Going on a cruise isn’t what it used to be these days. Many cruise lines have made cost-cutting changes and got rid of some aspects of traditional cruises. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the things I miss most about old-school cruises.
What I Miss About Old School Cruises
Towel Animals
I really miss the towel animals on old-school cruises. It was always such a fun surprise to walk into our cabin at night and find a towel animal waiting for us. I’ll never forget the hanging towel monkey that greeted us on one of our cruises – it was amazing!
My kids loved the excitement of returning to the cabin after dinner to see what kind of towel animal surprise they’d get next. It’s a shame that many cruise lines have stopped offering this experience.
Printed Daily Cruise Planner
I used to love returning to my cruise cabin after dinner to find the daily cruise planner waiting for me. The feeling of walking into a freshly turned-down cabin with dim lights, a neatly made bed, and the planner laid out was truly special. I always enjoyed discovering the activities planned for the next day and would mark the ones I wanted to attend with a highlighter.
Unfortunately, some cruise lines, like MSC, have stopped providing printed daily planners. Now, they expect guests to scan a QR code and download the planner as a PDF on their phones. It’s just not the same as holding a physical planner and being able to highlight the activities I’m interested in!
Free Room Service
I really miss the days when cruises offered free room service. Nowadays, it’s common for cruise lines to charge room service fees. It was so convenient not to have to worry about paying extra.
I loved having breakfast delivered to my room. And if you couldn’t make it to the main dining room, they would bring your three-course dinner to your room.
I remember one Christmas Eve on a Holland America cruise when my son was sick and we couldn’t go to the dining room. They brought us a special Christmas dinner in our room. It was really nice not to miss out on the fancy Christmas Eve menu and not to have to eat at the buffet.
Printed Menus
I have also seen some cruise lines get rid of printed menus in the main dining room. For example, at MSC Cruise, your server will only provide one or two menus (not enough for everyone) and expect guests to scan a QR code to access the restaurant menu as a PDF on their phones.
I personally don’t like the experience because reading a small menu on my phone takes away from the dining experience. Also, I often end up having to share menus with my kids because not everyone has a phone. It’s not the best dining experience to have to share menus!
Toiletries
I really miss the old school cruises, especially for the little toiletries they used to provide. It’s such a small thing, but having those mini shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and hand soap bottles really added to the experience of cruising.
Nowadays, all you get is shampoo and body wash from the shower dispenser. You’ve got to bring your own lotion because they don’t usually offer it.
I also noticed that some cruise lines are cutting down on facial tissues. On my recent MSC cruise, they didn’t have facial tissue in the bathroom; the dispenser was blocked off. Luckily, I asked my cabin steward about it, and he gave me a box of facial tissues. It seems like you’ll only get facial tissues if you specifically ask for them.
Anti-Seasick Medicine
I’ve noticed that nowadays, cruises don’t readily provide anti-seasick medication. It used to be that you could find bowls of anti-seasick medicine at the guest services desk, but now, some cruise lines will tell you to go to the gift shop and buy your own anti-seasick medication.
Sommeliers
I really miss having sommeliers in the main dining room on cruises. It’s rare to see sommeliers on cruises these days.
I miss the traditional cruises, where sommeliers, wearing their tastevin or the silver tasting cup necklace around their necks, would stop by our table every evening. It was quite a production to order a bottle of wine from the sommelier. They would open the bottle, taste it with their tastevin to ensure it was perfect, and then pour it into your glass.
I enjoy learning about different wines and getting wine pairing recommendations from the sommelier. The sommelier, along with the waiter and assistant waiter, was like a part of our dining team, making you feel pampered on your cruise.
No Surcharges in the Main Dining Room
I really miss the old-school cruises when there were no extra charges for extra dishes. You could order as many appetizers, main courses, and desserts as you wanted.
Nowadays, some cruise lines limit the number of main courses you can order; if you order more than one, they add an extra charge. They also have surcharges for premium items like steak and lobster, which used to be included with your dinner for free!
Tip Envelopes
One thing I miss about old-school cruises is the tip envelopes. Nowadays, tipping is automatically added to your bill, and everything is settled electronically. In the past, we received tip envelopes, filled them with cash, and personally handed them to our servers and cabin stewards. I miss that personal interaction; it felt like a special gesture, almost like Christmas day.
I miss that feeling so much that I personally always give a small cash tip in addition to the automatic gratuity!
Muster Drill
One thing I don’t miss about old school cruises is the mandatory muster drills. Remember when we had to physically go to our muster station with our life vests on and then wait for what felt like forever while they did roll call? It was the worst, especially if your muster station was out on a deck with no seats.
Waiting for latecomers was just painful, and sometimes, people didn’t even hear their names called. It used to be such an inefficient process and the worst part of the first day of the cruise.
Luckily, most cruise lines have made the muster drill so much better now by having us watch a short video on our TV from the comfort of our cabin. It’s so easy. Check out 12 Things to Bring from Home to Save Money on Your Cruise
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