It’s Plan a Vacation Week! Do you have dreams of taking a cruise? Of course, a cruise can be relaxing and fun. But, let’s be honest. Some cruises are not. Some cruises bring too much drama and trauma! You’ll hear people say, they’ll never take cruise again, because their experience was a real let-down. Well, that doesn’t have to be you. Read on for tips on picking a cruise that is just right for you.
The one thing you’re going to find on a cruise is a lot of people. Pick the right cruise and you could make life-long friends. But it’s also possible that you can be on a cruise where some passengers will be so obnoxious that it will really impact your enjoyment of your cruise. And it doesn’t take a lot of them to wreak havoc. Most people behave themselves, but if 50 people are not, you’ll really notice it.
For example, on summer and holiday cruises, you’ll see a lot of kids and teenagers and not all of them will be behaving properly. What does that mean? Well, running around in dining rooms or down halls. Screaming and crying. Invading adult-only pools and whirlpools. Pushing all the buttons in the elevator. Touching all the food items on the buffet with their hands. Let’s face it, kids aren’t always angels. In my experience, however, I’ve seen a lot more adults misbehave than children.
Weekend cruises and some cruise lines attract heavy drinking, party crowds. You can encounter inebriated passengers, late-night noise in the hallways and from cabins, over-crowded pools and whirlpools, yelling, playing loud music in the staterooms, vulgar attire and profanity, late night noise, plates and glasses left anywhere, long lines for shows, service and activities, and over-worked staff on the brink of losing their tempers.
For example, the Carnival Venezia has a premium-price part of the ship for which you pay a higher price fare to access. You’d pay that premium to AVOID crowded whirlpools and have a decent chance at a comfy lounge. But is that what you will get for your hard-earned money? No. Because people can be jerks, and crew staff are reluctant to confront a throng of drunks or one, really big, intimidating-looking guy. Gates are supposed to be locked and people leave them open. In comes the invaders! No one without a wrist band is supposed to be in the lounges and whirlpools in that section. But that doesn’t stop people who aren’t supposed to be there from trying to get in. And that’s what they do. Constantly. Not fun.
Royal Caribbean has a pool area dedicated just for adults. It’s nice, with bird song, plants, cushier loungers. But children and teens do sneak in and get into the whirlpools and pool, when they can. Even though entire sections of the pool deck and ship are dedicated just for their needs. Some inconsiderate parents let them do anything they want or aren’t monitoring them. And the staff (which has been cut down quite a bit) don’t do anything about it. So, the relaxing retreat you paid for? Not so relaxing anymore.
I’ve also seen people ignore the dress code and walk around the ship without a shirt on or show up in the main dining room at dinner time in shorts and t-shirts. People pay for an elegant experience on a cruise, but if you have other passengers who are flounting the dress code, it just takes the shine off the experience. And some of these newbies are the worst complainers, finding fault with the food, service, elevators and lines, and even throwing tantrums. If that’s your vibe and that’s your tribe, more power to you, but it stresses me out, and who needs stress on a vacation?
The problem is that the rules, and they are good rules, are not enforced and people are over-served with alcohol. None of this is good, in my book. It can become distinctly negative, as it did on my a December sailing on Serenade of the Seas, where I saw people cursing, fighting, wearing t-shirts with explicit language (a rule-breaker on cruise ships), yelling loudly, overcrowding the whirlpools and pools, drunkenly talking over performers and generally being completely inappropriate and un-classy. This hadn’t been my experience before, so I was really shocked. So, if you are hoping to find a relaxing cruise with less craziness and more considerate passengers, here are some strategies to consider.
- Read reviews (e.g., Cruise Critic) to see which sailings, ships and itineraries tend to attract the worst offenders for noise, crowds and misbehavior — and avoid them!
- Pick smaller, older ships and longer itineraries.
- Avoid weekend sailings (Friday through Monday, 3-night cruises), which tend to be as wild as frat parties.
- Try to pick a stateroom that is not located directly above or below a noise source, such as live music venue. Under or above the main dining room is a good choice for minimizing noise.
- Pick more expensive sailings, or at least avoid the most inexpensive ones.
- Choose Canada/New England or Alaska itineraries.
Pick cruise lines that don’t have water slides.
Try to avoid the pool deck or buffet, if you observe many drunk passengers and out-of-control behavior. Pick quieter spots on the ship, like the cafe, library, movie theater, walking tracks, mini golf and specialty restaurants. You can always come back to the pool and whirlpool early in the morning or during dinner or show hours, when there are typically fewer people.
Turn in early and avoid the worst behaviors and drunkenness.
Make your cabin a peaceful retreat with bottled water, ear plugs, a white noise machine, snuggly blankets, etc.
#BESTLife Workshop 