Re: Cruising.

Ok Realist , I have read your summary with interest and understand what you are saying.
However it frankly sums up what I feel, that the cruise liners are holding the passengers and crew to ransom.
Seems a mighty shame to me , in fact I have read that their business is not going so well. Perhaps people are wising up. What do I know ?:

Re: Cruising.

To some extent you are probably right. There is no doubt whatsoever that cruise lines are using people from poorly paid countries to service their ships in order to minimise costs for themselves. Thus there is no doubt that when we choose to cruise . . . we are opting to exploit that cheaper resource in some respects. Cruise lines have long since established that staff market in those countries and equally established significant training schools/mechanisms. P&O tends to get many of the waiters from Goa and Mumbai but it is worth knowing that these countries have a long history of excellent service in the hotel industry so cruising is pretty much an extension of that tradition.

Equally the UK has a long history of employment and service with India of course. Nevertheless, I remain ever mindful that these people are having to work very hard to earn probably a fraction of what many people in the UK earn in other jobs. Not many UK people would do the work these people do for the same money and conditions. Personally I don't like the exploitation but I do like to cruise and I don't get to choose who the cruise lines employ. So I simply resolve to show my appreciation in any inventive means I can. I tip well, I buy them phone time or internet time when they are able to get off the ship, I buy them presents if its Christmas, bottles of JD from Gibraltar and so on.

Each to their own I guess.

Re: Cruising.

Sorry Apricot but I tend to agree with Realist concerning tipping, If you can afford to go on a cruise, seventy quid ish' for fourteen days of superb service won't break the bank. We usually pay the gratuities and tip further to those who went the extra mile.

But I can't understand how you can possibly be bored being at sea.
The three cruise ships I have sailed on are jam packed with things to do throughout the day and into the evening. I would have thought that choosing to cruise would suggest a love of the sea and ships. I find the relaxed pace of life onboard is such a contrast to the hustle and bustle of life at home. A time to catch up with reading (which is something I never seem to find the time to do at home) writing blogs for Over 50's Forum, sharing experiences with any members who are interested in life on board or the places visited - which has to be researched adding another dimension to the journey. Or simply unwinding while watching the ever changing moods of the sea.
And last but not least, meeting new people, we still keep in contact with friends who we met while cruising. There are some very interesting out there, and who knows, perhaps I might bump into Realist one of these days......

Re: Cruising.

It's quite possible we already have ! Depends what ships you have sailed on and when you tend to sail.

Re: Cruising.

I don't get the attraction of a cruise ship holiday but that's just an opinion, some do, some don't.

I've spent nearly 3 weeks crossing the Atlantic with 3 others on a 40' boat, I've spent many a happy holiday around The Solent on a 30' & 38' motorboat.
I adore being on or in the water but a luxury liner just doesn't appeal but, I can understand why others are attracted to it.

Re: Cruising.

Small boats and yachts are great fun but are inevitably claustrophobic environments. The confined space being shared by multiple people gets frustrating and tedious very quickly. Add to that the lack of amenities and it makes for a hobby rather than a holiday. Whether yachts or canal long boats doesn't matter. No decent toilets, no baths, showers of any substance, cramped living quarters and only the sparse food and drink you took aboard.

Don't get me wrong, sailing is great, I love it, but when it comes to a proper holiday, needing to relax, walk about, engage in various activities, eat great food, have bars available etc then you can not match a cruise.

Cruising is loved by so many because it offers incredible flexibility combined with the constant luxury of having your own floating air conditioned 4-5 star hotel room, a myriad of restaurants and bars, plenty of lounge areas to relax in, space to walk around (e.g. walking miles doing laps of the prom deck), swimming pools, sun lounging areas where you are served cocktails, plus pubs, cabaret entertainment, activity classes of all kind (technology classes, crafts, health etc) and much much more.

You can do as much or as little as you want on a cruise. If you have a partner, you can go your own ways during the day with no qualms whatsoever. A lady might go spend half the day in the Spa area having treatments and relaxing, a gent might simply find a nice steamer lounger on the open prom deck and read a book, or go sit in one of the pubs and watch the live streamed football matches or golf or cricket etc.

Additionally during your time aboard you will meet a lot of new people and inevitably will form new friendships, some of which will develop into life long friendships.

You wake up in a different country each day and are free to go explore at your leisure. You can take excursions if you choose to knowing that the cruise line has already done the ground work and selected the best bits to explore and experience.

You can sail happily through force 8-10 gales and large swells with not too much ship movement. On a small boat that kind of weather would ruin your trip and probably stop you sailing altogether.

You can be safe in the knowledge that the ship has its own compliment of security staff who have an armoury and various technological deterrents to fend off any pirates or would-be boarders.

Cruise ships can travel at significant speed to get you from one place to the next quickly. They travel through the night and unlike a little 40' boat, there doesn't need to be one of you operating the boat, there is an entire crew to do that for us.

Finally cruising lets me visit many different countries without the hassle of being herded into airport lounges, having tiny baggage allowance and having to endure flights in tiny seats packed in like sardines in an aircraft that has no contingency measures or fail-safes in the event of engine failures and other technical disasters.

A cruise ship has life boats, life rafts, life jackets. It has large ballast systems where water can be pumped from one side of the ship to the other to counter any listing. If the engines fail, it doesn't plummet 30,000 ft to its doom, it just sits there on the water whilst they are mended or help comes. The ship makes it's own fresh drinking water in multiple ways. It can use reverse osmosis, or evaporation of
sea water or desalination.

On a cruise I roll up to the dockside in my car, my suitcases (as many as I desire) are whisked away by eager porters and I walk into the kiosk area where they check tickets/passports and baggage and then walk onto the ship. From arriving in my car to walking on the ship takes typically no more than 30 mins. My holiday starts IMMEDIATELY at that point. I can go relax in a bar/lounge, have a glass of "welcome on board" champagne, have some lunch, explore the ship, whatever I like. It doesn't really get more civilised and relaxing as that imo.

Re: Cruising.

As I said, I can understand the attraction, it's just not for me.
Having said that, I may find it more enjoyable now I'm a little older and more appreciative.

As for 4 people on a 40' getting a little claustrophobic, I disagree. You're never below deck at the same time, taking it in turns to do 'watch' duties(4 hrs on during the night)in this time you're navigating, steering if the autopilot can't cope.
A lull in the wind, no problem....bathing time in the biggest bath ever....swimming

There's always something to do.

Re: Cruising.

Not having read the long and recent half dozen posts, Realist, what I object to is being labelled an a******e!

Re: Cruising.

Rereading the activity lists I think oI may not be refined enough.

Re: Cruising.

Cruising is definitely not for me but good luck to all who like that type of holiday