A thread for infrequent cruise addicts...

[Brudette]

So, I feel like I'm in a minority here on CC, so I started this thread to make sure I'm not alone, haha!

 

Here's the deal- I love to cruise, and have technically been on three cruises - the first when I was about 10 years old, another when I graduated high school, and my last one a couple years ago with my DH. That's about 8-10 years between cruises. I do have one more planned, we leave in 9 days (single digit dance, whooo!), but after this, I will want to do cheaper, family-type vacations (camping, road trips, etc) until the kids are older, so while I consider myself a cruise addict, I haven't the time or money to cruise every year or more, as I see a lot of people on these boards do.

 

So who's with me? Do you absolutely LOVE cruising, but can't do it very often? Do you get crazy, insanely, off the wall excited for every cruise because you have no idea when you'll be able to do it again? Do you panic over catching a cold or injuring yourself right before a cruise because you'd be devastated if you couldn't go? (I seriously have the kids under quarantine in the house for the next 9 days...)

 

In short, are you an infrequent cruise addict like me?? :D

[cruznkate]

I'm right there with ya! I LOVE to cruise but, with 3 growing boys to raise, it is not financially possible to cruise very often. We are taking our boys with us in July so it will be a BIG vacation for us. I only get on CC when we have one booked because I can not bear to read about cruises if I can't have one to look forward to!

[maighdeanmhara]

Me, too. It's been 3 or 4 years since my last cruise. My first with DH is coming up in December!

 

We're planning to take big vacations once a year for our anniversary (we haven't been able to in years past because of college and pregnancy), although we haven't yet decided if we will stick with cruises for our anniversary trips or do some land vacations. DH is leaning towards Ireland for next year.

 

It seems like most CC's go on a minimum of 3 cruises/ year. I wish!

[cdamion]

After my next cruise in 2013 I am going to become an infrequent addict just because there are land based trips I want to take. Also, the airfare has increased to very stupid levels lately to the point where it costs more than the cruise itself.

 

You don't have to cruise regularly to be an addict. Just get your fix once in a while.

[ayz75]

I'm in between.

 

I don't LOVE cruising, I don't hate it, but it's not my first choice form of travel. HOWEVER, since my first cruise in 2005, I've been on 3 cruises and will be going on my 4th at the end of the year and simply because sometimes cruising is just "easier" when it comes to group/family vacations. I need to do a IL (and my own parents) trip this year so you know what, cruise it is so I don't need to decide on where to eat and no one can blame me if the food isn't good!!

 

Having said that, I do still get excited after I book a cruise.. and I do so much research and I do look forward to it. It's a vacation afterall. Definitely beats sitting in my office!

[Katikat23]

Same here! I have been on 2 cruises and LOVED them both. The first was with a friend whose parents (cruise addicts who take at least one cruise a year) wanted to give us our first cruise experience. And the second was 2 years ago when I took my fiance on his first cruise. We had a great time and knew we wanted to cruise again but had no idea whether or not we'd be able to take another one soon.

 

We are currently planning our wedding and decided a couple of weeks ago that we wanted to take a cruise for our honeymoon! We are both SO excited about it that I think we're really going to try to go on a cruise every few years but there are a lot of other land vacations we'd like to go on as well and we are planning on starting a family soon so there's no telling whether or not it will happen! It would be a great way to spend our anniversaries....

[chasinraynbowz]

We are averaging one cruise a year. Our kids are grown and we are pretty much debt free, but DH only gets one week of vacation a year (while I get three). So my other 2 vacations are divided up between one week with my mom and sister (the past few years) and the final week I take a day here and a day there.

 

Last year, we did a Med cruise and loved it so much, we want to go back to Italy for a land-based vacation. We also do one big vacation a year.

[RTRMom]

Same here! We cruised for the first time on our honeymoon. Loved it, but didn't go again till four years later with our baby. Then cruised a lot that year...took a break then again in 2010.

 

But we got pregnant with our second child right after the cruise, so we waited to take care of our newborn. Now that he is one, DH and I are going in a anniversary cruise for us. First time cruising without a child since our honeymoon. I am excited and nervous too!

 

 

But I told my husband we are going back to at least one cruise a year. I have a feeling once the kids are older, we will cruise two times a year.

 

Our next cruise after this will be spring next year when our youngest is two and can enjoy camp carnival.

[littlesteelo]

Not a Carnival cruiser, but I am exactly the same. Pretty much the only time we can cruise is in school summer break, so we have done 2 cruises out of Southampton, both in July with another booked for this summer.

We also will only do 14 night cruises, as I like to have a long cruise to look forward to, plus the cost doing a 7 night with flights from the UK is close to the price of a 14 night sailing out of the UK.

 

I also think that cruising every couple of months would take the excitement out of it for me. I like having the build up to an epic 2 week holiday which we paid a lot of money for, and that just makes it feel special. I even look forward to the 5 hour drive! :rolleyes:

[ccruisequeen]

I'd cruise more if I could afford it. However, now that my dad has medical issues, cruising is put on hold until he can get a clean bill of health, in case of emergency!

[rajones007]

I've only done 3 cruises too, and they're spread out over 15 years or so. Never done Carnival, but I'm doing my best to ensure they're next.

 

I've always loved it immensely. I find looking at the sea to be very relaxing. Mesmerizing. Tranquil. Even if we're not moving, just watching the waves is enough to put me in a dream-like state. I cannot help myself from standing there in a daze, staring at it like I'm some sort of zombie. It's just relaxing and clears my mind. I'm not there to party, I'm there to relax. And in the ports I'm there to learn and explore, not just worship the sun and frolic on a beach.

 

I really wish I could cruise more. Wait a sec...I CAN!

 

But there's a hitch. Now that I'm older and have the resources to cruise 2 or 3 times a year, I don't have anybody to go with me. My GF likes cruising. Her early-teen kids like cruising. But none of them like it as much as I do. We took one together last November and that's enough for them for a couple years. My own daughter has never been on a cruise. I'd love to take her, but she's starting college in the fall, will be working all summer long, and just doesn't have the time any more. I know we won't have time to go on a cruise together until she's finished in 4 years. *sigh*

 

I don't have the nerve to go it alone. I'd like to, but I know I would be lonely. I don't have trouble making new friends. I'm quite a charismatic guy. But I know at the end of the day I'd feel pretty sullen sitting in that cabin by myself.

 

So, my problem is I CAN cruise more, but I just don't know how to do it.

[my3boysmom]

Add me!

 

First Cruise was a short CC with my mom. Second was with my sisters and mom. We did the Hawaiian Islands on RC (did NOT care for RC).

 

Just got back from the Conquest with new husband, my son and son's friend -- none of them have ever cruised.

 

My husband will never be a cruise addict but has agreed to go again sometime to Alaska. I'd go as often as I could!

[AmberTeka]

Me, too. It's been 3 or 4 years since my last cruise. My first with DH is coming up in December!

 

We're planning to take big vacations once a year for our anniversary (we haven't been able to in years past because of college and pregnancy), although we haven't yet decided if we will stick with cruises for our anniversary trips or do some land vacations. DH is leaning towards Ireland for next year.

 

It seems like most CC's go on a minimum of 3 cruises/ year. I wish!

 

When you build up militarydiscounts...or past guest discounts..or Senior Citizen discounts..or Teacher and Fireman or Policemen or Emergency Tech discounts...and State and REgion discounts.....

AND retire to Florida ( no air line tickets to buy..no motels to buy..no transfer necessary)..and then you get ..or can take advantage of last minute rates..

 

You will cruise a lot..lot more. Many of the people who cruise a lot on this board are retired. As you will be one day..OR Empty Nesters with seniority at jobs with vacation time built up.

My DH's military rate..has helped make most of our cruises possible.+ He is a Florida native and I moved here before I was 21.

[AmberTeka]

I've only done 3 cruises too, and they're spread out over 15 years or so. Never done Carnival, but I'm doing my best to ensure they're next.

 

I've always loved it immensely. I find looking at the sea to be very relaxing. Mesmerizing. Tranquil. Even if we're not moving, just watching the waves is enough to put me in a dream-like state. I cannot help myself from standing there in a daze, staring at it like I'm some sort of zombie. It's just relaxing and clears my mind. I'm not there to party, I'm there to relax. And in the ports I'm there to learn and explore, not just worship the sun and frolic on a beach.

 

I really wish I could cruise more. Wait a sec...I CAN!

 

But there's a hitch. Now that I'm older and have the resources to cruise 2 or 3 times a year, I don't have anybody to go with me. My GF likes cruising. Her early-teen kids like cruising. But none of them like it as much as I do. We took one together last November and that's enough for them for a couple years. My own daughter has never been on a cruise. I'd love to take her, but she's starting college in the fall, will be working all summer long, and just doesn't have the time any more. I know we won't have time to go on a cruise together until she's finished in 4 years. *sigh*

 

I don't have the nerve to go it alone. I'd like to, but I know I would be lonely. I don't have trouble making new friends. I'm quite a charismatic guy. But I know at the end of the day I'd feel pretty sullen sitting in that cabin by myself.

 

So, my problem is I CAN cruise more, but I just don't know how to do it.

 

if my girlfriend could get the time off from work..and could not spend a week cruising with me..particulary if I was supporting or helping support the household.............I would find another girlfriend.

And ask your daugher. My DH has a friend..who cruises with his daughter. Now he is very sick..heart condition..and he is very close to his only child...due to those cruises.

Think about it. People are happier when they spend money on experiences than things. Or so says CNN. Tell your girlfriend to think about that...

[grozas]

My wife keeps using up all of our vacation and deposible income visiting grandbabys out of state'

[Mumsykat]

We just booked our fourth cruise, and our first was in 2004, so we are not "frequent" cruisers, although we love it. We also enjoy land-based vacations. We will be retiring next year so we will probably be limited to one "big" vacation a year.

[AmberTeka]

Not a Carnival cruiser, but I am exactly the same. Pretty much the only time we can cruise is in school summer break, so we have done 2 cruises out of Southampton, both in July with another booked for this summer.

We also will only do 14 night cruises, as I like to have a long cruise to look forward to, plus the cost doing a 7 night with flights from the UK is close to the price of a 14 night sailing out of the UK.

 

I also think that cruising every couple of months would take the excitement out of it for me. I like having the build up to an epic 2 week holiday which we paid a lot of money for, and that just makes it feel special. I even look forward to the 5 hour drive! :rolleyes:

 

I like it better after cruising a good bit. Each line is different. We have been on all of them except RCI and the posh ones..Oceania, Cyrstal..etc.

We participate more in the activities now. We are Trivia hounds. I enjoy going to the casino now, even though I still play penny slots..and never win or lose much money. The shows are different on each line. Food..to me about the same. HAL has the best to my taste. Carnival comes close to HAL. Princess is the most fun for us. HAL is the most relaxing. and on and on..

We are going on the Carnival Fascination next month..and then NCL in November. I sort of know what to expect on both lines...and I like that.

[NLuvWthCruisn]

So who's with me?

Do you absolutely LOVE cruising, but can't do it very often? Do you get crazy, insanely, off the wall excited for every cruise because you have no idea when you'll be able to do it again? Do you panic over catching a cold or injuring yourself right before a cruise because you'd be devastated if you couldn't go? (I seriously have the kids under quarantine in the house for the next 9 days...)

 

In short, are you an infrequent cruise addict like me?? :D

 

 

This coming one which you see is 498 days away. I am also not one who can cruise frequently. My first cruise was April '09 and that was something I thought would never happen. I went a few months later to take my Mom and then 16 yr old daughter and after that thought I would never again because I found out a day before the last cruise that I was PG. My LO will be 3 yrs and 4 months by the time we go on a cruise as well as my will be 6 yr old daughter. They will be going with us as a family vacation. I was going to attempt Disney world but I found the cruise to be much cheaper to do and we will be driving to Florida instead of flying. Which not looking forward to that part at all. But airfare would keep us home. So I have a long wait for this upcoming cruise and I am a cruise lover for sure but not one who can afford to cruise so frequently. So I know when I get on this cruise that I will think of it as more inlikely my last cruise in hopes of another. I do worry that one of us will get sick before cruise and hoping that since it will be in August that we won't have much chance of that. I am so envious of your single digits. I just got excited because it went from 500's to 400's. Well anyways you're not alone. The week before is just as exciting for the anticipation of the cruise and then the real fun will begin once you step foot on that ship. Have a fantastic time!

[SnowshoeCat]

I'm in between.

 

I don't LOVE cruising, I don't hate it, but it's not my first choice form of travel. HOWEVER, since my first cruise in 2005, I've been on 3 cruises and will be going on my 4th at the end of the year and simply because sometimes cruising is just "easier" when it comes to group/family vacations. I need to do a IL (and my own parents) trip this year so you know what, cruise it is so I don't need to decide on where to eat and no one can blame me if the food isn't good!!

 

Having said that, I do still get excited after I book a cruise.. and I do so much research and I do look forward to it. It's a vacation afterall. Definitely beats sitting in my office!

 

Oh my - I thought I wrote this! (except for the in-law part ;)) I'm about to book a 3-day getaway - just because it's "easier". I love the water, but not rough seas. And I really do like taking long walks, sightseeing, and trees and grass. But I keep getting drawn back to cruising (this board has something to do with it). I'm single, work full time and own my own home. Sometimes I just want someone to take care of *me*.

[maighdeanmhara]

When you build up militarydiscounts...or past guest discounts..or Senior Citizen discounts..or Teacher and Fireman or Policemen or Emergency Tech discounts...and State and REgion discounts.....

AND retire to Florida ( no air line tickets to buy..no motels to buy..no transfer necessary)..and then you get ..or can take advantage of last minute rates..

.

 

Oh, I certainly understand that. DH & I are only 28 & 24, so I realize we have a lot of time to build up to that. Although we both are past guests, DH is an engineer, so we will never have the other discounts besides Senior Citizen one day.

 

However, DH does get 3.5 weeks of vacation time/year and next year it will be 4. But we take one vacation to see my family in various parts of the country, one roadtrip and a few days here and there throughout the year. Also, my parents own a beach house near Sarasota, so we have used that for vacation at times.

 

DH does have an opportunity in Miami, and the main reason I want it is proximity to the terminals, but I'm hesitant to move DS that far from his grandparents.

 

Anyway, sorry for that tangent. My point was that circumstances would allow it but only if we were willing to miss out on time with our extended families and the vacation we take our son on.

[CRUISE4JANE]

Count me in. I have only been on 2 cruises so far, 2000 and 2004 (3rd coming up July 1). Yep, it has been 8 years. I am very excited about this cruise, but then again, I would be excited going on a land vacation also. The difference to me is that when on a cruise, it is more relaxing.

 

Las Vegas - Walk, walk, walk from one casino to another.

Disney World - Hoping all day from one ride to another.

New York - Here we go again, WALKING.

 

Now don't get me wrong..................I love going to these places, but if you want a relaxing vacation, cruising is the only way to go :).

[rudechuck]

I had to be dragged kicking and screaming on my first cruise. Okay, no actual kicking, I was bribed with a few extra days in NoLa. Since then I've been on a total of 7 cruises, with another one planned for next summer.

 

While I prefer land based vacations to really get a feel for the place, I am usually the trip planner, making the itinerary, getting directions, scoping out where we're going to eat, play, etc.

 

It's nice once in awhile to have someone else do all the work. And I do love staring out at the open ocean.

[kayhold]

Maybe because we live so close to so many ports, (6 within a 7 hour drive which with security, would take as long to fly) but cruises are cheaper than land vacations for us.

That said, we don't do land vacations very much either. We live in Atlanta so there is always plenty to do on school breaks.

[gilboman]

I cruise once in a while as in probably once ever couple years or so. Cruising is a "time waster" for me and not really travelling. It's like sitting at an AI for a week only the AI moves around.

 

I like to travel and see/experience things that cruising simply can not provide. But I switch between AI/Cruising once in a while if I have a week or two holiday I need to use and don't feel like planning and/or am on a budget. I recently completed a 3 week trek to like 8 countries in Asia during x'mas break so I'm looking to cruise before summer to use up vacation and I don't feel like planning anything and it's also dirt cheap. So cruising it is!

[suzinva]

I love, love, love cruising and given enough money, would move onto a ship, if I could! I love it as it's one of the few vacations where I can completely relax. We cruised 2x when my son was 9 and 10, then again last year and have one booked for August. The cruise this August was simple economics, we had originally planned on going to Yellowstone for a week to 10 days but when I started pricing renting a cabin, airfare (yikes!), food, car rental, etc etc etc, our simple trip to Yellowstone was adding up to over $5000, for just the 3 of us. Other vacations were generally the same. So I looked into a cruise out of Baltimore, which is only an hour away, and ended up booking that for less than 1/2 of what it would have cost to go anywhere else. Even factoring in shore excursions and spending money onboard, I'm still coming out way ahead. But, there's a whole world out there to see, just hoping the economy gets better so we can get back to doing that, as well.

 

Still, I love cruising. It's the only place I've found (yet) where I don't have to do a darn thing for a week! No cooking, no cleaning, no answering emails, no nothing :D