I Cruised On A Non English-Speaking Cruise Line. Here's How It Went

[@jamielonghurst6373]

I traveled on this same Ponant Antarctica cruise a few years back. I am a female English-speaking solo traveler. The ratio of French to English speaking travelers on my cruise was about 90%-10%. In addition, I was one of only a few single women travelers. The trip itself was absolutely amazing. The crew and guides were fantastic and they did put me in tour groups where the guides were English speaking if we went ashore in the Zodiacs. And, the service on Ponant was superb. However, being solo and non-French speaking made it very difficult to make friends or even carry on a conversation at dinner. After nearly three weeks of traveling and being challenged to clearly communicate at every turn, I was so glad to get back to the USA where I could easily communicate with people! If you are French-speaking or if you are traveling with a partner or friend, I absolutely recommend Ponant. They really do a fantastic job. I would not take another cruise with them, however, simply because of the language barrier. It was too isolating. Enjoy your videos, Gary! Thank you for your terrific insight into cruise travel!

[@dwightlooi]

Yeah, but 90% of French people do speak English to some extent even if they are reluctant to do so. Same thing goes for Germans in general. It is not like you are down to making faces with smiles for yes and middle finger for no.

[@neutrino78x]

I do speak some French -- studied it in high school -- but definitely would need to brush up on it a bit before sailing with Ponant. Would definitely feel safer with them than a FoC ship though. Like I said in another comment above, I first heard the term in the Navy, associated with bad guys doing bad things (details classified that's all I can say). Good flags all the way! USA, France, Britain, the Netherlands...any powerful country with a good Navy, that's the ship you want to be on :)

[@dwightlooi]

@@neutrino78x I don't think it makes a difference. The US Navy will still get involved in any incident involving a ship full of Americans regardless of whose flag they fly. The reason cruise lines do that is because it allows them to have a largely 3rd world crew and to avoid US taxes. -- If the USA is smart we'll (1) require only a third of the crew including the officers to be American to fly a US flag, (2) make it such that revenue earned outside of US waters remain free of US taxes just like foreign earned income (up to a generous limit), (3) tax foreign flagged ships calling on US ports and (4)tax foreign built ships on top of that, but exempt US built and flagged vessels. This will revive the once great US shipbuilding industry and force cruise lines who do most of their business from US ports to hire a bunch of US crew which they are not currently hiring. In a time of war it'll also greatly increase our merchant marine reserves. Of course these will require that we FIRE all the "free trade", let China massively tariff our stuff but not tariff theirs, IDIOTS and TRAITORS in D.C. As a matter of fact, we should secede and have two countries -- the United States of America and the United Swamp of D.C.

[@marycolmenar1633]

I booked Ponant for my Antarctica trip next year. Any tips as a solo English-speaking traveler?

[@webstermitchell2335]

I'm American and traveled for 2 weeks on Aida, we "tried" to speak German and the crew and many fellow passengers seemed to enjoy speaking to us in English. We had a GREAT time and considered our Caribbean cruise a "taste of Germany", 😊 I would absolutely do it again!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Great to hear! I agree that by embracing the differences it can be a great change !

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

That’s interesting a Caribbean German cruise :)

[@ricktaylor5397]

It’s hard to practice your German with German travelers, because they want to practice their English with you. So you both speak in a mixture of German and English. A plus for both travelers.

[@claudiahoehne3363]

That is nice to hear! I live in Germany and grew up bilingual in the US. In the last 10 years AIDA has changed from being “very German” to being more international. We just arrived yesterday from an 8 day Canary Island Cruise and I think I spoke more English than German, especially with the service team. All announcements are in German and English, and about 80% of the shows in are English. Game shows were mostly German though.

[@webstermitchell2335]

I still think about the breakfast on Aida often, 😊 probably the best breakfasts I've ever had, definitely the best of any cruise ship!

[@melwig2813]

I haven’t been on a foreign cruise, but one of the biggest reasons I travel is to experience other cultures. I welcome the differences. Travel opens your mind. One becomes more accepting of people who are different.

[@danielsierra6843]

Hello, I’m glad to read your comment as it is, in my opinion, full of sense. Indeed when you travel the key point should be to experience mingling with other cultures. I’m glad to see that you embrace differences as it is again, in my opinion, a way to grow. I feel so sad for these people travelling to Europe and heading to the famous fast food franchise to grab a meal when it would be better to experience the local cuisine. Travelling makes you exit your comfort zone and meet other people if you open your hearts people will come to you if you start comparing things then people will feel it. And when I hear remarks about hotels for example in Spain that are blamed because they do not serve dinners at 5 o’clock, well, it makes me chuckle. Remember the old adage“in Rome do as the Romans“. Of course people should be able to speak a minimum level of English when dealing with overseas travellers but on the other hand people should how do you say experience other cultures if not, just stay on your couch eat your burger and watch National Geographic!

[@dirkpieterdemol-meulendijk6615]

We always travel on 'foreign' cruise lines. Never had any issues, learn a few words of the language and people are more than happy to talk to you. We've found that we enjoy the cruises more, more exciting food choices and so many more ittinarries to choose from.

[@tipsfortravellers]

I agree! Embracing and brushing up on the key phrases. I also try to learn in the language “I’m sorry I don’t speak (language), do you speak English” as that a good and respectful thing / approach

[@glennstokes510]

Different food is part of the travel experience. iPhone apps can help with translations of different languages, both in print and speech. The main concern I have is cultural differences. It can be very difficult to know what might offend someone from another country. Offending people is something I would not want to do.

[@Whitbypoppers]

Among monoglot travelers, Anglophones (native English speakers) have a lot less to complain about than those who speak only Croatian or Dutch, for example. Also, on cruises, something you alluded to, many crew members are more fluent in English than in the national language of the ship, what with the number of Indian and Filipino crew members that sail the seas.

[@scottlang7271]

This was really interesting, Gary. Thank you! I wanted to go on a cruise here in Australia with my Japanese wife, and then COVID-19 hit. My Japanese language skills are basic, but I know enough to make small talk. So I am now curious to try going on a Japanese cruise line. My wife will be confident that the cruise will be spotlessly clean, and she'll be in her comfort zone, which in turn will make her much happier. I will get lots of practice at speaking Nihongo, and enjoying amazing food. Sounds win-win to me :)

[@m0llux]

Awesome video! As a German, this works the other way around, too! Of course, when we travel with AIDA or Mein Schiff, we feel right at home. But when we sailed on Cunard, it is us who had to adapt to the ship. And it was awesome! Just one small addition: Yes, Costa is an Italian cruise experience, but they actually cater well for other European languages. When we cruised on the Diadema, all announcements, information and entertainment was in Italian, English, French and German. Whereas when you travel on AIDA, for example, you will simply not read or hear any English spoken, unless it is information for the crew.

[@danielsierra6843]

You nailed it, it is important as you said, to adapt to the ship. Or when travelling to adapt to the environment. Travelling is to experience other cultures.

[@seeking70]

We speak (American) English and haven't traveled on a non-English primary language ship yet, but if/when we do it's on us to be flexible. No reason to get frustrated if you booked it.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Definitely!

[@Donabate2]

You speak English. American isn't a language.

[@seeking70]

@@Donabate2 it's a dialect as I see it, like Brazilian Portuguese or Quebecoise French.

[@Donabate2]

@@seeking70 are you been serious . Then I am fluent in english/welsh/Scotland/ireland/Australian/New Zealand/South African/Canadian/American/Carribean. Wow I am so intelligent. On certain cruise line to see American flags depicting English is so stupid.

[@seeking70]

@@Donabate2 dude, this is a travel channel, not a political forum. If I triggered you, I apologize. Have a good day.

[@quicksilver2510]

Gary, I'm living vicariously through your videos. I'm Australian, and the only way I can go cruising is on a foreign cruise ship.

[@JC-lm3bb]

Even as a Queenslander I feel like I probably wouldn't trust an Australian cruise line if one started now lmao

[@texasboy5117]

When my wife and I were younger before we stated to cruise, we went to many counties where we did not speak the local language. We always had an adventure each day with the language but loved the experience.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Agree! We are fortunate as so many people, especially the young, speak or understand English to help out. The only place we had to do lots of pointing and miming was in Japan when we went off the tourist path and really then we had to improvise....

[@Reed-2big]

@@tipsfortravellers My Dad traveled to Japan several times in the 50s. He told me that when he needed to use English most places could eventually find someone although it could take 20 minutes. As you mentioned most were younger, students. When he was buying fabric he was good with the burn test so fortunately those translations weren’t needed.

[@jopiaspieder1184]

I love MSC cruise lines they are great. The ship crews are amazing, they definitely know how to make your vacation a great one.

[@tipsfortravellers]

There are some big fans for them for sure. They do polarise for some used to English-speaking only lines.

[@seonaghjedlicka3570]

My dad went on a mcs cruise he said it wasn't for the price. Said over priced. Food should been better.

[@laraatwell3638]

As group of 4 Americans, we went on an A-Rosa river cruise in Germany on one of their “International” cruises which accommodates foreign languages. There were 8 Americans in total. We loved it. Found it more of an immersive experience. The crews common language was English and so many of the German passengers spoke English, we had lots of interaction. I did find the tours to be the only time it was a bit of an issue. We had a host who translated everything for us into ear pieces (same for all on board briefings) and there was always that lag in jokes or comments. Since it was a river cruise it was not a big deal because we did so few tours. Would absolutely due again!

[@lap8329]

Once again your well-considered and thoughtful information has given me plenty of food for thought. I am a bit or an introvert, and rather like the thought of being a bit removed by language from the majority. On a recent solo trip to Egypt, I went on a Lake Nasser cruise, 5 nights, where I turned out to be the only English speaker on a ship full of Germans, French, and local Arab-speaking Egyptians. My family think I’m nuts, but I actually enjoyed the fact that while everyone else in the dining room had group tables of anywhere from 4 to 12, I had a table entirely to myself. I arrived when it suited me, had a leisurely meal, a glass or two of wine, and enjoyed my book. (The Maître’d apparently felt sorry for me, as he kept bringing me extra glasses of wine that never appeared on the bill.) I got a few curious glances, but was pretty much left alone, both there, and in the lounges and bars. I found it all very relaxing compared to trying to make casual conversation with a bunch of random strangers with whom I had little in common. I wonder if there are perhaps more people like me, who travel solo because we find it more relaxing and comfortable than travelling with others, even friends and family? I can see myself on a Ponant cruise, actually concealing the fact that as an ex-Canadian I speak moderately decent French.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

I was a solo traveler on one of my cruises from hamburg Germany and although English is my first language, German is a strong second language for me. I found the waiters to assume that I did not speak German at all and just seat me with English speakers so it occurred to me later to say they could seat me with English or German speakers

[@sharone9751]

My very first cruise was a Greek island cruise with Costa. I can still remember all of the announcements being made first in English, then French, then German. Except when Charles de Gaulle died . . . French was first. My cruise choices are usually itinerary driven and your Greenland (have done) and Canadian arctic one sounds fabulous. Good luck with the German!

[@thevaughntestkitchen6045]

Very interesting video. My husband and I are Americans who travel to France frequently (though not since the pandemic started) and are planning to retire to France in a few years. We are very much in tune with French culture, so some of the things you mentioned - later dining, French food, etc - would actually be a positive rather than a negative for us. The language would also be helpful to us. We are both currently working with a Native French tutor here in the US to learn (in my husband’s case) or improve (in my case) our abilities to speak French. So, going on a Ponant cruise would actually give us another opportunity to practice our French. I’m headed to the web right now to explore Ponant’s website to learn more about the ships and itineraries.

[@danielsierra6843]

Hello, thank you very much for your contribution as it is very interesting. We are all suffering from the pandemic but I hope that soon we will see the end of the tunnel and be able to travel as we always used to. Concerning your retirement in French I think it is a good experience of course. As a former language teacher you’re investing for a better quality of life as you are working with a tutor. I travel a lot with Ponant and will be more than delighted to meet you once. You are indeed one of these persons who got the essence of travelling that is embracing other cultures.

[@bizhelpguru]

Me too!

[@Jacksbox11]

Hello, Gary!! Thanks so much for all your great videos!👍 We're trying to plan our first cruise once things get better! Blessings from Ottawa.🍁

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks for watching! Great to hear you enjoy them. Hopefully that cruise comes soon 🤞

[@jpbpds]

Gary, you always bring a unique and thoughtful point of view. Lots to think about in this video.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks for watching as always! Great to hear your feedback. I try to do that, so good to know it’s working….

[@jimloth6091]

It's one of our warmer days here in Canada. It was -8C this morning with wind chill making it feel like -17 or so. So you can probably imagine how glad I am to have found your channel to help me through the next couple of months...

[@tipsfortravellers]

Brrrr!!! Hope these videos warm you up then !!

[@jimloth6091]

@@tipsfortravellers Only in my imagination, but that's enough for now!

[@sandramiller6791]

We’re going on a 3 month cruise on SilverSeas. The majority of passengers from our past experience were European. My husband and I are American, and we observed the Europeans were a tight group. We found if we reached out most people were friendly at a distance. This time I’m concerned about our politics in the USA. It is what it is. We love cruising, our veranda, the itinerary, food, the entire experience. Thank you for all your suggestions and expertise. We look forward to your videos. Sandra

[@LadyCatherine538]

Sandra, don’t worry. I travel solo and just make every effort to help others with “selfies” or other small things. Later, those people include me even if we don’t speak the same language. It is the fun of traveling. Relative to US politics? I have strongly held convictions but state up front, “I don’t talk politics on vacation”. If someone tries to put down the USA or the politicians I encourage the others in the conversation to talk about that when they are in their staterooms. Who needs to hear their rudeness? I am adamant that they cease the topic of nation bashing. I have had two separate very serious encounters where drunk men went “off” on the USA. I just got up in the middle of dinner and quietly excused myself. Your fabulous trip will be wonderful; Silversea has service down to perfection. I went to Antarctica with them a few years ago and had a blast.

[@sandramiller6791]

@@LadyCatherine538 Thank you so much for your encouragement and sound advice. Sandra

[@paulmccowage1681]

Thank you your comments about Ponant are very accurate, we recently did their sub Antarctic islands cruise from Dunedin where the great majority on board were not French and no recognition by Ponant if their customer base for example no turkey ham or Xmas pudding on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, for example Christmas lunch was curried lamb. Also their ship had no wet room to deal with the expedition nature of the cruise a major short coming that I think you should point out

[@andreatuckman1084]

I’m a 74 year old American and I found a wonderful itinerary to Iceland and Scotland leaving from Amsterdam on Royal Caribbean, but wondered if I could find a similar cruise on P&O Iona, thinking I might like trying a British ship for a change. And then I wondered if the food would be to my liking. I watch a few British couples on KZbin and sometimes I must admit I’m a bit put off by some of the common dishes they enjoy. Twelve days on a foreign ship eating food I don’t care for seems too long. As it happens P&O Iona doesn’t visit Scotland or Iceland so the decision was made for me. Love your videos and your ability to break down facts most of us wonder about.

[@gillchatfield3231]

What's the point of leaving your home country if you don't want to sample other countries' cultures, including food? It's only for a few days - you're not emigrating for life. Save your money and stay at home.

[@andreatuckman1084]

@@gillchatfield3231 Eating food throughout a foreign journey isn’t the same as a daily selection of popular food of a single culture. Visiting foreign countries that contain historical importance is food for the mind.

[@marilynn76]

I’m an American married to a Brit. British food gets a bad rap, but I love it. There’s enough crossover between British and American food that you probably wouldn’t have a problem. There are only a few “weird” items (ha ha) - the rest of it is foods we are familiar with.

[@weston407]

I cruised on a Spanish line out of Italy to Greece and it was a blast....only because I was in a party of seven. There were MAYBE a dozen English speakers on the entire boat and we found ourselves hanging out in the casino the entire time because the whole staff spoke English. We had fun and the destinations were great but it may have been tough going solo.

[@Reed-2big]

I met a German solo traveler on a transatlantic who although her English was quite good had had her family try to dissuaded her from an America cruise. We met her on a tour where she had been told to just go to the busses but not which one! We were on the same tour and told her just come with us! She said she was having trouble with tour guides who were difficult to understand, and you guessed it was difficult to understand by us too! We laughed afterwards when I asked her if she understood because I didn’t! We encouraged her to join us at dinner when she wanted company. We waived as we saw each other in the buffet in the mornings. On the last day I got a great big hug and thank you! We truly didn’t do anything other than make her welcome and tell her that if there were other German speakers onboard she would be seated with them, mostly, at dinner. Of course it had to be folks that were willing to share a table. We sat next to tables for 2 where only one person spoke English in several cases only the woman. I think you are right though, those of us have travelled in Europe when English wasn’t as common, have learned to survive daily tasks without needing to find someone who was fluent in English! Of course, pantomime works. I was in a restaurant in Buenos Aires where I didn’t realize they spoke Italian. Trying to get a to go box was interesting until I used the two fingers walking! We went back several times as the staff and food were delightful.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

And thanks for your wonderful videos Gary. I always learn something from them and will remember next time I start cruising because it may help things go smoother remembering some of the details.

[@cadet526]

I was on an MSC cruise the first summer they did the Caribbean and they had an all Italian crew. They did speak English, but having an Italian crew was awesome. One of the funnest on ship things was daily Italian class where I learned some phrases. They also obviously weren’t used to American food tastes. Food was good, but you could tell they tried a little. They got this 7-11 looking hot dog spinners and they thought all we liked was pineapple pizza. I asked. Was very fun and interesting.

[@SoloonaCruise]

Keep in mind a lot of people travelling, say Dutch, on any cruiseline have neither of the mentioned languages as their first. We always have to adept.However it was informative.

[@marilynn76]

For what it’s worth, I’ve noticed that a lot of Dutch people speak excellent English and I admire them for it.

[@fifthof1795]

The thing i take away from this is pay attention in French classes at school and take a year out in France to learn le langue Francais. Speaking another language is a gateway to so much more.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Agree 😀😀😀

[@denizalgazi]

Unfortunately, many native English speakers often don't know or care to learn other languages. Very few of them are polyglots. For me, it's an opportunity to practice speaking in a learnt foreign language.

[@maryannmcc.8420]

Twenty years ago, I took a Russian river cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg. ( only 2-3 years after the change of political systems in Russia.) I went with a group organized by a local community college in the US. I went with 5 other people that I knew before but I didn’t I didn’t know the other English speakers on the trip until we had 2 sessions before the actual cruise. Our organizer was 1 st generation Russian and he was fluent in Russian. We also had a dedicated English speaking tour guide who would have cultural sessions on language, history, local customs etc. every day as well as make local announcements. Most of the cruisers outside our group were Russian, the next biggest group was French. When we got onboard, the ship added some Australians to our group since we were the only English speakers. As for the crew, most knew basic English and enjoyed practicing their English on us, particularly in the restaurant. This was my first river cruise and I had traveled to Russian Siberia before where few people spoke English. The accommodations were very spartan and Russian, but I was expecting that. Even though I was traveling with English speakers, I do think I had a much more immersive Russian experience than if I went on a Viking Russian river cruise. I am very glad that I went on that Russian cruise and received an authentic Russian experience.

[@highbaritone]

We English are certainly spoiled. I’ve had people complain that a tour guide’s English was hard to understand. Can we imagine all the people of other countries traveling on any of the hundreds of English speaking ships. I have never heard them complain about the lack of their language on board. I speak three languages and have talked to to these great people. Not one word of complaint. Yes indeed, say hello to people. Everyone says hello. Smile. Ask if anyone has some English. Don’t be angry, or embarrassed. We are all people. We are all travelers. Embrace the difference. Have some fun. We traveled in Asuka and our first meal just came as European meal and we watched all the wonder Japanese food coming out for all the Japanese passengers. We went to the hotel director and asked for all our meals to be the Japanese menu. It was just wonderful. Quite a few of the staff spoke some English and were happy to practice it. They in turn taught us some Japanese. It was a novelty for them and us.

[@marilynn76]

On our recent MSC cruise, my husband and I must have looked German, because we ended up being placed with a German group on an excursion. Luckily, the tour guide also spoke in English. Going to non-English speaking places and getting out of your comfort zone broadens the mind! We’ve also been to various European countries, Malaysia, and China. It’s a humbling experience to find yourself in the minority for once.

[@geograph-ology4343]

The idea of traveling is to experience new things. If one is not ready to experience new things, one should stay home. We just came back from 10 days with Ponant from Antarctica. The passenger mix was about one third English speaking and two-thirds French. The crew and staff were totally bilingual so there was no problem there. French food can be an acquired taste, but they did offer some more "American" tastes, although the hamburger was more like "steak tartare on a bun." Even the water closet/toilet was unusual for US passengers, but it worked. The main thing is as you said, the price and the itinerary. Ponant took us to a place that few go, safely and with great service, and gave us an experience we will always treasure. And we did what you advised in another video and which the staff on Ponant also advised...you have to put down the camera while in Antarctica and just take a moment to really appreciate what you are seeing. It is profoundly beautiful and completely other worldly.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Have you ever been on a container ship? I am fascinated by the idea! Thank you for the video!

[@napoleonsdauphin]

I'm American and my husband is English, but we live in Austria and both speak German. I've often toyed with the idea of a German-speaking cruise line, as it would be no different than navigating our day-to-day lives, but on the other hand it wouldn't allow us to 'get away' from that element of our day-to-day lives. As far as this Ponant Antarctica cruise, I would absolutely do that with my husband or sister - but mostly because of the itinerary and the French flair.

[@marilynn76]

Hello, fellow traveler! I’m also American with an English husband. ❤️

[@lynnfranklin5098]

Can’t wait to hear about your Greenland cruise. Already looking at that one vs Princess

[@dchenkin02]

I did a bilingual walking tour when visiting Zurich, Switzerland in 2004. Definitely can feel slow when the tour guides have to give each talk in two languages.

[@luizgustavolima]

Thank you very much for this interesting content, Mr.Bembridge. I am a solo traveler most of the time, and looking forward to make another cruise in the near future!

[@JoeTourist]

When I was aboard the Royal Clipper for a Caribbean cruise, announcements were made in 5 languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, German) - which took quite a while! Thankfully, excursions were usually offered in English, and another in either German or French. Many people on board were at least bilingual, so socializing wasn't a big issue. Also, with the ship being small (just over 200 passengers), if anyone missed an announcement, they just talked directly to the Cruise Director or other senior crew. As an English speaker (some French), I didn't run into any serious issues, and enjoyed myself.

[@fishandfloral]

One of my favorite memories of our last trip was trying to communicate with a gentleman in Slovakia. We did a lot of pointing and pantomiming, and we were both laughing hysterically by the end. Getting out of your comfort zone is part of traveling and exploring the world.

[@danielsierra6843]

Thank you for your comment full of wisdom. You are absolutely right, travelling gets you out of your comfort zone and meeting other people. You are the kind of person I’d love to meet on one of these trips. Don’t change anything you’ve got the point of travelling.

[@cydneystephen2814]

Sir Gary. Happy Sunday. Nice breakdown of how you define a foreign cruise. Great tips and awareness. Thanks so much and see you next video.

[@Rottnwoman]

"Foreign" = not American, so my first choice every time 😆

[@RagingCanuck]

Great video, thank you! A number of years ago, we were three of 50 English speakers (and the only Canadians) on an MSC cruise, round trip from Genoa, the itinerary of which included Malaga, thereby allowing us to visit my brother, who lived there. The passengers included 1200 Germans and 800 Italians, with a sprinkle of French, Spanish and Russian speakers. Never again! The ship, the Musica, was lovely, but the crew profoundly unhappy (many told us they were leaving the ship at the end of the cruise), and the passengers grouped themselves by nationality, with only the minority language speakers prepared to interact with each other. Since we speak French, the French speakers gravitated to us, seemingly desperate for companionship. We were “adopted” by the senior American armed forces personnel, stationed in Europe, who were spending their family Christmas vacations on board. They were wonderful! Many of the crew appeared to treat English speakers with disdain; requests for washclothes were met with a supercilious sneer and, “We keep SOME of these for Americans”, as if we’d asked for chitlins and grits! Our passports were to be handed in - the crewman, quite literally, threw them in a drawer and refused to give us a receipt. The shore excursions were fascinating, but it was clear the English translations were an afterthought, and often consisted of a sentence or two, while the German and Italian descriptions were quite detailed. Luckily, I had brought a guide book with me that described our ports of call. Entertainment was meh - lots of Chinese contortionists; one can watch a child poke her head between her legs just so many times before it gets rather creepy. We had no issues with the food, wait crew (who were eager to speak in English with us), or the spa - although my husband’s massage appointment was unilaterally bumped to a port day, presumably to accommodate a more favoured guest. Regarding late dining: it would have been fine were it not for the legions of Italian children, over-tired and undoubtedly fuelled by sugar, who ran rampant in the dining room at 9 pm when they should have been in bed. We are seasoned, experienced travellers, with 30+ international cruises under our belts, family and friends all over the world, and live in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, but we had never experienced such a disply of general rudeness as we did on this cruise. Behaviour that would never be countenanced on an English-speaking line seemed to be de rigeur on board - eating at the buffet right out of the display, butting in line (huge), sitting in one’s seat on tour buses (after moving one’s personal items to a less favourable location), shoving, pushing, yelling: YIKES! One of our group figured out the only way to get through the buffet line was to take his knife, place it under his plate with the blade exposed and charge forth; he was, in fact a member of th American cavalry! New Year’s Day morning saw the crew sweeping up what must have been half the ship’s glassware that had been smashed - right into the Strait of Gibraltar! I couldn’t imagine that was legal! So, that was it fo us. In our opinion, MSC should restrict themselves to sailing cargo ships.

[@alex9621]

I'm 100% sure you are the stereotypical american Karen who cries whenever she's not the centre of the attention. Stick to your american bubble of carnival and royal and you'll be fine.

[@mwoodlock27]

I took my first cruise ever this past December on Ponant. As a solo traveler who speaks very little French and who is much younger than the average Ponant passenger I had a great trip. The crew and the ship were fantastic; within 2 days it seemed the entire staff knew my name and seemed genuinely happy to see me. The food in the restaurant was great, the menu was bilingual and if you didn't like the main course there were multiple other options to choose from; there were several nights I chose to have a steak instead of the main. When it came to the other passengers, even those who didn't speak English were very friendly, but I met a few couples who spoke some English and we ended up spending most of our time together. I think if you want to experience other cultures in your travels then a foreign cruise is great. I would recommend Ponant, especially due to the fact that they offer many no single supplement cruises.

[@trainattendant5810]

Back in the 1980's when I started cruising even many of the popular lines sailing from US ports were nationality specific. Sitmar Italian, Princess British, Royal Viking Line Norwegian. Foreign culture, language, food, & people are the delightful discoveries of international travel. My first cruise aboard MSC was during their inaugural Caribbean season. It really was like spending a week in an Italian boutique hotel. Daily Italian class to boot! Now I'm very interested in trying Saga. Their new ships look stunning inside & out.

[@christinefinger8425]

As Australians, we did a Costa cruise in South East Asia in Jan 2020, just before Covid hit. The language part was OK but a few things were a bit out of whack for us. No free tea or coffee at lunch or dinner and the shore excursion bus loading was very disorganised. We have plenty of Italians in Australia so most things felt familiar enough. As you said, the Philippine Staff loved chatting with us in English.

[@dionline88]

I hadn't given a foreign cruise a thought prior to this video. Your explanations as to why you took that particular cruise, and others, was perfect and made so much sense. Seeing that, in your experience, the English-speakers were always included, would ease my anxiety a bit more. Excellent video, as usual. I'm glad you post these things that I would not have thought of previously. Bravo to you!!

[@gerrypower9433]

Time permitting, a quick "Language 101" course in the primary language of your cruise line might be an excellent idea. To be able to say please, thank-you, hello, good morning, excuse me, etc. makes it look like you're trying. And in my experience, people do appreciate the effort.

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

I have gone on several ships in Norway, Russia, and the Antarctica. I had little problem because I am really only interested in the destination. I would like to go the the Falkland and South Georgia Islands again.

[@abbott790]

Brilliantly informative and we'll reasoned as always Gary, Thank You I enjoyed this. Stay Safe!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Great to hear, thanks for watching!

[@HeatherTravels]

This video brings up a lot of excellent points. I think it is also a reminder of how valuable it can be to learn other languages and learn about other cultures.

[@Rottnwoman]

It is also a reminder of how offensive Americans are with their obsession with "FOREIGN".

[@frankmaxwell5193]

Re food, I like to try new dishes, no point going a way and looking for fish and chips !!

[@danielleriley2796]

I like your attitude. You say that you chose to travel on the English is the second language line and because of that you accept the delays or cut back service. It’s only fair as you knew before travelling. So good attitude.

[@theonlymrkevin]

Thank you for your unique and considerate cruising videos. I want to try Hapag Lloyd, Ponant, and Paul Gauguin, and you have expanded my awareness.

[@silviaeaston]

At 2 min…. The ship is docked in Havana Cuba (my former home) This port has been outlawed since June 2019… so a bit outdated in 2022 !

[@eddiebruv]

Outlawed? Do you know why?

[@Dave_Sisson]

Most non American cruise lines (including British ones) do visit Havana and other Cuban ports. Outside the USA, Cuba is just another Caribbean destination.

[@HauserMcQuaid]

I'm not quiet there yet as far as cruising with foreign cruise lines. There are many more ports of call on my bucekt list before I venture out with a foreign cruise line. I have a small circle I always travel with. We are all bilingual. We lost 2 years where we could have checked off various ports of call. The next 10 years will be busy

[@jennifermckeithen1498]

Very informative and useful, Gary! Much appreciate your insight. This reminds me of Camino de Santiago experience, especially communal meals, where you have people from different nationalities at the same table. I found it to be an overall enjoyable experience (even when misunderstandings ensued), so I think I'd love to try out a foreign cruise line.

[@danielsierra6843]

How lucky you were “Camino de Santiago“ I can imagine the communal meals with people from different nationalities. What a joy! This is the true meaning of travelling! You nailed it! well done.

[@micheleroyalty4092]

I worked in the different countries of the EU plus Switzerland for several years. I speak a little French. However I worked with very educated people and English was the international language in business. I went on excursion where there were different nationalities, and most -expletive spoke English. However while cruising I like to get into sophisticated conversations…….I wouldn’t do well on a foreign ship.

[@Bobrogers99]

Years ago, my sister and I took a Mediterranean cruise on an almost entirely Italian-speaking ship. Of the 800-odd passengers, there were less than a dozen of us that spoke English. We dined and socialized together, and we met a delightful Welsh couple who were well beyond our social and economic class. We were timid and unsophisticated, and they were outgoing and elegant, and they brought us along everywhere. We got to see and do things that we otherwise would have missed. Being part of a small minority can have its benefits.

[@gilliandrysdale5306]

I might get on a cruise someday but in the meantime I enjoy your trips and tips -

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks for watching!! I do hope you try a cruise out one day and love it 🤞

[@FernandoGarcia-qr1ks]

Thank you for sharing! This was very informative.

[@CubbyTech]

Really good advice - just think of a non-English speaking ship as visiting a foreign country. Even English-only lines doesn't mean that all crew are fluent in English. Most Filipinos won't tell you that they don't understand, because they don't want to offend.

[@MarcKeps]

A very good discussion. I appreciated this video very much. For me, even as an American, I consider myself an internationalist and have always enjoyed studying other languages and cultures. In school I always opted for taking courses in French, Spanish, Thai... whatever. Even though I am probably too old to do so now, I would love to learn some Mandarin. So being OUTSIDE an "English-speaking bubble" for me is a feature not a bug. : ) We are off to France on a river cruise in April and very much looking forward to it even though I will no doubt make many faux pas and mix my genders and mangle the conjugation from time-to-time. I will survive, and I will learn, and I will enjoy learning more about the world, I am sure!

[@danielsierra6843]

Wow, what a nice contribution, I totally understand you and share 100% your point of view. Enjoy your river cruise in France!

[@oldwolf3538]

Ever thought how it feels to be always in “the minority”. I am Flemish, I can assure you we always “adapt”, no matter what language English, French, German, even Spanish or Italian we will always do what it takes to be understood, and we will enjoy or trip. Britain does not always “rule the waves”.

[@cfs8118]

I do agree with you about being itinery-driven, then for me cost-driven, and I always travel solo.

[@gabrielleogrady7302]

We have done Ponant to Antarctica and found the mix 50/50. As mentioned most of the crew preferred to speak English as a second language. We have booked 3 more Ponant cruises. As an Aussie we liked the smaller meals, less fried food etc The ships are stunning, weve also done an expedition with silversea but would choose Ponant over SS. WE have travelled close to 100 countries, so maybe we embrace multiculturalism more than others..

[@zenkakuji3776]

When traveling to a location where a foreign language is spoken, it's helpful to download the Google Translate app as well as the specific language packs available. This allows you to use your phone to translate between languages without needing cell service at all. Very helpful if you are adventurous and go off the common path for an adventure.

[@maurieshakespeare5835]

Interesting as usual Gary. We cruised the Kimberley region of Australia on Ponant and the passengers were 100% English speaking. The expedition staff were mostly English speaking. The officers, cruise director etc were French but the on ship language was exclusively English.

[@juanitafurtado8805]

we cruised on Costa several years ago and there were only about 30 English speakers on the ship. We found cultural differences more of an issue than language. I speak a little Italian so no problem. Italian. Spanish and German travelers were interested in trying out their English skills on us. A crew member told me all crew were required to learn English. The shore excursions were great & it was a great itinerary at a good price. What a trip to hear Filipino deck crew speaking Italian! I would do it again.

[@lizdyson3627]

This is a great video Gary. I totally agree with you.

[@atmavictu2995]

About time you English speakers start learning different languages, most europeans speak 1-2 foreign languages these days

[@user-qe4dw8dy9i]

Thanks for another insightful video, Gary. Hopefully we’ll be able to cruise again here in Australia sometime soon.

[@karenglaicar5486]

Thanks Gary, great information as usual.

[@jdhsingi]

Very informative. I was actually surprised by the later dinner times.....Thank you for sharing.

[@chaostheory6551]

I was in the process of booking a Ponant Antarctica cruise as I was listening to this ...until you started talking about the food. *record scratching sound* I'm fine being the "lone ranger" who doesn't speak the primary language, but I'm not sophisticated (or patient) enough to handle French cuisine for 2 weeks. I'll have to find another Antarctica line.

[@sharif3462]

I had a Ponant Iceland trip cancelled due to Covid in 2020; decided to rebook with Silversea for this summer. With such a small group on board, we realized that there might be too few English speakers. My French just isn't that good. Also, with Silversea, this trip is an Expedition. All tours and landings are included in the price. I travelled with Hurtigruten to Antarctica many years ago - announcements were made in Norwegian, German and English. It definitely made things more complicated.

[@chaostheory6551]

@@sharif3462 The "no single supplement" is a factor, as well. Silversea seems to charge heavily for that.

[@sharif3462]

@@chaostheory6551 if you book a trip through Tauck, you may end up on a Ponant ship, but you will be with an English speaking group. It seems that they do have solo savings on some of their dates. The food is another issue, though. Guess you could skip the escargots!🙄

[@birreboi]

I like these videos. I have never been on a cruise ship and more than likely, I never will . But I still absorb these tips from lot of Gary's videos on here. Never say never I guess.

[@kalozakos]

Interestin video Gary, thank you. I have traveled to countries where I do not speak the language and enjoy having to adapt. You improve your language skills and experience more of their real culture than you might in a cruise port. I enjoy the challenge and would not hesitate to book passage on a foreign cruise line. As you travel in foreign lands you will learn coping skills. I enjoy mixing with the locals. I do a bit of research, like finding a local bridge club. The club in Iceland was very friendly and I was taught the Icelandic for playing bridge. I also go to chess meeting places with similar experiences.

[@neutrino78x]

Very interesting and informative video! Wow dinner at 2100?? As an American that would definitely be late for me as well! Ponant would be good for me.... j'ai etudie le francais dans l'ecole secondaire...il y a 20 ans :) Also I like the fact that Ponant sails under the flag of France. It means the crew would be well compensated and well treated, and well trained. Also the French Navy is far more capable of helping us in an emergency than the Panamanian Navy etc. :) I would never want to sail on a Flag of Convenience....learned that term in the Navy, can't be more specific about the context but definitely FoC is associated with bad guys doing bad things :-O Much better to sail under the flag of USA, Britain, France, Italy or The Netherlands if possible. :) Like the UK, the USA has very few US Flag cruise ships. The biggest one is the Pride of America which only sails around the islands of the State of Hawaii. There are small adventure cruise ships that fly the US Flag though. :)

[@werdnanotlad]

Gary, we want to know who you are! Give us a life story video lol

[@ysbel]

Gary, your video just gave me an idea that a foreign cruise would be a great experience for practicing a foreign language. I know both French and German but am rusty in both. Picking a foreign cruise line with an appealing itinerary seems a most pleasant method of practicing a language. I also adore French food.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Great idea!!!

[@danakruse7325]

Good day Gary. I found your video very informative. I love learning about various cultures ,experiencing their food, but like you eating after 9 pm is not appetizing to me. I think the iteanrry would also guide me and the cost. Let us know when your heading to Iceland.

[@aureliacornelia79adgracchu29]

Very illuminating! I started travelling around the Greek Islands by ferries, mostly, in the 60s. No one spoke English! And never did I feel I'd missed out. You can always communicate, even if you don't speak the language. I know you don't drink, but alchohol helps! On the cruises I do now, I find my schoolgirl French, German and Italian improves no end after a few glasses of Champagne, Sekt And Prosecco! Oh, and Spanish Cava!

[@MattCook206]

Great points and info ! Thanks

[@greysample]

Thanks, Gary! I'm cruising to Antarctica on Ponant solo next week and found this very informative.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Exciting! Have a wonderful and safe trip

[@liamwoz1861]

Gary this is my biggest fear, I was looking at a German ship recently and in the end backed out because I wasn’t sure I’d be comfortable, I know they probably would have accommodated me no problem but for me I felt I’d look terrible for not learning German or something and didn’t want to be a problem to anyone

[@ravenstormchild6491]

I was trying to remember which line you took to Antarctica. I really want to go. Solo. I am hoping to go on NAT GEO Lindblad. Mais, je parle un peu français und ein bisschen Deutsch. 😊

[@Solo_Traveling]

I'm from Barcelona. My first cruise was years ago, with Royal Caribbean. It was a 5 day itinerary departing, you guessed it, from Barcelona. At that time most of the cruise staff didn't even speak Spanish and in that particular cruise most passengers, like 80 % were Spanish (and most of them Catalan) and I remember speaking the the staff and how surprised they were because they were used to having American only passengers.

[@ctsao6873]

We traveled with Ponant twice so far. The first time was on Antarctica cruise chartered by an US tour operator, so we did not experience any language barriers. The second time we booked a Greenland cruise directly with Ponant. And most of the passengers on this cruise were French speaking travelers. But we did not experience any inconvenience because all non-French speaking passengers were grouped together and was lead by English speaking guides. All the other crew members were bilingual. We have booked a third trip going to North Pole and Greenland with Ponant for August 2022. Ponant is not exactly the luxury cruise line they placed themselves. But they are definitely several degrees above the popular and well known cruise lines. We chose our cruise based on itinerary not just the facilities or entertainments.

[@oscassey]

My first language is French. I cruised with NCL and RCL and both, once they knew I spoke French, assigned my cabin with the French-speaking customer service representative and gave us French daily programs and such.

[@evelyngrammar]

Insightful, Gary.

[@marilynn76]

Nice to see that you were “adopted” by some Americans! We like to make friends wherever we go!

[@uhohotdog3483]

Thanks for the heads up 😉

[@KenGoesCruising]

Thanks Gary a very interesting video and food for thought indeed.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching

[@stevebartley628]

While it would be interesting ( between my wife and I we speak the 6 languages ), we probably won’t take a non-English cruise

[@tineditmarunnerup9513]

Do most people with English as first language only speak their own language? I've been taught English, German, French, and a bit of Latin, Swedish, and Norwegian in school. My mother tongue is Danish.

[@davehorton7712]

We took a Costa Norwegian Fjords cruise (Costa Fantastica) a while ago, at dinner we found the only 2 other English speaking guests, a lovely couple from Dublin, Our English speaking host, Danielle from Sheffield was fantastic. What an experience putting up with ignorant Germans and Italians, Danielle gave up easy coping tips and we enjoyed a brilliant cruise, being a minority can be good as well

[@nanemoon9968]

I have been on a German Cruise Mein Schiff in the Caribbean. I think it would be a good experience for someone with basic skills in German. The crew was 100% English speaking. Gary, did you experience any differences in the temperature setting in the common areas? I love your videos 💕

[@davidrolfe9571]

With regard to multilingual announcements, the main problem we have encountered is that other nationalities, having listened to their own language announcement, will begin talking loudly over the announcement in your language. Sometimes even holding shouted mobile phone calls.

[@3716anderson]

Good points, Gary.

[@GreenStreetPlayer1]

A great honest video Gary, thank you. Interesting one of your last comments about choosing itinerary over language. Makes you wonder if there are a whole host of opportunities for English speaking cruise lines to offer these more ‘specialist’ experiences. There seems to be a gap here?

[@rogerphillips7270]

I’ve never been on a cruise, but my having reasonable French and German would open up a more varied and interesting trip for me. English speaking people with language skills would really benefit from going on these trips.

[@gwillis01]

"Crew speaks English" can mean many things. Sometimes they only know a few words such as yes, no, please, and thank you. Sometimes they are much more fluent.