What would you say if I offered you to go on a cruise right now? If you’re anything like the majority of the world’s population, you’d exclaim, “Yeah baby!” Cruises are like the plus-up of limousines… just on the sea, or something like that. Even though cruises are the treat of a lifetime, not all cruises are made the same. While some are pure floating luxury, others can be far from the expectations the brochures make us believe.
These Photos Will Make You Think Twice About Going On A Cruises
Boarding The Ship – Expectation
There’s always time for a few photos before boarding the massive cruise liner that will take you across the vast oceans of our glorious planet. While this photo looks like getting on the ship is a breeze, the reality is usually far from that.
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Boarding The Ship – Reality
In reality, boarding the ship is not quite what they make it out to be. There are long lines, pushy passengers, and sometimes weather that’s not too “waiting in line” friendly. Just to be clear, we’re not trying to discourage you from going on the cruise of your dreams.
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The Hot Tub – Expectation
What could possibly be better than laying in a hot tub on the deck of a cruise liner? Not much, I can assure you. The sun beating down on you, a cocktail in one hand, a [insert object of your preference] in the other. What more can you ask for?
The Hot Tub – Expectation
The Hot Tub – Reality
Some people think that jacuzzis are pretty gross, and that’s understandable. However, that’s not the point here. Your left hand will probably be on your left thigh, and your right hand will be on your right thigh. Chances are that you won’t have the entire jacuzzi to yourself, but hey, sharing is caring.
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The Pool Area – Expectation
My my my, look at those gorgeous colors! Blue pool, colorful umbrellas and enough sunshine to generate power for a hundred million solar panels. It’s so spacious, so quiet, so much like the brochure promised. The water of the pool is so calm and inviting, but who would like to swim alone?
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The Pool Area – Reality
Aaaand now it’s time for the real picture of the pool, when the cruise is at full attendance. On the plus side, for those actually participating in the Volleyball of the High Seas competition, they have a full audience. On a side note, look at those poor women – their feet aren’t even touching the water of the pool!
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The Bedroom – Expectation
Luxury cruise liner. Luxury cruise liner rooms, right? Before setting foot onto the cruise vessel you’re probably building a mental picture in your head of a picture-perfect room that’s to die for. Accompanied by a stocked fridge, a massive plasma TV and ample closet space, your room is perfect.
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The Bedroom – Reality
When you see your room however, the reality is suddenly rather different. Where’s that bottle of champagne on the rocks I was daydreaming about? We’ve got a TV but it looks like it fell out of a 1950’s commercial. At least there’s some closet room… but where are you going to keep your suitcases?
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The Bathroom – Expectation
Obviously being on a ship in the middle of the ocean won’t mean that you’ll have a massive bathroom, but how bad could it be? “It’ll probably have a bath, a shower, a spacious sink, and even a bidet.” That’s what you think to yourself, and then you open the bathroom door.
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The Bathroom – Reality
Voila! Your bathroom is actually built purely for convenience. In fact it’s so useful that you can actually do a number two while you’re showering. Small and cramped might be a little insulting, but it’s still pretty accurate. You can save a lot of time in the morning this way, though.
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Ocean Sightseeing – Expectation
So here’s a logical thought process. You go out to sea for days at a time, so what do you think you’ll see? I’d imagine you’d see a collection of sea creatures coming out to visit the massive ship visiting its playground. Dolphins, sharks and perhaps even a pod of whales coming out to eat!
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Ocean Sightseeing – Reality
Then you remember that you’re out in the middle of the ocean, where there’s just ocean and ocean and ocean. Let’s face it, you’re also probably standing on a terrace far from the actual water. I didn’t mean to bum you out; I’m just managing your expectations.
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Employee Life – Expectation
Have you ever wondered what it must be like working on a cruise ship? Other providing passengers with all that they want (accompanied by a massive smile, of course), you get to see the world! It definitely seems like a job worth being out at sea for weeks at a time for.
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Employee Life – Reality
Yeah, it’s sad but it’s true. More often than not, the staff members on a cruise aren’t exactly living in the lap of luxury. Considering that the passengers’ rooms aren’t quite 5-star, it makes sense that the workers’ rooms are even farther off. But hey, it’s a job and they choose it.
Employee-Life-Reality
The Destinations – Expectation
Is it even necessary to mention that one of the main reasons people choose to go on a cruise is because of the destinations? Of course the ship itself seems like a world of fun and entertainment, but stepping off to see the exotic locations on the itinerary is definitely a massive part of the experience.
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The Destinations – Reality
You’ve got to keep in mind that not all the locations a cruise ship stops are a taste of paradise. Don’t be discouraged altogether, just take the pictures you saw on their website with a grain of salt. Sometimes it’s got to do with the location, and sometimes it has to do with the weather at the location.
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The Music – Expectation
What is life without music? It’s pretty dull, that’s what it is. Here you can see this awesome cruise being blessed with the sounds of the Rascal Flatts! When you’re on a cruise, you want to have the rhythm of the music move you like the rhythm of the high seas.
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The Music – Reality
Unfortunately though, on some cruises the music isn’t quite what you dreamed up in your head. Instead of a full band, you get a one-man show. Instead of a musical production worthy of a Grammy, you get an old dude doing karaoke worthy of a pat on the back in the hopes that he’ll get the message and stop.
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The Dining Experience – Expectation
Are you a hopeless romantic like I am? A sunset dinner on a cruise seems like one of the most romantic events ever possible. Expensive wine, lavish menus and the sight of endless ocean is everything Titanic could have been. Forget five star hotels, go on a cruise at dinner time.
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The Dining Experience – Reality
Then again, maybe check out the dinner menu before choosing a cruise to go on. In many cases the food is actually pretty regular and served buffet style. We’re not saying the food isn’t good, but it’s not as glamorous as you might be thinking it to be.
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Cruises Age Range – Expectation
A cruise seems like a great opportunity to meet new and interesting people, and why wouldn’t it be? A lot of people in their 20’s and 30’s would like to be surrounded by people who are within their age range. This is probably true too for people who are older too.
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Cruises Age Range – Reality
Cruises aren’t really cheap, even if they aren’t the luxurious kinds that we’ve described. Having said that, it makes sense that a lot of the passengers who make up a cruise are slightly older than people still getting acquainted with their first or second jobs. That’s just the truth, folks.
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Sea Sickness – Expectation
If you’re cruising the high seas in a massive sea vessel, sea sickness should be a non-factor. Getting seasick is something people suffer from when they’re on a small boat bobbing in the tide just off the coast, right? When advertising for cruises, sea sickness is NOT on the brochure.
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Sea Sickness – Reality
It might not be on the brochure, but it sure as heck should be! Getting sick at sea is something that happens even on the biggest cruise ships out there. There’s nothing the crew can really do to change that, but don’t be fooled into thinking that it won’t happen to you.
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The Ship – Expectation
Doesn’t this photo just make you want to strip off your clothing, slip on shorts and a breezy top and hop on board? This is the kind of picture that gets people hooked on the idea of going on a cruise, and we can definitely understand why! Sparkling white and clean, it’s almost too good to be true.
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The Ship – Reality
You guessed it. Not all cruise ships look like the one in the previous picture. After having been around for more than a decade and sometimes more, ships’ appearances will start to change. Those shiny white cruises you see advertised are sometimes digitally manipulated to rope in potential passengers.
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The Drinks – Expectation
Come on, what more can you ask for than a series of never-ending, fancy cocktails while you lay out on the deck? Summer on a cruise should definitely be accompanied by only the finest beverages served by pool crew who have nothing better than to bring you every kind of cocktail they have to offer.
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The Drinks – Reality
Unfortunately, in real life getting drinks on a cruise could sometimes be like getting drinks at a dive bar. The cocktails are all pretty much the same, wine and beer are basic brands, and the experience is something like a group of college students drinking for the first. Hey, it could still be fun.
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Meeting Girls – Expectation
So many single guys imagine boarding a cruise and then fighting their way through a bevvy of babes just to put their stuff down in their cabin. After all why else would a single guy go out on a cruise in the middle of the ocean? To meet beautiful single girls, of course!
Meeting Girls – Expectation
Meeting Girls – Reality
We’re not saying that there aren’t any girls on the cruises you could go on, but we are telling you that there are lots of other single people on board too. Did we mention that the majority of those single people is usually other guys who had the exact same expectation.
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The Casino – Expectation
Do you enjoy a fun night of Ocean’s Eleven? I don’t mean robbing the casino, but rather a night of playing Back Jack or Poker. How great is it that many cruises are equipped with a casino of their own? Imagine spending money on a cruise and then coming home richer than you were when you left.
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The Casino – Reality
The sad reality is that some cruises just can’t afford to have a casino on board. In the case that they do have a floor for gambling, they’ll probably only have a few slot machines. There’s good reason not to expect a series of tables with staff waiting on you to call, “hit me!”
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That Titanic Scene – Expectation
Perhaps the most iconic cruise moment in all of cinema’s history is that of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic. Who wouldn’t want to book tickets for a cruise just to get the front deck all to yourselves in order to reenact that epic moment that made movie history.
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That Titanic Scene – Reality
I know you don’t want to hear it, but sometimes you have to hear the truth. No matter how photogenic you are, or how good your friend is as a photographer, you’ll never look like Kate and Leo. The angle, the sunset, the Hollywood face, it’s just too difficult to pull off. It’s worth a try though, right?
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