Cruise Ships
Cruises can be an amazing experience and you'll know this if you've ever been on one. As time goes on cruise ship's attractions expand and try to give the passenger the most wonderful experience possible.
Most ships are gigantic and extravagant and will give you an amazing experience. But some can be a bit more misleading with claustrophobic corridors and few entertainment options compared to what you were lead to believe. Here you'll find the truth about cruises.
Boarding A Ship – What We Think It’s Like
So you've packed all of your things and your excitement is at its peak. You've made sure that everything you need is packed and you've even brought along your best clothes so you can impress everyone around you.
Now that you've made it you can see the ship in all its glory. It looks just like the photograph and now the only thing that's stopping you from getting on that cruise if the dock, right?
Boarding The Ship - What It's Really Like
But what is actually in your way is the enormous line with tons of other people while all you can do is stare up at the gorgeous ship you've been wanting to get on for months. It's taunting you when you're so close but so far.
The problem with cruises is that the boarding takes laboriously long. If you think the longest line you could be in is the one at Disneyland, well think again. If it's especially back you can expect to have to wait for more than an hour before you're even close to the ship.
The Hot Tub - What We Think It's Like
Imagine you're sitting in a hot tub on the upper deck of the cruise ship. Steam is rising off your body from how hot the water is. You stretch your legs out and close your eyes, it's heaven on earth.
Having the hot tub to yourself, you could practice water aerobics if you really wanted while other guests walk past on the deck. No one could be as happy as you are right now. If only that was the reality.
The Hot Tub - What It's Really Like
When you actually get to the hot tub it's nothing you had envisioned while waiting in that awful line to get on the cruise. Remember imagining stretching your legs out? Well, you'll be quite disappointed when you actually get in.
Now you also imagined having the hot tub all to yourself? Unfortunately, there are way fewer hot tubs than there are people on the cruise so you'll almost never get one to yourself. You'll just end up cramped and disappointed.
The Pool Area - What We Think It's Like
When you think of the pool area on a ship that's generally one of the most exciting thoughts. What comes to mind is a private beach with theme park water slides and fun to be had by all.
But the theme park you're imagining on the deck of the ship might disappoint you when you snap back to reality and take a look at what the pool area actually looks like.
The Pool Area - What It's Really Like
Now that you're there, you notice that everyone is disappointed by what it is. Everyone on a cruise wants to gravitate towards the pool. That means that the pool area is always crowded which makes the pool seem all too small compared to what you were envisioning.
Even if the ship has more than one pool to try to avoid being overpacks, you'll almost always end up disappointed. Prepare yourself for another sad reality check when you arrive at the pool thinking you'll be able to swim more than two-feet without bumping into something.
The Bedroom - What We Think It's Like
Since Cruise ships are big in hospitality, you'd think that the bedrooms have a similar look to ones you'd find in a hotel. I mean, you did pay a lot of money for this fancy cruise, right? You at least deserve a comfy bed.
Now, this picture is an exception to the norm, it's a bedroom on a cruise ship called The World. If you want to spend a night here it'll set you back around $9,000. This means that not everyone can afford it.
The Bedroom - What It's Really Like
When you actually get to your room it's quite different from what you were thinking of. You just wanted a nice comfortable room to wind down in away from other passengers. But it's more reminiscent of your college dorm back in the day.
You barely have any space between the bed and the wall to move around and you'd be hard-pressed to find something bigger than a twin-sized bed when you first walk in.
The Bathroom - What We Think It's Like
Nobody knows what to expect the bathroom to look like when they first step onto a cruise ship. You'd probably think of a hotel again. Now that you have that expectation, you can't wait to soak in the tub.
You just hope there will marble counters and not just a bath but a jacuzzi would really be nice. Your dreams of a rooftop hot tub may have been crushed, but at least you might still get on in your bathroom, right?
The Bathroom - What It's Really Like
Unfortunately, what you end up getting is not even close. There's not going to be any marble countertops. There's nothing more than a gross bathtub that looks like it survived World War One.
If you're about to go on a cruise and need a reference for what to expect, think about a bathroom that you'd see in a youth hostel. Of course, there are nicer bathrooms than the one you see here, but it's important to curb your expectations.
Ocean Sightseeing - What We Think It's Like
This is a huge hit for the older demographic who go on cruises. You think that when you're sailing the ocean blue, you're going to see dolphin pod after dolphin pod. You see yourself at a Sea World, but in the wild.
There are people who think that cruise ships travel on populated areas of the ocean like it's some sort of whale watching tour. They couldn't be more wrong.
Ocean Sightseeing - What It's Really Like
If you're being realistic about sightseeing on a cruise ship, you should probably get used to open water with literally nothing in view. People forget that the ocean is massive and there aren't planted exotic ocean creatures doing acrobats for cruise ship passengers every hour of every day.
So, you need to get used to ocean, water, more ocean, more water, and pretty much nothing else. Sorry for the bad news.
Employee Life - What We Think It's Life
The thought of getting paid to live on a cruise ship sounds amazing. You get to interact with people who are mostly ecstatic to see you, AND you get to see lots of beautiful destinations along the way. It's kind of like a glorified flight attendant.
On the outside, working on a cruise ship is luxurious and something of a dream. But, it's really not all that it's cracked up to be.
Employee Life - What It's Really Like
First of all, if you thought that the bedrooms for the guests were jail cells, you haven't seen the employee rooms. They're even smaller and people are often sleeping on bunk beds because the rooms are so tiny.
They have to work long hours and don't even get to explore the different destinations that the ship ends up docking at. Working on the ship is the opposite of luxurious and freeing.
Destinations - What We Think It's Like
A lot of people forget to mention this when they book a cruise, but going to sweet destinations is a huge reason why people end up booking in the first place. It's not just the idea of getting to live on an all-inclusive boat for a week.
Obviously, the time spent on the boat is fun, but the places that you go off of it is just as exciting. But, the reality is that some of the places that cruise ships take you to end up being a huge bust.
Destinations - What It's Really Like
A lot of people forget that when an island gets frequented by cruise ships every day, they also take on a lot of pollution from the boats. Not every island is going to be beautiful and scenic.
If you're going to book a cruise, make sure that you research the islands that the boat will be taking you to. It's important to look past the staged photos the travel company is showing you.
The Music - What We Think It's Like
Sometimes when you get onto a cruise ship, you will be surprised by the musical acts that come along for the ride. Entertainment is a big part of the evening itinerary and cruise companies will spend a lot of money to get famous acts onboard.
Some of the most famous people in the world have played cruise ships, including Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, and Madonna. But, you're VERY lucky if you get professional acts.
The Music - What It's Really Like
If this is any indication of what you can expect your cruise ship entertainment to look like, you're in for the ride of your life. It's important to look into what performers are on your cruise ship before you even book, because you don't want to be stuck with a lousy act for the week.
This guy is certainly no Taylor Swift or Madonna, but I guess he's trying his best.
The Dining Experience - What We Think It's Like
Some of the professional photos that we see on websites can skew how we think our cruise cuisine is going to be. Knowing that you have a vast amount of different foods to eat is one of the most exciting parts of being on a cruise.
You expect five-star dining for a three-star venue. You expect buffet tables to be pristine and exotic. You want to have to ask, "how do I pronounce this dish?" at every buffet.
The Dining Experience - What It's Really Like
Some of what I said before might be true, but you have to remember that cruise ships are forced to feed thousands of people three times a day. That means they'll throw quality off the ship in order to do so.
Unless you're on some extremely expensive ship, you're probably going to be eating from a cafeteria-like buffet for 80% of your meals over the week. You'll need to prepare yourself for that.
The Age Range - What You Think It's Like
One of the most tempting reasons to go on a cruise is to meet people. Just the thought of being surrounded by people your own age, and mingling with some others who are slightly older or younger is exciting.
If you're in your 20s or 30s, you're generally hoping that the other passengers are within five or six years of you. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but...
The Age Range - What It's Really Like
The big problem is that you really don't have any control over who is going to be on the cruise with you. Unless you sign up for one of those specialty cruises (which are a lot more expensive), you're probably going to be hanging out with a group of people that you have nothing in common with.
We're not saying that there's anything wrong with that, but when you have a fantasy that you're going to be making best friends for life, just know that they'll be in a different tax bracket.
Seasickness - What You Think It's Like
If you've never been on a cruise, or a boat for that matter, you might not know what seasickness feels like. Whether you're on a ferry, cruise ship, dingy, or sailboat, there's always a possibility that you will get sick.
It's easy to think that sailing on a cruise ship is simple when you're booking online, but it's not until you get out on the open water that you realize how bad it can really be.
Seasickness - What It's Really Like
Seasickness is very real and it's a horrible feeling. You're trapped when you're on a cruise ship because there's literally nowhere to go to get away from the sway of the water.
The sickness can be as common as having to go to the bathroom. There have been many cruises that get completely ruined because a majority of people end up getting seasick if the water is rough. It's horrible.
The Ship Itself - What We Think It's Like
If this cruise ship looks familiar to you, it's probably because it's one of the most popular models that is advertised on travel websites. We can certainly see why. It looks pristine and majestic.
The ship screams beauty and is something that we all wish we could board tomorrow and set sail for some tropical islands. But, not all cruise ships are as sparkly and clean as this one in the picture.
The Ship Itself - What It's Really Like
Okay, okay, you're probably not going to get duped into getting onto this cruise ship (if you do, bless your ignorant soul). But, this is simply trying to open your eyes about the fact that there are some awful cruise ships out there.
Contrary to popular belief, there is a grey area that exists between the breathtaking cruise ships of the world and the brutal ones that are unfortunately out there.
The Weather - What We Think It's Like
The weather is usually the elephant in the room when it comes to cruises. Any tropical vacation is going to be affected by the weather, but cruise ships really rely on having good weather.
No matter what, promoters are only going to show you what the cruise is going to be like with perfect weather. The pictures can be tempting, but there are many times that weather ends up ruining an entire vacation on a cruise.
The Weather - What It's Really Like
You need to realize that mother nature doesn't care about promotional pictures and the weather doesn't adjust plans just for you and your family. We like to think it does, but it doesn't.
It won't matter how hot the hot tub is if you're in the middle of a tropical storm and you can't see five feet in front of you because of the downpour of rain. If you've never been in a storm while in the middle of the ocean, try to keep it that way.
The Captain - What We Think They're Like
If you've seen any maritime movie, you'll know that the captains are kind of a big deal. There's no one who could ruin your cruise quicker than the guy who's in charge of the ship.
If you're looking to go from point A to point B, and your captain takes you from point A to point Z, you're probably not going to have a great time. Sometimes you have to remember your captain is human too.