With years of experience searching for cruises across the globe, there’s not a single myth about cruising that our Specialist Cruise Consultants haven’t heard.
They’re here to bust these myths once and for all and to give you the truth behind what you might have heard based on their own cruising adventures!
I Won’t See Anything Interesting
Ruby Perkins: “Not true! Amazing port cities and top culture destinations can be reached on a cruise, some places visited by very few due to only being accessible by air or sea. In some places there are more animals than there are humans, including arctic foxes, reindeer, brown bears, seals and many more!
My recent trip to Norway included viewing the Northern Lights from my ship and husky sledding through the Norwegian wilderness. Cruises are about much more than visiting sunny beaches.”
You can read more great tips from Ruby here…
Cruise Ships Are Like Butlins-At-Sea
Julia Rhodes: “With so much talk about high tech ships, I wouldn’t blame you for wondering whether cruise ships have lost their charm and glamour. However the more traditional aspects of cruising like formal nights, ballroom dancing, shows and even bridge clubs can still be found on board! I visited Britannia early last year and I have to say the décor was definitely my kind of thing. The ship is modern but still very elegant and classic.
The wow-factor for me was the Starburst Atrium. It has an amazing open space in the shape of a square, which is quite unusual but the traditional and glamorous elements that you might be looking for can definitely still be found on this ship and many others.”
Cruises Are For Lazy People
Holly Crabtree:“For those who think cruising is about snoozing- think again! It’s not about lying on a deck chair all day if you don’t want it to be. You might need a short lie down however after you’ve given Royal Caribbean’s wind-tunnel skydiving simulator.
Or Disney’s Aqua dunk (a waterslide where you stand over a trap door that opens and launches you down the slide) and a walk on a balance beam that juts out over a drop of 180 feet to the sea below on board Norwegians Breakaway (we guess the tables have turned when it comes to actually wanting to walk the plank) you are sure to get some adrenaline pumping.”
You can read more about Holly’s experiences here.
The Food Isn’t Fresh
Kerry James: “In the past I have wondered how fresh the food on board is after a few days away from land but taking a behind the scenes tour on Royal Princess made me realise how much fresh produce there really is! Many cruise lines including Princess Cruises have kitchens filled with staff using fresh ingredients to make their own bread, pasta, soups, beautiful desserts and more twenty four hours a day.
Despite having to feed thousands of passengers, each meal still has the care and attention that you’d expect from a fine dining experience. The food on Princess really was extraordinary and the Seafood in the Crown Grill was probably the best I’ve ever tasted.”
You can read more about Kerry here.
Sea Days Are Boring
Edward Griffths: “With the largest ship at 225,282 gt and 5,400 passenger capacity it’d be pretty disastrous if everyone got bored, so believe me- there’s lots to do. Cruise ships can cover pretty much anything, including: a Ferris wheel inspired observation pod called the North Star, quite literally ‘out-there’ waterslides that swing around the side of the ships, spa days, kids clubs, creative classes and a lot more. Plus, after a few busy days exploring the port cities, you might wish to relax and not do anything at all!
You can read more on Edward here.
Sea Sickness Will Ruin My Trip
Diane Cockburn‘I hear on an almost daily basis a customer or friend asking if you get sea Sick whilst cruising. What people should really be considering when cruising is if they ARE sick onboard, what facilities do they provide and how much is it going to cost me?
They can tend minor problems – sunburns, seasickness, scrapes, etc. – more severe emergencies may be beyond them. They are adequately equipped, however, to provide emergency response treatment to help stabilize patients until they can be transferred to a more suitable facility in port if necessary. Both basic and emergency care are available 24 hours a day, but the key is to check your travel insurance and make sure you have a good level of cover!
Read more about Diane’s tips on sea sickness onboard your cruise here…
Cruising is an Overly Expensive Way to Travel
Harry O’Hara: “If you tot up how much you spend on holiday accommodation, spa visits, activities, drink, food, excursions and so on, you’re looking about spending the same (or probably less) on a cruise; where you can not only get all of the above, but more! On board you can get all the advice, help and medical reassurance you might need, all in one place.”
You can read more about Harry here.
Cruise Ships Aren’t Safe
Hannah Wilson: “You are much safer on a ship than you would be in the street, in a car or on an aeroplane. As long as you don’t start climbing on ‘KEEP OFF’ obstacles, leave your door wide open unattended and avoid ignoring the little voice in your head that is your common sense, you’re probably going to be fine!
If you’re worried about other passengers being disruptive, there is a brig (jail cell) on board. If the captain believes a passenger to be a threat to other passengers or crew, he will request with security that the passenger is locked in there until the next port of call where the appropriate action will be taken.”
You can read more on Hannah here.
It’ll be a Nightmare With Young Children
Marie Turner: “On-board Disney cruises your young children will be entertained at all hours of the day. Some kids clubs are spectacularly designed to duplicate rooms children may remember; Andy’s bedroom on-board Disney Magic for example. They will be surrounded by familiar faces and the same toys to play with as the real Disney characters. Even at dinner time children will be entertained by the walls. Yes, the walls!
Adorned on them you will find sketches of your favourite Disney characters. Crush the turtle from the hit Disney Pixar movie ‘Finding Nemo’ will dine with you! He’ll talk to you through the huge screens- there’s even one on the ceiling of the restaurant that Crush will swim over, really making you feel like you are under the sea. He will ask you questions about your trip and might even comment on Dad’s multi-coloured Caribbean shirt.”
I Won’t Like the Other Passengers
Robin Clarke: “While I can’t guarantee you’ll want to be best friends with every single passenger on the ship, I can promise you won’t feel stuck with them if you do run into any difficult characters! Some couples choose to be seated next to different people every night, others choose to sit next to the same people every night and some request their own tables.
If you don’t like your neighbours or fellow diners, you can request to sit somewhere else! It shouldn’t be too difficult to avoid them, after all, if you’re sailing on a big ship you can always talk to the other 3000 passengers on board!”
You can read more about Robin here.
I’ll Get Ripped Off Onboard
Blair Campbell: ‘We all as humans have an instinct to avoid getting ripped off and playing the game so we feel as though we have emerged victorious when purchasing something. But there’s a way around this…
Booking in advance has its multitude of added benefits as well in the form of the following: paying a small deposit, getting added value inclusions (Drinks Package, Free Flights, Onboard Credit etc.), the ability to chip away at the price over a longer period, meeting specific needs or preferences with ease. (Cabin- Accessible/ Single/ Family). Please book in advance, that’s all I must say!’
Cruising is Too Formal
Eve Clark: “Many people think of getting dressed up for dinner and ballroom dancing when they think of a cruise, but there are less formal cruises that take you to adventurous destinations if that’s more your thing! I recently took a trip of a lifetime to China to sample one of our Bucket List cruise itineraries.
The trip involved a lot of exploring and I spotted some very odd food at the Beijing street markets including spider and snake skewers- far from filet mignon! From climbing the Great Wall to seeing pandas up close in Chengdu, this is definitely a cruise where you’ll need to ditch your high heels and ball gowns for jeans and a good pair of walking shoes!”
Read more on Eve’s trip to China here.
Have you got any of your own cruise myths that we can prove wrong? What is the best thing you’ve learnt on your cruises? Leave us your thoughts and comments!
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