Sorry mate didn’t see this pop up. I’m so glad to hear you can relate! I’m not sure where you stayed but when we walked around to the other side (not Muo) it was so much quieter and peaceful. And not treacherous. Couldn’t believe it!
My husband and I recently went on a cruise to Alaska, and it was definitely an underwhelming experience. I think that many people enjoy cruises, but I was surprised to find that we did not as much as we expected to. Part of it was that experience of pouring into a town for only half a day and then having to pull anchor and move on. It felt disingenuous and unfair to the people who live there on a regular basis. So interesting to see your perspective on it! I would recommend to anyone thinking about going on a cruise to research the options and be wary of the hype. I think if we had gone in with lower expectations, we would’ve had more fun!
Oh that’s so interesting. Did you you both feel as though you were the odd ones out on your cruise or did you find other people who felt the same way? My wife and I chatted about it a lot while we observing them all and it threw up a lot of questions about what kind of travelers we are, our values etc. The things you listed did make us wonder whether we would feel the same should we ever decide to do a cruise.
You know, I did wonder if we were the only ones. Many people were repeat cruisers, so I assume they weren't bothered by it enough to stop cruising. Like you, our experience led to a lot of conversations about what kind of travelers we are, what experiences we want when we vacation, and how much we are willing to spend. On the money front, it's hard to know what comparison category to put a cruise into. It's a moving hotel, an entertainment venue, a mode of transportation, and a set of restaurants/bars, all rolled into one. The ports are most similar to a series of day trips, strung together back-to-back and organized at the exact same time as 4000 other people. As a hotel, it was great. As entertainment, the shows were good, but the other options were mostly geared towards families and retired folks. As transportation, I haven't run the numbers, but it feels like an expensive way to get from point A to point B. As restaurants, the offerings were meh, average. The experiences in town were good, but it was difficult to chart our own path and avoid the crowds. It would be like seeing the sights in a city through a tour company vs. on your own: both have their pros and cons.
I have been mulling on how much of my reaction is merely my unfamiliarity with cruising. I live in North Texas, which is not a port city, so cruising is not frequently on my radar. I think of "normal" ways to travel as by air, train, car, or regular boats (i.e. ones locals would use). But, why do I assume that "by cruise ship" is not a legitimate way to arrive somewhere? For places that have piers, does the fact that I drove or flew there myself make my experience of a place any better/different than if I walked off a boat?
My assumptions of how locals view cruise passengers is another thing. Many towns in Alaska are sustained largely by tourism, and I imagine the same is true of several other cruise destinations. The huge outpouring of cruise passengers turns my stomach because it feels "wrong" to me, but perhaps if I lived somewhere where tourism was a big part of how my economy survived, I would welcome passengers with open arms. The daily tides of people might just be "part of life." When everyone descends on the Cowboys stadium for a football game, I'm mildly annoyed because of the traffic, but I don't wish that they didn't come to enjoy the event. I'm really having to challenge my notion that just because tourists frequent a place does not make it automatically "bad" for the place. Of course, these issues are never black and white, so I think the overall message should be that folks need to be thoughtful in how they engage with the world. In some cases, that might mean not going on a cruise, and in others, going on a cruise wholeheartedly.
I suppose I have rambled on enough, thanks for engaging!
Thanks for such a thoughtful answer! I think your point about charting your own path cuts to the heart of it for me. How to some extent you're always part of the crowd. And then in regards to the impact a cruise ship of people has on that place, I suppose it could just be a mixed bag. I'm sure there are plenty that love it and plenty that hate it. I think I would wrestle with that too, and my role in being part of that. My wife struggles with seasickness so I don't we'll be having to worry about this anytime soon, but it's an interesting thought experiment!
It's definitely not for everyone! I'm intrigued by them so who knows, maybe one day. I know Brent and Michael (whose Substack is great) are a fan of cruises and they seem to have a good thing going with them.
So true. I think that's definitely one aspect I would love about being on a cruise, in that it'd be great for just being able to observe all the different people on board. Prime people watching.
Can 100% relate to the fear walking on those roads. Did not think I’d make it out of the Bay alive!
Sorry mate didn’t see this pop up. I’m so glad to hear you can relate! I’m not sure where you stayed but when we walked around to the other side (not Muo) it was so much quieter and peaceful. And not treacherous. Couldn’t believe it!
My husband and I recently went on a cruise to Alaska, and it was definitely an underwhelming experience. I think that many people enjoy cruises, but I was surprised to find that we did not as much as we expected to. Part of it was that experience of pouring into a town for only half a day and then having to pull anchor and move on. It felt disingenuous and unfair to the people who live there on a regular basis. So interesting to see your perspective on it! I would recommend to anyone thinking about going on a cruise to research the options and be wary of the hype. I think if we had gone in with lower expectations, we would’ve had more fun!
Oh that’s so interesting. Did you you both feel as though you were the odd ones out on your cruise or did you find other people who felt the same way? My wife and I chatted about it a lot while we observing them all and it threw up a lot of questions about what kind of travelers we are, our values etc. The things you listed did make us wonder whether we would feel the same should we ever decide to do a cruise.
You know, I did wonder if we were the only ones. Many people were repeat cruisers, so I assume they weren't bothered by it enough to stop cruising. Like you, our experience led to a lot of conversations about what kind of travelers we are, what experiences we want when we vacation, and how much we are willing to spend. On the money front, it's hard to know what comparison category to put a cruise into. It's a moving hotel, an entertainment venue, a mode of transportation, and a set of restaurants/bars, all rolled into one. The ports are most similar to a series of day trips, strung together back-to-back and organized at the exact same time as 4000 other people. As a hotel, it was great. As entertainment, the shows were good, but the other options were mostly geared towards families and retired folks. As transportation, I haven't run the numbers, but it feels like an expensive way to get from point A to point B. As restaurants, the offerings were meh, average. The experiences in town were good, but it was difficult to chart our own path and avoid the crowds. It would be like seeing the sights in a city through a tour company vs. on your own: both have their pros and cons.
I have been mulling on how much of my reaction is merely my unfamiliarity with cruising. I live in North Texas, which is not a port city, so cruising is not frequently on my radar. I think of "normal" ways to travel as by air, train, car, or regular boats (i.e. ones locals would use). But, why do I assume that "by cruise ship" is not a legitimate way to arrive somewhere? For places that have piers, does the fact that I drove or flew there myself make my experience of a place any better/different than if I walked off a boat?
My assumptions of how locals view cruise passengers is another thing. Many towns in Alaska are sustained largely by tourism, and I imagine the same is true of several other cruise destinations. The huge outpouring of cruise passengers turns my stomach because it feels "wrong" to me, but perhaps if I lived somewhere where tourism was a big part of how my economy survived, I would welcome passengers with open arms. The daily tides of people might just be "part of life." When everyone descends on the Cowboys stadium for a football game, I'm mildly annoyed because of the traffic, but I don't wish that they didn't come to enjoy the event. I'm really having to challenge my notion that just because tourists frequent a place does not make it automatically "bad" for the place. Of course, these issues are never black and white, so I think the overall message should be that folks need to be thoughtful in how they engage with the world. In some cases, that might mean not going on a cruise, and in others, going on a cruise wholeheartedly.
I suppose I have rambled on enough, thanks for engaging!
Thanks for such a thoughtful answer! I think your point about charting your own path cuts to the heart of it for me. How to some extent you're always part of the crowd. And then in regards to the impact a cruise ship of people has on that place, I suppose it could just be a mixed bag. I'm sure there are plenty that love it and plenty that hate it. I think I would wrestle with that too, and my role in being part of that. My wife struggles with seasickness so I don't we'll be having to worry about this anytime soon, but it's an interesting thought experiment!
Thanks for writing that :) !
Thanks, mate! And no worries. Appreciate you reading it!
Omg. I CAN’T stop laughing and smiling. Thanks for refuge!
Oh thanks, WB! I'm so glad it got a laugh!
Las Vegas-on-sea! Our worst nightmare 😇
It's definitely not for everyone! I'm intrigued by them so who knows, maybe one day. I know Brent and Michael (whose Substack is great) are a fan of cruises and they seem to have a good thing going with them.
They are a fascinating as a case study in human behaviour (bit like an aquatic high school playground with all its tribes)!
So true. I think that's definitely one aspect I would love about being on a cruise, in that it'd be great for just being able to observe all the different people on board. Prime people watching.