Maybe it's not the vacation destination, maybe it's Us!!

[eliza61nyc]

Just an observation

Next year is our "off" year at Disney and we are bouncing around different ideas. the current front runner is Greece/Greek Islands.

So I'm on cruise critic just researching a cruise and some one told me to skip them because...

-As I hinted at, cruises are now considered a mass travel discount experience now. Expect lots of children, long lines, big crowds, and a generic cookie cutter experience. Some love it, but manage your expectations before hand so you are not disappointed.

which actually made me giggle because it sounded like the many many discussions here about how horrible Disney is now.

Is anyone happy going on vacation anymore or is the problem that we expect so much out of a 1-2 week slot of our lives.

I'm almost scared to see what the internet is going to say about Greece.

 

[Nottamus]

Is anyone happy going on vacation anymore or is the problem that we expect so much out of a 1-2 week slot of our lives.

Key word to ME in that sentence is EXPECT.

I find if i sometimes expect stuff in a vacation....i get disappointed. I know that's hard, because that's what we do...expect vacations to do things.

We have tried to just go with the flow...relax, and not expect anything. (pretty much impossible.) Just this last vacation...the wife ended up with a terrible migraine that turned into an ER visit when we got home...which we got home earlier because we cancelled last few days..


So, to preach...I guess We all get out a vacation what we put into it....expect of it.


(i just read what i typed in its all too serious. Sorry... I have an April trip planned...now working on December trip!)

 

[Master Yoda]

I think expectations are just too high these days.

We see so many "perfect and unique" vacations being fed to us via social media that they become the norm. The problem is that those perfect vacations are often an edited work as real as reality TV.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Just an observation

Next year is our "off" year at Disney and we are bouncing around different ideas. the current front runner is Greece/Greek Islands.

So I'm on cruise critic just researching a cruise and some one told me to skip them because...

-As I hinted at, cruises are now considered a mass travel discount experience now. Expect lots of children, long lines, big crowds, and a generic cookie cutter experience. Some love it, but manage your expectations before hand so you are not disappointed.

which actually made me giggle because it sounded like the many many discussions here about how horrible Disney is now.

Is anyone happy going on vacation anymore or is the problem that we expect so much out of a 1-2 week slot of our lives.

I'm almost scared to see what the internet is going to say about Greece.

The big crowds and lots of children is totally dependent on the type of cruise and the cruise line chosen. Go on a Carnival or a Disney and yes, you will find a couple gazillion kids with you. Two years ago I to a Transition Cruise across the Atlantic from Rome. There was on child on board and that was the child of one of the entertainment people. We hardly ever saw her at all. The ones with fewer kids are likely to be older folk and have probably age suitable activities instead of party stuff. I toured parts of Italy, France and Spain, even went to a winery in Tuscany for a wine tasting and authentic Italian meal, before we headed across the ocean. I was on a Celebrity cruise for that one. I could sit out on the deck and read or go to shows every night, sit in the library or eat 24/7 if the mood struck me. Unless you have your own yacht you pretty much have to deal with cookie cutter plans, but, every cruise line has their individually shaped cookie cutter.

 

[networkpro]

IMHO, it's more about answering whats the objective for any vacation? Is it to do things that are picture worthy, checkboxing for things one is expected to accomplish or something you really want to do? Are you going for any locations equivalent of the Bahamian straw market experience? Fully scripted, completely random, or somewhere in-between?

Personally, I've had sufficient long-term exposure to other countries (measured in years of living locally outside of major cities) so my objectives might be quite different than yours.

 

[SSH]

I think expectations are just too high these days.
We see so many "perfect and unique" vacations being fed to us via social media that they become the norm. The problem is that those perfect vacations are often an edited work as real as reality TV.

Another factor may be the sheer amount of money people are shelling out, not just at WDW, but in general. Yikes: when I read about $6k-10k+ for a week's vacation, (whether I'm on the cruise boards, WDW boards or trip advisor forums for other destinations,) I have to believe that amps up the pressure big time for average middle class families funding it on credit cards or diving into their savings.

Thanks to the economy, travel costs are insane today - it's not just a WDW thing. While parents and grandparents have the best of intentions at heart: to make memorable and unique memories with families, investing so much financially on a single trip may make every disappointment feel 100x worse.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Another factor may be the sheer amount of money people are shelling out, not just at WDW, but in general. Yikes: when I read about $6k-10k+ for a week's vacation, (whether I'm on the cruise boards, WDW boards or trip advisor forums for other destinations,) I have to believe that amps up the pressure big time for average middle class families funding it on credit cards or diving into their savings.

Thanks to the economy, travel costs are insane today - it's not just a WDW thing. While parents and grandparents have the best of intentions at heart: to make memorable and unique memories with families, investing so much financially on a single trip may make every disappointment feel 100x worse.

To be fair, if going to Disney cost $6K -10K+ for a weeks vacation, they damn will should be demanding more from the place when they are laying out that much money. For me, as much of a fan of WDW that I am, I am realistic enough to know that I will never get that degree of return from a full fledged immersed experience. I think the parks are expensive but for that many hours of entertainment, I see the value. $600 and up for a place to sleep is close to extortion in my book. They cannot deliver what I would expect for those prices. I can see a justification for entitlement in a place like Disney. They ask a lot for some of the things they offer, and they don't even come close to being able to deliver based on price.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Just an observation

Next year is our "off" year at Disney and we are bouncing around different ideas. the current front runner is Greece/Greek Islands.

So I'm on cruise critic just researching a cruise and some one told me to skip them because...

-As I hinted at, cruises are now considered a mass travel discount experience now. Expect lots of children, long lines, big crowds, and a generic cookie cutter experience. Some love it, but manage your expectations before hand so you are not disappointed.

which actually made me giggle because it sounded like the many many discussions here about how horrible Disney is now.

Is anyone happy going on vacation anymore or is the problem that we expect so much out of a 1-2 week slot of our lives.

I'm almost scared to see what the internet is going to say about Greece.

That is so freakin weird. No Disney for us next year and we ARE going to Greece!

 

[righttrack]

WDW and a Cruise are similar experiences IMO. Both are fast-paced vacations that often require a vacation afterwards to recover. Both also involve way too much consumption of food/alcohol for the climate you are in. I think for an off year, I'd choose something relaxing, with a beach, rest up for the next WDW trip.

 

[DisneyJoe]

WDW and a Cruise are similar experiences IMO. Both are fast-paced vacations that often require a vacation afterwards to recover. Both also involve way too much consumption of food/alcohol for the climate you are in. I think for an off year, I'd choose something relaxing, with a beach, rest up for the next WDW trip.

Wow, how do you cruise? For me a cruise is almost the most relaxing vacation that I can take, second only to sitting on a beach for the week - a cruise is far from the hustle and bustle of a WDW trip.

I suppose it depends on your activity level.

 

[Master Yoda]

WDW and a Cruise are similar experiences IMO. Both are fast-paced vacations that often require a vacation afterwards to recover. Both also involve way too much consumption of food/alcohol for the climate you are in. I think for an off year, I'd choose something relaxing, with a beach, rest up for the next WDW trip.

You and I must either take very different cruises and/or do Disney very differently.

I stay very active on a cruise doing typically physical excursions coupled with way too much eating and drinking backed up with maybe 3-5 hours of sleep per night. I don't think I have ever been more relaxed then the time I am on the boat or just after a cruise

The parks are quite similar. Up really early, to bed very late with a ton of activity and food in between. I am always exhausted after a vacation at the parks. I have the time of my life, but my body and brain need a break.

With a cruise there is no getting to the park an hour early to get ahead of the crowds. No insane lines or crowds to deal with. I can get to dinner on time vs early. Same with the shows and excursions. The closest thing I have to stress on a cruise is making sure I get to the port early. Once that is done, it is smooth sailing. (pun intended)

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I've found that no matter where we travel, someone is knocking it for being too crowded, overpriced, overrun with kids and rude tourists, high prices, long lines, etc. What's also funny is that there's also someone always saying, "well it can't be as bad as (this)." Like it's a competition over which destinations are the worst and who was really more miserable.

I look at it this way...if it's a popular vacation destination, you're going to have crowds, you're going to have some inflated prices, you could encounter lines, etc. And for those who want to avoid all of this...go to unpopular places? Or go to the middle of nowhere? Or just don't go anywhere.

While I've never been, I have several friends who have cruised the Greek Isles and loved it. One, I recall, cruised with a smaller line that gave them the option of building in days to stay on certain islands so they could experience more than just a taste. I also have a coworker who travels to Greece and Romania each summer (their families are there) and I've never heard her complain about the crowds. I mean, I'm sure they're there, but it's nothing that ruins their visits. Mind you, their trips aren't all touristy stuff, but there's some and I know they still enjoy themselves.

 

[righttrack]

Wow, how do you cruise? For me a cruise is almost the most relaxing vacation that I can take, second only to sitting on a beach for the week - a cruise is far from the hustle and bustle of a WDW trip.

I suppose it depends on your activity level.

We get going early to the island with a full day each day to accomplish. By the time we come back, we are so spent from the day ashore. It depends what you do at each port!