Why do you choose to cruise?

[tip]

• An opportunity to relax. No phone calls or e-mail. Sometimes just sitting on the balcony, reading, and watching the sea go by!
  
• The opportunity to visit several ports/cities and observe different cultures
  
• Not having to rent a car or navigate traffic in a different country
  
• Not having to look for a restaurant or a hotel and then feeling guilty that you spent too much or should have looked further for a bargain
  
• Coming from New Hampsha, the chance to get warm in the winta!
  

[Warmer Climes]

We decided to take our first cruise because it was the only vacation that had something to appeal to my four kids' various ages, from college sophomore to first grader. We keep going back because DH CAN'T work on the cruise, unlike every other vacation we have taken; because, like Tip we live in NH and have to get defrosted once a winter; because unlike ski vacations in a condo, I don't have to do any work; because we like one day in each of these places but a week's land vacation bores me. We like the people watching on the ship; sitting and reading on our balcony; having a nice dinner; playing trivia; seeing a little of some other countries; having a fruity drink and listening to the band. We have the anticipation of the cruise which takes us through most of the bitter winter and then the memories which coast us through the rest of the bitter winter.

 

Next year we are doing the ski vacation with our daughter and then a land vacation to Rome with just DH and me for two weeks. No cruise!:(

[griffy116]

We usually travel as an extended family with various age groups.

 

*Regardless of age, physical condition, there's something for everyone. We have traveled with ages from 79 to 14. It's a challenge on a land-based vacation, but on a sea day, my Mom can play bingo while my Grandson is rock-climbing. In a port, we can shop while my SIL goes on a 2-tank scuba dive in some of the best dive spots in the world.

 

*Once we unpack, we are finished with any aggravations until we are rudely forced to pack up and leave the ship :(.

 

*We can meet every night at dinner to find out how everyone spent their day and enjoy each other's company without any responsibility for cooking, cleaning up, planning the meal or shopping for food.

 

*No indecision on what restaurant, what food (seafood, steak, Italian, Japanese, etc).

 

*There is ALWAYS a designated driver ;). If you have a hangover the next morning, everyone isn't forced to avoid you and you aren't interfering with anyone else's fun.

 

*We used to try to rent several condos and the first day was total work. Shopping, splitting up responsibilities for food and cost of food. Decisions, decisions, decisions to agree upon.

 

*For whatever reason, we had stragglers who knew what time we agreed upon to leave for dinner. They don't mind keeping family members waiting, but are horrified at the idea of their waiter standing at the table waiting on them to arrive :D.

 

When we booked our first family cruise (to celebrate my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary), absolutely all of us were either hesitant, reluctant or disappointed at the idea of a family cruise. We came back home and immediately booked another famly cruise for the next year. We are heading on our 9th cruise and have already booked cruise #10.

[vowsatsea]

Because it's a destination within a destination. The cruise ship is a vacation within itself, plus you get to visit multiple places in one trip. My husband and I don't drink, so it's as close to an all-inclusive as you can get. I love sailing out on the ocean, and being as "disconnected" from everyone and everything as you can get. It's like being in your own little world for the length of your cruise.

[Trainer]

One reason I like traveling by cruise ship is that the "driving" between ports is done at night while I sleep. On a land trip, especially package tours, you often are driving during the day just to get to the next place. It seems such a waste of time to be sleeping at night in the most interesting places and then have to up and out to a bus in the morning, usually early! I have taken land trips, self directed trips and cruises and I still like cruising best!

[vacation luvver]

I choose to cruise because I am fortunate to live within an easy drive of New York, NY and Bayonne, NJ, and when I take a cruise, I don't have to fly, meaning that I don't have to choose either getting a full-body scan and who knows how much radiation, or getting my personal parts groped. Also, when I cruise, no one cares how big my tube of toothpaste is or in which bag I packed it.

[cruiselover57]

1) It's the best vacation ever.

2) I love meeting new people and knowing we'll be on the same cruise together.

3) I like trivia, karaoke, team contest games, 70's night, 50's night, country western night.

4) Eating (of course) - notice how it wasn't #1 on my list!

 

Unpacking only once is great and knowing that it's all inclusive is definitely a plus. Being on the sea in open air is the ultimate! Need I say more? :)

[bmccarthy]

We try to take a land vacation and a cruise each year so we get the best of both worlds. Every summer we rent a house somewhere by the beach, in the mountains, or on a lake with my husband's parents and extended family. There is a lot more planning involved with researching and booking a rental house, making shopping lists, doing all the grocery shopping, packing the cars, driving to the destination or if flying then you have to rent cars, unpacking, etc. Plus we have to do all the cooking and cleaning all week long, make the beds, take out the trash, provide our own activities and entertainment. All the food, housing, car rental, gas costs are split among all the adults.

 

We love cruises for the aspect of being at sea. Once we get onboard the ship, we have that sense of freedom that you don't get on land. Once we set sail and turn our phones off, there really isn't any connection to the real world, so it's quite peaceful. We can do as much or as little as we want without having to cook or clean up after ourselves and others.

 

We are trying to get his family onboard to try a cruise for the next family vacation. Some people have been on a cruise and others haven't. We think that it would fun to try that so everyone has the opportunity to do whatever they want on sea days or while in port, but then come together at the end of the day for dinner.

 

Beth

[cruizinrican]

I love to cruise because it is the cheapest vacation for or family of 3. I can unpack one, see many islands or cities in one trip, love the food, love the view and the fact that you can do what you want when you want. There is always something to do no matter what age or time! LOVE IT! Beats buying airfare for all 3 of us and then being stuck in the same resort all week and paying for all our meals and entertainment ANY DAY!! :p

[STARFISH*4]

for us its to see parts of the world we never in a million years thought we would--even just for a few hrs, is better than never having gone!

its affordable and enjoyable and since we discovered CRUISING we have become ADDICTED:D

we cant AFFORD to stay at home for all you get on a CRUISE:);)

[marshhawk]

I'm going to tell you a secret, I paid 209.00 per person for 5 nights, that's a bed, breakfast lunch dinner, 5 shows if I want to go, two places I want to see and explore, free movies on the TV, meet new people through Bill W. meetings, play games, act like a child and have a great time with my hubby and friends. To the peron who said a cruise was as expensive as Spain, Spain is poor). A sit down breakfast in the states, 8 per person, plus tip, lunch not McD's, in this town 10-15 per person, dinner, 5 courses, in this town about 55-100 not including drinks x 5=350 just on food, and that's on the low side. Decent hotel(heck you can't open the windows in hotels any more any way) roughly 60-120, x 5= on the low end 300, again not including taxes and tips. so to stay on land low end no perks roughly 600 per person, cruise 209. I hope that explains why I cruise.

My hubby says he misses land vacations, but as long as our cruise goes to a beach, and he can go every port day, he is OK.

[Working 2 Cruise]

I heard once (and please don't qoute my statistics) that something like only 10% of the population has cruised before but of those people 90% take multiple cruises. Makes sense to me because once I went on my first, a year hasn't gone by without at least one.

 

Same here. Not only is it almost all-inclusive, but the cruise lines allow you to make a down payment, then pay as you can until final payment. Did I mention that cruising is very relaxing? I love those sea days!