This year, we encouraged our children and grandchildren to join us on a Christmas cruise with Royal Caribbean on the Legend of the Seas. Fortunately for us, they are not seasoned ‘cruisers’ and everything was a new experience for them. As a result we all had a ball but for us, who started taking cruises in 1987, this had to be the worst experience we have ever had.

It all started badly when we arrived at the cruise terminal in Brisbane to find long queues and that the computer system had broken down. So it was three hours later that we finally trudged up the gangway, tired, hungry and frustrated, to start the experience.

Gone are the niceties of finding a fruit bowl, or ice, or chocolates in your stateroom as are the niceties of being welcomed aboard. There was no one to direct you to your stateroom. Read more