What is the worst Cruise line that you have sailed on

[Cruzaholic41]

Costa! I can't even begin to explain all the reasons why. Never, ever again!

[jrlerl711]

Hey Jagoffee, Thanks for the compliment!!! I was a cook on the USS Putnam DD-757 ('62-'64). After 25 cruises, worse were NCL & Carnival. The best is easily Celebrity!!!!

[patatie]

Costa. Specifically, Costa Classica. Poor customer service, wait staff who didn't know what basic food was (eg Horizon court staff not knowing what "toast" was!!)...crappy entertainment staff...realllly bad. Oh, and having to change rooms 3 or 4 times in the first few days, due to a "leaking $#!+ pipe" that made the stench in our rooms unbearable.

[dalgirl]

Let me preface this by saying I have never had a bad cruise- just some are better than others

 

However, at the bottom of the list is NCL. My wife said the lobster was the worst she ever had on a cruise. I'm not much of a lobster fan, so I'll take her word for it

 

You buy a drink, it always comes in a souvinier (sp) glass at a $2 markup. I guess you have to ask for it specifically without this glass

 

Our biggest gripe is something most folks would consider minor- Pepsi products. We both consider Diet Pepsi a small step above swill. By the time we got off, I was dying for a Diet Coke

 

It was a short 2-night out and back, supposedly to the private island, but that was cancelled in favor of Freeport, Bahamas. Not NCL's fault, but just added to my general feelings. I'm glad we didn't waste any more time and money

 

Holland America was not our favorite either, but, their private island was nice, and the show on the last night (kind of a vaudeville review, all the entertainers during the week participated, and the band really cut loose). And, they had Diet Coke

 

This one really strikes me as funny - I hate any lobster and love Diet Pepsi - the private island was the worst (I understand it has been recently renovated), so you really escaped a bullet and would have preferred to go to Freeport. I have only gotten one unrequested souvenir glass and I asked them to bring it back in a regular glass. And two days - now that was the real problem - way too short to relax--- :D

 

Oh, and my worst cruise was also on NCL - the Jade - my second time around on this ship. But to be fair, I didn't know that I had a really bad thyroid problem, so all the food tasted salty, the ship seemed bland and dull, we had to tender both times in Croatia!! and everyone on the staff and fellow passengers bothered me..... Yep, I am pretty sure it was me:p I also have bad memories of Venice..... Yep it was definitely me:o

Medication already packed for Barcelona in a few weeks....

So unless the ship sinks - even a bad cruise is better than being at work;) Do a search for Sailor Jack - now that was a bad cruise:D

[badaple92]

Carnival Miracle in 2004: service was horrendous because the servers were spread very thin. Didn't care for the ship at all.

 

This one has my vote too

[Krazy Kruizers]

We tried RCI many years ago.

 

When we arrived in our cabin the bed was nicely made - complete with bedspread -- after that first day -- never saw it again. Just the sheets and blanket showing everyday.

 

Ice bucket was filled only in the morning -- had to keep asking for ice.

 

Food was not great -- lots of fried dishes for entrees. Service was very slow in the dining room.

 

Crew seemed as though they could have cared less.

 

There were other little things that did not impress us.

 

Thus we never booked another cruise with them.

 

[haikou]

ugh!

[mr green]

I knew we were in trouble when we first saw our "stateroom." It had bunk beds that couldn't be converted.

Bunk Beds!!!

 

omg bunk beds!!!! how did you ever survive?

i wish i could go back on a ss norway cruise in their 102 sq ft inside cabins with bunk beds.

 

Apart from the theater, I found SS Norway to bethe worst cruise ship that I have ever sailed, this includes Homeric, back in the mid '50s.

I advised, after my cruise that she should be scrapped, had this been done, a few lives might have been saved.

 

john

[jewopaho]

This is precisely the reason why there are so many cruise lines and ships of all sizes.

 

A couple of you have reminisced about the Norway ... I couldn't stand it! Whether it was the element of surprise (I don't think that any two staterooms were alike, and some were as small as 80 sq. ft.), the lack of "flow" (having to go across the ship to get from one deck to another), the stench of diesel fuel when outdoors (far worse than today's ships) ... once was more than enough.

 

Lest you believe that I'm biased about older ships, we sailed Celebrity's Horizon in '03 and had a marvelous time. While we were sorry to see it go, we certainly understood why it wasn't very cost-effective for X.

 

The Carnival Miracle was panned by a few ... our cruise out of Tampa in '03 was wonderful, decor notwithstanding. I don't remember a better dining room staff, particularly Tatiana (our group still talks about her).

 

Our cruise line of choice is Princess ... but our trip aboard the Sapphire in March of '10 was perhaps the worst we've ever been on (stagnant indoor air literally sickened us, ship in poor condition, condescending management).

 

I think it's much more a matter of particular ships and staff than cruise line. The industry is competitive to the point of cutthroat, and the clunkers (Commodore, Dolphin, Premier, Renaissance, etc.) are long gone. All cruise lines deliver an acceptable product ... just not to the same people.

[boogs]

We find the various comments interesting. It is always amazing to us the number of cruisers that have only been on one cruise line. To us it would be like only going to McDonalds and thinking its the best restaurant in the world because we have never been to any other restaurant. We have been fortunate to have been on 12 cruise lines (more then 60 different ships) and have never had a bad cruise.

 

Hank

 

I wish I was as fortunate as you! We've been on five cruises on three cruise lines, and we've sailed three of them on the same line. We liked the experience on that line and since it's a known commodity, we keep coming back. Besides, even if sailing on the same ship over and over again, if the itinerary is different each time, much of the cruise will be a new experience, keeping things fresh and not routine.

[navybankerteacher]

Orient's Marco Polo--the tiniest cabin I've ever seen, mediocre food, worse service, amateurish entertainment.

 

Assuming you referred to Marco Polo, and not the newer Marco Polo II, I have to agree about the cabins: hard bunks, barely 24 inches wide. Of course, the ship was built for The East German Peoples Democratic Republic - for the purpose of rewarding workers for surpassing their quotas. every night there was a persistent clanging sound -- it seemed to come from the center of the ship, and sounded like an anvil on a chain swinging periodically into a steel wall. Repeated requests to cure were unsuccessful. In 1996 their food was mediocre and the entertainment flat -- but the itinerary was fantastic and the crew really were responsive and helpful (except for their inability to find and cure the late night clanging).

[worldspan]

MSC Orchestra a few years ago in the Caribbean.

 

Was onboard as part of a large group (1,600) who had switched from sailing on Carnival normally and MSC was so bad the group organizers were afraid to come out of their cabin only after a few days. :eek:

 

Bad food, bad service. Asked a question at the tour excursion desk and the 2 women there talked to each other in Italian and then finally said, "no, sorry." How rude.

 

Many, many removed their automatic gratuities and only tipped cruise staff that were somewhat good.

 

I must have been on the same cruise! The very worst, MSC Orchestra, in my 129 cruises taken since 1971!

 

Worldspan

129 cruises strong

[BecciBoo]

We tried RCI many years ago.

 

When we arrived in our cabin the bed was nicely made - complete with bedspread -- after that first day -- never saw it again. Just the sheets and blanket showing everyday.

 

Ice bucket was filled only in the morning -- had to keep asking for ice.

 

Food was not great -- lots of fried dishes for entrees. Service was very slow in the dining room.

 

Crew seemed as though they could have cared less.

 

There were other little things that did not impress us.

 

Thus we never booked another cruise with them.

 

 

Pity. Maybe it's time you did.

[marco]

I've never really been on what I would call a "Bad" cruise, though some are better than others. After all, being on a "bad cruise" is still better than a good day at work. I've been on close to I'd say about 150, now. I got hooked when I got taken to Europe by ship back when I was "a tot" in the 50's and have been sailing 2-3 times a year ever since. And yes...I've seen a LOT of changes over the years in all respects. One year I took a cruise on HAL and while preparing for dinner, we asked for a cheese platter. The steward brought a tray with a platter of assorted sliced cheeses, crackers and biscuits, a fanned strawberry and few grapes and blueberries, two small dishes, napkins and a knife. That spring, we went on "Dolphin" ...no longer sailing. We asked for a cheese tray for the cabin while preparing for dinner. The steward brought a paper plate with 4 single sliced pre-wrapped American cheese slices, still wrapped and 4 packets of saltines, still wrapped. We nearly got sick laughing so much. We took a photo of it and since, have taken a photo of a HAL cheese platter delivered to the cabin. We love HAL and when folks ask 'why?", we show them the two cheese platter photos and say, this one is HAL, this one "an other line". The Dolphin cruise was cheap and we pretty much knew what we were going to be in for before we sailed. (Our agent tried and tried to talk us out of going). We're pretty easy to please and just role with the tide and when you travel, be it by ship or any other mode, you kind of have to be because as the old saying goes..."S**t happens", and it seems to happen with greater frequency when traveling, so if you really think you won't be able to deal with it.....don't travel!

[jpg1747]

Absolutely worst cruise was a Panama Canal cruise (Aruba to Acapulco) on Royal Cruise Line (not to be confused with Royal Caribbean). Shortly after our cruise in December 1995 the line went out of business. The ship was old and the food was awful. The only saving grace was the ports, which were all awesome.

 

My very first cruise was in 1986 on the Carla Costa. It was a beautiful old ship, the food was good, but the entertainment was very second rate, almost amateurish. But I didn't know any better so I thought that was what cruising was all about. Shortly thereafter I took my first Princess cruise and realized the difference.

[cruisemom42]

So unless the ship sinks - even a bad cruise is better than being at work;) Do a search for Sailor Jack - now that was a bad cruise:D

 

After all, being on a "bad cruise" is still better than a good day at work.

 

I wish we could retire this phrase! It's such a pat answer for some. All I can say is that some folks must have really crappy jobs to be worse than spending 7 nights in a cabin that never got below 90 degrees (often nearer 100) without any air movement and only a tiny fan! :rolleyes:

[bjcanady]

I knew we were in trouble when we first saw our "stateroom." It had bunk beds that couldn't be converted.

Bunk Beds!!!

 

omg bunk beds!!!! how did you ever survive?

i wish i could go back on a ss norway cruise in their 102 sq ft inside cabins with bunk beds.

 

me too.....39 times on the Norway and miss her dearly.....

[CruiserChloe]

I hesitate to say the word "worst," but so far, my least favorite has been Carnival. Compared to the other lines, their ships are just too over-the-top neon ugly inside and the crowd is just a little too rambunctious for my tastes.

[LHT28]

Assuming you referred to Marco Polo, and not the newer Marco Polo II, I have to agree about the cabins: hard bunks, barely 24 inches wide. Of course, the ship was built for The East German Peoples Democratic Republic - for the purpose of rewarding workers for surpassing their quotas. every night there was a persistent clanging sound -- it seemed to come from the center of the ship, and sounded like an anvil on a chain swinging periodically into a steel wall. Repeated requests to cure were unsuccessful. In 1996 their food was mediocre and the entertainment flat -- but the itinerary was fantastic and the crew really were responsive and helpful (except for their inability to find and cure the late night clanging).

Actually the Marco Polo formally the Alexandr Pushkin was built in 1965 for the Soviet union's Baltic Shipping Co

We sailed on her when they had bunk beds & just a sink in the cabins communal toilets & showers were down the hall

I think the cabin had to be 5'X 9' very small :eek:

The crew was Russian & food was hearty

I gained 14 lbs in the first week of a 2 week cruise

 

we sailed on her again when she was the Marco Polo beds were twin & we had a the toilet & shower in the cabin ...much better ;)

Food was fine the itinerary was great

 

We have not had a truly bad cruise but some were better than others they all had good points & bad points the 2 that I will NEVER sail again are NCL & ACCL far to many bad points

[Wayfairers]

Carnival - can't remember the name of the ship (or have forced myself to forget). This was in the early 90s, and was our first cruise - Los Angeles to Ensenada. So many idiots on board, most of them drunk, loud, annoying. Too much of a frat party atmosphere, and it wasn't even spring break! Garish decorations, like a low end Las Vegas hotel. The food was so-so, and the service only adequate. We came away with such a poor experience it soured us on cruising for over a decade. At a friend's suggestion we decided to give it another try about 5 years ago, this time on Celebrity. Differences were like night and day! We've recently booked our fourth cruise with them. Now we are getting the cruise experience we were hoping for but didn't get on that first one.

 

I wish I'd had the benefit then of the research available today on the internet. Would have saved me a lot of disappointment.

 

We must have been on the same Carnival ship - by far the worst cruise we have been on. I've heard others say they like Carnival so I wonder if it was just that itinerary. The food was so-so, the service was terrible, there were unsanitary conditions (servers removing used plates/utensils then setting new places without using gloves and without washing hands) and the passengers were rowdy, drunk and obnoxious.

[Taxguy77]

One of the best cruises was on NCL from Miami through the canal to Chile. Great ship, wonderful dinner companions, superb waiters and the best cruise director ever. Food was also good. Several years later we sailed NCLs 2nd ship to be built for "freestyle dining". :eek: The confusion in the dining room was unbelievable and food quality was much lower. Last NCL cruise for us.

Small staterooms: One of the smallest and hardest to reach was on the 'Royal Clipper' sailing ship. It was also a wonderful cruise, very friendly crew and very good food. Lunch every day was on the open deck with three serving stations. The only cruise we have been on that we didn't eat any lunches on land (just beer and snacks).

[geoherb]

Food was awful, service was plain awful. Always the last to leave the dining room, because, as others were getting dessert, we were getting appetizers....

I don't want to blame you for the awful service, but do want to blame you for putting up with it. All it takes is a word with the maitre d' to fix poor service. Either you would have been moved to one of the tables with a better waiter, you would have received a new waiter at your table, or the maitre d' would have improved your waiter's service by having a word with him.

[Post Captain]

Orient's Marco Polo--the tiniest cabin I've ever seen, mediocre food, worse service, amateurish entertainment.

Obviously you've never sailed aboard a three-masted frigate of His Majesty's navy. Although I do try to maintain high standards aboard HMS Surprise.

-- Jno Aubrey, RN

 

Don't you know you must always choose the lesser of two weevils?

[BecciBoo]

Love that movie, on my top 10~~;):p

[gingerboo]

Well, guess I'm one of the few NCL afficiandos! First NCL cruise was on the Seaward in 1988 - or 1989. Can't remember. It was a great cruise! (Western from Miami). Looking back, this was my first "modern" cruise since two on the old Pacific Princess back in the late 70's. (Remember the "Love Boat"?) Little did I know back then!! In 1990, took my first cruise on the SS Norway, and loved it!! Took five cruises on her since then (because it was cheap, and I liked the Eastern itinerary). Last Norway cruise was in late March 2003, two months before the fatal boiler explosion which took her out of service forever. Haven't been on any NCL ship since then.

 

Worst Cruise Ever...RCI Viking Serenade August 1995. LA-Catalina-Enseneda-LA. Old, dirty ship with overflowing toilets and really bad food. YUK!!