How Cruises Bore A Hole in Your Wallet

It would be more entertaining to be a pirate in the Caribbean, than on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Even though a cruise ship’s main focus seems to be entertainment (and food), I find myself looking toward islands longingly and wishing I had a sword or some ropes to pull on. Although cruise ships are marketed as wonderful getaways where there are unlimited activities, what they really do is profit off people’s boredom.You’ve been caught up in the work and stress of your day to day life and need a break. You see a commercial for some cruise line and it seems to be the answer. People are swimming, laughing, getting massaged, watching live shows, and visiting beautiful islands. You want to be that happy. It seems the only way to have as much fun as those people are having is to get on that boat. You buy a ticket and the cruise company gets a big chuck of your money.Then, you get on the ship and are entertained by its opulence, the pool, and the “free” food for awhile, but the excitement soon wears off. That is, of course, unless you’re a little kid, then you’ll be excited for the rest of the cruise and probably another week afterward. But you probably aren’t a kid, and you won’t be on an island for another day and seem to have run out of things to do. They didn’t mention this in the commercial. Then, the cruise director comes on the loud speaker and invites you to an art auction, a professional photo shoot, and a spa treatment. You hate art, aren’t photogenic, and can’t afford a spa treatment, but you buy a painting, pose for endless pictures, and get the massage-acupuncture combo pack. What else are you going to do? You’re stuck in the middle of the ocean.Cruise lines do much worse things than make money off people’s boredom. They pollute the environment, perpetuate consumerism, and aren’t known for treating their workers very well. However, many people know this going into a cruise. What they don’t know is how bored they are going to be and that their ticket was just the beginning of the payments they would make to the cruise line in return for endless entertainment.

Cruise lines can bore us, I don’t object. Just don’t tell us that we are going to have unlimited fun if we’re not. Cruises are a great way to see neighboring islands, but if you go, make sure you bring something to do.