Booking a cruise is something that many people dream of, and some wait a lifetime for.
Cruises are holidays not known for their affordability: heading off on a luxury ship to take to the seas and calling in at gorgeous ports seems like a fantasy break away.
Although some adore their time aboard, it may surprise you to learn that not everyone is suited to cruise holidays.
One of those who say they’ll “never go again” is a Reddit user who took to the forum to complain about their experiences at sea on the Carnival Valor. They said they hated everything from the huge expense to what they claimed were poor cleanliness levels.
The Carnival Valour sails to the Caribbean from New Orleans, LA, Barcelona and Spain and can hold almost 3,000 guests.
The user posted: “Honestly, at the risk of sounding like a Debbie Downer, we had a pretty horrific experience on Carnival Valor.
“Maybe cruising just isn’t for me, but I do want to throw this info out there in case there are people like us trying to decide if the cruise is right for them.”
The poster then listed things they hated on their trip aboard the ship, which Express.co.uk summarised below.
Cost
The angry poster said the cruise company would “try to nickel and dime you for EVERYTHING.”
They said: “It came off as desperate and honestly seriously affected the quality of our relaxations.”
The ship itself
The poster took issue with a number of issues, including the ship’s age.
They said: “The ship is really, reeeeally old. In retrospect, I wish I would’ve searched for a newer boat before booking.”
Cleanliness
The couple were also unhappy with how clean the ship was – or, in this case, it wasn’t.
They said: “There were layers of dust on the headboard, the phone, old eyelashes in the trash can.
“I know the employees are doing the best they can. I seriously believe it’s the company’s fault for pushing too much in too short of a time in an effort to make more money.”
The smell
The poster was also not happy with the whiff on board.
They said: “You’ll just randomly get a whiff of crap every so often.”
Being at sea
They also advised other novice cruisers to make sure they prepared themselves for choppy conditions.
They said: “The smaller ships are rockier, front of the ship and higher floors feel it the worst.”
The staff
The poster felt as though the employees just weren’t having a good time.
They said: “This one might be the most controversial, but I got the feeling that so many of the employees were miserable.”
Other issues that the cruiser took aim at included the hot tubs – that they said were actually cold – the ports that were “overpriced and not authentic at all” and the severe lack of trash cans.
It wasn’t all bad for the couple, as they said that the food was “surprisingly good” and that the entertainment “was actually pretty great.”
Express.co.uk has approached Carnival for comment.