Suggestions for my Mom and friend?

[divawife]

Hi,

My mom doesn't have a computer so I am the hired correspondent! LOL.

She is 70 and is going on the Aug 30 Enchantment of the Seas out of Boston. She is sharing the cabin with an old friend. She is beautiful, full of life and is totally excited about this cruise (last time cruising was 1971!). She is a slow walker but is completely mobile no problems.

She is worried that her friend may not want to go on any excursions and will she meet anyone who might want to share the experience of the excursion. Should she be concerned? Are people friendly and more open to talk to fellow cruisers?

Also, they are at the first seating, Large table, the travel agent has them in the 65+ category based on their birthdays. Will that limit them to only other seniors sitting at the table? She is looking foward to meeting a variety of new people!

Thank you all for your help!

Love,

Diva the 50 year old kid:)

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Hi Diva,

I have been in the 'same boat' so to speak as your mother. My wife does not walk well and refuses to go on any shore excursions that require her to do so. That's OK and she enjoys activities on the ship when I go ashore.

 

Our last cruise I met a nice lady, who was cruising alone, on the tender going to shore at Catalina Island and we agreed to be companions on a shore excursion. It was nice to have someone to talk with and enjoy the experience together.

 

In San Francisco I met another nice lady walking to Pier 39. I told her I was headed to Alcatraz Island if a tour was available. She asked if she could accompany me and we bought tickets for an hour later. It was a nice day and we enjoyed each others company. Her husband and his best friend and wife were sick on the ship. It turned out that they had the table next to us at Main Dining but had not been there the first two nights due to illness.

 

I think your mother will meet many people, who for various reasons, would enjoy sharing a shore excursion with her. Outgoing, friendly people will meet many nice people willing to be friendly and talk.

 

Being at a large table is a good way to meet people. I don't know about the age thing. Maybe they do try to match people by age groups to some extent. We had table for six. One couple about 45-55 years old and then another couple 30-35 years old relocated from another table to ours. On previous cruise it was also very mixed because of family (father, mother, daughter & husband), middle aged couple & us (seniors). Other cruises were also mixed ages due to mother & son, companions of different ages, younger married couple.

 

In summary, I highly recommend cruising for your mother & friend. She sounds like someone who will thoroughly enjoy the experience.

 

Bon Voyage, It's all good when you are cruising.

[doris1930]

Last cruise a rough one? Were you on theRegal Princess up to Alaska? If so, a lot on that cruise were sick for two days due to rough seas.

[Nliedel]

I cannot speak for everyone but if she is friendly and approaches others easily then she should be fine. I know Gene and I would be happy to have someone like you describe with us!

[Libracruzer]

People that I have encountered on shore excursions have been very friendly and there shouldn't be a problem at all.

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Last cruise a rough one? Were you on theRegal Princess up to Alaska? If so, a lot on that cruise were sick for two days due to rough seas.

Doris, We were on the Summit from San Diego to Alaska and had calm seas. They were not seasick but had some stomach thing.

[RockyTopMom]

Divawife: Although you said "Mom" doesn't have a computer, you should see if there is a Roll Call for her sailing. This will give her an opportunity (via you) to meet others who will be on her cruise long before she even boards. Many times excursions are a topic of conversation on those Roll Calls and she could very easily join a group.

 

I know on my last cruise, myself and a friend (both 55+) rented a car and invited a young gal and her elderly father to go site-seeing with us when they mentioned on our Roll Call thread that a tour they wanted to take was too expensive. We emailed directly to her and split the cost of the rental and the gas. I think she saved at least $100 each and got to see what she and her dad wanted to see, and we had a lot more time in places we wanted to be.

 

Hope your mom has a great time!

[divawife]

Thank you everyone! I did post on the Roll Call board to see who else was going. It is wierd though seems it is a charter cruise by Vacation Outlet, CruisesOnly and BJ's who are owned by National Leisure Outlet (located here in the Boston area). Although my Mom's friend initially saw the ad for it in her Ft. Lauderdale newspaper! It is open to anyone but it's not on the RCI web page so... Only 2 Cruise Critic members seem to be going (or read Roll Call! LOL!) even though per my Vacation Outlet agent, the ship is 70% full. I would love to find others on line who are going. You all have been so helpful. If you hear of anyone going, send them my way.

Love and hope to cruise myself soon..

Diva

[Host Kat]

Diva,

 

It is a wonderful thing you are doing for your Mom in this computer age we live in! I just truly wish you were going too!! I tried so hard to get my Mom to go on a cruise. She loved the ocean and was a lifeguard and marathon swimmer in Galveston, TX as a young woman. In fact, she met my father on the beach when he saw her save a couple that had tangled up in the stinging tentacles of a Portuguese-Man-O-War. He said he watched her and then said to himself, "Now that's the woman I want to marry!" However, she passed away in 1981 and never sailed on a cruise.

 

You might want to put some sort of invitation for others to join Mom's Roll Call in your signature. That way, every time you post on any thread, someone on line who is also going but does not know about Mom's Roll Call may see it and hopefully join in.

 

To put it in your signature, copy Mom's Roll Call URL & then click on User CP in far left portion of the blue bar. In Control Panel under Setting & Options, click on Edit Signature. You will then be able to type in what you want to say as your signature. Then paste your previously copied Roll Call URL into your signature with your invitation to join. Click on the Save Signature button, and you will then be on your way of finding others every time you post.

 

Hope this works for you and good luck in finding others on line that are going!

 

Kat