Are You an Addict?

[berly369]

Hi my name is Kim and I am a cruise addict!! I sailed on my first cruise with DH in 1990 for our honeymoon. WE WERE HOOKED!! The following year we sailed with RCL for the first time and fell in love with them. (after a 11 year hiatus-raising our DD) we are now going on the Jewel in April. It will be our DD first cruise, and we hope she will be addicted too.(if not-too bad she can stay home-LOL) We are already planning to do the Mediterranean in 2007. We have booked our first balcony, and I have been planning and continually talking about the cruise for 9 months. DH thinks I am nuts, and I hope someday he admits to his addiction to cruising as well. I am so glad to see that I am not the only one that 'lives to cruise'. I found Cruise Critic in the summer, and read the posts everyday (maybe another addiction in the making??)

[K&RCurt]

My name is Keith and both my DW and I must admit we are now cruise addicts.

 

I believe that cruising is the ONLY thing that becomes addictive after only 1 experience. We just completed our 1st cruise on 1/30 and we've just decided today to book another for next January.

 

I previously mentioned this on the RCI board but....

 

This evening (after we had decided to book on Navigator of the Seas), DW is reading a flyer from HAL which was in the mail. She looks at me..DEAD SERIOUS and says "You still have two weeks vacation.....There is a Trans-Atlantic on the Wersterdam from Rome to Ft. lauderdale and it's the week of our anniversary!"

 

That's what I call addicted. Two weeks ago we were wondering if we would like cruising AT ALL. Now DW is trying to talk me into a TRANS-ATLANTIC cruise during HURRICANE SEASON!

[ute_fan]

Me too! I had always resisted the idea of cruising, even when our friends kept trying to get us to go. We finally went a year ago, on the NCL Sea, and I'm hooked!

 

My kids tease me about frequenting this message board. We took them on our 2nd cruise to Alaska last summer. My son has now admitted, however, that other vacations just don't compare -- he REALLY likes the cruise food! Now we're booked again, with the kids (ages 21 & almost 19) on the Sea in May. Three cruises in 16 months!!

[Trevoli]

...and I'm a cruiseaholic. (HI TREVOLI!)

[Trevoli]

...and I'm a cruiseaholic. (HI TREVOLI!)

 

Thank you.

 

I have been on 15 cruises since 1990.

 

I have been cruise-free for 12 months, and I do not have anything booked. (Disappointed sighs).

 

I would like to go on a cruise out of New Orleans to the Western Caribbean this November, but I can't find anybody who wants to go with me. How sad and pathetic is that? (knowing murmurs). My friends are either reluctant to commiting this far in advance, or already have their own cruises booked. I wouldn't dream of cruising solo, just not my style.

 

Not having a cruise booked is a sad point in my otherwise happy, healthy life.

 

T

[tomc]

After 14 trips, it's obvious I'm a cruise addict, too. I posted before, but made a mistake and capitalized the words and my post disappeared. :)

[Lois R]

Hi Trevoli:) I know you and I have chatted on the Fashion Boards.....

When you say you wouldn't dream of cruising solo.....take it from someone who does it all the time.....it is fantastic.:)

You are on a ship.....and you see the same folks throughout the week...the staff and crew are always friendly.

It is a wonderful way to travel.....just thought you might like to hear a bit of positive feedback.:)

If I didn't sail solo, I would never cruise.....and I couldn't go without cruising!

[ineedacruise]

Hi, I'm Darlene and my whole family are cruise addicts.

 

It all started 5 years ago when my DH and I decided to take a cruise to Bermuda without the kids as a 10 year anniversary gift and we were hooked from the first moment. The sea, the air, the food, the service......

 

Since then, we have cruised two other times with the kids in tow and are now looking forward to our repo over Thanksgiving. It is a wonderful way to show our kids the world one port at a time. By the time my son is 11 he will have been to 6 countries.

 

Of course, I am looking forward to the day when we can cruise again without them but until they are grown ups, we would never be forgiven.

[BettyB2]

WOW- I was going to ask this question as I was wondering if I was "okay" !:eek:

In the past 3 weeks I have been so addicted to planning, reading everything I can, making lists, taking notes; waking up at 3am wondering if there was something new for me to learn on these boards ! I cannot stop! I have not even gone on my first ever cruise, yet I am already looking at ships and itineraries for my next cruise which will be in january-feb of next year...maybe sooner!!

Glad to know Its NOT ME !!!!! Thanks

[Trevoli]

Yes, I know that you've had great success travelling by yourself, and I truly wish I were the type of person who enjoyed that kind of thing. I miss out on a lot of stuff, I'm sure.

 

I don't even like going to a movie alone (which is kind of silly, you're just sitting there in the dark anyway), and the idea of being on my own for a whole WEEK on vacation, feels like a total nightmare.

 

Part of my enjoyment is enjoying the preparation with my cruise partner, and sharing experiences with them as the vacation unfolds, and then to reminisce when it's over.

 

It's just not in my nature to cruise solo.

 

T

[breidy]

Oh yes, I'm a cruise addict. Took my first cruise in 1998 and have booked my 7th cruise for this coming November.

 

I took my first cruise for a pretty stupid reason but it's turned out to be the best thing I ever did. My ex and his girlfriend at the time (they've since married and we're all friends) took a cruise and I guess I was envious that he was able to do things I thought I couldn't do (financially). So I started saving my money and booked a cruise out of Miami in October, 1998. I've healed alot since then. LOL

 

The minute I get off the ship I start planning my next cruise. And, I'm on the boards every night until I sail. I should be in bed now but I so enjoy reading what all you guys have to say and all the good information you are willing to share.

 

I like to take a couple of cruises a year and now that ships are sailing out of Galveston I'm able to do that. I took a cruise to nowhere back in October, 2003 out of Galveston. Left my office at noon on a Friday and was back at my desk at noon on Monday. What a great way to spend a weekend!

[01 Cobra]

Hi Trevoli:) I know you and I have chatted on the Fashion Boards.....

When you say you wouldn't dream of cruising solo.....take it from someone who does it all the time.....it is fantastic.:)

You are on a ship.....and you see the same folks throughout the week...the staff and crew are always friendly.

It is a wonderful way to travel.....just thought you might like to hear a bit of positive feedback.:)

If I didn't sail solo, I would never cruise.....and I couldn't go without cruising!

 

Lois, do they charge a lot more for people who cruise solo? As a cruise addict (he he) I've been considering doing a solo cruise. It just seems like it would be so relaxing and fun.

[KittyLovesBlue]

omg I'm not alone! i'm such an addict too! i've been planning everything months in advance. i showed my boyfriend all pics and videos..anything i can find on the Carnival Destiny and now he feels that there is no need for cruising because there will be no surprise lol!

[Iggipolka]

Lois, do they charge a lot more for people who cruise solo? As a cruise addict (he he) I've been considering doing a solo cruise. It just seems like it would be so relaxing and fun.

 

 

well..I'm not Lois, but I can tell you that the single supplement can be as high as 200% of the double occupancy rate! Yikes! Some cruise lines and some sailings have a much lower single supplement than others. I found a single price on HAL for only $200 more than the double occupancy rate, so I'm going on my first solo cruise in November. I can't wait to be on vacation by myself to do what I want to do when I want to do it! :D

[Northender]

Hi, my name is Adele and I'm a cruiseaholic. :)

 

It all started last year as DH finally "condensended" to go on a cruise after years of me nagging. Now he is just as additicted as I and told me to start planning our next cruise before we even got off our first.:)

 

So many places left to try - don't know if I will fit them all in over the next stage of our lives, but I will do as many as we can afford. :cool:

 

23 days to Wheels Up to FLL

24 days to Finz Up to Eastern Carib:)

[alisonfe]

Yes I am a cruise addict.

 

First one was on RCI four nights out of L.A. (hometown) but it was cloudy and I was depressed (in retrospect) and it didn't "do" much for me.

 

Ten years later I got the greatest consulting "gig" - and it was a free cruise plus pay to work ~6 hours a day doing training onboard the Splendour for adults. It was the greatest job of my life, and from then on I was plotting how to live or work aboard a cruise ship. (Though not to work as hard as the honorable folk who toil on all decks - bless them!) Noooo..... some other kind of thing with run of the ship (!).

 

Failing that, I have gone on four since then (ecstatic!) (However the Carnival Ecstasy, after having been on the fabulous Splendour, with so much glass and view, was an ugly shock, with its low black ceilings with horrible green and blue and purple neon. But even a tacky ship is wonderful as far as I'm concerned, including Ferries in the Mediterranean (cruise ships for a night).

 

This Sunday we fly to Tampa to board the Horizon (old but hopefully still great) for 11 days. I'm so excited!

 

And I'm always cruising these boards and the bargain websites and tinkering with my calendar from work to plot the next cruise. Transatlantic!! Panama Canal!! Mediterranean!!

 

What a life! I feel so lucky and so indulged (I can hardly tell my co-workers if I do another cruise anytime soon! They all kill themselves working overtime - by choice - I like the free time. Hope the $$ doesn't run out!

[Margie1983us]

My name is Margie and I am a cruise addict. My first cruise was Masrch of 2004, and my second was Jan '05. There is not a better way to travel for a mom. Every vacation that we took was a lot of work for me. Everyone else was on vacation but I still had to cook and clean and entertain everyone. NOT ANY MORE!!!! Cruising takes care of all that. Last week I broke down and took the kids to Florida for spring break (still trying to pay off the charge card from the second cruise). So we opted for a cheap trip! BAD IDEA!! I was right back to, "them on vacation--me taking care of them" I had a horrible time. I spent 1 week telling everyone how bad it was, and then realized the vacation wasn't bad, cruising is just so much better, and I'm spoiled by it. Planning my next cruise, as I type this, and suddenly I am no longer depressed about our trip to Florida last week. I thank my lucky stars that I found cruising. Plan your today, half of the fun is planning! :)

[Sassy Chassis]

I think I'm addicted as well. At least my husband tells me that I "have a problem". OH well, I'm paying for his ticket too ;) He had been on Norwegian back when he was a teenager, but I had never gotten to go. However, I grew up watching "Love Boat" and always knew I'd get on the boat someday. I finally booked a 'real vacation' in December of 2003 as a graduation present/anniversary gift/Christmas present all rolled into one. Needless to say, I'm hooked! I still cannot believe that we spent our money going to Vegas last year when we could have taken another cruise. This year will be different! Another anniversary/holiday getaway *yay*

[Charlene]

Hi You Bet we are both addicted to cruise's,

 

We have been cruising since 1985 on the Dolphin IV, 4 days to the bahamas. And ever since then we have cruised almost every year. We have gone on 12 cruise's and booked our lucky 13th cruise for 2006.

 

This is the way of life for us now, as we are retired and enjoying cruising as often as we can!!