LukeJ

@Cruising Caribbean agreed. Italian nights, even though are good, they have been done to death I believe and it's nice t get variations like German nights. I'd like to try Australian night, that might be a relaxing experience ha ha

You are right in what you're saying, you must try new things and this is why. We tend to stick to what we know, but as @Kendall James-Vargas shows, this is why it's important to try out new things. You might even surprise yourselves.

I do know where you are coming from, the tang of the water varies from country to country, so you do get used to certain tastes.

Yes I agree that wagyu steak are beautiful to eat. The marbling of the meat is what makes it so tender. And it's such a strong beef taste, it's unbelievable. I too like my meat dishes, and can't get enough. However I'm partial to fish, bit not as much as meat.

The German theme night sounds amazing. I love their food, and have a fantastic party spirit with plenty of alcohol. It's such a beautiful place to visit too, so to get the theme of that would be topnotch

I believe the food alone will be worthwhile having a vacation just to try out the different culinary culture on offer.

I do get sea sick when I'm on a boat, but was assured that on a cruise I would not as it's a different ball game. So to make sure, I stay in the middle, and as of yet, there is no problem.

@Cruising Caribbean my fault, that should have been ships not shops. I understand in what you're saying, and I like your train of thought and hope that they succeed.

My in laws are natives on cruises, they have always loved it. When we went on ours, they told us under no certain term that we should look to get the middle of the ship. We did, enjoyed ourselves and every time we go onboard, we always get the middle.

@Cruising Caribbean so by cutting the amount of shops, will allow the reef to continue to prosper and not only alert nature blossom as it should, but also attract the tourist to why they want to go in the first place?

It's such a busy place isn't it. It looks like it never stops, with so much heritage and culture in Asia, I think everyone at some point in their lives needs to visit and absorb the country.

It was as if only the elite would go cruising, the upper circles compared to the working class. When I grew up, in the UK, I never went on vacation abroad as we could never afford it, only local places to get away from things. If anyone ever went on a cruise, it was a big deal, and they were looked at by the community as if they were doing very well in life. Funny how things are perceived by society.

@Cruising Caribbean I'm with you on this, gone are the days when it seemed to be the niche of different clients. Since it's got even popular, it pains to say that the needs and service have dropped, like most companies in the world now, majority have let standards drop, and its now what's to be expected.

From a business point of view, and at the end of the day, every cruise line is a business to them, they are going out to make as much money as they possibly can from every single one of us. It's a cutthroat industry in that, it may be sugar coated to sound like they are doing it for guests to enjoy, but the financial aspect is ruthlessly exposed. If they don't make the money from the drink package, then take your pick to where they will get that difference from. Either way, these companies will get their money one way or another .

Because the pressure will no doubt be put back on the government if they decide to stop the ships, and then the economy will drop because of that decision to come up with something to help the plight of Key West.

I can certainly see both spins of the coin. And the hardest thing is getting the compromise just right. And I fear if the government is involved, it will tend to sway more towards the financial situation and think of the money and economy.

And I guess it doesn't help with the cruise drink packages that are on offer, and to make it financially worthwhile, there is a lot of binging involved. And for me, it doesn't take much to get me to struggle for a few days with the hangover.

@Kendall James-Vargas it is very easy to get carried away. In the UK, there is a lot of binge drinking, so it's easier to lose all your senses. Some enjoy that and refuse to believe it's an issue, so there isn't a lot that people can do to help or stop someone if they are in that frame of mind.

I have had room service on a couple of occasions, but it was more of a gimmick gesture to say that I have had the service to my room rather than being lazy. We did feel like special guests, but the fee isn't worth all that.

I can understand why the locals may not like these large ships coming into their towns etc, but they must be careful for what they wish for. If these ships don't bring in the passengers, suddenly their economy is going to drop and and the knock on effect of business struggling is a strong possibility. Then the locals will then have something to complain about.

I'm sure I read that the state are having a meeting to decide whether to allow this to happen. I can see both sides of the argument. One side people are talking about the environmental impact these ships are causing the area, and then the other half are speaking up in regards to lost finances their companies are experiencing because of the lesser passengers and sailings coming to the area.

You're right, there is much of a change in the cruise industry, it's certainly not as glamorous as it once was. Everyone seems to be going cruising, a novelty as you say, might be correct, and these companies are making enough money with it all, and some posting healthy profits, however still cut costs. It's about time, everyone stood up to these companies and demand better customer service and value for money.

@Cruising Caribbean not too bad, I did get tongue tied at the allowing abundant line. In fact I think I blew a raspberry during it.

@Cruising Caribbean thats an interesting read, but I always believed that alcohol kept you warm rather than the other way round. There was a famous story of a survivor on the titanic that survived the water for two hours before being picked up by the rescue ship due to the amount of alcohol he drank.

@Kendall James-Vargas you've got a really good point there. Maybe ships should have a therapist onboard, that way it could prove to be a lifesaver. Even if they stop just one life, it's surely worth it. @Cruising Caribbean I agree with yourself also, I did read the article, and I believe it's a mixture of both unhappiness and then alcohol that blurs the reality and gives the courage to carry it through.