It seems absolutely horrible. Paying all that money to be trapped on what is actually an enormous floating Potemkin Village. None of what is described in the article seems peaceful, fun, or relaxing. I wouldn’t go for free.

And I have been on a cruise, to Alaska. The only parts that made me happy were the times I wasn’t on the ship. I had a great time kayaking. Other than that, I really hated most of it.

My grandparents, God rest them, took several cruises. You couldn't get me onto one of those things. A riverboat is my limit.

I love them. They are the best vacation because it has everything for everyone. Of course, I would say the worst vacation would be a cabin in the woods. Couldn’t pay me s million for that boredom. So everyone is different.

To each his/her own.

Thank God every one is different. If we all were the same, it’d take years to get a vacation time. 😂

I have never had any desire to take any cruise. None. But then I'm somewhat of an introvert and especially nowadays when there are too many loonies out there. I don't like crowds of people. I've often said that I would have been a good female Henry David Thoreau.

My dream vacation!

I'd not be taking the Cabin In The Woods, either.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/

I’ve seen that movie. Yieks.

on and off the ship. Did you cruise through the Inside Passage?

Every day, huge cruise ships coming way too close to the whales. Most of the whales would just leave when they were there. One ship got really close to one of the islands we were camping on and started saying things on the bullhorns to us. Really obnoxious. I’m sure they thought it was uproariously funny.

We mooned them.

A low point in an otherwise glorious vacation.

I like going for voyages that include a nice art/architecture component, and a good, varied cuisine.

We are old and part of what I love about this type of trip is not having to worry about planning, shopping, preparing and serving meals. We like fresh, wholesome foods and a big variety. I like having room service on the ship for breakfast -- coffee and a croissant served in your room! Our own "cabin boy" is a wonderful thing.

They even do your laundry! You have no idea how nice that is -- not having to pack so many clothes. And they even fold it for you!

My aching, arthritic back gets a good rest. It is handicap accessible for my husband who uses a walker.

We have used a travel agent for the last and this new voyage coming up. She knows exactly what we want (I spell out the art I want to see and she arranges it!). And we don't pay her anything.

If I were convicted of a heinous felony and I had a choice of being sentenced to prison or to a long cruise on that thing, I'd have to think really hard...

and completely gross...

I don't even need to be on one of these ships to know what it's like.

That being said, I realize that group travel is not for every one. We used to have a wonderful secluded house in the woods in Door County Wisconsin, an idyllic and beautiful spot. But travel to it from CT was a nightmare. I used to say I could get to Paris faster than I could get to Wisconsin, given flight connections, waits in airports, drives from airport to secluded part of Door County. We got too old to keep that up and sold the property and made a big profit (hubby inherited the property).

Cruise threads are my favorite DU topic. They never disappoint!

Because it's not affordable for them, or due to health reasons, etc.

This shit though...

are a problem for a ship this size in the Caribbean.

giant waves to viral outbreaks (think of thousands of people with Covid or norovirus).

No, thanks.

full of magaloons for days....

But not like this. We go on smaller ship Viking cruises. 900 guests max. No kids, no casinos, no masses of people scrambling for deck chairs. There are bookshelves and quiet nooks all over.

Something like this would give me a panic attack.

People who generalize probably don't do any further exploration of the different kinds of voyages you can take. As I like to say, not everything is "The Love Boat."

I’ve been on half a dozen or so cruises over the years and although it’s not my idea of a great vacation, I’ve enjoyed most of them, mainly because I was cruising with people I enjoyed hanging out with. This ship looks like a nightmare.

...ships.
They turn into tourist traps where the people are sick of tourists.

I like getting off the beaten path one of my favorite vacations was 2 weeks in Costa Rica with a rented 4x4 and No Reservations anywhere drove down to the South part where the tourists aren't

conclusion ever since I started travelling in Europe. In Norway we were in Geiranger, which is a lovely town at the tip of a fjord. Apparently it's a cruise stop, and a good part of the time we were there a cruise ship was in the water. The cruise people got off the ship and went to this giant souvenir shop that was right there, the kids whined a lot, they ate ice cream cones, ambled around a bit and then it was back to the ship. We had the same experience in Key West. I had thought about maybe trying a cruise, but after running into various cruise ships while on vacations it started to look like something I would not really like. It's like the shore visits are for shopping and then it's away to the next shopping stop. I'm thinking I might forego that travel experience.

Venice is a lovely, peaceful, magical, laid-back little town......until the cruise ships dock and then it's a living hell.

Key West is another fine example. It's the lazy tropics 4 days a week & Disneyland the other 3.

... Belize and Roatan were a lot more fun when the ships unloaded passengers on a dock that became the main street through town. Got to see actual artists and master craftsters doing real work. I liked the Bahamas in the 70s and smaller liners And the market would be right next to where the ships landed.

to hate the cruising industry. They ruined my favorite vacation spot. Plus, they're horrible for the environment.

Ugh.

Being stuck on a ship with 10,000 people with diarrhea is not my idea of a vacation.

I would need a vacation after returning from this thing.

It was a relaxing experience on the Explorer of The Seas.

A 15 deck ship, just the right size for just about everything. One could go play games, mini-golf, surf, swim, walk about, relax, see movies at night, go to the scheduled entertainment, go to the Fitness Center that was opened from 6 am to 10 pm, get one's hair or nails done at the 12th deck Salon, have dinner either at several restaurants
or at the main dining room, watch movies in the evenings out on the pool deck, and more. The 5th Deck resembled a mini shopping mall with a 24 hour cafe and a British Pub. Of the 2,000 plus passengers, about 1/3 were Australians sailing back to Australia with stops in the Hawaiian Islands of Oahu and Maui, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia. There were some Kids, but not many. The food was great, the entertainment enjoyable, the cabins quite comfortable and very clean despite tiny bathrooms. We had an interior cabin with a virtual window. One did not need a fancier room unless there were more than double occupancy. I was seldom in the cabin.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience I would do again with a friend. Hubby is not interested in cruising. He saw the cruise as a means to get to a place. I LOVED it.

Northern Ontario.

One was a royal Caribbean, the other Carnival. Both to the carribean and both were birthday celebrations (so I did not choose the destination or the ship). I hated both of them.
The food grossed me out and you never had enough time at the destinations. They wanted you on that ship! And, too many drunk people. I’ll never do another one. I find it better just to fly to a chosen destination and stay there longer.

I've been on two. One was a family obligation, the other was a matter of convenience because the ship was right across the street in New Orleans.

Really hated them both.

Couldn't do much at the destinations because the stays were so short. Cancun, Belize City weren't so bad... the locals pretty much left us alone. But Cozumel... OMIGOD... I hate that place with a passion. Never a moment's peace from street hawkers.

And then while on the ship... WTF.

the partying Carribean cruises.
Far from it. Places like the Norwegian Fjords or the Croatian Coast are as different from those as cam be.

That thing goes through.

Seems like a nightmare to me.

The glitzy stuff is fairly interesting just to see what's there, but I'm more interested in how waste is managed, disposal procedures, recycling etc



I've never looked into it concerning ships this big, and for others who are interested, this is a nice overview:

https://www.cruisehive.com/what-do-cruise-ships-do-with-sewage/106631

I'd also like a look at the bridge, instrumentation and a few shots of the engines.

ETA: Found a better photo.

Taking a river cruise on the Nile late 2025/early 2026.

Other cruise will be from Hoboken to Bermuda. That's all the cruising I need to so.

"If you do not have young children, this probably isn't the vacation for you."

As a travel advisor, I generally divide my cruise clients into 2 camps - those who see the ship as the destination, and those who see the ship as a means of transportation to places they want to see.

I book people on both all the time - some prefer the super small river cruises or small ocean ships that can port where big ships can't and some prefer the floating cities like Icon. I'm just glad there's options for everyone.

As for myself, I like the mid-size ocean ships that tend to draw more of an adult crowd - like Celebrity and Virgin. I was not a fan of my last Royal cruise on one of the behemoth ships. There were more people on that ship than in the town I grew up in.

i have 4 cruises planned in 2024. Even though cruising isn't my favorite type of vacation, it's important for me to go to have first-hand knowledge for my clients, which is why the next one up for me in the Disney Wish in March. Help me!