Nostalgic cruise traditions being phased out

[Honolulu Blue]

Cruise.blog did an article on stuff that's disappearing on (some) cruises at https://cruise.blog/2022/10/nostalgic-cruise-traditions-being-phased-out .

It's a good article, well worth reading and dodging the landmines, IMHO.  Here are the items that were mentioned:

 

• Midnight buffets
• Chocolate buffet
• Intricate ice carvings and demonstrations
• Cruise recap video
• Themed menus every night
• Chocolates on your pillow
• In-person muster drills
• Rooms with portholes
• Printing every photo taken
• Printed daily cruise schedules

 

No poll this time, I'll just ask straight out:  Which of these "traditions" do you miss most?  Which ones don't you miss at all?

 

I guess I'll start.  I will miss the daily schedules most when they go.  I've actually gotten full ones on the cruises I've taken since the pandemic, but I've heard of reductions in this area and I'm sure they will affect me eventually.  Much as the Chief doesn't like to hear it, I don't think the in-person muster drills are coming back any time soon, and that's fine with me.

Edited October 14, 2022 by Honolulu Blue

[Essiesmom]

Of those you listed, perhaps the printed schedule.  But not on the list is traditional dining.  The elegance of cruising is long gone, unless you have big bucks to spend. It only the elegance, but the civility in cruising.  EM

[WatchHill]

I like the printed  daily schedule which we got the night before and I would highlight items of interest.

 

I remember the  passenger costume party.  And wooden horse racing on the deck by the [small] pool. 

 

Darcy

 

[whogo]

Fascinating - A 27 year old reminiscing about the good old days.

[ldubs]

The first three items on the list have been gone for a long time. 

 

From a life safety perspective I would pick the muster drill.  

 

So far the printed daily activities are easier to use than the app, but that is just formatting.   

[ontheweb]

Easy, printed schedules would be the most missed.

[shipgeeks]

I miss the days of set dining only.  Along with the apparent popularity of anytime dining, there seem to be many people who want to get in and out as quickly as possible, and are horrified to think they might have to share conversation with others.  For us, dinner was always the social event of each day.  Being the last table still occupied in the MDR was a mark of success.

We still prefer printed daily schedules and menus.  Other than that, I don't miss any of the items on the initial list.

[ldubs]

6 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

I miss the days of set dining only.  Along with the apparent popularity of anytime dining, there seem to be many people who want to get in and out as quickly as possible, and are horrified to think they might have to share conversation with others.  For us, dinner was always the social event of each day.  Being the last table still occupied in the MDR was a mark of success.

We still prefer printed daily schedules and menus.  Other than that, I don't miss any of the items on the initial list.

 

That is a good point.  While we prefer the newer systems, there are a fair number of posts from folks who miss the traditional dining.  It seems like an easy fix to me, but what do I know.   

 

There can be too much of a good thing.  I don't want to be drumming my fingers on the table while someone goes through their sixth desert, but only after eating and then complaining about each of the fourteen appetizers and twelve main dishes they ordered.  😀

[mammajamma2013]

In person muster drills (for safety reasons). I don't miss standing out on deck for the drill, but I don't mind when they are held indoors. Even if done on deck, I'd prefer that to the current way the drills are now being held.

 

The printed daily schedule. While we currently can get them on Princess, they no longer provide a port map. I like both the schedule and map for the "scrap book" I put together after the cruise. I love browsing these binders and having the memories resurface.

 

Having the other gone doesn't bother me.

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, whogo said:

Fascinating - A 27 year old reminiscing about the good old days.

Well, they've been on 34 cruises and took their first one at the ripe old age of 4.  Cruising has certainly changed since then.

 

Thanks everyone for your comments.  Keep 'em coming!

[rkacruiser]

Not having a printed daily activities schedule and printed dining room menus would be most irritating to me.  I don't like using my smartphone and would have the phone in the staterooms safe during a cruise.  I don't go on a cruise to use my phone!

 

3 hours ago, ldubs said:

 I don't want to be drumming my fingers on the table while someone goes through their sixth desert

 

I once had a tablemate who ordered many items each evening.  She would take 2-3 bites of it and ask that the next item be served.  Disgusting and what a waste of food!  This was the only time when I left the table when I was finished and before everyone was finished.  (And, I was not alone in doing so.)  

[carlmm]

Fortunately on my last cruise just two weeks almost all of those of the mentioned aspects which I would miss were still there.

They only one of the above I missed was a midnight Buffet. 

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, mammajamma2013 said:

In person muster drills (for safety reasons). I don't miss standing out on deck for the drill, but I don't mind when they are held indoors. Even if done on deck, I'd prefer that to the current way the drills are now being held.

 

The printed daily schedule. While we currently can get them on Princess, they no longer provide a port map. I like both the schedule and map for the "scrap book" I put together after the cruise. I love browsing these binders and having the memories resurface.

 

Having the other gone doesn't bother me.

 

Your comment reminded me of a recent thread somewhere around these forums about sharing images for digital scrapbooking.  Even if a hardcopy were preferred it seems it might be cool to be able to crop and print things for the keepsake.  But, I'm not a scarp-booker, so kinda ignorant speculation on my part (I do that a lot, haha).  

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

Your comment reminded me of a recent thread somewhere around these forums about sharing images for digital scrapbooking.  

 

Since I purchased a better camera than I had been using, I have been taking photos of menus and daily activity sheets and leaving the hard copies behind.  For the most part; ones that I deem "special", I keep the hard copy.  The digital formats do not really satisfy me like holding the "real thing" in my hands.  And, too often, the digital formats are not as clear to read as the "real thing".  But, it's better than nothing. I guess.  

 

1 hour ago, carlmm said:

They only one of the above I missed was a midnight Buffet. 

 

I don't miss these.  HAL provides a midnight "snack" which includes enough choices that some of the night's entertainers can be seen dining at that time.  

 

I do miss the elaborate presentations, etc. of those Buffets.  Beautiful to see with so many options of foods!  But, the waste both of food and the efforts of the crew!  Far better, I think, to have those kinds of Buffets on only really special occasions.  

[Tonsoffun44]

Miss the most - Printed schedule - although the ability to still get them on request is good.  

Ice/fruit carvings were fun to look at once in a while as decoration, midnight buffet was good when we were busy and missed regular dinner seating. The rest really never cared either way. 

[Mum2Mercury]

My personal opinions: 

 

- I went to one midnight buffet -- was it chocolate?  And we left without eating anything.  These may've disappeared, but the cruise ships have added additional food venues, and I like them much better.  

- I'm not sure what demonstrations are, but I would enjoy cooking classes.  

- I wouldn't buy the cruise video.  Similarly, my husband got me the cruise cookbook once; I don't think I ever cooked anything from it. 

- I don't care about themed menus, but Royal Caribbean has themed nights in the buffet. 

- I do miss the chocolates on my pillow, but it's not a make-or-break item. 

- From a selfish point of view, I like the easy-peasy new muster drill -- but I am concerned about whether the ship would be well prepared to weather an emergency. 

- Printing every photograph was wasteful.  

- I think I'm with the majority here:  I absolutely want a printed cruise schedule!  

- I don't miss traditional dining.  Sitting with strangers can be tedious.  We love My Time Dining. 

- No one mentioned that formal dress has really fallen by the wayside.  I personally don't miss it. 

[dolittle]

8 hours ago, WatchHill said:

  And wooden horse racing on the deck by the [small] pool. 

 

Darcy

 

I Talked about this a few weeks ago and no one had ever heard of it . Was before my time saw it in a few movies.

[rkacruiser]

2 minutes ago, dolittle said:

I Talked about this a few weeks ago and no one had ever heard of it . Was before my time saw it in a few movies.

 

I never witnessed this by the pool, but on  Rotterdam V in 1970/71, such was held in the Queen's Lounge as I recall.  

[dolittle]

I miss the printed newspapers some lines had ,like to know what is going on Hal. was good some never had one.

 

[dolittle]

Not on your list but at one time X had white glove waiters grab your tray in the buffet and find you a table . Nice touch

[Honolulu Blue]

9 hours ago, WatchHill said:

I remember the  passenger costume party.  And wooden horse racing on the deck by the [small] pool. 

 

21 minutes ago, dolittle said:

I Talked about this a few weeks ago and no one had ever heard of it . Was before my time saw it in a few movies.

 

17 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

I never witnessed this by the pool, but on  Rotterdam V in 1970/71, such was held in the Queen's Lounge as I recall.  

I've done the horse racing thing on my longer Carnival cruises.  I even got to "jockey" once (didn't win).  I'm pretty sure they still run them.  The details were different in some of these races, and they may be different than the experiences you and others have had.  Mine were always in lounges - usually the main theater - and never by the pool.

[WatchHill]

46 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

 

I've done the horse racing thing on my longer Carnival cruises.  I even got to "jockey" once (didn't win).  I'm pretty sure they still run them.  The details were different in some of these races, and they may be different than the experiences you and others have had.  Mine were always in lounges - usually the main theater - and never by the pool.

On one memorable cruise, a very large corporate group was using the main lounge for company events, thus the "fun" events were held pool side.  The horse racing began with people bidding to buy a horse, about 8 in total. People formed syndicates to collectively buy a horse. Each horse was numbered and painted a  bit differently. Then passengers brought the horse back to their cabin and during the week, decorated the horse with whatever materials the entertainment staff had supplied. Horses showed up in the dining room, at bingo, evening entertainment, passenger talent shows, too. There were a few "minor" races during the week. The racing cuminated in a grand event, with owners dressed in their stable colors, crazy decorated hats on ladies, then the entertainment staff took over. Of course passengers all got in on the betting. A track was set out around the pool, and using the bingo number  basket, the ED called out numbers as each horse advanced around the track. So much easier to manage when ships held less than 700 passengers. Oh, and there were 6 of us who owned a horse, it placed and we won back our investment plus, and were invited to the "winners lounge" [crows nest bar] for drinks that evening. 

 

Darcy

 

[lenquixote66]

13 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Cruise.blog did an article on stuff that's disappearing on (some) cruises at https://cruise.blog/2022/10/nostalgic-cruise-traditions-being-phased-out .

It's a good article, well worth reading and dodging the landmines, IMHO.  Here are the items that were mentioned:

 

• Midnight buffets
• Chocolate buffet
• Intricate ice carvings and demonstrations
• Cruise recap video
• Themed menus every night
• Chocolates on your pillow
• In-person muster drills
• Rooms with portholes
• Printing every photo taken
• Printed daily cruise schedules

 

No poll this time, I'll just ask straight out:  Which of these "traditions" do you miss most?  Which ones don't you miss at all?

 

I guess I'll start.  I will miss the daily schedules most when they go.  I've actually gotten full ones on the cruises I've taken since the pandemic, but I've heard of reductions in this area and I'm sure they will affect me eventually.  Much as the Chief doesn't like to hear it, I don't think the in-person muster drills are coming back any time soon, and that's fine with me.

I miss the daily newspapers

[sullaRaffaello]

Passenger lists.

[Gwendy]

9 hours ago, dolittle said:

Not on your list but at one time X had white glove waiters grab your tray in the buffet and find you a table . Nice touch

I loved that, had one waiter wander almost the length of the buffet before he found us a seat.  Lovely touch.