Getting adult kids to go on a cruise

[ABQrobin]

My DH and I are so frustrated. Our son is 27 and won't go on a cruise with us, even though we offer to pay for him. He keeps putting us off. Making me crazy!

 

How does everyone else here handle this? I know once he goes, he will have fun... uggghhh!!!! He lives in Houston, so we can fly there and go on a ship out of Galveston. So frustrated!

[Roz]

Leave him at home and go have fun on your cruise.

 

Roz

[poz222]

Offer to buy him the drink package! 27 years old and free booze... When we going mom?

[loxley]

Offer to take his girlfriend too.

 

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[hbrote]

Your son is an adult........ If he does not want to go, I don't believe you have much of a chance to persuade him...... He has a life too.

[CrazyPartyOf4]

What!?!? I'm 34 and if my mama asks me/us (family) to go on a cruise, my only response will be "when do we need to be packed?"

[Fern Crest]

If it's crucial for your cruising happiness to have him along (I know he would love it if he tried it), offer to pay for his fare, and ask a friend along.

 

Your son and his friend can split the friend's fare and get their own room.

 

That way, you'd be happy having him along, he'd be happy finding out what fun cruises are and he has a friend to hang with when he's had enough 'Mom and Dad time'.

 

It's a win-win!

[Wheresthesalt]

My DH and I are so frustrated. Our son is 27 and won't go on a cruise with us, even though we offer to pay for him. He keeps putting us off. Making me crazy!

 

How does everyone else here handle this? I know once he goes, he will have fun... uggghhh!!!! He lives in Houston, so we can fly there and go on a ship out of Galveston. So frustrated!

 

I'm a not 27 year old male looking for a Parental figure to pay my way on a cruise. I will pay my DWs way. Just tell me where you are flying me to and when we are leaving.

Thank you,

Your newly adopted son.

[violetsmile]

Have you asked him why he seems disinterested? I absolutely think there are some people who don't find cruises appealing. I don't understand it, but I suppose it's not for everyone. I haven't actually met someone who has actually taken a cruise who didn't like it, though. There are lots of preconceived notions about cruises out there.

 

I'm in the opposite position--I'm 32, and would love to convince my mom to come on a cruise with me! She has a million reasons she won't do it, but someday I'm going to sell her on it!

[Homosassa]

LOL- It's easy. You take the little tyke on their first cruise at 18 months and cruise often throughout his/her childhood.

 

My daughter is now 32 and I have have to say is cruise and she is packing a suitcase. As a matter of fact, she and her boy friend will be joining us on a cruise in one month).

[GUT2407]

vyou can't force him.

 

We have the opposite problem.

[suzycruiser2]

When we went on our 1st cruise back in 2009, our older daughter and granddaughter went with us. We tried to convince our almost 20 year old daughter to go (at our expense), but she didn't want to because her then boyfriend couldn't get off work to go. Now, she is married (not to the previous boyfriend) with two kids and says all the time that she wished she could go on a cruise.

[pmoniz]

My DH and I are so frustrated. Our son is 27 and won't go on a cruise with us, even though we offer to pay for him. He keeps putting us off. Making me crazy!

 

How does everyone else here handle this? I know once he goes, he will have fun... uggghhh!!!! He lives in Houston, so we can fly there and go on a ship out of Galveston. So frustrated!

 

I totally feel your pain! Our son (26) has cruised with us many times. We've always taken his GF along or a couple friends. But the last few cruises he was all set!! Didn't want to go along with us. It stunk because I really like him to come along and share the experience with us. But nothing you can do when they don't want to come along!

 

Just go ahead without him and have a great time!!

[Cruzin2paradise09]

Your son is an adult. Time to untie the apron strings. He doesn't want to go...go without him and enjoy your time with only your spouse.

[13cheermom]

Wow, must be a guy thing, I have to grown daughters 23 & 27, and they are always begging to come with us. We actually broke down and took them last June for a week, since we had 2 others cruises booked ourselves for the year. We had a great time, but it's also hard to plan vacations with their work schedules, maybe that's a concern of his? But neither are married right now, so haven't done the BF thing yet, I figure once that becomes serious enough they can maybe pay their own, LOL. I know when we travel with them I try to include them in the planning and excursions that they would like to do, maybe try to get him more involved from the beginning, even as to the itinerary and such. Good Luck with this, because life is so short and those memories are ones that we will cherish as I hope my girls will also!

[mibarron]

My DH and I are so frustrated. Our son is 27 and won't go on a cruise with us, even though we offer to pay for him. He keeps putting us off. Making me crazy!

 

How does everyone else here handle this? I know once he goes, he will have fun... uggghhh!!!! He lives in Houston, so we can fly there and go on a ship out of Galveston. So frustrated!

If your son doesn't want to go, I am more than willing to take his place. :D

Edited February 18, 2016 by mibarron

[Hoosierpop]

Leave him at home and go have fun on your cruise.

 

 

 

Roz

 

 

This is the correct answer. The dude is 27. Leave him at home.

[cb at sea]

Agreed!

[Victorious8]

I am a 27 year old female (someone has to keep the average age down on CC right?) and I really like to cruise. I am also extremely extroverted and love to party. I was a bit meh before our first cruise but NO WAY was I going too pass up the opportunity. I went with a large group of family so there was always something to do. I do think it would have been a little weird my first time to go alone with parents. I definitely second the inviting a friend. Maybe you can compromise by paying the cruise fare for friend but that person covers expenses?

A lot of my friends give me a side eye about cruising but I love it for the ease of planning, some of the stuff is a bit hokey but that first my personality. Good luck though!

[Ralphinsc]

MOM! Is that you?!

 

It's me, (Insert son's name here).

 

Just let me know when to meet you in Galveston and I'm sure we will have a jolly old time! :p

[uncleg]

and give me few minutes to pack.

[Warm Breezes]

My DS is 21 and DD is 19. Our last 3 cruises were without them since we couldn't work something out with all 4 of us between work, high school, dance, and college. DS didn't care, DD was starting to feel slighted. On our last family cruise DS was 18 and I had to bribe him to come by making sure he got the internet package....which turned out to be a good thing because he was able to apply for and get an internship while we were cruising because he had access to the internet. DD didn't need any bribes as she just loves to cruise. DS is graduating from college April 30 and probably moving out soon after (they both go to a local university and live at home). I have been trying to plan a family cruise for the past year. I finally found a time that works for us in May, but then had some health issues last August that put a hold on any planning. I was just cleared by the doctor to be able to cruise and I didn't even give DS a chance to turn it down. I booked the cruise yesterday and informed them what days they needed to be cleared because we were going on a family vacation. After what I've been through this last year, he's going for his mama.:D:p

[loubetti]

I went on my first cruise at age 27 with a dear friend, who later became my best man at both my weddings! :eek: We had a great time on the Costa Riviera. My parents never cruised, but I wanted to. Now, 44 cruises later...:cool:

 

If your son doesn't want to go, he's a big boy, and can fend for himself. Go, and have a good time without him!

 

Perhaps he will figure it out some day.

[MISSSNOOPYGIRL]

my mom had the same situation with my sister. My mom paid for her cruise and she was a stick in the mud pretty much the whole time. Be careful what you wish for

[almendrada]

You will never get him to go on a vacation with you if he feels pressured or hounded. I wasn't really interested in cruising for a long time, but after hearing some of my mom's (no pressure) experiences, it started to sound pretty good.

 

After a rough winter last year, my husband and I decided to book our first cruise. And we invited my mom to come along, not the other way around. I'm 37, but I was 36 when we booked the cruise. And now we'll be leaving in two and a half weeks!

 

I would say, give it some time, give it some patience. Go on your own this time, but come back with some great stories for your son about all the great things you did. Eventually, he may come around.