Turkeys at Sea: What Is the Worst Idea in the History of Cruise Travel?

[A Sixth?]

We loved sailing the Paradise. I wish she was still non smoking. What a shame to make her a smoking ship.

 

 

While the Paradise failed, it's interesting to note that Celebrity has a clean air policy that prohibits smoking on balconies, in cabins or the casino.... a main stream only which is fleet wide and FWIW Celebrity is doing VERY well as such.

 

So was the Paradise a turkey idea? Maybe just ahead of it's time. :cool:

 

BTW see thru toilet enclosures seems like a pretty dumb idea.... bordering on gross. :eek:

[tishavens]

Titantic was NOT declared "unsinkable" until AFTER the ship sank, and was only done so the newspapers!!!!

 

Please, please, PLEEEASE do not follow the movie Titantic as historical fact.:mad: White Star never stated that the Titantic was unsinkable.

 

So really, that option should be removed from this poll. Sorry but it irks me when history is skewed by Hollywood.

 

 

Actually, it essentially was. A good recap can be found here:

http://www.snopes.com/history/titanic/unsinkable.asp

[Aquahound]

While the Paradise failed, it's interesting to note that Celebrity has a clean air policy that prohibits smoking on balconies, in cabins or the casino.... a main stream only which is fleet wide and FWIW Celebrity is doing VERY well as such.

 

So was the Paradise a turkey idea? Maybe just ahead of it's time. :cool:

 

Yes, Celebrity is very successful with that program. However, the truth of the matter is Celebrity and Carnival attract a different crowd. That idea didn't and won't work on Carnival.

[Times Prince]

Regardless of when the "Unsinkable" appellation was ascribed, the Titanic blunder of having grossly insufficient lifecraft capacity has to be the most appalling error. Many lives were lost, which puts Titanic in a class of its own compared with the other petty cruising issues in the poll.

 

By the way - WHICH Titanic movie are we talking about? I first saw one in black and white in the '50's and it wasn't new then.

[GaNavy]

How can there possibly be any doubt?

 

All responses except for "Titanic" do presume that the ship is still afloat.

 

Calling the Titanic - or any other ship - unsinkable has to be one of the biggest brain f*rts of all time, much less a cruise ship "turkey."

[tip]

While the Paradise failed, it's interesting to note that Celebrity has a clean air policy that prohibits smoking on balconies, in cabins or the casino.... a main stream only which is fleet wide and FWIW Celebrity is doing VERY well as such.

 

So was the Paradise a turkey idea? Maybe just ahead of it's time. :cool:

 

Times change. I would book on a non-smoking ship in a heartbeat!

[burrpp]

Why not try separating smoking guests from non-smokers when it comes to balcony staterooms? Nothing worse than being unable to go outside due to the smoke!

burrpp

[budgielady]

Undoubtedly, the biggest turkey in the history of ocean travel was the invention of the jet airplane. Things just haven't been the same since. ;)

 

OMG! That's the best of all the turkeys.

[Grandmacheryl]

We did NCL in Hawaii, and it was the worst cruise we ever took. Room was not clean, service personnel were rude, ice took an hour to arrive when requested, etc. I heard someone in the elevator say, "I was told to lower my expectations, and I'm underwhelmed."

[Iowamary]

Since the example was so many years ago I wonder if it would have a different result now that less folks smoke; in the US I think it's about 20%. We did enjoy the few nights of non-smoking casino on the Golden Princess and avoided the casino on the smoking nights.

[Iowamary]

Why not try separating smoking guests from non-smokers when it comes to balcony staterooms? Nothing worse than being unable to go outside due to the smoke!

burrpp

I agree totally. On a recent Princess cruise that is just what happened.

[Aunt Elcee]

I love the originality of your poll (and I agree with the Titanic comment), but I might suggest you give a little context or info about some of the poll options. I (and I suspect other people) have no clue what happened on some of these cruises that you referenced. And I'm way too lazy to look it up for myself. Just a suggestion... :o

 

just weighing in - i totally agree!!

[cruisinryan]

We did NCL in Hawaii, and it was the worst cruise we ever took. Room was not clean, service personnel were rude, ice took an hour to arrive when requested, etc. I heard someone in the elevator say, "I was told to lower my expectations, and I'm underwhelmed."

 

I'm sorry you had a bad time on your NCL Hawaii cruise.

 

I sailed on Pride of Aloha (a very nice ship) for 11 glorious nights in Hawaii ...two days at each island! and two days at sea sailing along N'apali coast and other sites. It was the most amazing cruise I've ever had, and probably will never have another so wonderful as that one was. :mad:

 

I had no problems with the ship or the service, and found several really nice crew members.

 

Why don't they repeal that stupid foreign port law? You should add that law to your list of cruise turkey ideas.

[coordinator23]

I'm sorry you had a bad time on your NCL Hawaii cruise.

 

I sailed on Pride of Aloha (a very nice ship) for 11 glorious nights in Hawaii ...two days at each island! and two days at sea sailing along N'apali coast and other sites. It was the most amazing cruise I've ever had, and probably will never have another so wonderful as that one was. :mad:

 

I had no problems with the ship or the service, and found several really nice crew members.

 

Why don't they repeal that stupid foreign port law? You should add that law to your list of cruise turkey ideas.

We sailed on Pride of Aloha for 7 days and couldn't wait to get off. Service was terrible (try 3 hour dinners), crew members spoke little English (from Guam and other US territories) and 6 of 9 members of our group got extremely sick. The buffet line was served by gloved attendents, the tea cup they gave me was full of lipstick (ick), and when they changed the air filter to our unit (we had very little air conditioning) the dirt was actually thicker than the filter itself (wish I had taken a picture). The rooms were also dirty. If this had been my first cruise, it would have been my last. I could never go on NCL again because of this experience.

[coordinator23]

If RCI had not changed their loyalty program, I never would have experienced the wonderful cruise I had last April on the Ruby Princess. After a poor experience on NCL (Hawaii), I was "skittish" about going on another line. Since turning diamond no longer meant anything (as is pull the rug out from under me after I have not only spent $$$ on cruises - booking and onboard but also big bucks getting from Chicago to ports), I took a chance and had a great time. I have since been on another RCL cruise, but no longer am totally loyal to Royal. Sometimes a little turkey is a good thing. (still wondering why you would want to alienate your loyal base customer)

[startraveler]

Having been on Oasis, I can't help but wonder: Where was the aerostat going to dock? Is there an obvious place on one of the decks or was the area changed or removed prior to the first pax coming on board? I'm going over the aft Sports Deck in my mind but can't figure out where, with the two Flowriders, the bar, the zip line, and the basketball/soccer court and minigolf....

[stowaway2k]

Regardless of when the "Unsinkable" appellation was ascribed, the Titanic blunder of having grossly insufficient lifecraft capacity has to be the most appalling error. Many lives were lost, which puts Titanic in a class of its own compared with the other petty cruising issues in the poll.

.

 

Quite right.

 

Calling Titanic "unsinkable", whether true or not, by whomever or whenever, had nothing to do with the actual tragedy of her sinking.

The decision to cut back on lifeboats to comply with the bare minimum allowed by some archaic law still on the books at the time, for the sake of a more attractive deck for the passengers, far outweighs in stupidity the "unsinkable" label.

 

The "idea" of NCL Hawaii was a good one. No, it was a great idea. The fact that NCL fumbled it, and fumbled badly in practice does not mean that the idea was flawed. The fact that NCL still has a successful Hawaii program proves that it was a good idea.

 

A rotten idea is one that is practically industry-wide... having your dinner interrupted time and again by pushy photographers pushing obscenely priced "souvenir" photos.

 

How about Carnival's tacky practice of endless announcements during dinner on the final night to tip the maitre d'?

There is nothing lower than blatant in-your-face begging for tips, especially by someone who probably did zilch for you the entire cruise.

[Cruzaholic41]

Some of these options I actually think are good ideas. Others are just minor annoyances that have since been resolved. Without a doubt, the whole Titanic idea and all the circumstances surrounding it was the worst because it was unrecoverable.

[AgSg]

I think adding the Titanic to this list was a turkey. Who could disagree that the Titanic was one of the most tragic errors in maritime history. How can you compare what happened on the Titanic to losing my Diamond Lounge access, not being able to smoke on a ship, or any of the other items on the list. :(

My vote is for the NCL Epic, the ugliest ship afloat. This is not only the bathroom design but that horrible eyesore box on top of the ship. I hope everyone enjoys the luxury suites but that area throws off the entire profile. We will be boarding the Azamara Journey on Dec 11 in Miami and the Epic will also be there. Maybe, I will change my mind when I see the actual ship (I doubt it :rolleyes:). The bathroom design is also very odd. You step from the shower into the cabin, the sink is in the cabin, see through doors, what was the designer thinking? :eek: Even if you are careful, you are going to get water on the floor. I have been in high-end modern hotels with glass doors on the bathrooms but these bathrooms were not the size of a closet. Glass doors on a small space is not a reasonable design approach.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!:)

[tom_uk]

I'd like to see a reference regarding Franklin's 'Unsinkable' comment. Where's the evidence that it's a direct quote?

 

Like others, I understood that the legend of Titanic's unsinkability arose after the event, not before. I'm not aware that Titanic was regarded as especially different in that regard from her competitors on the North Atlantic, or indeed her sister Olympic (already in service). If people thought Titanic was unsinkable then they should have thought the same of Olympic, yet I've never heard of any such epithet being applied to the class leader.

[largoman]

Taking away perks from your loyal's. No No. Not only do loyal's love the Line they cruise with, they express that love to other new and potential cruisers. They are like walking PR people. :rolleyes:

[stowaway2k]

I'd like to see a reference regarding Franklin's 'Unsinkable' comment. Where's the evidence that it's a direct quote?

 

It's not a direct quote.

 

The first message regarding the Titanic disaster, when information was still sketchy, given by Franklin, Vice President of the International Mercantile Marine, owner of the White Star Line, as quoted by the New York Times on 16 April, 1912:

 

No Alarm For Titanic's Passengers

...officials were perfectly satisfied that there was no cause for alarm regarding the safety of the passengers or the ship, as they regard the Titanic as being practically unsinkable

 

After Franklin became aware of the scope of the disaster, he told the New York Times, in an article also published on 16 April

I thought her unsinkable and I based by opinion on the best expert advice available. I do not understand it.

 

These articles are easly accessed by a Google News Archives search.

 

 

 

I'm not aware that Titanic was regarded as especially different in that regard from her competitors on the North Atlantic, or indeed her sister Olympic (already in service). If people thought Titanic was unsinkable then they should have thought the same of Olympic, yet I've never heard of any such epithet being applied to the class leader.

I agree. ;)

[Cruisin' Chick]

I voted for the NCL/Hawaii debacle. But, I had an additional reason not mentioned in the recap provided in the voting summary.

 

I **believe** it was due to the NCL Hawaii itinerary that the PVSA was reviewed, with proposed amendments/crackdowns about the need for a foreign flagged ship to stop at a remote foreign port, as opposed to just a foreign port. NCL was unhappy with competition from lines which sailed to Hawaii from the mainland, and made a "service call" in Ensenada to purportedly comply with the PVSA.

 

If pressed to its logical conclusion, this objection could have ended Alaska cruises from Seattle, as Victoria B.C. is/was not a remote foreign port.

 

I voted for the see thru bathrooms as I would never be able to go on a ship with such a stupid idea. What were they thinking? But the whole PVSA mess that the NCL prez (and Senator Inouye) was trying to ram down the throats of the cruising industry a few years ago was horrendous. Many of us, along with mayors, governors, chambers of commerce, etc., posted on the Congressional record (or whatever it was) to protest the suggested changes. If these were enacted, the West Coast ports would have suffered immensely.

 

The RTs from the west coast to Hawaii were only competition for the NCLa cruises because they are considered better in terms of the quality of service. Also many of us would rather cruise to Hawaii than fly (we love those sea days plus the Hawaiian-based activities on cruiselines such as Princess). Have done two land trips in Hawaii and would go directly if that's what my family wants rather than go on the NCLa ship after hearing from friends who have done that cruise.

 

We loved sailing the Paradise. I wish she was still non smoking. What a shame to make her a smoking ship.

 

When we were on the Paradise while it was still a non-smoking ship, it was one of our best cruises. The ship was so clean with no burns in the carpet and no stale smell. And the passengers were the most pleasant. Completely enjoyable. We would have gone on it again and again when it came over to the west coast -- if it was still n-s.

[navybankerteacher]

Introducing the general concept of freestyle, without emphasizing that it meant open dining arrangements and flexible dress code -- and not simply doing whatever the hell you wanted wherever you wanted to do it, with no regard for fellow passengers. The decline in common courtesy aboard ship seems to coincide with the relaxing of traditional approaches -- perhaps coincidental, possibly not.

[fann1sh]

Introducing the general concept of freestyle, without emphasizing that it meant open dining arrangements and flexible dress code -- and not simply doing whatever the hell you wanted wherever you wanted to do it, with no regard for fellow passengers. The decline in common courtesy aboard ship seems to coincide with the relaxing of traditional approaches -- perhaps coincidental, possibly not.

 

I agree, as long as we stipulate we're not talking about one cruise line. The "general concept" has seen a difference in all of them.