The last time I took a cruise was 10 years ago. At that time, the actual experience met my expectations- upscale service, exotic destinations, good food, and very relaxing. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the cruise I just came from.

Now, I try to be open-minded about my travel experiences and provide unbiased critiques. However, after reading through my reviews lately I have noticed a "negative-bent" on most of them. After doing do some self-introspection, I decided that the negativity does not stem from me becoming a grouchy, old curmudgeon, but rather, a general degradation in the entire travel experience. As usual, the disillusionment process starts the minute you reach the airport and get crammed into your flying sardine can.

The cruise I went on was a 3-day jaunt to the Bahamas on Royal Caribbean's "Majesty of the Seas". I found the ship, despite its renovation in 2007, old and musty, and very unglamorous. The problems began in the cruise terminal, when we were informed that the previous cruise guests had not disembarked on-time...so we stood in line for an additional hour and a half. When we actually made it onboard, three out of four suitcases made it to our cabin...the fourth had vanished (even though the porter I'd tipped promised "special care"). By 6 o'clock that evening they finally located the misplaced bag. Read more