Gifted Cruises

[miaandmum]

I apologise if I offend anyone here who receives “gifted” cruises but in my opinion things needs to be said (and my comments are IN NO WAY aimed at those who work in the travel industry or who are genuine travel vloggers - I genuinely love all their videos and vlogs)

 

No I am talking  talking about the so called vloggers/influencers (non working) people who are detailing (bragging) about the fabulous cruise they have been “gifted”.  These same  people who vlog about anything and everything:

 

Primark shopping hauls

their home

their upcoming wedding

their dog

their car

their drive to Costa/Starbucks

their walk to the shops….

 

These people are not travel vloggers and they dont work in the travel industry.  These are people who dont work but put out any content for views and freebies.  They brag (sorry inform us) about how fabulous the cruise they are on is.  Then they advise that its been “gifted” to them.  To add further insult to the paying guests they thank P&O for the the free suite, free champagne, free excursions, the free speciality dining, the free spa experience, free drinks, free obc … you get where I’m going with this.

 

That’s okay you may think - a one off cruise is no big deal - its free advertising.  Fair enough, but why are these non travel vloggers being given free cruise after free cruise.  One free cruise in my opinion is one too many but to see these non travel vloggers getting multiple free cruises is taking the mick out of me - a paying guest.

 

Well P&O, far from encouraging me to cruise, its put me off.   After 10 years of cruising thats it.  Im sick of handing over my hard earned money (and it is hard earned) when there are so many on the same cruise who haven’t paid a penny, yet have ALL the perks that a paying guest pays hundreds if not thousands of pounds extra for.  

 

Again I am not aiming this at travel vloggers - far from it as I appreciate and enjoy watching those vlogs.

 

I flew to Alicante this week for a beach holiday - the first non cruise holiday in 10 years.  Had an amazing time, flew with Jet2 - The flights took off on time both ways.  Luggage was on the carousel before we were - it was so quick.   Passport control a breeze and the price was excellent for a 5 star hotel.  

 

 

[Red Ray]

These so called 'influencers' make my blood boil. Sadly symptomatic of today's 'famous for being famous' society. As my old mum would have said 'It's work they want '

[Yorkypete]

3 hours ago, Camberley said:

Agree.
 

I also like a good vlogger occasionally. One who does not ooze entitlement in a “look, I’m so better than you” way. Ok, many are ten-a-penny and churn out the same stuff that’s been done many times before. For me a good vlogger:

- doesn’t turn their vlog into a vomit-inducing film about them.

- is informative

- can actually film steadily (if it’s wonky, I turn it off)

- doesn’t let awful muzak dominate (it’s not an early 1980s adult film!)

- doesn’t include too many tedious moments with Bernard and Doris talking through about every element of their MDR meals. Ok, I love Bernard and Doris, but I can’t get excited about plastic-wrapped cheese portions!

- is honest with their opinions: even with their freebies, tell it how they feel it is, rather than pander to the cruise company with a Nadine-fawning-over-Boris-like gush-fest.

 

But I’ve whiled away many a happy hour on YouTube enjoying some very enticing vloggers, esp. on ships I’m sailing on and in the same cabin.

I regularly watch the vloggers just to see what is happening between cruises but recently I have been turning them off. Most of them seem to be mainly talking about food and drinks and showing what they are eating. I am wondering why, as some seem to eat four or five meals a day, they are not too fat to fit in their cabins and why they are not permanently drunk. Each to their own but not for me.

Edited July 18, 2022 by Yorkypete

[Bazrat]

the review's sometimes have me thinking are they being paid to say those things, the only one I really bother to watch nowadays is that young woman who gave virgin's ship a bad review and got threats because of it.

[kalos]

The ones that get me who tell you how great tasting the food is before they haven even 

tasted it ? 

I have noted one duo who's films have come so predictive.  Regardless of which ship 

they embark it's "Right time for a drink " . Before the film ends ,one is merry  but the other 

is drunk ,out of his tree ,slurring incoherent words  and this is a review ??

As said, each to their own but if I wanted to get smashed I wouldn't need their help .

[SarahHben]

33 minutes ago, kalos said:

The ones that get me who tell you how great tasting the food is before they haven even 

tasted it ? 

I have noted one duo who's films have come so predictive.  Regardless of which ship 

they embark it's "Right time for a drink " . Before the film ends ,one is merry  but the other 

is drunk ,out of his tree ,slurring incoherent words  and this is a review ??

As said, each to their own but if I wanted to get smashed I wouldn't need their help .

I think I know which couple you mean 🥴 

I watch lots of the cruise bloggers but my husband can only stomach a few select ones 😂

My husband puts some of our holiday videos on YouTube but they are really for us, our own enjoyment and it’s an easy way to share them with family & friends without forcing them to be bored looking at holiday photos. We did do a really cheesy cabin tour of Iona that he’s posted but I hate it 🥴 

[kalos]

1 minute ago, SarahHben said:

I think I know which couple you mean 🥴 

I watch lots of the cruise bloggers but my husband can only stomach a few select ones 😂

My husband puts some of our holiday videos on YouTube but they are really for us, our own enjoyment and it’s an easy way to share them with family & friends without forcing them to be bored looking at holiday photos. We did do a really cheesy cabin tour of Iona that he’s posted but I hate it 🥴 

Nowt up with your film ,we loved watching it .

[SarahHben]

18 minutes ago, kalos said:

Nowt up with your film ,we loved watching it .

Thank you, I cringe when I see it 😂 he posted a new video at the weekend and it shows my mum nearly launching me out of the lift as it opened 😏

 

As far as I know the vloggers we enjoy watching most, do pay for their own cruises.
I recognised one vlogger on our cruise in May who I used to follow on YouTube and Instagram, he was filming in the buffet and I moved out of his way even though I was getting food and he didn’t even say thank you, needless to say I don’t watch his videos anymore. 

 

Edited July 19, 2022 by SarahHben

[terrierjohn]

48 minutes ago, SarahHben said:

I think I know which couple you mean 🥴 

I watch lots of the cruise bloggers but my husband can only stomach a few select ones 😂

My husband puts some of our holiday videos on YouTube but they are really for us, our own enjoyment and it’s an easy way to share them with family & friends without forcing them to be bored looking at holiday photos. We did do a really cheesy cabin tour of Iona that he’s posted but I hate it 🥴 

I only watch ones that have subtitles, and very little static chat. What I want to see when I watch a cruise vlog is plenty of video footage of the public spaces and cabins and very little of the "presenters", I can make my own mind up about whether the ship looks as though it would be suitable for us.

[Cruisemeister2002]

4 hours ago, Bazrat said:

the review's sometimes have me thinking are they being paid to say those things, the only one I really bother to watch nowadays is that young woman who gave virgin's ship a bad review and got threats because of it.

Never fancied a Virgin cruise. They don't go all the way.

[yorkshirephil]

1 hour ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Never fancied a Virgin cruise. They don't go all the way.

Bit like Iona then😉😁

[Cruisemeister2002]

18 hours ago, yorkshirephil said:

Bit like Iona then😉😁

She only on loan, you never Ona.