bahrain_not_dubai!

I wouldn't say the flying would be too much of a problem.

If you mean the sea-days between cruises, I'd say it is quite a nice itinerary, for it offers you the right amount of sea days to relax and 'cruise' after all the overnight travelling.

I think this is the type of post that causes many to not even bother to share their experience on the boards. I recently received an email from a trusted friend (and SB enthusiast) that just disembarked the Pride. She went into detail the (horrid) experience she had. I asked her to post here, and she refused because of back-lash from SB die hards. Its too bad that we can't enjoy the good AND the not-so-good reviews. I'm sure the cruise lines LOVE the fact that many CC members are afraid to post anything but stellar experiences. Really too bad.

Dear Host Dan,

I maybe have not made my views clear- I have read many reviews that have one or two things go amiss and the reviewer rates everything as 'one star', or allows one issue to tar everything. For example an issue with the food suddenly makes the room awful, that type of thing. What I meant is such reviews are usually negative, and unbelievable due to just how bad they are. On the other hand, reviews highlighting the good and the bad in an educated manner are far more believable. If I go onto any cruise review and see everything rated at '1 or 2 stars' I turn away, because I do not find it conceivable that everything could be that bad. Now it would appear from your comments that things on the Pride are really horrid, in which case I apologise, but I hope you understand were I am coming from when I say that reviews that try and paint absolutely everything in a bad light are not very believable. As you can see from the cruises I have undertaken I am not devoted to any cruise line and move around the brands (as well as categories) quite freely.

My Crystal cruise that I undertook last year was quite negative and I did not bother writing a review of fear of the same backlash you mentioned, so I understand that and we certainly should hear the bad as much (if not more so) than the good. It is Cruise 'Critic' after all!

Prices are governed by demand, and obviously the demand for these berths is very, very low. I recently got an offer for a Med cruise on Rotterdam for £299 per person ($490!). Had I not already booked my flights home for Christmas, I would have certainly made use of that offer.

The cruise lines run on the principle that having somebody in the cabin is better than nobody at all, and thats why prices fluctuate to such a great degree. Case in point is that the cruise after the $490 one is the Christmas and New Year voyage, with the same cabins going for $2,289- albeit that is a longer cruise. If I do a per berth per day calculation, then it is $44 per day vs. $134 on back to back cruises.

Transatlantic cruises are such a great value. Especially if you have enough miles for a redemption ticket on the way back.

Congratulations, Congratulations, Congratulations!

This has absolutely made my day! You had me grinning from ear to ear!

Best of luck to you. Your review was special, and your engagement day even more so! You have a very warm writing style that is a joy to read. I'm sure going to McDs instead of Alain Duchasse made it all the more special (I'm not kidding)!

It doesn't seem very reasonable for Celebrity to not afford you this offer if you are willing to pay the difference.

I certainly do agree about how annoying it is having different rules for different countries. In my opinion the biggest offenders by far are Princess Cruises (and for a while Cunard too). Now that I live in the UK it is not such a big problem, although when I permanently lived in Bahrain I would regularly get quoted over £1,600 more for the same booking over the US price on the aforementioned cruise lines. Needless to say I ran away.

If cruise lines could normalise their prices/rules across markets, it would be great. I hate booking a cruise for a certain rate, knowing my neighbour from X country is getting it for much cheaper (or vice versa). Luckily, I do not think Celebrity is a big offender in this department (at least from a pricing perspective).

Does anyone know if it is possible to make payment for the cruise on the website or does one have to call them?

I was just on Crown Princess after 7 years. We used to like Princess a lot, now I don't think I'd go on them again.

 

It seems that it was a very bland, vanilla experience. It seems that it has "stood still" while other lines we've sailed on recently are more to our liking. Food is better on Celebrity and even entertainment is. Princess' entertainment seems stuck in the early 2000's. Even Personal Choice Dining which they started in about 2000 has taken a turn for the worst, since they expanded the dining rooms for Traditional.

 

I was initially interested in Royal Princess, but since I like sitting on our balcony, we won't consider that ship now.

 

(I also thought that Royal Caribbean stock was outperforming Carnival.)

This. It hits the nail on the head with what Princess seems to be these days.

Carnival Corporation has been struggling as of rate. While I still rate Holland America (classical/traditional- less premium than X but premium nonetheless) and Seabourn (ultra-luxury) for what they are, I do not think I'd be considering their other lines in the near future. It is a shame as only ten years ago they were leading their field. Describing Cunard as HAL/Princess on steroids is probably a good assessment. I have not sailed Cunard, but have heard the same from countless of people in the industry. In many ways the Cunard Line has become an ever-so-slightly more premium division of P&O Cruises, especially with the massive managerial/structural changes that recently took place at Carnival House in Southampton.

If this was a car analogy, too many times I feel like Carnival is morphing into a Crown Victoria. You can spec it as a standard Ford (Carnival), mid-range Mercury Grand Marquis (Princess) or a slightly nicer Town Car (HAL), but at the end of the day other than the decorations it is still the same, mediocre and somewhat outdated product. On the other hand, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has really managed to create three very different lines. The Solstice class is not simply a Voyager ship with nicer, more expensive interior design (ala the various Vista/Grand/Dream class ships used across the CCL brands). It is a whole new ship, from the keel up, that serves the brand in question best. Azamara has managed to emerge as a quality product with its own niche as well, and has recently been going from strength to strength. Royal Caribbean International has really managed to attract an 'International' audience, and become the world's favourite cruise line. While Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Lines have an equal capacity (62,220 berths per week vs. 62,370) the fact that RCI has managed to diversify and attract a truly global passenger base has allowed the line to charge premiums for their cruises pretty much across the board.

In the big scheme of things, RCCL only has 97,610 berths for sale per week while CCL has 208,710.

Based on this information, these are my calculations.

On a revenue of $7.35 billion last year, the revenue per berth for RCL was $77,143.73.

On a revenue of $15.382 billion last year, the revenue per berth for CCL was $73,700.35

On a net income of $607 million last year, the net profit per berth for RCL was $6,218.63

On a net income of $1.298 billion last year, the net profit per berth for CCL was $6,219.16

Okay, having not known that information until now, I am gobsmacked. Literally not a dollar between them!

Nonetheless, one has to believe that there is something amiss at Carnival Corporation. From a product point of view at least, many of their offerings have gone rather stale and struggle to compete with the corresponding RCL offering (in my opinion at least). This may be offset by the fact that divisions/lines of each cruise line is structured very differently. The various profit warnings issued by CCL lately as well as the sweeping changes in the structure of the company all show that something is wrong. What it is, one cannot say, but RCL at least seems to have the comfort of stability atm.

Thats me done arm-chair CEOing!

The Orient Express is an image of luxury that transports people from one place to another.

Just delete "ferry" and compare Celebrity to the "Orient Express".

jls

JLSPOOl, with all due respect, the Orient-Express and Celebrity Cruises are two different propositions. While the Orient-Express is indeed an image of 'luxury', there is no way to compare the two.

One- the VSOE is a historical train that has been lovingly restored and sells an 'experience' more than it does travel. Mind you, there are still no showers aboard the Orient-Express! While the Orient-Express is a draw back to everything historical and classical, Celebrity is attempting to be the most 'modern' and 'chic' cruise line.

Two- the PRICE! An eleven night cruise around the Mediterranean in an inside cabin aboard the Celebrity Reflection is £1,110 per person, or exactly £100 per berth, per day ($163). On the other hand, a one-way ticket for an overnight service between London and Venice on the Orient-Express is currently £1,920 per person ($3,141.89) with a price of $3,141.89 per berth, per day. For your comparison of the Orient-Express and your Celebrity voyage to be valid, the cruise should have cost you at least $21,993 per person, based on a 7 day cruise!

Sorry for being a pain but in the spirit of good discussion I just wished to point out the above. For the perceived quality of the Orient-Express, you must be willing to pay the same rates they charge.

While some of his concerns may be true, the manner in which he writes the review, and how everything was apparently awful, completely makes this review both unbelievable as well as laughable. On the other hand, reviews that take the time to highlight both the good as well as the bad tend to get much further in people's minds.

I do agree- quality of the faux leather aside, it certainly is a lovely touch that adds to the sense of occasion and quality. One thing almost all other cruise lines have cut-back on is the quality of the pre-cruise documents. In most cases it is inexistent. It sure beats awkwardly printing off luggage tags on A4 paper prior to cutting them out and trying to tie them around your baggage. For passengers who have gone through that debacle before, and are trying out luxury for the first time, the leather pouch arriving in the mail certainly adds a great deal of perceived quality.

A great Seabourn tradition, long may it continue!

Expectations, expectations, expectations. That is the key to happiness!

As it has already been said, both the George V in Paris and the Hilton can offer satisfying experiences, if your expectations are adjusted accordingly. If you pay £1,000 a night at one property, it would be unfair to expect the same of a property that charges £100 a night. Similarly, a Celebrity voyage would not be up to the quality of Seabourn. Then again, it is likely you would be paying considerably less than you would for corresponding accommodations on Seabourn. Read plenty about the Celebrity experience, and try to enjoy the experience for as long your expectations are adjusted, there is nothing stopping you from having a great experience. I would strongly suggest Celebrity over Princess, for it is generally considered to be a more 'upmarket' product, and can be 'luxed up' more easily. I would suggest a suite cabin, which would unlock a range of perks (somewhat akin to 'Club' rooms at hotels), as well as a healthy dose of speciality restaurants. The beverage package Celebrity offers can also take care of your drinking needs.

On the other hand, if you would rather stick to the luxury lines, then Silversea, Regent and Oceania offer Alaskan voyages.

This is laughable. The only cruise line with a business model that attempted to mimic that of a ferry company is easyCruise, and that company folded some years ago.

If you believe that a Celebrity cruise, or indeed any cruise voyage is an 'ala carte ferry' then I implore you to take a cross-channel ferry and a voyage on even the most basic of cruise liners back-to-back, then attempt to logically compare the two. I am sure you would find it to be an impossibility.

While I have heard many, many complaints over the years about the prices of all the 'extras' that mass-market cruise lines have begun to include aboard their ships in recent years, I have always maintained my belief that this is good for the consumer, not bad. It is the same argument that can be used when individuals bemoan the reduction of quality of intercontinental Economy Class on most global airlines. It is indeed my belief that airline travel has become both more comfortable, and more accessible over the past few years. While it is indeed true that the Economy Class cabins of yesteryear were somewhat more comfortable than their modern-day counterparts, if one was to look at a KLM or Pan Am fare from the 1970s, it would comfortably equal (inflation adjusted), if not exceed a Business Class fare today on the same route. As such, if one is willing to pay the same today for the coach cabins of a bygone era, they would find themselves in far more comfortable surroundings. On the other hand, the reduction of prices (I understand this is not too true for the US-EU TATL market, but for all other markets it is) means that a whole set of people that previously would have been unable to fly, can.

In a way this same logic can be used in the case of the mass market cruise lines. On ships of yesteryear, almost everything that one would find aboard a ship was included in one's cruise fare. This mainly included food in the guise of the main dining room and a buffet, as well as all entertainment. The ships were smaller, and perhaps more intimate. Similarly, the prices were higher. Some may argue that main dining room fare was of a better quality- in some cases, such as that of NCL, this may be the case- I did not experience the product prior to the Freestyle changes, so I cannot comment. Nonetheless, food is subjective. Ultimately, the cruise lines realised that they can better compete by providing more choice. Choice of different restaurants, different forms of entertainment, and different lounges/venues. To these so called 'speciality' venues, they added a fee. If anything, this has given the mass-market cruiser more choice. What was included then is still included now, that much has remained the same. Perhaps it is the fact that long time cruisers are used to not having to spend a penny aboard the ship after purchasing the cruise fare that has generated discontent. Then again, I could use the same Business Class argument above- if one was to pay what you would for a Celebrity or Cunard cruise in 1994 today, inflation adjusted, you could find yourself on Crystal, where the quality of the product far exceeds what was offered to the passenger then. The realities is, we are paying less today to cruise (granted not less than in 2008-10, but less nonetheless). What was included in the fare has remained included- on the other hand, cruise lines are offering revenue generating activities that were never previously included (for they did not exist), for a small fee. If one wishes to avoid such activities, then all one needs to do is to leave them unused. It is as simple as that.

So no, the Celebrity Reflection and the Spirit of France share little other than the fact that both float, have a Captain, an engine and a crew.

I suppose the one potential advantage for paying them in advance is the fact that the price you see on the Celebrity Cruises website is the final price you pay for the cruise. Gratuities is a subject matter that can inflame some passions around here, and many think it should be a fundamental part of the fare (not added on ala British Airways' 'fuel surcharge' of £700 on 'free' redemption bookings.)

On the other hand, I personally like to adjust the gratuities as per the service I happen to have had received. While I never remove them, in certain situations I may add a bit here or a bit there. On a personal basis, I like to pay for them on a day-to-day basis, potentially using some of the onboard credit I receive to cover them. Ultimately, there is nothing you gain other than not paying what arguably should be a part of the fare later on on a daily basis on your onboard bill. I suppose it also allows one to 'lux' up their cruise with 'included gratuities'.

Southampton is generally the more pleasant port to use, both in terms of access, closeness to the two major international airports and facilities. While there is a rail service that goes directly into the Port of Harwich, I did feel that their facilities were rather limited and they barley managed to handle the 800 passenger MV Discovery when I was there. I would not want to embark a ship with thousands of people there, though perhaps with added staff the procedure is fine.

The good is the obvious- if you have the ability to select a voyage at the last minute, without much planning, you can grab a fantastic price! Other than that, I am afraid to say that my personal opinion is that the Getaway Fares are not of advantage to the vast majority of P&O's passengers.

I for one was not amused when I found out aboard my P&O cruise that my table-mates had paid a staggering £600 per person less for the same category (for a 9 night voyage!)- in total, their voyage was £1,200 less than what we paid for ours, which to me is not spare change.

If P&O find it difficult to fill their ships, they should compromise, putting their normal fares somewhere in between the 'Vantage' and 'Getaway' fares, otherwise they risk alienating the passengers who book early and regularly. To those who are saying £50pppn is a fair price for an inside cabin (taking the per berth per week price to £350) has no idea of the costs of running an ocean going passenger vessel. Many people here have stated that the price of the voyage includes accommodation, food, entertainment, etc. You all seem to have forgotten the most important, and indeed expensive thing you pay for: transport! A ship the size of the Oriana or Aurora will cost about £40 per minute in fuel alone. That's £2,400 an hour, or £57,600 a day, and that is in calm seas at cruise speed. Granted, the above calculations are for a sea day, but nonetheless it gives you an idea for the considerable cost of running a 70,000 GRT ship (I cannot comment on the fuel costs of the larger vessels).

Now, I want to speak about hotels in London. Last year, I paid £420 per night for a room at The Langham Hotel- true, you may retort that that is one of London's finest hotels, but for the few days I was there, the service I received wasn't better than what I found on a P&O ship- the staff where there, to do your bidding if you asked them, but no more and no less. Not too different from a P&O ship. If I was aboard a Seabourn ship, the staff would have anticipated my every requirement. I imagine to get that level of service on land (again, minus food and entertainment) you are certainly looking at going north of £1,000 per night in most cases. If I want to convert what these hotels are charging per berth per week, the standard that cruise lines use, it would be £1,540 and £3,500 respectively. Is P&O really only worth £350, and that includes everything you could want (AND transport!).

Okay, I hear what you are saying- I've put up two institutions that should compete with Seabourn, not P&O. Well, the Holiday Inn Express Dundee (where I currently live) want £99 per night in July 2014. I have stayed at this hotel- it is a rather uncomfortable bed, basic toilet, basic everything. Breakfast is an extremely basic affair. It is a two star affair that is in no way comparable to a P&O Ferry, forget about P&O Cruises. Yet, they see it fit to charge £49.50 per night, or £346.50 per berth per week! What I am trying to point here is that Getaway fares, in some cases are loss leaders- being aboard the ship, you are generating revenue, at no extra cost to the cruise line. As such, passengers who opt for getaway fares do not cost P&O a penny to have aboard- as in most cases, the ship would have sailed empty had the Getaway fare not been offered (this is not a dig at getaway passengers at all- I would happily snap one up if I could!). Yet, should you buy shore excursions, dine in specialty restaurants, buy drinks, etcetera, you are generating revenue that otherwise would not have been generated. This has been going on for a very long time in the cruise industry, and in fact in bygone days one could turn up with one's suitcases at the port and buy a ticket during check-in at very cheap prices!

I don't know how true this is of the Azura and Ventura, but it is certainly true of their Princess sisters.

If you want easy access to the outdoors but do not want to spend the extra £££ on a balcony cabin, then book a cabin on E Deck forward. Right next to cabin E101 and E102 lays a door that opens straight onto the E Deck Upper Promenade Deck on the bow !

You didn't get such a good deal.

 

$584 in 1969 adjusts to $3,664.40 in 2013 dollars.

 

Today you can take a cruise for 2 from NYC to Nassau for under $1,000 - and if you shop a bit you get a balcony cabin.

With the $2,664 you still have left over, you can buy plenty drinks and fancy dinners at all the specialty restaurants onboard - and still have money left over when you get home.

 

Maybe today is the "good old days" of cruising..................

Exactly. It's all par for the course. With $3,664 per person, you can easily buy a ticket for a week on Seabourn or Silversea, where the food/service will be as good as what you would have found on the grand old lines of old, or at least comparable. The actual accommodations would also be a lot more comfortable.

This is the golden age of cruising, and while the bygone early days of the trade have a lot of niceties about them that are no longer around, it would be silly to say that today, when more ships are being built than ever before, when more people are travelling by ship than even in the 1930s, is not the 'good old days' of cruising. If you want service like on the grand ocean liners of old, there are ships out there that provide it- Seabourn, Silversea, Hapag-Lloyd, Crystal, etc.

Its the same story with airlines and the way Economy vs Business Class is going. People complain a lot about how much more comfortable Economy used to be, but a quick price comparison- a 1968 Pan Am brochure shows a return Economy fare from New York to London as $675. In 2013 dollars, that would be $4,394.19, which is comparable to a modern day Business Class fare on the same route. So for the same money today you can have private lounges, a flat bed, good food, hell even an onboard lounge/bar on some airlines. Both flying and cruising has improved for everyone, and what has happened over the years is that new 'classes' of cruising/flying have emerged, which makes it more affordable and available to everyone. If you want the service levels that one used to get, or better, then it is there- just pay the equivalent of what you used to in 1968/69, and you'll get it.

Back on topic, the Oceanic was one of my first loves in cruising. I booked and had to cancel two voyages on her on two separate occasion which was a great shame. It is always sad to see a great ship go but she had one hell of a fine career.

I agree with what has been said, the website is in need of a total revamp.

Absolutely LOVING your review! Keep it up, its wonderful and compelling... makes me want to book a cruise to Alaska!

Thanks for all your advise. I feel right now its between two cruises

Seabourn Legend 10 nights Monaco-Venice

or

Wind Star 8 Nights Athens-Rome.

The Windstar cruise is $4560 and the Seabourn voyage is $8600 (total).

I've suddenly started considering a river cruise, so it's really those two versus river cruising... I'll give myself some think time. I'd think that the original Seabourn triplets would have a much more relaxed atmosphere than the Odyssey trio.

Some people on the Seabourn forum said... ''it's just a cruise''' as in, why am I thinking so hard, its only a cruise. I guess people here (as well I'm sure some there) comprehend that to some people, cruising is our passion, and thats why we'll spend many an hour planning a voyage (and enjoying every minute of it). My cruises are the time of year I look forward to the most, getting out of my daily routine and doing something I truly love, hence why I consider all my options with the utmost of care as I want to make every second of my cruise count :)

Thanks all !

Just to ask another question- are there DVDs for rent from the Library, or just books?

Also posted on Seabourn forum to get their perspective :)

Hello everyone!

Okay, so after a year's hiatus sailing Seabourn, after pledging to not return back to the mass market lines, I ended up having to cancel my Seabourn cruise scheduled for July last year as commitments took me to the States, so did a trans-USA tour over there with two cruises.

Now I am planning on returning to Seabourn ( the P&O cruise below is a sailing with a few friends), yet have been strongly considering two alternatives, Silversea and Windstar.

I have been thinking a lot so I thought I'd come back to Cruise Critic for your opinions, and what you'd do in my position.

Why? My Seabourn cruise was faultless- in all of my travels far and wide, only one establishment had even come close to what Seabourn offered. I am still in contact with some of the staff, and my cruise was only 7 days ! It was really a replenishing experience, one that I will surly repeat with God's will many times in the future. The food was stupendous, itinerary great, entertainment refined, the ship was absolutely beautiful... yet my curiosity has been veering me elsewhere.

Silversea's voyage (btw all these cruises are in the Med) has a great itinerary, but I really do feel that Windstar's, cruising similar waters, has a much nicer one- that to me already discredits the Silversea voyage. Second, I like value- for the price of a Silversea Vista Suite I can be in solid, mid-range Veranda on the 7 nighter aboard Seabourn Quest. Also, I could do 10 nights on the Legend for less than 7 on the Silver Spirit- I am seemingly debunking this cruise myself, but I do still want to ask if there is something that I, perhaps, should change my view? Although more expensive, the Silver Spirit is still within my price range and I could book her- what reasons, if any, should push me forward to do this ?

Lastly, Windstar's Wind Spirit- the brand new interiors she is going to receive look fabulous, as does her itinerary, at 8 nights it is a balanced cocktail between ports only a 5,000 ton ship can enter, as well as a few major cities strewn in along the way, giving the guest a good prospective of Greece, Croatia and Italy. Love the idea of sailing, but have heard it is a rather 'down-scale' experience... I'm not excepting Seabourn quality in terms of hardware, or even cuisine, etc. but would like it to be quite close and not a 3 star experience. The best thing about Windstar is... the voyage I've penciled out happens to be 50%... yes, 50% cheaper than the Seabourn voyage. I understand alcohol is not included but the price does include 2 nights stay at a 5 star hotel in Athens- none of us drink, so that isn't an issue and all non alcoholic beverages are now included- soft drinks, coffee, cappachino, etc. If Windstar can deliver the goods, this a fantastic deal. If they can't, I'd rather spend the asking price for SB and make the best use of my vacation time, but nonetheless my heart tells me to jump on Windstar because they have been a line I have wanted to try for a long time, and things seem to have never been better for them financially speaking.

Alright, thats a lot of waffling on my part, half thinking to myself, as well as asking your kind selves... should I go with my head and stick to the best, Seabourn, should I gamble with Silversea or go where the heart goes with Windstar?

Thanks !

I'm 99% sure thats a remotely operated flood control / fire door. In the case of flooding one can just push a button on the bridge (or maybe it's in the Piano bar?) and the doors shut. The black/yellow striping is to warn people to stay clear and not block the door with boxes, hoses etc.

You are correct, that is indeed a watertight door.

OH NO.......I do the same thing!!!!! Forget the elliptical.....It's half a cruise!! Help me doctor!

I'm not addicted to SeaDream just yet, but that rings well with me. Recently my father purchased diamonds to give to my mother and the entire time I was trying to explain how it would be better spent on a week aboard a luxury cruise. :D

Since I took my first cruise, most other methods of travel have fallen out of the window. I do still do travel to far-away corners of the planet conversationally, but if a cruise can take me where I want to go then a cruise it shall be. Those that say that a cruise is a vacation, and not travel, are both right and wrong. It is a method of travelling that allows you, when onboard, to be comfortable, have your wishes heeded to, enjoy great food, as well as, should you wish, be entertained. If this is not what you want, you can just relax and enjoy the voyage in one of the ship’s many lounges, eat plentifully, sit out on deck, watch the magnificent scenery. Sara, if you love sailing, then I take it you like the sea- so even just being at sea, you could find something to enjoy, to marvel about the awing scenery. Food on cruise ships have it’s lapses, but on Celebrity it is known to be among some of the very best- you say that it is acceptable but nothing to be excited upon, I don’t know your background, but if only three Michelin star restaurants suffice then the food on Celebrity is nothing to write home about- otherwise, it is very enjoyable, the specialty restaurants in particular. When the vessel docks in a town, it is up to you to chart your course on how to explore it. Spend your time now planning what to do, and you will be amazed just how much can be done in 8-12 hours.

In regards to people on cruises, I’ll just note some of the people I have met in the only 9 voyages I have been lucky enough to partake in. One man had cycled all the way down from the North Cape in Norway to Cape Town, South Africa, over the course of three years. In Tanzania, people attempted to abduct him, when he resisted, they attempted to behead him, but the blade only hit his face. He now has a titanium forehead, as well as a titanium chin. I’m still in contact with the remarkable man- ironically, he works in Tanzania now as a lion handler. Another man was a very warm, friendly fellow who told me he worked in the oil business. As we headed back to England from the North Sea, he saw me, and took me to the ship’s promenade. There he pointed out an oil rig, saying his company constructed it- when I got home, looked him up and realized just what an important (retired) pioneer of oil rigs he had been in his working years. In 2009 I sailed with the Arctic Convoys, as they all headed to Murmansk, Russia for the first time since the Second World War in order to be decorated by a Russian Admiral. When we entered the port of Murmansk, a Russian aircraft carrier had it’s entire crew giving us a naval salute. Granted, the latter took place on a very specialized cruise but the people on meets on voyages at sea are very, very diverse. A cruise is a method of travelling which brings your accommodation with you, as well as great food, and entertainment. Loosen up and enjoy it. Over 17 million people take a cruise a year. Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest leisure travel company in the world- this huge industry is not built on people who think it will be ‘cool’ to cruise, but rather informed travelers who make an educated choice to enjoy one of the (imo) greatest, most relaxing past times on the planet.