Why did you cruise the first time?

[mikefast]

I took my first cruise with a church group about six months after my first wife passed away. Even though I was still grieving, I have to admit it was the first time I had smiled in quite a long time. I promised myself if I ever found someone else to share my life with,we would go on another cruise. I did meet another wonderful lady. We will have been married for 10 years this August, and have our 11th cruise booked. We both love it.

[lillian marie]

We took our 1st family cruise about 25 yrs ago. I had cruised as a child on a Cunard liner crossing the Atlantic and my husband had never cruised. I had great memories of that cruise experience and I wanted my kids and husband to have that experience too. Our 1st family cruise was also on Cunard. It just seemed to us like a great way to see several different ports in a short time for a much cheaper price than if you flew to these countries. We got hooked on CCL because it was such a great bargain.

[mom2girls]

I was thirteen the first time I sailed. So, I didn't really have a choice. I still blame my parents to this day for my cruise addiction!:D

[trevette1981]

I wanted to take a trip to celebrate the end of my 1st year of teaching. I picked a cruise, went with my sister and had a ball. It turned into a Sister Trip for us. :rolleyes:

[KFinTx]

It was something I always wanted to try, but didn't know if I would like it or not. Someone on the Weight Watchers board set up a group cruise, only 4 days from Miami on the Fascination, to Key West & Cozumel. I thought that was fine. Long enough to get a taste & short enough that if I didn't like it, I wouldn't feel trapped. Well, a few months later, I was cruising again, this time for 7 days on the Elation, & a year or so later, a CC cruise on the Valor. Haven't cruised since then because of other vacations I've wanted to try, but now I'm signed up for another possible group cruise on the Miracle in 2012 over my birthday. :D

 

on edit: Of course, my dad was a big fan of The Love Boat, so I'd always fantacized about cruising. And in October 2000, a friend & I went to NYC. We planned to see the World Trade Center one day, but after climbing to the top of the Statue of Liberty & walking all over Ellis Island, we just couldn't make ourselves get off at the subway stop & we both said "We'll do that next year."

 

Lesson learned. If you want to do something, do it when your first opportunity arrives. You may never get another one.

[nybumpkin]

In 2004 I had received a promotion and DH suggested that we celebrate by planning something different for a vacation. We looked into going to Ireland, but between air fare for five people and the exchange rate, it was way too expensive.

 

In March of that year, I was in a doctor's office waiting room with our youngest son and TV Land was playing. Yes, they showed The Love Boat. I always thought the show was hokey, but I loved the Pacific Princess. So the thought came to me: how about a cruise for a vacation? About a week later I saw an ad for a five-day cruise on Carnival out of NYC to Canada. That seemed like a plan, I thought - the price was good, we could drive to the port, and the cruise was long enough to get the feel for cruising, short enough that if we didn't like it we wouldn't feel like we had wasted our time.

 

DH really wasn't as enthused to try this. I think he thought it would be nothing but eating and gambling. (He doesn't need the former and doesn't do the latter.;)) However, he was willing to let me go ahead and book. We put all five of us in a balcony cabin on Carnival Victory.

 

The day of the cruise, DH was still unsure about this whole cruise thing. However, as we crossed the George Washington Bridge and looked down the river at Victory, his mood started improving. By the time we checked in and reached the atrium, he was hooked. Enough so that when we returned he immediately started looking for our next cruise. He booked that one himself with very little input from me. And here we are six years later, having taken 11 cruises and having 3 more booked.

 

Ireland? I still want to go. There's a Princess cruise that sails around the British Isles.:)

[djmaine]

My first cruise hasn't happened yet but we are going on a destination wedding in March and I am just so excited I can hardly stand it.

[All4fun&fun4all]

I can answer that question in one word - LOVEBOAT

I used to watch these episodes and that put the desire in me.

Me too! It was on my list of "things to do before I die". It seemed an impossible dream. I worked for a repossession company and for Christmas our boss bought me and my coworker a 3 day cruise from Port Canaveral. A good male friend signed up to come also. We sailed the Fantasy and at some point the good male friend and I hit it off. The seas got really rough and he and I were part of the small percentage that didnt get sick. We ran all over the ship that night and fell in love. That was 2004. Next cruise was on the Triumph 2007 and we are back on Fantasy in 3 weeks out of Charleston. Sometimes I watch Love Boat episodes on youtube. My son comes in the room and says. NOT AGAIN! :D

[DreadPirateRobert]

.... Why did you go on your first cruise? Any good stories out there?

 

My wife signed up for a cruise sponsored by a local radio station. A popular country music artist from Texas was going to be the entertainment for the private parties. I was not interested in a cruise, thought it would be too stuffy. My wife said , "It's booked and paid for, I'm going. I'd like for you to join me but either way I'm going"

What's a guy to do? I've been hooked since the first 5 minutes on the ship.

[kimba6539]

My neighbor needed another person in her cabin back in 2001 so I thought what the heck. It was around the one year anniversary of my mother's death and I thought that would take my mind off of it. Ninth cruise is this September. Still travel with the same group of people. Have to say I'm hooked:p

 

Kim

[sciencegal]

We were approaching our 30th wedding anniversary and our oldest daughter asked if we wanted a big party or to go on a vacation. No contest..... we picked the vacation. She booked a cruise for us. I was very nervous as I have motion sickness issues. She sent me with ginger pills and told me to eat bread..... keep food in my stomach. That was 4 years ago and we are going on our 6th cruise in August!

[MTSHQMP]

My first cruise was with my parents back when I was twelve I think, so that would be 1991 I think, it was on a Celebrity Ship but I can't remember the name. The reason we went was that my mother won the cruise from a local charity, it was 20.00 for a ticket and only 300 were sold or something like that. It was fun and if had not won we probably never would have went on a cruise.

 

My first cruise in adult hood was for our honeymoon. We went on the Normwegian Dawn and at the time it was brand new. Had a terrible curse but we did stick with it and had many great cruises sense.

 

MTSHQ

[Tiffany1203]

My 1st cruise was in March 2000...I booked it in late 99 as a Christmas present for my mom, sister, and myself. It was on the 33K ton Tropicale....I thought she was HUGE!! LoL....Been hooked ever since!!

[MrPete]

My seeds were planted back in the 60's, watching my grandparents sail out of NY every year on all the great liners at the time. Some I can remember were the EUROPA, the SAGAFJORD, as well as the SS FRANCE, the UNITED STATES, and even the QUEEN MARY.

 

Eventually even my parents went on a cruise in '68, on the Home Line's OCEANIC.

 

Once the Bon Voyage parties were over, and that horn blew, we were carefully deposted on the dock. We would then watch these massive liners slip out into the Hudson River.

 

In the 80's, getting married, DF and I started discussing honeymoon plans. I suggested a cruise. She suggested Hawaii.

 

But it was a trip to the Intrepid, and catching the QE2 sail up the Hudson, and into her slip, did we both decide it would be a cruise for us.

 

Never watched Love Boat until the Sunday we returned. They were airing 1 episode a week syndicated, and, as corny as it was, it was like a mini cruise each week for that hour.

[princesskristen]

My first cruise was for one of my best friend Stephanie's wedding aboard the Glory in September 2007. I had been intrigued by the idea for awhile so I jumped at the chance as soon as I received the invitation. I just wish I hadn't waited so long before taking my second one.

[scchasgal]

My first cruise was when I was a kid and a complete surprise. We flew to England to visit family as we did each year. The surprise was the flight was a one way ticket we took a transatlantic cruise back to Montreal.

[katiel53]

My first cruise was on a now defunct line to Bermuda (Home Lines) from NYC. I was a divorced mom and so was my friend. We wanted to go to Bermuda and it was Easter week. The prices were so high, so my friend's sister suggested we go on a cruise. It was to go to Nassau and Bermuda. There was a strike in Bermuda by the tender workers. So, our cruise only went to Nassau for a day or two.

 

Before we got off the ship, we knew we still wanted to go to Bermuda. We came home on a Saturday, booked the Bermuda cruise and the rest is history. So many cruises on different lines and still so many to still enjoy.

[Naomi John]

Some friends said "We are goin on a Cruise, wanna come", we said yes.

[rhorhorho]

My mom decided we were taking a cruise on the Festivale, way back in 83. Turns out she was not as thrilled as she'd hoped - I was hooked. 15 years later I was back. We've been on a cruise a year for the last few years and even got two a year in a couple of times. Mom tried cruising again and fell in love with the Windjammer cruises, now she prefers Cunard - OMG:eek: but loves to sail with me and the boys.

[happy cruzin]

Ours was a gift :D!

 

My parents - who were occasionally cruisers - decided that it would be a perfect way for all of us to vacation together, without killing each other :o. So my parents gave us (me, DH and DS - my sister, her DH and twin DD's) a cruise!!

 

How we got to Carnival.......is a whole other story :eek:!! We were originally booked for a Christmas week cruise for 2000 on Premier Cruise Line. Then in September 2000 - Premier went out of business, rather suddenly. With full fare paid to the now defunct Premier it took us until Spring of 2001 to get the financial aspects figured out - research a new line....figure out a new date that everyone could go and finally book our "Christmas gift" from 1999!

 

But all is well that ends well!! Our first cruise was February 2003 on the Pride - in its inaugural year - and we have been hooked every since ;)!!

[CCbaby817]

We went to some kind of Vacation sales thing, where all these travel aganicies were set up and trying to sell vacations. We really weren't planning a vacation, but I was doing the stay-at-home-mom thing and I just wanted to get out of the house for the day. It was a free day of entertainment. We came to an agency that was having some special on cruises. They had a good deal on the Holiday out of Mobile, which was cool b/c my family lives just on the other side of Pensacola. I called my mom long enough to say, "Can you keep Cayleb for a week in May?" She said yes, and I hung up without even explaining why. We booked it then and there. After leaving I finally called Mom back and told her what was going on. She was just excited to have the baby (he was 2, but still my baby) for a week. We have been hooked ever since, but due to $$$ can't go as often as I'd like.

[tinlizzy]

I've told this before...

 

I was planning a WDW vacation and read on Mousesavers that if you booked a Disney cruise you could stay at the Swan or Dolphin for $99/night. I didn't even care about the cruise other than it made the vacation longer and cheaper!

 

I booked an OV and we were upgraded to a balcony at the port - nice! I was seasick the first day but I was so in love I didn't even care. I booked our second cruise on the first cruise! 3 Disney and 7 Carnival cruises later, I can't go a year without taking one.

 

A co-worker of mine on the verge of a meltdown contacted a TA to get him out of town for his vacation 2 weeks away and she couldn't find him anything (lame). So I told him to come over on that Sat. and I found him a cruise on RCL for the next Sat. He and his new gf drove 20 hrs to Fla to go on that cruise. They hated the cruise :o.

 

Fast forward 3 years and I was telling another co-worker about cruising and he walked in the room. I said well cruising might not be for everyone, I helped him book a cruise and he hated it. Didn't you know, he said, we've been on 5 cruises now :eek:. They booked their next cruise on NCL and LOVED it. They have been on 10 NCL cruises now.

[Skywench]

As a flight attendant, I'd talked to a lot of passengers that were going on cruises or had been on them. Then I decided I'd like to go. When my mom retired, I treated her to a cruise. Don't know how I ever talked her into it as she is scared of the water, but she loved it and so did I. I wonder now why I had never given it much thought before then lol. I was hooked after that first cruise. Just got back from the Legend yesteday and booked two more while on board.

[JPH814]

I can answer that question in one word - LOVEBOAT

I used to watch these episodes and that put the desire in me.

 

 

Totally agree!!!

[CorbinCatFan]

My Uncle took my Mom and Dad on a three day cruise to Nassau. Being of modest means, this was the vacation of a life time for the both of them.

 

When they got home, all they could talk about was the time they had on the ship. I discovered that my mother was addicted to dime slots and all my dad could talk about was all the food.

 

My DW and I would spend many a Sunday afternoon looking at the cruise newsletters (NCL) and listen to all that they did. In fact, they were so tired one day that they went to an afternoon movie and fell asleep (on a three day?).

 

As we were just starting out our family, my DW and some close friends made a plan for a four day cruise out of Miami on the new cruise ship Fantasy. The cruise director was John Heard.

 

We had paper sign and sail cards, streamer to throw on the sail away, a welcome on board rum swizzler party, lobster at the midnight buffet, and real souvenir glasses. The thing that I learned on this cruise was room service was included.

 

It was several years until we cruised again. This time we did the same with our two young DD's. They were hooked again and cruised with us over the next four as well.

 

I find it hard to believe that some people won't cruise and think it is too confining.