins on water. I want a poshish one. But not so posh I have to dress fancy every single night. And I hate the idea of having to sit next to strangers on a table for a sit down meal. Thankfully I think being in a large group stops that and you can opt out anyway. Plus im just gonna do the world buffet most of the time.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Strictly Jake

There are some aspects that appeal to me, all inclusive food and drink being one, and visiting a variety of places the other, but I dont want to go to one that will be like butlins on water. I want a poshish one. But not so posh I have to dress fancy every single night. And I hate the idea of having to sit next to strangers on a table for a sit down meal. Thankfully I think being in a large group stops that and you can opt out anyway. Plus im just gonna do the world buffet most of the time.

It’s just the idea of all the people. I hate shopping centres/malls for that reason and it just feels like that, but on water.

[Strictly Jake]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

It’s just the idea of all the people. I hate shopping centres/malls for that reason and it just feels like that, but on water.

Trafford centre was inspired on a cruise. So yeah that says a lot...

I hate the Trafford centre

[Glenn.]

No. A cruise has never appealed to me and thankfully OH is the same.

[Niamh.]

I went on a short (3 day) cruise with 3 of my friends a few years ago, have to say I didnt love it. Food wasnt great and despite what people say you do feel like you're on a ship. I wouldnt do it again

[Benjamin]

Glad everyone is filling me with confidence hahaha. Luckily it’s only 7 days. I might have to book myself a random trip for straight after, maybe back to the peaceful mountains in Liechtenstein to recover.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Glenn.

No. A cruise has never appealed to me and thankfully OH is the same.

Yeah my OH loves them. I’m a proper traveller by heart so cruises have never appealed to me. I’d rather grab a backpack and wing it somewhere.

[Cherie]

Went on a 5 day one, it was Cunard Queen Mary though so everything was top notch, and even though it had sailed from New York there were parts of the Ship that were completely empty, I wouldn't mind sailing to New York and flying home or vice versa, loved it

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

Yeah my OH loves them. I’m a proper traveller by heart so cruises have never appealed to me. I’d rather grab a backpack and wing it somewhere.

Yeah my one is like that. When he went to Oz in 2017 all he took was a backpack.

But yeah, a cruise isn’t for me. I’d rather fly somewhere.

[Ray.]

Once tried to, but the ship was dry docked and the money refunded

[LaLaLand]

Yeah I went with my family back in 2007 around the Med with Thomson. I loved it tbh. Didn’t think I would.

The route was Palma, Majorca > some port near Rome, Italy > La Spezia, Italy > Genoa, Italy (amazing) > Marseille, France > Barcelona, Spain > Back to Palma.

The feeling of getting up every day in a completely new place you’d never been and could go explore is fantastic. The tour excursions from the ships are fantastic too. Saves a lot of hassle as opposed to doing it yourself (buses/taxis/getting back to the ship in time etc). Bit pricey but worth it. There were guided trips to Rome, Pisa, Florence, Portofino that I remember. Landmarks included, too.

Theatre level entertainment every night if you want or a nightclub or lounges and quiet bars, guest stars from TV, loads of different places to eat (formal and informal - I pretty much solely used the buffet restaurant on the top deck).

Would love to go on another and have been thinking of booking - Greek Islands cruise would do me.

[Maru]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

I ask, as my OH wants to book one and it’s my idea of hell lol.

Anyone been and enjoyed it?

Oh, me too.

My in-laws love it, but they're heavy travelers. My grandmother when she was with us loved it. Also a heavy traveler. The people that are really into it go multiple times as they make it "cheap" and connect and coordinate with other groups who also go multiple times. That can help costs.

Hub went and he was like eh. I hate the idea of being confined to an amusement park. There's a short period where you visit an island and if you're not back in time, they leave you. When I heard about all the nickel and dining that goes on while you're stuck with them, then it was a hard nope for me. There's a lot of rules that you only find out about after you on board. For example, if you leave your blood pressure machine at home, you have to pay medical $100 just for a simple check. Hub packed a power strip and found out it was a big no no when he got on board. So they took that away as well as his steamer (for clothes). Of course when he got off the boat, he had forgotten about that through the course of being rushed off. And yeah, once you're off the boat, that's it you can't go back in. It wasn't worth much, but just sounds more like stress than vacation. I like peace and quiet and being able to leave and go as I please. Especially minding my own business. The idea of socializing while on guardrails the entire time sounds like high school all over again.

Sorry if I didn't help!

[Ray.]

Originally Posted by Maru

The idea of socializing while on guardrails the entire time sounds like high school all over again.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Maru

Oh, me too.

My in-laws love it, but they're heavy travelers. My grandmother when she was with us loved it. Also a heavy traveler. The people that are really into it go multiple times as they make it "cheap" and connect and coordinate with other groups who also go multiple times. That can help costs.

Hub went and he was like eh. I hate the idea of being confined to an amusement park. There's a short period where you visit an island and if you're not back in time, they leave you. When I heard about all the nickel and dining that goes on while you're stuck with them, then it was a hard nope for me. There's a lot of rules that you only find out about after you on board. For example, if you leave your blood pressure machine at home, you have to pay medical $100 just for a simple check. Hub packed a power strip and found out it was a big no no when he got on board. So they took that away as well as his steamer (for clothes). Of course when he got off the boat, he had forgotten about that through the course of being rushed off. And yeah, once you're off the boat, that's it you can't go back in. It wasn't worth much, but just sounds more like stress than vacation. I like peace and quiet and being able to leave and go as I please. Especially minding my own business. The idea of socializing while on guardrails the entire time sounds like high school all over again.

Sorry if I didn't help!

You’ve summed up my thoughts better than I could.

I’m praying I can find quiet places when on there. What breaks my heart the most is the cost of it all. They wanted £500 each for a drinks package. That was a firm no from me, I don’t drink enough to warrant that cost.

[Ammi]

…I went on a cruise to Denmark one time..I loved the Denmark bit but the cruising bit not so much, the experience just wasn’t for me but many people love it, I know…same as with Maru, my in-laws used to cruise a lot when he wasn’t able to fly anymore and they often met up with the same people each time and that worked for them…anyway as I recall it was all very food/meal centred, which isn’t really my vibe…I’m not really a foodie person…I think if I was going to try a more structured and organised type of thing again, I would probably try a rail/train journey which would absorb a lot more scenery…but you might love it, Ben…as you say, you’re a traveler and love travelling experiences so this will be a new one for you…be positive about it is the way to go, I think…

[BBXX]

Not a fully-fledged one, it's just not my kind of holiday. I think I would feel short-changed for every place we went that I could only spend half a day there. I feel like I'd miss so much. Plus I don't think I'd enjoy the atmosphere on board.

To me, it's a rich version of an all-inclusive resort which I think if I had kids , for example, and needed loads for them to do, etc..or wanted to do very little during my holiday, it would be ideal, but I spent my holidays walking 20+km a day, exploring local food spots, street food, local nightlife etc... so I think I'd feel confined and restricted, personally. I totally see why they are popular, in the same was All inclusive resorts are, but they don't suit what I personally desire from a holiday.

Having said that, I did go on a 2 day one a couple of years back in Vietnam, as part of a bigger trip and it was incredible and nice to just relax and unwind but it came at the end of a hectic largely city-filled trip so it acted as a good counter-balance to the beautiful attack on the senses that came with the rest of the trip.

I think the only time I'd do a full cruise was if it to a destination where being on a ship was extremely beneficial, and got you access or views in ways being on foot/car/etc... didn't. Like some of the views from Fjord cruises look insane, or somewhere like the Antarctic or perhaps Alaska etc...

[Parmy]

Book now for the best deals, but be wary, you might end up with an inner cabin, rather than one looking out onto the ocean.

[Cherie]

Who are you travelling with ?that will have a major impact on your experience