A cruise holiday was supposed to be the perfect holiday, with sunshine, blue water, lavish food and floating resorts that will take you across the hills of heaven. But on the contrary, just as relaxing as cruising can be, it can be stressful and hectic as well, unless you are prepared. Every year, thousands of passengers are exposed to some problems at sea that mar their once-in-a-lifetime journeys. Every individual who had missed ports, fallen sick on board, experienced adverse weather, or had baggage emergencies can experience the cruise nightmares. The good news? All of them can be evaded with the right attitude.
It is a detailed manual on the ten greatest cruise nightmares that the tourists go through and how you can avoid them even when you appear helpless.
Weather: Bad Weather That Destroys Your Itinerary
Weather is one of the biggest wild cards in the cruise industry, as it can change quickly and violently. One day you can start sunny and be on a ship directly in the eye of a tropical storm or unpredictable winds. Cruise lines will have to cancel ports, divert ships or delay the arrival in case the waters are rough. Powerful winds and unstable decks usually render the passengers stuck at sea on other days without the ability to depart. Even the ones who are not prone to sickness are astonished by the harsh rocking and motion of the unpredictable waves.
Further worrying is the fact that nobody—the cruise line, the captain, or the weather experts—will tell you that it will sail smoothly. You can always defend yourself by planning flexibility, which means that you know what season you are sailing in and are mentally prepared to make changes on last-minute notice. There is nothing you can do about the weather, but you can definitely do something about the preparation level that you possess.
Sickness is raising onboard at the worst opportune time
The cruise ships are the domain of paradise, as well as the enclosed areas where the viruses might multiply in a very short period of time. Norovirus outbreaks, the flu, food poisoning and pneumonia can turn a fun vacation into days of loneliness. The majority of the passengers underestimate the convenience in terms of the transfer of illnesses in dining rooms, lifts, handrails and buffets. Even the outbreaks in the cruise lines, which are the cleanest, cannot be avoided to the utmost when hundreds of thousands of people are crowded into the same areas.
The nightmare comes to reality when the occupants are locked within their cabins for periods of 24 and 48 hours or even longer. The loss of ports and shows and being locked in a room whilst other people are having fun on the ship is frustrating and financially embarrassing. The most intelligent thing to do in this case would be to exercise personal hygiene and observe your food intake and also get travel insurance that would save you in case illness spoils your holiday.
Your luggage is lost before you can reach the ship, which you lose
You can imagine boarding the ship and so looking forward to your dream vacation only to realize that your airline has failed to load your suitcase. The scenario is not an isolated case, as it happens quite often, especially when there are tight layovers and when on international flights. Your clothes, shoes, toiletry and needs are required to make the start of your cruise hectic and expensive. Shopping on board or at the port will cost twice or even thrice as much as the cost at home and some products will not be sold at all.
The initial two days of losing luggage by passengers is mainly spent on making calls, reporting and waiting to be informed instead of on time spent enjoying the cruise. Though the bag can get in a new port, it still disrupts the trip flow. The smartest way out of this nightmare is to bring with you the solutions you need, AirTags, be at the airport early enough and label everything that you have left behind.
Left Behind in a Port Stop
This is one of the most frightening nightmares on the cruise since the majority of the passengers lack knowledge of its happening. The cruise ships have very strict timetables and when they announce that they are leaving at 4:00 PM, that does not imply that the final call to be boarded is usually prior to time, exceptions being none at all. The ones who return late and walk too far, stuck in the traffic or lost the time, might be left on the island without any luggage, without any passport to be available, and without any way of finding an immediate way of being able to reach the ship either.
Video evidence of the passengers scampering down the pier screaming as the ship goes has been viral on many occasions. It is emasculating, expensive and heartbreaking. The only solution to this nightmare is to be sure that you are not far enough and keep track of time and book ship-sponsored tours.
Food and Restaurant Nightmares That Ruin Your Dining
The unlimited food available on the cruise is a success but once the cruise is in demand the food halls and buffets tend to be crowded. Long queues, the inability to get a table, and a menu with limited choices can make the entire process highly disorganized and frustrating. Incidents of allergic reactions, raw or under cooked food and stomach problems among some of the passengers can also be attributed to unfamiliar foods.
Even the specialty restaurants go through periods when they are not able to take the guest and the guest is left with what he or she did not want. On high-season holidays or themed cruising, the situation is aggravated since capacity is full. You can do away with frustration by making reservations and planning, being flexible when eating and being aware of the ship timetable with regard to meals.
Bad Place, Sleepless Dreams and Cabin Noise
The choice of the inaccurate cabin can possibly change the peaceful cruise a lot. Cabins under the pool deck, next to nightclubs, or in the area close to the engine space might surprise you by being very hot spots. You can hear the sound of the scraping chairs somewhere in the atmosphere all night; some people have their parties or something mechanical that you did not expect. Light sleepers tend to get tired of them and fail to enjoy their days because they did not sleep.
Others also have rooms that are concerned with vibration, motion sickness or even lack of good views, which the passengers do not expect. The solution lies in researching, studying, and understanding the ship setups before booking. A quiet room in the very middle of things may be the difference between dreamy evenings and wretched mornings.
Oversold and Not Even Noticed
Cruise lines are the floating resorts and they have hundreds of little charges, which can run up easily. The majority of the population squanders their money on alcohol, fancy meals, tours, spas, casino and Wi-Fi plans without the slightest idea that they have exceeded their financial limit. The passengers are sometimes billed hundreds and even thousands of dollars extra at the close of the week than they were to be.
Another nightmare that is evident is spending money on the things that you did not consume or that they misinterpreted in the package terms. This is best avoided by maintaining a check on your onboard account daily, setting spending limits and having an understanding of what would and would not be included in your fare.
Unexpected mechanical time wastes and problems
Cruise ships are large ships, though like any other mechanical construction, they are subject to mechanical breakdowns. Engine issues, power supply, stabilizers and last-minute repairs can require a ship to slow down or even cancel its schedule. These issues can make the passengers spend more time than they planned at sea or they can skip successive ports.
The first is always safety but passengers are always nervous and frustrated after getting the announcements of delays or changes. The experience is that mechanical issues are not likely, but they can happen and the travel insurance that encompasses delays can prove to be of big benefit.
Seasickness, Which Makes the Trip Miserable
The experienced travelers can even get sick at sea due to the rough sea. The dizziness, nausea, fatigue and headaches can strike anytime but especially during storms or in the open ocean. The other passengers end up wasting days due to the inability to leave their cabin and engage themselves in activities of the ship.
Many people do not take sickness in the seas seriously until it hits and they are already experiencing it. There can be a lot of ingestion of the drug, use of patches, wristbands, ginger pills, knowing where the cabin is, etc., that can help a great deal to curtail the blow.
Crises that continue to panic the passengers
The incidences of cruise emergencies are rare yet when they arise, they are dreadful. Medical evacuations, fire, security and onboard injuries cause sudden chaos. Panic can be widely spread when passengers hear emergency alarms or when the crew comes rushing past corridors.
Though the cruising companies are training on how to act in the event of an emergency, the experience is traumatizing, especially to those people who are afraid of being on the open sea. The best method of preparation is by learning the safety measures and conducting drills and evacuation points in case of alarms.
Conclusion
Cruising is one of the most enjoyable and most thrilling modes of traveling and it has its own share of hurdles that many passengers will never anticipate. The knowledge of the dangers will enable you to preempt any trip and avoid any surprises that are likely to spoil your trip. The slightest planning helps a lot: the kind of cabin to choose, how to track your budget, how to keep your documents safe, how to be familiar with the ship schedules, and how to adapt to weather alterations can be the key. Cruising is the safest and yet a wonderful way to see the world and being ready will make sure that your vacation will be remembered not because of confusion that you did not predict.
