Going on a cruise, what is it really like?

I get seasick from time to time but it doesn’t last long and I carry seasick tablets with me just in case. I went through a really big tropical cyclone once ( 12 metre waves!) in a very fancy balcony cabin at the back of the ship. It leaked and I was thinking of the Titanic. That was not nice and now I tend to try to avoid cyclone season and always, always get a balcony cabin in the middle where you don’t feel much at all.

Oh yes! Middle cabin, middle deck for me every time. Having a balcony is best too.

Those last 2 posts are good advice in choosing a cabin. Thank you.

Silver Seas: crossing the Panama Canal, Viking: Amazon and river cruises. Absolutely superb. You only get what you pay for. I’d hate to be on one of those gigantic floating tower blocks. Must be so impersonal. One thing that puzzles me: why so many object to formal wear? You get to wear pretty party frocks (or better) and men in dinner jackets. Splendid adventure! What’s not to like.

Just a quick note to say, thank you all very much for your responses. They have all been very helpful to me and we will be doing a starter cruise this year. Probably just a short one but it will be a start.
I really appreciate all of you taking the time to give your opinions and advice, good and bad experiences, all of which will help us booking ours.
Thanks so much.

I hope you have a fabulous time.

Middle, cabin , middle deck plus balcony……our favourite too. P&O have put their prices for these cabins up by £1000, last time we looked.

It depends on what you want out of it. A large ship can be busy with lots of people but there is much more on offer in the way if restaurants and entertainment. Smaller ships have everything too but fewer people. A friend works for Holland America Line but prefers working on the smaller ships in the fleet. Another friend works on expedition style ships. They are educational and one does landings in places that bigger cruise ships don't go to, rather than going from port to port (and getting off and going on tours). E.g. visiting Grytviken in South Georgia and visiting Shackleton's grave and the former whaling station. Basically on the expedition style ones you see a lot of nature.

All the best!

MissAdventure

I wouldn't risk it, in case Jane Macdonald was on there.

Just joking.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Just coming to the end of my 3rd day on our Northern Lights cruise, so far we haven’t been crammed in nor forced to take part in anything, evening entertainment isn’t our thing so we haven’t been but nor have we been bored. No butlinesque feeling either. Our ship is a smaller one, it holds just over a thousand and is not full so plenty of space.

We have had about 5 cruises . 4 with Fred Olsen which were excellent and the last one with a much bigger P & O which was glitzier but on balance we still preferred Fred.

Been on ten cruises. Favourite is Seabourn…but expensive. Its amazing, small ship fantastic food. Would not recommend NCL (huge and noisy) Princess (just after covid, very miserable staff, poor food), worst was P and O. Packed ship, noisy pool area, terrible food. Just back from a Celebrity cruise. Very old ship, poor entertainment. We have come to the conclusion we only enjoy smaller ships (600 guests or less). Fed up of having to reserve sunbeds at dawn and blaring music round the pool!

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My late husband and myself went on one of the Cunard ships which I really loved although it was many years ago when the ship had only been on one voyage before our cruise. It was small, quiet and the food was fantastic but we did go off during the Christmas period