Cruise Critiques

Although most everyone who has taken a cruise has thoroughly enjoyed their overall experience, it is likely that each has at least one thing they could express as being a negative about the cruise.

One thing that is a negative about the cruise is something that many don’t even think about unless something goes wrong. That is the cruise contract; the agreement that pretty much indemnifies the cruise line for just about everything, placing the burden of responsibility squarely on the passenger’s shoulders. Covering illness, weather conditions, losing or damaging a guest’s luggage and changing itineraries are just a few of those special situations that the cruise line claims to be their prerogative to dictate for any reason. Not only are they supposedly not responsible, but also claim the right to decide on a compensatory measure.

All guests of the cruise ship are provided with a newsletter that details all activities, all sales in the cruise ship’s shops and all opportunities for services such as spa or beauty treatments. To reiterate the information and confirm that all of the guests know about it, the cruise ship generates a continuous flow of daily reminders that arrive at each stateroom door every day. With cruise lines boasting about their efforts to become “green”, eliminating redundant paper flow would be a likely step forward.

Shipboard photography is another pet peeve of many passengers. No matter where you go on the cruise ship there is bound to be a photographer, just waiting to get those candid shots that, hopefully, you can’t live without. Eating dinner, going for a swim, lounging at poolside or walking off the cruise ship at the end of the vacation, shots of couples, singles and groups; all available for a price.

There are likely many more bothersome and irritating aspects to a cruise, but most times the fun and entertaining features are what are remembered most. Cruise experiences would probably be much better all the way around if guests could express these pet peeves and if the cruise lines would listen. Like most things in life, though, we have to take the good with the bad.