Ever Taken A Cruise?

[+ Avalon]

Rather than flying hither and yon a cruise might be a nice change of pace. Calm, relaxing. Of course I'd think it would be with a client you knew rather well.

 

I've been on the Queen Mary when it was in Long Beach:)

 

And I took the ferry three times to Alcatraz:)

[+ Topseed]

I’d rather take a bullet.

[thickornotatall]

I’d rather take a bullet.

I couldn't stand it...I like walking around a big city..not in circles....

[+ JEC]

We did a cruise on azamara, it was great. Smaller ships get into most ports. Most days in port, nights at sail. Premium line - all inclusive. Mostly 50+ crowd almost no kids.

[Guest]

I’ve been on a dozen. if you want calm and quiet...SMALL SHIPS are the ticket. Civilized travel

[+ HornyRetiree]

I have never taken a Cruise BUT I have done a lot of Cruising over the decades!

[bnm73]

Being stuck on a boat for 8 days with in-laws......what can possibly go wrong...

 

....ports of call during the day, but everywhere the cruise ship docks is the exact same little "mini-mall" as any other. There's a Señor Frogs, a jewelry store, etc. And you can't explore the city/country where you dock, because your'e only there for a few hours. Then the boat leaves.

 

I had more fun getting my wisdom teeth extracted.

[+ Avalon]

On the radio I was listening to a travel show and they were saying the west coast of Mexico is especially dangerous these days.

[+ bashful]

I've taken three. Smaller boats, and ports that are not full of the huge ships are best. I do agree that a big negative is the short time allowed to see a place. A positive, is if you just have no interest in being a tourist, and stay onboard, time in port really goes by fast.

[mike carey]

I’ve been on a dozen. if you want calm and quiet...SMALL SHIPS are the ticket. Civilized travel

Leaving aside crossings (Channel, Irish Sea, Japan to Russia, Danish straits, Cook Strait, San Juan Islands) I've been on two, 14 days cruising the Antarctic Peninsula from southern Argentina, and a week in the Galápagos Islands. Both were on small ships and unlike those mentioned as hopping between dully similar ports, those were to successive stops in richly varied natural settings. Both were superb.

[Guest]

....ports of call during the day, but everywhere the cruise ship docks is the exact same little "mini-mall" as any other. There's a Señor Frogs, a jewelry store, etc. And you can't explore the city/country where you dock, because your'e only there for a few hours. Then the boat leaves

 

Good points. I’d seek out organized excursions. Something with action - sailing, snorkeling, climbing, hiking...

 

And when I say “small ship” I’m referring to 200-300 passengers

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Cruises can be fun with the right traveling companion(s). The more I cruise, the more I prefer river cruising or smaller ships ships like Silversea, Viking, Windstar and- if the price is right- Quasar.

 

The only cruises I won't take anymore are Atlantis or RSVP ships.

[+ MasssageGuy]

I have never taken a Cruise BUT I have done a lot of Cruising over the decades!

Perhaps you can start a topic on the "ins and outs" of Cruising?

[LookingAround]

Cruises can be fun with the right traveling companion(s). The more I cruise, the more I prefer river cruising or smaller ships ships like Silversea, Viking, Windstar and- if the price is right- Quasar.

 

The only cruises I won't take anymore are Atlantis or RSVP ships.

Silversea is da bomb.

[Deadlift1]

I have never taken a Cruise BUT I have done a lot of Cruising over the decades!

It's always the same tune with you. Maybe you should date the one hit wonder "Should I gas up the private jet?"

[RandyC]

Love small ships... never been on a gay cruise. That might be interesting... or awful

[N13]

As noted many times above, small ships are best. I like to keep it under 100 if possible. The perk is that you do see a little bit of a number of places and you don't have to pack and unpack and take planes and buses repeatedly. Have met some very nice people on the boats who have become friends. Remember the crowd that can afford it is usually an older one. Take a friend or two with you!

[TXDav]

Finding the right cruise line for you, can be a big factor in how much you enjoy it. They are not one size fits all. Some things to take into account: budget, ship size (# of passengers), shipboard amenities, and itineraries. I prefer the smaller upscale cuise lines like Seabourn or SilverSea. The crowd is usually older, well traveled, cosmopolitan and gay friendly. But I've never had any issue meeting other gay travelers on board any ship, although on the larger cruise lines you'll find a lot more families and straight couples. Here's some good info https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=3

[Rudynate]

I would love to do a European river cruise or canal cruise. It has taken me years to convince my partner. I had a number of years when neither time or money were lacking. Now, time would be a problem for both of us.

[N13]

A river trip from Amsterdam to Budapest on a small boat was a joy. Used Viking...but also look into Vantage.

[+ nycman]

I think finding the right boat and cruise line is paramount.

 

Honestly, I could care less where the ship is going....as long as it’s warm.

Most ports of call suck, and the ones that don’t...deserve more than the

usual 3-4 hours you get to explore anyways.

 

90% of the time I stay on the ship and enjoy the “in port” discounts in the spa.

That’s the one reason I’m not a huge fan of the smaller boats....it can get

boring fast. Seaborne is about the smallest I’ll go on....and that’s pushing it.

 

Medium size ultra luxury cruises are my personal preference.

 

Large budget ones.....are the worst.....they’re like bad vacations in the Bahamas.

 

Plan wisely.

Edited September 4, 2018 by nycman

[OneFinger]

Cruises can be fun with the right traveling companion(s). The more I cruise, the more I prefer river cruising or smaller ships ships like Silversea, Viking, Windstar and- if the price is right- Quasar.

 

The only cruises I won't take anymore are Atlantis or RSVP ships.

 

I've done several Altantis & RSVP cruses in the past. But, like you, I'll not do them again. My last 3 cruises have been on Viking. They are now my preferred vendor.

[+ OliverSaks]

I’m hoping to take my first cruise on AMA waterways on the Danube in August - anyone with experience on their vessels?

[+ Just966]

A river trip from Amsterdam to Budapest on a small boat was a joy. Used Viking...but also look into Vantage.

Yes also did the Budapest to Amsterdam trip with Viking, highly recommend it. Small number of passangers (approx 100) and very enjoyable but still see a lot.

 

just this fall also did a bike and sail cruise in the islands off of Croatia for a week and was amazing. Boat was small (32 passengers ) and had a couple of guides that led the daily bike tours on each of the islands that we went to. Highly recommend if into biking. There are tons of these types all over if looking for something more active.

[+ WilliamM]

Yes also did the Budapest to Amsterdam trip with Viking, highly recommend it. Small number of passangers (approx 100) and very enjoyable but still see a lot.

 

just this fall also did a bike and sail cruise in the islands off of Croatia for a week and was amazing. Boat was small (32 passengers ) and had a couple of guides that led the daily bike tours on each of the islands that we went to. Highly recommend if into biking. There are tons of these types all over if looking for something more active.

 

I visited the island of Hvar in 2013 just before the season started. Your tour is interesting though. The different is I got to know one island of Croatia fairly well.