Help me convince my parents to join us!

[JamieLogical]

My partner has gotten me addicted to cruising. We went on our first cruise together (his second cruise) in February on the Escape to the Western Caribbean. We have since sailed on the Gem to New England in Canada last month. And we are booked on three more upcoming cruises, the first of which is in October to Bermuda on the Escape.

 

I desperately want my parents to join us for the October cruise. I have been talking to them about how amazing cruises are since I came back in February. But I haven't yet convinced them to get onboard (pun intended!). Here are the reasons I *know* they would love cruising:

• My dad is completely obsessed with water. As long as I can remember, he has loved boating... great views of water... and every time we go to any body of water, he has to touch it. Whether it be a tiny creek or an ocean, he has to walk up to the edge and crouch down and put his fingers in it. It's adorable. In fact, the way my mom convinced my dad to finally retire was by getting him to move to a lake house!
  
• My dad is an engineer and I think he will be completely fascinated by the feat of modern engineering that is a cruise ship, especially a mega ship like the Escape. I think he would love to do the behind the scenes tour and the Q&A with the officers.
  
• My dad is cheap! Having everything be all-inclusive means he won't be picking the cheapest thing on the menu or getting on my mom's case about ordering a drink with dinner.
  
• Both of my parents love live music and entertainment. Their favorite vacations are to places like Dollywood and Branson, Missouri. They will thoroughly enjoy the shows and live acts throughout the ship.
  
• Both of my parents love to chat with strangers and meet new people. I was very embarrassed by it as a kid, the way they would strike up conversations with random strangers while waiting in line. Now I do the same thing!
  
• My mom loves to relax and read a book. She reads an entire book every day or two. I can picture her on a lounger for hours at a time.
  
• My mom drinks occasionally, but as mentioned above, my dad is cheap, so she rarely gets to have a nice glass of wine with dinner or enjoy a beer while just hanging out.
  

The objections my parents have to cruising:

• As mentioned, my dad is CHEAP. The cost is really hard for him to swallow. Plus he resents the idea that he will be "paying for" other people to live it up. Like the fact that it's all-inclusive means that other people who stuff themselves and drink themselves sick are getting more "value" out of it than he does. I tried to argue that those people might hate going to shows or swimming in the pools and THEY are supplementing the cost of HIM enjoying those things, so it all evens out in the wash, but he's bot buying that argument.
  
• My mom gets motion sick. She has been on MUCH smaller boats and is worried that she will get sick. I have tried to explain that on a large ship like the Escape, you don't even feel that you are on a boat most of the time. And I too get motion sick, but a Dramamine with my vitamins each morning on the two cruises I've been on has staved off any motion sickness.
  

I need your suggestions for how to convince them to come with us! We are visiting them this weekend and I really want to try to give them the hard sell.

[mrc311121]

Just print what you just wrote and show it them. I bet when they see how much you want them to go they might take a chance. Good luck. :)

[FLcruisergrl]

If you price out what it would cost to fly to Bermuda, stay in a hotel, pay for meals and entertainment, etc., he would see the value in a cruise.

[cruisegal415]

Tell them they are so fortunate to have a child who actually wants to spend a week with them on a nice vacation! My dd (age 27) absolutely refuses to cruise with us, even when we have offered to pay for a companion! We "forced" her to go with us when she was 15, then "persuaded" her to come when she was in college but now she flat out refuses to even consider it. We look at families and multi-generational groups that are on cruises with much jealousy.

[Takoyaki]

We love cruises because there are endless options, and your dad may be "subsidizing" others on cheap buffet food but if you think about life he is subsidizing people anytime he buys anything and pays tax... your dad can do some awesome excursions in Bermuda too. We liked the glass bottom shipwreck tour. A week of relaxation with 0 worries no groceries no schedule other than fun or relaxation.

[JamieLogical]

Thanks for the tips so far everyone! I actually love vacationing with my parents. I usually do it a couple of times a year, but have limited vacation time, so having to choose between vacationing with them or going on cruises is one of the main reasons I want to try to persuade them!

[Takoyaki]

Thanks for the tips so far everyone! I actually love vacationing with my parents. I usually do it a couple of times a year, but have limited vacation time, so having to choose between vacationing with them or going on cruises is one of the main reasons I want to try to persuade them!

That's very sweet. We tried to get our moms to join us on out last cruise, offered to pay their way too(in a deluxe owners or similiar) but because it was school time and we both have teenage brothers they had to pass :(

 

I hope your parents join you!

[Oedipa_maas]

I would probably try to get them on a shorter, gateway-type cruise first. If your mom is worried about motion sickness, a cruise with 3 days at sea during the end of hurricane season might be totally fine or a huge disaster. Better to have her test the waters in a lower stress situation first.

At the end of the day, not everyone will enjoy cruising and there's nothing that can be done about that. But my fingers are crossed for you!

[JamieLogical]

I would probably try to get them on a shorter, gateway-type cruise first. If your mom is worried about motion sickness, a cruise with 3 days at sea during the end of hurricane season might be totally fine or a huge disaster. Better to have her test the waters in a lower stress situation first.

At the end of the day, not everyone will enjoy cruising and there's nothing that can be done about that. But my fingers are crossed for you!

 

 

I definitely get that not everyone would enjoy cruising, but I am pretty confident my parents would love it if I could get them to try it! You may be right about the number of sea days being a concern with my mom's motion sickness. I think I am less likely to convince them to come on either of our other upcoming cruises though. Next February we are doing the Bliss to the Eastern Caribbean, which I am sure they would love, but is far more expensive. Then in November 2019 we are doing the inaugural transatlantic on the Encore. Talk about a lot of sea days!!!

[phoenix1181]

For years, I begged my sister & brother-in-law to cruise with us. I was sure they'd love it and, like you, I had a valid response for each concern they had. They finally agreed to join us and we were thrilled.

 

The cruise was a disaster. None of the things I use for motion sickness helped her and that set the tone for the trip. She hated the food and according to her, the entertainment sucked. She fought with me and my BIL about anything. The only thing she enjoyed was the time we spent in Bermuda.

 

Needless to say, we were all very happy when that cruise was over. I swore I would never try to convince anyone to cruise, or do anything else they have no interest in, ever again.

 

If your folks decide to join you, I hope you have better luck than I did but keep in mind, cruising isn't for everyone.......................

[JamieLogical]

For years, I begged my sister & brother-in-law to cruise with us. I was sure they'd love it and, like you, I had a valid response for each concern they had. They finally agreed to join us and we were thrilled.

 

The cruise was a disaster. None of the things I use for motion sickness helped her and that set the tone for the trip. She hated the food and according to her, the entertainment sucked. She fought with me and my BIL about anything. The only thing she enjoyed was the time we spent in Bermuda.

 

Needless to say, we were all very happy when that cruise was over. I swore I would never try to convince anyone to cruise, or do anything else they have no interest in, ever again.

 

If your folks decide to join you, I hope you have better luck than I did but keep in mind, cruising isn't for everyone.......................

 

Oh no! I am not worried my parents won't like the food or entertainment. They aren't picky people. But the motion sickness issue could be a real problem for my mom.

[Two Wheels Only]

If your dad is "cheap" (your word), then I doubt that he will book a suite. Show him the Haven prices on Escape and explain to him that those people are subsidizing his fare. ;)

[pcakes122]

Oh no! I am not worried my parents won't like the food or entertainment. They aren't picky people. But the motion sickness issue could be a real problem for my mom.

If you want to try a shorter cruise to see how it affects your mom, maybe consider switching from the Escape to Bermuda in October to the Gem to Bermuda in November? The Gem cruise is just 5 days. Good luck! :)

[YVRBassElectric]

I am very prone to seasickness but love cruising, so I risk it/deal with it. I haven't sailed out of NYC but have had some rough days in 116 days at sea. 4 times I went to bed early only twice did I actually get sick.

 

I recommend a cabin on Deck 9 or 10 between the sets of elevators - this will be the least movement on the ship. I was on the Pearl, during a storm that kept 2 other cruise ships in port and closed the Port of Astoria, lying in bed I felt fine, we were Deck 9 mid. Sailed the Tasman sea in a FWD suite on the Jewel - my worst 2 days on a ship, I seriously contemplated flying home from Auckland, rather than face the 2 sea days back to Sydney, realized we had encountered an uncommon storm and the weather forecast was clear - so stayed on the ship and had a great time.

 

I can't take meds for seasickness, ginger and crackers do a decent job of making me feel ok. Seabands controlled the nausea but I still felt head-achy and dizzy - went to bed and was fine the next day. Have your Mom test the prescription patch (if possible). Bring ginger candy, ginger syrup or something containing ginger the ginger ale served on NCL doesn't contain ginger and therefore won't help with seasickness.

 

I agree with the poster that said don't force them to cruise, I am sure if they don't go with you this time, there will be a cruise that does appeal sometime in the future. We sailed with friends in 2017, they prefer their favourite resort in Mexico, so that's what we are doing together in 2018.

[Toofarfromthesea]

If you are successful in getting them to go, don't let your dad try the whole 'touch the water' thing, LOL.

[OCruisers]

Sometimes it's best not to cruise with other family members who really do NOT want to go. ;)

[dolita22]

I cruised for the first time in high school and came home telling my parents how much fun it was. Went on more cruises, always coming home to tell them how much fun it was. Took me 23 years to convince them to try it and they LOVED it -- so much so that they now cruise 3-4 times each year, all on NCL. Their PCC knows them well, and they've now gone on more cruises since 2011 than I have since my first cruise in 1998! They were most worried about having to dine with people they don't know, but NCL's Freestyle concept solves all of that for them. Your comment about knowing your parents well and thinking that they would love it if they would try it fits my parents exactly. They weren't sure, went in with not many expectations, and they were hooked. We just did a 4-day Sky cruise, which actually happened to fall the peak week of hurricane season in Florida in September. Seas were like glass, weather was hot and humid like they like, and the cruise was just a lot of fun.

 

Sometimes it just takes time and letting people know how much you enjoy it. A big event also sometimes helps convince people to give cruising a shot. For my parents, who love to travel anyway, it was my mom's retirement and wanting a change from their trips to Vegas. Some family friends joined as a surprise, which made the trip extra fun. We also did a family cruise in 2013 to celebrate my parents' 45th anniversary, and my sister, BIL, and nephew were first-time cruisers. So if you have some sort of celebratory event that happens, maybe that would help at least get them thinking about joining.

Edited July 7, 2018 by dolita22
Spelling errors

[fastpitchdad]

=

The objections my parents have to cruising:

• As mentioned, my dad is CHEAP. The cost is really hard for him to swallow. Plus he resents the idea that he will be "paying for" other people to live it up. Like the fact that it's all-inclusive means that other people who stuff themselves and drink themselves sick are getting more "value" out of it than he does. I tried to argue that those people might hate going to shows or swimming in the pools and THEY are supplementing the cost of HIM enjoying those things, so it all evens out in the wash, but he's bot buying that argument.

This shouldn't be an objection. Cruise lines buy on massive scale so nobody is coming out ahead on the price of food/drinks. The cost of labor for food on a cruise ship is higher than the cost of goods.

[DZcreature]

Bermuda is one of the few places that are as pretty as the post cards. The water is the most beautiful shade of blue. Give Mom some non-drowsy Bonine just in case, and remind her that while in Bermuda the ship doesn't move for 3 days.

[kathy884]

I agree with the poster who said to show them what you posted here. I think it's wonderful that you enjoy traveling with your parents. I love traveling with mine too. Our secret weapon that gets them to come every time is a chance to spend time with our son, their grandson. Actually they would do it to spend time with us too. The older they get too, even if they aren't as much into traveling, having a relaxing week and quality time with family is what makes a cruise very special. And there is no work for anyone with all the meals included, etc. We all did the Escape about two years ago together and are doing a repeat this time on the Getaway, next January. My parents, though, love cruises. And for my dad (82) who now has some mobility issues, a cruise is really ideal with so much to do very self contained and he just loves sitting out on his balcony on his own or out their visiting with family.

 

I don't know what kind of financial situation you are in or what their finances are. If cost is the concern of your dad and you were able to pay for part of their expenses, would that be the encouragement they needed to give it a try?

 

Both my dad and I have issue with motion sickness. We have done well on the larger ships by simply wearing those pressure point wrist bands you can get at Walgreens for $6.00 or so. We both wear those before we get on the ship and don't take them off until the cruise is over.

 

Also and this is true, tell him that the people who buy the drink package and drinks and gamble are who are supplementing everyone else. This is so true. We just drink the free water, lemonade, and coffee. Record one of those TV shows about a cruise/economics of cruising and maybe show it to him. With his background, he'd probably be fascinated by it and it will support the notion of the others actually supplementing him.

Edited July 7, 2018 by kathy884

[kathy884]

• Both of my parents love to chat with strangers and meet new people. I was very embarrassed by it as a kid, the way they would strike up conversations with random strangers while waiting in line. Now I do the same thing!
  
• .

This made me laugh. This is me. I love to chat with strangers and meet new people. And DS 22 tells me how embarrassing that is to him. But lol :p I see him doing the same thing all the time.

[CruisingNole]

"

• My mom drinks occasionally, but as mentioned above, my dad is cheap, so she rarely gets to have a nice glass of wine with dinner or enjoy a beer while just hanging out."
  

Wow. I truly feel sorry for your mother. This is how she will spend her golden years? Being harpooned for having a glass of wine? That's just sad.

To be brutally honest with you, vacationing with someone who constantly counts pennies is a miserable experience. Leave them at home. Or maybe try to take your mother alone.

[kitkat343]

I went through the same thing with my IL. Since they have a vacation home in Florida and love to travel and they are getting older and it is harder for them to take land vacations, I felt very strongly that they needed to at least try taking a cruise. For years, they refused. We invited them to join us to the Panama Canal, and they chose to go to Disneyland with their other grandchildren over Easter (disney is great, but I told my husband when we were invited on that trip that I'd kill myself before spending a school holiday at Disney). As expected, they spent hours on line standing in the heat in between brief rides.

 

Eventually, they decided on their own that they wanted to try to go on a cruise to Alaska. and they loved it so much that they even take repositioning cruises to Europe now.

 

The problem with a cruise to Bermuda if you are on the East Coast is that it is usually an easy flight there, so some people might not see much value in taking a cruise there and risking seasickness (other people who love spending time on a cruise ship will have a wonderful time). If your parents don't have any enthusiasm about visiting Bermuda, I'd think about picking an itinerary that would be more difficult to replicate by land. Since your dad really likes engineering, I'd consider a Panama Canal cruise (Princess has 10 day partial transit cruises from Ft. Lauderdale). Cartagena is gorgeous on that trip, and you can also visit Aruba, Costa Rica (not the nicest part of Costa rica but still you can see a rain forest) and Jamaica or the Grand Cayman Islands. If they like nature, I'd consider Norway or Alaska. We met a ton of people who told us they normally hate cruises and said they were having a wonderful time on our Alaska cruise. If your parents enjoy history and visiting cities, a Baltic or Mediterranean cruise might be an excellent option.

[ALS1214]

I’m trying to convince family to join us as well as my son and his family. My in laws are afraid the boat will sink or they won’t be able to sleep knowing they are in the middle of the ocean and my son thinks his kids would be bored and cruising is for “ older people” . I wish just once to get everyone to join us to see how fun cruising is.

 

 

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[huh]

Oh no! I am not worried my parents won't like the food or entertainment. They aren't picky people. But the motion sickness issue could be a real problem for my mom.

I get car sick to the point I can't read anything in a car, even looking at my phone for a minute makes me queasy. I have never had a problem on a ship. My daughter takes after me, but worse. She wears sea bands. (Looks like a wrist sweat band with a bead on the inside of the wrist). She has never had a problem on any of our cruises.

 

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