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Death by a Thousand Cuts - Cruising in 2025

Cruise With Ben and David
Cruise With Ben and David
🏅Authority
👁️ 159K views📅 7 months ago⏱️ 20:17
What This Creator Said
Creator Had Mixed FeelingsFull Ship Review🏅Authority CreatorSponsored
OtherVeteran Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

We've spent months of our lives at sea, on ships, big and small, luxurious and basic.

The prices keep on climbing, yet somehow the experience keeps shrinking.

They're all making record profits. Cruise lines have posted record profits in the last few years with stock prices higher than ever.

The crew are so lovely. It's not a crew problem, guys. The crew are so friendly, lovely, chatty, just very nice crew. Just not enough of them.

Creator's Tips & Advice

Vote with your wallet and support cruise lines that deliver value.
Be strategic when booking; prices fluctuate, so look for deals off-peak or last minute.
Research what's included in the cruise price and compare cruise lines.
Bring your own bottled water, soft drinks, or alcohol on board to save money.

Questions This Creator Answers

QHas cruising in 2025 finally gone too far?
QWhy are cruise prices higher but experiences shrinking?
QHow can passengers still get value for money when cruising?

Topics Covered

Value Pricing4 Sad BaconCrowd Capacity3½ Sad BaconPort Destination2 Sad BaconDining Main4 Sad BaconEntertainment Shows3½ Sad BaconService Crew3 Sad BaconDrink Package1 Happy Bacon

Port Highlights

Marseilles2½ Sad Bacon
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this
Meh — no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology
YouTube Video Description

Cruising used to feel special — but in 2025, something’s changed. Prices are higher, perks are shrinking, and loyal cruisers everywhere are starting to ask… what happened? Head to https://squarespace.com/benanddavid to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code benanddavid In this video, we’re diving deep into how cruise lines are quietly cutting back — smaller portions, fewer crew, less entertainment — all while reporting record profits. We love cruising, but we can’t ignore what’s happening. So we’re pulling back the curtain to show you exactly how the experience is being chipped away, which cruise lines are the worst offenders, and most importantly — how you can still get real value for your money. If you’ve noticed your favorite cruise isn’t quite what it used to be, or you’re wondering whether cruising in 2025 is still worth it, don’t go anywhere — this might change how you see the cruise industry forever. This video is sponsored by Squarespace. ------------ ⭐ By joining our Patreon, you’re not just helping us… you’re becoming part of this journey. In return, you’ll get full bonus videos made just for you, early access, ad-free viewing, behind-the-scenes content, a monthly live video call, a postcard, your name in our credits, and so much more. Join now: https://www.patreon.com/benanddavid 📹 Get a personalised video message from us on Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/cruisewith 🌴 Book your next shore excursion with a return to ship guarantee and save up to 40% compared to ship booked excursions: https://shoreexcursionsgroup.com/?id=1587043 🛒 Visit our Amazon shop for cruise must-haves (Affiliate link): https://www.amazon.com/shop/cruisewithbendavid ▶️ Check out our Cruise Tips and News Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@InsideCruise 📧 Join our FREE email newsletter: http://bit.ly/3XuZdsy ✉️ Contact us: ahoy@cruisewith.co.uk 📮 Want to send us mail? Our address: Hewitt-McDonald Media, Colonial House, Swinemoor Lane, Beverley, HU17 0LS, United Kingdom​