1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

"Christian" Cruises

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by ktn4eg, Sep 14, 2010.

  1. ktn4eg

    ktn4eg New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2004
    Messages:
    3,517
    Likes Received:
    4
    It seems as if almost every "big name" preacher/evangelist and/or singing group advertises that he/they are sponsoring a cruise to some place (Alaska, the Caribbean, etc.) and want you sign up to join them.

    I'd like to hear what you folks think about these cruises.

    Have any of you been on one (or more) of them?

    Now, I don't have anything against "getting away" on a vacation. In fact, I'm on vacation from my job right now. OTOH (and maybe this just the "cheapskate" in me), it seems to me that at least some of the money spent on these luxury cruises could be better spent on other things.

    What thinkest thou?
     
  2. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 30, 2006
    Messages:
    20,914
    Likes Received:
    706
    Well, I'll come from two different views:

    1) It's really no different from a speaker being at a resort or other venue where people would need to travel. I think it would be fun to be someplace with a bunch of other believers and to have fellowship while on vacation AND to have some good teaching.

    2) Surprisingly enough, even though we own a 42 foot sailboat and live on it for weeks during the summer, I don't really like boats. I've done one cruise and didn't really love it much. It was nice but the food was just OK (nothing earth shattering), the seas were rough one day and THAT wasn't fun (I make sure to stay up top when we are on our boat and it's rough but it was also very windy so we stayed inside - didn't make me feel that great) and the accomodations were quite small. I know not to judge all cruises on our one experience but honestly, I'd rather stay in a hotel.

    So bottom line, I'd not do a "Christian" cruise but if a good speaker went to a nice resort? I'd do it. :)
     
  3. Bob Alkire

    Bob Alkire New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2001
    Messages:
    3,134
    Likes Received:
    1
    I've been on 5 or 6 with Adrian Rogers, Charles Stanley, Jerry Vines and a few others preachers, and had groups like Gold City, along with other groups that I don't recall as well as Squire Parson doing the music. Enjoyed them greatly, preaching, teaching, music and eating 24/7, it don't get much better than that.

    Also been on the type where a group of Christians book the ship( most of the time only part of it) and plan their own teaching and music. They are a real blessing too.
     
  4. SaggyWoman

    SaggyWoman Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2000
    Messages:
    17,933
    Likes Received:
    10
    I don't want to be stuck on a boat with southern gospel. :D Or bad preaching.
     
  5. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2004
    Messages:
    7,406
    Likes Received:
    101
    Just another way to do a conference.

    Oh, also a great way to fund the ministries...I've seen the bottom-line on these cruises. Lots of $$$ being made.
     
  6. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 18, 2002
    Messages:
    41,907
    Likes Received:
    1,469
    Faith:
    Baptist
    My wife and I went on a cruise with Charles Stanley in 1995 to the Bahamas. We both thoroughly enjoyed it and received much spiritual edification from Dr. Stanley and the other preachers who spoke, especially after we got over seasickness on the first night.
     
  7. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2006
    Messages:
    4,521
    Likes Received:
    43
    Faith:
    Baptist
    My wife and i love to cruise, but the cost of Christian cruises is much more than a normal cruise because they close down the casino and, in some cases, even the bars. That is really where the cruise lines make their money.

    I've never really been tempted to go on a Christian cruise. Usually because I am not a southern gospel fan and other than Chuck Swindoll or David Jeremiah, not a "let's go hear so-and-so preach" kind of guy.

    As far as cruising is concerned, we enjoy it because we are away from everything and everyone other than each other.
     
  8. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2002
    Messages:
    11,898
    Likes Received:
    4
    WELL!!!!!!! LA-DEE--DA to you, too:laugh::laugh:

    I bet you wouldn't turn down a chance to be graced by TinyTim, SBCPreacher and your's truely, neither!!!:tongue3:
     
    #8 blackbird, Sep 15, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 15, 2010
  9. SaggyWoman

    SaggyWoman Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2000
    Messages:
    17,933
    Likes Received:
    10
    Like I said, I don't want to be stuck on a boat with bad preaching.

    :tonofbricks:
     
  10. drfuss

    drfuss New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2005
    Messages:
    1,692
    Likes Received:
    0
    One thing that concerns me about Christian cruises is the funding. I don't know what the fiscal arrangements are with the cruise companies today; but years ago it was for every three tickets a minister gets to sign on, the minister gets a free ticket to give away as he pleases. This is genreally not advertised when people get signed on and don't know that they provide for thiemselves and a third of another ticket. Many times people are trusting their pastor and are taken advantage of by unknowingly paying for the pastor's family.

    Years ago, our minister's family went free on a cruise that his minister father who got so many people to go from his large church, that he had quite a few free tickets for his children and their families.
     
  11. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2003
    Messages:
    11,250
    Likes Received:
    0


    HEY.. .where's those bricks.. .I want to throw one!
     
  12. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2000
    Messages:
    30,285
    Likes Received:
    507
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I love cruising. Favorite sort of vacation. Will not reveal from what port I am sending this BB update. ;)

    Cruises are FULL of food, activity opportunity, programs, food, movies, speakers, rest time, food, moonlight strolls, reading, did I mention food? Plus stops at ports that take all day. To ADD to this another agenda would NOT be relaxing.

    One of my wife's company suppliers gave her a cruise. Then they have "required" meetings that ate up all the fun free time of the cruise! We didn't learn and ruined another cruise the next year. Since then? We cruise by ourselves on non-speciality, non-business, non-anything cruises.

    I love conferences with some good speakers. I will choose to invest the hours at such. But not missing whale watching off Oahu or the majestic misty fjords locked in a windowless room, robbing the joy of cruising.
     
  13. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2002
    Messages:
    15,460
    Likes Received:
    1
    Sailed across the North Atlantic in a series of storms. It was supposed to be 4 days and took 9,,,,,,,,Never again! I love the terra firma, thank you very much.

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
  14. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2006
    Messages:
    4,521
    Likes Received:
    43
    Faith:
    Baptist
    My feeling exactly!
     
  15. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2006
    Messages:
    4,521
    Likes Received:
    43
    Faith:
    Baptist
    It is much the same way for trips to Israel. It is a perfectly acceptable way of paying back the organizers of the cruise/tour. I don't see the problem in that. If a bus driver brings a bus load of people into a restaurant, the driver almost always eats free.
     
  16. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2000
    Messages:
    30,285
    Likes Received:
    507
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Since I lead tours to the Middle East, I am aware how the finances work. Most are VERY liberal in benefit for the tour host. 1:4 or 1:5 at least.

    (That is 1 free fare for 4 or 5 paying passengers. A pastor and wife sign up 10 people at full fare and BOTH go free. We have taken our 3 children when we set a 20 person full fare group size)

    Crusing is NOT that easy.

    8 cabins (16 guests) traveling = 1 Free Bed
    16 cabins (32 guests) traveling = 2 Free Beds (1 free cabin)
    24 cabins (48 guests) traveling = 3 Free Beds
    32 cabins (64 guests) traveling = 4 Free Beds (2 free cabins)
    100 cabins (200 guests) traveling = 12 Free Beds (6 free cabins)

    Cruise Lines only award the value of the cruise itself. Port charges, taxes and government fees are not free and must be paid by the group.

    So a big-name Pastor/Singers want to cruise free. They know they will have to "lead" and "perform" (the ship will set up a venue for this at set times). But they will sell cd's and tapes and books and make $$

    Big cruise with 600 people = 18 free cabins for family, staff, etc. Not a bad gig!
     
  17. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2006
    Messages:
    4,521
    Likes Received:
    43
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Dr. Bob,
    Do you plan your own trips or go through a tour org? We've thot about doing one for the church... of course, we have had to put it off because of the economy. :tear:
     
Loading...