Some thoughts from an old-timer: Now I see why first-timers are saying they're "terrified", "overwhelmed", "panic-stricken"

[shipgeeks]

We started cruising in 1991. What it took then was a trip or two to a travel agent to pick up as many cruise brochures as possible, spend a few weeks going over every aspect, then choosing a cruise ship and date, and finding a cabin on the deck plan that had the right kind of bed. (Bed setup was not convertible then.)  Then another trip to the travel agent, to sit while she phoned the cruise line, locked in a cabin, and took my deposit. Some time later, after final payment, an envelope would arrive, containing plane tickets, shuttle tickets, cruise tickets, a booklet with info about the cruise, including dress codes, dinner times, rules, fine print. Another booklet had lists of excursions available, which we'd be able to book once on the ship.

My biggest worry during the following weeks was how we would find our way to the shuttle, in the chaos of the airport.

We packed our passports, cash, and clothing, including the tuxedo, dresses, and suits that would be expected.

Without online forums, we never thought about getting seasick, so we didn't pack or take anything....and we never got seasick, nor have we in the 30 years since. 

The cruise was fabulous, and the start of many years of cruising. Not many decisions to make. Show up for the assigned dinner time and table, or don't have dinner. Go to the show, or not. Choose the excursion that looked most appealing, and show up for it.

 

Now.....there are so many decisions and choices, and so many people giving advice.  Which cruise line, ship, deck, cabin, season, month to book. How to track price changes. How to track beverage package prices. Reviews abound, and must be read before making any decisions.  Dining room options have to be decided and booked. There are dozens of products that are "cruise essentials" if one is going to have a good time, and be one of the cool kids.

 

I think I, too, would be overwhelmed if I were planning my first cruise now, but I'm glad I know it doesn't have to be that way.

[sparks1093]

Sure, it can be overwhelming, but at the same time the amount of control one has over the cruise have increased as well. Granted, there are some for whom it's best if everything is done for them so they don't have to decide, but for those of us who don't need that having so many options is a good thing. And now we have places like Cruise Critic where people can turn for help if they need it. Yes, sometimes the "old timers" on here forget what it was like when they started cruising and can be somewhat gruff in their responses, but overall CC is a wealth of information (and one can learn a lot just by browsing existing threads with no real need to post). 

[Mum2Mercury]

15 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Now.....there are so many decisions and choices, and so many people giving advice. 

I agree.  We've been cruising since 2003 (with a 7-8 year break while we were paying college tuition, then dealing with Covid), and I'm not sure it was any "easier" back then -- but we had "less" to dig through.  

 

I'm trying to remember, How did I learn "what to do" before that first cruise?  I know I read everything in the cruise documents.  I talked to people I knew.  Maybe I read some things online, but I'm sure we didn't have multiple cruise message boards and multiple cruise blogs -- to say nothing of You Tube videos and Pinterest.  I think back then I read more actual, official materials from the cruise line /less opinion from experienced cruisers.  Was that better or worse?  

 

We had less to know then: 

- We didn't yet need time slots for check in. 

- We didn't yet need reservations for shows. 

- Traditional dining in the MDR was the only game in town, and we only chose Early or Late -- no varying appointments.  

- I know we went to a specialty restaurant on that first cruise (they were called adults-only restaurants back then), and I know I couldn't make the reservation until we were on the ship.  

- On my first cruise I wasn't aware that independent excursions were "a thing".  I don't remember how I knew about ship-based excursions, but I did sign us up for one on our first-ever cruise. 

 

This "vacation complication" isn't just a cruise thing.  Disney is also more complex than it was decades ago -- tickets come with dates, you need (or needed?) appointments for the various parks, and they offer multiple (very expensive) "special experiences" within the parks.  Flying is also much more complicated than it was decades ago.  

 

 

 

[Mum2Mercury]

2 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Sure, it can be overwhelming, but at the same time the amount of control one has over the cruise have increased as well.

That's both good and bad.  Some of us -- especially those of us who've already "mastered" cruise basics -- want to optimize our boarding, our excursions, etc.  But some people see that as "too much" and just want to go with the flow.  I can't say people in the second category are wrong.  

2 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Yes, sometimes the "old timers" on here forget what it was like when they started cruising

Yes, as I "think back", I have trouble remembering HOW I learned the things I learned.  Certainly some of it was personal experience on the ships, but I know I read as much as possible before that first cruise.  

 

I think the title of this thread -- terrified, panic-stricken -- may be too strong, but I do see that someone just coming into "this world" has a learning curve ahead of him/her.  

 

 

Edited April 11 by Mum2Mercury

[MacMadame]

5 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I think the title of this thread -- terrified, panic-stricken -- may be too strong, but I do see that someone just coming into "this world" has a learning curve ahead of him/her.  

Yeah, those two words are extreme (not that some people don't feel that way) but OVERWHELMED is *for sure* something many of us both feel and express here.

 

I think my issue is that I'm an information junky so I do a lot of research as part of planning big trips. But some of it is that there are certain base choices that cost enough money that I do want to make sure I make a good choice. This is mainly around fares and packages. I actually ended up making a spreadsheet 

 

5 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

 - On my first cruise I wasn't aware that independent excursions were "a thing".  I don't remember how I knew about ship-based excursions, but I did sign us up for one on our first-ever cruise. 

My first cruise was done on a whim getting a killer last-minute deal. I had no idea what I was doing. For excursions, I'm not sure if there were any but if there were, I didn't know about them. I found a City Tour at the port for Puerto Rico and it was lovely.

 

But for the Dominican Republic, we got off the ship and within 10 minutes *everyone* had disappeared. What I didn't know was the cruise port was in the middle of nowhere and everyone in the know took a taxi into the main town and went shopping. I, OTOH, made friends with some little boys who showed me around and let me ride their donkey. LOL Honestly, I had a better time than I would have going shopping as I don't like to shop! (And, yes, I tipped them.)

 

We also went to St Croix and I also wandered around there but it's a much smaller place so I saw lots of cool things and even ended up in a church listening to an excellent choir during a morning mass.

 

5 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

This "vacation complication" isn't just a cruise thing.  Disney is also more complex than it was decades ago -- tickets come with dates, you need (or needed?) appointments for the various parks, and they offer multiple (very expensive) "special experiences" within the parks.  Flying is also much more complicated than it was decades ago.  

I hear you on Disney. I feel for people who just show up with no knowledge and no plan. Not only do you have to reserve your days in the park ahead of time but at WDW many rides need a reservation too. And you have to book 90 days in advance! Disneyland isn't as bad but if you have something you *especially* want to do, you do have to plan ahead. I've woken up many times at 3am to grab a dinner reservation at a particularly hot venue.

[shipgeeks]

"Terrified", "panic-stricken", and "overwhelmed" are words I've taken directly from a number of first-timer posts on other cruise forums.  I didn't make them up!

Some also say "excited", but they don't seem to be the majority.

 

[olemissreb]

My first cruise, my now ex called the company TA who got us a balcony cabim on an Eastern Caribbean Princess cruise. I remember getting in our cabim and finding out one port had been canceled/changed (don't remember which). I know we booked excursions and even one of those was canceled, but I don't remember when/how we did that. I do remember the couple that we shared our assigned seating with...they were celebratimg their 50th anniversary and the cruise was a gift from their kids. He was a first generation Italian American and embarassed the ---- out of our waiters (who were speaking Italian at the wait stand which was right by our table) and it was sooooo funny! I remember the maitre'd asking us if the 4 of us minded changing tables and when we did, we met another couple who ended up getting deserted from our San Juan walking tour with us (our first semi-independent tour and we made it back to the ship in plenty of time.

 

Yes, there is a lot more information to be had, but it's the memories that stick more than anything.

[ldubs]

It can be more complicated.  All the perspectives can lead some to overthinking things.   But overall, I think having more choices is a good thing.  

[sparks1093]

6 hours ago, ldubs said:

It can be more complicated.  All the perspectives can lead some to overthinking things.   But overall, I think having more choices is a good thing.  

There's a lot to this. It seems that some people are always seeking perfection in everything and they are looking for the perfect vacation. They try to plan everything meticulously so that everything is "just so". But when it comes to cruising how often does that happen? We all know that ship happens, so being flexible is a good thing. One of the lessons that we learned early on in life was to make plans loosely and be adaptable to a changing environment and that has served us well in the cruising world.

[Tapi]

I started cruising in the 80’s, so thanks for the trip down memory lane.
 

Going to the travel agent, looking at a bunch of brochures, then sitting there (sometimes for what felt like hours) while the travel agent made some phone calls to get price quotes and reserve the cruise, selecting our cabin from a deck plan on a glossy brochure, then waiting for paper documents to arrive in the mail, were all super exciting. 
 

While I miss the simplicity of cruising 40 years ago, and the nostalgic and  “old school” elements of cruise planning, I’ll take all the resources and options that we have today over what we had back then. Yes, the choices and amount of information today can be overwhelming at times (specially when sailing on some of the largest mega ships), but I feel like, at the same time, the whole process is much easier. What took weeks (or months) of researching, and countless hours in person with a travel agent, I can now do in a matter of minutes with a few clicks of a mouse. 
 

[shipgeeks]

Tapi, I do agree that it's now much easier for us cruising veterans, because we know what's out there and we know what we want and how to get it, and we know we can survive missed ports and other blips.  And we know that we can go on a cruise without taking and hiding 100 ducks, and without packing a full 70s outfit, and still have a wonderful cruise.

 

[CDNPolar]

On 4/12/2024 at 5:39 AM, sparks1093 said:

There's a lot to this. It seems that some people are always seeking perfection in everything and they are looking for the perfect vacation. They try to plan everything meticulously so that everything is "just so". But when it comes to cruising how often does that happen? We all know that ship happens, so being flexible is a good thing. One of the lessons that we learned early on in life was to make plans loosely and be adaptable to a changing environment and that has served us well in the cruising world.

 

The biggest lesson I learned when I started travelling extensively was that ship happens.  

 

Flexibility is my middle name now.

 

I used to look for the perfect vacation.  Now I can plainly say that every vacation I take is perfect because I leave my expectations at home and go with the flow of everything.  Everything that happens from an airline delay to bad weather is an adventure.  Not that I don't plan, but you will never me say the one thing that I hate to hear anywhere:  "This is not how it is, or tastes, at home."

 

I think that forums like CC are amazing for most people but can really complicate the situation for newbie cruisers that want and need a lot of information about the decisions they are making.  I have seen one innocent question turn into a debate so often that even as an experienced cruiser and traveller, I don't know what the right course of action is after all is said and done.

 

I have learned so much and continue to from CC and would be lost without it now.

 

 

[9tee2Sea]

I research at least 1 year in advance before picking the cruise.  I look at the length of time I can comfortably be away on the cruise ( plus add 2 days/pre and 1 day post).  I look into airlines that go from my airport to/from the port.  Check on the flight times ( always look for non-stop flight destinations) and price.  If airfare is too expensive, I will not go on that cruise.  I never used to look at cabin layouts, but now I do. I have come across some really odd layouts on 1 ship, and that is enough to turn me away from that cruise.  

[john watson]

On 4/11/2024 at 10:53 PM, shipgeeks said:

"Terrified", "panic-stricken", and "overwhelmed" are words I've taken directly from a number of first-timer posts on other cruise forums.  I didn't make them up!

Some also say "excited", but they don't seem to be the majority.

 

 

The thing is that whilst cruises have changed since I started cruising and they have changed radically since 1964.  The passengers have changed just as much if not more in my opinion, some are extra ordinarily fragile. Social media has a lot to answer for inasmuch as people taking photographs of everything right down to the minutia, posting them in public domains leaving others traumatised that their entire cruise experience was ruined by a substandard ice cream dessert.

 

Regards John

[CDNPolar]

13 hours ago, john watson said:

Social media has a lot to answer for inasmuch as people taking photographs of everything right down to the minutia, posting them in public domains leaving others traumatised that their entire cruise experience was ruined by a substandard ice cream dessert.

 

Regards John

 

John - I agree with you here.  I have abandoned reading forums like Trip Advisor because the complaints are often nothing to do with the overall experience but one tiny little thing that has no bearing on the full experience.  

 

I most often remember a review of a hotel that was absolutely horrible - I think in Venice Italy - because the hotel did not provide washcloths or facecloths which are common in North America, but are not common in all areas of Europe.  

 

Comments like never stay there again... Don't book this hotel...  When I brought this up to management they did nothing to fix the situation...

 

Makes me laugh actually.

[shipgeeks]

Oh no! Yet another thing for pre-cruisers to worry about!

From a popular cruise forum:

"Which ships or cabins have toilet seats?  I have never had one. It's disgusting having to sit on the rim."

 

[jlawrence01]

Some thoughts:

 

1) There is so much more information out there on cruising than there was 25 years ago from so many different sources.  In the past, you would talk to a CLIA travel agent or attend a travel show. The travel agent could "hold your hand" and answer MOST of your questions.

 

2) While there is a lot of information out there, there may actually be too much.  And there is very few filters.  You have to evaluate a lot of the sources of information as there are so many influencers who are quietly sponsored.  After a while of watching hundreds of YouTube videos, I can pretty much guess what will be stated about the particular cruise.

 

3) Personally, when friends ask me about taking a cruise, I get some basic ideas as to what they are looking for and steer them toward lines that would work for them.  I always ask them to pack some patience and try as hard as possible to do everything on the ship.  I also try to get them to try different lines.  We have done eight cruises on seven lines.

[Honolulu Blue]

On 4/16/2024 at 3:32 AM, jlawrence01 said:

2) While there is a lot of information out there, there may actually be too much.  And there is very few filters.  You have to evaluate a lot of the sources of information as there are so many influencers who are quietly sponsored. 

You speak the truth, not only about cruise info, but ALL information.  Since the rise of the Internet and the movement of much data there, there has been a TREMENDOUS rise in the amount of available information, but also a rise in the amount of opinions that are sometimes disguised as information, and a rise in outright untruths.  It can be hard to tell which is which.