2007: Highlights and Lowlights in Cruising

[Dan Askin]

Whether it's the continued new-build frenzy, the sinking of ships in Antarctica, or the global expansion of the cruise vacation, it was an undoubtedly eventful year for cruising. And at this point, with 2007 winding to close, now is a perfect time to pause in reflect (see our brand-new piece: http://www.cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=613.

So we'd like to know: What were 2007's most memorable moments in cruising?

[paul929207]

Our cruise on the Royal Princess last month was wonderful. We had a great group we met here on the Cruise Critic. Having all these friends when we boarded (especially the 14 we went to dinner with in Venice the night before we boarded) made the trip even more special.

[GORDONCHICK]

I've always dreamed of seeing Alaska, and in September we finally did. Now I know why so many go back! It is addictive! That was my highlight.

 

I know many would argue this, but to me the low-light in cruising in general is lack of dress code enforcement in the dining rooms. My family enjoys dressing especially for the formal nights, but when so many don't bother (and are still seated in the dining room), it makes me wonder why we bothered with all the extra packing and time dressing. My thought is: if the lines are going to bother having a dress code, please enforce it. Otherwise, it's just wasted ink.

[NYCBeach]

I wouldn't do it again, but this year I went on my first large ship cruise. Sorry folks but there is such a thing as a ship that's too big. I'm going back to my under 700 oax ships for the service, the food and the company.

[JJSMaine]

I sailed firs ton the Triumph when it was new, and then of the Adventure of the Seas 4th voyage and then on Horizon. I liked all three ships and will be sailing on ExOS in January.

 

I was amazed at RCCLs plan to build what some are nicknaming the Monstrosity of the Seas.

 

Caribbean port are already super crowded on most days and I can't imagine wanting to be in port with these new larger ships. I think this will mark a turning point on the industry and these large ships will encounter issues due to their size and impact.

 

I think the experience on the new largest ships will be good, but I think the transfer of people on and off and port calls will be a huge issue. How does one tender that many people. Reports of long delays getting off our current large ships, clearing customs, etc are common. How will these incidents play out with so many more people involved. Logistics are currently an issue at the port we will be leaving from, Bayonne. I can't imagine the situation once the truely mega ships start sailing.

 

So, for me, the big news of the year is size.

[cruisemom42]

Lowlights: Apparent trend of people going overboard, and the somewhat linked "exposes" of safety onboard cruise ships. (As if it were easy to fall overboard.....)

 

Highlights: More varied itineraries offered, more choice of ships (smaller, larger, mass market, upscale, etc.)

[pris993]

Highlight for me, was a return of cruise to the Middle East. Enjoyed an October cruise on the Royal to Egypt, Israel, Turkey and Greece.

 

Low points are cruiselines trying to be all things to all people, i.e., MUTS, rock climbing, ice skating, jeans in the diningroom etc.

 

We love the old traditions, that is what has kept us cruising since the early l970s. We will look for lines that retain the traditions as much as possible.

[WISH84]

This article was right on target. I couldn't agree any more with the section on customer service. I think for the most part (99.999%) the staff on board does a tremendous job. It's at the Corporate level where there are issues. Five phone calls to the Princess 800 number regarding the same issue resulted in five different answers and none of them were satisfying.

 

It won't stop us from cruising. We have fallen to far in love with the sea, the ships, the passengers and the experience.

[Grandpaul]

My most memorable moment in cruising this year was the beginning of the cutting up of the Norway. I know this subject keeps popping up but that stood out for me. My cruises this year were all the same, very, very good. So nothing jumped out there.

[ILoveScotland]

My lowlight was the demise of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. I only sailed with Windjammer twice, and that was in the 90s. We sailed on the Flying Cloud in the BVI and then on the Fantome less than a year before she went down in Hurricane Mitch. I would have sailed more, but I have an aging husband who is now essentially wheelchair bound so had to switch to large ships which are also fun.

 

Still I've followed the Windjammer story and am saddened by the entire episode in cruising history.

[editor@cruisecritic]

I totally agree with you -- but don't think we'll really know until Genesis launches. We're certainly hearing about what some ports are doing -- Jamaica and Ft. Lauderdale at this point -- but the jury's most definitely out....

 

Carolyn

I sailed firs ton the Triumph when it was new, and then of the Adventure of the Seas 4th voyage and then on Horizon. I liked all three ships and will be sailing on ExOS in January.

 

I was amazed at RCCLs plan to build what some are nicknaming the Monstrosity of the Seas.

 

Caribbean port are already super crowded on most days and I can't imagine wanting to be in port with these new larger ships. I think this will mark a turning point on the industry and these large ships will encounter issues due to their size and impact.

 

I think the experience on the new largest ships will be good, but I think the transfer of people on and off and port calls will be a huge issue. How does one tender that many people. Reports of long delays getting off our current large ships, clearing customs, etc are common. How will these incidents play out with so many more people involved. Logistics are currently an issue at the port we will be leaving from, Bayonne. I can't imagine the situation once the truely mega ships start sailing.

 

So, for me, the big news of the year is size.

[editor@cruisecritic]

I did one cruise on a Windjammer ship, back when I worked for The Washington Post, and I loved it. During my time at Cruise Critic (4.5 years now!) it was a priority to cover the line because it was so special. So I'm as disheartened as the rest about what has happened.

 

I would have more faith if the company had been more responsive and more responsible when times got dicey. Their lack of concern for not only passengers but also for the crew that epitomized the experience ...was a lowlight of the year.

 

The Burkes have a lot of work to do to regain anybody's trust, including ours.

 

 

Carolyn

 

My lowlight was the demise of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. I only sailed with Windjammer twice, and that was in the 90s. We sailed on the Flying Cloud in the BVI and then on the Fantome less than a year before she went down in Hurricane Mitch. I would have sailed more, but I have an aging husband who is now essentially wheelchair bound so had to switch to large ships which are also fun.

 

Still I've followed the Windjammer story and am saddened by the entire episode in cruising history.

[cruiserbryce]

we took 2 cruises this year and what really made our year special was going on Liberty of the Seas' maiden voyage...it was really a special trip for us.

[Lynnees]

I believe your absolutely right about the fact cruiselines don't listen until the damage is done. There are a lot of good ideas from the cruising public that should be listened to.

 

There was only one thing you didn't mention that has created some hard feelings. The fuel surcharge. Not so much the fact that it's been added but the manner in which it has been done. Abviously it wasn't looked into properly and just changing the contract was not a very smart move. They have backed up for Canadians but it should have shown them they needed to reevaluate how they were doing it.

 

I also have to question when bigger will not be better. There are mega ships coming out. Where do they intend to get the cruisers for all these ships? I realize there are millions of people who have not cruised but the highest per centage of them have not cruised for a reason and and that reason won't change just because there are bigger ships.

[home depot man]

What everyone needs to remebemer is cruising is a adventure.It is not for the faint of heart.We have been though hurricanes seasickness lost luggage bad service and though it all we have loved every minute of it.If you don't like things not going smoothly you better not take a cruise. We have been so late that we were the last person to board the ship due to airline problems.So when something happen we just try to smlie and keep on going.So all the complainers out there just need to do something else and leave the adveturing up to those of us you love crusing.

[eddie]

The extreme lowering of the dress standards(NCL allowing jeans in the dining room) is very troubling.I believe the cruise lines corporate directors have lost most of their nautical heritage, sea going traditions will fall by the wayside. A cruise was a special type of vacation,what was wrong about putting on a suit a few nights a week and enjoying the feeling of being someplace special.? Now every event on the ship is geared towards the bottom line.On many ships the only time you see the captain is one night during a 7 day cruise,and the purpose of that is to sell you a twenty dollar picture. Three and soon four thousand passengers on a ship is crazy. Two mega ships arriving at a Carribean port the same time,completly overruning the town nd its limited facilities. We have changed our cruising schedules that instead of a 7 dayer once a year ,we now take a 14 day every 2 years. It seems the longer cruises retain the feel of what cruising used to be.Relaxation!!!

[phish tales]

this reply is for gordonchick-----i agree with you 100% what you said about the dress code. those that do not want to follow it eat in windjammer or in your cabin withyour jeans on :eek: :eek: :eek:

[nchank]

"Art" auctions, junky on board stores. liquor rules are downers. But I guess the lines need these to make up for the low fares. The monstrous size ships need cattle car crowd control. I wish I could afford small ship cruising!:D

[doctordi]

The highlight of this year was going on my first cruise in Feburary which was on the Regal Empress. I loved cruising so much that I have my 5th cruise scheduled for Jan 7th and my 6th and 7th planned for March and April! I've got the bug and I don't want to be cured.:D

[CRUISERTN]

Seems to be more lows than highs each year. As a veteran cruiser for the past 30-something years, I have seen more and more traditions go away. I am opposed to pooled tipping and jeans in the dining room, rock climbing and ice skating at sea. I agree with others that it decreases from the true cruise tradition when dress codes are way too relaxed. Would prefer the lines who are keeping traditional dining and traditional tipping....much more personal to hand a tip to the person who did the work and deserves it....much better service and better attitudes from staff....hate to see standards lowered and would love to see a trend back to more traditional cruising next year.

[Lynnees]

What everyone needs to remebemer is cruising is a adventure.It is not for the faint of heart.We have been though hurricanes seasickness lost luggage bad service and though it all we have loved every minute of it.If you don't like things not going smoothly you better not take a cruise. We have been so late that we were the last person to board the ship due to airline problems.So when something happen we just try to smlie and keep on going.So all the complainers out there just need to do something else and leave the adveturing up to those of us you love crusing.

 

Cruising is not an adventure in the sense you are referring to. It is meant to be a relaxing fun filled vacation. Of course it's for the "faint of heart". If you think otherwise you've had far too many problems.

 

Nothing these days goes smooth - flying is one of the worst parts of travelling. People are not complaining about cruising. They are giving opinions on things that happen. You are making a mountain out of a molehill.

[SeattleCruiselover]

....of cruising as we know it?

 

If NCLA succeeds in getting the Passenger Vessel Safety Act (PVSA) regulations changed to prevent round trip US cruises without a DISTANT foreign port being included (since Canada, Mexico, and some Caribbean ports do not qualify as distant foreign ports), the face of the cruise industry as we know it is likely to change in a manner that is far from for the better.

 

My daughter works for Majestic America Line. They, of course, will not be affected, since they are American flagged and only sail in US waters; but even she does not understand the need for this outdated cabotage law to stay on the books, since there don't seem to be many (make that ANY) cruise lines standing in line to reflag/restaff ships to US and take over the round trip itineraries from Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York et al.

 

The economy of my (and a number of other) hometown(s) would be in significant jeopardy if the foreign flagged ships have to cross the borders to Canada/Mexico to keep their Alaskan, Mexican and Canada/New England itineraries. Not to mention the fact that the ports to which they would have to move don't have sufficient infrastructure to take on all of the extra ships as quickly as these regulations might go into effect.

 

I seriously doubt that even this will change anything for NCLA. They can't keep crew, service levels are not acceptable, and their product in general is not all that popular. So, why can't NCL just admit that this a failed experiment and work with the government, CLIA and other agencies to come up with an acceptable compromise that isn't going to hurt the rest of the industry and subsidiary cities/vendors????:mad:

[krystalkruzer]

The modernization and updating of the dress code,among other things,to reflect the present and future of cruising.It does not degrade the experience unless you want to live 50 years in the past.Time for those old,outdated stuffy "traditions" to be replaced :)

[hammybee]

Whether it's the continued new-build frenzy, the sinking of ships in Antarctica, or the global expansion of the cruise vacation, it was an undoubtedly eventful year for cruising. And at this point, with 2007 winding to close, now is a perfect time to pause in reflect (see our brand-new piece: http://www.cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=613).

 

So we'd like to know: What were 2007's most memorable moments in cruising?

 

The link is not functioning.

 

Going from my recollection of what it said, I found it curious that the Holland America pricing snafu, which occured in October of 2006, was mentioned as a lowpoint of cruising in 2007. Were there not sufficent low points in 2007, that it was necessary to claw back to 2006?

[hammybee]

The modernization and updating of the dress code,among other things,to reflect the present and future of cruising.It does not degrade the experience unless you want to live 50 years in the past.Time for those old,outdated stuffy "traditions" to be replaced :)

 

When you view onboard photos from the 50-60's, men are attired in suits/ties and are often wearing hats. The women are in dresses or social suits, often with hats and white gloves. And this is daytime attire, onboard a ship. It's how people dressed, at the time. Those passengers would be shocked to see how poorly the best dressed passengers are today.

 

Dress code is a reflection of guest preference. Almost every land-based restaurant and entertainment venue no longer has a requirement for jackets/ties and jeans are accepted at dining establishments with dinners costing $150 as well as the nearest fast food place.

 

Country clubs persist with dress codes. These are private clubs, usually with a requirement for a substantial equity investment and the clubs exist to satisfy the desires of their members, not the whims of the general public looking for a cheap cruise.

 

Cruise lines adapt to what their passengers prefer or they risk going out of business. Imagine how a cruise line could survive, if it expected its passengers to dress as they once did, voluntarily, 50 years ago.

 

Blaming cruise lines for relaxed attire is misplaced- they are in business to serve the preferences of the general public.