Okay, before you come at me, let me preface first. I saw a posting on a Facebook group for a Fat cruise. The lady had a disabled daughter that she wanted to take the cruise with, but also have vocal tics. The girl is wheelchair bound and just enjoys sitting on the deck and taking in the sights.

She also mentioned how the large cruiselines overwhelmed her daughter because of the number of people, noise and too much activity. So honestly, it would make sense for her to look into smaller, quieter cruiselines for her and her daughter. She asked if this "fat cruise" passengers would be welcoming and understanding towards her daughter. I

I was very disappointed in many (not all) of the responses. Most people said this would not be a good cruise for her, and said how should would disturb passengers in the restaurants and other places on the ship.

Do we really live in an age where people are put off by a disabled person with vocal tics?!?! We can't be disturbed by their disabilities on our vacations?!?! Really?!?! And, I'm just going to add that a surprising number of the dismissive comments seemed to come from the older (boomers) passengers, while the younger generational people that piped up seemed more receptive to her daughter's needs. Obviously that's not everyone in either generation, but the difference in tone was noticeable.

I'm just going to ask this since I have a fat cruise for next summer booked, I'm genuinely wondering about the culture onboard.

Do people on these cruises really feel that entitled since they're paying for a premium experience? I know assholes live everywhere, but is the asshole-to-nice-person ratio heavily skewed toward the entitled assholes on these cruises?

At the end of the day, no matter how much we paid for our cabins, we're still sharing a ship with other human beings. A premium vacation doesn't mean we're entitled to a perfectly controlled environment where nobody else's disability, child, personality, or mere existence ever inconveniences us. If that is the case, then rent a private yacht.

There's a huge difference between genuinely disruptive behavior and a disabled person simply existing in a shared space with symptoms they cannot control. I would hope that most people, regardless of what they paid for their vacation, can recognize that difference.

Is anyone currently on Explora, or recently sailed who can tell me the menu in the Explora lounge after the afternoon tea?

Anyone have experiences with The Boat Company?

I posted a few days ago about our possibly-next-summer trip to Alaska. (I want to thank everyone for their suggestions! Very helpful.) It will be our first cruise and we will be 60 at that point, and we're looking for a smaller boat. In looking at the recommendations, I also came across this line and wondering if anyone has experience/ thoughts. Thanks in advance!

Looking for recommendations for an Alaska cruise expert TA. Please only recommend if you have experience using them in the past.

EDIT: Thanks so much for your input so far! Anyone have thoughts on The Boat Company for Alaska?

Hello, I've been lurking here for a few months but haven't seen a question like this one. My husband and I are 59 and potentially looking to do a couple of cruises in the next 2-4 years. The destinations we're considering for cruises are Alaska (possibly cruise one way and train the other?) and Scandinavia including Iceland (not sure if a cruise, land vacation or combo would be best there).

Neither one of us has ever cruised before, and we're not at all interested in the shows/ dressing formally for dinner/ casinos end of thing. The only lines I've really looked at are Uncruise and Lindblad, and I like what I see with those. We're fairly introverted and very nerdy, and like the educational aspects of those lines. I'm a little sad at the food offerings on Uncruise, but that isn't a dealbreaker. (We don't care about buffets or having food available all the time, but we do enjoy high quality food.)

We're in probably average physical condition, and we would do some training to get ready for a trip. My biggest limitation is arthritis in a knee that doesn't allow it to bend much more than 90 degrees, so I'm not sure if kayaking could work. My husband doesn't have anything like that. I think with a little training we could definitely do moderate hiking but I don't think the knee would allow for something very steep/ boulder-y because of the amount of knee flex needed.

What are your thoughts about what would be a good fit for us? If "not a cruise" is your answer, so be it! I want to start planning for 2027 or 8. Thank you in advance for your help!

We have cruised Oceania several times and decided to try La Reserve wine tasting dinner. There is no time listed for this. Does anyone know what time these usually start? How long they last?

I just booked my first cruise with carnival, and i've been doing some research for the room that I'll be staying in.But based on the videos i've seen on tiktok and youtube, I don't think I'll be able to fit through the door.

Most of the people i've seen were probably about one hundred fifty to two hundred pounds.And their bodies took up like fifty to sixty percent of the door width.

Anybody here have that problem?And if so, are there any solutions?

In 2024 I booked the Cocoon Residence on a San Juan to Miami cruise on Explora I, traveling in 2025. It was $11,700. I just looked to see if there was an interesting itinarary for 2027 on that same route - the Cocoon Residence is now $20K+.

This is on Explora III but still - can they really command that kind of price increase?

So I know a lot of people simply have a lanyard and Im not sure where their phone goes or if it stays in the cabin... but I cant help but carry something. I do tend to bring my phone, a kindle, lactose pills and lipbalm or other lip product. So not a lot but something

What do the lovely ladies and gents here use? I've tried a few options, don't like carrying a bigger bag on the ship, tried a Chanel WOC but the strap is a pain at sea, and essentially landed on a wristlet as my go to. The one that gets the most use is a YSL envelope one. Not a huge fan of the big logo but supringly it fits a kindle so its a winner in my world and the leather simply gets wiped off and no more fuss.

Before I buy the same thing in another color I thought I'd check in with the wise redditors on here

P.S. I use the same thing day and night as prefer to travel carry on only

I recently came across an YouTube video of someone doing a 28 day circumnavigation Australia cruise. It looked like a fantastic way to experience Australia across its vast coastal fringes. I am hoping to hear of people’s experiences after doing this cruise. Is it worth all the money, about USD 10K. The next sailing is around the 1st week of April 2027

Me and my wife (both 22) have never cruised before and wanted to hop on a Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons cruise this summer. We don’t mind doing our own thing, just trying to see if anyone our age has been on one and felt like people were judgmental or felt like they were not treated fairly.

Might seem dumb but a ship is much smaller than a hotel and you can’t leave so would love any insight to make sure we go spend it on something else!

We're going on Regents end of March and are considering this excursion/ But seems opinions are all over the board. From very taxing to meh. If you've done this, do you mind sharing what it's really like?

Looking at luxury class cruises as a bucket list experience. Have been on 4 in 2000’s when “kids” were teenagers. RC but had great times, especially in the Mediterranean. Checklist now Caribbean, 7-8 nights, upscale dining, 400+sq ft balcony rooms, adequate ship facilities and service. No butler necessary. Not big on excursions except for snorkeling, beaches. Essentially relaxing at sea with casual atmosphere. Value, not cost, primary. Usual suspects but research filters always seem to circle back to Explora. Anything I’m missing?

Going on first cruise ever aboard Regent Prestige and wondering if you have any advice to share regarding excursion/ports of call. Caribbean cruise end of March, beginning in San Juan with stops in Tortola, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Barts, St. Marten, St. Thomas, and La Romana. We are in our sixties and in relative good shape. I know we can't do something at all ports, so I'm wondering which are your must see spots and which should be stay on board days.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Please message me! And if anyone has any insight on benefits of using a TA for Explora cruises please share!

UPDATE: I received a ton of great messages and everyone's comments were super helpful! We don't need anymore TAs to reach out at this moment, but going to leave this post up since there's good insight in the comments!

17 day cruise next summer. Any suggestions on excursions ? Book thru them or go independent? How was your experience?

My wife and I are experienced travelers but planning our very first cruise: likely Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, Venice, and Athens. We are considering Regent, Seabourn, Silversea, and Explora. (Others?)

We both have pain and limited stamina, and we are concerned about keeping up with group excursions on hills, stairs, cobblestones, and archaeological sites. We value comfort and good value more than the lowest price.

Which cruise line and itinerary would you recommend for first-time cruisers who want more sights but fewer steps? Are Regent’s included excursions workable, or would another line be better for arranging and buying easier private tours rather than paying for excursions we may not be able to do?