Surprise Cruise

[moposh]

I watched an episode of "Mighty Cruise Ships" that showed the Europa 2.  It sailed from Istanbul.  About 500 guests, $6,000 pp.  Every room is a balcony suite.  Anyway, the passengers voted on where the ship went.  There were two votes during the 10-day cruise.  Even the captain doesn't know where they will go until after the vote.  Once the vote is decided, the excursions crew scramble to figure out excursions.

 

Would you go on a Surprise Cruise?

 

I don't think I'd like it.  I like to know where I'm going.  Plus, since excursions were last minute, I think better ones could be arranged if they had prior knowledge.  

 

The guests seemed pretty happy and of course, they wouldn't have gone on the cruise if they weren't okay with it.

Edited October 24, 2022 by moposh

[Biker19]

The ship's hull is white.

[LindaD22]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

The ship's hull is white.

Am I missing something? How does this reply relate to the OP’s post?

 

Personally, I put in so much planning and thought into every cruise that there’s no way I could do a “Surprise Cruise.” I mean, maybe one day I will reach a place of Zen contentment that will allow me to go with the flow, but that day hasn’t come yet!

[Biker19]

19 minutes ago, LindaD22 said:

Am I missing something? How does this reply relate to the OP’s post?

Like the OP I felt like posting some random non-RCI thing this morning. 

Edited October 24, 2022 by Biker19

[BND]

I wonder how they schedule the port since they can't do it very far ahead.  Not all ports will have availability.

[RobInMN]

Maybe if it was on Icon, where the ports don't matter.....

[moposh]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Like the OP I felt like posting some random non-RCI thing this morning. 

No, it's not RCI, but it wasn't random.  I see I've moved.  That's okay.

[moposh]

57 minutes ago, BND said:

I wonder how they schedule the port since they can't do it very far ahead.  Not all ports will have availability.

I wondered that too.  There were going to Greece and I think had a choice of several Greek isles.  The ship has two tour guides on board, which is needed since the first port was the morning after the vote and no excursions could be arranged.

 

They chose to go to Santorini and two other isles before that.  Then they chose Mykonos and some other islands.  

 

Each person got a chip and they put it in the bucket of the choice they wanted.  

Edited October 24, 2022 by moposh

[moposh]

1 hour ago, LindaD22 said:

Personally, I put in so much planning and thought into every cruise that there’s no way I could do a “Surprise Cruise.” I mean, maybe one day I will reach a place of Zen contentment that will allow me to go with the flow, but that day hasn’t come yet!

I agree.  I think I would be too stressed out about it.  I plan my excursions and like to know where I'm going.  I guess if I could afford $6,000 pp I might have reached that Zen place.  😄

[Honolulu Blue]

21 hours ago, moposh said:

Would you go on a Surprise Cruise?

I would, for the right price on the right cruise line.  The concept interests me, and the execution could be good.  Bring it on!

[Sea42]

I would at least be interested in following a "Live From" thread about it!

[leithbones]

I understand myself well enough to know I'd be sulking like a kindergartner if I was on the losing side of a passenger 'Vote'.  "We're going WHERE?!?"

I would let it ruin my trip.  Personal shortcoming.

No thank you.

[navybankerteacher]

I’d prefer to pick my own itinerary, by choosing a ship with a plan, - and the thought of being on a ship even with just 500 folks suddenly joining the several thousand already swarming over a place like Santorini  does not appeal.

 

[jocap]

Fred Olsen used to do a Mystery cruise each year, which never appealed to us, but some people enjoyed going to tiny ports which are untouched by cruise ships. You do need a small ship for that, plus I imagine a very relaxed set of passengers.

[MyTMo777]

If the price was right, I'd totally do that. I wondered about that episode too, how they got into ports that easily and quickly. But I love the adventure of going someplace I've never been before. While I do research our ports to death before going on a cruise, if they switched a port on us to something I'd never been to before, I'd be like, "Cool! Let's go check it out!" Some of the best moments in life happen when I don't plan them.