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I took a seven-day voyage on one of the largest cruise ships in the world, my first cruise ever.
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I discovered that the reality of a cruise did not match my expectations from social media and advertisements.
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I spent much of my time fighting my way through crowds, standing in queues, or sitting in hot tour buses.
I booked my very first cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas in April 2022. The seven-day Caribbean voyage on a mega ship took me from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, back and forth to port stops in Honduras, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Between relaxing swims and sunbathing, a breathtaking view of the world awaited me.
But my experience didn’t quite match my expectations.
Instead, I sunned myself in a noisy, crowded pool area when I was lucky enough to find a lounge chair, spent more time in lines than I expected, and saw much of the world through other people’s eyes.
Here is an overview of the most disappointing aspects of my cruise, from arriving at the port to crossing the region
The disappointment began before I even got on the cruise.
Since I don’t live near my cruise departure city, my trip began with a flight and an inexpensive hotel room near my departure port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
When I arrived at the airport in my port city, I waited 45 minutes for the hotel shuttle to pick me up.
This was the first of many crowded bus rides during my trip. Looking back, I wish I had called a taxi – especially since I found myself crammed into a hot bus with several other cruise guests heading to the port the next morning.
There was a long line at the entrance to the cruise terminal and I should have known at that point that I would be standing in many more lines during my cruise.
At the cruise terminal, there was another long line to get through security. As I waited, I chuckled to myself as I read signs that said, “The adventure begins here.”
Once we were on board the ship, I was looking forward to the view of the sea as we sailed away, but I was obscured by tall, thick glass and couldn’t find a place to stand.
The limited view of the ship leaving Fort Lauderdale frustrated me as much as I would if I were standing behind tall guests at a concert.
The ship was so big that I got lost several times during my stay.
But I found the maps on each floor helpful.
As I explored the ship, I was surprised that even a mega ship can be overcrowded.
Although people seemed to be having fun, many community patios resembled and felt like crowded shopping malls.
There were 19 pools, plunge pools and hot tubs available for guests on the outdoor decks. These areas were crowded throughout the day. And although there were rules prohibiting reserving chairs with towels, I saw many people doing so, so it was exhausting to find a place to relax.
A Royal Caribbean representative told Business Insider that crew members may remove items from lounge chairs after 30 minutes, but they must also consider families and groups that may be in the pool or using the restroom and use their best judgment when enforcing such rules.
Almost everywhere I went there were crowds and queues.
From the buffet to activities like waterslides and mini golf, I felt like I spent more time waiting in line than enjoying the ship. For example, I waited in line for three hours to play a round of laser tag that lasted less than 20 minutes.
I had to wait in line for security at every port stop, whether I was leaving or returning to the ship. I found this less disruptive than the other wait times because it made me feel safer.
At every port there were queues again, full of others who couldn’t wait to start their tours.
I often had to fight my way through crowds to find the right signs for my trips.
It was exciting to explore new places at each stop, even if some of that exploration took place from the window of another hot bus.
A Royal Caribbean representative told BI that the cruise line works with local tour operators for its excursions, which is why air conditioning standards vary.
And when I finally did the cool thing I had booked, like walking across a suspension bridge between the treetops, my view was sometimes blocked by everyone else who had also booked the tour.
I had hoped to capture an empty image of this majestic jungle bridge, but that was not possible without losing my tour group.
According to a crew member I overheard, there were about 5,000 other people on board the ship, so I understand why the cruise felt so crowded.
I think if I booked a less crowded cruise next time, I might enjoy it more.
Read the original article on Business Insider
