What won't you do?

[magandab]

I saw this thread on another board and thought it might be fun. What typical cruise "thing" have you tired of, learned your lesson about, just didn't like and will never do again?

 

Let's keep it light please!

 

I won't bust my butt to get to the suite cocktail party the first evening on board. Sounded like a fun way to start the cruise, but it was, to me, a crowded room, bad wine, and too much noise. Appetizers were yummy, but the first day it's just too much for me to enjoy.

[KirkNC]

We don't let the ever present photographers take our picture.

[jaspersmycat]

I won't go to the Spa drawing on embarkation day. Too crowded and I never win.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I agree with both answers. Much prefer the suite party to be the next day and we bypass the photographers except when we are feeling silly and clown for the camera in some ports.

Edited August 19, 2013 by SJSULIBRARIAN

[OlsSalt]

Agree, no ship photos other than ship ID card. We slip around the photo line-up after embarkation too. Looks like we are "cheating" to get ahead of everyone to first board the ship but we are merely choosing no-photos. That is all. I will give HAL ship photographers credit for being very accommodating after the first no with no more pressure and soon they learn to avoid us. Been on other ships where the ship photo people almost amounted to harassment if you said no.

[barbarah33]

I also agree; I do my best to avoid having my picture taken by the ship's photographers. It is a waste of their time, my time and those who do want their pictures taken and are waiting.

[peaches from georgia]

Ship's photographers, no way, no where, no how. No matter they are they are in the way.

[iancal]

-we breeze by the photographers

 

-we never attend any of those events just to get a free glass of that horrible wine or champagne

 

-we never attend those shopping promotions disguised as port talks

 

-we never shop at those so called approved stores during port stops

[1of4]

I will never, ever (again) put in a ballot for a spa draw on embarkation day. I won twice which I thought was fantastic and what luck as I had never won anything before...until they spent the whole time in my "free" treatments putting on major pressure for me to buy, buy, buy and insisting I come back for "free" consultations until I finally had to show up with my husband to say NO MORE. Oh yeah, one treatment, turned out to be a $70 charge and when I said I won it they told me that wasn't the case and I was just trying to get out of not paying. I said then why when I checked it and said I was there for the treatment I won wasn't I corrected. The girl was not happy and made me feel like I was lying to them. Even told me that the message that was left on our cabin phone was left by her and she said no such thing.

 

Proves that nothing is free!

[HamOp]

Seems to be lots of people in the witness protection program on HAL ships:D

[OlsSalt]

Agree, those blatant spa marketing hypes do no credit to HAL ship board life though I have been very happy with the HAL's regular salon procedures: hair cuts, coloring and pedicures. Feel they are well priced too compared to state side.

[startwin]

-we breeze by the photographers

 

-we never attend any of those events just to get a free glass of that horrible wine or champagne

 

-we never attend those shopping promotions disguised as port talks

 

-we never shop at those so called approved stores during port stops

 

That's my list too, plus I never go to the show on the first cruise night or the "sales" on the Lido deck.

[solocanadian]

-we breeze by the photographers

 

-we never attend any of those events just to get a free glass of that horrible wine or champagne

 

-we never attend those shopping promotions disguised as port talks

 

-we never shop at those so called approved stores during port stops

 

Me too!

[arewethereyet]

-we breeze by the photographers

 

-we never attend any of those events just to get a free glass of that horrible wine or champagne

 

-we never attend those shopping promotions disguised as port talks

 

-we never shop at those so called approved stores during port stops

Me three!

[blueboro]

Ship's photographers, no way, no where, no how. No matter they are they are in the way.

 

We found it usually takes about as much time to let them snap the photo as to tell them no...unless of course there is a line. One thing we won't do is play Bingo. There used to be some good payoffs and the cards were reasonable but now it has obviously become a big money maker and profit center for the cruise line. Bring back Horse Racing!!

Edited August 19, 2013 by blueboro

[genmasjoy]

We don't go to the art auctions on ships - I don't know if they have them on HAL. As for the photographers, we enjoy getting one portrait done on formal night but that's it.

[CruiseWhere]

-we breeze by the photographers

 

-we never attend any of those events just to get a free glass of that horrible wine or champagne

 

-we never attend those shopping promotions disguised as port talks

 

-we never shop at those so called approved stores during port stops

 

Me four, DH five!!

[HokiePoq]

No photos and absolutely no letting the DH choose the excursions, ever, ever again. The one time I did, he signed us up for a zip line in Alaska on our very first cruise on the Volendam. It was a beautiful spot at Icy Strait Point, but I am afraid of heights and nearly had a nervous breakdown in the process, lol.

[cruisin'girl]

No photos ever. Will walk around them even if takes longer than to submit to the camera. Don't want to encourage them to even be standing there. No Captain's receptions, no port spiels, no disembarkation talk. Never been to one and somehow seem to be able to do fine in ports and leave the ship and get our luggage at the end of the cruise.

[whogo]

We skip the Mariner brunch.

We skip the debarkation talk.

We skip the crew show.

We skip art auctions.

We bypass photographers, but will pose when we are looking and feeling good and may even buy a photo.

We don't pick up our free photo of the ship.

I would rather not have towel animals.

We hope to skip the master chef's dinner/dessert parade. No luck so far.

We hope to skip announcements. No luck so far.

[cruisemom42]

No spa treatments -- more expensive and not as good as spas I visit at home.

 

No ship shore excursions unless absolutely necessary -- I am constitutionally not suited for large group tours with mandatory shopping stops

 

No "private islands", just stay on the ship -- just not a beach and barbecue person; I'd rather enjoy the vista from afar than deal with sand in my suit and long lines waiting for mediocre food

 

No disembarkation talk -- after cruising most of my life, I could be giving it

[Taz]

No photos. No way, no how, no exceptions.

 

No roommates. Unless someone like Mark Harmon is available, but I'm pretty that's not going to happen. :)

 

No spa treatments. I have a great massage therapist at home and she charges much, much less.

[Lady Chew]

No more disembarkation talks ...

No more photos ...

No more shopping talks, raffles, "special events"

No more Mariners Brunch (although we do arrange to get our tiles)

No more art auctions

NO MORE FORMAL NIGHTS!!

Edited August 19, 2013 by Lady Chew

[NoobCruise]

Avoid long bus ride excursions. We took an excursion in Mazatlan that took us to a very small town in the Sierra Madres. It ended up being an all day ride in a very hot bus with a horrible smelling potty. BORING! and it was our 15th anniversary. DH is not allowed to pick excursions all on his own anymore lol

 

After reading everyone elses posts, we didn't do mst of those things either:

 

no photos

no spa

no port talks that tell you where to shop

no cocktail parties, captain's or suite

no art auction

Edited August 19, 2013 by NoobCruise

[lovetocruise2020]

no suite cocktail party, no art auction, never done port discussions, never done suggested shopping,