How "Perfect" does your cruise have to be?

[drfun48]

Granted we all want to get the most "bang for the buck" and have the "best" possible time on our cruise vacations,but when does this obsession with the desire for perfection actually keep us from having the enjoyable vacation we are seeking?

Glancing over the threads and the desire to get two more square feet on the balcony,the anxiety over whether we can get Escargot every night,whether our teens will be entertained adaquately on their luxury cruise,will the rental tuxedo have adaquate room in the crotch, sometime just seem a bit anal retentive.

We all have to remember that,in most cases, a bad day on a cruise ship is far better than a good day at work. If we set the expectations too high and sweat the small stuff,we're defeating the whole purpose of a vacation.

[GORDONCHICK]

I just have to be on the ship with my DH & DS, good food, and visiting pretty places. Anything more is just icing on my cake. And I always seem to have lots of icing!

[Lois R]

Perfect?...naaa.....it is probably not p e r f e c t...but is sure

come close:D

I guess it is all expectations and I am sure we all have different

ones.

I can think of a few things here and there that might have happened

over the course of all my sailings but I ALWAYS end up having

a wonderful time:D

Now, I have never had one cancelled nor I have been on one

that was shortened so I really can't say how I would have reacted.

Those are circumstances that would probably be the exception

to the rule.

 

I do know what is important to me and usually everything comes

through with flying colors:)

 

Is it October yet?:)

[bettyonboard]

I think you've posted some thoughts that a lot of people have thought about, but didn't wan't the "backlash" if they spoke up. I LOVE this site. This site has helped me plan the best vacation I wil ever have had. I am going to Alaska in Sept for my first ever cruise, and if it wasn't for this site, I am confident that my planning would not have gone so smoothly. I have read a lot of posts, even the negative ones I read. Some I have taken into consideration, some don't last in my head another second. With that being said, here is my take...

I'm dressing way up for dinner. Yes, I may offend the ones in shorts, but while I'm all girly-girled up, I don't care if a couple walks in with a chicken suit on, I'm going to enjoy my dinner. Did I cook it? Did I serve it or have to cut up someones meat? Did I have to refill someones glass? Better yet did I have to clean the kitchen or do dishes? Nope! What a great dinner it will be. Is my steak burnt? Who cares! I didn't have to cook it while tripping over shoes, gameboys, or cats! Am I torked because the square footage is off by a few inches? Nope, if you saw the cubicle I worked in, my CC room is going to look like a palace! OMG you mean I have to wait in line to get on and off the ship? Are you kidding me? Do they not know who I am? And am I upset that I have to tendor (is that what they call it) to port? Heck know! I'll grab my binoculars and point to the sky and everyone else will think were just on any other excursion. But if you look close you'll see me in a tiara and high heel pumps just to dress up one more time and take every moment as it comes. Who cares if I am in a down pour with no umbrella. How many people can say they've been rained on in Alaska?

C'mon people this is life....go with the flow. Is it life altering, or is it just a burnt waffle?

(waiting for the scolding)

(in my pumps and tiara ;) )

[Cruisenouvelle]

I'm not knocking the folks that want the extra large balcony or a certain item on the menu..that's part of the fun. I think one of the keys is to go into it KNOWING that it won't be a flawless, perfect utopia. If you set your sights too high, you WILL be disappointed. Why take that chance. A friend once said, be happy with what you have and you'll always be happy. What you have is a cruise - and for the most part, you're the master of your own happiness while on it. Whenever possible, when something gets you upset, let it go. It's good karma.

[jer_l]

Our only "perfect" cruise was our first one. It was "perfect" because it was our first cruise experience and cruising is a lot better than we expected. We have cruised four more times since then and have enjoyed every cruise. While there were sometimes disappointments we quickly moved beyond them to enjoy our cruise. We've never had a cruise we felt wasn't worth the money. We've never finished a cruise and were glad it was over. In fact, if I could find a cruise ship that would let me be the resident protestant pastor and sail year round we would do that in a heartbeat.

 

Jerry

[Drew B]

I think you've posted some thoughts that a lot of people have thought about, but didn't wan't the "backlash" if they spoke up. I LOVE this site. This site has helped me plan the best vacation I wil ever have had. I am going to Alaska in Sept for my first ever cruise, and if it wasn't for this site, I am confident that my planning would not have gone so smoothly. I have read a lot of posts, even the negative ones I read. Some I have taken into consideration, some don't last in my head another second. With that being said, here is my take...

I'm dressing way up for dinner. Yes, I may offend the ones in shorts, but while I'm all girly-girled up, I don't care if a couple walks in with a chicken suit on, I'm going to enjoy my dinner. Did I cook it? Did I serve it or have to cut up someones meat? Did I have to refill someones glass? Better yet did I have to clean the kitchen or do dishes? Nope! What a great dinner it will be. Is my steak burnt? Who cares! I didn't have to cook it while tripping over shoes, gameboys, or cats! Am I torked because the square footage is off by a few inches? Nope, if you saw the cubicle I worked in, my CC room is going to look like a palace! OMG you mean I have to wait in line to get on and off the ship? Are you kidding me? Do they not know who I am? And am I upset that I have to tendor (is that what they call it) to port? Heck know! I'll grab my binoculars and point to the sky and everyone else will think were just on any other excursion. But if you look close you'll see me in a tiara and high heel pumps just to dress up one more time and take every moment as it comes. Who cares if I am in a down pour with no umbrella. How many people can say they've been rained on in Alaska?

C'mon people this is life....go with the flow. Is it life altering, or is it just a burnt waffle?

(waiting for the scolding)

(in my pumps and tiara ;) )

 

OhMyGod! I love you with your attitude and your sense of humor! Please tell me that your Alaska cruise in September is on the Mercury 9/14 cruise!!! I'm sure that's not the one, as I would have seen you in the roll call, but can you humor me?!

[DeepWaterMariner]

The only cruises I thought were perfect were a couple of my first ones. I was probably too inexperienced to realize that they weren't. With our experience it is very easy to compare and criticise but we have learned to accept things as they are and enjoy the cruise for what it is rather than fixate on what it is not.

[Drew B]

And I'd like to add that nearly all of the "imperfections" I've experienced on my several cruises (both my one with X or my three with Carnival) have been much more the fault of other passengers than the fault of the ship or the line. These companies and these crews do everything they can to give us a perfect vacation. They can't help it if a few Grinches sneak aboard and try to mar the perfection!

[Cruise Junky]

And I'd like to add that nearly all of the "imperfections" I've experienced on my several cruises (both my one with X or my three with Carnival) have been much more the fault of other passengers than the fault of the ship or the line. These companies and these crews do everything they can to give us a perfect vacation. They can't help it if a few Grinches sneak aboard and try to mar the perfection!

 

Just keep in mind, they can only mar it if you let them!

[LarCar]

I spend some time reading these various threads, but rarely contribute. But you've touched on one of the areas that I feel strongly about.

I have very few true passions, but vacationing (and cruising in particular) head the list.

I work pretty hard to come up with the best combination of cruise line, cabin, expense and itinerary that meets our needs. After trying other lines, I felt that Celebrity offered me the best overall package. I was not disappointed, and while aboard, booked our next cruise. Since then, we've added the maiden voyage of Solstice to the list.

Celebrity isn't perfect, but for what I want, it's the best thing out there.

You have to look at the big picture. If anytime dining is real important to you, then use that as a primary criteria for booking a cruise. If an active kids program is high on your list, don't continually book HAL and Seabourn and critique them for lacking in that area.

I've read a lot of whining about the fact that the Captain's Club doesn't measure up to most of the other lines. But guess what? The comments come from some of Celebrity's best customers. It appears that this is a way to say, "I like most things about Celebrity, but this part is broken, and I think I'll just blow off a little steam".

I believe this is part of what I believe drFun48 is talking about. Why are you making this a big deal? Is this one thing so important?

Dr. Phil would probably say, "It's OK to blow off steam, but is it worth it?"

After 32 years in the military, and a couple of marriages, I've learned a few things. One of the most important is: Choose your battles carefully.

Folks, just let some things go. Enjoy the cruise and the cruise line you've chosen. If it turns out to be a total mistake, choose someone else. There are plenty of lines and ships out there to pick from.

Myself, I'll look forward to all the +++++'s on my next venture.

[cruiseacecat]

I am not looking for "perfection". If I am at sea, if I am well cared for by the ship's staff, if the meals are good, the other passengers pleasant (or at least not too much of a pain), I am happy.

 

I only have one life, and cruising is important to me. I will gladly take a less than perfect cruise over staying home anytime. And Celebrity is my cruiseline of choice because I have never had a bad cruise with them. Not perfect, just very good.

[sasset]

What is perfect?

 

If the airline says it will get me to my destination at a specified time and they don't, weather excluded, they did not deliver.

 

If the airline said it will get me to a specific destination and it didn't they did not deliver.

 

If I order pork chops and I get lobster, the restaurant didn't deliver.

 

If I contracted for my house to be painted blue but they painted it pink, they didn't deliver.

 

In each of these circumstances, should have I said, "Oh well, things happen" ?

 

Why are so many on this board always ready to give every break to the cuise line?

 

Regards

[Drew B]

Just keep in mind, they can only mar it if you let them!

 

Yes, but other people is a HUGE element factoring into one's enjoyment of the cruise. It's every bit as important (to me, at least) as food, service, cabin, entertainment, ship maintenance, etc. I could have a GREAT cruise with a subpar cabin or average food or bad weather or a missed port. I could NOT have a great cruise if all the people on board were nasty, cranky people.

 

And Sasset, I think you are leaping to conclusions about what this thread is about. I don't want to make assumptions about where you are going with your comment, but this thread is about people perhaps expecting things to be more perfect than is reasonable to expect. Perhaps we're talking about people who see a scuff on the floor and overreact like their cruise is RUINED because everything is not perfect. What does that have to do with the cruise line not delivering?

[ILoveScotland]

Put me on a cruise ship, let the sea breeze blow through my hair, let me be able to see only water to the horizon and let the salt air fill my lungs and that's all I need to have as near a perfect cruise as I could ever want.

[sasset]

I was just saying that if the line says it will deliver...fill in whatever here: Hubbard Glacier; seven ports; Mount Kilauea etc. is that someting that could "ruin" a cruise. It may to some. It may not to others. I was just trying to paint some other examples of what could "ruin" an expected result.

 

Regards

[happynewbie]

Where is Utopia? What cruise line goes there? Is it expensive? Do we have to be formal all of the time? Are the furnishings appropriate? Can we just be casual some of the time? Is Utopia near other islands, so we can go check it out? Is the food always prepared just the way we want it? :confused:

 

We just love this board, it is so much fun...

 

We are brand new to cruising so forgive our naivety :o ;)

 

We look forward to your replies...life is so short...have fun!! :p

[jwattle]

My DH and I firmly believe that for the most part, the cruise is what we bring on board attitude-wise, and have never had a bad one yet. We go on excited as all-heck and looking forward to a great time, and ALWAYS get exactly that! Oh happy happy days, when we are cruising!!!!

[berryhappy24]

Just keep in mind, they can only mar it if you let them!

 

 

I didn't "let" them crash the ship into the rocks, but they did it anyway. I wasn't expecting perfection, just to see the ports as scheduled. Maybe next time.

[Desertbelle]

I'm never looking for a "perfect" cruise...rather, I am looking for a "wonderful" cruise. A wonderful cruise can have a few imperfections but MUST include new and/or exciting places, family and friends to share it with and time away from work and home responsibilities.

 

All my cruises have been wonderful...and I hope all of your cruises are wonderful!!

[Cruise Junky]

I didn't "let" them crash the ship into the rocks, but they did it anyway. I wasn't expecting perfection, just to see the ports as scheduled. Maybe next time.

 

I don't think a bunch of grumpy people got together to steer Milliennium into the Rocks, of course I could be wrong ;)

[bobbyleduck]

Some people should take the opportunity to read their cruise contract. If they do, and if they understand it then there will be no reason for great unhappiness if something doesn't workout as planned. Now, I'm not talking about the plane crash in Alaska. That is something all together different. Missed ports, late arrivals, running out of a particular food, beverage or other--those things are just life happening. Cancelled cruises or cruises that end abruptly, again not the end of the world.

 

I truly feel for people who plan for a "once in a lifetime" event that doesn't quite pan out, but that is what happens in life. We are people, and the people who work in the cruise industry, airline industry, hotel industry, etc. are all people too. Life happens, and when it doesn't happen according to plan we can let it interfere with our happiness, or realizing that happiness is a choice, we can smile and make the best of it.

 

At this point I think it is necessary to give you an example or two. Five years ago my wife and I took a trip to Europe (not a cruise). We arrived in Paris and hadn't been there an hour when I was separated from my wallet by a pick-pocket. He was good, so good in fact that I didn't even notice it until we arrived at our hotel. Not to worry, as I had prepared and my wallet had nothing in it except $12 and an expired insurance card. Everything of value, such as money, travelers checks, passport and return tickets were safely tucked inside my moneybelt, which was safely inside my underware right next to my...Well, nobody was getting near it without my knowing it.

 

Same trip, about a week later, after we arrived in Siena, Italy, we discovered that we would not be able to make the return trip to Paris that we planned because of a scheduled train strike. We had to wait an extra day. That was OK because we had an extra day built into our schedule, but it did provide some anxious moments as I tried to rearrange our hotel plans in Paris, as well as our plans in Siena. While attempting to solve the Paris problem, a women noticed we were having trouble with the phone and offered to help. Long story shorter, not short, we became friends and she and her husband drove us around Tuscany to the various hill towns during the next two days. They also took us to visit a local leatherworks store where I helped the owner with his Web site and in return he gave me a hand-made Italian wallet. (Remember the wallet I lost a week earlier.)

 

The point of all this, especially as I plan to cruise from Barcelona in December, is to remember that life happens and I came away with a couple of interesting stories. I mention Barcelona, because a fellow by the name of Columbus left Spain in 1492 seeking a new route to India, but instead ended up in the Americas. His plan didn't work out, but the result was that he made a few more trips to the land he never planned to go to in the first place. I'm not sure, but I think he must have enjoyed cruising.

 

I took a cruise about 16 years ago, and even though I don't cruise as much as many people on this board, I do enjoy cruising and hope I have the opportunity to experience a few more misadventures, and bring back a few more stories.

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[Shirley and Les]

...but when does this obsession with the desire for perfection actually keep us from having the enjoyable vacation we are seeking?..

Are you sure you posted this on the correct board? :confused:

For me, every cruise is perfect unless one of the following occurs:

:mad: I get a sniff of cigarette smoke from the adjacent balcony.

I can't find two lounge chairs together whenever or wherever I want - in the shade if it hot and sunny, unshaded if it is overcast.

Someone shows up in the dining room on formal night in anything except a tuxedo or gown.

A youngster shows up in an elevator and pushes a button that necessitates a stop before it gets to my floor.

Someone cuts in front of me in a buffet line. It doesn't matter they only want a pat of butter.

Someone I meet on board claims they like HAL better than X. :mad:

 

There are some other things I could mention that detract from the perfectness of a cruise. However, they are insignificant :rolleyes: and I don't care to bring them up.

Les

[bobbyleduck]

I didn't "let" them crash the ship into the rocks, but they did it anyway. I wasn't expecting perfection, just to see the ports as scheduled. Maybe next time.

 

I'm not sure, oh who am I kidding, yes I am. The post your quoted was referring to a different poster. In fact, Cruise Junky quoted the original post.

 

You experienced a problem that most of us don't ever face. However, as I recall from what I've read, Celebrity has made a serious attempt to make-up for the problem. There is no way to unring that bell, but you should have been compensated in some manner that will ultimately give you the opportunity to get the experience you were hoping for.

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[happynewbie]

Just having fun with "Utopia" message. ;)

 

Enjoy...we were just kidding around and trying to bring some humor along to you.

 

Happy cruising to all. :D