Expensive Cruise Ship Fails That Will Make You Want To Stay Ashore

What Happened: An interesting pair of shades 
Est. Cost of Fail: $10-$20* 

We’re loving this woman’s goggles, even if they make her look a little crazy. Sunglasses are an important part of sun safety, as they protect your eyelids, cornea, retina, and lens from harsh UV rays.

Goggles Galore @PixieVacations/Pinterest

Let’s just hope she’s wearing sunscreen, too. This picture looks as though it was taken somewhere in the Caribbean, where this lady was living her best life. Vintage cruise ship photos are a gift that keeps on giving.

What Happened: Matching tropical suits 
Est. Cost of Fail: $50-$100 per suit* 

What’s the point of going on a cruise if you can’t wear matching outfits with your husband? These two wore matching tropical-printed suits, making for a hilarious vintage cruise photo, if there ever was one.

Very Festive @r/funny/Reddit

We’re loving the print—the palm trees, flamingos, and blue waters really say it all. It inspires us to go hunting on Amazon for kitschy things to wear if we go on a cruise. Why not have a little fun?  

What Happened: A very fun vintage cruise photo
Est. Cost of Fail: N/A 

This vintage cruise ship photo shows a man who was having a bit too much fun. He’s surrounded by two dancers wearing pretty, lavish purple dresses and headpieces, and he looks like he’s having the time of his life.

A Bit Too Much Fun @quartz/Pinterest

Vintage cruise ship photos are always an interesting slice of the past, and this one was likely taken in the eighties or nineties. Though it’s not clear what cruise this was on, it looks like it was a blast.

What Happened: A woman tired of taking photos 
Est. Cost of Fail: N/A 

While Norwegian Cruise Line is great fun for anyone, the woman in this vintage photo looks as though she’s had just about enough of her husband, the high seas, her outfit, and posing for photos.

She's Had Enough @Google/Pinterest

NCL is a fun international cruise line that is pretty high-end, and it costs around $300 a night, starting price, to go on one of their trips. Cruises are really fun, but everyone needs a break from time to time, including this lady.

What Happened: Creepy photo of a cruise ship graveyard 
Est. Cost of Fail: $400 per ton of ship scrap metal one it reaches Alang* 

This picture is very eerie, and we could see it being the idea behind a new, cruise-ship-themed horror movie. Cruise ship graveyards are a thing, housing some of the once best and brightest ships on the seas.

A Creepy Cruise Ship Graveyard @dailymirror/Pinterest

When ships are decommissioned, they are usually sent to one of two Eastern scrapyards. The first is in the Gulf of Khambhat, India, and it is called Alang. That’s the largest. The second-largest scrapyard is in Aliaga, Turkey, if the ship isn’t sent to be recycled in Alang for some reason. 

What Happened: Super-tiny crew quarters 
Est. Cost of Fail: $49,000 average pay for a cruise ship crew member* 

If you think your cruise ship room as a guest is small, you won’t like the size of crew ship quarters, as those can be as tiny as this photo. Most are around 120 square feet, tight quarters without any windows.

Crew Quarters…@Google/Pinterest

Bunk beds, a toilet, and a privacy curtain are all the crew needs, according to management. If the closeness of cruise ships bothered you before, this photo is sure to send chills down your spine.

What Happened: Cruise ship passengers got freaked out by a giant shark
Est. Cost of Fail: N/A 

A gigantic shark was spotted at sea by tourists on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, making them all quite glad they were on a boat and not in the water. It freaked people out so badly, there was even talk of it being a “Megalodon.”

Gigantic Shark, Spotted @goodbadcandy/Pinterest

That was a bit exaggerated, as this giant fish was actually just a massive basking shark. Basking sharks are pretty friendly to humans, as they eat plankton. The only way they’re dangerous to us is if they breach the water and land on you.

What Happened: A man with interesting facial hair
Est. Cost of Fail: $80 million* (SS Norway purchase price, 1979) 

This guy’s fashion is totally nineties, which makes sense, as ’94 was the year this photo was taken. He looks like he’s excited and having fun, and his strong facial hair can’t even hide his good cheer.

Strong Facial Hair @dailymail/Pinterest

The SS Norway, the ship on which he said, was once the SS France, until NCL bought in in the late ‘70s and renamed it. Alas, SS Norway is no more, as she was sold and scrapped in the mid-2000s.

What Happened: A Walking Dead cruise 
Est. Cost of Fail: $945 per person when it was operating* 

The Walking Dead was a hit show all around the world, helping to revive the zombie genre and get most of us thinking about what would happen if we suddenly ran into the end of the world. Some people are mega-fans, so much so that they went on a Walking Dead cruise.

Only Zombies Allowed @thrillist/Pinterest

The photos from this cruise are wild, as people got to do interactive games, watch episodes, and even meet stars of the hit show. Being a horror mega-fan has its perks, if you’re willing to spend money on them. 

What Happened: A too-packed pool
Est. Cost of Fail: N/A 

Not a fan of people? Then you might not want to go on a cruise. While cruises are a lot of fun, we’d be lying if we said they were for everyone. If you’re someone who needs your space, think twice about booking a cruise.

Too Packed ©Andrew F. Kazmierski/shutterstock.com

For super-popular cruises, you’re going to run into a lot of people, especially at the pool. This cruise ship fail isn’t too uncommon, and this picture helps paint a picture of the “cons” side of “pros and cons.” 

What Happened: A cruise ship crashed into a dock
Est. Cost of Fail: Unconfirmed  

As you can imagine, a 96,000-ton cruise ship hitting a concrete dockside does not end well for anyone. Such was the case with the Queen Victoria, part of the Cunard line of cruise liners. She was docking in Malta when she smacked into a concrete dockside.

Ship Vs. Dock @Google/Pinterest

Whoops! The ship went astern a bit too quickly, causing a twenty-foot-long dent in QV’s stern. The ship can hold over 2,000 passengers, all of whom were probably freaked out at the sudden jolt.

What Happened: A cruise for cat lovers
Est. Cost of Fail: $1,500 starting price* 

Everyone loves cats (well, most people, anyway). But, do you love cats enough to go on a cruise dedicated to them? If so, then the very strange, very amusing Meow Meow Cruise might be right for you.

The Meow Meow Cruise @thrillist/PInterest

The cruise starts at $1,500 for an “Insider,” and you can’t bring your pets on board, but you can meet other cat lovers and talk about all things feline. This amusing trip shows that there really is a cruise for everyone. 

What Happened: Ridiculous lifeguard costume 
Est. Cost of Fail: $15-$20 for the costume* 

Sometimes, you look at these cruise ship photos, and you wonder what the context is. As you can see from this image, this guy found a muscle suit and decided to play lifeguard for the day while his gold-turban-wearing companion went along with it.

The Life Guard @Google/Pinterest

The outfit, the vibes, the general appearance of the picture itself…this image is so nineties. Really, there could be an entire list dedicated to vintage cruise ship photos that are silly and awkward.

What Happened: A pirate performance 
Est. Cost of Fail: $0 to attend*

You can already tell that the people on this ship were having a bit too much fun during this very-nineties cruise. The performance of the night had to do with pirates, and you could be one, all by covering your eye with a spoon.

Pirate Time @the_telegraph/Pinterest

You gotta love cruise performances. Cruise performers get paid a decent amount (plus room and board, of course) to entertain. Ian Hughes took this photo on the Crown Princess, a party-loving cruise ship.