How "Perfect" does your cruise have to be?

[JLC@SD]

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 you made the sailing......they did deliver.

 

If the airline said it will get me to a specific destination and it didn't they did not deliver. But it can be corrected......and you can get delivered to the specified destination

 

If I order pork chops and I get lobster, the restaurant didn't deliver. Send the PCs back....it can easily be corrected.

 

If I contracted for my house to be painted blue but they painted it pink, they didn't deliver. Tell em to get the blue...it can easily be corrected.

 

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? Cause ship happens.....give em a chance to make it right...:)

 

Regards

:) :)

[Muushka]

Our first cruise had 30 foot seas and gale force winds.

After that cruise, anything with waves under 20 feet is perfect.:D

[Shire]

I am not keen on knowing too much, spoils the fun of finding out IMHO.

 

As for the full time job of knowing which cabin to have to get a table big enough for an extra dansh pastry, how long to leave a steamer chair to avoid being punched by the occupier, what to ask for to get the most for your $ or £, which lines are the shortest/quickest, where I can have my pants washed and which 'rules' you can break with impunity...

 

 

 

I AM ON HOLIDAY!!!!!!!!!

 

I don't want to worry, rush, argue, insist, be stressed, demand, be first in line for, have the biggest (well OK), email, text message, call, get up early or have the low cal or sensible version.

 

 

I can do that for the other 50 weeks of the year.

[ddonalds]

This is an interesting thread. I do think that sometimes people expect total perfection and are always disappointed. Not just on this website, but on others, I hear people blame airlines because of weather problems, and other issues that just sometimes happen - even though the airline does try to fix it in the end (some better than others, of course). Also, when bad weather occurs and the ship can't make a stop - people tend to blame the cruiseline - but with the American tendency to sue everyone, ships usually err on the side of safety, and I, frankly, appreciate that. Having stayed in Grand Cayman for a week, and sitting on the beach watching the ships come in - it's not uncommon for the tenders not to be able to get in due to rough seas. They do the best they can, but sometimes, they can't get in (one of the islands I would always book the ship's excursion). I love the OP's philosophy, and some of the others, where you go with the flow, and usually you always get a good story. I travel internationally for business all the time (and no, I do not consider it a good thing at all anymore), and I have LOTS of stories about airlines, and the issues they have - but you know - I have actually never had (with one exception - Paris, which I will not fly through at all unless I'm actually going to France as the end destination) people at the airlines not work with me. I am a laid back person, so I don't tend to get upset, I do tend to laugh (okay, I'm old too, so that helps). I've found that makes things SO much easier, and watching people scream at desk agents because their flight is cancelled just doesn't help. I don't think expecting perfection from a vacation is any different from expecting perfection in life - maybe it's just me, but it just doesn't happen (if it is me - please don't tell me and let me live in ignorance). New houses have problems, old houses have problems, kids/pets get ill, husband is irritating, friends disappoint you, you disappoint someone else, boss is useless, etc. It just happens - but somehow, we all hope that vacation will be different. As the previous poster said - having lived through Hurricane Camille on a cruise ship - as long as I don't get seasick (yes, I have the patch), it'll be a good cruise. AND - if I do get seasick, it's not the cruiselines' fault, and I'll get some good stories (I could tell you one about diving in the Keys where the water is too shallow to get away from roughness, and how much the fish appreciated the meal that I gave them - on top of my husband's head as he was trying to help me on the boat... he stayed with me - so maybe HE never gets irritating...:D ).

[bobbyleduck]

Dear Shire:

 

Has anyone told you that YOU'RE GREAT? Keep up the VACATION attitude and enjoy your HOLIDAY!

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[Denham33]

Shire, you are so right! We only get to cruise every 2 - 4 years, so it is a really big deal to us when we go. The important things to me are, I'm on vacation - not at work, I'm in the warm Caribbean - not freezing Vermont, people are taking care of me (cooking, cleaning, making the bed, etc.), and I'm lucky, if not privileged to have this experience when so many others struggle to pay basic bills for food & shelter.

 

A cruise is what you make it. In San Juan (2004) we were in line to check in on the Connie. I was so excited as the person was processing our final paperwork, credit card, etc. knowing I would be on board in minutes. Behind us, a couple was already complaining that the Concierge Class line was not as fast as some of the others - they hadn't even got on board yet and they were finding fault! I felt sorry for them that they were probably not going to have as a great of a vacation as we were, due to attitude. (And I should note, that we all would have been in the first 20 - 30 people on board that day!)

 

I will not take away from true disasters, or major inconveniences (ie. plumbing failing/flooding in your cabin), but barring those, a cruise has got to be wonderful for me!

[Lois R]

Hi again:) well.....it seems as if there are quite a few folks

who have positive things to say:D

Perfection is in the eye of the beholder;)

 

Is it October yet?:D.....seeing Mercury and the wonderful staff

and crew again will make a perfect week for me!:)

[Drew B]

I do think that every passenger has a right to expect that the ship that they are sailing on is well maintained and is 100% mechanically sound.

 

Read your cruise contract. Celebrity specifically does NOT warranty that their ships are even seaworthy! I haven't read contracts on other lines as closely, but I would guess that they have similar provisions...

 

I don't know what we do or do not have a right to expect, but I do know that our expectations are not particularly relevant. What we have agreed to contractually does NOT guarantee us a well-maintained, 100% mechanically sound ship.

 

Am I saying that I like the wording of the contract or that I think it is fair? No, I am not. However, I look at it as a reality of this type of travel. In order to enjoy cruising, I recognize that I have to agree to these terms. I can choose to do so or I can choose to forego cruising. The only other option is to sign the contract, then complain about it. I find that counterproductive and depressing. I'd rather "accept the things I cannot change".

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

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

 

I agree. We did a lot of research and have been happy with the results. I'm continually amazed at the folks that gripe about formal dining or whatever. That's what Celebrity is about. You hate formal dining you should be sailing a different line. And I also agree with the poster who said she gets on board with a good attitude and excitement and the cruise seems to go well. Just happy to be cruising!

[ddonalds]

You know, I just thought of something. I don't actually expect things will go smoothly (they never do - could be me - but Murphy is alive and well in this world) - but I HOPE they will. I don't assume the ship won't break down, just as I don't assume the flight will be on time. Actually, I assume the flight will not be on time, and I guess, just like the OP, you just remain flexible as things do happen. I do HOPE that there will be no problems - and if there are none, I'm that much happier. As someone else said, better than being at work.....:D

[raudacruise]

Funny that on our first cruise on Granduer many moons ago we hit something (they were very vague on this) going out of the port. We were suppossed to go to two private islands plus St. Thomas and San Juan. Turned out to be no private islands, St. Thomas and Nassau. Ended up having two extra sea days.

 

The next year we signed up for the exact same cruise. Found the private islands to be "OK" but not sensational, same with San Juan. Also found out, we really like sea days.

 

To sum it up, missing a port is not going to cause us any grief. Terrible weather so that we can't sit on the verendah - yes that would cause grief. Can't the Captain control the weather ;).

 

The first cruise we are disappointed in - will be our last. Because we probably shouldn't be going on them anymore :(.

[bettyonboard]

I am going on the Summit SB on Sept 3rd. Sorry to miss you. I look forward to reading your review!

[Irishwhiskey]

Cruising is the perfect choice! So i guess we're always on the perfect cruise

[flagger]

When a cruise costs more than I paid for my first car, I expect damn near perfection. Here are some of the minuses from my last review of "Infinity".

 

Probably the most important one was the problem my wife had the last day at sea. The balcony door which had during the week remained in a locked position while all the way open slid closed and locked her and my daughter on the balcony with no way to open the door from the outside and no way to contact anyone from the outside. The handle was down yet it slid closed and when the door remained closed it locked. Fortunately they were only out on the balcony for about five minutes when I had returned and it was a cool day. It could have been far more unpleasant. We did report it to Guest relations, but maintenance had not come by our stateroom by the time we had disembarked.

 

....

 

 

 

When we got to our stateroom, we noticed the tube from the hairdryer on the wall just hanging from the wall unit and not attached to the handle you hold that when removed starts the hairdryer. Concierge Class cabins have a separate hair dryer so this was not an issue, but we did report it our first day to Guest Relations and by day three it was still not fixed. It was only fixed on day four of the cruise as noted above because of our wonderful assistant stateroom attendant.

 

....

 

 

 

We do not think that it is worth it to dine more than once in the specialty restaurant per cruise. While the meal was fantastic, the meals in the Trellis were quite good. However, I noticed that one of our tablemates did not have her water glass refilled for at least five minutes. We were literally the last one dining in the restaurant, but for a five star dining experience this type of lack of attention to the details should never occur. She was certainly not going to die due to a lack of thirst, but I feel one should not have to ever request a refill of water in that type of dining environment.

[Drew B]

When a cruise costs more than I paid for my first car, I expect damn near perfection. Here are some of the minuses from my last review of "Infinity".

 

First of all, I am very happy that things were not worse with your wife and daughter. That must have been very upsetting for them, and it could have been very dangerous. I wonder what could be done to remedy this. Could they install panic buttons on the balcony maybe?

 

As for the other things, you are right. They are not perfect. I would, however, need to take them into consideration in the context of the rest of the cruise. If the rest of the cruise was very average and humdrum, those problems would be enough to make me feel that the cruise wasn't good enough. On the other hand, if the rest of the cruise was FANTASTIC, and every minute was one of the greatest moments of my life, I would never give those little issues another thought. My practice has always been to enjoy everything as much as I'm able while I'm on the trip. Then, when it is over, I can look at everything that I experienced, compare it to what I paid for the privilige, and based on that decide if the trip was worthwhile (and HOW worthwhile it was). One great thing among tons of bad things doesn't impress me much. One bad thing amidst tons of fantastic things could never bring me down. It's the sum total of the experience that matters.

[Costest]

aka Heaven

 

I'm happy to put up with all of us imperfect people, places and situations for as many more years as possible.

[kidznp]

Maybe some people have unrealistic expectations when they book a cruise and are bound to be disappointed. While I have encountered a few very minor irritations on a cruise, overall it is just a lovely time and I have had the opportunity to see beautiful places and meet really nice folks. I love the dressing up and getting greasy and sandy at the beach. I have no interest in a rock climbing wall or ice skating rink but that is just me. I tend to laugh when I observe people fighting over deck chairs and otherwise making fools of themselves. I love the frou frou pool drinks and the shows, even if they are a little cheesy at times. I love talking to the various staff members and admire their dedication and positive attitudes when they are away from home and their loved ones for months at a time.

 

The one "bad" cruise was when my DH got diagnosed with influenza A the day after we boarded and was pretty much cabin bound for the duration--I hated it that he could not enjoy our cruise but he loved the room service and our darling steward even went and got him ice cream twice while I was gone on excursions. My cruise critic buddies, met right here on this board, were a lifesaver to me on this particular trip simply because I knew some people to hang out with.

 

No cruise is, or could be, perfect. However there are "perfect" moments that are different for each of us and those are the ones we remember and what keep us coming back.

[Drew B]

You have made some interesting posts, but it is always better to state known facts and not just throw imagined thoughts with the word "guess" included in the statement.

 

Sorry. I haven't cruised most other lines, so I haven't had the opportunity to read their contracts. I wasn't going to do extensive research, so I said "guess" so as not to mislead people into thinking I knew something I didn't. By doing so, I invite people to contradict me with hard evidence.

 

I did not read my contract prior to sailing Celebrity but I should have. I signed a paper saying that I HAD read it. It is not THEIR fault that I didn't read it. It is mine. It is up to me to live with any consequences.

 

As for the rest of it, you are correct. You can go all activist and try to get the cruise lines to change their policies. I applaud that, and I would love to benefit from your efforts. For me, though, the effort, stress and aggravation of doing so would completely wipe out any benefits I would get from vacationing. I would literally rather stay home and never travel again than have to "fight the system" in the way you are proposing. Different strokes...

[Dougie Cruise]

First, look at the bit of wisdom at the bottom of the post. My wife and I are mid 50's and accelerating our travel schedule over the coming years. We still both work full time, so a cruise is a break from our hectic lives and responsiblities. It's is GREAT that someone else cooks for us, and cleans up after us. We will take a week on the Mille in December, and TA with the Connie in April. As a (bad) French speaker, we plan independent days in the three French port stops.

 

However, we also do some "stretching" independent travel each year. This September, a trip to Greece and the Aegean, next year trips to Germany in the summer (so my DW can speak bad German), and a winter trip to either Chile or Uruguay/Brazil (so I can speak passable Spanish). We expect, and seem to always get, good and memorable experiences. Sometimes are fellow passengers are part of the good experiences.

 

So, relax and enjoy!

[DaveFr]

There is no such thing as a perfect cruise; if there were then I would win every time that I walked into the casino! Maybe I am different but I do expect to receive what I have purchased and do not subscribe to the theory that no matter what you receive it is still better than nothing.

 

I do think that every passenger has a right to expect that the ship that they are sailing on is well maintained and is 100% mechanically sound. It should never be up to the passenger to make the best of any situation that the cruise line may present through their negligence. Other than that I go with the flow and have always had a good time on all of my cruises with one notable exception.

smooth sailor,

 

I'm curious, what was the one cruise that you didn't enjoy?

[JCDeck]

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 ;) )

 

I could not have said it better, love it.:)

[beauxdammit]

Good for you, BettyonBoard. I am sure you will have a great time. Alaska is a wonderful place to take your first cruise. I suggest, though, that you do not wear your evening gown and tiara when you go whale watching. They tend to get in the way.

[beauxdammit]

Hey, Sasset, it's a tough world out there. Sometimes things don't go the way we want them to. Don't dispair. There is very little in this world that can't be fixed. (Maybe death is a little more difficult). BW and I have found that most of those things that were upsetting when they occurred have become some of our best memories (or at least some great funny stories).

 

Dale Carnegie said in "How To Make Friends.......", when life hands you a lemon, there is nothing to do but make lemonade.

[NorCalCruiseGuy]

When a cruise costs more than I paid for my first car, I expect damn near perfection. Here are some of the minuses from my last review of "Infinity".

 

I guess I'm not quite sure how someone could be so upset over not having a glass of water refilled for 10 minutes.

[beauxdammit]

Sorry Flagger, of the three you mentioned, only the first was remotely (IMHO) disturbing. Look at it this way, it makes a great story to tell at family get-togethers, in the bar, or whatever. The other two, again IMHO, are not even worthy of being a bother. No sympathy from this quarter.