Why did you start cruising??

[Postman806]

Ok. I'll go first. We first cruised in 2009. My wife, then 45, and I, 48 had never considered cruising. But due to building a house and accumulating a massive amount of "points" on our credit card we found ourself perusing our options for using the points, and a cruise caught our eye. We always assumed it was way out of our price range, and besides, as our boys were growing up it was a trip to Disneyland every year-which we all still love to do. In addition, we had enough points on our debit card for my round trip flight and my wife was attending a national Assembly in Orlando that summer so her flight was covered. Yep, a nearly free vacation. Another issue I feared was motion-sickness, which has not happened, much to my delight.

 

We took a 3 night cruise, keeping it short in case I turned green, stopping in Nassau. We cruised out of Cspe Canaveral. We were absolutely hooked and at the same time sad that we hadn't discovered cruising at a younger age. Oh well. So last year we took another cruise from Long Beach and took my sis and her hubby. Later this summer the four of us cruise again, this time bringing out sons, 27 and 23. Can't wait. Love it. What's your story??

[Keith1010]

I first cruised back in the day when there were no computers on the ships so it was an easy way to get away from the office and to spend lots of time with the family.

 

Today we find everything we want on the cruise ship. We can be as busy as we want or as little as we want and everything is there.

 

We don't have to think about where to eat.

 

Very easy.

 

Keith

[paul929207]

We liked to go to the Caribbean, and figured a cruise was a way to see several islands. Figured we would see what we liked best and go back.

[Travelcat2]

We first cruised in 2004. We kept receiving brochures from Radisson regarding their Tahiti cruise on the Paul Gauguin. We enjoyed land vacations and had no interest in cruising but were interested in returning to Tahiti (we were there in 1992). We were hooked from the moment we boarded the ship. Now, 8 years later, the Paul Gauguin has another owner (still sails in Tahiti), Radisson has become Regent and we have been on 13 cruises with 3 more booked. Wish we had discovered this wonderful way of traveling earlier.

[SuitCaseBears]

Ok. I'll go first. We first cruised in 2009. My wife, then 45, and I, 48 had never considered cruising.

 

We took a 3 night cruise, keeping it short in case I turned green

 

What a fun question - we started kind of late too. I not telling our exactly ages, but one of us a little older and one a little younger than you two.

 

Our first cruise was a 2 nighter out of San Francisco at the end of a re-positioning cruise, just to test the waters. I was going to book a big suite because for 2 nights at the end of a repositioning cruise it was dirt cheap. But luckily the website was down so I had to call a live person.

 

She suggested we pick a balcony but not a suite. She explained that for 2 nights we would be fine in the balcony cabin, but that if we took the suite and loved it - we'd want to book that same suite next time and for a 1 week cruise the difference in price would be $XXXXXXXX. YIKES. I'm so glad she told me that.

 

That was in 2005. We liked the cruise and said we'd like to try a longer one, but we had family visits on the east coast that took up most of our allotted vacation time and money.

 

Finally in 2008 we went on "real cruise" and we've been addicted since then.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

What a great thread. :D

 

We took our first cruise in 1997. I'd never even thought about cruising. About a week before spring break, my then husband's ex-wife asked to have the kids over spring break and we didn't have plans, so said okay. We had our 21-month-old DD and about $800 in our vacation account. I went to the travel agent and said, "we want the best vacation we can get for $800." She suggested a cruise, so we took a four-day out of San Pedro that went to Catalina Island and Ensenada. Even though it was over spring break and a total party cruise, we had a fantastic time!

 

Since then, DD and I have been on 7 more cruises and have four more planned (now that my "then husband" is my ex-husband, we get to cruise more! LOL).

[knotheadusc]

Our first cruise was three years ago in the Baltics. My husband and I were living in Germany and had wanted to take a trip to Greece. I couldn't find any suitable trips that fit, but I did find a four night Baltics cruise on Royal Caribbean. We hadn't considered going to the Baltics before, but the price and itinerary were right, so we booked. We had a fantastic time, but my husband decided he'd like to try a smaller ship. Since our first cruise, we've been on SeaDream twice and have another planned for next year. We also have a trip planned on the Hebridean Princess, which only takes 49 people per sailing!

[Bookish Angel]

We had done quite a lot of traveling but had never cruised. Our first cruise was in 2001 on the Carnival Triumph to Bermuda.

 

While I still prefer offbeat land-based travel, I enjoy cruising for quiet times with my husband, reunions with my girlfriends, etc.

[spunkyhungry]

When I was a teenager I had never been to the Caribbean, and I wanted to go so badly. It was my dream to see the beautiful, blue water in person and swim in it. I begged my mom to take me. She agreed to go but wanted to take a cruise to get there. She had cruised a few times as a teenager and enjoyed it. I wasn't thrilled about cruising, since my family grew up on boats (sailboats and small speed boats), and I hated them. But since my mom was paying, she had more say in the matter. So I agreed to cruise just so I could get to the Caribbean islands. Well it turns out I loved cruising! The cruise ship was more like a hotel than a boat. I had such a great time, that I've loved cruising ever since! I went on my 1st cruise at 17 and my most recent cruise at 27. I can't believe it's been 10 years!

[Quilting_Cruiser]

We had done quite a lot of traveling but had never cruised. Our first cruise was in 2001 on the Carnival Triumph to Bermuda.

 

While I still prefer offbeat land-based travel, I enjoy cruising for quiet times with my husband, reunions with my girlfriends, etc.

 

 

Not to sidetrack or highjack, but I'm just curious what you consider "offbeat travel?" I'm recently divorce and will soon have an additional week of vacation from work each year. I enjoy traveling alone and like doing things that aren't your standard tourist fare. :D

[Bookish Angel]

Not to sidetrack or highjack, but I'm just curious what you consider "offbeat travel?" I'm recently divorce and will soon have an additional week of vacation from work each year. I enjoy traveling alone and like doing things that aren't your standard tourist fare. :D

 

Quilting_Cruiser, good for you on an additional week of vacation!

 

I made a goal in 2006 to set foot on all 7 continents before I turned 50 in 2010 and that involved some remote travel; Antarctica, a far-flung part of South Africa to a conservation-only preserve, etc. I have come to prefer traveling in places where English is not widely spoken and the art, music, etc. are not based on a Western/European canon.

 

One of my fave places visited thus far is the sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica; kind of off the beaten path and very educational.

[DonnaK]

I started cruising in 1988, when I was in my 20's. We took Home Lines from NY to Bermuda for our first cruise, and loved being treated like royalty while onboard. We like that a cruise offers lots of options for food, entertainment and activities, so it satisfies everyone in our family. We can go off on our own for a few hours, and regroup later, and don't have to feel joined at the hip for the entire vacation.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Quilting_Cruiser, good for you on an additional week of vacation!

 

I made a goal in 2006 to set foot on all 7 continents before I turned 50 in 2010 and that involved some remote travel; Antarctica, a far-flung part of South Africa to a conservation-only preserve, etc. I have come to prefer traveling in places where English is not widely spoken and the art, music, etc. are not based on a Western/European canon.

 

One of my fave places visited thus far is the sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica; kind of off the beaten path and very educational.

 

Love it! Have done some non-traditional travel myself (like five weeks in the jungles of Uganda :D) and love to talk with like-minded people.

 

Antarctica is definitely on my bucket list. :D

[cocobakerchica]

This really is a great question! I took my first cruise in Sept. 1995, and I had completed my culinary training(pastry and baking). I have a deep love for travel, and the great majority of it until then had been the armchair variety(thank you PBS!!). My mom had wanted to go on a family vacation(I have an older DS and BIL), wanted something that fulfilled the one week vacation quota, and was a good deal(she paid half my fare as a graduation gift). She especially wanted something refined yet laid back and relaxing(her first cruise experience was Carnival, and she did not like it), as well as no flying involved(my BIL's least favorite thing). Her TA suggested Bermuda and Celebrity, as the Zenith left from New York City(6 mi away). We went, and it's been love ever since( 4 visits to Bermuda with one in Sept. coming up). Celebrity has been our line of choice, but we're always open to trying different ships, as long as the itinerary works, and the food and service is top notch. It also opened my eyes even more to the culinary world, and the pastry presentation in the midnight buffet reminded me of my final graduation presentation the week before the cruise.

 

Flash forward many cruises later, and mom and I are seriously planning either a Panama Canal or TA cruise for 2013, with a full family cruise in 2014. It really is a great way to see the world.

[Sam The Cat]

My first cruise was 25 years ago with the ex-wife (should have stopped there). Now I have a friend who I introduced to cruising about 20 years ago. Now I can not get her off the ship or her suite.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It was a cheap way to go on vacation.

[Havin'fun]

DH had tried for a few years to get me on a cruise. I love being on the water but thought I would be bored to death on a cruise. He finally ended taking his mother to Alaska in 1995 as I really had no desire to get on a ship.

After a few major hospital stays including one where his doctors didn't think he would pull through, he brought up the cruise idea again. When you almost lose someone, you realize how precious spending time together is. We booked our first cruise for early 2009. As he now jokes this was a BIG MISTAKE on his part to finally get me on a ship. I love cruising!!! Now I drive the poor man crazy with cruise ideas, cruise news, Cruise critic, cruise this, cruise that, cruise anything. :D

[sparky-elpaso]

Our first cruise was to Alaska in 2008. One of my co-workers brought in photos of their Alaska cruise and it looked so incredible I started researching. And the rest is history. :) I thanked her later for giving me a way to see all of the places on our "bucket list".

[OCruisers]

Began cruising because it was our HS Senior Trip ... on the SS Bahama Star. Been taking cruises every since. :)

 

That was 50 years ago (you do the math ... offically old now) when I was "Sweet 16".

[marco]

It was a LONG LONG time ago, but I went to Italy on the Italian line with my grandparents in the late 50's. I was 6 yrs old. I immediately fell in love with ships and traveling on them. Over the years, I've done a number of trans Atlantics and cruises and between both I've been probably a little more than 125. I've seen a LOT of changes over the years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LandlockedCruiser01]

It seems funny now, since I enjoyed my first cruise so much, but I chose to go on a cruise out of pure necessity. I work in IT, which has almost no work/life balance. The job pretty much follows you home. I was worried that my boss would make me answer my cell phone on vacation. So I booked a cruise, knowing the company would cheap out on paying to call me on the ship. (IT support calls tend to take long, and given the price of calling the ship, you get the idea.) And they did cheap out: no missed calls when I returned, even though it was a madhouse while I was gone. So now, I will only vacation on cruises, due to the way they shield people from work-related calls; land resorts can't do that.

[Mom2B&Z]

Neat thread;)

My first cruise was as a child, my family went on a winter vacation to warm places every year and we took a week long cruise out of San Jose followed by a week in Puerto Rico. Loved the cruise, my sister and I were two of three kids under 18 on the ship and had a blast!

Fast forward to now, married with two boys. First trip out of the country was land based and went well, so we were looking for something more adventurous. DH isn't as well travelled as I am, so we look at cruising as a way of sampling various places, so we can return to the places we really like as a land based vacation. Plus when the boys were really little, it was nice to know there were medical facilities if needed. Now our plans are cruising every other year, with Panama Canal, Alaska and likely a S Caribbean itinerary in our future...before the boys stop wanting to go on vacation with thir parents lol!

[Essiesmom]

I was in my late 20's, living in NYC, and looking for a vacation that didn't involve just going home to visit the parents. I devoured the Sunday New York Times, and saw ads for cruises. It sounded sooo romantic (but I really think I mean exotic/adventurous). So, I booked a cruise solo on an old Home Lines ship, ten days to the Caribbean. Well, I got a boyfriend in the crew and did four more in the next 18 months. Those were the days...When you had a solo cabin, and the bathroom was down the hall...I didn't cruise again until 1999, when I enticed my sister to go with me to the Amazon...and we haven't stopped.

 

 

Not to sidetrack or highjack, but I'm just curious what you consider "offbeat travel?" I'm recently divorce and will soon have an additional week of vacation from work each year. I enjoy traveling alone and like doing things that aren't your standard tourist fare. :D

 

 

If you are looking for adventure, may I suggest you look into http://www.earthwatch.org/

They are an organization that recruits volunteers to pay their own way on research expeditions all over the US and the world. Most of the expeditions are run by academics, and there is a lot of ecological stuff, archaeology, cultural, etc. I did 8 projects in such places as Thailand (2), Tonga, Nepal, Costa Rica, Brazil, Bali, Mongolia. My travel criteria used to be I only wanted to go to places where they don't use the same alphabet, don't use the same kind of toilet, and you can't drink the water...And they are registered as a non-profit, so your costs are tax deductible. EM

[sammamishcruiser]

Summer of 2005 my in-laws and several other family members went on an Alaskan Cruise. My DH and I had just lost our business and did not have 2 dimes to rub together....so we were not able to go:( but because we live in Seattle we went down to the pier to meet the ship and visit with cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. Well to make a long story short, when I saw that ship, Island Princess, I wanted soooooo badly to get on it (and I had never even thought of cruising before!) After talking and talking with my DH we were able to take our first cruise (Alaska on the Sun Princess) in 2006. And the rest as they say is history!!!:D We are now doing 2 a year! love it!

Our line of choice now is Celebrity but I would not rule out other lines.

Melody:D

[stripe]

Our first cruise was a 10 night in the Caribbean on Celebrity with 9 ports. :eek: My mother thought we were crazy: "what if you don't like it? You'll be stuck out there for 10 days!" Well, we LOVED it. 25 cruises later and I'm wishing I was retired so we could go more often.

Like Keith said....we love not having to decide where to have dinner each night. We also like the unpacking only once, but seeing lots of places.