A travel expert who has been on 100 cruises has warned of five to stay away from.
Travel YouTuber Gary Bembridge spoke of the different types of cruise packages available and the downfalls of each – from maiden voyages to peak season trips.
When shelling out between £500 and £2,000 per person, you want to be sure you’re making a good choice.
From inexperienced staff to faulty ships or bad weather, here are the five cruises to steer clear of, according to experts.
Travel YouTuber Gary Bembridge advised followers of the different types of cruise packages available – and which ones to avoid
Maiden voyages
While being one of the first paying passengers on a trip holds a certain amount of prestige, they can be riddled with issues.
Gary warned against going on the first trip of a new ship because they often cancel the voyage.
One such cruise was cancelled with only three days notice because it was not ready, he said.
He went on to describe the slow service, frustrated people and staff who hadn’t settled in yet.
Ships may be unfinished due to supply chain issues meaning materials never arrived on time.
Often there are contractors onboard, at least on the first few voyages, as things like Wi-Fi routers, elevators, and even waterslides are tweaked and monitored.
He advised to instead look at older ships – with reduced fairs and more experienced staff.
Gary warned against going on the first trip of a new ship because they often cancel the voyage (stock image)
Dry dock
Cruise ships are required to go into dry dock every five years for safety checks and maintenance.
The vessel pulls up onto the floating dry dock, and water is pumped out to lift it, and the vessel, above the water.
This is so that the entirety of the ship’s hull hangs above the water line and can be inspected and worked on.
In this time they also have major upgrades – including adding new decks, and even cutting ships in half to extend it.
Gary says this work is often rushed so they are not losing revenue and things not always finished.
The travel expert advised letting ‘a sailing or two go by before you book’.
But he advised to avoid being on the cruise right before it goes into dry dock too because ‘thing are being ripped out in preparation’.
The main dry docks at Babcock Marine’s Rosyth Dockyard, with HMS Queen Elizabeth
Peak seasons
Gary advised cruise fans to avoid going onboard in peak seasons in the Mediterranean because it’s ‘hot and itchy’ and ports like Rome, Venice, Barcelona, Pisa and Florence get ‘absolutely packed’.
In Caribbean cruises, the resort-type ships are packed and have a ‘crazy party crowd’, he went on to say.
He added that there are always stories of ‘arguments and fights breaking out’.
Other ships in peak season are crammed with ‘400-500 kids’, he said.
The same goes for peak season in Alaska where liners will be crowded, and he instead said to look at the ‘shoulder months’ which are much cheaper and quieter.
For Mediterranean cruises, it’s best to go in May and September to avoid crowds.
Going in these months mean more comfortable temperatures and liners may have lower prices.
Gary advised cruise fans to avoid going onboard in peak seasons due to crowds (stock image)
The ‘Wonder of the Seas’ cruise ship of the company Royal Caribbean, the worlds largest cruise ship, docked at a port in Malaga, Spain
Taster cruises
Another type of cruise to avoid are taser cruises, which are two to three nights offered as an introduction to cruising if you have never cruised before or if you would like to try out a different cruise line or ship for the first time.
But Gary says they are too big with too many activities.
There is not enough time to try them all and get a good feel for it, he added.
Gary says taster cruises are too big with too many activities (stock image)
Weather susceptible cruises
He also told people to avoid cruises which are on weather susceptible routes.
This is because you can’t use the outer decks and they are especially bad for seasickness.
There’s also the added inconvenience of some activities like water slides or other courses on desk being closed.
But this isn’t due to danger, as on a cruise ship, captains can sail out of the way of a storm quickly.
The ships also have thick steel hulls that can withstand the storm.
Gary told people to avoid cruises which are on weather susceptible routes because activities on the desks may get shut (stock image)
There’s also the added inconvenience of some activities like water slides or other courses on desk being closed (stock image)
