Is it Enjoyable to cruise right now?

[waytoodeep03]

I understand the risks that if you are vaccinated and still test positive before the cruise your are more than likely to remain on shore. This I understand. I understand wearing masks indoors(although I have my opinion on this).

 

My question is if cruising is even enjoyable at the moment? When I am on vacation on a cruise I want to relax without a care in the world. I want to be able to do normal things in port like shop, excursions at my own leisure. I see cruises are less than 65% capacity. One post I saw the Miracle had 500 people sailing.

 

Is it fun with a near empty ship? 

 

Are the requirements so strict on the boat and at ports that you can't enjoy yourself as you could before? Or is it just the new way of life and adjustments need to be expected?

Edited January 26, 2022 by waytoodeep03

[tallnthensome]

That’s a matter of option and subjective . Most sail knowing what they are getting involved in so most will say they enjoyed themselves, We did.  YMMV. 

[Guest BasicSailor]

I would say yes, if you follow those safety rules at best. Still there's a chance to catch this virus. We had a great time.

[cruizergal70]

Many people are fine with the requirements and can have fun. The requirements aren't that bothersome in the grand scheme of things.

[Ptroxx]

I cruise in 4 days.  And can’t wait.   “Ships” are  at 40-60% capacity which is great. 
no lines, elevators are available and ships are so clean.      
 

wouldn’t hesitate at all.  Actually just booked another cruise for next month 

to enjoy the low capacity.    
 

who know when things will be back to normal.   

[sparks1093]

We enjoyed our cruise in November when the ship was at 60% capacity. I expect that the capacity will be greater for our upcoming cruise in 25 days. Masking is a pita, but it's a pita here at home and here at home it's -8 out.

[Colorado Beach Bum]

Assuming that all shows, comedy, piano bar, and other activities still happen then I say yes. There have been reports (especially on other lines) that those activities were cancelled due to Covid.  In those cases it wouldn’t be enjoyable to me.  Our three cruises we did were all super enjoyable but that was before omicron so it was a bit different than now. 

[firefly333]

I did 3 carnival and decided I'd had enough for a while. Only 1 rcl and meet friends mid dec, just before the variant hit. 

 

On carnival I did not like masks in the theater and food cut backs.. not sure why I felt I was ready for a break. Didnt like entrees at dinner and the new steak was grisly and I couldn't eat it that replaced flat iron steak and the no buffet bacon every other was annoying. Guys burgers didnt seem as good. Pizza was better than I remembered. I bought a bag of candy in the onboard stores and it was white with age. Not enough turnover. Idk .. little things. 

 

Maybe I'll be tired of rcl after this next one. Capacity is way down and maybe in buffet at night fewer choices, the featured each night gone idk. The ship I'm boarding sunday isnt even at 50%, some are down to 30%. As many pax as crew. I'll see what I think of such low capacity sunday. Some say not as fun.

[ninjacat123]

28 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

That’s a matter of option and subjective . Most sail knowing what they are getting involved in so most will say they enjoyed themselves, We did.  YMMV. 

This.  I have had lots of fun (trivia on the lido deck, piano bar, shows, spa time) and a couple disappointments (wine gone a little skunky, steak not tender, wearing a mask) on our three cruises since restart.  I knew what I was getting into and had a great time, and I have two more cruises booked within the upcoming year.  It's what you make of it and I choose to cruise👍 

[HxFx]

 

It is definitely subjective. We were on the Mardi Gras in September. We enjoyed our cruise but the testing was stressful and we didn’t like the masking, and the rules were more relaxed then. We could walk the open corridors inside without masking and walk directly into the open bar areas without the theatrics of putting a mask on for a few seconds.

 

We did get our taste of sip and cover sitting in Grand Central. We were actively drinking and didn’t even realize it was sip and cover there since it’s so open but did have someone come up to us. No thanks, we left the area. I won’t go back until the mask rules relax, probably won’t even go back to the masking rules from that cruise. They have no control over the ports and embarkation/debarkation in U.S. but will probably wait until no masks on board to cruise again.

[wesorbeth]

We cruised in October and enjoyed every minute of the trip, the best part was reduced capacity.  We are cruising again in April and we can't wait.

[Scotto97]

I think the experience will differ depending on what type of person you are.....

 

If you go on Carnival to people watch, hang out at the bars or nightclub, (Fun Ship stuff) this probably isn't the best time, as the passengers seem to skew older and more conservative. They're won't be as many newlyweds, or friends / family groups that are generally more fun-loving and active.

 

But if you like more personal space and a quieter atmosphere, and if eating is a priority over socializing (Plus you don't mind covering your face (And expressions) with a mask), You'll have a great time. 

[audcc77]

Yes. It’s worth going.  Wearing a mask while inside is a pain but we wear masks inside places anyway. 
 

A few weeks ago I had the best filet at sea day brunch and the best lobster on elegant night.  

 

I have 4 cruises in 2022scheduled and I have never done that. I really hope the cruise industry  survives. 
 

Thanks to all of us who are risk takers.  😁Someone’s got to go.  🤷‍♀️

[groundloop]

No, cruising sucks right now.... that's why I've been on 3 post-restart cruises and am going on a 4th in a week.  😁

 

Sorry, I just don't see why people make such a big deal out of putting a little piece of cloth over your nose and mouth.  It's just not a problem and everything on the ship is pretty much the same as always.  Heck, I'm not even going to complain about only having bacon every other day.

 

Now, with that being said, I won't disagree with those who feel that Carnival's dining room experience has slipped a bit.  Most portions are smaller than they used to be, and I've had a couple of meals where the side item consisted of one measly piece of broccoli.  But to be honest, this has been my one and only complaint about cruising at this point in time and I still plan on coming back again and again.

Edited January 26, 2022 by groundloop

[bucfan2]

5 minutes ago, audcc77 said:

 I really hope the cruise industry  survives. 
 

 

[1kaper]

37 minutes ago, Scotto97 said:

I think the experience will differ depending on what type of person you are.....

 

If you go on Carnival to people watch, hang out at the bars or nightclub, (Fun Ship stuff) this probably isn't the best time, as the passengers seem to skew older and more conservative. They're won't be as many newlyweds, or friends / family groups that are generally more fun-loving and active.

 

But if you like more personal space and a quieter atmosphere, and if eating is a priority over socializing (Plus you don't mind covering your face (And expressions) with a mask), You'll have a great time. 

Likes quiet - check
Likes personal space - check
Likes eating - check
Dislikes socializing - check

Sounds perfect. 

I AM SOLD. 

 

I am used to wearing a mask.  We've been pretty strict here the whole time so it's second nature now.   I don't do night clubs and am happy to sit off to the side with my drink, just the two of us.  I dont' even know if I talk to people on the cruise other than my partner in regular times. 
Let me read my book with my drink in the warm sunshine and I am enjoying myself.  

I haven't cruised yet, but we are planning to in March. 

Edited January 26, 2022 by 1kaper

[xDisconnections]

While we just sailed on the Regal Princess and had an enjoyable time, it doesn't have me running back to book additional cruises. We have another one booked for later this year sailing from Iceland to Greenland that we are looking forward to but the majority of our travel is now focusing on patterns similar to during the suspension of operations.

[TechDiva]

49 minutes ago, Scotto97 said:

I think the experience will differ depending on what type of person you are.....

 

If you go on Carnival to people watch, hang out at the bars or nightclub, (Fun Ship stuff) this probably isn't the best time, as the passengers seem to skew older and more conservative. They're won't be as many newlyweds, or friends / family groups that are generally more fun-loving and active.

 

But if you like more personal space and a quieter atmosphere, and if eating is a priority over socializing (Plus you don't mind covering your face (And expressions) with a mask), You'll have a great time. 

 

My Carnival cruise wasn't like this at all.  I went during Halloween and other than masks, it was just like a normal cruise.  Adults and kids dressed up for Halloween and there were plenty of large family/friend groups, including the very loud and fun-loving group of about 30 that traveled from NC. Plenty of people hanging out on Lido and at the bars, with lots of socializing happening.  But, if you wanted a quiet spot, you could find those as well. There was a good mix of age groups, so there was something for everyone.

I had moments where I wanted to have fun and socialize and I did just that.  But, I also had those moments where I just wanted quiet.  And, I was able to do just that.  Maybe the quote above is ship-dependent but it wasn't representative of the cruise that I took.

[Scotto97]

9 minutes ago, TechDiva said:

 

My Carnival cruise wasn't like this at all.  I went during Halloween and other than masks, it was just like a normal cruise.  Adults and kids dressed up for Halloween and there were plenty of large family/friend groups, including the very loud and fun-loving group of about 30 that traveled from NC. Plenty of people hanging out on Lido and at the bars, with lots of socializing happening.  But, if you wanted a quiet spot, you could find those as well. There was a good mix of age groups, so there was something for everyone.

I had moments where I wanted to have fun and socialize and I did just that.  But, I also had those moments where I just wanted quiet.  And, I was able to do just that.  Maybe the quote above is ship-dependent but it wasn't representative of the cruise that I took.

Halloween isn't a standard cruise, and I'm sure it attracted a more fun-loving crowd. I'm sure the same could be said for the Upcoming St Patrick's Day. I was speaking about cruises on normal non-festive dates.

[HxFx]

24 minutes ago, TechDiva said:

 

My Carnival cruise wasn't like this at all.  I went during Halloween and other than masks, it was just like a normal cruise.  Adults and kids dressed up for Halloween and there were plenty of large family/friend groups, including the very loud and fun-loving group of about 30 that traveled from NC. Plenty of people hanging out on Lido and at the bars, with lots of socializing happening.  But, if you wanted a quiet spot, you could find those as well. There was a good mix of age groups, so there was something for everyone.

I had moments where I wanted to have fun and socialize and I did just that.  But, I also had those moments where I just wanted quiet.  And, I was able to do just that.  Maybe the quote above is ship-dependent but it wasn't representative of the cruise that I took.

The mask wearing has gotten more restrictive since this cruise. I believe the enhanced protocols began in December. 

[firefly333]

16 minutes ago, Scotto97 said:

Halloween isn't a standard cruise, and I'm sure it attracted a more fun-loving crowd. I'm sure the same could be said for the Upcoming St Patrick's Day. I was speaking about cruises on normal non-festive dates.

Agree. Not saying there arent fun loving, but a blogger mentioned he was 42 or whatever and felt like one of the younger folks on his carnival cruise. Due to the exemptions families with kids moved over to rcl or didnt cruise as much on carnival. The age range has definitely skewed higher. 

 

Not saying it wasnt fun either, but pretending it's just the same with a mask is also not quite true. Carnival definitely wasnt the same family cruise as before and the food cut backs noticeable. I do cruise because of the food. Eventually I'll do carnival again but not just now. Vista I did pay restaurants every night nd enjoyed that. I didnt enjoy Mdr. My cold soups were too runny and just wasnt for me. Jijis and steak house the food was great,

[Ilovesailaway]

6 minutes ago, HxFx said:

The mask wearing has gotten more restrictive since this cruise. I believe the enhanced protocols began in December. 

True

I cruised in November and again a couple weeks ago. The mask rules and enforcement was stricter this month. If masking bothers you then this is not the best time to cruise. I do believe that masking does detract from the overall cruising experience. I noticed that the most in places like the piano bar. What would normally be a lively atmosphere of people smiling, singing, and laughing was a lot more subdued. I also think that some of the shows were not as well attended. Maybe because people were trying to distance or because of the mask rules? Not sure why but they didn't seem to not be as popular.

All that said I did still enjoy my cruises and would happily go again asap. I was not stressed about the rules or the testing. In November I drove to cruise. This month I flew. I found having to rely on flights with winter storms and staffing shortages way more stressful than a slightly diluted cruise experience.

[Joebucks]

We just sailed, and had a blast. The masking is annoying and excessive. Still, we did not let that get in the way of a good time.

 

We found the food to be nearly the same as before. I will mirror that the bacon wasn't always available and that the replacement of the flat iron steak is not as good. If you want a better quality, use the cost savings on the dirt cheap fares to buy a different cut. 

 

Those things were all trivial compared to the time we had. If you let the little things bother you now, you probably let them bother you before. We had a 7 day balcony on the Panorama for $880. If you can't find enjoyment in that, you might as well stay home.

[chesasea]

We just sailed Legend from cold weather port (the shortened Journeys Panama cruise).  Considering all aspects of this most recent January 2022 cruise, we will be canceling our next cruise for May.  I will also say that we went into fully knowing the situation, and had also just sailed Thanksgiving on Anthem & Labor Day on Oasis.  Our experience this past fall was very positive, which was our determining factor- to just laugh, roll with it, be glad to be on a cruise.  That said, our most recent cruise on Legend - crew seemed incredibly stressed out… like it was all  just hanging by a thread.  We honestly felt like we were a burden, and in the way.  There was so much maintenance going on- at one point while we were laying on an empty deck we were asked to move so they could paint.  Went to our room and sat on balcony- that lasted a minute as they were grinding and banging on the life boats below our room.  Poor  communications and too much reliance upon the Hub app which did not always work. We had several issues we could not resolve, including hvac (no heat) came down with respiratory infections (negative C).  The cruise experience changed since fall.. and we will spend time doing other things until this all gets sorted out.

[cruisingguy007]

1 hour ago, 1kaper said:

Likes quiet - check
Likes personal space - check
Likes eating - check
Dislikes socializing - check

Sounds perfect. 

I AM SOLD. 

 

I am used to wearing a mask.  We've been pretty strict here the whole time so it's second nature now.   I don't do night clubs and am happy to sit off to the side with my drink, just the two of us.  I dont' even know if I talk to people on the cruise other than my partner in regular times. 
Let me read my book with my drink in the warm sunshine and I am enjoying myself.  

I haven't cruised yet, but we are planning to in March. 

 

Interesting, it's the complete opposite for us, we like the energy of a lot of happy folks, people socializing, vibing and interacting, and all the pomp and circumstance of cruising. I can get quiet, personal space, food, drink, read and be anti social at home for nearly free, well, minus the food/drink costs but those can be had for much cheaper than a cruise. It's actually one of my biggest fears that the cruise will be boring, people scared of everyone else, standoffish, afraid to let their kids play/hang at the kids clubs, and just a general down low energy basic cruise of eating/drinking. I'd feel disappointed in a cruise like that. Hate the masks also but could just avoid areas where they are required and deal. I think we are going to try one soon and hope for the best but would sure miss the energy we expect from a cruise vacation if we ended up on a boring low energy anti social cruise.      

Edited January 26, 2022 by cruisingguy007