The best and worst cruise lines to avoid…
They’re sea-sick of it.
Frustrated cruise passengers are sounding the misery signal over a rising development toward nickel-and-diming, as lines discover new and artistic methods to upsell their prospects on every little thing from drinks to arcade video games.
A queasy traveler began an attention-grabbing dialog on the subject online, not too long ago about which lines fleece their company and which truly ship on the all-inclusive promise.
The high seas set-to kicked off over a girl detailing her poor expertise on an MSC cruise, where she said she was upsold considerably on spa therapies. Her account, posted elsewhere on Reddit, impressed a slew of salty tales.
An r/Cruise post has vacationers spilling which lines hit your pockets and which ship on the all-inclusive hype. michaeljung – stock.adobe.com
“I have personally been on two Norwegian cruises and my biggest complaint is the nickel & dime-ing,” the unique poster confessed.
Case in level: the arcade. “On my first cruise, which was an older and a bit dated ship, there was an arcade. All games cost money, but you could buy a daily access pass. Yet not all games were included in the daily pass.”
Drinks weren’t protected either. “On the next cruise, not all drinks were included in the all-you-can-drink package, and if you were a drink package holder, you were offered a ‘discount’ on these speciality drinks.”
Ouch. Even repeat cruisers seen the sting: “My travel companions, who had been on this ship before, said this was a new charge as their last trip everything was truly inclusive.”
The Redditor summed up their frustration with a simple query: “So I am curious what cruise lines are least likely to nickel & dime you, as right now its my biggest turn off about cruising, but perhaps there’s another line I should try.”
Fellow Redditors weren’t shy about weighing in on which cruise lines are easy crusing — and that are straight-up pockets sharks.
“NCL was the worst. I’ve done them, Carnival, and Royal [Caribbean],” one wrote.
Luxury liners got here out wanting like the great guys. One person bragged about their worry-free voyages: “I agree with the annoying nickel and diming of cruise companies. […] We travel exclusively on Regent and Seabourn. Almost everything is included from specialty restaurants. One price includes airfare and cruise.”
Another chimed in, giving a nod to the high-end ships: “Seabourn, Windstar and Cunard there was no upselling in my experience. Generally the more expensive the cruise per day the less of that you’ll have to put up with.”
Cruisers are slamming NCL while praising Virgin, Viking, Seabourn, and Regent for all-inclusive perks. Peter Cripps – stock.adobe.com
Viking also earned reward for its upfront pricing, even if excursions come with a separate charge.
Virgin cruisers, meanwhile, appeared to get practically every little thing without reaching for the pockets: “Virgin doesn’t nickel and dime — there’s no gratuities and all specialty dining is included. They don’t have a drink package and there are some options in their dining that costs extra […] but 98% of all the food is included.”
Even the budget-conscious passengers had ideas for avoiding the upsell entice: “All ‘budget friendly’ cruise lines are going to upsell everything. Luxury cruise lines are going to be closer to all inclusive. […] If you don’t WANT to spend above a certain amount, then just say no.”
Just need to keep it simple? Disney proved a in style instance of all-inclusive appeal: “When we got on board, we paid for a WiFi package. That was it. Disney includes stuff like soda for free. Room service is also free. We paid for the few drinks we ordered because they don’t offer alcohol drinks packages.”
Smooth crusing isn’t always assured aboard a luxurious cruise, and sometimes the perils are more macabre than seasickness.
Crew members reportedly use a sequence of cryptic codes over the ship’s loudspeaker to discreetly alert one another to emergencies — including death — without alarming passengers, according to TikTok insider Amber Olivia.
“Code Alpha means it’s something to do with medical,” she explained in a latest clip, as reported by The Post.
The TikTokker also confirmed that most ships come outfitted with below-deck morgues, a freaky fact that left many followers spooked.
So whether or not you’re looking for all-inclusive bliss or just making an attempt to dodge hidden charges and ghostly codes, keep in mind: at sea, it pays to read the wonderful print — and possibly carry a life jacket for your pockets.
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