Is this unusual?

[Buddy L]

I think you're suffering from `Tom Jones` Syndrome

 

Its quite rare but "Its not unusual" :D

[skybuffalo]

I have been trying for over a year to get my mother to go on a cruise with me. So far no luck, in fact I can not even get her on a plane.

 

Ron

[RENEED68]

I go on vacation with my Mom and Grandmother (we are 36, 57 and 89 this year) every year. We stopped buying each other Christmas gifts and book a spring vacation every year instead. I look so forward to these trips and so do they. I see NOTHING wrong with going with your Mom on a cruise!! Enjoy!

[01 Cobra]

Take your mom on the cruise and have a good time. I think it's very nice of you to do something like that. I'm excited that I'm taking my mom on her first cruise in May. And yes, getting her on that plane is going to be very difficult!!! I'm 33 and my mom is going to be 50 in April so this is a birthday present to her.

 

Just an aside funny...last year on Explorer a man about 40 was with a very attractive young lady that looked to be about 20 or 21 to me. She was standing in front of him near the rails on the side of the ship...and he was behind her..pretty close and even put an arm almost around her but he was touching the rail...like he was hiding her or something. She was wearing a white bikini so I thought he was trying to block the view of his new bride from on lookers as it was very crowded an we were about to sail. I asked if they were on their honey moon and he smiled and laughed and politely told me she was his 17 year old daughter who was missing her prom for the opportunity to go on a cruise instead. He was on a company trip. I was so embarrassed!!! But I could definitely understand why he was guarding his daughter...she was a real looker for a 17 yo...tall, blond, size 4 or 6 probably and even had french tips done on her acrylic nails along with some strappy white sandles.

[tandemtourer]

When Captaintandemtourer's mother was losing her sight she needed a traveling companion. My husband shared an economy bedroom with her on Amtrak. Now that's sharing a small space!

[ladycaveat]

Just wondering... is it unusual for a 35yo son to be traveling with his 63yo mother? (Seperate beds' date=' of course.) While I am handling the travel arrangements, I told my mother that once on board ship, "you do your thing, I do my thing, maybe we'll meet up for dinner."[/quote']

 

Since my divorce eleven years ago when my son was sixteen and I was forty-six . . . we've taken so many trips together . . . and always had a ball. I remember two years ago on our trip to Ireland, I asked him if he ever felt strange about taking trips with his Mom. I loved his reply, "Mom, you're as much fun, if not more, than most of my friends." You gotta love a kid that still thinks his fifty-five (at the time) year-old Mom is still fun! I tried to get him to go with me on my April 30th cruise but unfortunately, he has duty (he's now a twenty-seven year old helicopter pilot with the Coast Guard). But . . . because he's stationed at Air Station Miami . . . he's picking me up at the airport and before he takes me to the port . . . we'll get to spend a few days together before the curise and . . . a few days after.

 

So . . . to answer your question . . . no, I don't think it is unusual at all . . . I think it is wonderful for a parent and child to still enjoy each other's company enough to still want to take trips together . . . when the "child" is an adult. I know that I am just so blessed to have a son that is not only my son . . . but also my friend.

[Water Logger]

I'm 43 and traveling with my mom on 2 cruises this year and I can't think of a better shipmate! Maybe it's different for daughters, but I think it's nice to see men traveling with their mothers. You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his mother. I'm sure she wants you to go on this trip with her or she would not have made all the arrangements. Give your mother a break and at least have dinner with her every night. I'm sure she raised you to be a good son!

 

Ally

[Water Logger]

Sorry! I thought SHE made all the arrangements!

 

Oh well, it's still the same. You must want her there as well or you wouldn't have gone all that trouble. Have a good time!

[Mommatron]

I don't think there is anything unusual about it. I'm 41 and lost my Dad (72) last July. I'm thankful for every moment we ever shared together. Have fun and make great memories! :)

[akh40]

My sister and I (42 & 40) are taking my mom (70) to Alaska to celebrate her birthday. We are leaving the DH's and kids at home! I am looking forward to remembering all the great times we shared all those many years ago. We will probably spend much of our time together, in port as well as on the ship. Although we do have our differences: they are drinkers, I am not. They like to go to bed early, and sleep in, I like to burn the candle at both ends! So we will somehow get along together and enjoy just being together. Thanks for this great thread, I've really enjoyed reading it!

 

Amanda:)

[moongoddess]

we have an entire family (3 generations) going on the explorer in nov. my parents, uncles, aunt, sibs, niece, her fiance and his family are all going. it's a great family get together opportunity; the ship is so big, there's so much to do, and there is always someone to play with!!!

BTW, i'm bringing 3 single bros, ages 24-43 (firefighter, businessman, lawyer); any single women sailing on the explorer on the thirteenth? bring YOUR bros, and we'll trade!!! :D

[celbercrz333]

Z,

Go for it! If people wonder what's up, it's not their business. ONce they see you doing your own thing on the ship and your mom doing hers, they will stop speculating and realize you just wanted your mom along. You see all kinds of people on cruises. Some might be stranger than others, some you will wonder about even after you are home. It's just people-watching. Don't take anything personally.

[auridicyl]

When I was 22, my 73-year-old father treated me to my very first cruise. It was just he and I, as my mother wouldn't set foot on a cruise ship to save her life (too afraid of water). This was one of the most wonderful experiences I ever had with my father. Although we did almost everything together (unlike your plan to go your separate ways -- which is great if your mom is that independent -- my dad needed assistance getting around), it was one of the highlights of both of our lives, and now that he has passed, one of my most treasured memories of him. Don't worry about what others may think. I remember my dad commenting a couple of times that someone might think he was my "sugar daddy." Well, no one said any such thing to our faces, and I didn't particularly care if that is what they thought, either. By all means, take her while she's still here!

 

As an aside, two of our tablemates on that same cruise were an older gent (50-60 age range, I believe) and HIS mother, 90+! So no, probably not unusual, although we were sailing Holland America, which, at least at the time, was known as appealing to an older crowd.

[yecats]

Not to be mean but I think the concept of even asking if it seems right to travel with your own family is wrong. Your family is your family and you are meant to do various things with them over your lifespan regardless of what others may think. I don't care what people think anymore. I have very little family left and I choose to spend the time left having a wonderful memories with them. I am a lady in mid 30's who loves to cruise. My grandparents love to cruise as well and I have done many trips with them which is wonderful as 3rd person in cabin helps to bring down cost a bit. We have a pretty good schedule worked out between us with me in the shower last as I am usually enjoying the pool and decks most of the day, they tend to get dressed for dinner around 4ish and will head to the casino when I am getting ready and then we meet up for dinner and that nights entertainment and enjoy ourselves and time together. We each have a vacation seperate for parts of the day and nice time together at the end of the day.

 

My trip with them last week was both a blessing and a curse. My grandmother fell and cracked her knee midway through the cruise (we were having a wonderful time until the unfortunate incident occurred). She was sent to an ER when we docked at an island and wasn't allowed back on the ship. Frankly hell begin the minute I left the hospital, returned to the boat to pack everything up and figure out what I had to do to get us home only having 1 hour to do so before the ship sailed. If I hadn't been there and my grandfather would've had to handle the problem my grandparents would've become residents of the island rather than be back home handling the medical problem (no meanness intend to my grandfather but facts are facts and both him and my grandmother were in a panic). In this sense, even though it was hellish, I was so glad to be there for my grandparents because simply put, they needed me. I'm okay that my vacation ended because when we made it home the next day and my grandmother was seen by her doctor, it turned out that she wouldn't need surgery afterall and that was truly a blessing in itself.

 

Be happy and proud to vacation with your family. Have a wonderful trip.

[beckers]

I took my 70 year Dad on a weekend cruise to nowhere out of NYC on the Carnival Legend. He has no one to cruise with so my husband left me go with him. It was a father daughter bonding weekend.

 

We were up on the deck at 5:00 am coming up the Hudson all alone with coffees in our hand watching the NYC lights watching for the Statue of Liberty. It was magical.

 

He is hooked on cruising so we are going again on the Voyager of the Seas

to Bermuda in September.

 

Your parents may not be around forever and cruising is the best way to enjoy them.

 

Now I can cruise with my Husband and my Father. Twice a year!!:D

[msmate]

I am taking my 3 year old daughter and 80 year old parents to Alaska next month in honor of my parents 6Oth wedding aniversary! It is all of our first cruise. I am so excited to share this time with them and have the opportunity for my daughter to spend a wonderful week with these two amazing people.

 

Cheers!

[yankeegolfcruiser]

I used to take my mom on a cruise every year until she died. We had a wonderful time doing the things on the ship she like to do while I did mine. We always met up for drinks before dinner, and then dinner and sometimes the show.

A funny story happened on one cruise on the Monarch of the Seas, I had met these two lovely young ladies. One day at lunch they sat with my mom and said that they met a very cute young guy on ship and had a lot of fun with him. My mom told me and I laughed, saw the young ladies later that night and said to them that they had lunch with a beautful older young woman. They wondered how I knew. I said that you had lunch with my Mom.

Unfortunately my Mom died before we were to leave on our last cruise, so on her death bed I wished her happy sailing on her Golden Voyage.

I then met my wife and she has replaced my mom as my partner on our cruises, boy had mom still been alive she would have loved my wife. My wife

has a lot of my mom in her. Guess that's why I married her.

I know my mom is watching and wishing us well on every cruise we go on.

[caroliemarie]

I am 22 and have been on 3 cruises with my dear mom. My mom and I have always been close and have enjoyed our trips together. Next year we will be bringing my grandparents with us and I am excited about it. The four of us are close and it will be nice to share the experience with them as well.

[cruisinpaige]

Just wondering... is it unusual for a 35yo son to be traveling with his 63yo mother? (Seperate beds' date=' of course.) While I am handling the travel arrangements, I told my mother that once on board ship, "you do your thing, I do my thing, maybe we'll meet up for dinner."[/quote']

 

For my Dad's 60th b-day my sisters and I got him a cruise and I was his traveling companion. We had a total blast and there isnothing weird at all about it. I used earplugs to help block out his loud snoring in the same room. I was about 35 at the time. We made some friends on that cruise including one that is my best friend to this day! Dad loved the luxury, and the food and the music and dancing, Carlos and Charlies...

 

Why would anyone think that's weird? She's your Mom for goodness sake! Some people have sick minds!

[outnlftfld]

I have two good friends in their 20's (one early, one late) who each took their mothers on a cruise with them and had wonderful times! They planned some activities together and some separate. Don't totally abandon her at least until she has an opportunity to meet some other folks to "do her thing with". Maybe if you look at all the activities you can find some that interest you both.

[kenandlaura06]

I would love to take my mom on a cruise...I have been trying to convince her, I think I may finally be making some progress!

[suntan]

I cruise with my Mom who is in her early 70's, my aunt who is in her late 60's, our friend who is in her late 50's. I am in my early 40's. As you can see our ages range 4 decades. We have an understanding....you do what you want, no one is tied to the others. Sometimes we go on shore excursions together, sometimes we don't. We ALWAYS meet up for dinner though to chat about the day and what's ahead for the next.

[LittleBit]

I've vacationed with my folks many times, sharing a hotel room is no big deal.

 

Frankly, I think it makes you very appealing to value your mom enough to vacation with her - are you single??? ;-)

[awinner]

Just wondering... is it unusual for a 35yo son to be traveling with his 63yo mother? (Seperate beds' date=' of course.) While I am handling the travel arrangements, I told my mother that once on board ship, "you do your thing, I do my thing, maybe we'll meet up for dinner."[/quote']

 

 

YOU MUST BE SOME TYPE OF SICKO!!!:eek:

 

 

Just kidding...i have cruised with my mom many times before i was married (in my mid-late 20's), we had all meals together plus we would see the evening show, during the rest of the day we would fend for ourselves...i had a blast everytime, and would do it again.

[MonaCK]

I would cruise with either parent, in a heartbeat. :) It's not unusual. Go and have a great time :)