Cruising with friends or NOT?

[tbmrt]

Just curious....

 

Do most cruisers prefer cruising with friends or just with their significant other?

 

If with friends, how do you handle the logistics of planning/meeting/canceling times for excursions, dinner, etc.?

[Bonnie J.]

We met our 'cruise buddies' as tablemates on Princess in 2006. Since then we have cruised together every year since with a few B2Bs. We cruise more but I always call them when we book a cruise. We have a major rule. We do our own thing. Usually we take the same tour but not always, if not, we'll talk about our day at dinner. They know where we sit on the ship and will come talk with us and sit with us. They live in Flint, MI, we live on the NC coast. Three times they have driven to our house and we drive to the port together.

[cb at sea]

Ditto! If we cruise with others, we do NOT spend every second in each other's company! We would all go insane, if we tried! We do meet for dinner...but that's about it. IF we happen to want to do the same things at the same time, that's great! Otherwise, we pretty much do our own thing.

 

I can think of little that is worse than waiting on someone else...or being rushed at a faster pace than I want to go....(works both ways, you know!). I do not recommend being "joined at the hip"!

[griffy116]

Worst cruise EVER was with family. We had planned a cruise of 8 family members and got a call from a cousin who informed me they had decided to "join our cruise." The group grew from 8 to 28. They contacted the cruise line, got all of us at tables next to each other for dinner. They decided that they would charter a bus. That one almost brought us to a full on family feud as we were planning to fly and ended up getting pressured into the "party bus" that turned out to anything BUT a complete nightmare. They complained about EVERY single thing during the entire cruise. We ended up apologizing to waiters, room stewards, bartenders, passengers, Guest Relations and our "bonus" tips cost a fortune because they bragged about how they were going to "stiff" all the staff, since they never intended to be back on the ship. We ended up having to find out exactly which room stewards had all their rooms so that we could find them and pay them. We became VERY selective about who we were willing to cruise with.;)

[Sixtytwo]

We have done it both ways, with a group and just us. Either way has advantages and disadvantages, but, as already said, when we are with a group, it is every man to themselves! We enjoy dinner together and, when it happens, sharing a day on shore is also great. But, it is a vacation and we plan to enjoy it! ;)

[runner15km]

Have done four sailings with friends and prefer sailing as a couple. Just don't care for all the scheduling.

[Philob]

Ditto! If we cruise with others, we do NOT spend every second in each other's company! We would all go insane, if we tried! We do meet for dinner...but that's about it. IF we happen to want to do the same things at the same time, that's great! Otherwise, we pretty much do our own thing.

 

I can think of little that is worse than waiting on someone else...or being rushed at a faster pace than I want to go....(works both ways, you know!). I do not recommend being "joined at the hip"!

 

Ditto X 2.

[awhfy]

We've sailed with family, 3 tables of 8. We told everyone at dinner what we were planning on doing the next day, what time & where to meet if anyone was interested in joining us. Several times different family members joined us, several times just by ourselves, all great adventures. The only consistent thing we did was have dinner together. Would I do it again? You bet

 

Now we usually sail with dear friends we met on a cruise several years ago. We book together & try to get balconies next to each other. The first thing we do is have the steward open the divider. We are all conscious of our privacy & "knock knock" & wait for an "ok" before venturing around the partition. We go on excursions together about 50% of the time and do dine together 90% of the time

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited April 11, 2015 by awhfy

[Husky61]

We don't cruise with friends or family.

[spookwife]

Just curious....

 

Do most cruisers prefer cruising with friends or just with their significant other?

 

If with friends, how do you handle the logistics of planning/meeting/canceling times for excursions, dinner, etc.?

 

I refuse to cruise with my own family, let alone friends. for us, vacations are a time FOR US.

 

hell we don't even do day trips( theme parks, zoos, etc) with family or friends too many differing opinions

[wwcruisers]

Worst cruise EVER was with family. We had planned a cruise of 8 family members and got a call from a cousin who informed me they had decided to "join our cruise." The group grew from 8 to 28. They contacted the cruise line, got all of us at tables next to each other for dinner. They decided that they would charter a bus. That one almost brought us to a full on family feud as we were planning to fly and ended up getting pressured into the "party bus" that turned out to anything BUT a complete nightmare. They complained about EVERY single thing during the entire cruise. We ended up apologizing to waiters, room stewards, bartenders, passengers, Guest Relations and our "bonus" tips cost a fortune because they bragged about how they were going to "stiff" all the staff, since they never intended to be back on the ship. We ended up having to find out exactly which room stewards had all their rooms so that we could find them and pay them. We became VERY selective about who we were willing to cruise with.;)

 

My sincerest sympathies -- these people sound like they're jerks on land, too! :eek:

[Debala715]

Worst cruise EVER was with family. We had planned a cruise of 8 family members and got a call from a cousin who informed me they had decided to "join our cruise." The group grew from 8 to 28. They contacted the cruise line, got all of us at tables next to each other for dinner. They decided that they would charter a bus. That one almost brought us to a full on family feud as we were planning to fly and ended up getting pressured into the "party bus" that turned out to anything BUT a complete nightmare. They complained about EVERY single thing during the entire cruise. We ended up apologizing to waiters, room stewards, bartenders, passengers, Guest Relations and our "bonus" tips cost a fortune because they bragged about how they were going to "stiff" all the staff, since they never intended to be back on the ship. We ended up having to find out exactly which room stewards had all their rooms so that we could find them and pay them. We became VERY selective about who we were willing to cruise with.;)

 

I would have killed someone if I had to put up with that. How long did it take before you spoke to them again? It would have taken me years before I did, as there is no excuse for rude, obnoxious behavior out of kids, let alone adults.

[LHT28]

They complained about EVERY single thing during the entire cruise. We ended up apologizing to waiters, room stewards, bartenders, passengers, Guest Relations and our "bonus" tips cost a fortune because they bragged about how they were going to "stiff" all the staff, since they never intended to be back on the ship. We ended up having to find out exactly which room stewards had all their rooms so that we could find them and pay them. We became VERY selective about who we were willing to cruise with.;)

 

I sure would not be forking out $$ for them

I would make sure other family members did not stiff the crew but it would not be coming from my pocket either

There are jerks everywhere

sorry they are related to you ..every family has some ;)

[LHT28]

We sailed with friends on a river cruise ...never again

they are the needy type, need hand holding for everything

Should have know better after a vacation in the Islands with them

 

Other friends we have sailed with do their own thing & we usually try to meetup for afternoon tea or a dinner once in awhile

They prefer the buffet we do not so we may meet for drinks before or after dinner but we each make our own plans

Works so much better when you have some ground rules ;)

 

Some people you can get along with better than others it depends on your personalities

 

Enjoy

[Velvetwater]

Happy with both although since most our friends are not into cruising its always been me and my husband.

 

We have met good friends on both our cruises that we still talk to though.

[printingchick]

I have to agree with the nay sayers. No cruising with extended family or groups of friends. Too many people mean too many different sets of expectations. Tried planning an extended family cruise one time and it was a nightmare. Ended up never happening (thank goodness!) and I won't do that again.

 

I think it can work with the right people and with the understanding that folks will do their OWN thing - not be connected at the hip, having to do EVERYTHING together.

[lahlah57]

We prefer it just be us two. I know people who must have a group trouping along with them and I do not get it!

Somehow and some way there will be someone who gets offended or hurt for one thing or another.....yuck!

Too many people means too many preferences! I vote just hubbie and me....no hassle!:rolleyes:

[marco]

Sorry to hear about Giffy116's experience. Ours has been must the opposite. We've taken the "Annual Friends and Family Winter Caribbean Cruise" now for just over 30 years. It's been as few as 18 and as many as 46. If we sail out of NY/NJ I do charter a bus, if it's out of FLA, everyone is on their own as far as getting there. We get several tables in the dining room near each other and round robin every night. However, some folks do dine 1st sitting, some 2nd and some "anytime". Folks make plans with "whoever" to do "whatever", and every day it's a different mix. Nothing is structured, no one is obligated to do anything and there is nothing the entire group does as one big group. I usually choose the cruise, put it out there and if you wanna come, come..if you don't like the line/ship/itinerary/dates....don't! Most of us don't see each other frequently as we're scattered all over the country, so getting together on a cruise makes it a lot easier to NOT have to be practically conjoined at the hip as is the case for friends of ours who annually rent a huge house or two somewhere, like at a lake or at the shore, that can accommodate 20 or so friends and family where "someone" has to do cooking and cleaning. On the ship everyone is totally on vacation.

[lahlah57]

Marco.....the way you're large group handles it is a beautiful situation! Everyone doing what you want when you want w/o someone getting their feelings hurt is an unusual occurance!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Worst cruise EVER was with family. We had planned a cruise of 8 family members and got a call from a cousin who informed me they had decided to "join our cruise." The group grew from 8 to 28. They contacted the cruise line, got all of us at tables next to each other for dinner. They decided that they would charter a bus. That one almost brought us to a full on family feud as we were planning to fly and ended up getting pressured into the "party bus" that turned out to anything BUT a complete nightmare. They complained about EVERY single thing during the entire cruise. We ended up apologizing to waiters, room stewards, bartenders, passengers, Guest Relations and our "bonus" tips cost a fortune because they bragged about how they were going to "stiff" all the staff, since they never intended to be back on the ship. We ended up having to find out exactly which room stewards had all their rooms so that we could find them and pay them. We became VERY selective about who we were willing to cruise with.;)

 

I would have been so ticked off. We have never invited friends nor family to go on a cruise with us (hubby, the girl, and I). Just don't want to have to be tied down to any plans that others have. And if somebody is in the position of having someone in their group trying to manage everyone's time, you have to be firm and say nope.

[Honolulu Blue]

Just curious....

 

Do most cruisers prefer cruising with friends or just with their significant other?

 

If with friends, how do you handle the logistics of planning/meeting/canceling times for excursions, dinner, etc.?

 

I choose the other option - all of my cruises have been by myself. The logistics are very easy; I do what I want when I want. It's very liberating.

[donaldsc]

Worst cruise EVER was with family. We had planned a cruise of 8 family members and got a call from a cousin who informed me they had decided to "join our cruise." The group grew from 8 to 28. They contacted the cruise line, got all of us at tables next to each other for dinner. They decided that they would charter a bus. That one almost brought us to a full on family feud as we were planning to fly and ended up getting pressured into the "party bus" that turned out to anything BUT a complete nightmare. They complained about EVERY single thing during the entire cruise. We ended up apologizing to waiters, room stewards, bartenders, passengers, Guest Relations and our "bonus" tips cost a fortune because they bragged about how they were going to "stiff" all the staff, since they never intended to be back on the ship. We ended up having to find out exactly which room stewards had all their rooms so that we could find them and pay them. We became VERY selective about who we were willing to cruise with.;)

 

In hindsight, when you realized what you were getting into, you should have cancelled and taken another cruise and not told them about it at all. When they all met at the dock and you were not there and one of them asked the "where's Waldo" question, send one of them a text with one word - "surprise".

 

DON

[boating girl]

We've cruised with one or two couples and it has worked well. We will be with a group of about 50 on our next cruise. We won't try to coordinate except with one couple who are close friends and haven't cruised before. And, maybe one of the single guys who usually hangs with us.

[maywell]

I choose the other option - all of my cruises have been by myself. The logistics are very easy; I do what I want when I want. It's very liberating.

 

Tell me about it ....I love that I don't have to compromise with anyone regarding how I want to spend my time AND money. Solo traveling - the most liberating travel decision-making ever!

[maywell]

Worst cruise EVER was with family. We had planned a cruise of 8 family members and got a call from a cousin who informed me they had decided to "join our cruise." The group grew from 8 to 28. They contacted the cruise line, got all of us at tables next to each other for dinner. They decided that they would charter a bus. That one almost brought us to a full on family feud as we were planning to fly and ended up getting pressured into the "party bus" that turned out to anything BUT a complete nightmare. They complained about EVERY single thing during the entire cruise. We ended up apologizing to waiters, room stewards, bartenders, passengers, Guest Relations and our "bonus" tips cost a fortune because they bragged about how they were going to "stiff" all the staff, since they never intended to be back on the ship. We ended up having to find out exactly which room stewards had all their rooms so that we could find them and pay them. We became VERY selective about who we were willing to cruise with.;)

 

Sounds like my family - Luckily, majority of the PITAs hate cruises because of 'disease' and ship sinking. :D