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»	Cruise Talk » Cruise Ships » Vote the worst cruise ships in the world

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Topic: Vote the worst cruise ships in the world

Italian Cruiser
First Class Passenger
Member # 1684

posted 11-21-2000 03:45 PM

Which are the Worst cruise ships in the world?Here you are some examples:Costa Riviera(a poor sister of Disney ships).all the Premier ships(former wonderful liners ruined by their owner).Dolphin IV and Regal Empress(don't the Americans hate the old and tired ships).The Carnival ships(they have choosen the right name.Carnival=Carnevale in italian).Stella Solaris(is a ship or an old curiosity shop of the Sixties?.I know that the antiquities are expansive,but this ship isn't a treasure).

Posts: 887 | From: Orvieto (Italy) | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

Gerry
First Class Passenger
Member # 168

posted 11-22-2000 08:32 AM

How can you say that Carnival's ships are the worst cruise ships in the world ? That is a statement that smacks of ignorance. We are all entitled to our own views and are free to express them on this forum, which is the best on the internet because it is balanced and educated. Your statements however are not. Carnival is the most successful cruise line in the world. Why do you think that is ?
Whilst Premier were not to everyones taste, they did do a good job prserving Rotterdam/Rembrandt which they didn't mess with too much.

Some of the old liners still soldiering on continue to do so because they have a soul. Those ships that do not cannot continue anyway.

How about a more constructive thread, Italian Cruiser ?

Posts: 315 | From: Miami, Florida, (originally from UK) | Registered: Jun 99 | IP: Logged

Italian Cruiser
First Class Passenger
Member # 1684

posted 11-22-2000 09:00 AM

I'm sorry I don't think that Carnival ships are the worst in the world.I only retain that they are too colorful for european tastes.Carnival offers good cruises at a fair price,but I prefer companies like Princess and Celebrity.

Posts: 887 | From: Orvieto (Italy) | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

Patrick
First Class Passenger
Member # 364

posted 11-22-2000 01:05 PM

The worst one still in service is the ATALANTE. It was, like her sisters LA PALMA and OCEANOS, a cargo-ship. After rebuilding her to a cruiseship, she was more a swimming hull with two huge masts and a mid-ships palced funnel but wasn´t too bad.
After her rebuilding in 1994, she looks worse than she ever did. As well from the comfort-level up to the safety-standards, she is far away from the minimum of standard you can expect from a low-budget ship.
I would rate her with *+ maybe.
She performs 3-day-cruises from Cyprus to Egypt and Isreal and it´s nothing else than a cheap disco-cruise.
Of the modern ships, I don´t like the Carnival vessels (Holiday and Fantasy-series). There is nothing pleasant about them. The TROPICALE is ok and the DESTINY-class ships seem to be a bit more interesting in design.

Posts: 1680 | From: OSC Luxembourg | Registered: Nov 98 | IP: Logged

Paddy
First Class Passenger
Member # 357

posted 11-22-2000 01:15 PM

In spite of Jesse Cs comments, I am just gonna sit here in the corner, somewhat smug in the knowledge that he hasn't a clue what he is on about as he has never been on the Airtours ships (and even if he/she/it was on one of them, the others may be different), and as his opinion seems rather dodgy in that respect, his comments on Premier etc. aren't really worth reading in my eyes. I find it quite strang how one person's rather unjustified opinion is challenged by all the thousands of passengers who love and return to the same ships all the time.

DON'T KNOCK IT 'TIL YOU'VE TRIED IT

Paddy.

Posts: 763 | From: Belfast, Ireland | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

nathan
First Class Passenger
Member # 720

posted 11-22-2000 01:28 PM

Jesse C's opinions appear to come from the TravelPage reviews, which, no offense Joe/Malcolm, are quite dated. Nevertheless, I don't put much faith in anyone's opinion about a ship -- good or bad -- unless that person has actually been aboard her. I agree with Gerry, this topic is not constructive. I agree with Paddy also, most of these opinions are unjustified.

Posts: 534 | From: Knoxville, Tennessee | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

geno-r
First Class Passenger
Member # 931

posted 11-22-2000 01:49 PM

Jesse-C I don't know if you have sailed on all those ships that you dislike( it is quite a list), but I think people should refrain from trashing a ship without first hand experience from sailing on that ship. The Tropicale was our favorite cruise of late and the ship ( I thought) was very well maintained, had an excellent, outgoing and friendly crew that provided superior service.

Also the Oceanbreeze(when it was run by Dolphin) was a neat ship with a historic past and a warm ambience about it. It also had a great crew and was well maintained. It might have lacked someofthe niceaties of the newer ships but all it's other plusses made up for that.

Posts: 549 | From: Mt. Pocono,Pa. Usa | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged

joe at travelpage
Administrator
Member # 622

posted 11-22-2000 03:22 PM

Keep in mind that Jesse C. is 13 years old.

As I have asked others in the past, I recently asked him to try to be more constructive in his comments. Sharing experiences is a great way to participate in this board but drawing strong conclusions based on limited evidence, or information taken out of context, doesn't really help.

Joe at TravelPage.com

Posts: 29976 | From: Great Falls, Virginia | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

jeff
First Class Passenger
Member # 614

posted 11-24-2000 03:51 AM

hmmmm.....well to me the worst looking vessel/ship or liner i have ever seen has to be the "melody" ex "atlantic".....when home lines were at there tail-end of existence i'm sure they just slapped together a liner with a TRUE shoe box design.....knowing that they were to sell off the liners and it was probably a cheap price tag to build. after the "oceanic" then "homeric".... how could they.....ughhh
now for the worst ship i'v been on...hmmmm...well it would have to be the "costa riviera"....but that was back in 1992 when we sail around alaska.....she just was'nt designed for these waters.....geeesh...the lido restuarant was open to the cold weather of the great white north.....kidding...it was'nt snowing....but the breakfast sure gets cold fast,fast,fast....jeff.

Posts: 180 | From: vancouver,b.c.,canada | Registered: Jun 99 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 11-24-2000 07:16 AM

Jesse, If a ship was really bad..sooner or later the cruise line would go bust! A bad reputation spreads faster than a good one!

Mind you even 'bad' can very much be a matter of opinion. If you check out the Cruise Reviews on this web site, you will see very good and very bad reviews, sometimes on the same ship i.e. Fred. Olsens 'Black Watch'

(It's nice to see a young person contributing, even if they are wrong! )

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 11-24-2000 09:59 AM

Hi Paddy....AMOI..what ships other than a couple of Airtours have you been on?
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

CruiseShipWiz
First Class Passenger
Member # 1615

posted 11-24-2000 11:10 AM

I think they are all good in a certain way.
Just like Ocean Liners.............

Posts: 22 | From: Miami FL USA | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

Paddy
First Class Passenger
Member # 357

posted 11-24-2000 07:01 PM

Peter, apart form a load of ferries, just the Seawing and Carousel, and to be honest, I would be very happy to continue sailing with Airtours for as long as they or around, or at least I personally judge their standards to slip to unacceptable levels, as any customer of any product would. Many people on this board only go HAL and are perfectly happy, so how do they know the ships aren't hideously sub-standard and they could be getting a better deal elsewhere. Not bloody likely bu you get the picture tehehe.

I really have no technical expertise, but what I am saying is there is nothing noticably wrong with these ships, at least not on my cruises.

Paddy

Posts: 763 | From: Belfast, Ireland | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 11-24-2000 10:16 PM

Paddy..tks for replying. One of the great things about cruising today is the planning. Finding a ship which matches one's likes can be a real adventure. Some people, like the HAL habitues that you mentioned, obviously settled where they are comfortable early on. Others as you can see enjoy the search.
And, ones requirements change over the years as ours have done. We normally try not to repeat an itinerary - some people have never been out of the Caribbean after umpteen trips and probably never will - except we will do one if the ship does it again, and that is the Marco Polo's long Antarctic.

As for the ships...well, an old ship can be in good condition, but you have to realise that when these old steam jobs get to 30/40 years old they're long past their "sell-buy date". They're worn out and become a menace. The standard of their crews drops along with everything else.
As Gerry said, he can tell a lot about a ship by watching it tie up. I can get a pretty good idea of what I'll find by the time I get to the top of the gangway. It's something you only get by experience.
So, enjoy cruising, from Airtours you can only go up.
....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

Paddy
First Class Passenger
Member # 357

posted 11-25-2000 12:18 PM

"So, enjoy cruising, from Airtours you can only go up."

Well I would disagree with you Peter, but anyway, I'm not even gonna bother arguing.

Paddy.

[This message has been edited by Paddy (edited 11-25-2000).]

Posts: 763 | From: Belfast, Ireland | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 11-25-2000 07:17 PM

If one was to take a 'budget' cruise and pay a 'Budget' price, knowing full well that you were not going to get the finest ship, food and service, you are very unlikely to be disappointed!

However, if you spent thousands on a suite, on a top ship and expected a wonderful food and service, you could easily be disappointed!

I've read more reviews of disappointed QE2 passengers than I have Airtours passengers.

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Jesse C
First Class Passenger
Member # 1678

posted 11-25-2000 10:09 PM

I did get my opinions from Travelpage. I can't take that many cruises in a year!

Anyway, Carnival fans should dive into the Tropicale, and Britons should indulge in the Airtours Seawing, Carousel, and Sundream.

Have a happy cruise,
Jesse

Posts: 244 | From: Houston, Texas, United States of America | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

fondaenergy
First Class Passenger
Member # 1641

posted 11-26-2000 07:36 AM

My husband and I went on Islandbreeze last April. It is a budget ship. We expected "servicable" accommodations even though we booked the best class on the ship. That was not the case because we froze even with the air conditioning off. The ship had no heat. When we took a shower, the water shot into our eyes.

You would expect edible food, not luxury food. The food was inedible. Plus, the crew had an attitude.

People who go on a budget ship are entitled to something. You can pay budget prices and expect budget accommodations. Some ships don't even offer than.

These same comments hold true for the Norway, where we paid for a mid-range cabin.

Passengers do have the right to have some expectations. When these expectations are not met, we can vote our $$ elsewhere.

Yes, there have been some cruises that were great. I've been on 13 so far. We're going on Norwegian Wind next month.

Posts: 177 | From: Jacksonville, FL | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Schaljapin
First Class Passenger
Member # 1659

posted 11-26-2000 08:32 AM

My worst ship i ever sail was the "ORIENT EXPRESS" of Sealink.

Sailing from Venice to Katakolon, Istanbul,
Athens, Kusadasi for 1 week in 1989.

12 decks high, ferry, very small cabins, water closets in all the ship out of order,
10 minutes after we sail from Venice, because the vacuum system was new and the claps in the toilets old, so they loose the pressure.

Extremely bullshit-cruise.

In the last season in 1990 the name was "EUROSUN", sailing round the canary island.

Now this vessel is scrapped (i hope so)

Schaljapin

Posts: 38 | From: Gutach, Germany | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Paddy
First Class Passenger
Member # 357

posted 11-26-2000 10:52 AM

Fondaenergy, was your IslandBreeze cruise in 99 or 2000, and was it under Thomson charter, or just with Premier. My friends were on it in August 1999 and were in inside 4-berth cabins on Riviera Deck and really enjoyed it. It was their first cruise, but gave them a taste for it. On disembarkation day she looked in the top-grade cabins, and said they didn't look as if thery were worth the money.

Paddy.

Posts: 763 | From: Belfast, Ireland | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

Commodore
First Class Passenger
Member # 1575

posted 11-26-2000 11:58 AM

I would put the worst ships in 2 categories.

Technical Problems:
Big Red Boat 2

Poor interior or exterior maintnance:
Sea Breeze

Posts: 1106 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

AJL
First Class Passenger
Member # 956

posted 11-26-2000 12:19 PM

Schaljapin, I'm very sorry but the ship you cruised on isn't scrapped. She is now the WASA QUEEN of the Finnish Silja Line. It's on the Route Vaasa - Umeå. (Finland - Sweden)
Can't blame you, she's horrible both in interior and exterior.

AJL

Posts: 710 | From: Helsinki, Finland (birth place of Nokia + many ships) | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

Italian Cruiser
First Class Passenger
Member # 1684

posted 11-26-2000 01:01 PM

To Commodore:I agree with you.I sailed on the BRB2 when it was the Eugenio Costa:the cabins where tiny and it rolls a lot when at sea.I have seen the Seabreeze last year in Fort Lauderdale:it doesn't look well with a royal blue hull.It was far better in Dolphin colours!

Posts: 887 | From: Orvieto (Italy) | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

Commodore
First Class Passenger
Member # 1575

posted 11-26-2000 02:03 PM

Yes,the Sea Breeze is ugly in Royal Blue.When we went to see the Carnival Triumph her first day in New York we saw the Sea Breeze.It was rusted,a plate of metal was
missing near an upper deck port hole.It was like a floating dumpster.A bueatiful italian liner ruined by the cruise Dolphin and Premier.

Posts: 1106 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 11-26-2000 02:17 PM

It's easy to see a picture of a ship and decide that it must be bad!

I would agree that Fred Olsen's 'Black Prince' is not one of the worlds most attractive ships! She used to be be a cargo ship, and still looks like one!

However, her regulars just love her - lots of Brits return again and again. She is said to be small and very friendly. Therefore she can't be bad!

[This message has been edited by Malcolm (edited 11-26-2000).]

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

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