Hesitant to Try a Cruise?

[lady_cruiser]

I can't swim, can't afford it and will get seasick. Those were my reasons. Well, my first cruise was in 2005 - I still can't swim but so what. There are a lot of other cruisers who can't swim and that doesn't stop them. I wear the patch and even in the roughest of waters I don't get seasick. Last cruise our waves were 10 feet high and the captain took up the staberlizers (spelling ??) so he could get the speed necessary to get away from the weather. And thanks to the ear patch I wasn't sick. Felt a little drunk, without drinking, but at least I was on a cruise. As far as not affording it, I found out I could

if

; I stopped going out to eat lunch everyday of the week with my co-workers, read a good book instead of going to the movies, wash my wash and wear clothes instead of dry cleaning them, drink regular coffee instead of the Mucha's (which is also good for my waistline), stay away from the snack machine (another inch off the waistline) and buy my clothes on sale.

 

So all of my reasons for not cruising are now a thing of the past. I only wish I had started cruising years ago because next year I will be 60 years old and will only have had the opportunity to have cruised 5 times.

 

For all you younger people out there. If you have ever considered going on a cruise don't wait until its too late. Life is too short to be afraid to try something new. Give it a try - you might surprise yourselves.

[Host Sharon]

I chose too many rigid rules. I am now booked for my second cruise and from my experience on the first one, I was right. I know that we were stupid on the first cruise. It was to Hawaii and had four days at sea in the beginning. I, too, got the patches. Those things were horrible. I felt like I was drugged all of the time. Please, please, some of you who love cruising, explain to me why you love it. Just a little of my experience on the first cruise. We flew from the midwest to San Diego. When we arrived, we had to claim our luggage and truck it out to the staging area. We were then handed a warm bottle of water and a granola bar and put on a bus to Mexico. Once there, we had to sit on the bus for an hour and then they dropped us off at some hotel where we signed in for the cruise. After some delay, we were herded back on the bus, sat in the parking lot for awhile and were then taken to the ship. We then sat on the bus in a parking lot until they let us off to go stand in line to get on the ship. So far - it's a wonderful vacation. We went to the cabin dropped the carry ons and went to get something to eat. The TV did not work there was no DVD player. We were up at 4:30 a.m. EDT to catch an early flight. The drill was at 9:00 PDT. After we returned from the drill, all we wanted to do was get some sleep. While we were brushing our teeth, the cabin attendant beat on the door and begged to come in and turn down the bed. We asked him to go away, but he seemed hurt, so we took a 10 minute walk to allow him to turn down the bed. When we returned, the bed was not turned down - which really didn't matter, since we do manage to get into bed every night on our own. We got into bed and, there came the cabin attendant beating on the door wanting to turn down the bed. We screamed back and forth through the door, until he finally seemed to understand that we were already in bed and were not going to allow him to come in. Finally he went away. I will not go into the food which we found substandard. When we disembarked, we were forced to set in a public area for hours waiting to be called. When we left the ship, we went out to find our luggage scattered here and there. Finally we got our bags - stupid me, I let them take the carry on bags, too - some of the tags were missing. Some seasoned cruiser took pity on us and explained that the only way to get our luggage and get on the transfer bus was to go bribe a porter and he would take care of it. We did that and got herded onto a bus. We were then dumped at the airport with about fifteen other buses and had to walk a mile to get a luggage cart. There were no porters that we could find in the airport. As a rule we did not find the other passengers friendly or outgoing. The best thing about that cruise was the bar and the two bartenders who regularly manned it. We were there so much that when we saw them on two separate occasions on shore, they asked if we would be back in the bar that night. They were the only people on the ship who ever bothered to learn that I do not go by the name on the "get out of Jail" card and called me by the name that I use. I did like being out at sea when it was calm. I loved that feeling. It was nice to stare out at the water, but how long can you do that before you want to jump in? However, what I alway hear is how great cruising is. How they pamper you. I am willing to admit that the first experience was a just a bad one, if that is really the case. So please, please tell me what you really love about cruising and what I can do to make this one coming up a better experience. We should have more senic cruising this time. Will that make it better? Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

Wrong ship (too big), wrong shipping line (badly organised), wrong port of departure. I can only guess these may have been some of the reasons you hated it so much. The more passengers there are on a ship the longer it will take to embark and disembark them all. Things like the hand luggage you live and learn by. I have usually found other passengers friendly and helpful (one of my best friends I met on a cruise). If you don't want the cabin steward to bang on your door - put the do not disturb sign outside. They are there to serve you at YOUR convenience. If you an early flight, how about arriving the day before and staying in a hotel overnight? I love cruising and am sorry you had such a poor experince. I can only suggest you try again with a different line with smaller ships and better organisation. Try one with perhaps more ports and fewer sea days.

[littlej]

I didn't vote because I didn't have any choice before my first cruise... my parents dragged me along when I was 16 for a family reunion cruise to Bermuda, and am I ever glad they did! I've been on two others since then with my husband (his first and second). The last one was in 2005. What's kept us from going back? Norovirus. There was a terrible outbreak during our last cruise, and people were literally losing their breakfasts while standing around with their luggage waiting to be called for disembarkation. My brand new sneakers were discarded before we got in the car to go home. That should have been on the list; I think there are plenty of cruise virgins out there who are afraid to try it because of that. I haven't heard much lately, which is why we're thinking about cruising again.

[WELSH WIZARDS]

It's easy to come up with reasons for not trying a new type of holiday. And cruising especially carries with it a number of well-established stereotypes -- cabin fever, seasickness ........

I voted, as did many others, for seasickness. I disagree with your remark that fearing seasickness while sailing on a cruise is an easy reason not to go. It has nothing to do with well established stereotypes, but is usually a major concideration for people who have been very unwell while on smaller boats, etc. Seasickness is a horrible, really debilitating experience, and is extremely unpleasant. Fortunately , there are some well documented solutions to help avoid it elsewhere on these boards.

[Rivercat]

I voted, as did many others, for seasickness. I disagree with your remark that fearing seasickness while sailing on a cruise is an easy reason not to go. It has nothing to do with well established stereotypes, but is usually a major concideration for people who have been very unwell while on smaller boats, etc. Seasickness is a horrible, really debilitating experience, and is extremely unpleasant. Fortunately , there are some well documented solutions to help avoid it elsewhere on these boards.

 

Good point! TVLand just aired the I Love Lucy episode in which she tries to help Fred get over his seasickness on the Staten Island ferry and she ends up getting sick herself. Just watching Lucy play seasick almost made me ill, and I don't get motion sick :D

 

Kate

[c_renee]

I wasn’t the least bit hesitant:) .

But one that I have heard from a couple of people was about being stuck on the ship in general. In other words, that they couldn’t just go home if they hated it.

[Rivercat]

But one that I have heard from a couple of people was about being stuck on the ship in general. In other words, that they couldn’t just go home if they hated it.

 

One major line (Carnival?) has some kind of "fun" guarantee where if you hate the cruise for any reason, you can tell them before you reach the first port of call and they'll refund the unused part of the fare and your flight home.

[Rivercat]

But one that I have heard from a couple of people was about being stuck on the ship in general. In other words, that they couldn’t just go home if they hated it.

 

One major line (Carnival?) has some kind of "fun" guarantee where if you hate the cruise for any reason, you can tell them before you reach the first port of call and they'll refund the unused part of the fare and your flight home.

[cathi]

I voted for "I'd be bored 'cause theres nothing to do". I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard that one! For all of you first-timers out there - please try a 3 or 4 day cruise before heading out to Hawaii. If you truly don't like cruising for heaven's sake don't book yourselves on a sailing that starts with 5 or 6 days in the middle of the Pacific with not a rock of again in sight!!

We are heading out for our 18th cruise in 43 more sleeps but I do realize it's not for everyone but I keep trying to convert everyone I can!!!!LOL