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I have been on a few cruises, not my favorite type of vacation but I did enjoyed them. I also prefer a smaller ship. Illnesses can happen anywhere, its the risk of leaving home.
Any soft target has merit.My fear of cruise ships (no doubt totally without merit) is for a major terrorist event on one of them...
George
Any soft target has merit.
There is close to airport security for guests checking in and boarding at cruise terminals. Bags are scanned. Hand baggage is scanned and passengers pass through metal detectors at each port stop. No firearms are allowed and knives over a couple of inches are confiscated and returned to the passengers as they depart the ship at the end of the cruise. I have difficulty comprehending just what a terrorist would hope to accomplish on a cruise ship.My fear of cruise ships (no doubt totally without merit) is for a major terrorist event on one of them...
The nice thing, Mary Ann, is that nobody is forcing you to take a cruise vacation. You don't have to lose sleep over this.
Jim
I would not take an organized cruise in the Mediterranean for this reason...
We did a 12N (7 port) cruise Mediterranean cruise last Summer.
RCL Vision of the Seas. No pirates/hijackers, or even any illness.
A taxi strike at embarkation in Barcelona was interesting.
We had to take our luggage on the subway, instead. <shrug>
The vast majority of cruises are totally w/o incident of any sort.
.
We have been averaging between one and three cruises a year for a long time- and it isn't easy since neither of us care much for the Caribbean (ducking). We started as many do, paying particular attention to the ports of call. Then after a lot of those, and realizing that a cruise is really a lousy way to get much of a 'feel' for a place in a 6 hour port stop- especially with thousands of other passengers, all wanting some kind of 'genuine' experience, we looked at combining a cruise with a timeshare stay. It's hard to coordinate these, but when they work, it's great.The vast majority of cruises are totally w/o incident of any sort.
How would you know without trying it?We have no desire to ever go on a cruise and likely never will. Not due to terrorism fears, illness, whatever, just not what we like.
How would you know without trying it?
The precautions are excellent but that would not stop pirates. While I might take a small barge canal cruise in Europe, or a Panama Canal cruise, or local ferries in Italy or Greece, I would not take an organized cruise in the Mediterranean for this reason.
The problem is that once at sea, they are an open target.There is close to airport security for guests checking in and boarding at cruise terminals. Bags are scanned. Hand baggage is scanned and passengers pass through metal detectors at each port stop. No firearms are allowed and knives over a couple of inches are confiscated and returned to the passengers as they depart the ship at the end of the cruise. I have difficulty comprehending just what a terrorist would hope to accomplish on a cruise ship.
I think the 'fear without merit' comment is appropriate.
We have been averaging between one and three cruises a year for a long time- and it isn't easy since neither of us care much for the Caribbean (ducking). We started as many do, paying particular attention to the ports of call. Then after a lot of those, and realizing that a cruise is really a lousy way to get much of a 'feel' for a place in a 6 hour port stop- especially with thousands of other passengers, all wanting some kind of 'genuine' experience, we looked at combining a cruise with a timeshare stay. It's hard to coordinate these, but when they work, it's great.
Lately we tried river cruising, small ship cruising, trans-Atlantic and Pacific, where really, it's about the cruise and enjoying the many activities, food and amenities of the ship.
Honestly, terrorism has never even once entered our minds. There is more concern about a taxi, bus or train strike interrupting plans and adding inconvenience. Some lines (we feel) do a better job of sanitation, and those get more of our business, while those with a record of maintenance problems better taken care of before they become issues do not.
Each to their own.
Jim
But that's ok, it's obviously not for everyone and we know several people who take quite a few cruises every year and they love it. I am convincing one of them to go with us to Palm Desert in 2020, they never ever go on land! Opposite of us.
Ha, ha, LOL. I think it is fine that you are a land person and not a water person. We are all different. I am a big time water person. I joke that I should have been a mermaid! LOL