Cruises don't take you somewhere as a destination, they're the whole experience themselves. Flying takes you to your destination where you then have your vacation. Cruises are a vacation in themselves.

But I agree, their appeal is certainly decreasing for me!

There are some who do transatlantic trips on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 which is, to my knowledge, the only line that has regularly scheduled transatlantic crossings. All lines have re-positioning cruises when they move one ship to another part of the planet depending on the season but these are not what you would consider regular service.

So if you wanted to go to Europe and were afraid to fly, had plenty of time and money, QM2 is at least one alternative.

I think more commonly it's just people who don't want to drive long distances for a road trip and who enjoy the cruising experience. Besides, if you live in say Minneapolis, and want to do a Caribbean cruise, odds are you're going to have to fly to get to the port unless you have eons to drive that distance.

Most have to fly to wherever the ships depart from..They are a luxury cruises to romantic spots around the world. People like to be pampered while they visit wonderful places....These Cruise ships do that and then some..

and the nonstop buffets. Oh, and the drinking. It's usually a fairly predictable vacation once you and your luggage both make it to the boat. My parents loved their cruises.

Fear of flying doesn't really enter into it since most people fly to the departure ports.

the cruise ships today are disgusting. Floating mini cities with mini malls.....If you don’t Gamble or Drink I fee
they are worthless. Just get me to the intended destination..

if the cat dies before I enter a nursing home.

I don't drink, gamble, rock climb, or any of the other crapola they've got on those things. I wouldn't mind some real down time far away from technology in a deck chair looking at the far horizon, nothing but water.

Then again, with my luck the cruise would be packed with people who want to socialize. All the time.

Never gorged at the midnight buffets, either! Just a nice change.

I don't gamble. AT ALL. And only have drinks with dinner. I like going to the beach, snorkeling, scuba diving and other similar activities. I also like finding a quiet space on deck with a book and reading while the ocean goes by.

No offense, but you're painting with a rather broad brush there.

We hiked the forests, in the ports f call, like Sitka.

We enjoyed the photography, and the drawing, and the sitting on a char (inside) and watching the world pass, with a pair of binocs looking for grizzlies and whales.

The food was not bad, and we gained zero ounces. The days we were at sea I went to the gym to get my work out.

For hubby, it was the first time ever at sea he did not work it.

Almost killed off the cruse line business, a bunch of year ago.

first couple of outbreaks happened..
I told the girls when they asked “What do you guys do”? That we were from Atlanta investigating the Legionnaires outbreak.....They believed it and my friend turned around and almost spit out his drink. laughing
so hard.....I wasn’t trying to be a wise ass.....It just came out.....

They often fly to the port of departure, thereby taking two of my least favorite conveyances.

There's nothing else to do aboard but spend money. And the port facilities and tours are highly sanitized...you don't get to see the "real" country or talk to average citizen.

Last edited Thu Feb 14, 2013, 07:35 AM - Edit history (1)

We hired a cab and went all over Port Au Prince..and saw a LOT more "stuff" than the excursion offered..of course we almost missed the boat at the end of the day

and in St Thomas, we also hired a cab ( I had been there before) and went to out of the way places.

the ship ( a dwarf by modern standards)

The Southward

I didn't know any did that

It was a heartbreaking place to see, but worthwhile..the people were lovely.. We came back to the boat flat broke after handing out the money we had to the little kids...and to our driver Marcel..

the ship

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/NCL_SouthwardPCs.html

Cunard is the only line left offering trans-Atlantic service (something they've done since 1840), so I guess if you have a fear of flying and have to get to Europe, that would be a reason to sail.

I work next door to the ship terminal in town and it'll be visiting three times. Seeing as my current job's at a museum where I'm writing up a (pardon the pun) boatload of ship and passenger line histories, that'll be a bit of a treat even if I'm not on the thing.

Part of the project I'm working on involves helping to write up brief histories of every passenger liner to dock in this city in the twentieth century (ohgod); with most of them "hotel ship" usually precedes "scrapped in Kaohsiung" or something like that by maybe two or three years.

They might do a little better in Dubai, which isn't exactly hurting financially, but there's a tragic lack of red-and-black funnels riccocheting across the oceans right now.

...but I agree. Once they park her on the other side, it'll likely be "Finished With Engines" for the last time.

cruises never appeal to me.

maybe it might be something ok for a few days or a week if i got an offer for free.

but if i am going to spend money on travel i like to experience the different places i see.

I have been on 3 cruises. They are wonderful. You eat about 7 times a day, entertainment is free and drinks are cheap. Plus, there is usually gambling. You will see different places. One of my cruises was to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Another was to the Bahamian Islands. And as far as luxury, your every need is catered to.

on a ship. Not really for me.

Cruise ships and passenger liners, which are about the destinations rather than the cruise, are quite different creatures; there's only a few of the latter in operation today (specifically because of airline competition, actually).

If someone's flying to a vacation they're stopping in one place; cruise ships spend a day or two at a time going to several. Very different approach.

GET to the cruise ships to begin with. I was a travel agent, and most people cruise for these reasons: Many different stops on one trip, without packing and unpacking from hotel to hotel. Luxury and pampering. And they enjoy making new friends, socializing, dancing, dining and gambling. You don't have to drive, hail a cab, look for transportation.... There's a lot of advantages to cruising.

most cruises are round trips, so flying isn't a logical competitor.

the various port visits are usually just brief stops for a chance to strech your legs, get a canned tour, and buy some souvenirs. it's really not nearly enough time to properly visit and get a feel for that place, any more than a business trip where you never leave the airport.

I loved the cruise I went on - and didn't eat all that much. (Royal Caribbean).
I loved to sit and read and yes, have a drink or two, and just watch and listen to the ocean roll by.
It was relaxing.
No schedule, unless I wanted to do something.
Yeah, we made some stops, they were short - but I had been on vacation in a couple of the stops, anyway.
The cruise, for me, was the destination; I just love being on the water.
Don't like to fly, but have flown to Tokyo, Australia, Denmark, Holland, Spain, and a few other places - working and/or vacation.
A cruise is relaxing because it is on the water. For me. Just a different type of "destination".
No luggage to worry about, no taxi drivers ripping me off - every place has good points and bad ones!

I'm missing something here.

rather than fly... I use to be one and know many...

I went to Yellowstone last year, but unfortunately Carnival couldn't offer a ship to get me there.

I was heartbroken.

I would kill to go on one. But they are sold out within a few days, after they're announced. At least the fares that I could possibly afford. I'd love to spend all that time listening live to some of my favs, in a smaller room, than in a huge arena. Like Mavis Staples, Ruthie Foster, Taj Mahal, to name a few that are scheduled this year. Not to mention the social time with them and like-minded fans....

I can dream....

I did.....Twice....

I used to fly....The last time I flew,nearing the destination,(DFW),as the flight attendants were collecting the cups and unfinished drinks,because we'd be landing very soon,we hit some wind sheer,or something....The plane dropped enough,that people were screaming and cups were flying..I felt my stomach rise into my throat,literally.....I swore to myself,that if I walked away from that flight,I'd never fly again...This was,going from memory,1983-4.....I haven't flown since...I cashed my return ticket in and rode Greyhound back home to Illinois...3 weeks to the day after my last flight,a Delta jet,coming in to DFW on that same approach,hit something similar and crashed on the interstate hi-way that runs by the airport,killing people on the plane and on the ground...

In '89 and again in '91 I took trips to the Bahamas....Both times I drove to Ft.Lauderdale,then took a 6 hour boat ride,on a cruise ship,to the island....The year after my last "cruise",the very ship we were on,was cruising in the Mediterranean,caught fire and sank....More people killed...

These days I wouldn't fly or cruise.....

...have you given up driving too?

Nope......And If I was "driving" the boat or the plane I'd still travel those ways,for one,or would at least consider it....

Two,if my car has a mechanical failure,or catches fire,it doesn't sink or fall from a height of 4-5 miles.....

*ETA*

I've also never had food poisoning,from the restaurants in my car,or been exposed to Legionaires disease in it,or had the plumbing back up.....

for several days a week for years and years before retiring safe and sound.

I'm not sure how many cruise lines and cruise ships there are but they go out of all sorta of southern ports, weekly or sometimes bi-weekly and very rarely have a problem.

The danger is overstated.

Sometimes people harbor fears that seem irrational to others.....Spiders....Snakes....Small spaces...Flying......Cruising...

I wouldn't worry about any of the thousands of flights or cruises that rarely or never have problems.....I'd only worry about the one I would be on.....

I took the QE2 from New York to Portsmouth. It was the best vacation I ever took. Great food, great entertainment, wonderful people. Did I mention the great food?? There was always something going on. I spent Halloween night, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, under the brightest moon I've ever seen.

If I'd had more time (I was in the Navy, and on leave) I could have taken the ship back, but had to fly, instead. At that time, it was unbelievable affordable to do that round trip and I wish I'd had the time. I dealt directly with Cunard and, as it was, they arranged an amazing price for me. Even gave me a private cabin at a shared cabin rate.

The trip was my way of celebrating my return to civilian life. I hope to do another cruise, some day, preferably on the Cunard line. Those party boats just seem way too frenetic, for my taste.

People "cruise" (this is not A to B travel) for the destinations and the onboard resort experience.

Food and entertainment are paid for upfront. If you're vacationing with kids, it can make the vacation affordable.

I mean the old one were so much cooler. Not 30 stories high...and you could walk the decks....Today don’t you have to take an elevator up to get outside?

Just too damn many things happen on them.

I don't like to fly, but if I had a choice between a ship and a plane, I would take the plane.

just so I can see the terrain much more slowly and from ground level. When you travel by plane, mostly what you see is different airports not the places on the way to your destination. I like to feel the change of weather for instance like going north from south more gradually. Boarding an airplane in Southern California when it's warm and sunny and then stepping out in Alaska to a snow storm is a shock to your system. I also like to be able to walk around a ship or train, or to be able to get out of a car and walk around a town, rather than being stuck in a chair for hours.

If I have to go cross-country again and don't have to do it same-day, that's how I'm doing it.

More room, saner luggage allowances, no security theatre, actual food, and a third less expensive? Gee, twist my arm!

The only modern train I've been in just had seats and a club car which was great.

Also, the seat configuration was two and one instead of two and two - so anyone traveling solo had more room to themselves if bookings permitted. Either option would still beat the hell out of the whole "let's see if we can compress people enough to undergo nuclear fission" aspect of aircraft, ugh.

- so flying didn't figure into it. Each one was for a different reason. #1 = "Girls Trip" of about 8 middle-aged women friends. Great fun being with friends in different environment. #2 = 40th birthday cruise for friend, 14 of us on trip. #3 = Went as a guest of my BFF, she needed some "time away" and you have to pay for 2 if you're a single person, so she asked me along. What a great gift!

Cruises are inexpensive in consideration of what you're getting. The real expense comes in the drinking so - if you don't drink - you can keep it very reasonable.

For me, I just love sitting on the balcony watching the water and could do that all week. Also love other cultures and I take excursions that let me explore those cultures. Went rafting in a rain forest river last trip. The sky opened on us and it poured while we were rafting.

One of my most memorable experiences ever!

wrapped in one, it's very reasonable to travel that way. Also, you only have to unpack and pack once.

I know somebody that LOVES to go on these Jam Cruises every year. Concerts on board and at tropical island beaches. about 50 bands on board too.

these hops and jumps you have to go threw just to get to the plane. I love going on ships. Brings back so many fond memories. I remember taking a ship with my mom back in the early 50s to the Philipines from SF. It was a military ship and they treated us so well. Then I remember backing back from Italy on a ship back in the early 60s. We came into the NY harbor at night. What a beautiful view it was to see the Statue of Liberty and the City of NY lit up. Something you never forget. We had should a great time on board. It was like a big hugh family. Today's ship travel looks so different then when we went. Today its all about how many people you can get on a ship and spend money. I wish we could get on a train today in Nashville and go to NYC all in one day. It would be great. Love the trains.

them a lot because they needed to bring stuff back from the states with them to South America, like cars and furniture that you couldn't take in an airplane. The ships accommodated people for their freight back then.

Now that am retired I wish that trains could go across this whole country. People would love it.

I'm no fan of air travel but my vacations abroad are related to culture and art, not partying on a cruise ship. I love Road Scholar because there are always folks I can talk to and relate to. People who love art and culture. Put me in a sidewalk cafe in an old European city with my little espresso and a little pastry and I am in heaven...

the dining room or one of food places, there was someone there with hand sanitizer that they squirted on you before you could sit and eat. They did the same when boarding the ship from each port. Of course it was Dutch run so they are pretty anal about cleanliness. I would assume some of those European river cruises would be that way too. Just check up with them on what their policy is. I have heard from people who travel a lot that the British are the most lax on cleanliness on their ships.

had ten cabins with the teeniest bathrooms you could imagine. But this thing docked right in the oldest parts of these old towns where the painters of the Golden Age painted. Man, that was great. They put down a little gangplank and off you went to Rembrandt's house in Amsterdam, or Frans Hals house in Haarlem. Saw Girl with Pearl Earring and View of Delft in the Hague. Whatta trip!

Nobody got sick. It was spartan but the company was intellectual and terrific (the stairs between the main and lower deck had basically a ladder we went up and down backwards. We were a bunch of art crazed individuals who lived for seeing those Dutch masterpieces and we got them! The cook made wonderful soups, the food was simple but fresh and tasty and we all had a ball...each to their own, ya know...and nobody got sick!

I would love to do a Road Scholar trip someday!

It's a history trip, kind of interesting if you like British history. Since it's new, I think they are trying to invite people in with a great intro offer at a really low cost. I signed up soon after I saw it because it was so great...I couldn't believe how much they included in their trip.

This is my 4th trip with them. I like them because they have these "specials" and because they really are terrific.

Nothing better for me than to be in any part of Europe enjoying the sites, museums and food......

Its happened after I saw the Poseidon Adventure

And I've seen folks fly to their cruise destination: it's usually a whole package, including airfare. But my uncle was terrified to fly, so he and my aunt crossed from NYC to Southampton on the QEII. So there are both scenarios possible.

I am too much of an impulsive control freak to allow someone else to plan my itinerary, so I don't cruise. But for the elderly who can't schlep luggage on European trains or who just want to be settled in one place, it's perfect. In fact, a study was done that its actually cheaper to live on cruise ships than in a nursing home. That's my plan when I can't take care of myself anymore! Fitting for me that I'll die traveling.

Back in the day, flying to Europe was CHEAP. But we had passes. Everything in those days was First Class. It was great. Altho Braniff didn't go everywhere my mother and her staff had a plan to get passes on other airlines on a recipricol basis. I went to Europe with her in the late 50s when I was a mere babe...

as the departure point and destination were one in the same.

There were 120 people aboard. The ship was around 300 feet long, had four masts, and we were gone from St. Thomas for a full week.

That was one of the BEST weeks of my life...

in most cases.

Terrified to fly now, though.

- as many as I can afford. I've been on a lot of cruise ships, including Carnival. For my husband, it has been his only chance to see a lot of places in Europe that otherwise we wouldn't be able to see due to budget and work schedules.

I'm way past enjoying booze cruises to the Caribbean, especially since I don't drink much at all. I like being able to sleep with ocean breezes and the sound of the waves and I have enjoyed some social aspects of cruising - namely, trivia contests, comedians, some shows, the disco, etc.

For my husband and I, cruising has been much more economical than flying, getting a hotel, finding food, renting a car, etc., especially when visiting the Caribbean and some parts of Europe. While the time in port is not always optimal to see and experience the culture, it is much better than not being able to see a new place at all.

There are so many cruise ships around the world and an event such as what occurred on the Triumph is relatively rare, just as there are many planes around the world, but the chance of a problem is fairly unlikely.

As I mentioned in another post on the same topic, I am not so naive to think that there can't be no risk to traveling. Even when I get out of my house in the morning I know there are things I can't predict, events outside my control.

Similarly, when equipment failure occurs on a cruise ship, it obviously affects plumbing, refrigeration, food production, HVAC systems, water treatment, sewage, etc. Unless the cause of the failure is due to negligence on the part of Carnival and/or its maintenance staff, to be honest this is the kind of event that is beyond anyone's control.

While the passengers are uncomfortable and having to deal with onion sandwiches and other inconveniences, unfortunately this is the risk taken when you decide to spend a vacation on a floating resort. Shit happens (pun intended).

Sometimes, people are over-dramatizing their circumstances and expect everything to be perfect. However, systems of any kind will at some point fail. Unless there's an issue with failed maintenance or inspection, I can't fault the company from not offering more than a refund, a future cruise and $500. Again, shit happens. The only bad thing is that it happened to them.

They're not afraid of flying; they're afraid of anything different.

This way they don't really have to experience anything outside their little tourist bubble, including the reality of the working conditions on those ships, most of which occur outside their view.

They are giant cattle cars, nothing more.

You couldn't pay me to take a cruise on one of those giant ships.

I know some people that live for their next cruise. Some people like landing in several ports of call during a cruise. My first flight was scary, but I have come to view flying as a mundane fact of life.

I'm not afraid to fly ( I love it) but I have serious ethical and environmental concerns about flying. I spend 6-8 weeks every other year in Europe doing research and I go by ship.

Ships have three advantages - fewer limitations on what I can take and a greater quantity, no jet lag, and comparable cost in money. The downside is time -- it takes me 7 days each way, but I use those 14 days to write without interruption. (Not much Internet at sea.) Flying from the the US to the UK costs about $800 each way; going steerage (inside cabin, regular food) is about $950. I am usually taking a considerable quantity of research materials, and for my 2015 trip, considerable other equipment that I could not take at all on a flight (few musicians these days trust an airline with an instrument, for example) plus extended personal gear. Given that one box of research material can weigh well over the 50 pound limit, the baggage fees get high fast.

They're slow, but Cunard is very good -- worst I've ever dealt with is rough seas and sea sickness.

I've never been on another line, but people who have been on ship with me have said that some of the other lines cut corners that are points of pride for Cunard.

which is definitely cheaper than QM2.

Freighter used to be cheaper, but these days, the best I've found is about $1600 and 20 days for transatlantic. The QM2, QE2 and QV are cheaper if you're willing to take an inside cabin.