World Cruise Mistakes and Horror Stories

[drsel]

For us, 100 (more or less) days cruising and all of the ports visited is overload. All of the sites blend into a blur, shipboard life gets tiresome and we miss our home and family. We've taken segments of different world cruises, never longer than 32 days (and for me, even that was too long). We choose an area of the world we are interested in visiting and try to do a 20-ish day segment and then another year, another spot on the globe.

I agree. I feel the same.

[Heidi13]

Very long cruises are not discounted, in fact they are disproportionately more expensive.

 

If an inside cabin in a 7 night cruise is $500, an inside cabin in a 112 night cruise is MUCH MORE than $8000 (16 times). Do the math.

 

Pardon me, but I think that a very long cruise is certainly NOT value for money.(Please don't take it personally, it's just my opinion!

 

Cruise fares are based on supply and demand. While you may find a 7-night cruise for $500, it generally means that it is not desirable and hasn't sold well. Hence the heavy discount. World Cruises/Grand Voyages tend to sell out well before departure, hence they are not discounted.

 

I also checked a few shorter Viking Ocean cruises compared to our upcoming 2020 World Cruise. The shorter cruises - 8 day Europe & 11 day Alaska were actually 10% higher per day. When adding in the complimentary benefits provided on the World Cruise, it translate into the World Cruise being significantly cheaper per day. On our WC we also have almost $9K in OBC and being all inclusive, will have a very small bill at the end.

 

In our opinion a 7-day cruise for $500, while definitely cheap, but is it value for money - most definitely No. We have no interest in boarding what would most likely be a mega ship, probably doing 5 or 6 ports. The thought of traveling 2+ days to get a full 6 days on the ship is most unappealing. You wouldn't even get to know the ship before re-packing and heading home. We prefer to spend at a minimum 2 weeks (preferably longer), where you actually have an opportunity to learn the ship and get to know the officer & crew and other pax. While it is definitely more expensive, we consider it value for our hard earned money. We firmly believe you get what you pay for.

 

Fortunately, the cruise industry caters to all needs and provides a selection of itineraries and types of ship.

[drsel]

Wow, how did you manage to get $9000 OBC and how did you spend it all?

If they gave you $ 9000 OBC, how much did they charge you for the cabin & for how many days was your cruise?

[Heidi13]

Wow, how did you manage to get $9000 OBC and how did you spend it all?

If they gave you $ 9000 OBC, how much did they charge you for the cabin & for how many days was your cruise?

 

On our 2020 WC, converted to US $, the base cabin, which is a balcony is about $43K pp. For the WC, Viking is offering a host of perks, which makes the cruise all inclusive from departing airport until your return to the airport.

 

Current OBC is $3,000 pp, but on our initial invoice they inadvertently added an additional OBC of $1,000 pp. Our TA questioned when it was removed from the final invoice and a Viking manager approved keeping the additional OBC. Our TA also provided the maximum OBC, as per Viking policy - Can $500 pp. Therefore our total OBC is US $8.8K.

 

The cruise is 119 days. Viking provides a complimentary tour in every port, so the only things we can spend the OBC on is additional optional tours and the shops. All tips and drinks are included and Viking doesn't nickle & dime, so wifi, laundry, spas, specialty restaurants, etc are all included. No casino or annoying photogs.

 

For these reasons, it is impossible to compare the daily cost of our upcoming WC with a mainstream Line mega ship 7-night cruise. We don't even have to pay for checked baggage, as Viking pays to courier luggage directly to the ship.

[rkacruiser]

For us, 100 (more or less) days cruising and all of the ports visited is overload. All of the sites blend into a blur, shipboard life gets tiresome and we miss our home and family. We've taken segments of different world cruises, never longer than 32 days (and for me, even that was too long). We choose an area of the world we are interested in visiting and try to do a 20-ish day segment and then another year, another spot on the globe.

 

My experience differs. "Missing home"? Surely did not miss house cleaning, cooking, "regular duties/chores", or Winter weather. "Missing family"? Since all of my close relatives live some distance from me, no. "Shipboard life gets tiresome"? No, other than my trivia team keeps loosing and the irritation some of the other guests causes me. "Sites visited blends into a blur"? Only in the South Pacific would I have difficulty recalling exactly each port and what I experienced. And, that is due to having visited most of these ports on earlier cruises from the Grand World Voyage. Ports in that part of the world that never "grow old" for me are Moorea, Nuku Hiva, the city of Papette, and Tonga.

 

When I returned to Fort Lauderdale, I was not ready to get off the ship. And, was already planning my next adventure.

[drsel]

Thanks Heidi

Besides being all inclusive, how are the premium cruise lines (like Viking) better than the mass market lines in terms of shows, entertainment, activities and food?

[Heidi13]

We haven't yet cruised with Viking, but from my research and experiences with Princess, P&O, RCCL & CMV, the quality of the meals is significantly better. We have spent 40 yrs with Princess and both myself & our son worked for them, but their standards have deteriorated significantly over the past 10 years. Back in the 70's, Princess was a premium cruise line. On our last Princess cruise the meals could best be described as rubbish - frequently cold, many meats very tough and poor selection of vegetables. Even the steak house couldn't cook a steak.

 

Entertainment on the 2015 Sun Princess WC was comparable to the meals. They sub-contracted the shows to a private company and they could best be described as terrible. Don't know what to expect from Viking's entertainment, but they bring on numerous local performers for a cultural experience in many ports.

 

Port talks and culture - Viking and other premium lines win this easily. Princess and others tend to focus on shopping and tours. Viking have resident historians, the new ship has a resident astronomer & planetarium, TED lectures and an excellent selection of lecturers. The port talks actually focus on the culture and attractions of the port you are visiting.

 

The biggest benefits for us is No casino - what a waste of space, No annoying photogs, and No nickle & diming. With Princess, they must spend millions on the advertising junk that gets delivered to the cabins daily. Ours went from the mailbox directly to the bin, unread. I do not believe the Viking ships have mailboxes outside the cabins.

 

Bringing wines, beers, etc on board. With Princess you can bring 1 bottle each at embarkation and if you bring it to the D/R they charge $15 to open it. With Viking, they have no problem with you bringing beer/wine/spirits on-board. They even open wine for free in the D/R.

[drsel]

Thanks so much, Heidi

[Guinness1000]

I agree about the casinos. Wasted space IMO, but I guess some people must like them. Bored on a long cruise? I doubt I would be. I'm a writer and treasure time alone to read and write. I would miss our dog though. :)

[Go-Bucks!]

My experience differs. "Missing home"? Surely did not miss house cleaning, cooking, "regular duties/chores", or Winter weather. "Missing family"? Since all of my close relatives live some distance from me, no. "Shipboard life gets tiresome"? No, other than my trivia team keeps loosing and the irritation some of the other guests causes me. "Sites visited blends into a blur"? Only in the South Pacific would I have difficulty recalling exactly each port and what I experienced. And, that is due to having visited most of these ports on earlier cruises from the Grand World Voyage. Ports in that part of the world that never "grow old" for me are Moorea, Nuku Hiva, the city of Papette, and Tonga.

 

When I returned to Fort Lauderdale, I was not ready to get off the ship. And, was already planning my next adventure.

I agree with you. I love my family but am not afraid to spend some time away from them. I've never been bored on a cruise, always dread the end of a cruise and love visiting new places! I'm taking my knitting, reading, and plan to learn bridge. Will exercise in the morning and lounge in the pool and hot tubs. This is how I'll start retirement!! Can't get better than that. :hearteyes:

[rkacruiser]

I agree with you. I love my family but am not afraid to spend some time away from them. I've never been bored on a cruise, always dread the end of a cruise and love visiting new places! I'm taking my knitting, reading, and plan to learn bridge. Will exercise in the morning and lounge in the pool and hot tubs. This is how I'll start retirement!! Can't get better than that. :hearteyes:

 

"Exercise in the morning" and "plan to learn bridge": What's the old cliche? The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry? I applaud your goals! I hope you will be able to stick to them!

 

The long cruises on which I have sailed often have a "knitting group" that is quite a nice social time from what I have observed. Maybe yours will as well. Stating your interest in such on your cruise's Roll Call might help you connect with them.

 

I recall reading all of the books that I took with me, but then found I had to rely on the ship's library as well. I love bookstores and enjoyed visiting some in a few of the cities I visited. The bookstore in the Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney was a gem for me. They had a book that no U. S. bookstores could obtain and I could not find in Auckland. (It dealt with the loss of the Mikhal Lermontov which occurred in New Zealand waters and was a book that I thought a large New Zealand bookstore would have.)

[Go-Bucks!]

"Exercise in the morning" and "plan to learn bridge": What's the old cliche? The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry? I applaud your goals! I hope you will be able to stick to them!

Well, I think it's quite possible to meet my goals since we'll have 66 sea days!! And I exercise each morning now, so nothing new there. I also take knitting lessons so that's also something I do regularly. Learning bridge will be my new experience, I'll stick with it if I like it. Can't imagine not planning for something to do during 1,584 hrs! ;p

[Fayecruises]

Booking an inside cabin for 120 days was a mistake I was never uncomfortable in an inside cabin but this was hard to do Queen Mary 2 Cunard -- and also taking too much luggage

[momzcruzing]

Hi Fayecruises, it sounds like you were on the 2018 World Voyage on the QM2 with me. I also chose an inside cabin (to offset the price of being solo in a cabin) and it was a mistake! I have always booked balconies and suites and while the inside cabin was very cozy, I had to make a real effort to do activities on deck that I would normally do in my cabin, like read. It is however perfect for sleeping well.

 

I too took too much luggage, but I enjoyed every minute of the cruise and would do it again in a minute.

 

To GoBucks... your plans are very doable. I knitted a great deal and it was fun having people inspecting my creations as they evolved. I had people come up to me at the end and tell me not to pack the items until they had seen them a final time. Hint: midway in the cruise I lost one of my knitting needles and we were never in a port where I could find a shop that sold knitting needles, so take a spare pair as I definitely will next time!!!

 

I loaded lots of book on my kindle and read about 30 of them by the pool... aaaahhhhh...I sure miss that!!

 

I participated in the bridge lessons every day and played many afternoons and am heading off to play bridge today! With that amount of practice you should develop a good game and the confidence to play it.

 

Enjoy your world cruise, it was a fabulous adventure and i enjoyed every minute.

[Fayecruises]

I was on the 2016 world cruise Queen mary 2 I understand about the knitting needles I bought two heating pads and since they both worked I was able to give one to someone who is now my very best friend

[drsel]

The cost per person of the 5th Jan 2020 Costa Deliziosa world cruise (112 nights, Venice to Venice) is $14719 + $440 taxes + $1400 mandatory service charges, for an inside cabin, with $1675 OBC

The Viking world cruise is over 5 times more expensive.

How would you compare the two, w.r.t. pricing and value?

Edited June 27, 2018 by drsel

[Go-Bucks!]

To GoBucks... your plans are very doable. I knitted a great deal and it was fun having people inspecting my creations as they evolved. I had people come up to me at the end and tell me not to pack the items until they had seen them a final time. Hint: midway in the cruise I lost one of my knitting needles and we were never in a port where I could find a shop that sold knitting needles, so take a spare pair as I definitely will next time!!!

 

I loaded lots of book on my kindle and read about 30 of them by the pool... aaaahhhhh...I sure miss that!!

 

I participated in the bridge lessons every day and played many afternoons and am heading off to play bridge today! With that amount of practice you should develop a good game and the confidence to play it.

 

Enjoy your world cruise, it was a fabulous adventure and i enjoyed every minute.

Thanks for the advice....I also have hundreds of books on my Kindle and plan to take it. I have 2 big knitting projects to take, plus a few smaller ones. I will definitely take all my needles and supplies! I hope I like bridge....I'm excited to be learning something new. Sea days always go by so quickly, so I can't imagine being bored....never have before. We'll have a large balcony and I love to spend lots of time out there too. Pool, hot tub and spa are also favorites. As the time is getting closer (just 7 months to go), I'm getting more and more excited....this will be a "rocking chair cruise" for me....someday when I'm really old and feeble, I'll be sitting in the rocking chair and remembering what a fantastic 6 months of my life it was! :hearteyes:

[Heidi13]

The cost per person of the 5th Jan 2020 Costa Deliziosa world cruise (112 nights, Venice to Venice) is $14719 + $440 taxes + $1400 mandatory service charges, for an inside cabin, with $1675 OBC

The Viking world cruise is over 5 times more expensive.

How would you compare the two, w.r.t. pricing and value?

 

Assuming that your prices are US $, when I convert that to our CAN $, our all-inclusive Viking cruise is a little less than 3 times the cost of walking on the Costa vessel. Once you factor in OBC, it is even less. If you compared costs for Viking's cheapest cabin and OBC it is about 1/2 the Viking Cost.

 

You are also not comparing apples to apples:

- The Viking cruise is all inclusive, including an excursion in each port. Costa gets you onboard and covers tips, and a small OBC.

- All Viking cabins are balcony with a minimum size of 270 sq feet, a Costa inside cabin is a compact 154 sq feet.

- Pax space ratio - Viking is 51.44, Costa 32.77, which basically means the Costa ship will be significantly more crowded.

 

Based on our previous WC, at the end of the day, when all costs are added up, the Costa cruise would probably end up costing about the same, or even a little more money, especially when adding return flights in Business Class, which Viking provide.

 

While you could obviously complete the Costa cruise much cheaper, we consider a WC a trip of a lifetime, so budget sufficient money to enjoy it.

[drsel]

Thanks again Heidi

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Assuming that your prices are US $, when I convert that to our CAN $, our all-inclusive Viking cruise is a little less than 3 times the cost of walking on the Costa vessel. Once you factor in OBC, it is even less. If you compared costs for Viking's cheapest cabin and OBC it is about 1/2 the Viking Cost.

 

You are also not comparing apples to apples:

- The Viking cruise is all inclusive, including an excursion in each port. Costa gets you onboard and covers tips, and a small OBC.

- All Viking cabins are balcony with a minimum size of 270 sq feet, a Costa inside cabin is a compact 154 sq feet.

- Pax space ratio - Viking is 51.44, Costa 32.77, which basically means the Costa ship will be significantly more crowded.

 

Based on our previous WC, at the end of the day, when all costs are added up, the Costa cruise would probably end up costing about the same, or even a little more money, especially when adding return flights in Business Class, which Viking provide.

 

While you could obviously complete the Costa cruise much cheaper, we consider a WC a trip of a lifetime, so budget sufficient money to enjoy it.

How much is Holland American

 

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[Heidi13]

Sorry, can't help you with WC prices for HAL. We short listed our choices to Oceania and Viking and also considered Regent & Crystal.

[ElaineKeagy]

The prices are on the HAL website.

 

 

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[pencowgirl]

Thanks Heidi

Besides being all inclusive, how are the premium cruise lines (like Viking) better than the mass market lines in terms of shows, entertainment, activities and food?

My experience with Regent Seven Seas is that they take care of everything. You are not being charged for a glass of wine, a specialty restaurant, nor most tours. When I compared all the things I would have liked to have on a mid tier line with the cost of having everything I got on Regent I feel I came out better with the Regent Cruise. I also think the staff is better trained on the premiere line. It is about convenience for me. I don’t have to worry about flights, luggage, visas, drinks, or excursions. I know in my 30’s I was happy with a lesser level of service, but now I appreciate it, and it makes for a better experience.

[deec]

You will NOT be disappointed in the Viking WC. We have been back 7 weeks and I am still glowing. It was a life enhancing experience. Just spending that much uninterrupted, non-stressed time with my husband was a gift I will treasure the rest of my life! If you can figure it out...GO now while your hips, knees, and mind work!! Bon Voyage!

[Floridiana]

GO now while your hips, knees, and mind work!! Bon Voyage!

 

Best advice ever!