While literally tens of millions of cruise passengers sail each year, there are some misconceptions that just seem to linger in the public’s imagination. Some of them are rumors spread online, some are opinions people have without actually ever sailing, and some are myths spread by the cruise lines themselves.
But I’m pulling back the curtain and letting you know what things just aren’t true on a cruise… no matter what others may tell you.
Ads Showing Passengers Enjoying the Ship Alone
The first thing that any passenger will learn on a cruise is that those advertisements they see in some ways stretch the truth. For example, I always notice they show people having a good time on a cruise — which is accurate — but the catch is that there barely anyone else around.
Anyone that’s taken a cruise knows that’s not true. Yes, there are quiet times and quiet places on the ship. I love taking a walk first thing in the morning when it can feel like you have the ship to yourself. But anytime after about 9 a.m. and you’re going to be sharing the ship with a few thousand of your closest friends. Go to events like the sailaway party or just hang out by the pool on a sea day, and it can be nearly shoulder to shoulder.
Bottom line, when you see these sorts of advertisements, know that it’s possible, but certainly not likely to have a spot all to yourself.
Sales That Have “Countdown” Deadlines
Another thing that isn’t true — at least all the time — is that the exclusive sale you see from the cruise line is most likely not that special. And that threat that the sale is going to go away? It’s often empty and not something you need to worry about.
First things first, cruise lines run sales all the time. And generally the prices end up being the same price, even if the sale is tweaked. So maybe one week it’s 30% off all passengers and then the next sale is 60% off a second passenger. Those come out to the same price.
Especially right now cruise lines are having no problems filling ships so it makes zero sense for them to offer large, across the board discounts. If they are needing to get passengers booked for a cruise, then a discount or offer for those specific trips is more likely.
What you’ll also see a lot of are warnings and even countdown timers about a sale ending. Then, like magic, it seems to get extended. So the “last chance” turns into another week or two of that sale.
Gourmet Dining Everywhere
Food is always a big deal on a cruise and why not? You’ve got thousands of people on vacation and they want to eat up. Cruise lines put tons of restaurants on the ship to meet those appetites. If you see the advertisements, it all looks gourmet and like the best thing you’ve ever eaten.
The reality is a bit different. Yes, there is a lot of good food on cruise ships and there is plenty of gourmet dining. But there is also a lot of stuff that’s there to feed the masses quickly, especially in the buffet. It can really be hit and miss.
I’ve found that you have to be a little choosy on what and where you eat. If you visit a specialty restaurant, it’s all high quality. But spots designed to feed lots of people like the main dining room and buffet can be anywhere from great to terrible.
You won’t go hungry, but the idea that everything served is amazing just isn’t the truth.
You’re on a Rigid Schedule
I grew up in a house that didn’t cruise. When it was ever brought up as a possibility or mentioned, my dad always loved to point out how he didn’t want to have to be on someone else’s schedule on vacation. So I always thought cruising was heavily regimented.
It is true that there is a schedule of when everything happens onboard. The show starts at 7 p.m., trivia is at 3 p.m., all aboard is at 5 p.m., etc.
But apart from the all aboard time, there may be a schedule but you don’t have to follow anything you don’t want to. So if the 7 p.m. show in the theater is inconvenient, there’s usually another one at 9:30 or you can just skip it altogether. But you can get up when you want, eat when you want, do what you want whenever. Just because there is a daily schedule doesn’t mean you have to follow it.
Anyone saying you have to stick to a schedule isn’t being truthful.
Cruises Are Only for “Old” People
This is one that I had completely wrong before my first cruise. I took my first cruise when I got a gift certificate for Royal Caribbean as a wedding present. Before then, cruising was never on my radar.
When my wife and I got that gift, we were polite and thankful, but once we were alone, we just laughed. Cruising? That’s what “old” people do.
We couldn’t have been more wrong. In fact, cruising might be one of the most diverse experiences you can have. If you’re sailing a mass-market line, you will find seemingly every single race, color, age, sexual preference. There’s young, old, gay, straight, black, white, green, and purple.
Now, there will be trends that some cruise lines cater to different crowds, but if you’re thinking cruising is all older folks, then you’re in for a big surprise.
Ports of Call Are Exotic
At least in the Caribbean, you might be under the impression that when you get to port you’re going to visit some exotic port of call. It’s going to look, smell, and sound different than anything back home. All those quotes about travel expanding your horizons and making you more open-minded by be in your thoughts.
What’s true is something pretty different. In reality, you can find some exotic things about ports of call, but they won’t be in the port area directly off the ship. The truth is that at least right in the port area, most of the time it’s a tourist trap, sometimes literally.
They can be tough to exit to get to the real city. Meanwhile, the buildings there aren’t genuine but sort of a Disney-fied version of the place. There are lots of bars and restaurants and souvenir shops selling everything you can imagine. And it’s all designed to cater to American tourists and because of the ships, it’s filled with Americans, not locals.
So, neat to visit? Sure, but the idea or marketing that you’re going to some exotic or remote place just isn’t the case.
There’s Bad Behavior Everywhere You Look
If you hop on social media, you might find videos of people behaving badly on the cruise ship. I’ve personally seen videos of people fighting, fishing off the side of the ship, even peeing in hallways after late nights.
I won’t argue that these things don’t happen. There is literal video evidence. But if you get the impression that stepping on a cruise ship is like going to Bourbon Street at 2 a.m., then that’s just not true.
I’ve been on nearly 30 cruises and the worst I’ve seen is some PDA — with clothes still on — on an adults-only cruise line.
In general, people are there just to have a good time and enjoy themselves, not to do anything that will get them kicked off the ship. So yes, it happens, but remember that the internet is not always real life. And if you are worried about it, different cruise lines have different crowds and even different cruises have different atmospheres. Typically shorter cruises tend to be more of a party atmosphere.
If You’ve Taken One Cruise, You’ve Taken Every Cruise
Maybe you took a cruise, didn’t like it, and thought cruising isn’t for you. Or you heard someone’s horror story about sailing one line and swore off sailing entirely.
There’s a misconception out there that views cruising as some monolithic thing. Anyone that’s cruised multiple lines knows that’s absolutely not the case.
Yes, there are definite similarities from line to line. I like to say that about 80% of cruising is the same. You’ve got hanging out poolside, evening entertainment, hopping from port to port, and fancy dining in the evening.
But there’s 20% that can vary widely and make the whole experience different. No one would confuse the atmosphere of a Carnival cruise for a Celebrity cruise. And the style is much different for an Alaskan cruise than a European cruise than a Caribbean cruise.
Just because you’ve taken one cruise doesn’t mean you’ve taken every cruise.
Ships Are “Petri Dishes”
After more than a decade of writing and talking about cruising, one thing I’ve heard countless times is that cruise ships are floating petri dishes. Now, I don’t know where this started, but I will admit I see how people can get that impression. Whenever there is a health issue on a cruise, it makes headlines — stomach bug outbreaks are tracked and reported by the CDC. Covid cases during the pandemic were widely reported.
There’s no arguing that yes, an illness can spread on a ship. With so many people in close proximity, it happens. I’d argue the same could be said for any gathering of people as we saw during the pandemic.
But the idea that cruise ships overall are dirty? That’s just not true. It’s MUCH more common for a ship to score a 100 on its health inspection than to fail it (scoring below an 86). Most ships score in the mid-90s and above.
I don’t know that I’ve ever been to a place where I’ve seen as much cleaning in general. Dirty spots here and there? Sure. But overall, I’ve always been impressed with how much the crew is constantly cleaning and how well ships are kept up.
You’re in for Cheesy Entertainment
I do think there are some things that may have been true in the past on cruises but aren’t the case anymore. One great example of this is the idea of hokey entertainment.
It might be that if you sailed 20 years ago — or on an old ship today — then yes, there can be some evening entertainment that’s a bit old-fashioned. But if you think that cruise ships are only drawing D-level talent that couldn’t hack it anywhere else… then that’s just not true.
In fact, entertainment on cruise ships can be literally from Broadway and the shows can be Vegas caliber in some cases. It tends to be the newer and larger the ship is, the more outstanding the theater performances will be. There’s stuff you’ll see on cruises that you won’t see anywhere else.
Bottom line, if you expect the shows onboard to be cheesy, that’s not the case.
