Travel Blogger: Won’t Ever Cruise Again, Cruise Line Breathes Sigh of Relief

The cruise industry has, for some reason, always been a source of division. It remains an easy target for mainstream media, but like a joke with an obvious punchline, coverage usually goes for the low-hanging fruit.

Take for example a recent article, “Tourist reveals 'terrible' cruise truth after $10k trip around Australia”, that appeared online last weekend. Authored by Courtney Greatrex of Yahoo Australia, the piece examined the cruise experience as seen through the eyes of travel blogger, Samantha Tatro.

Samantha embarked on a two week Australian voyage onboard Grand Princess and vowed to never step foot on another cruise boat (sorry, she called it a boat…) again. Food seemed to be the biggest sticking point for the avid traveller, who claims Grand Princess’ dining venues serve “high school cafeteria food at best”.

While those of us who have cruised more than once know that some meals can miss the mark, referencing a high school cafeteria when describing the food found onboard fits the definition of picking low-hanging fruit. In the article, Samantha goes on to explain that the food was “beyond awful”. Not that some of the food wasn’t to her liking, but that it was all without flavour and certainly not delicious.

According to the article, Samantha’s main motivation for sharing her negative experience is to provide a “different way to think” when it comes to holidaying on a ship. She’s also an environmentalist, saying, "It's been especially disheartening to hear how little people care about the environment and sustainable travel." Tell that to the cruise industry at large, which has committed to net-zero carbon cruising by 2050 and continues to oversee the roll out of new, more environmentally friendly ships and technology designed to cut fuel use and emissions.

In exposing the ‘truth’ about her cruise, Samantha apparently hopes to help people learn more about cruising from someone who doesn’t like it and doesn’t intend to do it again. While expressing concern that existing cruise reviews and online content fails to capture an accurate view of cruising, the travel blogger relayed that her experience should serve as a realistic point of reference for those considering a cruise holiday. The irony of that statement is hopefully not lost on our new cruiser, who apparently suffered through two weeks of “beyond awful” dining experiences.

As many of you know, my content (primarily found at The Cruise and Travel Guy YouTube channel) serves to provide you with independent, accurate and reliable experience-based reviews. After 40-something cruises, I’ve developed a sense for when things aren’t what they’re supposed to be and I’ll happily call a spade a spade. As much as I can, I do my best to present you with a balanced and realistic overview of any single cruise experience. Sam, you can sit this one out.

While I write this in jest, I do suggest that Samantha, a self confessed off-the-beaten-path adventurer, give cruising another go. Any true adventure lover has Antarctica high on their travel hit list and knows all too well that a cruise is one of the best ways to do it. Happy sailing!

Read the original Yahoo! News Australia article here.