After a bad first cruise.....

[Grits53]

How the heck can I talk my best friend into cruising with me again, after her first cruise was a bomb? I'm not going to name the (Carnival) ship or the details, but it truly was a bad cruise. It probably wasn't so much the ship itself as a set of circumstances (beyond our control) that caused things to go wrong....like being late to port and not having enough time to enjoy Cozumel. She didn't even get to snorkel (which was what she had looked forward to most). Water was rough, so I got seriously seasick and couldn't join her for the much anticipated formal dinner. And she got sick on the last day. It just was not a good cruise. Now, she says she will never cruise again! I admit that if that had been my first cruise, it would probably have been my last!

 

That was 2 years ago, and I thought surely she would have mellowed on the idea of another cruise by now. But I brought it up tonight, and she said NO WAY!!! I thought I would be able to get her on a 4 day on the Triumph after it moves to NOLA. Bigger ship and shorter cruise, plus more than a year to prepare for it. She insists that she is not going. I keep telling her that we had a very unusual cruise, and if they were all like that one, I certainly wouldn't be the cruise addict that I am! But she will hear nothing of it. Please tell me how I can talk her into trying one more cruise! She loves the islands and ocean and travel in general, but she has decided she hates cruising. :( I know if I could just get her on one more cruise, she would see how great it is! Any suggestions?

[Ykgorbie]

I'm thinking if you paid for her cruise, she might go. So unfortunate that her first experience wasn't a nice one.....but she has to realize that what happened was unusual.....good luck !

[Grits53]

I'm thinking if you paid for her cruise, she might go. So unfortunate that her first experience wasn't a nice one.....but she has to realize that what happened was unusual.....good luck !

 

I guess I should have mentioned that I paid for her first cruise and would pay for this one. No, I'm not always so generous, but she is the one who makes it possible for my DH and me to cruise. She house sits for us and takes care of our dogs when we're gone. Without her, we simply could not cruise. So this is my way of thanking her, although I do pay her for the house sitting, too. We've been best friends since childhood, but we don't get to spend much time together anymore, due to living in different towns and "life" getting in the way. I'd love to give her a NICE cruise that we could actually have fun on! But thanks for the suggestion. You would think that would be a good incentive for her, wouldn't you?

[TheVegasMan]

You enjoy cruising, she doesn't. Other than a rag soaked with ether.... Hmmmm, now there's an idea.

[donaldsc]

Leave her be!! Don't you think that she has a right to make her own decisions?

 

People like different activities. Can't you accept that or do you assume that everyone should like what you like?

 

DON

[crazycath]

I think you should go on a land vacation with her, that way you go on a trip with her and she isnt on a ship. Cruising isnt for everyone.

 

I am on a cruise with my sister tomorrow, her first cruise, hope to get a cruising partner.

 

Cathy

[oysterfiend]

Don't Drag anyone along to do something they don't want to do,

Then No one is happy

Think about how you can thank her another way- maybe a road trip?

A spa Package?

Think about what she'd like?

[Grits53]

Leave her be!! Don't you think that she has a right to make her own decisions?

 

People like different activities. Can't you accept that or do you assume that everyone should like what you like?

 

DON

 

Apparently, you missed the part about it being an unusually unpleasant cruise. Surely you know that most cruises are not unpleasant. I know she would love cruising, if she went on a "normal" cruise. Since we have been best friends for over 40 years, I have to say YES, we do like most of the same things, and I know her likes and dislikes well. She most definitely makes her own decisions about everything she does. Asking her to cruise again (or even begging!) is not forcing anything on her. She will do what she wants to do, but I am hoping to present it so she will WANT to try cruising again. You really didn't have to be so rude. :rolleyes:

[Grits53]

I think you should go on a land vacation with her, that way you go on a trip with her and she isnt on a ship. Cruising isnt for everyone.

 

I am on a cruise with my sister tomorrow, her first cruise, hope to get a cruising partner.

 

Cathy

 

Oh, lucky you! I wish I was leaving on a cruise tomorrow! I hope you and your sister have a perfectly awesome cruise!

[Grits53]

you enjoy cruising, she doesn't. Other than a rag soaked with ether.... Hmmmm, now there's an idea.

 

lol! :d

[crazycath]

Oh, lucky you! I wish I was leaving on a cruise tomorrow! I hope you and your sister have a perfectly awesome cruise!

 

Thank you, I think we will!!!! I know I will!!

 

Cathy

[falkcor]

i think it's important to remember that op isn't asking for advice on how to torture her friend. instead, she's genuinely confident that should her friend have a realistic and more 'normal' experience, that her friend would actually enjoy cruising. she's trying to share something with her friend that gives her much pleasure, for her friend's benefit.

 

the friend's idea of cruising is skewed due to a bad first impression. they're a bugger to take back, admittedly.

 

my advice to the op is to explain pretty much what i said in the first paragraph, and why you think cruising deserves a second shot... perhaps tempered with your impression of what's turning her off to cruising, and share with her your insight to moderate her bad first experience.

 

and tell her that you'll house sit for her, while she's on a land vacation, if you're wrong? ;-)

[glrounds]

Talk her into reading a few of the positive threads which abound herein. If that doesn't do it, just drop the idea, plan something else with her. :)

[skay]

Frankly, I'm a bit confused. You came on here asking for advice on how to convince an adult friend of yours that her bad experience on a previous cruise was somehow skewed, so that she would accept your offer to go on another cruise with you -- over and above her stated objections. At least two people responded that cruises simply are not for everyone, and that you should leave it alone/consider an alternative (i.e. land trip, etc.). One did it in a jovial manner; one was more direct. You judged the more direct approach to be rude. I guess you should put me in the latter category as well. Rightly or wrongly, you come across to me as someone who thinks she knows more about what another adult wants/needs than that adult herself. If anything, I consider THAT to be rude. (Amongst other things -- like presumptuous and arrogant.)

[jessemon]

But she will hear nothing of it.

But she has decided she hates cruising.

These are the two main things you have working against you.

There is no (in her mind) but about it. She is done with it like an old boyfriend or husband.....;)

Find and island land vacation that will work. Try an all inclusive. Go to an island that has ferriers so you can go between islands on short day trips....JMO.....

[sunline2000]

Point out to her that those events could of happened on shore vacation also.Flight delay....getting sick.....rough ocean or bad weather.Those are the chances we take when you book a great vacation away in the warm sun sand and island hopping.:DIt was not the cruise,,it was a vacation gone sour.Why on our honey moon in Disney (my 1st visit)it rained for 2 days and then there was a unseasonal cold windy day when we were at sea world..we went back many times and still vacation:eek::)

[BND]

Frankly, I'm a bit confused. You came on here asking for advice on how to convince an adult friend of yours that her bad experience on a previous cruise was somehow skewed, so that she would accept your offer to go on another cruise with you -- over and above her stated objections. At least two people responded that cruises simply are not for everyone, and that you should leave it alone/consider an alternative (i.e. land trip, etc.). One did it in a jovial manner; one was more direct. You judged the more direct approach to be rude. I guess you should put me in the latter category as well. Rightly or wrongly, you come across to me as someone who thinks she knows more about what another adult wants/needs than that adult herself. If anything, I consider THAT to be rude. (Amongst other things -- like presumptuous and arrogant.)

 

This is her BEST friend not someone she barely knows. She's trying to get her to give cruising one more chance. I think your post shows a bit of arrogance along the lines of what you accused her of. You're telling another adult how to treat her best friend. You do not know their relationship and I think she's geniunely trying to figure out how to show her friend that the first cruise was an anomaly. This is not that her first cruise experience was normal and she just didnt' like it. They had a set of circumstances that rarely happens that "upset the boat".

[cruizinrican]

How the heck can I talk my best friend into cruising with me again, after her first cruise was a bomb? I'm not going to name the (Carnival) ship or the details, but it truly was a bad cruise. It probably wasn't so much the ship itself as a set of circumstances (beyond our control) that caused things to go wrong....like being late to port and not having enough time to enjoy Cozumel. She didn't even get to snorkel (which was what she had looked forward to most). Water was rough, so I got seriously seasick and couldn't join her for the much anticipated formal dinner. And she got sick on the last day. It just was not a good cruise. Now, she says she will never cruise again! I admit that if that had been my first cruise, it would probably have been my last!

 

That was 2 years ago, and I thought surely she would have mellowed on the idea of another cruise by now. But I brought it up tonight, and she said NO WAY!!! I thought I would be able to get her on a 4 day on the Triumph after it moves to NOLA. Bigger ship and shorter cruise, plus more than a year to prepare for it. She insists that she is not going. I keep telling her that we had a very unusual cruise, and if they were all like that one, I certainly wouldn't be the cruise addict that I am! But she will hear nothing of it. Please tell me how I can talk her into trying one more cruise! She loves the islands and ocean and travel in general, but she has decided she hates cruising. :( I know if I could just get her on one more cruise, she would see how great it is! Any suggestions?

 

On our first cruise we ran into so many small issues that all added up in the end to keep my husband from wanting to ever cruise ago too. But after almost 2 years of begging, I finally talked him into another. Well as you can see from signature line, we were hooked after the 2nd! (I was hooked after the first)

 

We love to cruise and thought that my in-laws should try this new way we found to vacation with sun, sand and fun so booked them on a 3 nighter. They hated it we later found out when they returned and were ready to get off by the second evening?!:confused: They have never cruised again.

 

I say good luck in trying to convince her to go again. Some people just aren't cruising people. I say find someone new to be your cruising partner now, forget about try to talk her into it. Go on ahead without her and when you return show her your pics of you snorkeling and having a great time aboard, maybe then she will change her mind but if not, just let it go.

 

Im just glad I was able to convince my hubby to go again or I would have missed out on a whole lot of cruises!

[Tapi]

My best friend refuses to cruise again because the only time he cruised was with his now ex-wife who is a total #$%@ and pretty much ruined the whole experience.

 

Although the ex-wife's behavior is nothing that Carnival had any control over, he associates cruising with a sour experience so there's no way in hell I've been able to convince him to cruise again.

 

Even though his reasons for not cruising are skewed, they are HIS reasons, and I have to respect that. So instead, when all of us get together and travel, we don't cruise. We'll do some sort of land vacation which we all enjoy.

 

I'm sure that if he tried it again, he would probably enjoy cruising, but I can't force him. Some day he may say "I'm ready to give it another shot", but I'm not going to push it. I know that if someone tried to push something on me that I don't want to do, I'd be gravitating away from that person.

[UpstateCruizer]

How the heck can I talk my best friend into cruising with me again, after her first cruise was a bomb? I'm not going to name the (Carnival) ship or the details, but it truly was a bad cruise. It probably wasn't so much the ship itself as a set of circumstances (beyond our control) that caused things to go wrong....like being late to port and not having enough time to enjoy Cozumel. She didn't even get to snorkel (which was what she had looked forward to most). Water was rough, so I got seriously seasick and couldn't join her for the much anticipated formal dinner. And she got sick on the last day. It just was not a good cruise. Now, she says she will never cruise again! I admit that if that had been my first cruise, it would probably have been my last!

 

That was 2 years ago, and I thought surely she would have mellowed on the idea of another cruise by now. But I brought it up tonight, and she said NO WAY!!! I thought I would be able to get her on a 4 day on the Triumph after it moves to NOLA. Bigger ship and shorter cruise, plus more than a year to prepare for it. She insists that she is not going. I keep telling her that we had a very unusual cruise, and if they were all like that one, I certainly wouldn't be the cruise addict that I am! But she will hear nothing of it. Please tell me how I can talk her into trying one more cruise! She loves the islands and ocean and travel in general, but she has decided she hates cruising. :( I know if I could just get her on one more cruise, she would see how great it is! Any suggestions?

 

Hmmm I have a suggestion but it's probably one you won't want to hear. My suggestion is to respect her desire to not cruise again. While you say there were many factors that contributed to her not enjoying her first cruise, very little of that would convince me to not try another unless I really didn't want to go in the first place.

 

I have a friend that loves to go to concerts of her favorite band/group. While I agree they are awesome .... I have absolutely no desire to join in on that scene. She repeatedly asks me about it and I decline each time. The last time she asked was a few days ago and the way she put it when I declined made me want to avoid her rather than enjoy our friendship. I suspect if you push your friend too much you may find yourself in a similar place with her.

 

Cruising aside is there another vacation she may enjoy more that you two could get together for? I wish you luck and hope that you are able to see things from her perspective too :)

[halos]

When you love cruising, it's so hard to comprehend how someone else wouldn't feel the same way. Even though there were circumstances that made your last cruise with her pretty disagreeable and it likely would be better this time, I have to agree with the posters who said to let it go. There is no good going to come out of you forcing the issue on her when she seems adamantly against it. If I were you I would find another cruise buddy.

[A&Jfamily]

How the heck can I talk my best friend into cruising with me again, after her first cruise was a bomb? I'm not going to name the (Carnival) ship or the details, but it truly was a bad cruise. It probably wasn't so much the ship itself as a set of circumstances (beyond our control) that caused things to go wrong....like being late to port and not having enough time to enjoy Cozumel. She didn't even get to snorkel (which was what she had looked forward to most). Water was rough, so I got seriously seasick and couldn't join her for the much anticipated formal dinner. And she got sick on the last day. It just was not a good cruise. Now, she says she will never cruise again! I admit that if that had been my first cruise, it would probably have been my last!

 

That was 2 years ago, and I thought surely she would have mellowed on the idea of another cruise by now. But I brought it up tonight, and she said NO WAY!!! I thought I would be able to get her on a 4 day on the Triumph after it moves to NOLA. Bigger ship and shorter cruise, plus more than a year to prepare for it. She insists that she is not going. I keep telling her that we had a very unusual cruise, and if they were all like that one, I certainly wouldn't be the cruise addict that I am! But she will hear nothing of it. Please tell me how I can talk her into trying one more cruise! She loves the islands and ocean and travel in general, but she has decided she hates cruising. :( I know if I could just get her on one more cruise, she would see how great it is! Any suggestions?

 

As someone who almost didn't cruise again (see my signature below) I can certainly understand where she is coming from. So, first, I'd find out what her real objections were: was it the sea sickness, the cabin, the disappointment etc? Was there anything she did like about the cruise?

 

If you want to convince her, you are going to have to "play to the strengths" and come up with solutions to the disappointments/dislikes. For example, when I was on RCCL, I did not like the food or the service. So, when I decided to give it another shot, I picked CCL (we have kids now) and LOVED it. Now, I'm hooked. Show her stories like mine.

 

Lastly, if her objections were to say the sea sickness, then I might wait until I could afford a "safer" cruise in that respect. Fly to San Juan and do a southern route, off hurricane season. I doubt she will able to even tell she is moving! With a longer cruise, she would certainly get the opportunity to snorkel.

 

Sometimes, it just take time to erase bad memories and be willing to take a chance on life again!;)

[ALWAYS_CRUISER84]

ahhh if shes havin a cry about circumstances beyond her control, chances are she isnt cut out for cruising, suck it up or dont go cruising.

[halos]

ahhh if shes havin a cry about circumstances beyond her control, chances are she isnt cut out for cruising, .

 

That's it in a nutshell, I think. Cruising is NOT for those who can't go with the flow because few cruises are usually perfect.

[MamaParrotHead]

I have learned the hard way that if you have to talk someone into a cruise, they spend the entire time on the ship, and THEN some, nit-picking every damn thing and it's a complete bummer to everyone else. I'd take her at her word and not ruin your cruise by having to talk her into it. JMHO.