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Cruising
- A real joy or a painful experience?
Below are a two contrasting snapshots that illustrate how
this works - two couples returning from their cruises talk
about their holidays on the high seas.
How was it for you?
The first couple, Mr & Mrs T., are enthusing about the
interesting ports of call they have visited, the great choice
of onboard cuisine, the entertainment, the amazing seaviews
from their cabin and balcony, the extensive wraparound teak
deck for morning strolls, the choice of leisure options from
spas and gyms to the onboard shops and playing lady luck in
the ship's casino, the thoughtful staff, the bottle of bubbly
to celebrate their anniversary, the ship's stability and cleanliness,
the inclusive transfer services…. The description of their
whole cruise experience is heady stuff. They barely stop for
breath, by the time they're heading for home - you just know
they've already started planning their next cruise.
They feel refreshed, met lots of interesting people, got away
from it all and saw places they always said they would visit
one day.
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Awkward
passengers?
By comparison, our second couple, Mr & Mrs R have just disembarked from
their cruise and are still complaining that the alcohol they purchased
at one port of call, was confiscated when they went back to the ship and
only returned to them last night. They had no balcony or outside view,
but looked out across a shopping arcade. After complaining bitterly, they
were relocated to a cabin with a view…of a lifeboat. Their accommodation
was also positioned too high and near the front, which contributed to
their motion sickness during a rough night at sea. The different restaurants
that they wanted to try were not inclusive and many of the leisure facilities
charged extra too. Entertainment shows looked a bit old hat and staff
seemed to know that the couple had refused to pay the optional gratuities.
Because the ship was so large, it couldn't enter some ports and transfers
to and from the ship reduced the time spent ashore. To cap it all their
mobile phones didn't seem to work when the ship was at sea and the internet
café onboard was always fully booked! Putting ice in their drinks while
ashore resulted in more queasy stomach problems and the ship's doctor
assuring them the CDC rating for the cruise was 99, meant nothing to them.
The other passengers all seemed a lot older and the ports of call were
places they had already seen on previous holidays.
Believe it or not, these two couples have both been on the same cruise!
The problem lies in the fact that the second couple chose the wrong cruise
for them.
The first couple spent time selecting a cruise that would take them where
they wanted to go, with dining and leisure options to suit them, a cabin
located mid-ship for least roll and with a balcony. They booked their
excursions and ship board activities early to avoid queues and disappointment;
they opted for the all inclusive special air and transfers service. They
looked at the age group of the passengers and took the excellent CDC rating
into consideration when selecting their cruise. The live stage shows were
their preferred option to a loud disco. They bought the champagne for
their anniversary while ashore and just paid a nominal corkage fee to
have it presented on their special night.
The second couple two didn't pay much attention to any of these cruise
details and will probably never book another. If only they had asked themselves
what they wanted out of a cruise, it could have been a totally different
experience. Anyone considering setting sail, should look at the options
available and decide which elements of the cruise experience are important
for their own particular needs.
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