Has Cruising Jumped The Shark?

[SheriNtexas]

This is the first time I've seen a heated discussion on this forum. Interesting reading.

 

 

I just finished reading that sentence, and I was thinking to myself, "WHAT heated discussion?" LOL! I've seen some doozies on this forum and IMO the discussion in this thread is very civilized!

 

Just to add my thoughts to the thread, I have cruised 5 times since last October, on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean, but the only reason I sailed on those 2 lines is because they were leaving out of Galveston, which I can drive to in 8 or 9 hours. My life has changed dramatically in the past 2 years: my husband of 19 years left me and married his 25 year old secretary, leaving me and our 3 kids reeling, my oldest daughter just had a baby 4 months ago, and after being a stay at home mom for 19 years, I now have to find out who I am and what I like to do. I went on a cruise with my mom, and fell in love with it. Obviously I can't go on 5 cruises every year, but the last couple of years have been more about finding out what I want to do, which has been hard for me since my whole married life was all about doing for my husband and kids! :)

 

I love new and exciting experiences, but only on MY terms! I'm not a risk taker, but I am learning how to not only do things for myself, but learning how to enjoy these new experiences as well! I am fairly easy to please and do not worry about worn carpet, tacky deco, etc. that some people gripe about when on a cruise, but that is just ME and my opinions. People have different tastes, they of course want their money's worth when they cruise, and good old fashioned manners seem to be going by the wayside, which i think in turn makes society as a whole look bad! I consider myself to be a well mannered, polite person who will not only go out of my way to be nice to others but expect others to be the same. I always told my kids that it is hard to understand why, for example, someone would steal or hurt others when we ourselves would never cross that line, therefore it is sometimes hard for me to see bad behavior and actually believe what I am seeing! For example, even though our CD on Ecstasy told everyone to please NOT block the hallways and stairwells when getting ready to disembark a few days ago and to only proceed to deck 7 when your number was called, sure enough, people were everywhere and after glancing at a few numbers on tags, it was obvious these people were going to be in the way of those of us who had the lower numbers. They called numbers 1-4, and then those people had to try to drag their suitcases past all the other people and suitcases that were in their way! Then, something happened that a few people saw as an opportunity: the fire door that stays closed during disembarking came open, and a group of about 10 people just grabbed their stuff and crammed their way through it, cutting in front of those of us who hadn't even made it down the hallway yet, and finally a guy came and closed the door! Then, there was a woman, sitting cross legged on the floor, obviously in the way, and she just sat there as people had to try to get past her, and not only was SHE in the way but her large suitcase was as well!! If this had been ME, well, i would not have been sitting like that in the first place, and secondly, the SECOND that i realized that my belongings were in other people's way, i would have been falling over myself to move my stuff asap!! Yet, she just sat there, and an elderly Asian man couldn't get his suitcase past hers, and 2 men came and helped him, and yet she still sat there, looking bored, or whatever. When our number was called, i deliberately ran my suitcase in to hers and said loudly, "Your suitcase is in the way!!!"

 

Sorry for droning on and on, just wanted to add my thoughts to this. I am the kind of person who feels more comfortable at a local steak and seafood restaurant then at some fancy place. But like i said, i am learning to do new things and break out, if only a little, of my comfort zone. That is hard to do, i've been in that comfort zone for a LONG time, raising 3 kids and trying to be a good wife and mom. I am no longer a wife, but i am still a mom and also a "Gigi" to my 3 year old grandson and my 4 month old granddaughter, and they are the light of my life! One of these days i may feel comfortable enough to try one of the fancier cruiselines and dress up all the time, etc. but for NOW, i am content to occasionally take my grandson to McDonald's, watch him play, and be happy that i am spending time with him and teaching HIM to have manners and to care about others and do the right thing. He is only 3, yes, but he already knows that Gigi's "special ears" only understand requests from him that are followed by "please"!!:)

[BobBeaSea]

We are a family of 4 and we have been on 2 cruises and are just now applying for our passports. Had we not already experienced cruising, I know that we wouldn't be concerned about having passports at this time. We would have continued to vacation in the U.S. However, it's too late for us now, we are hooked on the cruise vacation.

:)

 

The first cruise or two will get a lot of people hooked...no doubt about it. :)

 

Agree with what you said about vacationing in the States resulting in perhaps why some folks just won't bother with passports. Could there be a better country for vacations than the U.S.? I don't think so. The U.S. has so much to offer, from different climate zones to wide diversification within the lower 48 as well as offering a fantastic array of things to see and do. Truly unique....:)

[SheriNtexas]

The first cruise or two will get a lot of people hooked...no doubt about it. :)

 

Agree with what you said about vacationing in the States resulting in perhaps why some folks just won't bother with passports. Could there be a better country for vacations than the U.S.? I don't think so. The U.S. has so much to offer, from different climate zones to wide diversification within the lower 48 as well as offering a fantastic array of things to see and do. Truly unique....:)

 

 

Great post!! I could have written this! I had already decided that i was going to have to get over my fear of flying and get out and see this beautiful country i live in! I had always told myself that i would never go overseas when i had so much to see HERE! And that is exactly what i would have done-never gone overseas. But then i just HAD to go on that first cruise, get hooked, and now I have a passport!:D Talk about climate zones! I live in West Texas, and this state is so big that the panhandle can have snow and temps in the teens, while south texas can have beautiful weather with temps in the 80's, all on the same DAY!:eek:

[BobBeaSea]

Great post!! I could have written this! I had already decided that i was going to have to get over my fear of flying and get out and see this beautiful country i live in! I had always told myself that i would never go overseas when i had so much to see HERE! And that is exactly what i would have done-never gone overseas. But then i just HAD to go on that first cruise, get hooked, and now I have a passport!:D Talk about climate zones! I live in West Texas, and this state is so big that the panhandle can have snow and temps in the teens, while south texas can have beautiful weather with temps in the 80's, all on the same DAY!:eek:

 

Just like one of our provinces, British Columbia. You can go skiing in the morning and play golf in the afternoon :).

[Mekamax]

After cruising 21 cruises since 1991 I can deffinately see a difference as well. BUT we cruise not for food or people but to be ON the cruise not just staring at it at a resort. So for me I can now get a balcony for cheaper than an outside cabin many years ago - heck many years ago even the suites didn't have balconies so actually I like it better this way - I get better accomodations at a cheaper price and can enjoy the ocean. I guess it depends on why you go and what you want out of cruising....

 

Boy the main grand midnight buffet used to be two dining rooms long and breath taking - now I don't bother but new cruisers wouldn't know the difference.

 

Also I like the more casual atmosphere - more resort like...

 

Debbie :D

[caviargal]

Just like one of our provinces, British Columbia. You can go skiing in the morning and play golf in the afternoon :).

 

BC is one of my favorite places in the world. I would live in Vancouver if I could.

 

Personally, travelling in the U.S. has never appealed much to me, perhaps because I did just that for business for 25 years.

 

I love Europe because it is so easy and inexpensive to travel from country to country and experience completely different cultures, languages, etc. It is my perfect vacation destination.

[klct39lg]

BC is one of my favorite places in the world. I would live in Vancouver if I could.

 

Personally, travelling in the U.S. has never appealed much to me, perhaps because I did just that for business for 25 years.

 

I love Europe because it is so easy and inexpensive to travel from country to country and experience completely different cultures, languages, etc. It is my perfect vacation destination.

 

My husband and I have not traveled much, but we hope to travel more and venture farther when our kids are grown.

 

Cruising works for us because there is so much to do, this makes the family vacation FUN. They go to shows with us, eat with us, shop with us, take excursions with us; it's wonderful. At home they are so busy with friends, school, athletics that we don't have much fun time with them. Our goal is to hook our teens on cruising so that as we get older and even more un-cool our sons will still go on the occasional cruise with us.

 

Eventually, we would like to take cruises to Europe, Australia and New Zealand, it will allow us to attain a level of comfort so that we could take land vacations there. We would also like to visit our neighbors in Canada.

:)

[Roz]

Excuse my stupidity, but what does "jumped the shark" mean?

 

Roz

[SheriNtexas]

Excuse my stupidity, but what does "jumped the shark" mean?

 

Roz

 

 

LOL! I literally was just about to ask the same thing! I THINK i kind of know what it means, but i think it is obviously something said in another country, or at least I have never heard anyone say it!:D

[karfest]

Jumping the shark is a metaphor that has been used by U.S. TV critics and fans since the 1990s to denote the tipping point at which a TV series is deemed to have passed its peak. Once a show has "jumped the shark," fans sense a noticeable decline in quality or feel the show has undergone too many changes to retain its original charm.

The phrase was popularized by Jon Hein on his website, jumptheshark.com. It alludes to a scene in the TV series, Happy Days, when the popular character, Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, on water skis, literally jumps over a shark.

 

Jump-the-shark moments may be scenes like the one described above that finally convince viewers that the show has fundamentally and permanently strayed from its original premise. In those cases, they are viewed as a desperate and futile attempt to keep a series fresh in the face of a decline in ratings. In other cases, the departure or replacement of a main cast member or character or a significant change in setting changes a critical dynamic of the show.

 

The term has also evolved to describe other areas of pop culture, including movie series, music or acting celebrities, or authors for whom a drastic change was seen as the beginning of the end. These changes are often attempts to attract their fans' waning attention with over-the-top statements or increasingly overt appeals to sex or violence (see circling the drain). As this idiom grows in popularity, it is being broadened to simply describe any decline in viewer appeal for the TV series in question, without requiring a significant "jump the shark" moment as justification

[SheriNtexas]

Jumping the shark is a metaphor that has been used by U.S. TV critics and fans since the 1990s to denote the tipping point at which a TV series is deemed to have passed its peak. Once a show has "jumped the shark," fans sense a noticeable decline in quality or feel the show has undergone too many changes to retain its original charm.

The phrase was popularized by Jon Hein on his website, jumptheshark.com. It alludes to a scene in the TV series, Happy Days, when the popular character, Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, on water skis, literally jumps over a shark.

 

WOW!! Thanks for all the info! I have never heard that phrase used before, but I DO remember Fonzie jumping over the shark! I understand completely what it means. Kind of like when The Brady Bunch brought Cousin Oliver to live with them. It is the small kid cuteness factor!! :D Family Ties did it as well by having the parents have a baby, aka the small kid cuteness factor! Thanks again for all the info!!

[megr1125]

We are pre-first-cruisers, but I've been reading (and posting) on CC for a few months. We have a reservation for next spring, which I made because I've always wanted to go on a cruise, and now Royal Caribbean is sailing from NJ, which makes it an easy deal for us, since we live in NJ.

 

My DH was not keen on the idea, but is going because he knows how much I want to try cruising. But after reading so many of the threads here, I'm starting to have second thoughts. All of the things the OP sited in this thread are making me realize that maybe cruising just isn't going to be our cup of tea after all.

 

We don't like rude people, and I'm getting more and more concerned that we will be stuck for over a week with people who don't know how to behave. We were/are looking forward to the ammenities on the ship, but I don't want to be in a situation where some stranger has the ability to ruin my use of the ship, and the staff won't even enforce the rules.

 

While I'm not ready to cancel our reservation just yet, I am certainly considering it while I do research to find a different vacation for us next spring/summer.

 

I'm sad that it appears I've "missed the boat" and I wish I'd tried cruising 20 years ago.

 

 

It isn't THAT bad.....you'll have fun.......keep an open mind most importantly! Remember, a bad day on vacation is better than a good day at work

[megr1125]

I've only been cruising a few years, but, in general, I see an overall decline in the travel and tourism industry. Granted, it isn't everywhere, but sometimes it seems like people have the attitude that they are doing the guest a favor. This is coming from a person with 20 years customer service/hospitatlity management/retail management experience.

 

As for rudeness of others, I think people forget the golden rule..do unto others.....

[ala-kat]

IMHO, vacations across the board are suffering, or at least not what they used to be. Vacations, when the family truly got together and went somewhere, were special events and long anticipated. They still are today, but not in the same way. Far less options, much more planning, not to mention that there were far less people even financially able to take such a vacation.

 

It has become more of a 'right' than a 'privilege'. Snags in the road used to make the vacation memorable (at least in my family). Now everyone wants compensation when it isn't 'just so'.

 

Missed a port on my first cruise and never gave it a second thought. Hell, we were in the Gulf of Mexico during a fairly active hurricane season. What did people think they were going to do?

 

Unless it's a hazard to someone, it ain't nothing but a thing.

 

Has cruising jumped the shark? I don't know. I still want to go again....

[caviargal]

My husband and I have not traveled much, but we hope to travel more and venture farther when our kids are grown.

 

Cruising works for us because there is so much to do, this makes the family vacation FUN. They go to shows with us, eat with us, shop with us, take excursions with us; it's wonderful. At home they are so busy with friends, school, athletics that we don't have much fun time with them. Our goal is to hook our teens on cruising so that as we get older and even more un-cool our sons will still go on the occasional cruise with us.

 

Eventually, we would like to take cruises to Europe, Australia and New Zealand, it will allow us to attain a level of comfort so that we could take land vacations there. We would also like to visit our neighbors in Canada.

:)

 

IMO, cruising is a great family vacation. That has been a fairly recent development - 7 or so I would say - and this is part of what has changed the experience on ships overall.

 

When cruise lines started catering to families, they changed many of the things that I so loved about it. So, while I appreciate that they are great experiences for you and your family, I no longer enjoy cruises on the mass market lines for these same reasons. I want an adult experience and cruising used to provide that, along with a traditional and elegant ambiance.

 

Now we limit ourselves to the occasional luxury cruise for a nice vacation, adult only all inclusives, or travel to Europe when the kids are all in school.

 

I miss cruising as I knew it but life goes on....and I am not willing to settle for what it has become.

[madelinerose]

I'm enjoying this thread. Thank you, bostom.

 

Although my "title" says "Blue Ribbon Cruiser", it could not be further from the truth.

 

Our first cruise was in 2004 and was very nice.

 

Our second cruise was in 2006 and was just ok.

 

Our third cruise may be in the spring and if we're not wowed, well......

adios! ;)

[caviargal]

Karen, are you on the Noordam in November? We were aboard in May and she is just lovely!

[madelinerose]

Karen, are you on the Noordam in November? We were aboard in May and she is just lovely!

 

Hi Kim, it was December, had to cancel. Looks like maybe March. I've read all of your comments about the Noordam, taken them to heart (thanks) and I really want to sail on her before she leaves Manhattan. The ship and most of the online personalities of the HAL posters seem to be a good fit for us, fingers crossed.

 

If we book, it'll be the Southern Caribbean itinerary, 2 sea days, 6 ports, 2 sea days. I love this itinerary because by the 3rd day we'll be ready to get off the ship and after 6 port days, we can chill.

 

Hope it all works out! ;)

 

Karen

[Roz]

Thanks for the definition of "jumping the shark". Never heard it before. Must not be used in the South, just by NY types. :D

 

Roz