What annoys you about cruising today?

[Cruisemarsh]

I agree Andy ....the whole thing just puts me right off...we experienced RCL on a 2 nighter only cause our Agent talked us into it for a cheap weekend break...was the cruise from hell.. but we kinda knew before we went but went anyway as only a short break....everything you say was us as well...like you I'm not saying i'm not child friendly but I still maintain a ship is NOT a place for a child...all they want is a bucket and spade and the seashore whether Saltcoats or Barbados...makes no difference...its just a racket...a cruise is an elegant relaxing pampering holiday for adults...but they NEED to make money and families are targeted...the short break 2 and 3 nights got thats started....and thats why they continue...it sickens me. I now give the whole thing a very WIDE berth....just wish I had the money to go Silverseas all the time....(slightly over rated but worth it for the peace and quiet , great service and  italian elegance.. 21st century style .( at least it s  away from the 'riff raff)

Our problem is that QE2 just spoiled us......







but I'm so glad she did!

I have to disagree with you there. I was 8 years old when I was first taken on a cruise and I loved it to bits. Now I am 22 and I still cruise. Cruising is an educational way to travel the world and I think children should be given that opportunity. With the right parental skills from their parent, kids will be entranced by cruising and it will teach them new things and they will travel to new places too. I think it is wonderful that kids do go on cruises.  Starting cruising as a kid certainly hasn't done me any harm and I never ever wanted to just go to a beach with buckets and spades, I wanted to explore the world and the only real way is cruising and I am lucky enough to say I have cirumnavigated the world and have explored places where I th thought I would never go. If kids were just left to go to beaches then I think iti would not do them any good for their education at all.

In terms of upper class cruising, I hate it and if I had my way I would ban it as it creates a class of eliteism that is not  needed and if peope from all walks of life want to go on cruises then they should. Cruising is not just for the rich. Everything should be equal other wise we are going to go back to the old days where First CLass, Second and Third Classes opperated and that would  be disatrious for cruising. That was my pet hate of Cunard. It still has a class system that I think is very Victorian in structure as I thnk all passengers should be allowed to go anywhere on the ship (passenger areas). QE2 was the exception to my view, it was a ship that offered so much and anyone could travel latterly on her.

[Clydebuilt1971]

What annoys me about cruising..............

(1) Parents not keeping an eye or any control of their kids - especially in areas where there may be hot food and drink - but they would be the first to sue if the worst happened.

(2) Guests not adhering to the dress code - its not there for fun and its all part of it for us - thats why we booked with Cunard. Go Ocean Village or similar if thats you're thing - theres nothing wrong with not wanting a dress code just dont go on a vessel or with a shipping line who have one!!

(3) Arrogant guests who think that the world / ship revolves around them and consequently ruining it for the decent honest amongst us due to their lack of manners. My wife is a small women and the number of times shes been barged out of the way by others is beyond belief.

(4) The "hard sell". We love QM2 but our 10 day Carribean Cruise in 2008 was rather dominated (in parts) by some on board "expert" who advised us all where to spend our money ie where she was getting the most commission.

(5) Being looked down upon by people who think that because they've cruised umpteen times they have a right to impose their opinions on everyone at every moment. We had a guy at our table on the Westbound leg of our QM2 TA last year who insisted on telling everyone how QM2 wasnt worth the money versus QE2 and how we were all basically cheap pretenders as we hadnt sailed on QE2 bla bla bla bla and how he had the ear of the Commodore bla bla bla. OK you're entitled to your opinion and by all means air it but not every evening all evening. Thankfully this chap had friends boarding in NY and he moved tables. We would have moved but for the fact we liked all the others at our table!! Chat in the Chart Room Bar afterwards was always interesting!!!

Apart from that nothing!!! 

[RmsAquitania]

I dont have a problem with children on a crtuise BUT parents should be made in some way to make shure they retain SAFE control of the child and there should be adult only bars or lounges too.On the really big ships now there is enough choice of resturants, bars etc to cater for everyones sense of dress, but and maybe im wrong but I thinkthe main resturant should stick to the dress code, for us the dressing up on formal nights was part of the fun, it made a change from the normal rest of the year routine at home in jeans t-shirt or whatever- to go on a cruise and dress up was a nice change.Dont get me wrong when at home im happy in my jeans, trackies etc.

[Twynkle]

Anybody ever been on a Casino Ship?

Or a ship with any other sort of purpose?
How about a voyage on a cargo ship? It sounds ideal -
pax can spend as long as they like with ship-minded people,
and with little or no competition!!
Trouble is that it would be very expensive!

[RmsAquitania]

Now with the new babe ships out there....I dont know what id book as I still wouldn't want to dine in the grills and I don't like the big main restaurants because

a) they are too big  and

b) The so called balcony class or watever they are trying to equate to Caronia dining in QE2 is a poky hole and for me doesn't work....the new Qe one doesnt even entice me....it doesnt look like a main restaurant  and  .....

c) I HATE  2 sittings....

So  I'll just stay home then,.......!

ba humbug

I was on one of the newibuilds of another line the other week, and although obviously the main resturants were much bigger than the mauretania on qe2, they infact were definately much more cramped.

[Cruise_Princess]

So that  they can CRAM more of us in...tables closer together...no room to manoevre.... just no use....on QV our table was hard up against a wall......no way could a waiter get in behind us to serve properly...it was hopeless, and spoiled what should have been a lovely part of our cruise....and everyone piling in at 8.30 was chaos....whereas on QE2 it was so much more elegant in the Caronia restaurant with folks coming in dribs and drabs......

I think its called progress,,,,??..

[RmsAquitania]

Although it was very cramped our position was good, we were close to the door leading into the plate wash area, and itwas a hoot every night to see events unfolding in that epartment. There was one who worked in the plate wash dept, i think he was indonesian, by eck he had a fabulous aim with a soup bowl !

[RmsAquitania]

Photographers ! On our last cruise 2 weeks ago they took a photo in the resturant 5 nights out of the 7, and they were also positioned in numerous other places on the ship it was so annoying.

[Lynda Bradford]

Photographers ! On our last cruise 2 weeks ago they took a photo in the resturant 5 nights out of the 7, and they were also positioned in numerous other places on the ship it was so annoying.

It is the cost of the photgraphs that annoy me.  If they were half of the price they would probably sell more.   But instead they keep the prices high and the majority of them go into the bin. 

[Cruise_Princess]

If the photogs would concentrate on taking pics that people actually want to buy it would be better. I will never forgive them for totally missing the sail in to Dubai....their DVD was FULL of the onboard balls....all 5 of em...there was so much more going on throughout the final voyage than that,

they couldnt have cared less.....and  some of the staff on that final voyage would have been better stacking shelves in Tesco.

[RmsAquitania]

I agree the photos are over-priced, but its the quality of the actual photo too. It reall makes me wonder are they actually amatures or pros ?

[Twynkle]

News of fuel costs....
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=90970.blog

Book before 11.5.2010 and save £2.56 a day!
Otherwise this could mean just one less cup of coffee in the Cafe Carinthia a day
Or as fewer minutes on the Forum from the QV and QM2!
Alternatively, it could help to save the planet!!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

I agree the photos are over-priced, but its the quality of the actual photo too. It reall makes me wonder are they actually amatures or pros ?

Cruising today -- that reaches well beyond Cunard's remaining fleet.

Marco Polo's photographer did not annoy me at all -- her photos were the same quality that you would find on other ships, and her prices a fraction of what is charged elsewhere. Altogether a pleasant surprise.

[cunardqueen]

Maybe lm the only one here,But I didnt really mind paying the prices. When you consider the fact that most are proper portrait style photos, taken by pros, with various back drops (But why oh why use the titanic backdrop)  They have loads of other decent ones that could be used, and have been used in the past. With the era of this digital age there is more scope for fancy settings which can or cannot be a good thing.

 Perhaps they are a bit expensive, But l have bought each and every one over the years and find them great to look back on. Well to be honest l thought each cruise would be the last one.

In the olden days Ocean Pictures used to do the normal 7x5ins size and rarely produced 10 x 8s. Now this present lot only do 10 x 8s and half of that can be a montage.
Im only annoyed that l missed out on the embarkation one in NY on the final eastbound and a certain lady photographer promised it could be sorted, and alas it never was. The rest of the guys l foud very helpful.
   

[highlander0108]

Im only annoyed that l missed out on the embarkation one in NY on the final eastbound and a certain lady photographer promised it could be sorted, and alas it never was. The rest of the guys l foud very helpful. 

I suspect that certain lady photographer was the one that promised me she'd photoshop my embarkation photo that I missed January 2008....still waiting for that one too.