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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I recently went on one and can't decide whether it was a good overall experience or not. The food was excessive. I was concerned what, if any, labor laws were being followed. There was an inability to clear one's own plates; it was all done by staff. Pools were crowded. I did like the ability to get off at a port.

I think I would have been really bored at a gated all-inclusive placee and am not a beach person. 
[/quote]

What do you mean by excessive food? The buffet? You know you aren’t obligated to use the buffet, right? I don’t eat at the buffet. The only time I go in there is to grab fruit or coffee. Our preferred line has healthy food options in a certain area.

The inability to clear your own plates at the buffet is for liability reasons coupled with the practicality of staff knowing where to put things.

PS - Most people avoid the pools at all costs. Gross. [/quote]
Food is just everywhere all the time, which a couple of my kids (teens) enjoyed, but the excessive, wasted food, combined with not knowing what, if any, labor laws are being followed and what wages are being paid did "eat away" at me.  I suppose the buffet could be avoided, but it's just quicker to pop in there for breakfast or lunch. I will say that I'm not used to eating 3 full meals a day and do not have a big appetite or care much about food (or alcohol), so what seems excessive to me may not seem so excessive to others.

Why is it a liability to clear your own plates? It's done all the time at university cafeterias, for example.

While some may avoid the pools, they were pretty crowded. [/quote]

The servers take the used dishes, etc. behind the public area to the galley. It’s a space issue as much as anything else. Plus, they don’t want a spill followed by a slip and fall lawsuit.

You can google what ship workers make and how they are paid. But then realize the workers work a contract (varies by cruise line and position, but averages 3 or 4 months) and then fly home and don’t work for months (by choice because they’ve made enough money) before signing a new contract and working a stint. Bottom line: they make way more on the ship than they would in their home country.

Plus: ICYMI, there are tons of lgbtq workers on cruises. Why? It’s a safe haven for them as opposed to their home country. They make good money while surrounded by coworkers who accept them.

Re: pools - yes, they are obviously small and crowded, which is why most people avoid them. Heck, people pay a premium to have access to private areas to avoid the main pool area. Personally, I’ve never set foot in a pool on a cruise and I prefer to lay out in a quiet area. But I will head towards the music when they have certain live performances. [/quote]

Op here. We were in the exclusive area of the ship with private pool access. It was better and quiet but still crowded. I definitely prefer a hotel with a real pool. My husband enjoys cruising but the whole experience was off putting [/quote]

What cruise line/ship? Ports?

Are you a person who prefers hanging out by the pool at a resort (Baha Mar)? Do you prefer the pool to the beach? Do you prefer laying out or actually swimming? [/quote]

Celebrity’s newest ship in the retreat. Puerto plata (ugh), st Thomas and st Maarten.

Did a resort pass in st Thomas (was nice but rushed because the ship was only docked for a few hours) a beach in st Maarten (crowded and dirty, and unenjoyable with a toddler bc of the lack of shade).

Upon reflection I think it was 2 things: 
1) this was a multigenerational trip and I was not in control of the planning. The cruise and our excursions were not toddler friendly and that was largely out of my control.
2) cruising to the Caribbean just isn’t for everyone. It’s okay for a multigenerational trip but with a toddler it was truly one of the most enjoyable vacations I’ve taken.

to me, cruises in Europe make more sense where it’s a stationary way to go from city to city. In the Caribbean I felt like you get subpar access to beautiful beaches and you can’t really enjoy the pool on the ship either because it’s crowded.

Disembarkation today was another ugh moment. I hate waiting in crowds to get on and off the ship at the same time as all the other guests and prefer a more natural staggered format at hotels.

As for what I enjoy, I enjoy a nice pool and beach access. I’m not knocking cruises- at some point when my kids are older I’ll try again for my husband sake because he likes cruising. But for this trip, with a toddler, I was not able to enjoy the nice parts of the shop and it was an especially environment to supervise a toddler.

The ship was beautiful and the staff was extremely kind to our kids.

[/quote]

Got it.

The problem with the newer ships is they are crowded and you deal with lines. Some cruise lines like Royal Caribbean are now reportedly building smaller/midsize ships because so many cruisers are balking at the crowds.

I’ve avoided Puerto Plata because I’m sure I would hate it.

St. Thomas is fine if you have enough time to charter a boat and sail around, snorkel, and have lunch on St. John.

St. Maarten dock is on the Dutch side where the cruising crowd remains. We hire a driver and head to a beach on the French side near lovely little cafes. Very few cruisers end up there, and we always have a great time.

I highly recommend a Mediterranean cruise when your kids are old enough to walk a lot. Celebrity Constellation has the best 11 night Mediterranean itinerary imho. [/quote]

DP. Is it the “Best of Italy and Croatia” one? Would you choose that over Greek Isles if only choosing one?[/quote]

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