Cruising - have the great days gone?

[Rotterdam]

you did not sail in the 1960's, 1970's when cruising was super deluxe & fun fun fun.....

 

we literally drank danced ate & laughed from the moment we steped onboard til we were picking up the luggage on the pier ....oh i DREAM OF THE fENCH LINE , iTALIAN LINE & THE ROTTERDAM V. The old European service was sublime & the ships beautifully decorated & immaculate.

 

Now I sail just to be at sea......I hope you find something to keep you coming back....

 

 

 

 

We have been cruising since 2003 and have been on 8 cruises, mostly with Celebrity but a few with RCCL. I remember on our early cruises being impressed with the food in the MDR and being 'wowed' by the service. I also remember complimenting Hotel Managers on their operation and mentioning specific staff by name to be recognised for their service standards.

 

Now I realise that both food and service standards are subjective, and a cruise can still be a good experience, but our recent cruises have had both food and service issues and my conversations with Hotel Managers have concerned dealing with issues as opposed to complimented them on their operation. I used to rave about cruising to friends and family and would readily recommend it; now I am more measured in my comments.

 

Thinking about this I believe this is due to cost-cutting and there are many examples where this is evident. Cruising has also become much more popular over the last few years and (most) new cruisers think cruising is great so there is no incentive for the cruise lines to improve; however the new cruisers don't realise how much better it was in the past.

 

I still think cruising offers a good holiday/vacation experience, it's just not the great one it once was...

[Bridge Maven]

you did not sail in the 1960's, 1970's when cruising was super deluxe & fun fun fun.....

 

we literally drank danced ate & laughed from the moment we steped onboard til we were picking up the luggage on the pier ....oh i DREAM OF THE fENCH LINE , iTALIAN LINE & THE ROTTERDAM V. The old European service was sublime & the ships beautifully decorated & immaculate.

 

Now I sail just to be at sea......I hope you find something to keep you coming back....

 

Rotterdam, My husband and I took our first cruise on Italian Line (Leonardo da Vinci).

[WineDown17]

Figured this would turn into a family bashing thread.

 

Maybe we can talk about dress code and smoking too!!

 

I can think of lines that really dont have kids...celebrity is not one of them folks.

[Rotterdam]

I too recall those days....the last TA I did on QE2 - the Princess Grill was top knotch - I liked it better than Queens Grill because of its location - either way it was win win....

 

And the cabins - my last cruise on QE2 was NYC - LA was on one deck - all that wood..faboo.

 

Its comforting to know we lived well......

 

Full moon , smooth seas to you!!!!

 

 

My first cruise was actually not a cruise but a crossing on the QE2 in 1969 with my grandmother. I was 15. And we were in Grill Class. That kind of experience is quite a heady one for any one on their first cruise, but for a 15 year old it was overwhelming. My Grandfather, who was an attorney, had a case come up for trial that he could not postpone and I got to be the lucky kid who went in his place. On a crossing in those days, as was true of my crossing on the same ship in 2001, every night except the first and last is formal. But we even "dressed" for breakfast and lunch on that first crossing--sport jackets at every meal (I don't miss not having to dress for breakfast!). Beyond the food, the level of service in the grill dining rooms cannot be found anywhere today simply because no ship could afford that kind of staffing. There were Captains, head waiters, back waiters, waiters who cooked table side at breakfast there was even a young chap whose only job was to wheel a jam cart around with a selection of something like 25 jams including 3 different types of orange marmalade! Ever hear of rough cut marmalade? In the dining room and elsewhere you never had to make an effort to get someone's attention, they learned your preferences and names on the first day and anticipated your likes and desires throughout the trip. But it was frightfully expensive.

 

And despite the high price I will also say that even though we had a large grill class cabin, we only had three small porthole windows and the bathroom I remembered was good sized but nothing fancy. And sound proofing was not always the best between cabins.

 

Since then I have been on over 30 cruises. Yes you pay less. Yes things are not as fancy and the food is good but it's not gourmet nor could it be when a ship has more than 2000 passengers to serve at each meal. But whether I have been on Cunard (Grill Class), Regent, Azamara, Celebrity, or Holland America, I have always had a wonderful time and I don't look to make comparisons to the past because what was is not now possible and if it were, I won't want to pay that much in order to have it. The only thing that I miss from the "good old days" is that most people had "good manners" and understood what it meant to be courteous not only to fellow passengers but to staff. Nowadays there seem to be more people who have no idea how to comport themselves in public spaces. But I don't let it bother me, by not focusing on it and looking right through them as if they were not there.

 

I did leave off two very so-so experiences. One was on Costa and one was with a wedding (not mine) cruise for a couple who had their ceremony and reception on board Carnival. Both ships had very average food, too much hustle and bustle for me, and I can't say inadequate staff because that was what that cruise line thought adequate for the price. Thank you but I am happy to pay a bit more--you get a lot more relaxation with better food and service for only 10-20% more.

 

Finally when I am on a more democratic ship, I find it can be more sociable and I like and there are things I do to luxe it up--such as arrange private tours, have a better cabin, take a spa package etc AND AVOID holiday weeks when kids are off. BTW I do find Holland America has the fewest kids for those of you who have commented on that.

 

Anyway great discussion!

[slp123]

I too recall those days....the last TA I did on QE2 - the Princess Grill was top knotch - I liked it better than Queens Grill because of its location - either way it was win win....

 

And the cabins - my last cruise on QE2 was NYC - LA was on one deck - all that wood..faboo.

 

Its comforting to know we lived well......

 

Full moon , smooth seas to you!!!!

 

I do remember the wood--I even remember arguing which was nicer, the light or dark wood cabins.

 

And we too preferred the Princess Grill and in later sailings the Britannia Grill because of it's cleaner lines. I remember the Maître d’ from the grills were so competitive with each other as to proving who had the best service and who could do more for the passengers. I also remember the special a la carte menu (no extra charge) where if you wanted caviar to start, or lobster for the main course no problem. And all those deserts prepared table side--it was hard to say know to Bananas Foster or Cherries Jubilee. And until Cunard was sold to Carnival and the ratio of staff to passengers in the dining room was changed, I remember that the main course for everyone at the table was served precisely at the same moment. If you were dining at a table for 6 than 3 waiters brought the main courses, set them all down precisely at the same second and then lifted those heavy sterling silver cover off like a well rehearsed chorus line! All that sterling silver was gone within 12 months of Carnival's takeover.

 

It's funny about Carnival's purchases of other lines---Cunard had a lot of things cut--but then again it had a lot to begin with. But Carnival ran the management of Cunard and the whole thing changed a bit. On the other hand I find that when Carnival bought HAL, they were left more to their own devices and their own independent management and I think they are the better for it when it comes to more of the good old days still being somewhat present on HAL. On Cunard, unless you are booked in Grill class, it can be a somewhat plebeian experience.

[Nerns]

Just took a cruise on NCL Jewel. No one wore formal wear on "formal" nights. I don't remember whether anyone wore jeans, but it was possible. I like dressing up one or two nights a cruise; don't think we'll be back on NCL anytime soon.

[cruzeluver]

Just took a cruise on NCL Jewel. No one wore formal wear on "formal" nights. I don't remember whether anyone wore jeans, but it was possible. I like dressing up one or two nights a cruise; don't think we'll be back on NCL anytime soon.

 

Not to sound snarky, but that's kind of the point with NCL. They are the most casual cruise line there is.

[Sully1975]

On 10/26/2010 at 9:09 AM, urbancruiser said:

My first cruise was onboard Sitmar's Fairwind in 1974 with my family. It was a small ship with a small number of passengers. The crew was all Italian and the food and service were second to none.

 

I'm going out on a limb, but you don't happen to remember a crew member named Pietro do you (guessing he would have been in his mid-twenties at that time)? My mom went with her family in April of 1974 and we're trying to find some way of touching base with him. I know. A long shot!

 

Thanks for any info in advance! 

Scott

[ABoatNerd]

Cruising changes since the start of cruising in the late 1970's have been significant. Most are ok.

 

The one element that is pushing our household away from cruising is the erosion of the link to the sea.

 

Cruise ship physical design up till the past couple of years provided and encouraged viewing of the sea; promenade decks, true balconies, inside and outside forward viewing areas, wing bridges for viewing like on QM2 (our favorite spot on a ship). 

 

Today the ships are increasingly inward looking, I suspect designed to have guests placed in front of products and services to buy. 

 

When I look at the Edge what struck me was - it was a hotel like you would experience in Vegas. My thought was, why did Celebrity not purchase some land in Vegas, and build their new ship like hotel in exactly the same configuration and size. People would flock to it and the number of millennial weddings there would be huge. Celebrity would be happy and making lots of cash.

 

Corporately I see no evidence that Celebrity is interested in the sea, the itineraries are stale, the new ship design focused inward, limited to no guest speakers etc.

 

This is all fine as I suspect many guests are not that interested in the ports, so Celebrity would fit them fine.

 

For guests who wish interaction with the ocean, Celebrity is sending clear signals they are not the best service provider.