Bad Cruises: Ships that are Under Par?

[IBCRUZIN']

You are right babe, my Glory comment was more about my cruise experience rather than any problem with the ship itself. Although I found the service in the dining room to be lacking. Other than that the ship was fine.

[babe ruth]

Well, I didn't intend to exclude poor service as a reason why a ship might be sub par, so you are really correct in saying the Glory is sub par if dining room service was bad. This is especially true, as I've found that, nine times out of ten, poor service is caused by an insufficient number of crew assigned to a particular area on a given ship. And this can certainly make the ship sub par.

[smlaker]

I suppose the itinerary does change b/c I'm on the March 30th destiny. My itinerary is as follows.

San Juan
St. Thomas
Dominica
Barbados
Antiguq
St. Kitts
St. Marteen
San Juan

[IBCRUZIN']

Originally Posted by smlaker

I suppose the itinerary does change b/c I'm on the March 30th destiny. My itinerary is as follows.

San Juan
St. Thomas
Dominica
Barbados
Antiguq
St. Kitts
St. Marteen
San Juan

On my June 1, 2008 Destiny cruise St. Lucia has replaced St. Marteen. I have never been to St. Lucia and have been to St. Marteen once. Therefore, I am happy for the switch.

I wonder what happened with the overnight stay in the DR?

[Chuck Palm]

I agree with the addition of NCL Dream. I would also add "Pride of Aloha."
I guess it has changed names or is about to. In any case, I have never seen a ship that is more poorly run. (And I've been on a few "funky" cruise ships.)

[CaptainEdwardJohnSmith]

Originally Posted by Chuck Palm

I agree with the addition of NCL Dream. I would also add "Pride of Aloha."
I guess it has changed names or is about to. In any case, I have never seen a ship that is more poorly run. (And I've been on a few "funky" cruise ships.)

you can say that again, and again, and again, and again about the Pride Of Aloha


Captain

[Dave the Wave]

Originally Posted by CaptainEdwardJohnSmith

and I tell ya, from what pics I have seen of Dave, the gentleman fits right into that category!
Please take that as a compliment, Dave!

Captain

Captain, I do. I do like to party but with the right people in the right
environment.

IBCRUZIN, I have done 4 nighters on Enchantment, Sovereign, Majesty and Sensation. One coming up on Grandeur. These RCI ships are as old as the Sensation but in my opinion, much nicer more elegant and with a more upscale cruiser even on the shorter cruises.

The Sensation was like a bad dream. The pool had no water in port, the purple was overwhelming and the service was lacking.

I met a nut the first night who stalked me the rest of the cruise, puked in the hallway and passed out outside my cabin, she was traveling with some family and found out during the cruise her dad was really her uncle and her uncle was her dad. I felt like I was in an episode of jerry Springer.

[CaptainEdwardJohnSmith]

...Captain, I do. I do like to party but with the right people in the right
environment....


Ya telling me ya wouldn't wanna party with THE Captain? shame
The pic I like most Dave, is your Don Johnson imitation in the VW.
Party on, Dude!

Captain

[Dave the Wave]

I will party with you Captain.....on Grandeur or Mariner but not Sensation.

Party on! 8)

[ready2board]

Originally Posted by skymaster

Add me and Mrs. Jones (The lovely Vita) to the group that LOVES sea days! That's why I keep booking the "Miracle" 8 day, with 4 beautiful sea days. The ship is the destination for us. When we cruise, people will always ask where the ship is going, and I honestly answer them with "I don't know". Give me sea days anytime!
We haven't sailed any ships in the last several years that I'd consider below par. Perhaps my expectations aren't that high, or perhaps we're informed enough to only book the "good ones". I'm not sure which, but whatever the reason, we continue to love cruising.

See y'all aboard,

Ken
"Sky"

Couldn't agree more. I don't know how anyone can go out on deck (or your pesonal balcony) and look off into that endless sea and consider a ship just a "floating hotel". Not to mention just the smell of the ocean air!

Love to just get up whenever & not have to worry about getting off for some shore excursion (don't get me wrong, they are ok sometimes). There are tons of activities throughout the day and I don't see how anyone really becomes bored. If anything, I think the shore excursions begin to feel a little "canned" sometimes unless it's something really special...Long story short...Go sea days!!

[huntr104]

Well I've seen the Victory mentioned a few times here with mixed reviews. My wife, daughter and I just returned last month 12/07 from the W. Caribbean on the Carnival Victory. We had a fantastic time. The ship was beautiful, the staff was exceptional as well as the food and entertainment. Also the Cruise Director Butch was a really funny and entertaining guy. By far it was my favorite ship over the Destiny and Miracle. But I will say that I had NO Complaints about the Destiny or Miracle either. Just liked the Victory better.

[blueliner]

I guess I'm an oddity here, as I like both; port days and sea days! I'm also lucky enough to say I've yet to have a bad cruise. So far, every cruise I've been on I really enjoyed. Sometimes the weather wasn't very cooperative, but that isn't the cruise lines fault. There isn't a cruise, cruise ship or itinerary I've experienced that I wouldn't heartly recommend to others, and that includes the Carnival cruise!

I'm looking forward to our port intensive Southern Caribbean cruise this fall, as we will be going to ports we've never been to before. There is only one port we've been to so many times we no longer get off the ship at and that is Nassau, Bahamas. At the same time, our Alaska/Repo cruise on the Vision OTS had 5 sea days, and we really enjoyed that as well! So for me, it doesn't matter if the cruise is port intensive or sea intensive. I guess we're just wierd that way huh?

As for Carnival, I understand what DTW is saying, but on my one Carnival Cruise on the Liberty, I really enjoyed the Carnival crowd and the cruise. Of course the Carnival Liberty is a newer ship and it was a 6 nighter cruise. I wouldn't hesitate to take a Carnival cruise again, except I have advanced in the RCI Crown and Anchor so far it makes better financial sense to stay loyal to RCI.

[babe ruth]

Since this thread is about ships which are physically below par, I am surprised that nobody has mentioned the Regal Empress. I've never been on this ship, but I don't have to to give an opinion that this is one rusty, moldy, stinky tub of a ship. This ship docked besides ours in Nassau on a fairly recent cruise, and at first I thought it was a tanker or something. Then I saw all the people standing on the decks, and asked about it. Was told it was indeed a cruise ship. Don't know what color the exterior was, because the primary color was rust. It gave off a bad odor from 100 feet away.

The Regal Empress is used a great deal by a Ramada condo promotion, wherein one gets a free or very cheap cruise in exchange for having all shore time used up in a condo sales pitch. Ramada promotes this in mail-out ads which state that the free cruise will be on Carnival or Regal Empress. I have never heard of anybody who "bit" on this offer getting Carnival. If one wants to simply book their own cruise on this ship (why, I can't guess), it actually costs more than many Carnival sailings. While some love Carnival and some hate it, all will agree that it is a REAL cruise line with REAL cruise ships! The Regal Empress is neither.

[Dave the Wave]

I have been on the Regal Empress when it sailed out of Port Manatee over here before going to Ft Lauderdale for this time share scam.

It was the Olympia of the Greek Line and went in to service in 1953 bring Greeks over here to New York. She was a beauty in her day and still has some original furnishings and is a step back in time.

The weird thing about my cruise.....I found out AFTER I booked, there was a group of 300-400 swingers onboard having strange private parties. Yes, I did crash the "Bare as you Dare" party one night.

Here she is in Nassau taken from the Sovereign.



Here again in Ft Lauderdale taken from the Enchantment.

[DayvidB]

DTW,,,,major on "The weird thing about my cruise.....I found out AFTER I booked, there was a group of 300-400 swingers onboard having strange private parties."

Bet they got stranger when you turned up bud, was it heaven at sea? You poor little choir boy

Laughing so much

[Dave the Wave]

When I heard about it, I envisioned young beautiful people like you see in the movies. That was hardly the case. They were mostly middle aged, frumpy and into wife swapping. I am single and would enjoy a singles party. I would not enjoy bringing my wife to trade with someone.

They all had green armbands so you could tell who they were. I was lounging by the pool watching some chubby bald guy trying to chat up some women. Then his wife arrived and she was obese. I was grossed out. I met a couple from UK that lives here now I was hanging out with. We all got a good laugh. A couple at our dinner table was with the group and said we could come to the party if we dropped his name at the door. I was alone so the head swinger came to the door and I told him I was a friend of so and so. He said OK, you can come in. I was wearing nothing but my blue velvet Austin Powers sports coat. Women were dancing topless on the dance floor. As I was standing at the bar getting another drink, a girl with a small whip cam up behind me and was lifting my coat tails. Before long a few of the women were taking turns spanking my bottom gently with it. I was invited to a private party in one of the suites but declined. We had to go outside on the deck outside the lounge to smoke and one of the women was commenting on waht a cool night it was and it's effect on my self. It was tough standing in the cold breeze (it was December) and not be effected.

SO anyway, that was my experience on the old gal the Regal Empress. I do have pictures but it was before I got my digital camera and thus do not have any in the gallery.

[babe ruth]

Dave:

Problem is, I posted about the Regal Emperess, and you posted a pic of the Imperial Majesty. When I last saw the Emperess, whe looked nothing like your pic of the Majesty.

[Dave the Wave]

She is still the Regal Empress. Imperial Majesty is the name of the Line operating her. Those pics were in 2005 and 2006. When I was onboard she was operated by Regal Cruises and did some interested long and unique itineraries from NY in the summer and Florida in the winter.

[Dave the Wave]

In her Glory days along side the SS France and the RMS Queen mary in New York.



In the 80's as the Caribe



and here as the Regal Empress



I found this very interesting. The regal Empress was used in an epsiode of Myth Busters to see if one could water-ski behind a cruise ship. You can find it on You Tube.

This more information. I know this ship well and have studied her history. I would go on her again but not for a two night junket to the Bahamas or to have to sit through a time share presentation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regal_Empress

[babe ruth]

Dave:

She looks much better in your pics than she looked in Nassau in '04. Looks like a total exterior re-do. But I went on the site you referenced, and noted the gross tonnage and passenger capacity, which compute to a passenger to space ratio of 10. This means that she is one very crowded ship. When dealing with this ratio, the higher the number, the less crowded the ship is, generally. For contrast, the average Carnival ship will have such a ratio in the mid 30s. Silversea ships have a passenger to space ratio of the low 70s. A passenger to space ratio of 10 equals 1400 people in love!

[Dave the Wave]

She has seen better days! You can't compare to newer modern ships but she is the oldest ship operating still out of US.

[Dave the Wave]

babe Ruth and the rest of you guys,

You have to see this. This is the you Tube of MythBusters water skiing behind the Regal Empress!!!!!!!

[babe ruth]

Dave:

That is a hoot! And it actually can be done. Wow. Since you've been on the ship, is it as crowded (small cabins, crowded dining rooms and other public areas) as the shockingly bad passenger to space ratio of 10 would suggest?

And allow me to also say that this ship was not all painted up as in your pics when I saw it in '04.m I wonder if the interior has had a fix, since some reports I've heard of stench, unusable beds, and everything generally worn out. Keep in mind that I HAVE cruised the Norway (formerly SS France in one of your pictures and now being scrapped.) It lacked the newness and freshness of a new ship, lacked the "glitz" of a Carnival or RCI ship, and lacked the elegance of a lux cruise ship like those of Silversea. But it WAS an ocean liner, so we went for an historical experience. (We'd never pay Cunnard's prices on their liners, considering the "class system" and lack of inclusions for the price.) But wasn't at such a low level of physical condition I have heard of the inside of the Empress and have SEEN on the outside (THAT part at least I hope is fixed.)

[Dave the Wave]

It only carried about 1100 people and on my cruise were only about 700. It did not seem overly crowded. I would have loved to sail the Norway (SS France) !

The Regal Empress has been through various stages of disrepair but at least she is still sailing instead of a beach at Alang!!!

[babe ruth]

Dave:

What was the interior condition of the Empress (by whatever name) when you cruised on her?

If the Norway were still in service, I fear she would be mentioned as below par on these boards due to the difficulty in getting around on her. This ship held about 2000 guests, but only had two elevators, and they had floor space of only 25 to 30 sq. ft., AND one of them was always out of service for repair! Thus the nickname "the SS Stairmaster." Even if we ignore that problem by saying "taking the stairs is good for your health", we are left with deck plans that intentionally made access to the whole ship difficult, due to its original "three class system" when it was the SS France. I'm still glad we cruised her before her demise because (as I said) it was an historical experience, and the last time we will ever experience an ocean liner in contrast to a cruise ship.

[Dave the Wave]

I found the interior to be in good condition. The dining room one level but nice. The library original and really cool, my inside cabin, small with two separate beds that could not be put together. It had gone through some changes from original so was a bit disjointed as you say. The original wrap around promenade deck was turned into suites forward so you could not go all the way around. But the inside promenade was cool with cabins facing onto it. I wish I had the chance to sail the Norway myself but it is gone forever but in memories now.

The pool bar was really cool as was the piano bar in mostly original state.

[babe ruth]

Well then, all should disregard my negative comments about the Regal Empress, based upon your more recent and more comprehensive experience with her.

[DayvidB]

What the "whatever" are you guys talking about....old ships now dead, or if not should be....

I have just just read the best post ever on CM,,,,it really made me laugh on here and a first in a long time. You want classic CM, then please read this again.....Quote DTW

"When I heard about it, I envisioned young beautiful people like you see in the movies. That was hardly the case. They were mostly middle aged, frumpy and into wife swapping. I am single and would enjoy a singles party. I would not enjoy bringing my wife to trade with someone.

They all had green armbands so you could tell who they were. I was lounging by the pool watching some chubby bald guy trying to chat up some women. Then his wife arrived and she was obese. I was grossed out. I met a couple from UK that lives here now I was hanging out with. We all got a good laugh. A couple at our dinner table was with the group and said we could come to the party if we dropped his name at the door. I was alone so the head swinger came to the door and I told him I was a friend of so and so. He said OK, you can come in. I was wearing nothing but my blue velvet Austin Powers sports coat. Women were dancing topless on the dance floor. As I was standing at the bar getting another drink, a girl with a small whip cam up behind me and was lifting my coat tails. Before long a few of the women were taking turns spanking my bottom gently with it. I was invited to a private party in one of the suites but declined. We had to go outside on the deck outside the lounge to smoke and one of the women was commenting on waht a cool night it was and it's effect on my self. It was tough standing in the cold breeze (it was December) and not be effected.

SO anyway, that was my experience on the old gal the Regal Empress. I do have pictures but it was before I got my digital camera and thus do not have any in the gallery.

End Dave quote.............Bud fantastic and thanks

Me I'm laughing soo much and one question bud. What did the green arm bands respresent?

[Dave the Wave]

What did the green arm bands respresent?

by DayvidB

Glad you enjoyed the laugh. True story. The green armbands represented they were part of the group and could gain access to the private parties.

[caribbeanqueen]

But I must say on the Glory a couple of years ago I was diappointed in it because of the service. In the beginning Carnival was great on service of course I was a cruise virgin then. My cabin steward well...I couldnt trust him. The first night on my bed was terrible. My linen was not clean. It did not smell fresh. I smelled as if it hadn't been changed after the previous guest. So that set the stage then. Then I asked him over and over for bed change even the comforter and maybe once he changed the linen only. The comforter still remained there. I wasn't convinced they even change it. I cringed at the very thought of what could have been on the sheets and comforter. Another night ther was long hair in several areas of my sheets. I noticed it after I was twisting and turning in the bed. From then on I was restless. And the glasses, I didn't like the fact that the lip of the glass was faced down on the surface. How disgusting. Do they really replace those glasses in the cabins and bathrooms? Do they wash them out like the hotels do in the sink.