The author took a seven-day voyage on one of the largest cruise ships in the world, their first cruise ever. However, they found that the reality of cruising didn’t match their expectations from social media. They spent 24 cumulative days on cruise ships, and these disappointing photos show what it actually looks like. The author expected her first cruise to be relaxing, but found the boat to be too crowded, the lines too long, and the tour buses too hot. The ship also looked like it could capsize because it looked top heavy.
There really is a cruise for every taste, with options like PO Cruises, Royal Caribbean, NCL, or Princess Cruises for young families. Disappointing photos from cruise ships make people think twice before booking a trip, as there really is a cruise for every taste. There really is a cruise for every taste, and these disappointing photos make people think twice before booking a trip.
📹 EXPECTATION VS REALITY | 10 DISAPPOINTING Things On Cruise Ships
A Cruise Ship Vacation is known for being the Ultimate getaway, the BEST bang for your buck, The cheapest way of travel without …
How many cruise ships have sunk?
Thankfully, very few cruise ships have actually sunk in modern history. Even so, the Titanic’s sinking impacted maritime law so much that there are more than enough lifeboats for all passengers and crew onboard any given sailing.
Within the last 111 years, over 20 cruise ships and ocean liners have sunk.
Titanic (April 1912). One of the most infamous sinkings was that of the Titanic, which sank on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.
On the night of April 14, 1912, the ship collided with an iceberg. A little over two-and-a-half hours later, the ship was completely submerged underwater. Unfortunately, the majority of passengers were unable to safely evacuate, as there were not enough lifeboats for everyone onboard.
Do you eat free on all cruises?
While all cruises provide complimentary food, many also offer passengers the opportunity to dine at specialty restaurants. These can include steakhouses, Italian, Mexican and Mediterranean venues, hibachi grills and specialty ice cream shops. The cost of your food in these restaurants may not be included in your ticket — often you’ll have to pay extra.
For example, Holland America is home to the first Morimoto By Sea. When it first opened aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam, the award-winning restaurant chain made its debut at sea. But to eat there, expect to pay about $50 extra per person.
Alcoholic drinks and sometimes even soft drinks are a big source of revenue for cruise lines. Many provide the option to purchase a beverage package, which is a chance to bundle together drinks at one set price. This makes sense if you plan on having many per day rather than paying one by one. Specialty coffee, tea or other drinks from onboard venues are also usually not part of the fare.
What does it look like underneath a cruise ship?
Do Cruise Ships Have Flat Bottoms?. The bottom of a cruise ship is not perfectly flat, although it does look flat from a distance.
Under the water, the front of the ship is usually v-shaped or u-shaped, with the back of the ship having a square-like shape.
In this article, we will look at how the bottom of cruise ships are shaped – and why they are shaped like this.
We will also explore why the bottom of cruise ships are different to the bottom of Ocean Liners.
How much of a cruise ship is actually underwater?
We have already conveniently determined the number of feet an average cruise ship sits below water, but what is the percentage? Approximately 40% of the average cruise ship sits below water. The larger or higher the ship, the less of it is in water. This may seem counterintuitive, but this is how math and physics work out!
This percentage is constant. When cruise ships set sail and navigate deeper and perhaps more rapid waters, still, 40% sits underwater. Now you know the ins and outs of determining a cruise ship’s displacement –and can explain it to your friends!
Conclusion. It’s fun to think about how much a cruise ship sits below water. As we’ve seen from our analysis, several factors go into approximating this figure. They range from how densely packed the ship is when it’s loaded or unloaded, and how large the ship is by height, width, and weight.
What is not free on a cruise ship?
Activities That Cost Extra on Cruises: Bingo, casino play, arcade games, escape rooms and golf simulators will all cost you extra on most ships. Additionally, hands-on cooking classes, wine and liquor tastings, and a few other courses require an extra charge outside your fare.
Our Tip: If you see a class that appeals to you, it may be worth the small fee to learn a new skill or do something you love. Browse our picks for best cruises for enrichment and find something that speaks to you.
The Aquamar Spa on Oceania Cruises (Photo: Oceania Cruises)
Do cruises get rough?
Oh, those fickle seas! Although it’s atypical to sail on a cruise ship through the roughest waters and worst weather, you might be surprised to learn that ships regularly traverse some roiling seas.
Many cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian have multiple ships sailing to the Caribbean out of Florida and the Gulf States throughout hurricane season (though the vessels will make itinerary changes to shy away from the biggest storms). Almost all Antarctica cruises have to traverse the infamously choppy Drake Passage, and Alaska cruises must emerge from the sheltered Inside Passage into the rougher waters of the Gulf of Alaska or the Pacific to reach their homeports. Cunard also does its transatlantic cruises throughout the winter, sometimes attracting passengers who specifically want to sail on rougher seas.
If you’re prone to seasickness or just want to be prepared for high seas and rolling waves, we’ve compiled a list of some of the bodies of water known for their chop.
How would you describe a cruise?
If your mom announces “We’re taking a cruise!” then pack your bags. A cruise is a vacation spent on a ship that sails the ocean, periodically stopping in ports for sightseeing.
Cruise can also be a verb that describes sailing around aimlessly for fun. You might cruise the canals of Venice in a small boat. If you don’t live in Venice, you can still cruise — but you might do it in your car. Cruise can be used to describe a leisurely drive taken just for fun. You might cruise around the neighborhood on a Saturday with no real destination in mind. Cruise can also describe traveling easily at a moderate speed.
Sail or travel about for pleasure, relaxation, or sightseeing.
Drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure.
Which is safer, a cruise ship or an airplane?
In general, cruise ship is safer. And the food is much better. Just looking at catastrophic emergencies, in an airplane, gravity will demand immediate actions be taken to avoid hard contact with the ground. In a cruise ship, you may end up in the water.
What is actually included on a cruise?
You also may have a few questions about what is included on a cruise. It helps to think of it this way: Your cruise fare is mostly all-inclusive — your stateroom, dining in a variety of locations, onboard entertainment and access to pools, hot tubs and other amenities and activities are typically included on a cruise.
Depending on your mood, you can rise and shine with a breakfast of eggs, bacon, fresh fruit and unlimited coffee at the buffet or order a big plate of blueberry pancakes in the Main Dining Room. For lunch, grab a barbecue chicken pizza at Sorrento’s (included), a fully loaded hot dog with sauerkraut at Dog House (included) or choose from international buffet selections, like paella or sushi. And dinner? It can match your mood: a casual buffet or an elegant sit-down meal with a selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts from inspired menus that change daily.
The Main Dining Room offers an elegant culinary experience morning, noon, and night. At breakfast consider eggs Benedict or a chorizo-laden burrito. In the evening, you’ll find rotating menus with everything from savory duck terrine and crispy Vidalia onion tarts to marinated pork loin and Moroccan-spiced ahi tuna. Windjammer Café, another popular option, is a buffet-style choice. In the morning you’ll find custom-made omelets and fresh pastries; in the afternoon and evening selections feature salads, pastas, paninis, Asian and Indian dishes, grilled meats and fish and desserts galore.
In addition, there are a variety of included more-focused options. No family-friendly ship would be complete without a pool-side space that serves chicken tenders, hamburgers and chocolate chip cookies and Splashaway Café is as popular as you would guess. Sorrento’s. with its grab-and-go mouthwatering slices topped with cheese, pepperoni and even BBQ chicken, is a real crowd pleasure. Grown-ups and kids alike flock to El Loco Fresh® for insanely delicious Mexican burritos, tacos and quesadillas. The Dog House is a popular spot that serves up a menu of hot dogs, including a classic Coney Island and a pork bratwurst. Solarium Bistro focuses on lighter fare, with a Mediterranean buffet, featuring fruit, yogurt, Greek salad, hummus, mussels and more. Looking for a snack? Mini Bites, located near the Sports Zone, serves sliders, taquitos and mini cupcakes, all with big flavor. If you’re up early — or late for that matter — you’ll be grateful for Café Promenade, a 24-hour café that dishes out pastries, wraps and desserts as well as plenty of coffee drinks. The Café @ Two70 and Park Café each serve light meals. Highlights at The Café @ Two70 include a tasty Thai chicken salad and three kinds of grilled cheese; Park Café may be your go-to spot for deli sandwiches. Room Service is also included and complimentary, with one caveat: You can upgrade your continental breakfast with eggs, hash browns or bacon for a $7.95 per room delivery charge.
Are cruises actually enjoyable?
Nothing truly compares to the joy of waking up in a new destination each day. One of the best things about cruising is that it offers a stress-free way of discovering multiple destinations on one trip.
In the Southern Caribbean, you could search for sea turtles, seahorses, and reef sharks on a dive off the silky-white shores of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
You could immerse yourself in island life in Antigua by visiting artists’ homes and local farms, and, in Grenada, you could drink in the vibrant colors, tastes, and smells of island-grown spices at the markets of St George’s.
Do you feel weird after cruise?
When you get back on shore, you need time to get your land legs back. That usually happens within a few minutes or hours, but it can take up to 2 days. With mal de debarquement syndrome, though, you can’t shake the feeling that you’re still on the boat. That’s French for “sickness of disembarkment.” You feel like you’re rocking or swaying even though you’re not.
It can happen to anyone, but it’s much more common in women ages 30 to 60. It’s not clear if hormones play a role.
People who get migraines may be more likely to get it, too, but doctors aren’t sure how the two conditions are linked.
Will a cruise ship sink or float?
If you’ve ever carried a bucket of water, you know that water is incredibly dense—that’s why it feels so heavy. Cruise ships may be huge, but the ocean is much, much bigger. The U-shaped hull of a cruise ship displaces thousands of tons of water, pushing it down and to the sides, but the ship doesn’t sink because the density of the water pushes back against the ship, keeping it afloat.
Let’s break it down further: Whether you’re on a singles cruise or a family-friendly voyage, your ship is likely heavy with engines, decks, rooms, buffets, people and hot tubs. But it’s also full of air, which is much less dense than water. In other words, the total density of the ship is less than the density of the ocean waves.
It’s the same reason you can float in the ocean but sink in the bath. See, we told you a bubble bath would help! It’s not just a place to ponder interesting facts or questions like, “Have cruises recovered from the pandemic?” According to mathematics legend, the principle of buoyancy was actually worked out in a bathtub.
📹 MEGA CRUISE SHIP – What It’s Really Like Onboard the Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas Oasis Class
The Wonder of the Seas from Royal Caribbean is an Oasis class ship, and currently the largest cruise ship in the WORLLLLDDD.
We always get a Central Park or Boardwalk balcony on the Oasis class ships and love them!! During the day when the pool band is playing you will hear the music out on the balcony, it’s never bothered us, we are usually out of our cabin running around the ship. At night it’s fun to people watch from the balconies and you can’t do that facing the ocean. Love Royal Caribbean!!!⚓️
My first ORANGE cruise was on NCL in 1976. Now that’s the OLD days. Pool the size of a postage stamp, guests were some of the entertainment, and because we were on the young side (in our 20’s) of the passengers, and all the senior officers were Norwegian, we actually spent a lot of evening time with the senior officers. They had a drinks allotment to spend on guests, and we were the lucky recipients.
The buffet, no matter the ship or line, will always be the busiest because it is the place that everyone – especially people new to cruising – flock to. This is where lines like NCL shine, because they have many options for eating that are included. So, if you’re saavy, you’ll pick a different option than the buffet and not experience the same crowds. Also, my guess is that many of the people at the buffets are not familiar with the ships, so even in this case where there are two areas to sit in, most probably don’t know about the second area and people all ‘jam’ into the one side.
We’ve never been on a cruise and have been perusal your articles to learn about cruises. Thank you so much your website has helped us so much. We booked Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas (Quantum class) to Norway in May ‘23. We felt this would offer a good balance of shows, activities, restaurants and bars to give us taste of what it’s like to cruise. Can’t wait.
awesome vid; at 21:00 for everyone; PICK YOUR OWN CABIN by number after you have thoroughly investigated the DECK PLAN that has the cabins numbered. Then make sure you tell your cruise agent or RC directly: NO UPHRADE allowed. These cabins (with outside slide) are “given away” as perks b/c no one wants them. All others points in this vid so perfect. I went to a N.Y. Rangers game at MSG with 14000 fans (it holds 20,000 in ONE ARENA!!) and had to wait for rest room, food, etc. Try Yankee Stadium with 50,000.
That orange looks quite tasty. I cannot wait to sail Wonder of the Seas. When my son and I sailed on Oasis, I actually raced with a woman dragging her carry-on bag, trying to get a window seat at the Windjammer. I got to the table first and she had a few choice words for me. Not my proudest cruising moment, but the view was great!! I love these gorgeous mega ships.
Going on our first cruise in May for my 50th bday. So excited. We booked it in November so I’ve been perusal tons of ORANGE articles 😂. So excited. 🎉🎉🎉🎉. We booked a suite and I’m jut nervous I booked the wrong ship but were are clueless when we booked. After the articles, now I’m not so sure about the serenade of the seas we will make it fun regardless. Going with my beastie and her husband, who are also turning 50 🎉🎉
I’m a theatre and events technician, basically a jack of all trades. Trying to weigh up cruise careers and found your website ages ago to get a feel of different ships and companies and as a guy whose Oma was German, its nice to live kinda vicariously through you. Love Cruising As Crew and other websites but still to find one tech based. PS Emma is adorable A joke for you… Knock knock Who’s there? Banana! Banana who? Knock knock Who’s there? Banana! Banana who? Knock knock Who’s there? Banana! Banana who? Knock knock Who the hell is there?! Orange! Oh, Orange Who? Orange you glad I didn’t say Banana!
Orange you glad Morgan is one of the first articles of 2023? Thanks for another great Sunday sofa time. My sister and I are waffling about an Oasis ship. We sailed on the Odyssey of the Seas last February when it was maybe 50% full so we got spoiled . But it’s tempting to try Allure of the Seas or Harmony of the Seas since they will sail from Galveston and I’m about 3 hours away
Hi Morgan and everyone! We went on the Oasis of the Seas pre-pandemic. You are correct, there are other eateries and entertainment areas to go to. On embarkation day, the Windjamner was packed, so we went to Cafe 270 for lunch. These mega cruise ships are doable if navigated correctly. Happy New Year to you and your family.
I am taking my wife on our first cruise in July on the Meraviglia. It is a celebration of me getting off parole (I will never do something stupid and wear an ORANGE jumpsuit again) and her birthday. I have watched a few articles of yours already and they are great, among the best. Thank you. I am going to watch more of them now.
I had the same experience on a big ship. I was wandering around trying to find a place to eat. My husband and I could never eat at the same time because someone had to secure a table. By the time the other person came back with their food, either someone’s food was cold or gone. After that I started eating in whatever main restaurant was serving breakfast. Call me old-fashioned, but I like to dine with my family on my vacation. If they want to have mega ships they need a bigger cafeteria to accommodate everyone.
I actually prefer the mega ships, I’ve always sailed on Royal Caribbean, I’ve been on Mariner, Freedom, Harmony and on Wonder in 29 days, and Im booked on Icon for the first sailing. I will always go on the Oasis class, the number of people don’t bother me. The ship is big enough that it doesn’t seem really crowded. Yes, after dinner and after shows there’s a crowd, but that’s with every ship. Thanks for the article, I can’t wait for Wonder and Icon.
Fireworks at midnight are a highlight to welcome the new year in our area. Heading to the Oasis of the Seas this week and expecting a full ship. Looking forward to everything! 🙂 Your observations about venues on Oasis class ships were spot on. LOL on an app to make a Boardwalk balcony an Air BNB experience! 🤣🤣🤣 The one difference is the amount of time it takes to navigate the ship. Orange you glad I stayed until the end? I am!
I’m not a regular cruiser. I went on one in 2017 from Galveston to Cozumel and loved it. I think it was Carnival. I like perusal your (and other vloggers) cruise articles because it’s fun to see the new ships, restaurants, and activities. Unfortunately, a cruise is really not in my budget at this time, but your articles are greatly appreciated. Cheers.
Great article brotha…Were going on a b2b on Wonder on February 5th to feb 18th for 14 days in the Caribbean. We try and get on early because my wife likes to kick start her tan in a tiny bikini so we go straight to the solarium were theres no kids. Were not big foodies so we go to the gym and hang by the pool on first day. We do get the Unlimited dinning packages because the food in the speciality restaurants just taste better and the service is more one on one. We always try and book a suite we had the royal suite last time and it was fantastic. One day I’ll book an aqua suite but those suites are crazy priced for 7 days. I try an royal up to the aqua suite but we never get it. Its like starts at $4500 to royal up for 2. We play in the casino and we get free cruises sent to us but there for inside cabins all the time and we don’t take them up on it. Maybe if we played more they would up our room. We always see the sun chairs taken even at 6am because people get up early and put there stuff there and go back to sleep but i take their stuff off and put there stuff up against the window railings. When they come by like 4 hrs later ranting i say your stuff is over there by the railing. Sorry but if your gona be a chair hog stay home. Why should i suffer when im already there and your sleeping in your room…not gona happen. I agree with you on people being thrown off the ship happens more then people know. Like jealous husbands or something. Can’t tell me all these people are jumping off the ship to get eaten alive by sharks.
The Aqua Theater Shows on RCL are my favorite ship entertainment. It is Cirque du Soleil on a ship. My second favorite shows I have seen on cruise was on NCL Bliss Jersey Boys performance. My third favorite shows are the hairy chest contests. LOL. Those are some crazy fun orange people on cruise ships!
Went on my first cruise ever with my family in October 2022 on the Orange Wonder of the Seas out of Barcelona. It was a fabulous experience and now my wife and 3 kids want us to a cruise every year. The food, the shows, the activities, the port locations and the service were all great. The ship felt full but never really crowded. People were well spread out doing different things
I love the newest and the biggest! I’ve been on many of the Oasis Class ships and just love them. I’ve never found them too crowded except for the deck with the shops in the evening before dinner. I’ve seen them close off the Wind Jammer temporarily when their were no seats available. Orange you glad I shared?
Happy New Year to Morgan and Markus! It’s illegal here in Melbourne to set off fireworks but some people do. There’s usually a big display in the city around 9:30pm for kids and midnight. Smaller displays are often found in the suburbs too. This year there wasn’t as many illegal ones which was nice as my dogs hate them. Edits in: it’s also summer so there’s the risk of starting a fire which is always a worry – hence why it’s illegal.
I have never been on a cruise but it’s on my bucket list for when I am retired I watched your article because of the title. The number of people, peeked my interest because I live in a little town with just over 3,000 people. So going on this cruise is doubling the number of people in our town, and putting them all on one ship. I can’t get my head wrapped around how large this ship would be in real life! LOL I like the secret word part at the end… orange ☺
Our very first cruise in 2012 was on Allure of the Seas (not painted orange). It was a 7 day cruise and we had to go back again on the same ship the next time because we didn’t have time to see all of the ship. It was wonderful and I was hooked on cruising from day one. We have done all of our cruises on the Oasis Class ships except one – Liberty of the Seas, which is the next size down. I found I was just too spoiled to go on a smaller ship, not nearly as much to do. I don’t know what will happen when I finally go on an Icon Class ship!
Great job in comparing the cruise options. Hopefully you have convinced the nay-sayers that there are many benefits of the very large ships (got tired of hearing mega mega mega🙂). It really always boils down to what you’re looking for for a vacation. We all are different. Thanks so much and keep up the good work and happy New Year! Oh yeah, watched Tennessee play Clemson in a bowl game. Wonder if both orange teams were picked for the Orange Bowl because of their colors? Just thinking!
I am pretty sure I originally found your website because I am a Disney nerd. Isn’t Orange Bird adorable? I have never been on a cruise but I have been perusal all your adventures for years! I do have my first cruise planned for 2024. I have been interested in all forms of travel and when I finished college I looked into working on a cruise ship. I may not have been on a cruise yet but my time will come. LOL!
Happy New Year, Morgan! Love your content. As for myself……always a ship with 1,200 or less….I’m old 😉 I Have cruised since I was 30 (60 now) and with two exceptions I have cruised on Crystal and now on Oceania. Not the best entertainment but great food and ports. Oceania is very port intensive and since I only go on one cruise a year I am more interested in the ports and where the ship can dock. My last cruise on Oceania was for 28 days and we visited 15 countries. We were too tired to worry about late entertainment. We have never had an issue getting a lounge at the pool where we can sit and enjoy our oranges 😉
Hi Morgan! Happy New Year from NJ, America!! No, we don’t cruise, but still enjoy to watch cruise articles to “see the experience”. We went on one cruise, way back in 2005 (my 1st, husband’s 2nd) and it was just okay for us. Not sure if we’d EVER cruise a mega-ship, but maybe a ship like Celebrity Beyond. We are timeshare owners, so we usually stay in a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment-style timeshare twice a year. Those Wonder of the Seas crowds remind us of our Walt Disney World trip back in 2020 (after they reopened from the pandemic) so no, not a fan. BTW, love your book and my favorite story is the guy in Israel that you’ve met! ORANGE you glad you wrote the book in 2012? Yeah, I know, it should have said 2022 but the Internet is a funny thing.
After many voyager class cruises, I found Harmony of the Seas to be too crowded. Beautiful ship and had a great cruises but experienced by far the most frustrations with crowds on that ship. I went back to the voyager class for my last cruise and booked another same class for this year. I find this to be the sweet spot for size, amenities and enough open space to accommodate all the passengers
Emily in Paris & Visit Ireland ❤ adverts. Reading your Book Morgan. Really enjoying it been a good Giggle 🤭 You Really should think of writing an other one 🙏 You mentioned you near got on The SS Rotterdam, i was On the SS Uganda for my school cruise back in 1979😜 This too was an older ship it went to the Falklands as Hospital ship few years later . We had alot of Fireworks going of here in the 🇳🇱 one of my doggies is extremely scared of them 😢 its awful . Was 03.30 before we got to bed,calm enough for doggies. Happy New year 🎆 wishing you & Marcus All the very Best for 2023 💥🍾🥂 Allergic to Orange 🫣.
HAPPY NEW YEAR🎉 This New Years Eve it seemed that people had more fireworks than before in Germany as they were not allowed to buy the last 2 years. Great fireworks everywhere even in small cities😊 Not sure if I would like these megaships…Even MSC Seaside was kind of too many people for me. But I would try and find out!
We’ve sailed a few megaships now and I’d have to agree, it can be crowded but its not that bad. Our most recent cruise was “over” capacity and while it certainly was busy, it was still less busy than our experiences in places like WDW. I find that people tend to spread out pretty well on those larger ships as there are always a multitude of activites available so while there can be lines its never really been that bad. Except to maybe get an Orange in the buffet.
We booked a balcony on the Prima for 2024. We prefer the aft of the ship but now that is all haven suites. We picked the right side of the ship in hopes we will see land more than sea during our cruise from London to Iceland. If not i will be feeling a little ORANGE. 😉 enjoying your content while waiting for our next cruise in February of ‘23.
I don’t have a problem with the mega-ships for their size, but they rarely do itineraries that I’m interested in. Maybe this will change as they visit more ports in the Mediterranean. I would, however, love to do a Caribbean cruise in one of the Aquatheater suites. The balconies are huge in addition to the view of the show and ocean, perfect for breakfast and orange juice in the morning.
The wife and I are finally in Diamond Class in the RC Crown and Anchor. We’ve been on about 15 cruises with Royal, Norwegian, Princess, and Celebrity. Never had a bad cruise. Most cruise the first day at sea the Cafe’s and restaurants get very busy and crowed. Once you get to a port, about 1/2 the disembarks and by the third day everything settles down. This Feb we’ll be on our third 10 day Southern Caribbean cruise on Celebrity. Planning a European cruise next.
Loads of fireworks here (Netherlands) too. When i was young i worked at a group home with elderly people. We used to have fireworks around 9 o clock, after which they all wished eachother happy newyear. All so they could go to bed before 11, when the night nurses took over….. i celebrated newyears twice: first at work, then at home after 12. Ancient history 😉
We have cruised on all the Oasis class ships. We just cruised on the Mariner of the Seas (voyager class) and it felt much more crowded. There were many times we could not find a seat at the venues because they were so small. There are so many public areas on Oasis class that people are really spread out.
The largest ship I’ve been on is the Carnival Vista. Sometimes the buffet is so crowded, I can’t even get in to get just an ORANGE. But a lot of times I think it’s more a timing issue versus a ‘size of the ship issue’. I really want to book on the Carnival Jubilee, but I’m not sure I’m ready for a ship that size! Dilemmas, dilemmas…
Honestly Morgan, just having a balcony is enough for me! I am not so concerned with privacy while out on my balcony. I’ll do as I please and if someone or some camera sees me….I don’t care. I hope they like what they see and I bring them joy to their day. But I do need one thing while out on my balcony…a good ripe juicy orange! Nothing better than sitting on my balcony perusal the sea and peeling an orange and enjoying it. 🙂
I was on the Norwegian Epic and on the Last night I found the ICE bar!!! I was so upset lol but the ship was so big with so much to do lol it was easy to get overwhelming 😅 but I had a great cruise and can’t wait to sail on a MAGA ship again this time time I will do my homework on the ship. ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!
hi morgan 🙂 HAPPY NEW YEAR 🙂 Here in australia its illegal to set off fireworks without a council permit (saying that, some people dont really follow the laws). we instead have certain organised places that we can all go too, like in melbourne they have south bank, im sydney they have darling harbour, then theres other places, like where i live in launceston tasmania we have the country club casino…. that all have aquired permits to let off a massive display of fireworks and they get thousands (or millions) of people (like in sydney) that go to the area and watch them all together 🙂
For what it is worth, your English is amazing. I do not even detect any sort of a German accent unless you start actually speaking German. There is a stereotypical German accent that we always hear in American movies, but you do not even have the slightest hint of that when you speak English. Happy New Years, and thank you for your articles.
I got a Vrbo commercial! I’ve been on a 7 day cruise on the Oasis of the Seas. It was the worst cruise I’ve ever had. There are too many people. I didn’t even see the water in the pool because everyone was shoulder to shoulder. At night we were able to find an empty hot tub so that was a nice find. They canceled the water shows cuz of “rocky seas” that appeared to be as calm as could be. You have to book beforehand for the entertainment shows and we tried to on the second night but by then it was too late and they were all sold out for the rest of the week so I recommend booking those on embarkation day. Port days are the best times to do anything because everyone is off the ship so you can enjoy the pools and hot tubs and plenty of seating at the buffet. The worst part was disembarking as It takes forever! We walked baby steps for over an hour thru the ship to get off. Thousands of people were leaving at the same time. When disembarking a Carnival ship you just walk right off the ship, No waiting. I’ll never get on an Oasis class ship again. They are beautiful ships but just too many people.
Great article and HNY Morgan. To answer your question: Where I am currently working in the Sahel, they shoot AK-47s in the air to celebrate the new year…. and weddings….and whatever they want to celebrate. I watch all your articles and our ISP is out of Portugal, so I hope the revenue is good from there.
Here in New York City we do have fireworks at midnight, including a lot of bright orange ones, but here in the city there is only one party that is licenses to operate them. There are sometimes a few people who do fireworks without permission (both now, and at the Chinese New Years next month) but I think most people have figured out that it is very dangerous.
I’ve only cruised twice. Pre-cvid on Oasis, post covid on Symphony, and will be going on Harmony in a few weeks. All have been solo. Oasis was full but it was fine because there was so much room and things to do. You need to be flexible, that way it doesn’t feel crowded. Symphony was about 45% full, so it felt really empty. I didn’t really like it because as a solo cruiser, it was harder to meet people and everyone was keeping their distance. Now Harmony is almost sold out. I’ll see how that goes soon.
I was on Symphony of the Seas when it was the biggest cruise ship IN THE WORLD. They were totally about to hide the 6,000+ passengers in all of the venues, nooks, and crannies. It only felt crowded on the last day in the promenade when they put all the shop wares on sale in the middle of the sidewalk. Orange you glad I watched this entire article?
Orange you glad to be cruising? I am taking my 1st cruise on Jan. 8th on the Celebrity Reflection. It is for a family reunion for the folks in their 90’s. My mom is paying my way as I help care for her. I am worried it will be boring. I am 56 and too old for slides, rides and surfing simulators but hope there will be comedians and decent shows. After my cousins and brothers and I put the grownups to bed we hope to do some partying. Do you know anything about Celebrity? We are all going Aqua Class.
On any cruise, on the last couple of days, my wife and I will go through the different bars and venues and try to figure out what we’ve missed and try to hit those then. Often those are sea days, so that’s helpful. We will often hit a bar we’ve missed during the late afternoon and that usually works out really well. Orange you glad I watched till the end?
I had two ad breaks. First was for VRBO, second was, surprisingly, Amtrak. An Oasis class ship is still on my bucket list, but I wouldn’t book any of them for less than 7 nights and definitely not for my first RCI cruise. I’d also rather have an Oceanview cabin with no balcony over one of those Boardwalk view or Central Park view balconies. Since we have 2 young kids, I’m really looking forward to Icon of the Seas and trying out one of the Infinite Balconies. When it comes to kids, it seems to be the best of both worlds. The safety of a floor to ceiling window with the option of some fresh air. And thanks, now I want an orange.
Orange 🍊. My largest ship was the carnival Mardi Gras last year it did not feel like it was that many people until it was time for shows but it was not bad to cruise with that many people it never feels like it’s that many people because those ships are big enough for that . Some places seem empty and we were fully booked
My only real complaint about being on a Royal mega ship was waiting for elevators. I was traveling with my two elderly parents who physically cannot be hoofing it up and down stairs all day. We’ve never had a problem with elevators on other ships, but it was definitely a problem on Royal. I also thought the casino was tiny compared to the size of the ship. 🍊
Since my comment was the top one talking about going on vacation with 7000 people, thanks for doing this article. I was thinking more about getting to port and 7000 people wanting to get off at the same time, and how crowded deck areas can be during the day. Plus how many quiet public places can there be to just tune everything out for a while? Did you eat your orange? 🍊
When we sailed Allure of the Seas when it was new, out of Florida, it was before the new terminal was built, and it was very different. We were moved from area to area in groups, sometimes for no reason it seemed. For our Symphony cruise in 2019, it was from the new Miami terminal and we used the app. It was fast and easy! So I wonder how it varies with some of their other terminals around the world. I agree with the ice rink seating size not big enough. It’s bigger than the Freedom class, but not proportionately bigger. We were most disappointed with the jazz and comedy clubs. Way too small! Our biggest disappointment was the strange hours of things like the zip line, dry slides, etc. why couldn’t they be open all the time, instead of the hour we’re trying to get ready for dinner (MDR)? After our cruise on Allure, our next one was on Independence of the Seas. We kept arriving to everything too early because we’d forget how much smaller it was LOL.
I was on Oasis when it was only 6 months old. Went to the Captain’s Q&A. He explained that these ships are designed to keep people spread out, so no area is extremely crowded. Dining rooms on 3 levels and dinner times spread out. Same with all the entertainment. I’ve been on many cruises and the only time it felt crowded was getting on and off the ship. Even that isn’t too bad since the times are assigned. Orange 🍊
DH loves the big ships and I like them much smaller. Have sailed Oasis, Allure and Symphony and certainly enjoyed every cruise. All were when school was in session so the kid load was lower. I also really enjoy the shows on RCCL as well as the variety of music to be found around the ship. We are early risers so can have breakfast before the crowds but will say I do not like the set up of the Windjammer as it seems to add to the feeling of being crowded. I really like the Central Park area, easy to move the length of the ship as well as being quieter. The biggest negative to me is the number of people who need to exit/enter the ship at ports – and the number of people who in that setting are not pleasant to be around. we have been fortunate to cruise a variety of places and at this point my wants are smaller ship, interesting ports, good food and lectures about where we are traveling so we are expanding the cruise lines we travel with. This May will be sailing a Budapest to Amsterdam river cruise and can’t wait to see more of Germany. ORANGE is such a vibrant, fun color
I’m one of those who have never been on a cruise but a number of my friends have been, and they love it. So I wanted to find out more about cruising and have been perusal a few creators on YT but to be honest, I’m still not impressed by cruises. 😬 What happened to you with your native tongue happened to my mother as well. 😄 She was a native German speaker but lived in the U.S. most of her adult life. She often couldn’t remember a word or an expression in German! 😄 But she did remember the word for orange … because it’s the same! 😆
I learnt a long time ago not to inflict my music tastes on other people. Now I find it extremely difficult to play music without headphones or earbuds in. I can’t even listen to the CD player in my car if I have a passenger. I don’t mind music in public spaces so long as it’s not blaring (ie shops/malls etc) but I find it almost intolerable when people blare their music to the world.
We were just on the Symphony of the Seas in December – fun fact, the roof of the carousel on the Boardwalk is ORANGE and blue! Having sailed on 3 of the Oasis class ships in the past 5 years, I think so much of the experience comes down to planning and knowing what to expect. While I understand and appreciate that some people just don’t enjoy large ships, I find many of the complaints people have about these mega ships come down to not having done enough (or any) research beforehand and being unprepared when they get on the ship. If you do your homework, know what to expect, find out where to go and when things are busy/not busy, and plan out your time in advance (like making advance reservations for dinner and shows – it never ceases to amaze me that people wait until they’re on board to do these things) you’re going to have a far, far better experience than if you don’t. For my part, a middle-aged dad with an active family, I LOVE the Oasis-class ships and likely won’t sail on anything else. (Maybe Icon of the Seas…when the prices come down haha)
The mega-ships are nice but I would never go on a cruise on one. I like the smaller ships because there are not so many people. If I wanted to be around a lot of people I would rather stay home. I want to get away from as many people as possible, so the fewer people on the ship the better. There are fewer lines to stand in, Less noise, and less walking. You will never see the whole ship. But they do have a lot of fun things to do.
Orange….Also I do agree with the casinos having their crowded times. We recently cruised on the Voyager of the Seas & did find that casino very small for the ship plus there was an entire close off room that was for poker games, had several tables, but they were never used. That area could have been used to “spread out”. There were areas that you could not even walk between rows of machines or tables since they were so close….add one or two people standing there perusal and forget it. Loved your review and opinions….first time I’ve followed you! I enjoyed it!
No ad, which happens often if I pause article for a bit. Today, it was to finish monkey bread and have breakfast. Can’t make an app to save myself. You could go old school with word of mouth. Of course, if I invited random strangers to my cabin, I would need to watch them carefully. It’s a trust thing.
Orange. I have been considering short cruises here in Australia for example Melbourne to Sydney or Brisbane but I am a single traveller who is quite introverted so isn’t sure if its for me. Also the issue of covid restrictions and covid infections which seems to be an ongoing problem on Australian cruises all through 2022. It seems it might need to be something that might have to wait until 2024 or 2025. hopefully all mask wearing and covid outbreaks will be gone by then. Melbourne Australia the cruise ships terminal has a direct tram service connection to central Melbourne but when they have 2 ships in or very big ships in they run supplementary express buses to help move the large numbers of people. The only problem in Melbourne is you need a fare card to use it and paying cash on board is not possible. so they run out of fare cards every single time!
If and when these Mega-ships cannot acquire the necessary amount of crew, which will be likely, it will be a nightmare. And it’s already happened! I have no desire to cruise with 6999 other people, so I will be sticking with the smaller ships! They also have a lot less of the dreaded families with kids!!!
I’ve never been on a cruise. I watch these trying to find out WHY I would want to. I don’t drink, gamble, I don’t really like large crowds. The pictures they show when they are empty look nice, crowded look horrible. All the extras that, if you’re not used to it, is shocking….cruise prices are just the beginning, then everything keeps adding to the price. And the fights, and reserving places on deck by draping your items on something…no thanks. But, I keep looking because maybe someday, they won’t have some mega monstrosity and something smaller and more pleasant. Hope keeps me looking, but instead, I see trying to cram too many people together.
I love mega ships. I hate being bored on cruises and small ships get a little blase after 3 days. Also, as a single woman who likes to travel alone frequently, Sometimes you want to hide from that weird dude that likes to post up at the midship bar hoping to see you again. All the little nooks and crannies, hidey holes and out of the way bars become a godsend when you don’t want a drunk guy twice your age dribbling down your chest
Why do you assume people weren’t there at the proper time? Did you poll everyone? It’s amazing really, people who make this dumb comment assume YOU are the only one who showed up on time and of course everyone else isn’t and it’s their fault the lines are long. Blaming lines on passengers not being on time is arrogant and stupid.
I have never been on a cruise and probably never will. So the idea of bobbing out in the ocean does not appeal to me. So why did I watch your article? Well, I was skipping around youtube and came across this little gay face and thought I would see what it was talking about. Interesting article but it did not convince me I ever need to take a cruise, and all those people, no thanks. Orange you glad you asked?