The one negative to cruises

Let me start off saying I love cruises! I've been on 4 cruises so far, and have posted reviews for all 4, and all 4 have been very positive.

However, cruises do have one major negative compared to a land vacation. The negative to cruises are that you tend to be locked into whatever date you choose long in advance. First of all, the deadline to get a full refund is far in advance. Yes, I know that cancel for any reason insurance exists, but it only covers a percentage of your fare.

Secondly, if you are forced to cancel (and accept the financial loss) and try to reschedule, most of the good rooms will be gone, and you may be stuck with a room directly above the nightclub. Also, the best fares will often be gone. With a land trip, what room you get usually has nothing to do with when you book.

Thirdly, when you book a cruise, for obvious reasons, you are locked into the entire period of the cruise. For example, my most recent cruise was June 24 - July 1, 2012. Let's say, hypothetically, your boss tells you that they really need you to work on June 24 (say a big project is due that day, or there is a major meeting scheduled for that day), but that the rest of the week is ok. With a land trip, you can always start your vacation a day late, and either accept it being one day shorter than planned, or possibly extend it to July 2. With a cruise, it's all or nothing: you either go on the entire cruise, or you cancel the entire cruise.

The reason why I am thinking about this is because 3 days before my most recent cruise, our biggest client at my job dumped a last minute rush job on us. This, unfortunately, came shortly after my boss chewed me out for not working enough overtime (which isn't even true, by the way). I had booked this cruise many months in advance (far too early to have known whether or not June 24 would be a busy week or not), and booked early saver, and carefully selected a cove balcony room (a very popular category on the Magic) in a quiet location (many cove balcony rooms are in noisy locations).

Given the cirumstances, there was absolutely no way I was going to cancel the cruise at that point. I would have lost 10% of the fare plus the cost of the insurance (we had cancel for any reason insurance that covered 90%). Plus, if we were to have booked another cruise on that ship anytime soon, we would not have been able to choose a cabin that we would have wanted, and we likely would have had to pay more. So, we went on the cruise (and had a wonderful time)! Though I do realize that I didn't do my career any good, and that in the future, I will likely be chewed out about being on vacation while everyone else was working overtime (to be fair, I did work overtime on July 3, 5, and 6, when everyone else was taking an extended 4th of July weekend).

If this had been a land vacation, we probably could have rescheduled it for sometime in the near future with little or no penalty.

Just something I wanted to point out. I realize that there is no way around this, but just something to keep in mind.

IMO the only bad thing about a cruise is that it ends!:D

IMO the only bad thing about a cruise is that it ends!:D

That too. But I was comparing cruises to land vacations, and land vacations end too. Although, land vacations don't end as abruptly as a cruise ends.

If your vacation time was schedule and o the calendar i dont see how your boss could expect you to cancel! Not really fair to penalize you for going on a scheduled and paid for vacation!

IMO the one negative about a cruise is the pools are a little too small for the number of guests aboard.

Let me start off saying I love cruises! I've been on 4 cruises so far, and have posted reviews for all 4, and all 4 have been very positive.

 

However, cruises do have one major negative compared to a land vacation. The negative to cruises are that you tend to be locked into whatever date you choose long in advance. First of all, the deadline to get a full refund is far in advance. Yes, I know that cancel for any reason insurance exists, but it only covers a percentage of your fare.

 

Secondly, if you are forced to cancel (and accept the financial loss) and try to reschedule, most of the good rooms will be gone, and you may be stuck with a room directly above the nightclub. Also, the best fares will often be gone. With a land trip, what room you get usually has nothing to do with when you book.

 

Thirdly, when you book a cruise, for obvious reasons, you are locked into the entire period of the cruise. For example, my most recent cruise was June 24 - July 1, 2012. Let's say, hypothetically, your boss tells you that they really need you to work on June 24 (say a big project is due that day, or there is a major meeting scheduled for that day), but that the rest of the week is ok. With a land trip, you can always start your vacation a day late, and either accept it being one day shorter than planned, or possibly extend it to July 2. With a cruise, it's all or nothing: you either go on the entire cruise, or you cancel the entire cruise.

 

The reason why I am thinking about this is because 3 days before my most recent cruise, our biggest client at my job dumped a last minute rush job on us. This, unfortunately, came shortly after my boss chewed me out for not working enough overtime (which isn't even true, by the way). I had booked this cruise many months in advance (far too early to have known whether or not June 24 would be a busy week or not), and booked early saver, and carefully selected a cove balcony room (a very popular category on the Magic) in a quiet location (many cove balcony rooms are in noisy locations).

 

Given the cirumstances, there was absolutely no way I was going to cancel the cruise at that point. I would have lost 10% of the fare plus the cost of the insurance (we had cancel for any reason insurance that covered 90%). Plus, if we were to have booked another cruise on that ship anytime soon, we would not have been able to choose a cabin that we would have wanted, and we likely would have had to pay more. So, we went on the cruise (and had a wonderful time)! Though I do realize that I didn't do my career any good, and that in the future, I will likely be chewed out about being on vacation while everyone else was working overtime (to be fair, I did work overtime on July 3, 5, and 6, when everyone else was taking an extended 4th of July weekend).

 

If this had been a land vacation, we probably could have rescheduled it for sometime in the near future with little or no penalty.

 

Just something I wanted to point out. I realize that there is no way around this, but just something to keep in mind.

Sorry to hear able this.

That has always been a concern for me.

If your vacation time was schedule and o the calendar i dont see how your boss could expect you to cancel! Not really fair to penalize you for going on a scheduled and paid for vacation!

 

:cool:One time I had my vacation in 6 months ahead, the supervisor told me I couldn't take off because the guy who was to fill in for me was on Union business!!:rolleyes: I told him I am leaving and the union businesss will have to wait!! Guess who went on his cruise??:rolleyes::D

Secondly, if you are forced to cancel (and accept the financial loss) and try to reschedule, most of the good rooms will be gone, and you may be stuck with a room directly above the nightclub. Also, the best fares will often be gone. With a land trip, what room you get usually has nothing to do with when you book.

I must not be picky .. I love last minute bookings, and never yet been booked under or over a lounge.

ES is not for everyone.. I now avoid it after getting bit myself... No more ES booked way in advance for me.

Sorry to hear able this.

That has always been a concern for me.

silly goose .. sticks out tongue!!! Im sure you hate so much about cruising.

I must not be picky .. I love last minute bookings, and never yet been booked under or over a lounge.

 

ES is not for everyone.. I now avoid it after getting bit myself... No more ES booked way in advance for me.

 

 

 

silly goose .. sticks out tongue!!! Im sure you hate so much about cruising.

I do.

When I have to get off the ship.

They make me pay for my cruise.:D

If your vacation time was schedule and o the calendar i dont see how your boss could expect you to cancel! Not really fair to penalize you for going on a scheduled and paid for vacation!

Unfortunately, in the real world, a scheduled vacation means nothing. They can revoke it at any time, and most company handbooks specifically mention that.

I should mention that I was not at any point asked to cancel this cruise. So I didn't. I know very well that they would have preferred that I cancel, and I realize that in the future, I probably will be criticized for not "taking the initiative to voluntarily cancel my vacation". But that's just something I'll have to deal with.

To be fair, I had planned to take off July 3 and had that as a date off on the calendar (not because I had plans, but to connect the vacation to the 4th of July holiday), but I did end up working (and working overtime) that day. So I can remind them that, as a compromise, I did cancel one of my vacation days.

One fear I have is, I wonder if it will ever become common for employers to not allow employees to go on a cruise, given that it's not possible to return to work immediately if you are on a cruise, at least not when you are at sea. I hope it never comes to that. Unfortunately, a trend in our working world is employers expecting of their rank and file employees what they previously expected of high level executives, but without the pay.

IMO the one negative about a cruise is the pools are a little too small for the number of guests aboard.

True, although that is understandable, given that the ship has a limited amount of space.

I do.

When I have to get off the ship.

They make me pay for my cruise.:D

I must not be picky .. I love last minute bookings, and never yet been booked under or over a lounge.

From reading other posts of yours, it seems that you mostly book 1A's. Maybe those rooms are available later on. But I can assure that you on any Magic cruise in the near future, the cove balconies (at least the ones in quiet locations) would have been long gone. And I've heard not so good things about the 8A's and 8B's.

Another negative (usually)..

If staying in a hotel and you have neighbor or room problems that can't or won't be addressed you can generally change rooms or as a last resort even change hotels. If on a full ship, you're stuck where you are and it can mean a loooooong miserable time.

IMO the only bad thing about a cruise is that it ends!:D

So true. I have tried throwing a tantrum in the atrium lobby and they still made me disembark!

http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

Once we're able to retire... all those concerns will go away.... maybe someday :rolleyes:

the worst part for me is having to get off the ship and cook and clean for myself !

All vacation is good, but I prefer a ship vs. land vacation.

IMO the only bad thing about a cruise is that it ends!

Ditto!

Kevin C

To the OP - While I appreciate your concerns, I don't fully understand how a land vacation would provide that much more flexibility, unless it's one you're driving to. If you need to change/cancel airfare, there are penalties involved and most vacation packages have cancellation penalties. Unless you're just planning to drive somewhere, rent a hotel room and take in the local sites, most any other vacation plans would carry some time of loss if you were to cancel.

Unfortunately, in the real world, a scheduled vacation means nothing. They can revoke it at any time, and most company handbooks specifically mention that.

The world must have changed since I got on almost 60 years ago! Certainly if one is an employee at will, a company can do many things that they probably should not. I would expect that most companies however, don't do these things. They certainly don't make for good employee relations.

In my 40 plus years of work experience, I have never had a vacation cancelled, nor have I cancelled anyone else's that worked for me. I must be just lucky.

Kevin C

The set dates never really bother me. Thankfully I am an accountant with set busy dates and I schedule around it.

I have seen people say "If you want me to work fine, but the company is reimbursing me for my trip" and if its that important they will.

I haven't read all the postings, but I really don't think your company was fair with you, but that happens on jobs.

I don't know how long you have been with the company, and if you were a new person, and hadn't been there for a year, that may have had something to do with it. I wonder if your company took into consideration when you were working, and everyone else was OFF???:(

As for cruising, (I have never done the land thing) I normally book at least 3 - 6 months out, and YES with insurance for just in case.

I'm glad that when I put in for my vacations at my job I can plan trips and don't have to worry about not being able to go.

I wonder if your company took into consideration when you were working, and everyone else was OFF???:(

From personal expierence, they never do!

Many years ago I had an opportunity to spend a month traveling in Europe. Requested time off, made arrangements for backup personnel, etc. Boss was still giving me grief. I finally looked her in the eye and said 'Brenda, it's not a matter of can I go, it's a matter of can I come back'.

It was an awesome vacation!!!

Let me start off saying I love cruises! I've been on 4 cruises so far, and have posted reviews for all 4, and all 4 have been very positive.

 

However, cruises do have one major negative compared to a land vacation. The negative to cruises are that you tend to be locked into whatever date you choose long in advance. First of all, the deadline to get a full refund is far in advance. Yes, I know that cancel for any reason insurance exists, but it only covers a percentage of your fare.

 

Secondly, if you are forced to cancel (and accept the financial loss) and try to reschedule, most of the good rooms will be gone, and you may be stuck with a room directly above the nightclub. Also, the best fares will often be gone. With a land trip, what room you get usually has nothing to do with when you book.

 

Thirdly, when you book a cruise, for obvious reasons, you are locked into the entire period of the cruise. For example, my most recent cruise was June 24 - July 1, 2012. Let's say, hypothetically, your boss tells you that they really need you to work on June 24 (say a big project is due that day, or there is a major meeting scheduled for that day), but that the rest of the week is ok. With a land trip, you can always start your vacation a day late, and either accept it being one day shorter than planned, or possibly extend it to July 2. With a cruise, it's all or nothing: you either go on the entire cruise, or you cancel the entire cruise.

 

The reason why I am thinking about this is because 3 days before my most recent cruise, our biggest client at my job dumped a last minute rush job on us. This, unfortunately, came shortly after my boss chewed me out for not working enough overtime (which isn't even true, by the way). I had booked this cruise many months in advance (far too early to have known whether or not June 24 would be a busy week or not), and booked early saver, and carefully selected a cove balcony room (a very popular category on the Magic) in a quiet location (many cove balcony rooms are in noisy locations).

 

Given the cirumstances, there was absolutely no way I was going to cancel the cruise at that point. I would have lost 10% of the fare plus the cost of the insurance (we had cancel for any reason insurance that covered 90%). Plus, if we were to have booked another cruise on that ship anytime soon, we would not have been able to choose a cabin that we would have wanted, and we likely would have had to pay more. So, we went on the cruise (and had a wonderful time)! Though I do realize that I didn't do my career any good, and that in the future, I will likely be chewed out about being on vacation while everyone else was working overtime (to be fair, I did work overtime on July 3, 5, and 6, when everyone else was taking an extended 4th of July weekend).

 

If this had been a land vacation, we probably could have rescheduled it for sometime in the near future with little or no penalty.

 

Just something I wanted to point out. I realize that there is no way around this, but just something to keep in mind.

This is one reason I like cruises. I tell everyone far in advance I am going, I will not reschedule for anything work related. To many company's today treat their employees like they own them. I was a workaholic for alot of years, letting employers run my life. Then an event happened in our life that reminded me life was to short.

My first cruise it was well known, you don't leave for (or go on) vacation until all your work is done. My next cruise & new company doesn't present as being as strict, but I still get the inpression I'll be expected to compress 4 weeks of work into 3 in order to take my week off. If there are 1 or 2 missing things I may have hope of help, something I never would have gotten before. But yes, had my work not been done at my old job, I would have been heavily pressured to cancel my cruise. Had I gone anyway, I would expect to be written up upon my return.