back in January we pulled Cruisers asking what they wanted cruin to change in 2024 but that
was just the start of the conversation since then we've heard from hundreds of cruisers on
YouTube social media and our blog about several things we missed so we're back and we have 10
more passenger complaints that the cruise lines need to address in 2024 up [Music] [Applause]
next welcome aboard Cruisers Don B here from eat sleep Cruise back in January we asked our
community what's the one thing the cruise lines are doing currently that you would like them to
change and we got some great responses now if you haven't already seen that video check the
description down below but of course since we put out that video we've heard from more
and more Cruisers with some things that we missed among the most common Miss items was Cruise Lines
not enforcing their policies when it comes to adult only areas besides a few adult only Cruise
Lines like virgin voyages or Viking Cruises many Cruise Lines try to appeal to Travelers who do and
do not have kids however even those familyfriendly Cruise Lines often have adults only areas reserved
for those who are 18 plus or older but as many Cruisers pointed out some Cruise Lines do not
enforce these rules cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises have Solarium
supposedly reserved for older Cruisers however we've personally seen those not old enough to
operate a vehicle lounging around some cruise lines are better than others the adult's only
area on Disney wish was all the way after that ship thus it was difficult for kids to
access this area without being stopped by a crew likewise many Cruisers complained about children
being in the whirlpools some claim that on many cruise ships world pools are overrun with kids
often these younger kids are playing with pool toys being loud or misbehaving and the parents
are nowhere to be seen so Cruisers want the cruise lines to enforce their rules and ensure the adults
only space remain just that many Cruise Lines send out surveys to guess at the end of The Voyage the
cruise lines take this feedback seriously and use it to help improve the onboard experience in fact
many cruise lines also use the survey responses to reward and promote crew and this is where it
can get a little dicey on some Cruise Lines the crew aggressively remind Cruisers to complete
the surveys and to give them a 10-point rating for instance on the last night of our previous
cruise on icon of the Seas we heard from three different individuals in the main dining room
about the survey and the need for us to rate them each a nine or a 10 honestly their promotion was
not nearly as bad as some of the other cruises we've been on like other Cruisers we agree that
this practice needs to stop we admit that it's a huge turn off for crew to constantly remind
travelers to give them a 10-point rating buried deep within the legal ease of the cruise contract
is the potential for the cruise line to change itinerary based on several factors while many
Cruisers accept that this is an inevitable part of going on a cruise vacation the cruise lines have
been making some drastic changes lately without properly notifying passengers and of course we
heard from several Cruisers who want this Behavior to stop just a few weeks ago Norwegian Cruise Line
completely changed an itinerary That was supposed to go to ant Optica and didn't notify Cruisers
until embarcation day this PF MSE Cruises diverted a cruise that was supposed to go to the Bahamas to
a Canada New England cruise this change was made less than 24 hours before the departure from New
York these are just a few examples of several Cruise Lines making last minute drastic changes
for many these alterations are inexcusable and almost a form of false advertising to
sell one experience and provide a completely different experience with little compensation
is unacceptable for many Cruisers of course we agree that cruise lines need to make changes
Cruisers should receive advanced notice and some form of reimbursement the recent Trend in the past
years is for cruise lines to build larger ships with increased gas capacity while Heidi and I
are fans of Mega ships not Everyone likes these amusement parks at Sea while we enjoy all the
amenities many individuals want the cruise line to stop building these behemoths instead many hope
the cruise lines would return to building newer smaller vessels nowadays if you want a small ship
experience on a vessel that isn't 20 years old you need to look towards more luxury and upper
premium Cruise Lines which of course will also cost you more money as I mentioned we just got
off Royal Caribbean's new icon of the Seas which is now the world's largest cruise ship measuring
over 250,000 gross tons with a double occupancy of 5600 passengers however one viewer did remind
everyone that when the first passenger ships were being built people people complain when ships
went from 300 passengers to over 600 passengers at the time those ships were referenced as being too
big so at some level it's all about the point of comparison as even small ocean cruise ships today
on lines like Viking Cruises or Oceana Cruises hold around a thousand passengers in our previous
poll many Cruisers indicated they were sick of those entitled Cruisers we all know those Cruisers
who cut lines who Rush the elevators who act like they're better than the rest of us on board while
of course we agree and many other Cruisers agreed that this Behavior needs to stop several other
comments zoned in on another type of unruly Behavior several posters rightfully aimed at
the cruise lines for not enforcing their policies on over serving alcohol all Cruisers have been on
trips where fellow Cruisers nearby have had one too many to drink now we're not talking about
that guy or gal laughing and joking around we're talking about the obnoxious loud and disrespectful
Cruisers who can barely stand up with cruise lines actively promoting drink packages several viewers
have suggested that this behavior is actually Rising While others tried to pinpoint some cruise
lines on which these drunk people are more likely to be sailing while everyone is on vacation and
looking to have a good time the cruise lines have clear policies on alcohol consumption and many
want more cruise lines to actually enforce these rules all cruise lines have loyalty programs the
promise of cruising exclusively with one brand is appealing Cruise more with that particular Cruise
Line and those Travelers can earn additional perks then Cruisers in the Loyalty program will
receive special treatment and benefits however there were several Cruise complaints about how
cruise lines are running these loyalty programs as some Cruisers point out the cruise lines have
been changing the parks making these loyalty programs less valuable others indicated that
the loyalty programs are useless unless Cruisers have been sailing with a line for years or go
on many Cruisers a year only with that one line what might even be more frustrating is there have
been several issues where fellow passengers of a certain status with a cruise line have been denied
certain perks went on board for instance last year Carnival Cruise Line had so many passengers at the
higher tiers of its vifp program on two sailings that Parks were removed Royal Caribbean has made
similar accommodations on some sailings of course Cruise Lines apologize when these instances come
up but as some individuals have indicated this issue will only grow as more Cruisers achieve
the higher tiers of status however some cruise lines are listening Royal Caribbean is making
some improvements to adjust for this influx for instance Cruisers now receive drink vouchers
on their C pass card that are good at any bar in the past few years Norwegian Cruise Line updated
its loyalty program adding tiers and making it easier to get to Platinum Status which provid
some of the most desirable perks in that program they also added additional tiers so there wasn't
a large gap between platinum and its highest tier Ambassador unlike hotel rooms or other landbased
vacations cruise ship cabins are sold based on double occupancy meaning at least two guests per
stateroom this means if you're traveling solo a cruise vacation can be pretty costly well
twice as expensive to be exact thus the single supplement is another aspect that cruises would
like to change about cruising some cruise lines are beginning to cater to solo Cruisers with
more solo cabins and more solo travel options and reduce single supplements Norwegian Cruise Line
is leading this trend by doubling the capacity of solo cabins across its Fleet in 2024 further
Norwegian Cruise Line will feature three new solo Statum categories including a solo inside
solo Ocean View and solo balconies this means solo Travelers no longer have to be confined
to a windowless cabin many ships in the fleet also feature a studio Lounge where single Travelers can
mingle Han America and virgin voyages are also known for being solo Cruiser friendly so let's
hope this is a step in the right direction for the cruise industry some cruise lines have embraced
technology more than others virgin voyages and Princess Cruises have wearable technology that
enables keyless entry and also makes ordering beverages of Breeze with paperless signing
then there are other cruise lines that still print paper receipts even when the drinks are
included in the package or when using a voucher yet these cruise lines make finding paper copies
of the daily magazine difficult several Cruise Lines indicate they are making changes to be
environmentally friendly then they have flyers for art auctions and jewelry sales in your state room
at night several Cruisers indicate they're sick of some Cruise Lines being like a nanny State
regarding the onboard experiences they're sick of swiping their room key card to get
towels or having their state room attendant unplug electronics or are shut off the air conditioning
in their stateroom the cruise lines claim these changes enhance the cruise experience but many
find them annoying and intrusive then there are the announcements whether it's updates from the
captain or the cruise director detailing the upcoming belly flop contest many Cruisers wish
the cruise lines would stop these excessive PA messages throughout the day one common complaint
we heard is Cruisers are sick of larger ships and even those who do go on larger ships have a bone
to pick with the design larger ships often mean more venues and amenities thus it can
make navigating them more complex and cumbersome but one common Cruise complaint we hear is that
there's a lack of signage and clear directions on these larger ships we tend to agree with this as
we've definitely roamed around some of these larger ships looking for a bathroom or even
the entrance to specific venues virgin voyages is notorious for having really small signs and
directions not only are there no signs their bathrooms are tucked away around corners and
in odd locations icon the Seas has a similar issue while there are bright signs indicating bathrooms
there's also this faint red arrow so finding the facilities near the theater or the main dining
room takes some time but at least on icon of the Seas the signs in the guest room decks and other
areas of ship indicate if you're AF midship or forward other Cruisers point out that on
some Mega ships they don't even have these basic directions and even when there are directions some
indicate that they're difficult to read now to be fair crw Cru lines are designing ships to be more
stylish and sophisticated so having giant signs with arrows and block lettering doesn't really
go with the new look plus many Cruise Lines offer apps that include deck plans and even some have
features that include stepbystep directions from one venue to another probably not that surprising
among the crew complaints was for everyone else to relax what several posters want to see stop
is other Cruisers complaining about cruising somewh even as bold as to say they were sick
of Cruisers whining that cruising wasn't as good as it used to be in the past and of course this
made us laugh but it also gave us some great perspective overall Heidi and I love cruising
and that's why we started eat sleep cruise to help other people travel the world via cruise
ships We Believe cruising is the best way to see new destinations meet new people and explore the
globe and as some individuals point out a lot of these complaints tend to apply to all forms
of travel so while complaining it might feel cathartic it might not be the most productive
thing to do plus cruising is still a great value and cruise lines are offering new Innovative ships
and experiences every year there are more cruise destinations than ever before and travelers have
so many options regarding itineraries and types of cruises one constant in life is changed but for
the most part cruising has actually gotten better yes there are some cutbacks and changes but in the
15 plus years we've been cruising the experience has certainly improved and now that you know the
10 additional Cruise complaints Travelers have in 2024 it's time to find you the right cruise
ship lucky for you right here on YouTube Hide and I have our look at the 10 best new cruise
ships of this year in that video we compare ships from cruise lines like Royal Caribbean Princess
Cruises Carnival Cruises and more to help you find the right ship so your next cruise is smooth
sailing