Why I prefer TS over cruises

[Grammarhero]

Cruises seem shady. Watching the Netflix Amy Bradley documentary.

In TS, you are your own person.

What Happened To Amy Bradley? Netflix Reopens The Chilling Cruise Ship Case

Amy Bradley vanished from a cruise ship in 1998. Here's what led to her disappearance and what Netflix’s new docuseries reveals about the numerous theories in the case.

www.forbes.com

 

[dioxide45]

You're saying the entire timeshare industry doesn't seem shady?

 

[dioxide45]

To add a statistic. 30 million people cruise every year, 25-30 fall off ships and overall about 200 die in some form on a cruise.

 

[Pennytx]

I personally love both experiences
If your blessed enough to do both
Your very lucky

 

[chosshaul]

Just did a Western Mediterranean cruise in Sicily, Malta, Spain, Italy, and France. My first cruise in over 30 years and it was quite lovely. There is no way to replicate that experience with timeshares. One could do it with trains, ferries, hotels, and Airbnb though.

timeshares are fun but they are kind of a lazy way to travel for most people, very little planning required other than booking. That’s why I like some road trips and international adventures and camping trips to switch it up. Cruising is kind of just a way to see a lot of things. It’s a fun diversion but I’m definitely not an every year cruise guy

 

[missyrcrews]

This introvert could not handle a cruise. TRAPPED with a zillion people on a boat for days on end. Likely with a good case of seasickness to go along with it. BLECH BLECH BLECH. Give me my timeshares any day. I can make my own plans, cook what *I* want to eat, seek out other people if I choose (or more likely...NOT!) and just generally do my own thing. I sometimes think that someday I might like to take a bus tour...and then, I think again. Maybe someday. I'm not ready yet, though!

 

[Passepartout]

Why does one or the other have to be 'better'. Can't one or the other just be 'different' ways to vacation? We do both.

 

[PigsDad]

Why does one or the other have to be 'better'. Can't one or the other just be 'different' ways to vacation? We do both.

Exactly. We do cruises. We do timeshares. We do hotels. We do all-inclusives. We do day trips.

None is "better" than others; each has their advantages and we just do what works best for us given the circumstance. It's all good.

Kurt

 

[easyrider]

Cruises seem shady. Watching the Netflix Amy Bradley documentary.

In TS, you are your own person.

What Happened To Amy Bradley? Netflix Reopens The Chilling Cruise Ship Case

Amy Bradley vanished from a cruise ship in 1998. Here's what led to her disappearance and what Netflix’s new docuseries reveals about the numerous theories in the case.

www.forbes.com

We are planning on watching this soon. I hear it's good. We always discourage our young family members from traveling to places where things like this happen but they always remind us that it doesn't happen often, it happens here too and they know what they are doing. Even so, I'm always reminding them to be careful.

Bill

 

[easyrider]

I think as we get older we will probably start doing some cruises. Adult cruises with rock or country bands playing sound like fun.

Bill

 

[bizaro86]

You're saying the entire timeshare industry doesn't seem shady?

We love timesharing and also have enjoyed cruises. They're different but we like both. But both industries are undeniably shady.

I feel like the two industries could have an epic rap battle.

I'm Slim Shady
Yes, I'm the real Shady
All you other Slim Shady's
Are just imitating

 

[beejaybee]

10 years after buying our 1st timeshare we took an Alaska cruise on NCL with extended family. At that time cruising was a "one & done" because it didn't compare to our previous non-t/s land trip to Alaska. However, two years later we booked a Baltic cruise on Celebrity at the behest of friends which we could compare to t/s stays elsewhere in Europe (England, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Ireland, Scotland). We loved the Baltic cruise because of the variety of countries we visited but that didn't override our love of t/s stays abroad.

Best of both worlds- when possible, we add a t/s week before or after or both to a European cruise!

 

[AnnaS]

I watch 20/20, 48 hours, Dateline, ID, and so on all the time.

Now I need to watch this. No cameras back then? Did she share a cabin with her brother? Deck was scrubbed clean before investigators could search for evidence. Really got me curious.

Sad for all. How awful not knowing what happened to your loved one. A crime that happens anywhere/everywhere. Will try to watch it this week.

I watch so many of these stories, it makes one not want to leave the house. We know we can't trust anyone.......

 

[Snazzylass]

I'm going on my first cruise soon! A River cruise in the PNW, along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, retracing part of the journey or Lewis & Clark. Only a 150 people. Looking forward to it! Yeah, it will be a lot of eating out for me. haha, but the rest sounds interesting!

 

[Grammarhero]

I watch 20/20, 48 hours, Dateline, ID, and so on all the time.

Now I need to watch this. No cameras back then? Did she share a cabin with her brother? Deck was scrubbed clean before investigators could search for evidence. Really got me curious.

Sad for all. How awful not knowing what happened to your loved one. A crime that happens anywhere/everywhere. Will try to watch it this week.

I watch so many of these stories, it makes one not want to leave the house. We know we can't trust anyone.......

Sadly, I think the crew enticed her with drugs and sold her into sex trafficking. Diver, navy sailor in a brothel, taxi driver, and lady tourist sighted her later.

 

[jp10558]

My concern with cruises is being trapped in that close quarters with so many people. I'm culturally Finnish, we don't like people. It's tiring, and ever since COVID I'm also way more cognizant of "enclosed spaces with a lot of people" where I tend to end up sick anyway. While I can just wear an N95 through an airport and on an airplane, I don't think I would want to do so for a week on a cruise. Now, maybe your immune system is better than mine but I hate having colds in general, and really dislike it on "vacation". However Cruises also penalize single people from what I can tell, so I feel like they are discouraging me. I don't get charged extra at a TS or a hotel or most anything else I've done, but on a Cruise theres a "singles supplement". Kind of also why I don't like the guided tours that also add that kind of thing. It seems discriminatory but also if you don't want me I'll spend my money elsewhere.

Vaguely cruise curious, but not to overcome all that so far, I've just got so much more to do in different Time Shares I haven't been to yet as well as hotels, Vacasa and international stuff... Maybe in 20 years when I can't get around as well cruises will be more enticing.

 

[bizaro86]

My concern with cruises is being trapped in that close quarters with so many people. I'm culturally Finnish, we don't like people. It's tiring, and ever since COVID I'm also way more cognizant of "enclosed spaces with a lot of people" where I tend to end up sick anyway. While I can just wear an N95 through an airport and on an airplane, I don't think I would want to do so for a week on a cruise. Now, maybe your immune system is better than mine but I hate having colds in general, and really dislike it on "vacation". However Cruises also penalize single people from what I can tell, so I feel like they are discouraging me. I don't get charged extra at a TS or a hotel or most anything else I've done, but on a Cruise theres a "singles supplement". Kind of also why I don't like the guided tours that also add that kind of thing. It seems discriminatory but also if you don't want me I'll spend my money elsewhere.

Vaguely cruise curious, but not to overcome all that so far, I've just got so much more to do in different Time Shares I haven't been to yet as well as hotels, Vacasa and international stuff... Maybe in 20 years when I can't get around as well cruises will be more enticing.

The large group thing is potentially an issue, but many lines have "single occupancy" cabins now. Norwegian started it with their "Studio" cabins which proved to be very popular.

 

[WinniWoman]

Out of all modes of travel our favorite is still time sharing or at least staying at one condo resort for a week or so and getting to know an area.

We’ve done a cruise, we’ve done hotels, we’ve done group tours, we’ve done home rentals, we’ve flown, we’ve drove (which we prefer).

 

[easyrider]

Out of all modes of travel our favorite is still time sharing or at least staying at one condo resort for a week or so and getting to know an area.

We’ve done a cruise, we’ve done hotels, we’ve done group tours, we’ve done home rentals, we’ve flown, we’ve drove (which we prefer).

We like timeshares too. We did enjoy the cruise though. It seems like it's easier to make new trip friends on a cruise than at a timeshare.

Bill

 

[beejaybee]

I'm going on my first cruise soon! A River cruise in the PNW, along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, retracing part of the journey or Lewis & Clark. Only a 150 people. Looking forward to it! Yeah, it will be a lot of eating out for me. haha, but the rest sounds interesting!

If your Columbia River cruise stops in Pendleton OR, I highly recommend taking this tour: http://pendletonundergroundtours.org/

 

[AnnaS]

The large group thing is potentially an issue, but many lines have "single occupancy" cabins now. Norwegian started it with their "Studio" cabins which proved to be very popular.

Love cruising and glad to see some lines have single occupancy - but would never do a "solo" cruise. Others can join me/I can join others, but I can only think of three or four people in my life I would share a cabin with - (total of 2 in a cabin)........

A combination/mixing it in various type of vacations for me is nice.

 

[jp10558]

We like timeshares too. We did enjoy the cruise though. It seems like it's easier to make new trip friends on a cruise than at a timeshare.

Bill

I can believe that - I almost never find anyone I didn't come with to talk to at TS. Then again, as I said, I'm not that outgoing.

 

[jp10558]

Love cruising and glad to see some lines have single occupancy - but would never do a "solo" cruise. Others can join me/I can join others, but I can only think of three or four people in my life I would share a cabin with - (total of 2 in a cabin)........

A combination/mixing it in various type of vacations for me is nice.

IDK if I'd do a "solo cruise", but I usually travel with 2 other people, so I'm the odd one out for needing another room / cabin / second bed... Too much of the travel industry thinks it's always couples traveling. But that's never been true, and it's less true as time goes on. I've always been single (and more people are like that according to reporting), my mom's a widow, several other friends of mine are single, in fact I'd say of people I know personally that travel, ~50% are couples and the rest are travelling separately, traveling with kids, or are single. So it's good to see some of the companies start to realize that making people feel like they're being "punished" because they're not a couple and so need to change their model is good IMHO.

On the other hand, I've noticed more and more hotels not having the traditional 2 queen bed setup and defaulting to a single king - which itself is annoying. So far, aside from the NYC HGVCs that I couldn't afford to stay in anyway, I usually can find (in hotels) a 2 queen or whatever configuration I need with a little more searching. I hope it doesn't get hard though.

 

[bizaro86]

Love cruising and glad to see some lines have single occupancy - but would never do a "solo" cruise. Others can join me/I can join others, but I can only think of three or four people in my life I would share a cabin with - (total of 2 in a cabin)........

A combination/mixing it in various type of vacations for me is nice.

For sure. And it isn't just people travelling solo who want/need a single occupancy room. We're planning a cruise with my father-in-law (widower). He won't want to share a cabin with us, but wouldn't ever be willing to pay a 2x single supplement. So solo rates are the way to go for situations like that.

 

[Ken555]

On the other hand, I've noticed more and more hotels not having the traditional 2 queen bed setup and defaulting to a single king - which itself is annoying. So far, aside from the NYC HGVCs that I couldn't afford to stay in anyway, I usually can find (in hotels) a 2 queen or whatever configuration I need with a little more searching. I hope it doesn't get hard though.

What’s annoying to some of us is being forced to take a room with two beds when we only want one. Give me a room with a king bed and a couch instead of two queens any day!