Cruising. Anyone do the BIG luxury cruise ships ?
- Thread starter Dave7
- Start date
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A few years ago I was inspired by a story told by the owner of the B+B that I stayed at when seeing Mrs Tenkay off on her LEJOG.
The owner told us that they had mainly walkers and cyclists as customers. One evening two ladies knocked on the door. They had booked accommodation with him and chatting with them revealed that they were walking LEJOG!
I got my thinking head on and realised that you could follow a lot of paths and trails that weren't suitable for bicycles, if there was no time pressure then you could follow Offa's Dyke, Pennine Way, John Muir way etc, whatever took your fancy.
If you were able to walk ten miles each day and the overall distance was 1000 miles that is 100 days. Allow £100 per night for B+B and you get a ball park figure of £10K. I then thought you could probably go on a "Round the World " Cruise for that amount of money, but faced with the choice, even if someone else was footing the bill, I'd still be reaching for my walking boots.
Being confined aboard a cruise ship would be my idea of purgatory, I quite like the Sandbanks Chain Ferry, and I've sailed from Poole to Cherbourg a couple of times but that's about my tolerance.
The owner told us that they had mainly walkers and cyclists as customers. One evening two ladies knocked on the door. They had booked accommodation with him and chatting with them revealed that they were walking LEJOG!
I got my thinking head on and realised that you could follow a lot of paths and trails that weren't suitable for bicycles, if there was no time pressure then you could follow Offa's Dyke, Pennine Way, John Muir way etc, whatever took your fancy.
If you were able to walk ten miles each day and the overall distance was 1000 miles that is 100 days. Allow £100 per night for B+B and you get a ball park figure of £10K. I then thought you could probably go on a "Round the World " Cruise for that amount of money, but faced with the choice, even if someone else was footing the bill, I'd still be reaching for my walking boots.
Being confined aboard a cruise ship would be my idea of purgatory, I quite like the Sandbanks Chain Ferry, and I've sailed from Poole to Cherbourg a couple of times but that's about my tolerance.
cougie uk
Guru
Did a week on a small ship going round Norway. It's basically the post ship and stops at every port. Entertainment is limited to a few guides pointing out stuff and organising trips from ports.
Fantastic way to see the coast and we saw the Northern Lights several times. Food was really good but a bit too formal for me - but interesting to meet people.
Facilities limited to a tiny gym overlooking the sea and a cafe and viewing decks. I'd definitely do it again though - reading all day but with those views were fantastic.
The big cruise ships don't appeal to me but I have pals who swear by them.
Fantastic way to see the coast and we saw the Northern Lights several times. Food was really good but a bit too formal for me - but interesting to meet people.
Facilities limited to a tiny gym overlooking the sea and a cafe and viewing decks. I'd definitely do it again though - reading all day but with those views were fantastic.
The big cruise ships don't appeal to me but I have pals who swear by them.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
My nightmare too. My folks have done a few, but enjoy the static caravan instead now. I don't find being stuck on a tin boat for long periods of time much fun, nor having to rush round destinations.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Me too.There is a tv prog tonight about a mega luxury cruise ship.
I can take 3800 passengers.
My worst nightmare.
I admit they look fantastic and the food etc looks amazing.
I have known people that love it.....so I am not knocking it.....it just not appeal to me.
I had a neigbour who regularly tried to convince me of the 'joy' of cruise ships...'all you can eat/drink, entertainments yadda yadda'...in the end I ended the conversation by telling him that the primary reason I wouldn't go cruising was because I wouldn't want to be stuck on holiday with people like him...he never mentioned it again.
BoldonLad
Not part of the Elite
- Location
- South Tyneside
T4tomo
Legendary Member
Whether you'd like the experience as a holiday or not, what I can't stand about the cruise industry is that it gives nothing to local economies of its calling points and in many places is damaging.
Venice etc have lines of cruise ship moored up, disgorging passengers, who spend nothing on accommodation food etc locally bar the odd coffee, but make the place crowded for "normal tourists" and the massive ships cause no end of damage.
Its an unsustainable industry, if covid was the death knell for it I would dance on it metaphoric grave
Venice etc have lines of cruise ship moored up, disgorging passengers, who spend nothing on accommodation food etc locally bar the odd coffee, but make the place crowded for "normal tourists" and the massive ships cause no end of damage.
Its an unsustainable industry, if covid was the death knell for it I would dance on it metaphoric grave
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Doesn't appeal to me but I can see the draw for older people who like everything to be 'organised', meals at the right time, it's Tuesday so it must be Venice etc.
numbnuts
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gone over the hill and far away
The nearest I got to a cruise liner was the QE2, I was doing security at the boarding ladder at Southampton Docks 
You mean that it would take more than two seconds to say no? 😂😂😂Don't think I would even if I shared a cabin with you and Welshie. I would have to thunk about it but doubt it
We did one round the Med about 25 years ago, before the mega ships came along, ours was about 600 passengers, it was pretty much like a beach holiday with no airs and graces, but in a boat instead of a hotel.
We saw Sardinia, Corsica, Malta, Capri, and Menorca, with an organised trip at each one with a bit of free time afterwards.
Whilst I enjoyed it as a change I wouldn't want to go on one of the newer giant ones.
My mum goes on the small river cruises that go up the Rhine etc, and she loves them.
We saw Sardinia, Corsica, Malta, Capri, and Menorca, with an organised trip at each one with a bit of free time afterwards.
Whilst I enjoyed it as a change I wouldn't want to go on one of the newer giant ones.
My mum goes on the small river cruises that go up the Rhine etc, and she loves them.
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
I'll admit I have been on one. We went for a week's cruise up the Norwegian fjords for our 25th anniversary. To be honest, I though I would hate it, and I didn't. It's as far from the idea of a peaceful holiday as I can imagine, but I relaxed into it and had a moderately good time. The ship was the Azura (3100 passengers, 1000 crew, size of a small city) but run by P&O, so everything on board was British, from the food to the currency to the general vibe. I don't think I could have stood 30 seconds on an American-run ship.
The food was excellent (I mean really excellent) and the service was friendly without being obsequious, which is as I like it. The organisation was superb, security was tight but unobtrusive, and it was all very professionally-run. The fjords were spectacular, and I will never forget sailing up the English Channel at night with the curtains open, lying in bed and watching an electrical storm over N France and Belgium. We opted for independent dining, so we could choose where we wanted to eat every night, and could choose not to sit with others, which we did most of the time. No dressing up required, although you were expected to be tidy, which is not unreasonable. Some were in jeans and t-shirts and no one said a word.
Overall, a fun if expensive week, totally out of my usual run of things, and I don't regret doing it. I wouldn't go on another, however. Once was enough. One thing it did do was leave me with a burning desire to explore Norway - but under my own steam from the landward side, not in 2-hour bursts from a berth in a harbour, desperately trying to get away from the crowd of fellow passengers and the cruise-ship honey-traps.
The food was excellent (I mean really excellent) and the service was friendly without being obsequious, which is as I like it. The organisation was superb, security was tight but unobtrusive, and it was all very professionally-run. The fjords were spectacular, and I will never forget sailing up the English Channel at night with the curtains open, lying in bed and watching an electrical storm over N France and Belgium. We opted for independent dining, so we could choose where we wanted to eat every night, and could choose not to sit with others, which we did most of the time. No dressing up required, although you were expected to be tidy, which is not unreasonable. Some were in jeans and t-shirts and no one said a word.
Overall, a fun if expensive week, totally out of my usual run of things, and I don't regret doing it. I wouldn't go on another, however. Once was enough. One thing it did do was leave me with a burning desire to explore Norway - but under my own steam from the landward side, not in 2-hour bursts from a berth in a harbour, desperately trying to get away from the crowd of fellow passengers and the cruise-ship honey-traps.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
To my mind its the holidaying equivalent of a 5 bedroom executive Barratt Home - all very nice and plush, but completely lacking in imagination.
