....No harts, no T-shirts, no flags, no attitude. Our fellow passengers followed the Golden Rule: Thou shalt not bring up Religion or Politics.

This was our third one. We like these trips mostly because of the people you meet on board. Folks who take these cruises are there to learn, which filters out the idiots and the drink all day by the pool crowd. My wife and I have agreed that we never want to take the “typical” cruise again.

We took an evening bicycle tour in Paris. I had done it years ago with my crew and loved it, so I wanted to treat my wife and the couple that traveled with us. On one of the breaks I was chatting with the tour guide. He made a comment about encountering more and more Americans who express an interest in moving there. “Especially now,” I replied. He smiled at me and said “It’s nice to know I’m among friends here.” Nothing more needed to be said.

Kindred political spirits and shared worldviews.

in my life, First to celebrate my 40th birthday, Fiji five days, 40 passengers, mostly Australians, very simple accommodations but wonderful food*, company, entertainment and unique experiences.

* Mainly fresh caught fish and shell fish.

Second, to observe my 80th birthday, with my two daughters European Waterways, Caledonian Canal, Loch Ness, six days. Only six passengers, we were three of the six! Superb food and company, typical Scottish weather for May with one fully sunny day, blue skies and the RAF in the air above playing war games with Russian jet fighters. I stress "games." Quite a show.

Having been so spoiled I don't think I could be happy on a 100+ passenger cruise. Maybe the Columbia River Cruise in the USA, who know?

Living near the Columbia River, I think you’d absolutely LOVE that one! SOOOOOOOoooooooo much magnificent territory to see!

I am considering that cruise. As a 13 year old I lived in Vancouver, WA for one winter. Beautiful country, even with snow, which I was told at the time is very unusual.

I'll never cruise, for sure, but my ventures to polite society are few. Guess culture shock awaits. If you call that culture.

Okay, I am exaggerating a bit. However, there may be some truth to there existing Russian-organized attacks on all aspects of our society.

Since I am an art historian I wanted to encounter as much art as possible, including two Caravaggios on the island of Malta, where the artist had fled to escape capture for killing a man in a duel. Great stuff and great story.

Atlas doesn't have huge ships. They are a European based company and I think that makes the difference. The other passengers were fun to interact with, even a retired art professor with whom I had lovely conversations.

You can google their website and take a look for yourself!

I think you'd love it!

Thanks for the tip!

I found it wonderfully written and acted, mesmerizing and addictive.

Sounds a little bit like hell to me.

I AM interested in European river cruise.

If I ever cruise again I’ll try Viking.

I did like the royal Caribbean.

We were coming back into port with royal Caribbean and were fogged out. So all the ships had to wait overnight and into the late afternoon before anyone could start coming in. We could see the carnival ship having problems with power. Whole sections of the ship lights going on and off.

That morning on our they opened most of the places to eat. Also they opened the shops and had a 50% off sale. They let us stay in our rooms. When we finally got to dock they asked us to still go by the normal disembarkation routine. But said if you need to catch a flight or whatever go ahead. We got to our cars reasonably fast.

Meanwhile carnival told everyone they had to get out of their rooms first thing in the morning. So everyone was sitting around in chairs or the floor with their luggage. They barely fed them. And when they docked just had chaos letting everyone go at once.

End result everyone on our ship was off a lot faster. Carnival had people still trying to get away well after midnight.

All that said. I would rather go on something like a Viking cruise, but can’t fault royal Caribbean about any of the cruises we took on them.
It has been years though.

Nope, just nope.

Now the European river cruises sound interesting. Lots of history and less people crammed together with too much time and alcohol like on those huge floating insane asylums on the ocean.

go on a cruise for a business meeting, couldn’t get out of it, said he disappeared during one of the meetings (hated that stuff, just wanted to go to his room and read) ran into the president of the company on an interior stairwell.

The President said “Where have you been? What are you doing here?” and my ex answered: “I’ve been going up and down these stairs looking for a way off the boat!”

You won’t be disappointed. They look a little pricier than the “hell on a boat” big ship cruises, but they’re actually not. Once you buy, there’s no upselling. No photographers, no spas/salons, no sales presentations. No casinos, no added cost restaurants. The passengers are folks who want to learn, the guides are local and knowledgeable, and excursion groups are limited in size.

You’ll finish up relaxed and smarter!

Thank you for the heads-up on Gahan Wilson's drama, erronis! It's a perfect mix, like Salvador Dali fused with Franz Kafka with a dash of O. Henry.

I’m on the Resilient Lady right now. Not much political discussion, but the ones I’ve had everyone is on our side. Much younger, more progressive, diverse crowd.

Just got back to the Prima

I’ve been on the BA several times, but never the Viva or the Aqua. Some day, but honestly Virgin is really our Go-To now. Used to be NCL.

To all the anti - cruise people - I hear you. There was a time in my life I swore I’d never get on a cruise ship. Now I could live on one. Especially Virgin. Throw away everything you think a cruise ship is. That’s Virgin. LOL.

We were behind you.

Too many cocktails I guess. 😆

We were the first berth. Not sure how I missed that! I ventured out long enough to walk into town to buy cigars for DH. It was hot as hell and I was on a singular mission to do my shopping and get back to the ship for a nap. 😂

Enjoy the rest of your trip!

I’m on the pier. Going snorkeling this morning.

We aren’t cleared to disembark yet or I’d say hello.

Have to be on board before. 12:45 excursion for I think three hours. Can’t communicate away from the ship. Have a terrific day!!!👍😁

I don’t get back until almost 1 and our all onboard is 3:30.

Have a safe and wonderful voyage. Maybe next port. 😁

Where are you headed next? We go to San Juan. I’m staying on for the back to back. Don’t plan to get off the ship tomorrow.

All the best!!

You just left….

Wish we could have met up.

Nothing at all. Nothing.

I was like well i resemble the ugly with tattoos comment complete with the long hair and beard

I'm an ugly guy, heavily tattooed. But no white supremacist tattoos, no racist tattoos, no nazi tattoos. I do not associate with people who have them.

Does the cruise ship have a shop where you can get some temporary "tattoos" applied? If you want to blend in, that is.

It's usually pretty obvious which one someone is within a minute of meeting them.

That's why I choose to live around Napa, where I can clientele with only the best people.

My sommelier would never.

...dominated by right wing assholes.

It's never occurred to me that we were anything other than a nation divided between decent folks and assholes, and also assholes in training.

'Good always leaves, but bad comes to stay,' an old co-worker used to say.

'Good always leaves, but bad comes to stay,' is a line in the song "A Felicidade" which is the theme (of sorts) from Black Orpheus, a movie about Carnivale.

It's kind of punny. Carnival...Carnivale. Clever.

Unless it's Carnival Cruz of course.

My experiences have been positive. We're there for fun. Not politics. I'm more likely to see an upside down pineapple than a maggot display on a carnival ship.

The type of crowd you get largely depends on the length and date of the cruise. Those 3 and 4 day booze cruises are definitely a no-go for us, I rarely book anything less than 7 days. I definitely don't go during spring break, and also try to avoid any school holidays.

I'll conveniently be on a cruise to Aruba and Curacao during tRUMP's coronation.

Sacre bleu!

So you don't have to drink your Pabst Blue Ribbon out of the can.

They love their yearly cruises. I take care of their dog. Cruises aren't for me, but they are for some people. I hope they don't encounter the same type of people you have. Maybe they will settle down once they get over themselves a bit or are too hungover to do much. Enjoy what you can.

Through a bike group all tandem riders. Don't expect a bunch of red hats. 200 ppl max. The Greek Islands with our bikes. Should be fun, if pricey.

sorry to hear it.

this must be why I've never had an itch to take a cruise.

Than step foot on any cruise ship.

After that the list is pretty damn short.

The cruise lines would charted from the airlines and the peeps would get a package deal that included the cruise and the air transportation to and from. We had so many problems with passengers on those flights that we started calling FLL "Fort Liquordale."

But like anything else, it was the bad boys and girls that stood out .. the 10%ers. You don't even notice the well behaved people when you have to make a landing at Richmond to have some dangerous drunks taken off the airplane and into federal custody. But that was way before MAGA. Some of those assholes, the ones who aren't dead by now, are probably doting grandparents of a new batch of MAGA hellions.

What cruise line you are on. . .

As I read I had actually hoped it was a Carnival adventure to Ensenada. . .

Thanks so much, if you feel you can !

We really want to go on a cruise, but definitely not THAT kind of cruise! I'm so sorry that you have to experience this. You go on a cruise to get away from stress and relax, but it sounds like that is not happening for you. Ugh.

I love cruising, but this ship is very different from others in many ways. It is said of this ship, you either love it or hate it. I am of the former in terms of Architecture and decor, but for some reason, the people here are different.

I go on one or two a year and enjoy them immensely, but I respect the fact that others would not.

"This is not who we are", I immediately think, "Sadly, yes it is". And inside I think that they know it as well.

Your cruise sounds like a nightmare. I'm so sorry.

Very small ships, no shopping or "entertainment " just lectures and peaceful trips. At least they are on the coastal cruises.

and whether decent people and rubes overlap.

Life can be hard I guess :/

To make some people feel better.

and mostly keep to ourselves. Look for Deplorables you are gonna find Deplorables - just go your own way is my suggestion.

Just ignore them, move on, and have fun.

next week on the cheapest one we could find on an older ship with fewer passengers. (Many reasons, first one in five years) Will use it as a social project to observe my fellow citizens and report back. Im afraid you could be right.

An attempt to get away from the madness and you wind up trapped on board with the crazies.

I hear you about putting the standard cliche of 'this is not who we are' to rest. Sadly, this is who we've become, certainly in larger numbers than we care to contemplate.

Try to enjoy yourself anyway.

It’s not their fault they attract magas. Apparently they gave too much money. Maybe the tariffs will take care of that!

This fuckery has infected EVERYTHING. A massive shift is in progress, and it will be a while before we know what has become of this country. The simple truth is right now, we don’t know.

Cruise ships are a catastrophe for the environment — and that’s not an overstatement. They dump toxic waste into our waters, fill the planet with carbon dioxide, and kill marine wildlife. Cruise ships’ environmental impact is never ending, and they continue to get bigger. They once were small ships, around 30,000 tons. Now, corporations are building billion-dollar cruise ships to hold more than 9,000 people. They’re doing everything they can to pack these floating cities full of tourists while polluting everything in their path.

Unfortunately, everything that cruise ships come in contact with are likely to be harmed along their journey. The air, water, fragile habitats, coastal communities, and wildlife are all affected. But most governments have refused to take actions to actually regulate the cruise industry and buried their heads in the sand to ignore the ongoing damage to the environment and communities.

We’re at a pivotal point for our planet. We’re less than a decade away from climate catastrophe if something isn’t done soon. And mega corporations like these cruise industry giants could play a role in cutting down pollution. But instead of making true commitments and steps in the right direction, they use tricky marketing tactics to make you think you’re taking a “green vacation” when in reality you’re being complicit with their pollution and harm to the planet — including coastal communities.

https://foe.org/blog/cruise-ships-environmental-impact/

No Escape, from a floating bus

Just try to hang out with the good people and have fun

Be careful because those humpers may not be vaccinated, etc.

I think Covid did a lot of damage to cognitive functioning. I know I've lost IQ points as well.

2 jerks that ruined it for everyone else . would have loved to pitch one overboard .

maybe try a theme cruise like the one offered by The Nation https://nationcruise.com/
I'd guess any generic event will need to be avoided for the next 4 years!

They may throw you overboard.

Not a cruiser, but this has been smooth as a baby's bottom.
No display of politics.
Simple acknowledgement of slowing down oldness.
Crew pleased to be here.
Passengers wanting to engage normalcy.
Great escape.

And people wearing RW political shirts on our Mediterranean cruise on Royal Caribbean this September. But, they were pretty much ignored. Especially because there were about 50 different nationalities represented among the passengers. The one couple that we toured with was from Augusta, Georgia, and were Dems. The other couple was from Tennessee, and we weren't too sure about their leanings, but they were probably okay.

"Paging Merrick Garland" would keep them real busy.

Carry on!

I live in rural Virginia, am an EMT with volunteer rescue squad, do a lot of other volunteer work all of which puts me in contact with many local folks.

I know four couples who take at least one cruise a year. They are rude and crude; all of them drink a lot; loud and obnoxious. Couple of years ago we thought about a cruise to Alaska but decided not to, don’t want to spend three days locked up with people like that.

the Silversea and Seabourn cruise lines. Both are considered luxury lines and feature small ships designed for 400-700 or so passengers. My husband and I did a Baltic cruise on Seabourn in 2014 that featured three days in St Petersburg. Seeing the new--at the time--Faberge museum was a high point. I wouldn't go into Russia now, but it was quite an experience. I took a Mediterranean cruise in 2019 on a Silversea ship and enjoyed it very much. It is one of the lines which offers select cruises with reduced single supplements --rather than paying double fare for a cabin--and I met several other women all traveling alone and enjoyed their company very much. They all happened to be Brits. We had cocktails or dinner or went shopping or to a show together. The ship offered a 'singles' event the first night out and that was how we connected.

in May. We are using RC

...and it was FULL of right wing nut jobs. They thought it was ok to interrupt a conversation they weren't even in if they disagreed with you. Yeah, really high class folks there. I found the Carnival cruise more hospitable and far less crowded. But I won't ever be cruising again. I love to look at boats, hate to be on them. That comes from growing up on the Texas coast in a family of commercial fishermen. No. Thank. You. But I hope you have a good time, PC.

Started on a fun ship, then graduated to a more serene cruise. Now, we are into river cruising. Last year, we took one of each. One ocean one river. Doing the same this year.

Ocean cruising has changed since Covid. It’s never going back. On the mega ships, you get all sorts of people. It’s definitely not a vacation for people who only want to talk to people just like them.

River cruising is fantastic. Just adults. Not a big drinking place. The conversations every night are about where you live, your careers, families and what you saw today.

I honestly can’t say I’ve ever been on a cruise of any type where a random stranger talk politics. The shirts I see on ocean cruises are usually college shirts. Mostly that “THE” place in Ohio.

As for ships being full, I’ve been saying that for a year. Biden and Harris have this economy booming. People have money to spend. Unfortunately, her campaign staff must not have thought it was good to mention that because she didn’t.

Enjoy the cruise.

Have never seen a political t-shirt.

Maybe it attracts a different clientele. There are usually a lot of Canadians on Viking.

Like a dog marking territory. I’m sorry to hear that this in your face practice is persisting when what you need is a vacation from it!